x01a Research Archives

Trump FDA rejects Moderna application for mRNA-based flu vaccine– www.lifesitenews.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

(LifeSiteNews) — The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has notified pharmaceutical giant Moderna that it will not be reviewing its application for a new mRNA-based flu vaccine, continuing the Trump administration’s pivot away from the technology that was introduced to the country with the controversial COVID-19 shots.

Time magazine reports that almost two years ago, Moderna submitted Phase 3 data touting the purported effectiveness of mRNA 1010.6, the first influenza vaccine to use mRNA, and has been in talks with the government ever since. But on February 3, it received a Refusal to File letter from the FDA declaring its application “is not sufficiently complete to enable a substantive review.”

‘RINO’ Congressman Projected To Lose Primary Race– trendingpoliticsnews.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales is facing steep odds in his upcoming GOP primary as fallout continues from a sex scandal involving a former aide who died by suicide last year.

Gonzales, 45, a married father of six and Navy veteran, had an affair with his former district director, Regina Ann “Regi” Santos-Aviles, 35. Santos-Aviles self-immolated in the garden of her Texas Hill Country home in September.

A former Gonzales staffer told the San Antonio Express-News that the congressman failed to act after being warned about Santos-Aviles’ declining mental health. The report said Santos-Aviles’ husband had learned of the affair and that she became depressed.

Poll Finds Majority Of Voters Concerned About Noncitizens Voting– thefederalist.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

As Democrats wage war on election integrity, a new poll shows a majority of Americans believe noncitizens on their states voter rolls are a problem.

Last week, the Republican-controlled House passed the SAVE (The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) America Act on a mostly party-line vote. Texas’ politically vulnerable Rep. Henry Cuellar was the lone Democrat voting for the measure.

“I support the SAVE America Act because I believe in the fundamental principle: American citizens should decide American elections,” Cuellar wrote on X. He’s not alone. The vast majority of Americans support the two pillars of the bill: Documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and voter ID to cast a ballot in federal elections.

Peru has lost another president. Here’s why, and what happens next – National– globalnews.ca

pgnewser February 18, 2026

Peru’s Congress on Tuesday voted to remove interim President José Jerí from office, triggering a fresh wave of political instability just weeks before the nation’s April presidential election.

Jerí was Peru’s seventh president in less than a decade, and will now be replaced by a member of Congress, who will be expected to lead the country during the election and until the nation’s newly elected president is sworn in on July 28.

Heroic Bystander Who Stopped Trans Shooter’s Rampage Speaks Out, Recounts the Rhode Island Tragedy– townhall.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

The heroic bystander, Michael Black, who risked his own life to try to subdue the transgender gunman in Rhode Island on Monday, recounted the harrowing incident on Tuesday. He described how, after he tackled the shooter, his hand became caught in the gunman’s slide, stopping him from causing further harm, and how he witnessed the shooter pull out a second gun and take his own life.

Florida mandates sociology textbook that avoids race, gender — faculty call it censorship– www.thecollegefix.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

Key Takeaways

Florida International University’s sociology department opposes a newly mandated textbook that significantly reduces content on race, gender, and sexuality, alleging it constitutes academic censorship.
The changes stem from Senate Bill 266, which restricts courses from addressing theories of systemic inequality and promotes a curriculum void of ‘identity politics’.
Critics, including faculty members and organizations like the Heterodox Academy, argue that the textbook revisions undermine essential sociological concepts and academic freedom.

Trump DOJ sues Harvard for withholding race-related admissions docs | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts, accuses Harvard of repeatedly delaying and narrowing its responses to federal requests.

The US Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division filed a lawsuit against Harvard University on Friday, alleging the school unlawfully withheld admissions-related information that federal officials say they need to determine whether Harvard is complying with federal civil rights law following the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College.

Crockett hits back, says CBS and Colbert are full of it: ‘They just didn’t want to air it’– www.theblaze.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas is taking aim at late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert for pulling an interview with her opponent.

Colbert lashed out at President Donald Trump after CBS pulled an interview with James Talarico, another Democratic candidate running for Senate against Crockett, citing new FCC guidelines. While Colbert pointed the finger at the government, Crockett was quick to push back on the narrative, insisting that the federal government had nothing to do with the decision to pull Talarico’s interview.

‘This was because of a fear that the FCC may say something to them.’

UK police forces assess allegations from Epstein files– abcnews.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

LONDON — British police forces are working together to assess potential crimes revealed in documents from the U.S. Justice Department’s investigation into the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including allegations of wrongdoing by the former Prince Andrew.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council, which brings together police leaders from across the U.K., said on Wednesday that it had set up a national coordination group to support forces looking into issues arising from the more than 3 million pages of documents released late last month.

“It may take some time due to the volume of material and the complexity of international jurisdictions, but policing and its law enforcement partners are taking this matter extremely seriously, and will assess all information thoroughly,” the council said in a statement.

DEI remains strong at UMich a year after president promised to gut it– www.thecollegefix.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

ANALYSIS

University of Michigan departments and colleges continue to embrace “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” almost a year after officials promised to abandon a massive “strategic plan.”

In March 2025, former University of Michigan President Santa Ono announced that the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Office for Health Equity and Inclusion would close. The school also promised to discontinue its “DEI 2.0 Strategic Plan” and eliminate or reassign much of its affiliated staff. Ono’s embrace of DEI played a central role in his failed attempt to become the new president of the University of Florida.

Paris prosecutors open 2 Epstein-linked probes and call on victims to come forward– abcnews.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

PARIS — Paris prosecutors opened on Wednesday two new investigations into potential sex abuse crimes and financial wrongdoings linked to Jeffrey Epstein following the release of millions of files of the millionaire financier and convicted sex offender, and called on possible victims to come forward.

Paris prosecutor Laurence Beccuau said the investigations are seeking to use the files released by the U.S. administration, media reports and new complaints that are being filed.

“All that data … some will shed light on others to be able to get a well-informed, very broad, panoramic view,” Beccuau said on France Info news broadcaster.

Trump unveils critical minerals, 2 other investment projects with Japan– japantoday.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration said Tuesday that Japan will finance the production of synthetic diamonds and two energy projects worth about $36 billion as the initial tranche of investments under a deal reached last year following months of tariff negotiations.

Trump’s announcement that the three projects had been selected, as part of a $550 billion package that Japan committed to in exchange for his administration reducing tariffs on Japanese cars and other goods, was confirmed hours later by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

“These projects are so large, and could not be done without one very special word, TARIFFS,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “America is building again. America is producing again. And America is WINNING again.”

Education Department Investigates Portland Schools for Racism – PJ Media– pjmedia.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

Woke Portland Public Schools (PPS) are in trouble for blatantly racist programs. I know you’re shocked.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has opened an investigation into PPS over its Center for Black Student Excellence (CBSE). ED believes this CBSE could be illegal under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to a Feb. 17 press release. PPS has allocated millions of dollars specifically for black students, discriminating on the basis of skin color.

Japan exports growth surges nearly 17% in January as shipments to China surge– www.cnbc.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

Japanese exports climbed 16.8% year on year in January, sharply beating market expectations and growing at their fastest rate since November 2022 as shipments to Asia and Western Europe surged, government data on Wednesday showed.

Growth was higher than December’s 5.1%, and beat Reuters-polled economists’ estimates of 12%.

Value of exports to China, Japan’s largest trading partner, jumped 32%, after rising 5.6% in December at a time when the two countries are locked in a diplomatic standoff over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments over Taiwan.

German public broadcaster ZDF apologizes after AI-generated ICE arrest footage aired on flagship news program– rmx.news

pgnewser February 18, 2026

German public broadcaster ZDF has issued an on-air apology after its flagship news program, Heute Journal, aired a segment containing AI-generated footage depicting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arresting a migrant family.

The controversy followed the Feb. 15 broadcast, which ZDF said examined fears in parts of the United States over immigration enforcement operations. Viewers quickly noted on social media that portions of the footage were artificially generated, with an OpenAI Sora watermark visible on screen.

How the GOP’s latest media meddling is a major self-own– www.dailykos.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

If you wanted a textbook example of the Streisand Effect, look no further than the Trump administration’s meddling in the Texas Senate race.

CBS News refused to air late night host Stephen Colbert’s interview with Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico, who is currently locked in a competitive Senate primary with Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

Colbert said that CBS’ lawyers feared retribution from the Federal Communications Commission, claiming that the interview could be seen as a violation of the equal-time rule.

The Age of AI Depends Less on Voters than on Volts | American Enterprise Institute– www.aei.org

pgnewser February 18, 2026

No AI data centers, no AI revolution.

Or to be less dramatic, slowing the buildout of these sprawling server farms will slow technical advances and the economywide spread of generative artificial intelligence, which is shaping up to be a powerful new general-purpose technology. As such, a new survey from Politico suggests Silicon Valley shouldn’t take voter tolerance for granted.

Let’s start with the good news for AI companies: Just 28 percent of 2,000 surveyed would oppose the building of a new data center in their area. That, versus 37 percent who would support construction and 28 percent who would neither support nor oppose.

Canada can’t be ‘naive’ to China’s transnational repression threat: report – National– globalnews.ca

pgnewser February 18, 2026

Researchers behind a new report on transnational repression are warning Canada must not be “naïve” as it seeks better relations with China, which remains a top perpetrator in intimidating and harassing dissidents abroad.

The report by the Montreal Institute for Global Security (MIGS) called transnational repression “one of the most serious yet least understood threats to security and democracy in Canada,” and said China remains a leader in such efforts.

It cited several examples, including so-called “police stations” and online influence campaigns targeting Chinese Canadian diaspora communities. Families still living in China have been threatened, the report adds, and women have been targeted with sexual AI deepfakes.

Pentagon official laments some AI companies' reluctance to fully commit to military's operations– www.washingtontimes.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

It is “disheartening” that some cutting-edge tech companies seem reluctant to fully do business with the military and support all of its operations, a key Defense Department official said Tuesday amid an escalating feud between the Pentagon and Silicon Valley firm Anthropic over the reported use of the company’s AI tool in recent U.S. Special Forces missions in Venezuela.
from www.washingtontimes.com

Epstein survivor Juliette Bryant says she was trafficked from South Africa and soon realized it was “not a modeling opportunity, I’ve been kidnapped”– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

Juliette Bryant says she first met Jeffrey Epstein when she was a 20-year-old psychology and philosophy student in Cape Town, South Africa, who modeled part time.

Her first interaction with the late American sex offender came by chance, when she was approached on a night out by a girl who offered to introduce her to a man who she said was described to her as American royalty.

“She said she knew a man who was here who was the ‘King Of America,’ and he was here with Bill Clinton and Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker. She told me that his best friend Leslie Wexner owns Victoria’s Secret and it would be a very good idea for me to meet them because it could possibly help with my modeling career,” Bryant told CBS News on Sunday. “So we went along to the restaurant where they were having dinner down the road. And sure enough, there they were. Bill Clinton, Kevin Spacey, Chris Tucker, Jeffrey Epstein, and a few government officials from South Africa.”

Thousands of executives aren’t seeing AI productivity boom, reminding economists of IT-era paradox– fortune.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

In 1987, economist and Nobel laureate Robert Solow made a stark observation about the stalling evolution of the information age: Following the advent of transistors, microprocessors, integrated circuits, and memory chips of the 1960s, economists and companies expected these new technologies to disrupt workplaces and result in a surge of productivity. Instead, productivity growth slowed, dropping from 2.9% from 1948 to 1973, to 1.1% after 1973.

CBS Didn’t Want Colbert to Talk to This Democratic Candidate. He Did It Anyway. – Mother Jones– www.motherjones.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert during Thursday’s September 18, 2025 show. Scott Kowalchyk/CBS/Getty

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

Executives at CBS News made it clear to Late Show host Stephen Colbert: he wasn’t to interview Texas state Rep. James Talarico last night, nor was he to discuss how he wasn’t supposed to talk to the Democratic US Senate hopeful. But Colbert, who only has months left of his tenure on the show after being ousted by Paramount Global, didn’t listen.

Harvard offers Immigrant Justice Lab course for students to help asylum seekers– www.foxnews.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

The University of Harvard is offering an “Immigrant Justice Lab” course this semester where Ivy League students can earn credit hours contributing “research and writing for asylum applicants.”

HIST 123 is available for undergraduate students in the history department of the school’s social sciences division and utilizes a partnership with the Mabel Center for Immigrant Justice, a nonprofit legal services organization that provides free representation to asylum seekers.