Babana Voices, The Peoples News
February 16, 2026
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 to Inform and Educate
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This daily Voices, The Peoples News is posted through the blog function of www.MPEN-Ohio.net
# Indigenous
The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority is backing state efforts to crack down on prediction market operators that executives say are illegally encroaching on the tribes’ exclusive gaming rights, as the casino operator reported a first-quarter profit buoyed by a one-time accounting gain.
https://cdcgaming.com/brief/mohegan-warns-of-prediction-market-threat-amid-tepid-first-quarter-financial-results/
The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California acquired 10,274 acres in what tribal leaders say is a significant step toward healing historical displacement.
https://www.placersentinel.com/2026/02/13/563367/wa-iw-land-trust-acquires-10-274-acres-north-of-lake-tahoe-in-historic-land-back-purchase
Gwich’in people are battling oil development in Alaska. Oil and gas leasing in the refuge’s coastal plain threatens a way of life that has endured for thousands of years.
https://grist.org/indigenous/gwichin-fight-to-protect-caribou-from-alaska-oil-development/
# Border / Immigration / ICE / Migrants / Gangs
Keeping New Yorkers Safe: Governor Hochul Introduces the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act to Stop ICE from Co-Opting Local Law Enforcement
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/keeping-new-yorkers-safe-governor-hochul-introduces-local-cops-local-crimes-act-stop-ice-co
ICE purchases detention site in Hudson Valley, faces pushback: Local lawmakers say they have no record of the sale and are prepared to challenge it in court
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2026/02/12/ice-says-it-purchased-hudson-valley-site-for-detention-facilities
ICE jailed people illegally over 4,400 times since October, analysis of court records reveals: Detained immigrants have also filed over 20,200 habeas suits seeking to be released since Trump reentered office
https://www.newsweek.com/ice-jailed-people-illegally-4400-times-hundreds-of-judges-rule-report-11525251
U.S. deports nine migrants in violation of court orders, documents show: The individuals, who were protected from removal to their home countries, were all sent to Cameroon in January — where they had never lived before.
https://gvwire.com/2026/02/15/us-deports-nine-migrants-in-secret-ignoring-legal-protections/
What Immigrants Need to Know About ICE’s New Power to Forcibly Enter Homes. ICE has given agents sweeping power to enter a house without a judge’s permission, but that could be unconstitutional.
https://url-media.com/what-immigrants-need-to-know-about-ices-new-power-to-forcibly-enter-homes/
Warnock wants to block Georgia immigration detention facilities
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2026/02/13/georgia-senator-attempts-to-block-ice-facility-construction-in-congress/88661703007/
Ayotte disputes ICE claims about detention facility
https://www.thecentersquare.com/new_hampshire/article_e5e8947a-74eb-4334-9e17-77f634382d4e.html
Big Cooperation: More than 250 ICE agreements signed with Texas law enforcement in a year
https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article_52c4459d-40ae-41ca-94d7-c40b556f8516.html
National Guard troops quietly withdrawn from LA, Chicago, Portland
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/us/national-guard-chicago-portland-los-angeles.html
Trump’s National Guard deployment isn’t over in these 3 cities. While National Guard troops have quietly left Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland, Oregon, thousands remain in three other U.S. cities.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/02/13/national-guard-deployments-updates/88646816007/
Community rallies behind 6-year-old Venezuelan girl summoned to immigration court alone. A judge granted a partial victory to advocates when he agreed to attach Victoria’s case to her mother’s, though her entire family’s cases have not yet been fully consolidated.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/community-rallies-behind-6-old-004010853.html
‘The court can conceive of no circumstance’: Judge bars ‘warrantless’ immigration enforcement raids at churches to protect ‘religious freedom’
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/the-court-can-conceive-of-no-circumstance-judge-bars-warrantless-immigration-enforcement-raids-at-churches-to-protect-religious-freedom/
Ecuador accuses the U.S. of an ‘attempted incursion’ after ICE agents tried to enter its consulate in Minneapolis. The country’s foreign ministry sent an official complaint to the US embassy in its capital, Quito, about the incident
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/28/ice-ecuador-consulate-minneapolis
$30 million spent by Trump administration to deport migrants, but not to their home countries, report says
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/13/us-paid-32m-to-five-countries-to-accept-about-300-deportees-report-shows
# DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency]
DOGE Quietly Shuts Down With 8 Months Left on Mandate
https://www.newsweek.com/doge-quietly-shuts-down-with-8-months-left-on-mandate-report-11096826
# Economy / Finance / Trade / Banking / Taxes / IRS / Cryptocurrencies
Wall Street could seize your retirement savings in the next financial crash — and it’s perfectly legal
https://www.aol.com/articles/wall-street-could-seize-retirement-130040086.html
# Education / Schools / Children / Youth
Trump cut $168 million from school funding, leaving kids to return to schools gutted of key care programs
https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/articles/trumps-education-plan-leaves-kids-parents-to-suffer-at-the-mercy-of-the-market/
North Carolina Students Walk Over a Mile to Vote After GOP Shut Down Campus Polling Places. “Aggies do what is necessary for our rights, for our survival, and for our people,” said one student organizer at North Carolina A&T State University, the largest historically Black college in the nation.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/north-carolina-students-mile-voting
# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Oil / Power Plants
Elliott Abrams Says There Is No Legal Basis for U.S. Seizing Venezuelan Crude: ‘It’s Not Our Oil.’ Abrams argued that the U.S. military operation that seized Nicolás Maduro does not extend to claiming ownership over oil revenues
https://www.latintimes.com/elliott-abrams-says-there-no-legal-basis-us-seizing-venezuelan-crude-its-not-our-oil-594611
This Ohio County Banned Commercial Wind and Solar. Not So Fast, Residents Said. The state, shockingly, lets local officials block renewables projects—but not fossil-fuel ones.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/11/ohio-richland-county-ban-wind-solar-challenge-voter-referendum-sb52/
# Environment / Climate / Infrastructure / EPA / BLM / Public Lands
Senate Dems Launch Investigation Into Trump EPA Policy to ‘Disregard’ Health Impacts of Pollution
“The only beneficiaries will be polluting industries, many of which are among President Trump’s largest donors,” the lawmakers wrote.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/dems-investigate-epa-rule-health-costs
Trump just nuked US climate regulation. What’s next? The Fight Over US Climate Rules Is Just Beginning. As the EPA moves to roll back the endangerment finding, experts predict uncertainty for business and a protracted legal fight.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/12/trump-repeals-landmark-epa-climate-finding/88641826007/
# Food / Farming / Agriculture / SNAP [Food Stamps] / FDA / USDA
GOP Ripped for ‘Grotesque’ Farm Bill Full of ‘Industry-Backed Poison Pills.’ “Chairman Thompson appears poised to check off industry’s cruel wish list,” one critic warned.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/farm-bill-2026
# General News / Epstein / Maxwell
Justice Department provides Congress list of names who appear in Epstein files in 6-page letter
https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/10/politics/epstein-files-unredacted-names
Attorney General Pam Bondi Says All Jeffrey Epstein Files Have Been Released, Includes List Of More than 300 https://www.commondreams.org/news/farm-bill-2026embarrassment or reputational harm.
https://deadline.com/2026/02/jeffrey-epstein-files-released-pam-bondi-1236725344/
AG Pam Bondi lists 300 bigwigs named in Epstein files — including Trump, Obamas, Clintons and Kamala Harris
https://nypost.com/2026/02/15/us-news/pam-bondi-announces-all-epstein-files-have-been-released-with-over-300-names/
How Epstein files aftershocks are rippling through Hollywood — from Barry Diller to Tommy Mottola
https://pagesix.com/2026/02/12/hollywood/epstein-files-aftershocks-ripple-through-hollywood/
GOP congresswoman blasts Bondi’s new effort to bury Epstein files: ‘This isn’t going away’
https://www.rawstory.com/bondi-epstein-2675270696/
Casey Wasserman Selling His Talent Agency After Epstein Debacle: ‘I Have Become a Distraction’
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/casey-wasserman-selling-talent-agency-185129138.html
Document #EFTA02731361 And Jeffrey Epstein’s Alleged Eugenic Breeding Program
https://www.newsbreak.com/news/4492056449945-document-efta02731361-and-jeffrey-epsteins-alleged-eugenic-breeding-program?noAds=1&_f=app_share&s=a3&share_destination_id=MjUxNTI2Njg4LTE3NzEyMTE3MzUwNDQ%3D
‘Egregious and appalling’: Epstein survivor blasts Trump DOJ over redaction failures. Danielle Bensky told Nicolle Wallace she was worried the government’s lack of care to protect survivors could create a “chilling effect.”
https://www.ms.now/news/epstein-survivor-blasts-trump-doj-epstein-files-redaction-failure
Girls Strangled To Death During Fetish Sex, Buried Near Epstein Ranch: Bombshell Claim In Epstein Files
According to an email recently released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) as part of the investigation into the Epstein sex scandal, two girls died during fetish sex and were buried on the orders of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/girls-strangled-to-death-during-fetish-sex-buried-near-epstein-ranch-bombshell-claim-in-epstein-files
Massie Says ‘Significant’ Epstein Files Were Shielded From Lawmakers Before They Could View Unredacted. DOJ removed “some of the most significant documents,” including files related to victim Virginia Giuffre’s case and photos of the notorious financier.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharyfolk/2026/02/15/massie-says-significant-epstein-files-were-shielded-from-lawmakers-before-they-could-view-unredacted/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_medium=social&utm_source=threads&utm_term=se-breaking
Jeffrey Epstein Donated $15K To Elite Private School To Ensure Woody Allen’s Daughter Graduated, Newly Released Files Show
https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65707166/?ref_=nm_nwr_1
Epstein said ‘world does not understand how dumb Trump is’ in newly released email. Jeffrey Epstein and Larry Summers, a former US Treasury Secretary and president of Harvard University, are shown chatting about President Donald Trump during his first term in office in a number of emails
https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/epstein-said-world-not-understand-1653558
Epstein asked staff to install hidden video cameras at his Florida home, email exchange shows
The emails were among millions of documents released by the US Department of Justice last month.
https://news.sky.com/story/epstein-asked-staff-to-install-hidden-video-cameras-at-his-florida-home-email-exchange-shows-13506953
New Epstein File Videos Allegedly Show Disturbing Audition Footage: Renewed Demands for Accountability
https://www.the-sun.com/news/15914780/epstein-videos-young-girls-catwalk-auditions-paedo/
# Gov / Politics
DHS shuts down as GOP, Dems split on funding and reform: It’s uncertain how long the third shutdown of Trump’s second term will last, though immigration enforcement is likely to continue
https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/12/politics/dhs-shutdown-ice-congress
Liberal network leader’s wife, Code Pink leader promote ‘Red China’ trips for Americans. Curated by whom? Jodie Evans of Code Pink is married to Marxist businessman Neville Roy Singham. The duo both play their part in pushing pro-CCP messaging, and Evans is now engaged in encouraging Americans to take “curated” tours to Red China.
https://justthenews.com/government/security/ccp-tied-singham-network-leaders-wife-and-code-pink-leader-recruits-americans
Democrat presidential hopefuls turn decades-old Munich Security Conference into anti-Trump soapbox
https://www.aol.com/articles/aoc-other-2028-democratic-hopefuls-183048178.html
Federal court to decide Utah redistricting fight
https://www.standard.net/news/2026/feb/11/utahs-redistricting-fight-heads-to-federal-court-anti-gerrymandering-plaintiffs-ask-to-intervene/
Meet the YOLO Republicans: Lawmakers with nothing to lose are threatening Trump’s grip on Congress. A small group of politically insulated members is causing headaches for party leaders and anxiety among their GOP colleagues.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/13/republican-trump-congress-defections-00780479
“I Cannot Believe How Incredibly Stupid This Country Has Become”: This Trump Nominee Was Asked To Define “White Culture,” And Things Got Awkward So Quickly. “This is painful to watch.”
https://www.buzzfeed.com/michaelabramwell/trump-nominee-struggles-to-define-white-culture
House Bill would make physical & chemical castration of convicted sex offenders legal
https://www.wdtv.com/2026/02/13/house-bill-would-make-physical-chemical-castration-convicted-sex-offenders-legal/
Senator Mark Kelly: “It Took a World War and Eight Decades to Build the Strongest Alliance That This World Had Ever Seen. It Took Less Than a Year to Practically Destroy It,” Sen. Mark Kelly Bashes Trump Administration — “Donald Trump Only Knows How to Break Things, Not Fix Them”
https://local.newsbreak.com/altitude-post-361905032/4494719207702-it-took-a-world-war-and-eight-decades-to-build-the-strongest-alliance-that-this-world-had-ever-seen-it-took-less-than-a-year-to-practically-destroy-it-sen-mark-kelly-bashes-trump-administration-donald-trump-only-knows-how-to-break-things-not-fix-t
Kristi Noem says she will ensure the ‘right people’ vote in midterms and elect ‘the right leaders’
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/5740058-kristi-noem-comments-election-security/
Trump, Musk and now UK billionaire Jim Ratcliffe – they are the enablers, making racists feel great again. With their profile and vile words, these malign provocateurs are tearing down decency’s guardrails
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/13/donald-trump-elon-musk-jim-ratcliffe-making-racists-feel-great-again
Trump’s new commission wants to ‘redefine the boundaries between government and religion’
https://www.alternet.org/trump-religious-commission/
Is AOC the Democrat Needed to Fight Trump’s Billionaire Fascists?
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-fighting-oligarchy-interview-1235349605/
# Legal / DOJ / ICJ / International Criminal Court [ICC] / Supreme Court
DOJ Antitrust unit is in total chaos after its leader abruptly quits amid the biggest merger battle in years
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/insight/doj-antitrust-chief-exits-amid-turmoil/gm-177FE11190?gemSnapshotKey=177FE11190-snapshot-7&ocid=U146HDHP
# Medical / Science / Research / Nursing / Biologicals / Pharmaceuticals
Sen. Rand Paul unveils bill to end nationwide liability protections for vaccine manufacturers, which is a legal shield that has been in place for four decades.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/sen-rand-paul-unveils-bill-to-end-nationwide-liability-protections-for-vaccine-manufacturers/ar-AA1Wpxsl
‘Medical kidnapping’: Florida mother fights back after viral video shows her sick 5-year-old removed by state workers. The whole story starts to feel like two worlds colliding: families of medically complex kids live in a world of second opinions, side effects, trial-and-error meds, and risk balancing, while child welfare agencies live in a world of danger assessment and worst-case scenarios, where delay itself can be treated as harm.
https://www.newsbreak.com/survival-world-358566355/4494762941307-medical-kidnapping-florida-mother-fights-back-after-viral-video-shows-her-sick-5-year-old-removed-by-state-workers
# Military / Department of Defense [DOD]
Pentagon moves next-generation nuclear reactor in landmark energy operation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CM3Y8SB260
# Security / DHS / Surveillance / Cybersecurity / Spyware / Secret Service
DHS subpoenas tech giants for information on anti-ICE social media accounts, officials and tech workers report: Google, Meta and Reddit are among the companies that have complied with requests for information in recent months
https://mashable.com/article/homeland-security-issues-subpeonas-to-dox-social-media-users
DHS Partially Shuts Down, Setting Up Battle Over ICE Accountability in Coming Weeks. “We need massive reforms in DHS with real accountability before we send another dime their way,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/dhs-shutdown-begins
# Social Services / Programs
Social Security’s trust fund is nearing insolvency, and the borrowing binge that may follow will rip through debt markets, economist warns
https://www.newsbreakapp.com/n/18u94she?s=a3&share_destination_id=MjUxNTI2Njg4LTE3NzEyMTE2MDA3MDc=&pd=0H1Na41Y&hl=en_US
# Water / Lakes / Oceans / Rivers
Feds take over after Western states fail to strike Colorado River deal. The seven states in the Colorado River Basin have failed to reach a new 20-year agreement by the final deadline.
https://san.com/cc/feds-take-over-after-western-states-fail-to-strike-colorado-river-deal/
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