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Epstein files implode British politics with ‘biggest scandal’ in ‘over one century’
Who's accountable for the results?

Jeffrey Epstein was an American financier who ran a sex trafficking operation on American soil and was ultimately arrested by U.S. authorities. But somehow, it is Great Britain that seems most thoroughly rocked by the staggered release of the case files by the U.S. Department of Justice — the latest cache of which has left Prime Minister Keir Starmer fighting for his political life.

“Don’t think that this scandal is just another political scandal … This involves sex, it involves money, it involves the royal family. It involves the leaking of market-sensitive, confidential information,” Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage said of the debacle on Thursday.

He emphasized, “This is the biggest scandal in British politics for over one century.”

Emails released over the weekend indicate that British Ambassador to the U.S. Lord Peter Mandelson received $75,000 from Epstein and offered the convicted sex trafficker insights on affairs while serving in former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s Cabinet.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, talks with Britain’s ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson during a welcome reception at the ambassador’s residence on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Washington. (Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP, file)

Sensitive information shared with Epstein includes forewarning of a multibillion-dollar bailout for the European Union, over $27 billion in asset sales, Labour tax plans, and even Brown’s resignation.

Reinaldo Avila da Silva — Mandelson’s partner, whom he married in 2023 after a decadeslong relationship — was wired tens of thousands of dollars by Epstein. The first of these payments was made to fund da Silva’s alternative medicine endeavors, with recurring payments of multiple thousands of dollars afterward.

Additionally, a photo emerged showing Mandelson interacting with a woman while wearing just a T-shirt and white briefs.

The Metropolitan Police of London announced on Tuesday that it has launched a criminal investigation into Mandelson’s conduct.

Labour pains

Starmer was forced to admit in front of the House of Commons on Wednesday that he had been informed of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein prior to appointing him as ambassador.

“Did the official security vetting [the prime minister] received mention Mandelson’s ongoing relationship with the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein?” asked Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch.

“Yes, it did,” Starmer responded, stuttering at multiple points as jeers and gasps filled the …

Republican majority at risk? A look at the 6 GOP Senate seats most in jeopardy in midterm elections
Trust is earned, not demanded.

The Senate Republican campaign chair has a stark warning for his party as the GOP defends its 53-47 majority in the chamber in this year's midterm elections.
National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Tim Scott, pointing to a ballot box deficit the GOP's facing in the latest Fox News national poll, said it could impact specific Senate races this year.
And Scott said the toughest challenge may be in Maine, where longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins is running for re-election for a sixth six-year term in the blue-leaning northern New England state.
The straight talk from Scott, at a closed-door meeting earlier this week with fellow GOP senators, comes as Republicans, as the party in power in the nation's capital, face traditional political headwinds in the midterms. And the GOP is also facing a rough political climate, with President Donald Trump's approval ratings remaining underwater while Democrats are energized as they work to win back the House majority and possibly recapture the Senate.
GOP CALLS TRUMP ITS ‘SECRET WEAPON’ — BUT POLLS SHOW WARNING SIGNS HEADING INTO MIDTERMS
While the NRSC remains optimistic they can not only defend but expand their majority, the GOP will be playing defense in half a dozen key races.
Here's a look at the most vulnerable Republican Senate seats up for grabs in the midterms.
Collins is the only Republican senator running for re-election this year in a state that then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried in her 2024 presidential election defeat to Trump.
TIM SCOTT TELLS MAGA VOTERS TRUMP ‘IS ON THE BALLOT’ AS GOP FIGHTS TO GROW SENATE MAJORITY IN 2026
And Collins has seen a deterioration of her poll numbers among Mainers from her last re-election six years ago.
But Collins, who has long been a top target of the rival Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has proven tough to beat.
Complicating the Democrats' push to flip the seat is a competitive primary between two-term Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who has the tacit backing of longtime Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and the DSCC, and veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner, who is running to the left of Mill and who is backed by progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Republicans are defending an open seat in the southeastern battleground state, with GOP Sen. Thom Tillis retiring at the end of this year.
DEMOCRATS TARGET ‘VULNERABLE’ REPUBLICAN SENATORS AHEAD OF HIGH-STAKES HEALTH CARE SHOWDOWN
Democrats landed their top recruit when former two-term Gov. Roy Cooper launched a Senate campaign last summer. Cooper enjoys tons of …

Mob of anti-ICE activists to march on Portland mayor’s home
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.

A mob of anti-deportation activists is planning on protesting outside Portland Mayor Keith Wilson’s home this weekend as part of a multi-coalition pressure campaign demanding that local officials force “ICE Out” of the sanctuary city.

Portland Contra las Deportaciónes, a group of left-wing activists opposing deportations, is circulating a digital flyer calling on followers to march together to the mayor’s private residence and rally in protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“If immigrants aren’t able to have peace at home … neither is Keith Wilson,” wrote PDX CD in an Instagram post.

According to the call-to-action, the mob will assemble first at Wilshire Park around noon on Saturday before heading to Wilson’s home, which organizers said is located “a short walk” away in the nearby residential neighborhood.

A flyer called on anti-ICE activists to protest outside the private home of Portland Mayor Keith Wilson on Feb. 7, 2026. (PDX CD via Instagram)

Saturday’s planned protest is in concert with a citywide anti-ICE movement to shutter the immigration processing center in South Portland.

Wilson, alongside the city administrator, has the statutory power to revoke ICE’s permit to operate its federal detention facility on Macadam Avenue, the target of riots in recent months.

“[Wilson] it’s time to answer to the people! What are you going to do to revoke the ICE permit?” PDX CD pressed in the protest’s announcement. “For months, we have tried contacting the mayor. Thousands of emails sent, visits to his office, attempts to talk in public, all met with silence.”

Led by PDX CD, the Revoke the ICE Permit Coalition has waged a monthslong campaign putting pressure on the city government to repeal the permit. Their continuous efforts involve coalition members regularly appearing at city council meetings and a deluge of emails, now numbering nearly 22,000, continually bombarding city hall.

Following a flood of messages sent to the Portland City Council in particular, members of the all-Democrat policymaking body created a frequently asked-questions page on the city’s website, insisting that Wilson is primarily in charge of the permit revocation process.

“[I]nvestigative authority lies entirely with the executive branch (i.e., NOT City Council),” the explainer page emphasized.

Though it cannot unilaterally override the permit, the city council said it is “pursuing every legal strategy available within its legislative authority.”

DEMOCRATIC …

Virginia Dems take tax hikes into overtime, target fantasy football leagues
Policy without accountability is dangerous.

Amid a slew of fresh taxes proposed by the newly emboldened Democratic majority in Virginia, the latest entry seeks to sack people’s fantasy football leagues.
The Fantasy Contests Act, authored by Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, would impose a 10% tax on fantasy sports revenue from games played within the Commonwealth.
Five percent, or 0.5 percentage points of the overall 10% tax, would go to the state’s problem-gambler treatment fund, while the other 95% (9.5 percentage points) would go to the state’s general fund.
VICTORIOUS VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS MORPH FROM PRETEND MODERATES INTO LIBERAL EXTREMISTS OVER NIGHT
It also requires fantasy sports contest operators to register with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and obtain a permit before offering any games to people in the Commonwealth.
Fox News Digital reached out to Ebbin for comment on the tax, and how he came up with the idea for it.
While Ebbin did not respond by press time, Fox News Digital also attempted to press the senator on how this latest levy aligns with Virginia Democrats’ campaign mantra of "affordability."
Fox News Digital also reached out to the state’s two legislative Republican caucuses for additional comment.
The Virginia Lottery would have rulemaking and oversight authority over daily fantasy sports, according to Gambling Insider.
Other states are also considering legislation providing oversight or regulation of fantasy sports, including Illinois, the outlet reported.
There, a bill would grant the state’s gaming board the ability to tax and regulate such play at anywhere from 10 to 15%.
The Washington think tank Americans for Tax Reform came out swinging against the legislation with a full article-length critique of Ebbin’s plan.
"As with every tax and fee imposed on businesses, the cost doesn’t stay with the company; it’s ultimately passed on to consumers," ATR wrote.
"This new tax inevitably translates into smaller prize pools, higher entry fees, fewer promotions and bonuses, and less competition in the market. In other words, Virginia players are the ones who end up footing the bill."
ATR also criticized the logic behind how the bill was crafted, saying that if fantasy sports truly are skill-based — in that players use their sports knowledge to draft, start, sit and trade players — they should not be taxed "as though they were a vice."
Virginia Democrats have also proposed a slew of other tax proposals — aside from their plan to redistrict potentially every Republican congressman except Morgan Griffith out of their seat.
One such bill creates a net-investment income tax on trusts …

DHS unloads on ‘activist’ judges granting illegal immigrants freedom in habeas cases
This affects the entire country.

The Department of Homeland Security unloaded on “activist” judges it accused of playing politics with the legal system and said federal authorities will continue to arrest illegal immigrants across Minnesota despite a growing trend across the state of judges releasing those who have filed habeas cases.

“It should come as no surprise that more habeas petitions are being filed by illegal aliens — especially after many activist judges have attempted to thwart President Trump from fulfilling the American people’s mandate for mass deportations,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin wrote in an email Friday.

As of this week, federal law enforcement officers have arrested more than 4,000 illegal immigrants during Operation Metro Surge across Minnesota.

However, those in detention are filing habeas cases outside of immigration court. Although immigration courts are intended to decide immigration cases, the habeas cases are being filed outside, where more sympathetic judges are ruling that the federal government cannot detain people indefinitely.

As the Washington Examiner reported this week, immigration advocacy groups have so far been able to make the Trump administration appear as if it is losing the legal battle over its mandatory detention policies by following rinse-and-repeat patterns in district courts.

In Minnesota, groups such as the American Immigration Council or the American Immigration Lawyers Association file a habeas petition to a federal judge, who more often than not grants temporary release to the detained immigration enforcement target.

More than 300 district judges in Minnesota and elsewhere have so far rejected the government’s mandatory detention policies, ordering detainees released or granted bond hearings. That has fueled a surge of copycat filings nationwide. All the while, appeals courts have yet to address whether the administration’s interpretation of the INA comports with the law.

In Minnesota, the habeas approach seems to be working for plaintiffs. U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen, an appointee of President Donald Trump, disclosed in a declaration submitted to an appeals court that 427 immigration-related habeas cases were filed in the District of Minnesota in January. That pace is expected to continue in February despite plans by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and federal agencies to draw down 700 of the roughly 3,000 immigration officers present in the state.

McLaughlin said the Trump administration “is more than prepared to …

Capitol Hill staffers suffer their own affordability crisis as Celsius prices rise 10 cents
This is performative politics again.

Capitol Hill staffers don’t have it easy. They’re overworked to the point of exhaustion, and they aren’t immune to the vagaries of the economy.

Entry-level Senate staffers earn $55,106 a year, according to the Congressional Research Service, while the House sets a $45,000 minimum salary for full-time aides — both well above the national average entry-level pay of $33,318. But inside the Capitol, the latest cost-of-living crisis isn’t rent or groceries. It’s caffeine.

Celsius, as the Washington Examiner previously reported, is the fuel that keeps the Capitol engine running, so staffers are understandably up in arms as the cost of a can has suddenly spiked by a whopping 10 cents to now cost $4. The rise may seem trifling, but staffers work long hours, and a caffeine budget is a necessity. The rise in price could add an additional $50 a year to an already necessary caffeine budget.

“It’s an open secret that the Hill runs off Celsius, so when prices rose by $0.10 without notice, it came as a bit of a shock,” one Senate staffer told the Washington Examiner. “That adds up over time. And to make matters worse, they neglected to update the listed prices for at least three weeks, meaning the price increase was only discovered at the point of sale. It’s especially upsetting at a time when affordability should be top of mind for members of both parties.”

Another Senate staffer was more succinct. “Terrible,” they said of the cost increase.

“Shameful!!” a former House staffer and Celsius enthusiast exclaimed to the Washington Examiner. “What is this administration’s plan to lower Celsius prices?”

WOMEN IN POLITICS TURN TO CLOTHING RENTAL SERVICES TO MIX UP CAPITOL HILL WARDROBE

Affordability was a central focus for last year’s elections as both Govs. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) focused much of their campaigns on affordability, as did New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. It has become one of the top issues ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, as both parties rush to find messaging that resonates in hopes of picking up seats in either chamber.

Not only do Capitol Hill staffers drink Celsius, but so do members of Congress, lobbyists, and federal workers. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is known to be a connoisseur.

THE EXCLUSIVE CAPITOL SUBWAY THAT KEEPS TRAPPING US SENATORS

“It’s frustrating to see them cash in on their popularity,” government relations associate Jane Evans told the Washington Examiner. “Knowing they’re raising prices makes …

Trump’s deportations may hurt, not help, GOP’s political math
Every delay has consequences.

President Donald Trump‘s allies have argued that illegal immigrants are skewing the Electoral College and the battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives toward Democrats, but available data suggest the advantage may be smaller and could backfire on Republicans.

Trump allies, buoyed by polling that shows strong support for cracking down on all illegal immigrants among the MAGA faithful, argue the census gives Democrats an edge and the only solution is mass deportations.

David Sacks, chairman of the president’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, claimed during a February episode of his “All-In Podcast” that “Democrats want to thwart mass deportations because illegal immigrants are a vital part of their power base.”

Sacks alluded to post-coronavirus pandemic intra-state migratory patterns that have seen residents abandoning blue states, including California and New York, to settle in Texas, Florida, and other Southern states.

“As a result of that, blue states are expected to lose nine House seats and electoral votes because of the changing population numbers,” he said. “Illegal aliens in blue states have been propping up those numbers, and so, for example, in the last election, President Trump would’ve won an additional nine electoral votes if we had an accurate accounting.” 

The U.S. census has not asked respondents about their citizenship status since 1950, meaning both legal noncitizen residents and undocumented immigrants are included in state population counts used to apportion U.S. House seats and Electoral College votes. Trump proposed adding a citizenship question during his first term but was blocked in court.

But research from both academics and conservative groups suggests removing undocumented immigrants from the census would shift only a handful of seats — not the sweeping advantage critics claim.

Counting illegal immigrants in the census does give states with higher nonlegal populations more weight in those processes. Yet, analyses conducted by the right-leaning Center for Immigration Studies and Oxford University found the exclusion of illegal populations would not have materially changed either House district apportionment or the makeup of the Electoral College, especially when compared to the impact of legal immigrants on population growth.

According to that study, conducted in 2024, the “inclusion of all immigrants” in the 2020 census redistributed 17 House seats — with illegal immigrants accounting for just …

March Social Security direct payment worth $994 goes out in 20 days
Is this competence or optics?

March 2026 Supplemental Security Income payments, worth up to $994, will be issued to recipients in 20 days.

SSI payments are typically issued on the first day of a month, but March’s payment will go out on Feb. 27. When the first of a month falls on a weekend or holiday, SSI payments are issued on the last business day of the previous month. March 1 falls on a Sunday this year.

Beneficiaries are people with limited income who are either blind, aged 65 and older, or have a qualifying disability.

The amount beneficiaries receive varies based on several factors, including the number of people filing. For example, individual filers can receive up to $994, couples filing jointly can receive $1,491, and those providing essential care to SSI recipients can receive up to $498. 

In addition to the previous prerequisites for receiving SSI payments, recipients must also be U.S. citizens or noncitizens in one of the alien classifications granted by the Department of Homeland Security.

DC’S BLIZZARD FLOP IS ANOTHER LESSON ON GOVERNMENT POWER

Additionally, recipients must live in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or the Northern Mariana Islands, and must not be absent from the United States for a full calendar month or 30 consecutive days.

A full calendar for the Social Security Administration payments can be viewed on the agency’s website.

First round of February Social Security payments goes out in four days
How is this acceptable?

The first round of February Social Security payments for retirees, now capped at $5,108, will be issued in four days.

When will payments arrive?

Retirees born on or before the 10th of a month will receive this payment on Feb. 11. 

The second round will go out on Feb. 18 to those born between the 11th and 20th of a month, and the third round will follow on Feb. 25 to those born on or after the 21st of a month.

When am I eligible?

Citizens are eligible for Social Security payments beginning at 62 years old.

How can I maximize my check?

Social Security payment amounts are determined by several factors, including age of retirement, the amount paid into Social Security, and the number of years paid into Social Security.

Payments largely depend on a recipient’s retirement age. A beneficiary retiring at the youngest age, 62, could receive up to $2,831 per month, while a 70-year-old retiree could receive up to $5,108 per month, according to the Social Security Administration.

Beneficiaries can see a personalized estimate of how much they can expect each month using the SSA’s calculator.

How is it financed?

MANDELSON RESIGNS FROM HOUSE OF LORDS AS KEIR STARMER HOPES TO STOP EPSTEIN SCANDAL FROM ENGULFING HIM

Social Security is financed by a payroll tax paid for by employers and employees.

Social Security payment amounts are set to shrink unless Congress takes action to prevent it. Analysts estimate the SSA will no longer be able to issue full payments as early as 2034, due to a rising number of retirees and a shrinking workforce.

ICE Operations: What Americans Actually Want  
Every delay has consequences.

President Donald Trump says a “softer touch” may be needed to carry out his immigration enforcement agenda.

“I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch, but you still have to be tough. These are criminals – we’re dealing with really hard criminals,” Trump told NBC News following the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis in January.

Two separate polls confirm the president’s conclusions are in line with the American public’s view of U.S. immigration policy.

A recent NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found that 65% of Americans feel that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have gone too far in enforcing immigration laws. But recent polling from the group Cygnal shows that 54% of Americans support ICE enforcing U.S. immigration laws to remove illegal aliens from the country. The same poll found that 61% of U.S. voters support deporting illegal aliens.

NEW POLL:

?? 73% say coming here illegally is breaking the law.

?? 61% support deporting illegals.

?? 58% oppose defunding ICE.

?? 54% support ICE enforcing our immigration laws.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 2, 2026

“I think what those two polls are actually doing is talking about policy, and they’re talking about the execution of policy,” Meaghan Mobbs, director of the Center for American Safety and Security at the Independent Women’s Forum, says.

“Americans support the policy, which is deportation, but like President Trump said, perhaps there’s a way to go about it that’s not exactly how it unfolded in Minneapolis,” Mobbs explains on this week’s edition of “Problematic Women.”

“I think that’s the threading of the needle where [Trump] said, we’re going to keep doing it, but maybe with a ‘softer touch,’ which I do think means increasing communication with local and state authorities, [and] I think means messaging it more effectively.”

Mobbs joins “Problematic Women” to discuss Trump’s decision to deploy border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota and Homan’s actions since he arrived in the Twin Cities. Plus, we discuss the extent to which U.S. support for ICE comes down to a PR and messaging battle.

The post ICE Operations: What Americans Actually Want   appeared first on The Daily Signal.