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House Republican Greg Steube introduces bill to nix controversial H-1B visa program
Who benefits from this decision?

Republican Rep. Greg Steube of Florida has introduced legislation aimed at eliminating the nation's controversial H-1B visa program.
"Prioritizing foreign labor over the well-being and prosperity of American citizens undermines our values and national interests," Steube said, according to a press release.
"Our workers and young people continue to be displaced and disenfranchised by the H-1B visa program that awards corporations and foreign competitors at the expense of our workforce," he continued.
ARE AMERICAN WORKERS BEING REPLACED? INSIDE THE H-1B VISA CONTROVERSY
"We cannot preserve the American dream for our children while forfeiting their share to non-citizens. That is why I am introducing the EXILE Act to put working Americans first again," the congressman said in the statement.
"EXILE Act" is short for "Ending Exploitative Imported Labor Exemptions Act."
In September, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation to require a $100,000 payment with each petition for an H-1B worker.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S $100K ONE-TIME FEE FOR NEW H-1B VISA APPLICATIONS SPARKS RAGING DEBATE
"The Secretary of State shall verify receipt of payment of the amount described in section 1 of this proclamation during the H-1B visa petition process and shall approve only those visa petitions for which the filing employer has made the payment described in section 1 of this proclamation," the proclamation reads, in part.
The congressman argued that H-1B is bad for Americans.
TRUMP'S BACKING OF H-1B VISA PROGRAM EXPOSES CRACKS WITHIN MAGA MOVEMENT
"American workers have been ripped off by the corrupt H-1B visa program for far too long. Corporations have repeatedly abused this system to help their bottom line by importing cheaper foreign labor which has suppressed wages and left millions of Americans locked out of good-paying jobs," Steube wrote in a post on X.

Callum Price: Why, when it comes to markets, does Andy want to burn’em to the ground?
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.

Callum Price is Director of Communications at the Institute of Economic Affairs, and a former Government special adviser. 

For someone who talks so much about how much he hates Westminster, Andy Burnham really enjoys popping down to SW1 to give a speech to an establishment think tank – particularly if there are live questions about the Labour leadership swirling around.

Last month, it was the IFS to talk about his brand of ‘Manchesterism’. This week it was the Resolution Foundation to discuss re-focusing politics on ‘un-sung Britain’. Among the usual huff and puff about the evils of unregulated markets (are these unregulated markets in the room with us now, Andy?) and how good the buses in Manchester are, he sought to address his previous comments about being ‘in hock to the bond markets’.

He never meant that we should ignore the bond markets, or even blame them, his clarification goes. It is the decisions of politicians that have led us to being in hock to those markets, and it is only the decisions of politicians that can get us out of this situation.

So far, so good. Next time the Labour Party is in crisis, he is welcome to come and speak to the IEA about how politicians need to get serious about our debt and spending problems.

But then it reverts.

The decisions that he wants politicians to take are not, in fact, to reduce spending; but to spend more. He argues that if we give away control of the essentials, we give away control of their costs. The key to getting costs down then, is to take control back through compulsory purchases and nationalisation. The markets, I’m sure, will be delighted.

The example he gives is housing: it is hard to control public spending when you need to chase private rented sector rents through the benefits system. He quotes research by the National Housing Federation that suggests building 90,000 social homes could save the Exchequer £3.3 billion in reduced Universal Credit claims over the next thirty years. Burnham extrapolates that to pay for a new target he sets, of building 500,000 new social homes by 2030, which he says will save £18 billion in the long run.

The same NHF report puts the cost of building those 90,000 social homes to the government at £12 billion, so following Burnham’s logic his target would require an outlay of £66 billion now, to save £18 billion over the next thirty years.

These numbers won’t exactly fill our creditors with confidence, but Andy has a plan to make us think more long-term and in a more market-friendly way.

In his mind, the broken Westminster political system has led to short-termism and instability, prevented politicians taking sensible long-term decisions and thus made the markets view us with distrust.

His diagnosis may not be entirely wrong – politics incentivises …

White House reaffirms any illegal immigrant can be deported as Trump team zeroes in on ‘worst of the worst’
Every delay has consequences.

The Trump White House reiterated that anyone residing in the U.S. illegally is eligible for deportation as its crackdown continues to initially focus on removing "the worst of the worst" violent illegal immigrants. 
"The President’s entire team, including Border Czar Tom Homan and Secretary Noem, are on the same page when it comes to implementing his agenda — which has always focused on prioritizing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens — and the successful deportations and historically secure border proves that," White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital Tuesday. 
"As always, anyone in the country illegally is eligible to be deported," she added. "President Trump is keeping his promise to carry out the largest mass deportation operation in history." 
The administration, most notably offices within the Department of Homeland Security, are in the midst of ongoing arrest and deportation efforts as part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on the immigration crisis that rocked the U.S. under the Biden administration. 
FEDS SHIFT TO TARGETED IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IN MINNEAPOLIS UNDER HOMAN
Officials increasingly have zeroed in on messaging that violent illegal immigrants are the top priority for apprehension, while broader mass-deportation efforts targeting all illegal immigrants have faded from the forefront. 
Border czar Tom Homan, for example, told NBC News in June in an interview only released Monday that failure to prioritize arresting and deporting "criminal illegal aliens" over other illegal immigrants risks losing the "faith of the American people." 
LEAVITT SAYS TRUMP WILL NOT ‘WAVER’ ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN DESPITE DEMOCRATIC BACKLASH
"I think the vast majority of the American people think criminal illegal aliens need to leave," Homan said in an interview with NBC News in June. "And if we stick to that prioritization, I think we keep the faith of the American people."
"And I think the more we do that, the more the American people will support what President Trump’s doing. We got to do it and we’ve got to do it in a humane manner."
Homan has said in other public remarks that the "prioritization of criminal aliens doesn’t mean we forget about everyone else," and that "If you are in the country illegally, you are not off the table." 
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reaffirmed Tuesday that deporting all illegal immigrants continues to be the mission of the administration, with violent criminals first up for deportation. 
"The Trump administration will continue our focus on deporting all illegal …

Trump keeps foreign leader talks behind closed doors in marked shift from last year’s theatrics
Ask why this angle was chosen.

President Donald Trump blazed into his second term, boasting of being the most transparent leader in modern times.

But just one year later, Trump has turned away from hosting foreign leaders in front of the press as the reality of a tough midterm election year has encroached upon the administration’s ability to shape political narratives.

The president met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday morning in a two-and-a-half-hour closed-door meeting to discuss the ongoing U.S. negotiations with Iran, the peace deal in Gaza, and the new Board of Peace.

Netanyahu entered the White House after his motorcade drove along West Executive Avenue, away from the media’s view.

The two leaders did not hold a joint press conference afterwards. Trump did not take questions about the meeting despite appearing for a Champion of Coal Event in the East Room. But Trump claimed in a Truth Social post that it was a “very good meeting” and that “there was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated.”

The approach mirrors that Trump has used when meeting with Venezuela’s opposition leader in January and Colombian President Gustavo Petro earlier this month. The reticence is a marked difference from last year, when Netanyahu was the first foreign leader to visit the Trump administration at the White House. That visit included a public press conference where Trump announced his intention for the U.S. to “own” the Gaza Strip and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

Republicans claim that Trump’s quiet approach could be at the behest of the foreign dignitaries, who might be seeking to avoid embarrassing public spats.

“This is probably more of foreign leaders insisting they didn’t want to be cornered live on TV for the world to see,” said one Republican, who requested anonymity. “There’s something to be said for candid discussions in a proverbial smoke-filled back room.”

A second Republican with ties to the White House said the reason meetings have become closed to the press is to avoid muddying sensitive ongoing negotiations, in contrast to last year, when Trump was pushing forth his “Liberation Day” tariffs with foreign nations.

“At the end of the day, what the White House understands is they want to avoid a real-time media interpretation that could complicate ongoing deals,” said the Republican. “They want to control the entire narrative of the …

Minivan mom puts Dem incumbent on notice in top GOP target district: 'She has done nothing for us'
Are they actually going to vote on something real?

EXCLUSIVE: Carrie Buck, a Nevada state senator, mother and former school principal, is gaining massive momentum in a critical race to oust Democratic Rep. Dina Titus from what the GOP considers a top target seat in the upcoming midterm elections.  
Titus’ district, Nevada Congressional District 1, has been trending hard towards the GOP for the last several election cycles. Now, with the future of the party’s House majority on the line, and the remainder of President Donald Trump’s tenure with it, Buck believes she is just the political outsider Republicans need to seal the deal.  
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Buck said the shift in Nevada has been palpable.
"You can feel the tides changing," she said. "Dina Titus has done nothing for the last seven terms that she's been in there. She has done nothing for us, nothing tangible. And so, I want to go and deliver results for Nevadans."
TRUMP MAKES ENDORSEMENT IN CONTEST TO FILL HOUSE SEAT VACATED BY EX-ALLY MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE
Since announcing her candidacy in August, Buck has garnered impressive fundraising numbers. She was the only Republican to outraise a Democratic incumbent without self-funding. In the last quarter of 2025, Buck outraised Titus, $352,400 to $298,800. Buck also prides herself on running a "truly grassroots" campaign in which she has raised a total of $497,929.59 from 7,852 unique donors, with an average contribution of just $59.
The wife of a retired police chief, mother of four sons, two of whom have served in the U.S. Army, Buck credits her grassroots appeal to simply being an "everyday person."
"I still drive a minivan, that's my campaign van," she laughed. "I want to be a voice for Nevadans, for people that are in my neighborhood, in my community."
Meanwhile, Buck accused Titus of "voting against Nevadans time and time again," especially with her recent votes against No Tax on Tips and a childcare tax credit policy, both of which were included in the President Donald Trump-backed big, beautiful bill.
In response, Lindsay Reilly, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told Fox News Digital that "Buck could learn a thing or two from Titus’ track record of delivering."
HOUSE REPUBLICANS SUE TO BLOCK UTAH CONGRESSIONAL MAP THAT FAVORS DEMOCRATS
"Dina Titus is consistently ranked one of the most effective members of Congress," Reilly continued. "She’s fighting to lower costs for families, strengthen no taxes on tips, and reverse Republicans’ reckless new tax on gambling."  
She has framed herself as someone who gets results. Before entering …

March Social Security direct payment worth $994 goes out in 15 days
Who benefits from this decision?

The March 2026 Supplemental Security Income payments, worth up to $994, will be issued to recipients in 15 days.

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

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.

THOMAS MASSIE AND TODD BLANCHE TRADE BARBS OVER REDACTIONS IN EPSTEIN FILES

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.

Is the Trump economic boom here?
Every delay has consequences.

Wednesday’s stronger-than-expected job report could be a sign of the economic renaissance President Donald Trump promised, possibly in time to save Republican congressional majorities in November.

But such a dramatic political comeback would require an equally significant turnaround in public perceptions of the economy — and that is where skepticism abounds.

On the same day the latest jobs numbers were released, the payroll job count for 2025 was revised downward by 1 million.

Trump used such downward revisions of jobs figures announced under former President Joe Biden to sow doubt about government statistics, sacking the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics for releasing what he called a “rigged” jobs report.

This, plus delays in the release of some numbers due to a pair of government shutdowns, has been used to cast doubt on the Trump-era jobs numbers. Trump had to yank his nomination of Heritage Foundation economist EJ Antoni to become the new BLS commissioner partly because of such distrust.

“US job growth surges in January, but labor market far from turning around,” read a Reuters headline on Wednesday.

“Turns out the U.S. economy didn’t create half a million jobs last year,” stated the headline of another story by the Associated Press the same day. “It was just 181,000.”

Similar stories were published, casting doubt on favorable inflation numbers late last year.

“I’m noting the press, including the business press which tends to be less actively partisan, is treating the jobs numbers skeptically, especially given the 2025 revision,” observed commentator Erick Erickson on X.

“Top White House officials have started trying to downplay a highly anticipated jobs report set for release on Wednesday, insisting that the U.S. economy remains strong even if the data may ultimately show a fresh slowdown in hiring,” the New York Times reported on Tuesday.

Instead, that report showed the economy added 130,000 jobs in January, and the unemployment rate dropped a tenth of a percentage point to 4.3%, causing the White House to shout it from the rooftops.

“Today’s blockbuster, expectation-shattering jobs report proves that President Trump’s economic agenda continues to pay off,” said White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai in a statement. 

“GREAT JOBS NUMBERS, FAR GREATER THAN EXPECTED!” Trump exclaimed on Truth Social.

The job gains came following cuts to federal workers and a crackdown on illegal immigration.

Trump and administration officials …

GOP leaders want Trump to endorse Cornyn in Texas Senate primary amid fears of costly fight
This is performative politics again.

A group of Republicans on Capitol Hill is urging President Donald Trump to intervene in Texas’s increasingly bitter three-way Senate primary, warning that the intraparty clash could spiral into being the GOP’s most expensive race of the 2026 cycle.

The concern centers on Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) bruising contest against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX), a race widely expected to head to a runoff. Party officials fear that if Cornyn falls and Paxton becomes the nominee, Republicans could be forced to spend at least $200 million to defend a seat they once treated as safely red.

That financial alarm has triggered a coordinated push by establishment Republicans to elevate the stakes around the race, both publicly and in private appeals to Trump.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who has endorsed Cornyn, framed the Texas contest as critical to the party’s national strategy.

“Senator John Cornyn is a very effective conservative senator for the state of Texas,” Thune said, speaking to reporters at a news conference on Tuesday. “We think that John Cornyn not only deserves to be reelected, but also ensures that Texas stays in the Republican column when it comes to the United States Senate, and frankly helps down-ballot races in the House of Representatives as well.”

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, walks to the House Chamber before President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The National Republican Senatorial Committee has also sounded alarm bells. Internal polling released by the committee shows Paxton trailing Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in a hypothetical general election matchup while Cornyn leads. In a memo accompanying the data, the NRSC warned that “Texas cannot be taken for granted” and argued that its polling shows “only one candidate meets that threshold: John Cornyn.”

A GOP member of Congress, who has been given anonymity to reflect candidly, said Republicans view the risk as serious enough to justify Trump stepping in.

“I’m very concerned that we don’t win in Texas if Paxton is our candidate,” the lawmaker said. “Polls I see suggest the one person who absolutely wins in Texas is John Cornyn.”

At the same time, the lawmaker acknowledged Trump’s refusal to endorse has already reshaped the race.

“I can just tell you the president not endorsing Paxton was a massive win for John Cornyn,” the member said. …

Second round of February Social Security payments goes out in six days
Why resist verification?

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

When will payments arrive?

Retirees born between the 11th and 20th of a month will receive this payment on Feb. 18. 

The first round went out to recipients born on or before the 10th of a month, and the third round will be paid 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 could expect each month using the SSA’s calculator.

REPUBLICANS LOOK TO USHER THROUGH VOTER ID LEGISLATION FOR THIRD TIME WITH SAVE AMERICA ACT

How is it financed?

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.

Trump DHS hammers Dem governor’s portal to track ICE agents: 'Encourages violence'
Who's accountable for the results?

The Trump Department of Homeland Security is clapping back at New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill after she pledged to help members of the public track U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers through an online portal.
After Sherrill, a U.S. Navy veteran, recently announced, "We are going to be standing up a portal, so people can upload all their cell videos and alert people," adding, "If you see an ICE agent in the street, get your phone out, we want to know."
In response, a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "This certainly looks like obstruction of justice."
"This action by the Governor encourages violence against our officers and obstruction of our operations," the spokesperson went on, pointing out that "our officers are already facing a highly coordinated campaign of violence against them and a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them."
DEM GOVERNOR DUCKS QUESTION ON 'MONSTER' ILLEGAL ALIEN WHO FRACTURED 8-YEAR-OLD’S SKULL WITH ROCK ATTACK
The spokesperson suggested that Sherrill’s policies are the real danger to New Jerseyans, not ICE agents.
"ICE law enforcement would not have to be in the field in New Jersey if we had state and local cooperation. Governor Sherrill is not letting that happen, which puts New Jerseyans in danger," the spokesperson said.
DHS pointed to just a few of ICE’s recent arrests in New Jersey, which they said include pedophiles, rapists and murderers.
"While Governor Sherrill continues to encourage agitators to obstruct law enforcement and release pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and murderers onto New Jersey’s streets, our brave law enforcement will continue to risk their lives to arrest heinous criminals in New Jersey," said the spokesperson.
DHS said that it recently arrested a Mexican criminal illegal alien named Jose Ortega Villalva, who it said is convicted of sex offense against a child, fondling and molestation of a minor.
PHILLY DA’S ‘HUNT YOU DOWN’ WARNING TO ICE DRAWS CALLS FOR DOJ CRIMINAL PROBE
Another illegal arrested in New Jersey is Ecuadoran national Rodrigo Roman Basantes, who the agency said is convicted of endangering the welfare of a child through sexual contact and sexual assault of a victim under 13.
A third, Felix Quintana Diaz, from Cuba, was also recently arrested by ICE in New Jersey and is convicted of homicide.
Wilmer Patzan Pirir, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, was arrested and has been convicted of making a terroristic threat.
The agency also said ICE had arrested Manuel Mejia Morales, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador, who is convicted of rape …