President Donald Trump appeared personally supportive of an immigration agent who shot an innocent immigrant five times, according to evidence provided by her attorneys.
At a press conference on Wednesday, attorneys for Marimar Martinez announced that their client was suing the U.S. government for shooting her last October after a border patrol agent's SUV allegedly swerved into her vehicle. Agents later claimed that Martinez had rammed them.
Attorneys at the press conference presented text messages from agents joking about the shooting.
"Are they supportive?" one agent asked.
"Everyone has been including Chief Bovino, Chief Banks, Sec Noem and El Jefe himself," the shooter replied, apparently referring to Trump.
In another message, the agent responsible for the shooting dismissed the incident.
"S--- happens," he wrote.
"I'm up for another round of 'F--- around and find out," another message read.
Democrats have invited Martinez to attend Trump's State of the Union address later this month.
HGTV star Nicole Curtis was under fire Wednesday after she was caught saying a racial slur in a video — and then begging the crew to delete it.
The shocking resurfaced video never aired and Curtis appeared to acknowledge she should not have said the racial epithet, according to a report from Radar.
"What the f--- is that I just said?" Curtis said, laughing as the HGTV crew off camera also laughed. "Nick, you gotta, you gotta, can you kill that? F--- my life."
New episodes of her popular show "Rehab Addict" were slated to air on Wednesday.
A number of people responded to the unaired footage and Curtis' words on an Instagram post from the reality television host.
"Definitely have said that before. It just rolled right off of your tongue," user Tiffany A. Allen wrote.
"@hgtv…. So let me get this straight. You filmed her saying this. Continued filming her show. Edited it out for her. And went on to air the show. Wow," user Keve Smith wrote.
"We want her off the air @hgtv @hgtvhome," user Tonya Roshell wrote.
"@hgtv y’all ok with the n word I guess," user Alisha Shelton-Smith wrote.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) was gaveled down in the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday after she started reading excerpts from a news article on President Donald Trump’s cratering poll numbers.
“Mr. chair, I have a [request for unanimous consent],” Crockett asked Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the chair of the committee.
Jordan granted Crockett her request – which was to enter a document or statement into public record without a formal vote – to which she started reading from an apparent news reported she had in hand.
“Thank you so much,” Crockett said before reading off the news report. “Donald Trump's approval rating implodes on his strongest issue – this is from Newsweek today. It says 40% of people approve of Trump's handling of immigration and border security while 60% disapprove. That is a net drop to negative 20.”
As Crockett tried to read the news article, she was gaveled down by Jordan, who pleaded with her to stop.
“Thank you – you don't need to read the article to us!” Jordan said.
The report Crockett had printed out and read in committee was published by Newsweek earlier that morning, and documents the staggering fall in support Trump’s immigration policy had seen over the past several months, largely driven by his administration’s chaotic and violent immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota.
Once among his strongest performing issues, Trump’s immigration policy has tanked among voters since he took office last year. A new NBC News poll from Wednesday revealed that 60% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of immigration, a sizable increase from the 49% recorded in July.
Attorney General Pam Bondi lashed out at Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) after he accused her of lying under oath about evidence against President Donald Trump in Jeffrey Epstein's case files.
During a Wednesday hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, Lieu told Bondi that Trump's name was "all over the Epstein files."
"I want to know whether any underage girls at that party or at any party that Trump attended with Jeffrey Epstein," Lieu asked the attorney general.
"This is so ridiculous, and they are trying to deflect from all the great things Donald Trump has done!" Bondi exclaimed. "There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime. Everyone knows that."
"You said there's no evidence," Lieu observed before displaying an FBI report accusing Trump of rape.
"I believe you just lied under oath," the lawmaker said.
"Don't you ever accuse me of a crime!" Bondi yelled.
"You said there's no evidence or crime," Lieu pointed out. "I'm showing you here is a witness statement who called into the FBI's threat operation center. He drove Donald Trump around in a limo. He overheard what Donald Trump said to Jeffrey on his cell phone... And he met a girl who said she was raped by Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein."
"You need to interview this witness immediately," he added. "Epstein should rot in hell. So should the men who patronize [his] operations. And as we say here today, there are over 1,000 sex trafficking victims, and you have not held a single man accountable. Shame on you."
"If you had any decency, you would resign right after this hearing concludes."
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) hit Attorney General Pam Bondi hard Wednesday over her agency’s redactions of “powerful predators” in its release of files on Jeffrey Epstein, including one now-infamous email about a supposed “torture video,” the recipient of which Jayapal connected directly to President Donald Trump.
“In violation of the law, your department has shown a pattern of redacting the names of powerful predators,” Jayapal said, speaking to Bondi who was testifying before the House Judiciary Committee at the nation’s Capitol Wednesday.
Jayapal’s aides then displayed a large print-out of the email in question: a 2016 email from Epstein to an unidentified individual about having “loved" a "torture video.”
After pressure from Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA), the DOJ has since revealed the identity of the mystery recipient to be Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, an Emirati billionaire and CEO of DP World, a logistics company that generated more than $20 billion in revenue in 2024.
“Only after members of Congress demanded that we see the unredacted files did the world learn the name of this individual,” Jayapal continued, the large print-out of the email directly behind her. “Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the chairman and CEO of a company that had financial ties to President Trump's business, and personal ties to Trump's advisor, Steve Bannon.”
The “financial ties” to Trump's business Jayapal referenced presumably refer to the business relationship between the Trump Organization – which owns 17 golf resorts and clubs – and the DP World Tour, a European professional golf circuit sponsored by DP World that entered into agreements to host tournaments at Trump-owned courses – arrangements that generate substantial revenue for the Trump family.
As to Jayapal’s claim that bin Sulayem had “personal ties” to Bannon, emails released by the DOJ revealed that Trump’s former White House strategist had communicated directly with bin Sulayem about meeting together in the United Arab Emirates in 2018.
In the House Judi Committee, @RepJayapal flags the "financial ties" between President Donald Trump's business and the sender of the infamous "torture video" Epstein email, now known to have been sent by @ssulayempic.twitter.com/iYzAsDE5jV — Alexander Willis (@ReporterWillis) February 11, 2026
A new ransom note sent early Wednesday has offered to name the suspect in the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie in exchange for Bitcoin, according to a TMZ report.
TMZ and two other Tucson-area television news stations had received the note early Wednesday with an offer to give up information about the suspect in exchange for 1 bitcoin, which is worth about $66,000. The account in the letter appeared to be active.
"TMZ received the note just before 5 AM PT, and the sender claims they've tried unsuccessfully to reach Savannah Guthrie's brother, Camron, and her sister, Annie, by email and text," TMZ reported. "The note goes on, 'If they want the name of the individual involved then I want 1 Bitcoin to the following wallet. Time is more than relevant.'"
There was no confirmation that the ransom notes were authenticated, CNN reported.
It's been 11 days since Nancy Guthrie, 84-year-old mother of "Today" host Savannah Guthrie, went missing from her Arizona home. There was still no suspect or person of interest as of Wednesday.
In a major breakthrough Tuesday, investigators released four images and video captured by a home security camera showing a person wearing a face mask, jacket with reflective material, backpack and black Nitro gloves who appeared at the door of Nancy Guthrie's home in Arizona. The suspect, who appears to be a man, has a light source or small flashlight in his mouth and stands on the front porch of Guthrie's home.
Police Tuesday night had detained a person of interest for questioning in connection with Guthrie's abduction but later released that person.
Carrie Prejean Boller was removed from the White House Religious Liberty Commission after sparking a “contentious” hearing this week over Israel's war against Gaza.
The former Miss California USA 2009 and a Miss USA 2009 runner-up, faced calls for her resignation after wearing a Palestinian flag pin, defending right-wing podcaster Candace Owens and calling other commissions to condemn Israel's actions against Gaza, and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who chairs the commission, announced her removal.
"No member of the Commission has the right to hijack a hearing for their own personal and political agenda on any issue," Patrick announced on X. "This is clearly, without question, what happened Monday in our hearing on antisemitism in America. This was my decision. The Commission has done outstanding work through five hearings. Two more are scheduled. The testimony has been both illuminating and heartbreaking."
"Under the Biden Administration, Americans of all faiths had their religious liberty not only stolen from them but were often punished for standing up for their faith, in education, the military, the private sector, and even the ministry," Patrick added. "This spring, the Commission will deliver one of the most important reports in American history directly to the President. The President respects all faiths. He believes that all Americans have a right to receive the great inheritance given to them by our founding fathers in the First Amendment. I am grateful to President Trump for having the vision and boldness to create this Commission. Fighting for the Word of God and religious freedom is what this nation was founded upon. Leading this fight will be one of his greatest legacies."
Prejean Boller defended herself Tuesday on social media, saying the commission was threatening to remove her over her Catholic faith.
“Can you even imagine this? A Religious Liberty Commission prepared to fire a commissioner for her Catholic faith?” wrote Prejean Boller, who converted to Catholicism in April. “If that happens, it proves their mission was never religious liberty, but a Zionist agenda. I refuse to resign.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) Wednesday delivered a scathing opening statement and directly criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi, accusing her of deliberately blocking the investigation into late financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Raskin, a ranking member, was one of several lawmakers questioning Bondi during a House Judiciary Committee Hearing on Capitol Hill. In a fiery speech, he demanded answers from Bondi about the Epstein files and investigation, and recent Department of Justice actions — reminding her that her clients are the American people — not President Donald Trump.
"But to promote justice for the people, you've got to listen to the victims like the women seated behind you today," Raskin said. "Those are just some of the hundreds of survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's global sex trafficking ring who are demanding that the truth be told and are demanding accountability for the abusers who trafficked and raped them you still haven't met with these survivors."
Raskin named several survivors and family members in the room and described his concern that Bondi and the DOJ have not met with them or taken interest to hear their stories. He accused her of standing on the wrong side of history.
"Now, you're not showing a lot of interest in the victims, madam attorney general, whether it's Epstein's human trafficking ring or the homicidal governmental violence against citizens in Minneapolis, as attorney general, you're siding with the perpetrators and you're ignoring the victims that will be your legacy unless you act quickly to change course," Raskin said.
"You're running a massive Epstein coverup right out of the Department of Justice," Raskin said. "You've been ordered by subpoena and by Congress to turn over 6 million documents, photographs and videos in the Epstein files but you've turned over only 3 million."
Raskin called Bondi out for redacting names of abusers, enablers and accomplices in the Epstein files and not redacting the names of survivors, which she was required to do by Congress.
"Someof the victims had come forwardpublicly, but many had not," Raskin said. "Manyhad kept their torment privateeven from family and friends.But you published their names,their identities their images onthousands of pages for the worldto see. So you ignored the law.And even with over 100,000employees at your disposal, youacted with some mixture ofstaggering incompetence coldindifference, and jaded crueltytowards more than 1,000 victimsraped abused and trafficked.This performance screams coverup."
He criticized the DOJ's move to move Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's co-conspirator, to a Texas minimum security camp where she has "five start treatment, including catered meals, private gym time and access to a therapy puppy."
Raskin then described the ongoing attacks on protesters, the killings of two American citizens in Minneapolis under ICE and the DOJ's response.
"There's no sign of anymovement at the Department of Justice," Raskin said. "You even launched acriminal investigation into Renee Good's grieving widow. Howsick is that? But it's evenworse. You've turned thepeople's Department of Justiceinto Trump's instrument ofrevenge. Trump orders up prosecutions like pizza, and you deliver every time."
His last comment was a stark warning for Bondi.
"So we ask you politely but firmly, madam attorney general please do not waste one second of our precious time by evading questions, by changing the subject, or engaging in personal attacks against members of Congress. We saw your performance in the Senate, and we're not going to accept that this isn't a game," Raskin said. "The Senate you brought something with, you called a burn book, a binder of smears to attack members personally for doing the people's work of oversight please set the burn book aside and answer our questions."
While the FAA blamed Mexican cartel drones after closing the airspace over El Paso, a new report suggests that Department of Defense drones were responsible.
After reopening the airspace on Wednesday, FAA Secretary Sean Duffy pointed to a "cartel drone incursion."
However, sources told Bloomberg that the closure happened because the DOD could not guarantee the safety of aircraft from U.S. drones.
"The FAA made the decision in response to drones that the US Defense Department is flying in the area as part of an operation against Mexican drug cartels, according to people familiar with the matter," Bloomberg reported. "One of the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss non-public information, said the drones are operating outside of normal flight paths and that the FAA is unable to predict where they might be flying."
"While temporary air space closures occur due to military activity, rocket launches or presidential air traffic movements, a broad closure of a major airport for that length of time would have been unusual," the report added.
Vice President JD Vance responded to calls for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to resign by observing that powerful people were guilty of "disgusting behavior" related to their relationships with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
After Lutnick admitted that he dined with Epstein on his island, Vance took a question about the commerce secretary before departing from Azerbaijan on Wednesday.
"Sir, Howard Lutnick is facing some calls to resign over his appearance in the Epstein files," one reporter told Vance. "There are some contradictions about his previous claims in the new files."
"I haven't seen Howard getting calls to resign," the vice president replied, noting that he had been overseas. "We'll follow the story a little bit closely, more closely as I get on the plane."
"But, you know, fundamentally, I think the Epstein files, what they reveal is certainly you had a lot of very wealthy and powerful people who are involved in some very disgusting behavior," he continued. "But I do find it's interesting that the congressional Democrats are so focused on attacking the President of the United States."
"Who's the president who actually authorized the release of these files? It was Donald Trump."
The Trump administration sparked a frenzy of speculation Wednesday after issuing an “unprecedented” order to shutter the airspace around a major Texas airport for 10 days, only to reverse the order hours later, and without explanation.
Early Wednesday morning, Trump’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) around El Paso, Texas spanning a 10-mile radius and up to 18,000 feet. The order stunned aviation experts, who said it had “no modern precedent” and suspected the order to be related to “something big,” such as secret military testing or threats to national security.
Yet, despite the order being issued through Feb. 21, the FAA mysteriously lifted the flight restrictions just hours later, and with no explanation.
“It gets even stranger,” wrote Joyce Alene, a former U.S. Attorney under the Obama administration and writer with more than 1 million followers on X. “Late night announcement of 10-day closure. Now lifted. Who is running this clown show?”
Another, former CIA officer Sarah Adams, joined in on clowning the Trump administration’s FAA for unnecessarily sparking “conspiracies.”
“Ohh the conspiracies are going to run rampant now,” Adams wrote in a social media post on X to her more than 380,000 followers. “Whomever did this in the first place is an absolute moron.”
While the reasons for the FAA lifting the flight restrictions remain unknown, an anonymous U.S. official told Reuters that “Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace,” and that the “Pentagon took action to disable the drones.”
The FAA’s ongoing silence, however, has only left onlookers baffled.
“WTF are y’all doing,” wrote Marty Taylor, political consultant and self-described veteran pilot, in a social media post on X. “I have been a pilot for 50 years and have never seen a closure this large and long except on 9-11. No explanation? Bunch of amateurs.”
A Fox News reporter had even joined in to question the Trump administration’s strange silence on the entire ordeal.
“Some transparency is needed here,” wrote Ryan French of Fox News 13 out of Tampa, Florida, in a social media post on X.
“What was [the] purpose of the TFR? What government agency requested it? What prompted its cancellation? I’ve never seen a TFR not clearly tied to an event, incident, and not disclose the requesting entity.”
It gets even stranger. Late night announcement of 10-day closure. Now lifted. Who is running this clown show? https://t.co/fdRxgybOca — Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) February 11, 2026
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy offered an explanation for the unprecedented closure of the airspace over El Paso, Texas, but it's not satisfying his critics.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed a 10-day shutdown starting in the predawn hours Wednesday morning but then abruptly lifted the closure shortly before 9 a.m., and Duffy provided a public statement about 40 minutes later to explain the moves.
"The FAA and DOW acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion," Duffy said, using the acronym for the "Department of War." "The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region. The restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming."
CNN's Pete Muntean had reported before the shutdown was lifted that the FAA felt that civilian air safety could not be guaranteed due to unspecified military operations at nearby Biggs Army Airbase, which Duffy seemed to confirm without providing additional details, and his statement raised new questions.
"Why would that necessitate a ten day closure, and why is the [temporary flight restriction] in [New Mexico] still active?" asked X user Steve, a self-described right-leaning independent.
"No problem with this. EXCEPT. Announcing for 10 DAYS is a problem," opined X user Michael Passons, a former Marine and self-described conservative. "Why did that happen?"
"By swiftly, you mean ~3 hours later?" challenged TheIntelFrog military aircraft tracker account. "So these drones were detected and just loitered for 3 hours waiting for DoD to respond? If the threat is over, why is the TFR that was published with the same parameters as the one over El Paso still active?"
"So whoever decided the 10 day timeline to take down some drones are either incompetent or planned something major," speculated the OSINTranger account.
"Now the administration is contradicting the first explanation that it was a test," noted author Tyler King. "Claiming now they closed the airspace for ten days because they shot down some cartel drones. Which just sounds laughably improbable."
"I'm sorry but I dont believe this," joked Media Matters' Andrew Lawrence. "I think Trump woke up extra senile and decided to bomb Mexico and then, I dunno Papa John or Brett Favre or someone talked him out of it."
"FAA shuts down El Paso Airport because of security concerns about testing of a secret DoD anti-drone device, apparently because they failed to communicate with DoD," sighed journalist and attorney Scott Horton. "A perfect demonstration of how Hegseth and Sean Duffy work together."
"Despite his bullshit about sweatpants and pull up bars Sean Duffy does seem to have a vague sense that one of his jobs is keeping airplanes in the air, while Hegseth is just a pure maniac," added Bluesky user Evelyn Custom Text.
A proposal by House Republicans to investigate the halftime entertainment at the recently concluded Super Bowl drew laughter and rolled eyes on MS NOW on Wednesday morning.
During a Tuesday interview on Real America's Voice, Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) explained that House Republicans are "investigating" Bad Bunny's Super Bowl show because they feel it was "much worse than the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction."
“I saw the halftime show, and we're switching back and forth with the TPUSA halftime show. They, the lyrics from what we have seen, from Bad Bunny are very disturbing,” he insisted.
Reporting on the Republicans latching onto conservative anger of the halftime show because it was in Spanish, the panel on “Morning Joe,” suggested the conservative outrage was both racist and performative before adding the Republicans need a reality check.
“Congressman Mark Alford of Missouri told a conservative outlet yesterday, House Republicans already are investigating,” co-host Willie Geist reported before joking, “The Bad Bunny halftime show did not provide any details. There has yet to be an official confirmation of any congressional probe. As we know, Mika, their constituents sent them to Washington to do the important business of investigating bad bunnies."
As the panel laughed, co-host Brzezinski sarcastically added, “I'm just curious, because was — at the alternative — Was it Kid Rock? Is that him? Kid Rock, he's still on, right? So he's at the alternative, right? And are they investigating his lyrics about, you know, I think he had some lyrics in his songs, not that he performed on stage there, but the person they chose for their alternative event has written songs about, well, you could read them in the Epstein files, something about young girls and statutory and like — really?”
“I feel badly for them,“ contributor Mike Barnicle contributed.
“They're trying to getsome therapy,” Brzezinski replied.
“They've never been outdoors in America,” Barnicle joked.
"And also just work on the fact that it's not just white blonde people that are to be served at the Super Bowl halftime show,” Brzezinski continued, taking a jab at far-right podcaster Megyn Kelly who had a meltdown over the performance. “It is supposed to be unifying, and you got to have an open mind and love all people in order to be able to enjoy something that is so beautiful and colorful. It's kind of sad how small and simple and stupid and old and completely decrepit this sort of alternative thinking is that this halftime show somehow was an insult.”
