Yesterday, a horrific tragedy struck the small Canadian town of Tumbler Ridge. Ten people were killed and dozens more injured in a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. Authorities described the shooter as a “woman in a dress” and used the term “gunperson,” leading many to conclude that this was yet another case of transgender violence. If you missed it, here’s our original report: BREAKING: “Woman in Dress” Opens Fire at Canadian School — At Least 10 Dead, 25 Injured Now, the suspect’s identity has been revealed as 18-year-old Jesse Strang. As we suspected, Strang was a so-called “transgender” man pretending to be a woman. Take a look:

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday after a weeklong bout with flu-like symptoms. BREAKING: Republican Senator Hospitalized The 83-year-old will remain away from the U.S. Capitol for the rest of the week. "Senator McConnell was discharged from the hospital yesterday and is grateful for the outstanding care he received. He is feeling better and will be working from home this week on the advice of his doctors," a spokesman for McConnell said, according to NBC News. Sen. Mitch McConnell was released from the hospital Tuesday, more than a week after he checked himself in for "flu-like symptoms," a spokesman for the Kentucky Republican said Wednesday. https://t.co/7kL76qnIMw — CBS News (@CBSNews) February 11, 2026 NBC News has more: McConnell, who served as the Republican leader in the Senate until last year. was hospitalized Feb. 2 after experiencing "flu-like symptoms," his office said at the time. McConnell, 83, last year announced that he would not seek re-election, setting off a competitive primary race to replace him. In recent years, the senator has faced mounting concerns about his health, after several incidents of freezing on camera. In 2023, he sustained a concussion after a fall, and in 2019 he fractured his shoulder at home. McConnell missed votes in the Senate last week and this week due to the illness. “In an abundance of caution, after experiencing flu-like symptoms over the weekend, Senator McConnell checked himself into a local hospital for evaluation last night,” a spokesperson said last week. “His prognosis is positive and he is grateful for the excellent care he is receiving. He is in regular contact with his staff and looks forward to returning to Senate business," the statement continued. The Hill noted: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters on Monday that he spoke with McConnell a day earlier, adding that he has been “engaged” in Senate business. The illness marks the latest health incident for the longest serving Senate party leader in history. McConnell fell in October after being heckled by left-wing activists in the Capitol complex. He survived polio as a child and has pointed to “lingering effects” in his left leg after previous incidents.

Actor James Van Der Beek, best known for his roles in “Dawson’s Creek” and “Varsity Blues,” has passed away after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. He was 48. “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity, and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend,” Kimberly Van Der Beek, his wife, said on Instagram. James Van Der Beek, star of ‘Dawson’s Creek,’ has died at the age of 48, TMZ reports. He previously revealed his battle with cancer. pic.twitter.com/i85gLYEMIa — Pop Base (@PopBase) February 11, 2026 NBC News shared further: In early November 2024, Van Der Beek announced he had been diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer. “I’ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before,” Van Der Beek said in a Nov. 3, 2024, post on Instagram. “Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support.” He chronicled his experience living with cancer on Instagram, where he frequently paid tribute to his wife and children for their support. Van Der Beek was best known for playing Dawson Leery, the earnest, introspective aspiring filmmaker at the center of the WB’s “Dawson’s Creek.” The show ran for six seasons and became a classic of the teen drama genre. “The little pilot we shot in that small town for that fledgling network aired, changed our lives and launched our careers,” Van Der Beek wrote in a Jan. 25, 2018, post on Instagram in honor of the show’s 20th anniversary. The series turned Van Der Beek into a youth heartthrob and catapulted him into the national limelight. He appeared on magazine covers and regularly found himself surrounded by adoring teenagers — a taste of pre-internet fame he later discussed with a tone of amusement. “Back in March, the actor released the following video explaining what cancer had taught him,” Collin Rugg wrote. Footage below: JUST IN: Actor James Van Der Beek has sadly passed away at the age of 48. "Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning," his family posted to his Instagram account. "He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. There is much to share regarding… pic.twitter.com/uHQwNRAx4K — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 11, 2026 USA TODAY has more: The actor was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in August 2023 and shared his illness with the public in November 2024. He continued working, in spite of his health battle, appearing on shows like the CW’s “Walker” (2024) and Amazon Prime Video’s comedy “Overcompensating” (2025). Van Der Beek also competed against fellow disguised celebrities on Fox’s “The Masked Singer” (2025) and signed on to Amazon Prime’s forthcoming “Legally Blonde” prequel “Elle” as Dean Wilson, a school district superintendent and mayoral candidate. He also remained active on social media, posting just two weeks before his death to celebrate the joint birthday of his father and one of his daughters. “In this crazy world, it’s a wonder to me that you’ve managed to stay so open, so tender, and so genuinely good,” he wrote. “You are marvels… and I’m so insanely grateful to have you in my life.” He previously shared with USA TODAY that his diagnosis reinvigorated his love for his chosen profession. “For a minute, I thought, ‘You know what? I don’t need acting. I don’t need it in the way that I did before,'” he said, during an interview in the summer of 2025. “I’m very, very happy just doing this here with my family. And then, when I got cancer, I realized I love to tell stories. Acting is actually a real passion. Writing is a real passion, and I need to feed that. So, I joke that I’m the only guy I know who got cancer and realized I need to work more.” Van Der Beek is survived by his wife, Kimberly, whom he wed in 2010, and their six children.

A grand jury declined to indict six Democrat lawmakers accused of “seditious behavior” for releasing a video urging service members to refuse illegal orders. President Trump Calls For 6 Democrats To Be Arrested For “Seditious Behavior” Federal prosecutors sought an indictment of the lawmakers featured in the video, including Elissa Slotkin, Mark Kelly, Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, and Chrissy Houlahan. “I think that anytime you’re obstructing law enforcement and getting in the way of these sensitive operations, it’s a very serious thing, and it probably is a crime. And, yeah, they probably should be indicted,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said after the grand jury's decision, according to The Hill. A grand jury has refused to indict Democratic lawmakers in connection with a video in which they urged military members to resist “illegal orders.” https://t.co/xkX2DqZdsQ — The Associated Press (@AP) February 11, 2026 The Hill explained further: The Justice Department’s legal effort against the six has been lambasted by Democrats and some Republicans who see the move as politically motivated, and on Tuesday a grand jury blocked the indictment. Prosecutors failed to meet a low bar of “probable cause” to convince a majority of the grand jury to secure an indictment. Separately, the Pentagon is looking to censure Kelly, a retired Navy captain, and lower his retirement rank, a move that could affect his military pension. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Kelly said Johnson should “go back to his office and seriously think about what he says publicly,” in response to the Speaker’s comments. “He’s the Speaker of the House of Representatives. He’s one of the most powerful people in this country. And if he’s going to side at every moment with this administration when they are clearly not on the side of the Constitution, I think he’s got to really evaluate why he is there and who he is really serving,” Kelly said. Slotkin, who spoke alongside Kelly, said Johnson “should take a beat and remember why he’s there and that our Founding Fathers designed this as a separate branch of government to provide checks and balances on the president, not salute like a good boy and do what he says every single time.” "Today, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro attempted to persuade a Grand Jury to indict me. This was in response to me organizing a 90-second video that simply quoted the law. Pirro did this at the direction of President Trump, who said repeatedly that I should be investigated, arrested, and hanged for sedition. Today, it was a grand jury of anonymous American citizens who upheld the rule of law and determined this case should not proceed. Hopefully, this ends this politicized investigation for good," Slotkin said. "But today wasn’t just an embarrassing day for the Administration. It was another sad day for our country. Because whether or not Pirro succeeded is not the point. It's that President Trump continues to weaponize our justice system against his perceived enemies. It’s the kind of thing you see in a foreign country, not in the United States we know and love. No matter what President Trump and Pirro continue to do with this case, tonight we can score one for the Constitution, our freedom of speech, and the rule of law," she continued. Today, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro attempted to persuade a Grand Jury to indict me. This was in response to me organizing a 90-second video that simply quoted the law. Pirro did this at the direction of President Trump, who said repeatedly that I should be investigated, arrested,… — Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) February 11, 2026 "President Trump directed the Justice Department to investigate me, arrest me, and hang me simply for doing my job. Today, an American grand jury honored our Constitution by standing up to an outrageous abuse of presidential power and taxpayer dollars. No matter the threats, I will keep doing my job and upholding my oath to our Constitution," Goodlander commented. President Trump directed the Justice Department to investigate me, arrest me, and hang me simply for doing my job. Today, an American grand jury honored our Constitution by standing up to an outrageous abuse of presidential power and taxpayer dollars. No matter the threats,… — Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (@RepGoodlander) February 11, 2026 NBC News has more: The lawmakers, all of whom served in the military or in intelligence roles, said in the video that the Trump administration was pitting members of the military and the intelligence communities “against American citizens.” They then pointed out that public servants can refuse illegal orders. “Now, more than ever, the American people need you,” the lawmakers say in the video. “Don’t give up the ship." Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, members of the military are obliged to obey only lawful orders and must refuse those that are manifestly illegal. Trump accused the Democratic lawmakers on his social media platform, Truth Social, of “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” at the time. Legal experts broadly agree that prosecuting members of Congress for their political speech would raise serious First Amendment concerns. In addition to the First Amendment issues, the “speech or debate” clause of the Constitution gives lawmakers on Capitol Hill immunity from prosecution for acts taken within the legislative sphere, a fundamental check on the constitutional separation of powers. It was not immediately clear what charge or charges prosecutors sought against the lawmakers. A federal judge in a separate case is expected to rule in the coming days on the legality of actions taken by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth against Kelly over his participation in the video. Hegseth issued a formal letter of censure last month and is seeking to reduce Kelly's retirement rank as a Navy captain.

The narrow Republican House majority may take another devastating blow as Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL) allegedly is considering an early retirement. The Florida Republican announced last month that he would not seek re-election in the 2026 midterms. GOP Congressman Announces Retirement “After much prayerful consideration and discussion with my family, I have decided not to seek re-election to the United States House of Representatives. This will conclude my service after five meaningful terms representing the people of Florida’s Second Congressional District,” Dunn said in a statement. “The time has come to pass the torch to new conservative leaders, return home to Panama City, and spend more precious time with my family and our beloved grandchildren,” he added. Please see my statement on my decision not to seek re-election. pic.twitter.com/sogoXQTJZD — Dr. Neal Dunn (@DrNealDunnFL2) January 13, 2026 Mediaite shared further: Currently, Republicans have the majority in the House by a very narrow margin, 218 to 214, and three seats vacant, meaning any time Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is facing a party-line vote, he can only afford to lose a single Republican member’s support. Tied votes fail, and there is no tie-breaker for the House like the role Vice President JD Vance serves in the Senate. In other words, Dunn making an early exit would have repercussions beyond just the representation of his district in the Florida Panhandle, making it all but impossible for Johnson to move any bills forward unless he can win over at least one Democrat while preserving the unanimous support of his caucus. Schorsch first reported on Tuesday that his reporters were “trying to track down [a] rumor” about Dunn “resigning imminently rather than at [the] end of his term.” .@Fla_Pol trying to track down rumor that Republican @DrNealDunnFL2 is resigning imminently rather than at end of his term, which he previously announced. Dunn stepping down now would imperil @HouseGOP’s majority. Developing… — Peter Schorsch (@PeterSchorschFL) February 10, 2026 However, a spokesperson for Dunn said the rumor about his potential early retirement did not come from his office. “Those rumors are not originating from this office,” Eleanor Allison said, according to Florida Politics. "House Republican leadership believes that Neal Dunn is going to resign by July. I know Dunn is denying it. But the leadership thinks he's gone in five months," Punchbowl News founder Jake Sherman commented. House Republican leadership believes that Neal Dunn is going to resign by July. I know Dunn is denying it. But the leadership thinks he's gone in five months. https://t.co/QErjBnX0Ap — Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) February 11, 2026 More from Florida Politics: The comments from Allison were the second conversation with Florida Politics in two days. On Tuesday, a reporter at the office was initially told the Congressman would be unavailable most of the day. When Dunn left the office to go to a House Energy and Commerce Committee meeting, where he serves as Vice Chair and where several personal priorities were up for under consideration in a markup, Florida Politics approached him and asked if he intends to resign early. But Allison quickly approached, and Dunn referred questions to the Communications Director. “Ellie is who knows everything here,” he said. Allison told Florida Politics that Dunn had no plans to resign, and that she had no knowledge of any conversation. She later reiterated the same thing by phone to the Tallahassee Democrat’s Jim Rosica. But rumors, particularly in Tallahassee, have persisted. Lawmakers close to Dunn have speculated he will resign before the end of his term, and a senior Republican strategist told Florida Politics that Dunn will announce an early retirement next week for a “time certain” that will be before the Midterm. That could prompt a Special Election even while the 2026 Midterm race is already underway for Dunn’s successor. Dunn’s health is fueling speculation around his departure. Other sources close to Dunn believe he wants to serve out his term but may be unable to.