Environmental activists blasted a House Republican version of the 2026 farm bill that includes a provision shielding pesticide manufacturers from lawsuits alleging they failed to adequately warn about potential harms of their products beyond EPA standards. “It even prevents state Ag Commissioners from regulating misleading labels on pesticides in their own state. It is complete immunity from lawsuits. Our Republican officials are doing the bidding of primarily foreign chemical companies to protect their profits. This is not MAHA,” Moms Across America founder Zen Honeycutt said. The Farm Bill is out and the defacto pesticide immunity shiled is worse than before. It even prevents state Ag Commissioners from regulating misleading labels on pesticides in their own state. It is complete immunity from lawsuits. Our Republican officials are doing the bidding… https://t.co/hIhaJdMgHz — Zen Honeycutt (@zenhoneycutt) February 13, 2026 “The chair of the Agriculture Committee, in releasing the Republican Farm Bill text in three separate sections: (i) prohibits lawsuits by farmers and consumers harmed by pesticides for which manufacturers failed to provide complete safety warnings (Section 10205); (ii) takes away the authority of local governments to protect residents and the local environment from pesticide use (Section 10206), and; (iii) repeals requirements in numerous federal statutes to protect against local pesticide contamination that could affect waterways, drinking water, federal projects, endangered species, migratory birds, and toxic waste (Section 10207),” Beyond Pesticides wrote. “The Federal Farm Bill was released yesterday and it does contain a provision designed to give pesticide manufacturers de facto immunity, Section 10205. As always, the lawyers behind these provisions have drafted the language in a manner which obfuscates its true meaning and impact,” toxicologist and advocate Dr. Alexandra Muñoz commented. “Legislators are being told it’s a provision for uniform labeling for pesticides – but pesticides already have uniform labels. So then what is the true intention of the provision? De facto immunity,” she continued. Pesticide Immunity in the Farm Bill The Federal Farm Bill was released yesterday and it does contain a provision designed to give pesticide manufacturers de facto immunity, Section 10205. As always, the lawyers behind these provisions have drafted the language in a manner… pic.twitter.com/EPwXKh7odJ — Dr. Alexandra Muñoz (@amtoxicology) February 14, 2026 Beyond Pesticides explained further: Expected to be put to a committee vote as early as February 23, the basic right to sue chemical manufacturers for the harm caused by their toxic products and their failure to warn about those hazards is being threatened (Section 10205). Litigation has always been a tool for holding manufacturers accountable for the damages they cause, providing an important check on the marketing of products beyond baseline regulations issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While this has always been of fundamental importance, environmental and public health advocates say it is especially critical with the current dismantling of EPA and deregulation of the chemical industry. “Instead of destroying incentives to ensure corporate responsibility, Congress through the Farm Bill should be facilitating the transition to ecological-based practices, like federally defined organic methods, that address the existential health, biodiversity, and climate issues of our time,” said Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides. Beyond revoking this basic right to be warned of product hazards, the legislation preempts the authority of local governments to protect their residents from pesticide exposure, as determined by state governments (reversing a 1991 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Wisconsin Pub. Intervenor v. Mortier | 501 U.S. 597, 1991) (Section 10206). Furthermore, the bill exempts registered pesticides from further “permitting or approval requirements,” which could include permits to restrict pesticides under the Clean Water Act, requirements for an environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act, or meet review standards under the Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Act, and other statutes affecting pesticide storage, transportation, and toxic waste (Section 10207). Chemical manufacturers, led by Bayer/Monsanto, have been moving across the U.S. with state legislation to shield manufacturers from lawsuits by consumers and farmers who have been damaged by pesticides and not warned of hazards, like cancer. Now, they are moving their chemical company immunity campaign to the U.S. Congress, and then the Supreme Court. This follows years of successful litigation against Monsanto and over $10 billion in jury verdicts and settlements on adverse effects of the weed killer glyphosate/Roundup. According to The Center Square, the Center for Biological Diversity called the bill a “monstrosity” that would “allow foreign-owned pesticide conglomerates to dominate the policies that impact the safety of the food every American eats.” “This Republican Farm Bill proposal is a grotesque, record-breaking giveaway to the pesticide industry that will free Big Ag to accelerate the flow of dangerous poisons into our nation’s food supply and waterways,” Brett Hartl, the organization’s government affairs director, told the outlet. “This bill would block people suffering from pesticide-linked cancers from suing pesticide makers, eviscerate the EPA’s ability to protect rivers and streams from direct pesticide pollution, and give the pesticide industry an unprecedented veto over extinction-preventing safeguards for our nation’s most endangered wildlife,” he added. “It is unbelievable that 800-page bills just appear with representatives who have clearly not read or understood them. We have a government passing legislation written by Big Ag and chemical companies with no regard for public health or safety. People all across the political spectrum have made clear they oppose pesticide immunity or any weirdly worded sections basically allowing it, but industry keeps sneaking it into massive bills,” one X user commented. Important The new Republican House Farm Bill quietly advances pesticide immunity from harm for companies. Sec. 10205: This provision blocks states and local governments from requiring any warnings beyond what the EPA approves, shielding companies from liability. Sec.… pic.twitter.com/mK20gjr9ww — End Tribalism in Politics (@EndTribalism) February 18, 2026 More from The Center Square: Supporters argue the measure will boost the competitiveness of America’s agricultural sector, provide regulatory certainty, and shield corporations from “frivolous” lawsuits. CropLife America, which represents the nation’s pesticide industry, did not respond to The Center Square’s request for comment in time for publication but did release a statement supporting the farm bill draft. “Farmers need continued access to pesticides approved by the Environmental Protection Agency through its rigorous, science-based regulatory process, to protect crops from weeds, pests, and diseases and to remain globally competitive, and we support the inclusion of several important provisions in this bill which support that goal,” CLA President Alexandra Dunn said in a press release. “We look forward to working with members on both sides of the aisle to advance this legislation and secure its passage in 2026 to strengthen and support U.S. agriculture.” Democratic lawmakers have condemned other parts of the farm bill as well, such as a restriction on federal funding of solar projects located on forest or prime farmland. The legislation also transfers authority to administrate the Food for Peace program from the U.S. Agency for International Development to the USDA, a move Democrats and other critics say could endanger the program’s efficiency and effectiveness. With partisanship running high in Congress, it is unclear if enough Democrats will support the 802-page bill, which authorizes funds for crop insurance, disaster assistance, risk management, farm loans, rural energy grants, forest management, and hundreds of other critical bipartisan initiatives. House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angi Craig, D-Minn., described the legislation as “a shell of a farm bill with poison pills that complicates if not derails chances of getting anything done.” Read the full 802-page proposed bill HERE (Section 10205 – Section 10207 starts on page 685).

The Department of Justice has sentenced a man to 48 months in federal prison for “acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).” Notably, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, of Chino Hills, is the alleged former fiancé of a Southern California mayor. Sun worked as a campaign advisor and treasurer for Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang while she was running for a city council seat. “Federal law enforcement will not allow hostile foreign nations to infiltrate the governance of our nation’s political bodies,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “The relentlessness of PRC intelligence operations in our country must be met by equal relentlessness on our part to secure, protect, and defend the United States,” he added. Wang has not been accused of any wrongdoing. More below: NEW: Eileen Wang, the Democrat Mayor of Arcadia, CA, is under fire after her alleged former fiancé and campaign advisor was CONVICTED for being a Chinese spy. Yaoning Sun, the Chinese spy who helped Wang get elected, was sentenced to 4 years in prison for being an illegal agent… pic.twitter.com/ND8wXiXOgA — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 18, 2026 CBS News explained further: Sun pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government from at least 2022 to January 2024, when he “knowingly acted within the United States as an agent” of China, without notifying the attorney general, according to a news release from the Department of Justice. Sun, 55, worked with a person referred to as “Individual 1” from 2020 through 2023 to “operate a purported news website for the local Chinese American community,” while receiving and executing directives from the PRC government to “post pro-PRC content,” the release said. He also worked as a campaign advisor for Individual 1, who was running for a city council seat in an undisclosed city. The person was elected to the city council in November 2022. Wang commented on her relationship with Sun during a council meeting in December 2022. “To my fiancé, Mike Sun, who walked streets with me every single day, who is a real leader of me,” Wang said. After Sun was charged, Wang tried to distance herself from him. “No. 1, he’s not my fiancé,” Wang said in September 2025. “Whoever wants to say he’s my former fiancé, please prove it.” “When Americans vote for elected officials, they expect them to represent the interests of their constituents – not those of a foreign adversary like the Chinese government,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “By exploiting his position as a campaign advisor, Yaoning Sun attempted to undermine our political processes and democratic institutions for the benefit of the Chinese Communist Party. Today’s sentencing underscores the unwavering commitment of the FBI and our partners to defending the homeland and holding accountable anyone who tries to subvert the will of American voters at the behest of our adversaries,” he continued. More from the New York Post: Court records also show that during the April 2023 visit of then-Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to Southern California, Sun closely monitored her movements and reported directly to PRC consular officials. Sun and Wang — who went on to get engaged — were also closely linked through business ventures. They are registered together on filings for the American Southwest Chamber of Commerce, an association meant to promote communication among Chinese Americans in the Southwest, and Sun ran a media site with Wang called US News Center. Wang has not been charged, and sources said there is no evidence she knew about Sun’s espionage activities. But the affair and business connections highlight how Sun leveraged intimate access to advance Beijing’s influence in local politics.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya will temporarily lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) until President Trump names a permanent director. The CDC has not had a permanent leader since August 2025, when Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired Susan Monarez. Deputy Health Secretary Jim O’Neill has been acting CDC director since then. BREAKING: NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya named acting CDC director pic.twitter.com/StarXVW3dw — Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) February 18, 2026 CBS News shared further: Bhattacharya gained his reputation during the COVID-19 pandemic as a vocal critic of the CDC’s response. Deeply opposed to lockdowns and highly skeptical of the effectiveness of masking, Bhattacharya, then a Stanford Medical School professor, took to writing and speaking out on social media. The CDC last month scaled back the recommended number of childhood vaccines, sparking alarm from pediatricians and public health experts who worry diseases that have been tamed by scientific advances may roar back with a vengeance. Bhattacharya told Congress earlier this month that people should get vaccinated against measles, amid the largest outbreak in the U.S. in decades, and said he hasn’t seen evidence that vaccines cause autism, even as the president and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have added fuel to that theory. “I have not seen a study that suggests any single vaccine causes autism,” Bhattacharya told a Senate panel. Bhattacharya gained notoriety for co-writing the Great Barrington Declaration, a petition signed by a group of scientists who advocated for younger individuals to live their normal lives and build natural immunity. “POTUS will nominate Jim O’Neill, who left HHS on Friday, to run National Science Foundation,” The New York Times journalist Sheryl Gay Stolberg said. SCOOP: Jay Bhattacharya, NIH director, will also serve as acting CDC director, per two admin officials, until Trump names a permanent director. POTUS will nominate Jim O'Neill, who left HHS on Friday, to run National Science Foundation.https://t.co/Yr06ZsQFFI — Sheryl Gay Stolberg (@SherylNYT) February 18, 2026 ABC News has more: Published in October 2020 and named after the Massachusetts town in which it was drafted, it called for COVID-19 lockdowns to be avoided and for a new plan for handling the pandemic by protecting the most vulnerable individuals but allowing most to resume normal activities, achieving herd immunity naturally. The plan was criticized as “unethical” by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization. Many others in public health voiced opposition to the idea, saying it would unnecessarily put people’s lives at risk. Bhattacharya continued to advocate against lockdowns, mask mandates and COVID-19 vaccine passports throughout the pandemic before being tapped by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the NIH.

Things got heated at a public meeting in an Oklahoma town over a proposed data center. At the meeting, residents voiced their concerns about water use and infrastructure of the proposal. “Claremore police arrested Darren Blanchard for trespassing during the meeting after officers said he refused to follow the rules after going over his allotted time to speak,” News On 6 stated. “People are being arrested for speaking out against AI data centers. Keep standing up for your community,” one social media user wrote. Footage of the arrest below: People are being arrested for speaking out against AI data centers. Keep standing up for your community. Location: Claremore, Oklahoma pic.twitter.com/uE3KS1dq0I — Lane Brown (@lanebrown_3) February 18, 2026 News On 6 has more: Blanchard begins speaking at the 1 hour and 54 minute mark. In the video, Blanchard can be seen going over his allotted three minutes and saying that he was “reclaiming his time” because other attendees had applauded during his speech, which he paused for. Blanchard continued to speak for about 30 seconds, but as officers approached, he put the mic down and walked to the front with the officers close behind. Blanchard pauses in front of the council members’ table and appears to try to hand a piece of paper to them. Officers stood next to him, exchanging some words, and after about 20 seconds, the officers placed cuffs on him. He is then escorted out of the room by officers. “Red states arresting their own people for speaking up against the Agenda 2030 land grab for chatbot retardation,” The Blaze Senior Editor Daniel Horowitz commented. Red states arresting their own people for speaking up against the Agenda 2030 land grab for chatbot retardation. https://t.co/UueWO244S4 — Daniel Horowitz (@RMConservative) February 18, 2026 “When people are getting arrested for opposing a surveillance‑hungry data center in their town, that’s not civic engagement. That’s the state enforcing silence,” The Free Thought Project co-founder Jason Bassler said. When people are getting arrested for opposing a surveillance‑hungry data center in their town, that’s not civic engagement. That’s the state enforcing silence.https://t.co/hr2uQwVn4d — Jason Bassler (@JasonBassler1) February 18, 2026 KTUL shared further: “It all goes back to this idea of land, water and power,” said Darren Blanchard in an interview a few hours before he was put in handcuffs. He was one of several speakers at RSU in Claremore, raising concerns about the data center proposal Project Mustang. “I think there’s a lot of concern here whether our public officials are doing things in accordance with law,” he said. And speaking of the law, Blanchard would find himself on the wrong side of it. Payton Pepin describes what unfolded. “One or two guys spoke in favor of it, they let one of those guys go over several seconds, probably 20, 30 seconds, really said nothing about him going over but when Darren Blanchard did it, they brought the police in and said get him out of here and he said ok, he willingly put down the mic, went up front and said I’m done and they arrested him.” The crowd moaned in disbelief with one woman shouting, “He’s speaking the truth!” Blanchard has been immersed in the topic of data centers and has spoken to various communities, including Coweta, about his concerns. Watch additional coverage: Full meeting below:

Eight skiers were killed in an avalanche while on a backcountry expedition near Lake Tahoe. One person is still missing, but presumed dead. Six others in the group survived. According to Fox News, the Lake Tahoe avalanche is the deadliest in the United States since a 1981 avalanche on Mount Rainier, Washington, killed 11 climbers. “They were on their way back to camp when the avalanche actually hit,” Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said, according to the outlet. “It took these search and rescue crews hours just to find those first few survivors that we’re talking,” Moon added. Breaking News: Eight of the nine skiers missing since Tuesday near Lake Tahoe have been found dead, making the avalanche the deadliest in modern California history. https://t.co/dv4f0zB6NI — The New York Times (@nytimes) February 18, 2026 NBC News shared further: The bodies of those killed remain at the scene, where significant avalanche risk persists. “The risk is still as high with the mission moving to a recovery. We want to really make sure that our first response responders are safe,” Moon said. Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo, whose deputies are assisting in the search, said it could be some time before all nine bodies can be recovered. “We’re all so committed to seeing this through until the end,” Woo said. “At this point, I’m going to have to wait for, hopefully, a decent break in the weather and make sure we get every last soul off that mountain.” The avalanche was about a football field in length, authorities said. It struck at about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, sometime after the skiers had left a set of backcountry huts at Frog Lake, according to Blackbird Mountain Guides, which had four guides leading the trip. The skiers had been staying at the lake, which is northwest of Lake Tahoe and north of the Donner Summit, since Sunday. The survivors, one guide and five clients, were found Tuesday night buried in the snow. An emergency satellite messaging service, which allowed them to send text messages, assisted in the rescue. The powerful storm dumped “more than 30 inches of snow in just 24 hours,” Fox News stated. RACE AGAINST TIME: A desperate search is underway for several missing skiers after a powerful storm unleashed an avalanche near Lake Tahoe, dumping more than 30 inches of snow in just 24 hours. Six people have been rescued after emergency beacons led crews to their location. pic.twitter.com/TG1K0HiDWA — Fox News (@FoxNews) February 18, 2026 Fox News has more: The skiers were on a three-day trek in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada as a winter storm pummeled the West Coast. The six survivors used equipment to shelter themselves and were trying to stay warm while waiting to be rescued, Moon said. The survivors located three others who had died, Moon said. Search and rescue crews were dispatched to the Castle Peak area of the Sierra Nevada after a 911 call reporting the avalanche had buried 15 skiers. Heavy snow and the threat of additional avalanches slowed the rescue effort, authorities said. Officials noted that most of the rescue crews are volunteers. “The vast majority of these individuals are volunteers. They, a lot of time, buy their own equipment. They train on their own time, and they put a big investment into it,” said Dan O’Keefe, the chief of law enforcement at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. The area near Donner Summit is one of the snowiest places in the Western Hemisphere and was closed to the public for nearly a century until just a few years ago. Watch additional coverage below: