As if the 2020s couldn’t get more surreal, the United States is no longer only a global leader in economic and military power — but it has now become the go-to international hub for mass-producing babies. This is not hyperbole. Chinese video-game billionaire Xu Bo has reportedly fathered over 100 children — 12 of whom so far have been born via surrogates in the USA, thus gaining birth-right citizenship. Bo says he wants at least 20 US-born offspring — all boys (superior to girls) to one day take over his business. When a Los Angeles Court denied Bo parentage rights over 4 of these babies in 2023 — none of whom he had actually met yet, as he had been “busy” — it exposed the uncertain terrain of international surrogacy arrangements. Where, and to whom, did these children now belong? In another disturbing story in the press this week, a surrogate mother in Nevada is now suing a Chinese couple in California, alleging she was deceived about their identities and intentions, learning only after giving birth that she had carried the twenty-sixth child for the same pair in quick succession. Some of the babies had been hospitalized by abuse. According to reports, the FBI is now investigating whether the couple were selling these babies they were producing at scale. Meanwhile, members of Congress are scrambling to address federal loopholes that allow foreign nationals to use American surrogacy services while securing birthright citizenship for those children. The free market is one of the great engines of American prosperity, but it has never meant that anything and everything may be bought and sold. America prohibits the sale of organs, the sale of votes, and the sale of citizenship. Western countries do so not because we oppose free markets, but because we understand that some things are too fundamental to human dignity and national integrity to be reduced to commerce. Surrogacy crosses that line. Under surrogacy, a child becomes a commodity exchanged for cash. Women become raw materials to be exploited for reproductive gain. Payment structures, abortion clauses, ‘selective reduction’ decisions in the case of twins or triplets — all are negotiated with a “surrogate” mother in advance, and are usually at the discretion of the “commissioning party”. Whatever sales language is used — “intended parents,” “journey,” “compassion” — the structure is unmistakably commercial. And increasingly, it is international. Projections suggest the global surrogacy market will exceed $129 billion by 2034. Even in situations outside of the extreme, surrogacy is harmful to children. Every surrogacy deal, no matter how well-intentioned, deliberately inflicts a severance wound on a newborn baby – isolating her from the only mother she has ever known – and places her in the care of the adults who commissioned its trauma. Psychologists warn that this kind of early separation can produce lasting harm — post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, attachment disorders, developmental delays, and behavioral issues in later childhood. What adults call a miracle, the child experiences as loss. We don’t allow puppies or kittens to be separated from their mothers until at least 8 weeks following their birth. The commodification of human newborns is striking in comparison. A national ban on surrogacy is obviously necessary to protect babies from being commercialized, and women’s bodies from being commodified as wombs-for-rent. But a domestic ban will not be enough to fully prevent this exploitation. It isn’t only Chinese billionaires who look to take advantage of reproductive technologies abroad. Where American couples have found the cost of surrogacy prohibitive at home, they’ve looked to economically vulnerable women in lower-GDP countries – Mexico, Guatemala, Nigeria, across Southeast Asia – to rent their wombs for less. To end exploitation, America must shut down their own role as a consumer in the global trade too. National bans have turned into an international cat-and-mouse chase. When India banned surrogacy for foreigners after years of operating as a hub for cheaper “reproductive tourism,” international surrogacy clinics quickly migrated to Nepal and Thailand. When Thailand restricted commercial arrangements following scandals, agencies shifted operations over to Cambodia. After Cambodia shut them down, they popped up in Laos. Bans move in the right direction, but we need a global crackdown, fast, to prevent the overseas baby trade from flourishing from one country to the next. The U.N. Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem, is in agreement. She called for a complete global abolition of surrogacy in her recent report to the United Nations, highlighting human rights abuses intrinsically interwoven in the use of women’s bodies as gestational vessels. The United States is in a powerful international position to embrace this mandate and take a lead on the world stage. A national ban on surrogacy is an imperative to prevent exploitation at home, but further work must be done to ensure that wealthy American couples don’t continue this unethical practice by buying babies from overseas. For this administration, that means pursuing international cooperation on the issue; negotiating agreements to prohibit such trade; and promoting a shared commitment to protect human dignity across borders. America should have no part in the global trade of human life — be it as consumers or suppliers of the goods. Babies simply aren’t for sale. * * * Lois McLatchie Miller (@LoisMcLatch) is a writer and commentator from Great Britain. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Under Secretary of War Anthony J. Tata announced Thursday that a former U.S. Navy serviceman discharged for refusing the COVID vaccine has been reinstated. Devin Berry has been reinstated to the U.S. Navy and promoted to Petty Officer Third Class, becoming a high-profile success story in the military’s efforts to reverse COVID vaccine mandate separations. Berry, an Aviation Boatswain’s Mate, was involuntarily discharged in July 2022 after refusing the vaccine. The then-Department of Defense ordered all service members to receive a COVID vaccine beginning August 24, 2021. More than 17,000 service members declined the shots, citing safety fears related to the vaccine’s rapid development, questions about messenger RNA technology, and objections tied to the use of fetal cell lines in testing, according to a 2023 report from Air Force Times. After President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14184 to offer reinstatement to service members involuntarily separated due to the vaccine requirement, Berry collaborated with the Navy’s reinstatement team to rejoin the fleet, receiving full back pay and three years of active-duty credit.  Tata lauded Berry’s return, quoting the sailor’s desire to finish his career in what he called “the best job in the Navy.” Pleased to share the story of another brave warrior impacted by the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, Devin Berry. E3 Berry, an Aviation Boatswain’s Mate, was involuntarily separated in July 2022 after refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine. After @POTUS signed EO 14184, he contacted the… pic.twitter.com/XYP2ETwo8k — Under Secretary of War Anthony J. Tata (@USW_PR_HONTata) February 12, 2026 Berry’s case is part of a broader federal initiative to restore the honor of thousands of service members impacted by the 2021 vaccine mandate. Between August 2021 and the mandate’s rescission in January 2023, an estimated 8,000 service members were involuntarily separated. The Marine Corps saw the highest number of discharges, at more than 3,700, followed by significant numbers in the Navy, Army, and Air Force. Thousands more in the Guard and Reserve faced suspensions, and some chose to resign or retire early rather than comply. The controversy surrounding the mandate centered on the military’s low approval rates for religious and medical exemptions, prompting numerous lawsuits and claims of violations of religious freedom. While many service members were discharged “honorably,” roughly 4,000 received “General (Under Honorable Conditions)” discharges, a designation that can limit access to GI Bill education benefits and hinder their transition to civilian life. The tide turned after President Trump returned to office in early 2025. Executive Order 14184 authorized the reinstatement of all service members separated under the mandate, and the War Department moved to restore rank, back pay, and lost service time. A December 2025 review began automatically upgrading “General” discharges to “Honorable,” restoring GI Bill benefits for nearly 900 veterans. While the return rate was initially low — with only 43 individuals rejoining in the first year after the mandate ended — the new incentives and formal apologies from leadership have aimed to improve those numbers. Returning service members are generally required to commit to a new four-year service obligation. For Berry and others like him, the policy shift marks a second chance to complete the military careers they once thought were over.

A self-described “progressive” activist has entered a North Carolina Republican primary, claiming it “is the only way to kick these corrupt cowards out of office.” Kate Barr, a former Democrat and behavioral scientist based in Davidson, announced she will challenge first-term Rep. Tim Moore (R-NC) in the March 3 Republican primary. Barr says heavily Republican-drawn maps guarantee a GOP victory in the general election, making the primary the only contest that matters. “I’m not a Republican. But I am running in the Republican primary,” Barr states on her campaign website. “Running as a Republican is the only way to kick these corrupt cowards out of office.” Barr argues that voters are effectively disenfranchised by district lines she says are designed to protect incumbents. “Your leaders should represent you. You should be able to vote them out when they do a bad job,” she writes. “Instead, they’ve rigged the maps to make sure the Republican candidate will win the general election every time.” North Carolina’s 14th District, which covers parts of Charlotte and surrounding communities, is widely viewed as safely Republican. Moore, the former speaker of the North Carolina House, won the seat in 2024 by nearly 16 points. Barr has made no effort to conceal her ideological differences with Moore or the GOP. In a November statement, she said, “I’m not pretending that I suddenly woke up a Republican, I’m the same person I’ve always been. My values haven’t changed. My message hasn’t changed.” Her campaign platform reflects those values. Barr supports banning partisan gerrymandering at the federal level, expanding Medicaid, restoring Affordable Care Act subsidies, raising taxes on corporations and wealthy Americans, and eliminating federal income tax on the first $100,000 a family earns. She also opposes the Trump administration’s approach to immigration enforcement, calling instead for expanded immigration courts and visa programs. Barr previously ran as a Democrat in 2024 against Republican State Senator Vickie Sawyer, campaigning under the slogan “Clear eyes, full heart, can’t win” to highlight what she described as structurally unwinnable districts. She lost that race by nearly 30 points, but later co-founded the “Can’t Win Victory Fund,” a nonprofit aimed at backing similar protest-style campaigns. Moore’s campaign has emphasized reducing inflation, lowering costs, and promoting a pro-growth economic agenda driven by the private sector. “I believe we grow the economy by letting the private sector lead,” Moore said in an interview recently. He has opposed expanding Obamacare subsidies and supports enforcing existing immigration law. Barr frames her primary challenge as an attempt to disrupt what she calls a system driven by ideological extremes. “Most of the policies passed by Congress are about a politician avoiding a primary challenger,” she writes. “Those challengers tend to come from the extreme of a party.” Republicans currently hold a supermajority in the North Carolina General Assembly, which passed new congressional maps last year that are expected to net the GOP additional seats in 2026. Those maps are being challenged in court by left-wing advocacy groups, including Common Cause and the NAACP.

After a closed-door hearing this week with Food and Drug Commissioner Marty Makary, Senator Josh Hawley told The Daily Wire that Congress must take action against rising abortion rates largely fueled by the abortion drug mifepristone.  Hawley and other senators on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee met with Makary on Tuesday for a private briefing on mifepristone. The briefing focused on the FDA’s handling of mifepristone and an ongoing study of the drug’s safety.  Both Makary and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. committed to conducting the study last year, but Republican lawmakers have grown impatient.  “I think we’re at a dead end on this process with the safety review. I just don’t think it’s going anywhere, and I think the fact that 70% of abortions in this country now are done with the chemical abortion drug, there are more abortions in America now than there were when Roe was still the law of the land just a few years ago,” Hawley told The Daily Wire. “We have a serious, serious crisis around the chemical abortion drug, and we’ve got to do something about it.” Data released in December by the pro-abortion Society of Family Planning revealed that the number of monthly abortions continued to increase in 2025 from 2024, which was itself an increase from 2023. Many of the pills have been sent through the mail to states where medication abortions are technically illegal.  Hawley said he has not heard back from the FDA on any of the letters sent on the abortion pill and said he didn’t receive any new information on Wednesday. He said there was no “sense of urgency” to take any action. “I think this study is just a dead end,” he said. “I think Congress needs to act.” Hawley said he was still contemplating what the action might look like, but any pro-life proposal would face an uphill battle in the Senate.  “I think Congress needs to be involved. Congress shouldn’t be a spectator and just outsource this to other people. I think it’s time for Congress to get involved,” he said.  At a minimum, Hawley says the FDA should reverse a Biden-era decision that allowed mifepristone to be shipped through the mail without an in-person doctor visit. Pro-life advocates say that the policy effectively nullifies the laws of states that have cracked down on abortion pills.  When reached for comment, the FDA pointed The Daily Wire to a Q&A page on mifepristone.

President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that Republicans who vote against his tariffs would face severe opposition in their upcoming re-election campaigns. Trump made the comment as the House voted on Wednesday evening to pass a resolution overturning the president’s tariffs on Canada. Six Republicans joined all but one Democrat to pass the anti-tariff resolution in a 219-211 vote. “Any Republican, in the House or the Senate, that votes against TARIFFS will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time, and that includes Primaries!” Trump said. Trump’s threat comes as Republicans gear up for what promises to be a tightly contested midterm election season. Republicans currently hold a four-seat House majority, and Democrats are widely expected to perform well nationwide in the 2026 elections. The House Republicans who voted against Trump’s tariffs were Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Kevin Kiley of California, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Dan Newhouse of Washington, and Jeff Hurd of Colorado. The measure now heads to the Senate, but is largely a symbolic rebuke of Trump’s far-reaching tariffs. Even if the resolution passed the Senate, it would still need Trump’s signature. A spokesman for Rep. Hurd told The Daily Wire that his vote on Wednesday is in line with his constituents’ feelings on Trump’s tariffs. Hurd’s district is considered “likely Republican” for the 2026 midterms by the Cook Political Report. “The people of Colorado’s Third District have been vocal with Congressman Hurd about the effect these tariffs have had on their livelihoods,” Hurd’s office said. “Congressman Hurd will always fight for Western and Southern Coloradan farmers, ranchers, and small business owners.” Rep. Bacon, who has opposed Trump on multiple issues over the past year, responded to Trump’s warning, telling The Daily Wire, “Folks should vote their conscience and do what is best for our country. We are an independent branch of government.” The president’s warning will not affect Bacon, since the Nebraska congressman is not running for re-election. The Daily Wire also reached out to Massie, Kiley, Fitzpatrick, and Newhouse, seeking comment. Newhouse is also not seeking re-election in 2026, and Massie has been in the president’s crosshairs throughout Trump’s second term. Trump endorsed Massie’s Republican primary opponent Ed Gallrein after Massie pushed back on some of the president’s signature economic policies and focused on criticizing Trump’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein controversy. Fitzpatrick has also become one of Trump’s biggest critics in Congress and joined Massie as the only two Republicans who voted against Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” last summer. The anti-tariffs vote could have the biggest implications for Rep. Kiley, who recently received a shoutout from President Trump for his bill that seeks to punish nonprofits that help organize “unlawful riots.” Kiley introduced the legislation after anti-ICE demonstrations broke out in Los Angeles last year. Kiley’s 2026 chances are already in question after California redistricted, making his path to re-election much more difficult. Kiley told the Sacramento Bee earlier this month that he did not have a timeline for deciding on where he would run for re-election. Republicans still largely support Trump’s tariffs, but earlier this week, the Republican-controlled House cleared the way for more votes on the president’s trade policy. In a vote on Tuesday night, three Republicans joined with Democrats to shoot down a rule that blocked members from proposing resolutions to reject Trump’s tariffs. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said the chamber’s vote on tariffs was “a big mistake.” The president said on Wednesday that his tariffs have given the United States an economic boost and reduced the country’s trade deficit. “In addition, TARIFFS have given us Great National Security because the mere mention of the word has Countries agreeing to our strongest wishes,” he added. “TARIFFS have given us Economic and National Security, and no Republican should be responsible for destroying this privilege.” Trump recently threatened to raise the tariff rate on Canada to 100% and suggested he would prevent the opening of a bridge connecting Ontario to Detroit after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney held trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. “China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life,” he said.