by Alex Berenson, Unreported Truths: UT rarely offers health advice, but this study is too exciting to ignore The best health and nutritional advice is the simplest. Don’t eat too much. Get sunlight. Don’t do drugs. Exercise body and mind. Most of all, don’t believe any one food or medicine is the fountain of youth. Still, every […]

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  Archaeologists working at an Iron Age site near Corduba in southern Spain have uncovered what experts describe as an “exceptionally rare” discovery: an elephant’s foot bone was buried beneath a collapsed wall. The bone is exciting historians because it provides unique scientific evidence of Carthaginian war elephants in Iberia, and may be linked to one of antiquity’s most famous campaigns.   Hannibal’s Epic March Hannibal in Italy, detail from the fresco in the Hall of Hannibal, Jacopo Ripanda, ca. 1510. Source: Musei Capitolini, Rome   If you know your history, you’ll remember that one of the most epic military events of the ancient world took place in 218 BC. This was when the genius commander Hannibal led a major Carthaginian army from (Celto-Iberian) Spain across Provence in southern France. The march went straight over the formidable Alpine mountains to blindside the Romans and fight them in their own backyard.   The audacity, scale, and sheer logistical challenge of that march were exceptional. It delivered one of the great “oh sh*t” moments of history, severely denting Rome’s sense of domestic security.   What made this military gamble even more remarkable was that Hannibal was reported to have brought war elephants with his army, 37 animals according to the historian Polybius. The Carthaginians came from a North African power base (modern Tunisia), where the elephants would have been gathered.   Elephants were completely unknown in Europe. Although many were thought to have died during the punishing march, the psychological and cultural impact of these strange, almost mythical creatures arriving in Italy would have been enormous, deeply shocking to Rome and its armies.   New Archaeological Evidence The elephant bone is found in the top row. Source: Martínez Sánchez, et al. (2026)   In literature, Hannibal’s exploits have long been accepted by historians. Archaeological evidence, however, has been far harder to pin down. That may now be changing with the discovery of an elephant’s foot bone near Corduba in southern Spain, which was a well-known Carthaginian stronghold. Could this be the first physical trace of Hannibal’s epic march? Published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, a team led by Professor Rafael M. Martínez Sánchez of the University of Cordoba has caused a stir. The bone was found beneath a collapsed wall at a site called Colina de los Quemados. Carbon dating suggests it could belong to the period of the Second Punic War, the conflict sparked by Hannibal’s march on Rome.   Map of the Second Punic War (218 to 201 BCE). Source: TheCollector.com   Researchers consider it unlikely that the bone was transported there after the animal’s death. Instead, they argue it strengthens the case that Carthage transported war elephants into its Spanish province, a sophisticated logistical feat in the third century BC, especially given the challenges of ancient ship-borne travel.   Whether this particular animal formed part of Hannibal’s Alpine campaign remains uncertain. If it did, the elephant would have died after being brought from Africa but before the army crossed into Italy. Whatever the exact story behind this single bone, discoveries like this are a reminder that ancient history is not just legend and text. Periodically, science confirms what the ancient sources have long told us.   Sources Rafael M. Martínez Sánchez, et al. (2026) The elephant in the oppidum. Preliminary analysis of a carpal bone from a Punic context at the archaeological site of Colina de los Quemados (Córdoba, Spain), Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Volume 69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105577 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdr2xl1e41eo https://www.sciencealert.com/first-solid-evidence-of-hannibals-infamous-war- elephants-discovered-in-spain https://www.earth.com/news/archaeologists-uncover-2200-year-old-war-elephant-in- spain/

  St. Rose of Lima, born Isabel Flores de Oliva in Lima, Peru, was the first person from the Americas to be venerated as a Saint. She is best known for her emulation of Saint Catherine of Siena through fasting, dedicated prayer, and even self-inflicted pain. Though her life began in Peru, tales of her allegiance to her faith spread throughout the world, in some cases inspiring religious cults.   Origins of the Rose Saint Rose of Lima (1586-1617) with the Infant Jesus being venerated by the natives of South America, Lazzaro Baldi, 1668. Source: Jstor   Saint Rose of Lima was born Isabel Flores de Oliva in Lima, Peru, on April 22, 1586. She was the daughter of a Spanish cavalryman, Gaspar Flores, and a mixed Native woman, Maria de Oliva y Herrera. Isabel was just one of 10 other children born to Gaspar and Maria. Some sources claim that the name Isabel came from her grandmother, while others claim that it came from her aunt and godmother. Whatever the case, Isabel was soon dubbed Rosa by her mother and some servants of the household. The stories surrounding the introduction of this nickname vary greatly. One source claims that through some holy miracle, Isabel’s face was temporarily transformed into the image of a rose. Another simply states that Isabel was beautiful, like a rose, which earned her the name. Isabel formally took on the name Rosa after her confirmation in 1597.   From an early age, Rosa looked up to Saint Catherine of Siena and often undertook long periods of fasting and prayer in an attempt to emulate her. When she came of age, Rosa took a vow of virginity, pledging herself only to God and Jesus. This was to the dismay of her parents, who had hoped to marry her to a wealthy young man. In response to receiving the attention of young men, Rosa reportedly cut off her hair and rubbed chili peppers on her face to drive them away. This would only be the beginning of a short life of dedication to God and her faith.   Rosa’s Life of Dedication Photo of a stained glass window depicting St. Rose of Lima in the Mother Joseph Residence Hall Chapel, Caldwell University, designed by Sister Julia Marie in 1961. Source: Jstor   Despite Rosa’s fervent wishes, her parents did not allow her to enter the convent once she became an adult. Instead, Rosa became a tertiary in the Third Order of Saint Dominic. The position of tertiary allowed her to lead a deeply religious life but remain within the public as her family wished. She had a hut built behind her parents’ house, which can still be visited today, where she could pray in silence. It was during this period that Rosa took on extreme forms of devotion to her beliefs. It was reported that she regularly engaged in long fasts, denied herself sleep, and even inflicted wounds on her body. Rosa felt that she deserved the pain that she experienced from these things for the sins that she had committed. Later, Rosa stated that the Christ Child had come to her bearing a ring and asking her to marry him. The idea of being “married” to Christ was far from unusual among nuns and other religious women of the period.   Rosa was also recognized for her good deeds. In the time that she wasn’t praying, she would practice her embroidery and gardening. The results of her work would be sold at the market to provide money for her family and for the less fortunate. Her mother also remarked that when Rosa encountered enslaved Black people in the streets, she would bring them in to care for them. Her selfless actions, along with the suffering that she purposefully inflicted on herself, were enough to bring a wave of international popularity her way.   Death and Beatification St. Rose of Lima altar in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, 1858-1897. Source: Jstor   Sadly, Rosa passed away at the early age of 31 on August 24, 1617. Her death was the result of an illness that had plagued her for an extended period. The process of her beatification began just days after her death, though proceedings were halted due to the recent passing of a law stating that beatification could not begin until 50 years after a person’s death. However, King Philip IV of Spain rallied for the cause of Rose of Lima’s beatification, asking the pope to continue the process.   Her veneration was completed by Pope Clement IX in 1668 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and she was later canonized by his successor, Pope Clement X, in 1671. In 1669, she was declared the patron of Lima and Peru and was later named patron saint of the Indies and the Philippines as well. Afterward, her home was purchased by the auditor Andres de Vilela on the city’s behalf and donated to the Dominican Order that she had been a part of.   Rosa was investigated by the Spanish Inquisition twice, both during her life and after her passing, for the uproar she had caused, possibly due to her miracles. St. Rose is cited as having performed many miracles, both before and after her death. It is said that when the Dutch came in ships to invade Lima in 1615, St. Rose climbed onto the altar of the Church of St. Dominic to protect the Holy Sacraments. This, some chroniclers claim, scared the Dutch away. Another popular story claims that the entire city of Lima smelled of roses on the day of her death. However, Rosa is most popularly credited with having saved Lima from countless earthquakes.   St. Rose Beyond the Americas The Chapel of St. Rose in Sittard, The Netherlands. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Though Rosa began her work in the Americas, soon, word of her actions and devotion would spread across countries and continents. Poland and Lithuania are two countries that developed a particularly strong attachment to St. Rose of Lima. This is especially true in Lithuania, where a sort of cult following developed. Many churches in this small country began to create and display imagery of the Saint, marveling at her power and the miracles she is said to have performed. She is often displayed alongside her role model, Catherine of Siena, as well as Saint Hyacinth.   Rosa is also revered in the town of Sittard in the Netherlands. In the years between 1620 and 1670, the land surrounding the town had been experiencing waves of plague and dysentery. Following the advice of the local Dominicans, the town declared St. Rose of Lima to be their patron in 1669. Miraculously, the wave of dysentery completely bypassed the town, leaving everyone untouched. This action is considered another one of the miracles performed by the saint after her death.   Rosa’s Inspiration: St. Catherine of Siena St. Catherine of Siena Invested with the Dominican Habit, Giovanni di Paolo, 1460s. Source: Jstor   It is well known that from a very young age, Rosa had looked up to the Italian Saint Catherine of Siena, who had been canonized by Pope Pius II in 1461. In fact, Rosa’s life mirrored that of Catherine’s in many ways. Catherine had devoted herself to Catholicism from a young age, and when her parents arranged a marriage for her, she fasted and cut her hair to make her appearance unseemly. This pattern of fasting would continue and become more severe as she grew older. Catherine had also refused to become a nun and instead joined a group of dedicated women within the Order of St. Dominic, where she spent the rest of her life assisting the poor and ill. This group would eventually develop into the Third Order of St. Dominic, the very order that Rosa would join.   Rosa was also not the only saint to claim to have married Jesus—St. Catherine of Siena had also stated this. Another aspect that they shared was their propensity toward isolation, though both ended up leaving behind the life of the convent to remain in the public eye. St. Rose would spend hours praying alone in the hut she had built on her parents’ property. St. Catherine, meanwhile, was reported to have spent three years in seclusion before God requested that she leave her room and return to the world. It is clear that St. Rose looked upon St. Catherine with great admiration and wished to continue the work that she had started.   Modern Interpretations S. Rose of Lima, Cuzco Circle, 18th century. Source: Jstor   Many modern scholars writing on St. Rose’s life point out that the extremes of her dedication to Catholicism could indicate mental health problems. Many connect her symptoms with an eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, which is characterized by long stretches of fasting or avoiding food. However, some offer a different perspective on the reasons for Rosa’s and other saints’ extended participation in fasting. Recent theories argue that gluttony was often associated with the Roman Empire, where an excess of food and eating was celebrated. Therefore, starvation, a rejection of those Roman ideals, would bring people closer to God and Jesus.   Other scholars suggest that fasting allowed some women to take control of their lives at a time when they were little more than property. It is said that St. Catherine of Siena starved herself in order to appear less attractive and thus avoid a nearly inevitable marriage arranged by her family. Other women used starvation as a bargaining chip to achieve what would normally be impossible for them. The one thing that most modern scholars agree on is that labeling Rosa “anorexic” erases the entirety of her extraordinary religious and spiritual experience.

  While innovation and progress are hallmarks of America’s growth and prosperity, those achievements often come at a forgotten cost. The creation of Flagstaff Lake in postwar Maine is a testament to such sacrifice. In an effort to bring efficient electricity to rural Maine and beyond, three occupied towns were destroyed and submerged, their citizens forced to leave their lives in ruin. Did technology go too far? Or was the development of Flagstaff Lake a necessary consequence in the name of modernity?   A Symbol of Resilience Benedict Arnold led his troops through Maine on their way to fight in Quebec during the American Revolution. Source: Brown University/Wikimedia Commons   From its early days, Flagstaff Village embodied resilience and strength. During the Revolutionary War, Benedict Arnold and his men faced a treacherous March through the Maine winter on their way to Quebec. The going was tough, but the soldiers persevered. Stopping along the Dead River, they camped and planted a flagpole to mark their position. This gesture of resilience inspired the name of the later incorporated Flagstaff Village.   The first permanent settlers arrived in the early 1800s, and soon Flagstaff, along with neighboring towns Dead River Plantation and Bigelow Township, was thriving. The area was home to a rich timber industry, and farming was a common pursuit among the settlers. Timber-adjacent businesses, such as sawmills, sprung up through the settlements. A schoolhouse, store, and churches contributed to the feeling of community, and events such as picnics and dances were common. The bustling towns were placed among a stunning backdrop of Maine wilderness, including beautiful distant mountains, dense forests, and incredible glacial rock.   A Growing Necessity Community events were common in Flagstaff and the neighboring villages. Source: Maine Department of Agriculture/Wikimedia Commons   While Flagstaff was thriving, the rest of the state was growing as well. By the late 19th century, electricity was becoming a modern convenience, and local generation facilities had sprung up across the state. It is believed that Maine had more of these facilities than any other state at this time. Though there were many of these plants, they produced low volumes of electricity and served small areas, usually during hours that would be considered today as “off-peak.”   At the very end of the 19th century, a company that eventually became known as Central Maine Power (CMP) was formed by business partners Walter Wyman and Harvey Eaton. They purchased the Oakland Electric Company in 1899 and had a mission to consolidate and expand electricity in Maine. They recognized the potential that Maine’s waterways held for the future of electricity.   By 1919, CMP had purchased small electric companies in eight towns and operated five power plants to serve over 21,000 customers. Eaton resigned in 1924, but CMP continued to grow through the Great Depression and Second World War, adding new hydroelectric plants, steam plants, and storage reservoirs. In 1942, the company merged with Cumberland County Power & Light, becoming the largest electric utility in northern New England.   Central Maine Power lines in Lewiston, Maine. Source: Cindy/Micov via Wikimedia Commons   However, CMP had plans for additional growth that had started decades prior. To further grow its generation abilities, the company wanted to build dams on Maine’s powerful rivers. In the 1920s, Wyman’s propositions were blocked by Percival Baxter, Maine state legislator and eventual governor, who sought to preserve as much of Maine’s natural beauty as possible, keeping it out of the hands of corporations. However, Wyman kept lobbying, and eventually, a series of legislation was passed by the state that allowed for the construction of three dams. These three dams were to be located on the Kennebec River in the town of Bingham, on the outlet of Indian Pond in Northeast Somerset, and a final one on the Dead River. This legislation was especially controversial. Not only would the dam on the Dead River disrupt the natural beauty of the area, but the reservoir it was designed to create would completely submerge the three villages in the immediate vicinity. The towns of Flagstaff, Dead River, and Bigelow would be completely destroyed. The final piece of legislation passed in 1927 gave CMP the right not only to build the dams but also to claim privately owned land through the process of eminent domain as needed to complete the projects.   Percival Baxter pictured with his dog, Garry Owen. Baxter was a state legislator who opposed CMP’s actions. His efforts to delay the dam building bought the towns some additional years, but he eventually lost the fight against the corporation. Source: Maine Secretary of State/Wikimedia Commons   Eminent domain is the power of the government to seize private property and convert it to public use, though just compensation must be provided to the property owners in return. In 1930, CMP began purchasing land to build the dam on the Dead River—the villages of Flagstaff, Dead River, and Bigelow. The purchase offers were considered modest for the time, and residents of the three villages were largely unhappy that they were being forced to give up their lives to benefit the more urban areas of the state (According to the Fernald Law, which was later repealed in the 1950s, CMP could not legally sell electricity made in Maine to out of state customers or entities).   Though they were not pleased about having to relocate, most village residents accepted purchase offers from the corporation and packed up their entire lives, moving to other areas of the state. Some buildings could be moved, either whole or in pieces, but the buildings that remained were razed and burned in preparation for the dam’s construction. The few people who refused CMP’s offers waited until the last minute to move, and as a result, some buildings were left standing when the flood waters eventually arrived.   Flagstaff Lake holds a dark history beneath its depths. Source: Willbike18 via Wikimedia Commons   Construction of Long Falls Dam on the Dead River was completed in 1950, and the former villages slowly flooded. Eventually, the reservoir, now called Flagstaff Lake, grew to a surface area of over 20,000 acres. Today, Flagstaff Lake is Maine’s fourth-largest lake and is visited by tourists and Mainers alike, though its shores remain relatively undeveloped. It has become a destination for fishing, canoeing, and kayaking. The nearby mountains are home to recreational trail systems for hiking, ATV use, and snowmobiling. The Appalachian Trail crosses nearby, heading to its endpoint (or starting point if hikers head south) on Mount Katahdin.   Still Contested The Iberdrola Tower in Bilbao, Spain. The logo seen on the building is mirrored in the current logo for Central Maine Power. Source: Zarateman via Wikimedia Commons   Propelled by business successes such as the Flagstaff project, CMP is still thriving in the 21st century. Now owned by Iberdrola Group, a parent company based in Spain, the company is supplying power to more than 650,000 customers in the state of Maine. CMP is Maine’s largest utility company and the only electrical service provider in many parts of the state. The company is no longer generating electricity but operating the system on which it is distributed. The company does, however, continue to generate controversy.   A 2019 joint investigation by the Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram found that CMP misled the public with inaccurate, expensive bills and mismanaged the rollout of a new billing system. In 2021, Maine voters rejected a referendum that would allow CMP’s parent company to build a 145-mile transmission line to carry power from Quebec, Canada, southwards for use in other New England States. Paid for by Massachusetts power customers, the building of the “CMP Corridor” would carve into areas of untouched Maine wilderness. Despite the rejection, a jury overturned the referendum vote, claiming that CMP had already established vested rights and could continue the construction.   In 2024, the state charged the company with overspending on power restoration and passing the cost onto its customers. In the settlement, under review at the time of writing, CMP will be forced to shift 850,000 dollars in spending from its ratepayers to its shareholders. The impact of CMP on the state of Maine continues to show a history of contention, three-quarters of a century after the drowning of the Flagstaff area.   Time Erased Flagstaff Lake today, with the Bigelow Mountains in the background. Source: Mlanni98 via Wikimedia Commons   The creation of Flagstaff Lake and the destruction of the villages of Flagstaff, Dead River, and Bigelow was a slow, emotional process that forever changed the lives of many. While numerous cities and towns benefitted from the boon of hydroelectric power, and CMP saw new profits, the citizens of the former towns watched everything be taken from them. The natural landscape of the country’s most wooded state was branded with a new man-made fixture. In the name of progress, history was erased. Was it worth it? For the people once of Flagstaff, Dead River, and Bigelow and their descendants, the question has an easy answer. The poem “Man Made Lake” by Jeep Wilcox summarized the feelings of many:   “No way, could I stop their flood, So knowing nothing I could do, Using a token dollar or two, They took what cost me sweat and blood.”

This weekend, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez revealed her contempt for the rich heritage of Western culture, and why the Right is correct to oppose her Marxist politics. Speaking at the Technical University of Berlin on Sunday, AOC responded to Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech at the Munich Security Conference, and she chided him for attempting to build on a “thin” foundation. “Marco Rubio’s speech was a pure appeal to Western culture,” Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, noted. She said it’s “important to note how thin that foundation is.” “Culture always changes,” AOC argued. “Culture, for the entire history of human civilization, has been a fluid, evolving thing that is a response to the conditions that we live in.” “They want to take this mantle of culture… at the end of the day though… it is very thin, and so, the response that we have to have is, again, it’s material, it’s class-based, it’s common interest,” she said. ?AOC DISMISSES WESTERN CULTUREAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez says of our heritage, "it's important to note how thin that foundation is." Can you imagine her saying this about Mexican culture, Somali culture, or Middle Eastern culture? pic.twitter.com/rjVEp9y2Cp— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) February 17, 2026 The Marxist Critique Marxist theory teaches that the true causes of politics are economic, and AOC’s speech repeatedly returned to this theme. “When you have economic stagnation for the working class, that, especially in an environment where GDP is growing, that is the stuff of populist movements, period,” she argued. AOC drew a distinction between what she sees as the negative populism of the Right and the “truth-telling” populism of the Left. “One direction is we are going to blame this on the vulnerable in society, on immigrants, on people of different gender identities, on a cultural or the educated, in an anti-intellectualist movement,” she said. AOC condemned such an approach as a “distraction from the truth, which is that economic elites are taking the lion’s share of growth for themselves and leaving crumbs for the working class.” “That story is not a cultural one but a class one,” she argued. She claimed that the “economic power establishment in the United States” seeks “to use cultural issues as a division.” Yet AOC did not even hint at a willingness to cede any cultural territory. She suggested that illegal immigration is a scapegoat issue, despite the millions of illegal aliens who entered the country under former President Joe Biden, and the Democrats who asked Biden for help as illegals overwhelmed their cities. She suggested that opposition to transgender orthodoxy was a scapegoat issue, when Americans overwhelmingly oppose men in women’s restrooms, transgender surgery for minors, and gender identity lessons in schools. Perhaps most tellingly, she framed conservative populism as an “anti-intellectualist movement.” AOC revealed the poverty of her education by claiming that Western culture is “thin.” You cannot say this with a straight face if you have read Dante, if you have studied Thomas Aquinas, grasped the arguments of Adam Smith, looked into the rich Christian foundations of science… https://t.co/jcqYO8qru7— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) February 16, 2026 What AOC Seems Not to Understand As a proud graduate of Hillsdale College and a former student of Victor Davis Hanson, I can tell you that the conservative movement’s increasingly populist edge is the furthest thing from anti-intellectual. Yes, conservative populists questioned the authority of so-called “experts” pushing the “scientific consensus” on COVID-19, climate change, and transgender orthodoxy, but we didn’t do so because we oppose learning. Contrary to AOC’s suggestion, the Western heritage is rich, and Hillsdale trains us to learn it, internalize it, and defend it. At Hillsdale, I read the roots of ancient philosophy, from the Code of Hammurabi to the wisdom of Job; from the pre-Socratic philosophers to Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics; from the arguments of Thomas Aquinas to the insights of Adam Smith. We studied the birth of modern science, from the politics of Galileo to the discoveries of Johannes Kepler. We delved into Francis Bacon, Isaac Newton, and Blaise Pascal—and read how their faith inspired them to learn the secrets of the universe. We delved into Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan and John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government. We read the Federalist Papers, which represent an astonishingly brilliant analysis of political history, coupled with a powerful case for a muscular but still very limited government in America after the Articles of Confederation. We wrestled with history, reading the primary sources in the lead-up to the Civil War and dissecting the arguments for the early Progressive movement. This is the culture AOC dismisses as “thin” and untrustworthy. AOC isn’t wrong that conservative populism also comes from a sense that the elites have weakened the prospects of the middle class, but she’s entirely off base to suggest that Western culture isn’t under attack. The new “Woke” movement combines critical race theory (the view that America is institutionally racist and requires fundamental change) with transgender orthodoxy, the view that humans are causing catastrophic climate change, and a faith in technocratic elites. This they defend as “democracy,” and demonize those who disagree. This movement directly threatens the West’s rich heritage by suggesting that it is rooted in “oppression” and must be torn down. Recent events repeatedly undermine AOC’s trite platitudes that none of the Left’s “vulnerable” populations can do any harm. Yesterday, a man who identified as transgender opened fire at a high school hockey game. Somalis have perpetrated massive fraud in Minnesota. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security exposes the horrific crimes that illegal aliens committed before and after coming to the United States. Conservative populism exists for a reason, and it’s not something AOC can dismiss as bigoted xenophobia. Americans oppose the Woke revolution not because we hate anyone, but because we love our good heritage—and we’re sick and tired of having people like AOC demonize it. The post NOTE TO AOC: Western Culture Is Anything But ‘Thin’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has requested tech companies provide personal information, including names, email addresses, telephone numbers, and other identifying data, behind social media accounts that “track or criticize” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), The New York Times reports. According to the outlet, DHS has sent hundreds of administrative subpoenas to Google, Reddit, Discord, and Meta for the information. The DHS is trying to identify Americans who oppose ICE raids by sending tech companies legal requests for the names, email addresses, telephone numbers and other identifying data behind social media accounts that track or criticise the agency. https://t.co/R7C34SBZB4 — Louisa Loveluck (@leloveluck) February 16, 2026 More from The New York Times: Google, Meta and Reddit complied with some of the requests, the government officials said. In the subpoenas, the department asked the companies for identifying details of accounts that do not have a real person’s name attached and that have criticized ICE or pointed to the locations of ICE agents. The New York Times saw two subpoenas that were sent to Meta over the last six months. The tech companies, which can choose whether or not to provide the information, have said they review government requests before complying. Some of the companies notified the people whom the government had requested data on and gave them 10 to 14 days to fight the subpoena in court. “The government is taking more liberties than they used to,” said Steve Loney, a senior supervising attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. “It’s a whole other level of frequency and lack of accountability.” Over the last six months, Mr. Loney has represented people whose social media account information was sought by the Department of Homeland Security. The department said it had “broad administrative subpoena authority” but did not address questions about its requests. In court, its lawyers have argued that they are seeking information to help keep ICE agents in the field safe. “When we receive a subpoena, our review process is designed to protect user privacy while meeting our legal obligations,” a Google spokeswoman said in a statement, according to the outlet. “We inform users when their accounts have been subpoenaed, unless under legal order not to or in an exceptional circumstance. We review every legal demand and push back against those that are overbroad,” the statement continued. Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), a former undocumented immigrant, said he would introduce legislation to prohibit the DHS from “maliciously” obtaining a user’s personal information. “DHS is using administrative subpoenas to obtain thousands of YOUR records from major companies. These subpoenas are signed by DHS staff—not a judge—and are being used to target immigrants, advocates, and journalists,” he said. DHS is using administrative subpoenas to obtain thousands of YOUR records from major companies. These subpoenas are signed by DHS staff—not a judge—and are being used to target immigrants, advocates, and journalists. @RonWyden and I are introducing legislation to ensure… pic.twitter.com/ZlksbtCgP5 — Adriano Espaillat (@RepEspaillat) February 17, 2026 TechCrunch noted: This echoes other recent reporting, with Bloomberg pointing to five cases in which Homeland Security sought to identify the owners of anonymous Instagram accounts, with the department withdrawing its subpoenas after the owners sued. And a Washington Post story described Homeland Security’s growing use of administrative subpoenas — which do not require the approval of a judge — to target Americans.