from Stew Peters Network: TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

  Abraham Lincoln has left his mark on history as the American president who led the United States through the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery. His life, however, did not begin with the presidency. It began in the backwaters of Kentucky, where trials and tribulations shaped the man who would lead the country through its darkest hour. Discover more about Abraham Lincoln with ten fascinating facts.   1. He Was Born in a Log Cabin in Kentucky The birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, Hodgenville, Kentucky. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Abraham Lincoln was not born into affluence. In a rural area in central Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln was born to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks on February 12, 1809. His father struggled financially, and Lincoln had to make do with very moderate means in his early life.   The log cabin where he was born was dismantled, but logs from the original structure were purportedly used to build another structure. That was also demolished, and the logs were used to recreate the original cabin. This structure now sits within a dedicated stone memorial. It is unlikely that the current structure contains any of the original logs.   2. He Took Charge of His Own Education Some of young Abraham Lincoln’s mathematics notes. Source: Library of Congress   Living in a rural area, Abraham Lincoln did not have the luxury of going to school. Itinerant educators helped him along the way, but for the most part, a young Abraham taught himself to read and write and do mathematics. Later in life, he taught himself law and passed the bar exam to become a qualified lawyer.   3. Lincoln’s Mother Died When He Was Just Nine Years Old White snakeroot, the culprit behind Abraham Lincoln’s mother’s death. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Abraham lost his mother, Nancy, to “milk sickness” when he was just nine. At the time, it was thought that milk fever was an infectious disease, and nobody knew what caused it. In reality, it is a form of poisoning caused by drinking milk from a cow that has eaten a toxic plant: white snakeroot.   Abraham’s father remarried several months later, and Lincoln formed a deep bond with his stepmother, who helped him through his grief.   4. Lincoln Was an Accomplished Wrestler Classics Illustrated Abraham Lincoln. Source: CCS Books   In his youth and as a young adult, Abraham Lincoln was well-known for his wrestling prowess. Indeed, at six feet four inches tall, he was an imposing figure. At the age of 21, he was a county wrestling champion, amassing hundreds of victories and just one loss.   Lincoln once encountered the Clary’s Grove Gang, a tough bunch of young men from the settlement of Clary’s Grove. Wishing to test their skill, Lincoln found himself engaged in a wrestling match with their leader, Jack Armstrong. Varying versions of the story have different takes on who won, but in the end, the Clary’s Gang had immense respect for Lincoln and became some of his most loyal supporters.   5. He Was a Successful Lawyer Lincoln the Lawyer by Frederick Trevor Hill, New York: Century Co., 1906. Source: Library of Congress   Before he entered politics, Abraham Lincoln was an extremely talented lawyer, representing clients at virtually all levels of the court. His clients came from all walks of life, and he represented them in cases of slander, fraud, divorce, mortgage foreclosure, debt, and even murder. His practice was centered around the town of New Salem in Illinois, and it was there that he likely earned the nickname “Honest Abe,” though the exact reason is unknown.   Lincoln suspended his legal duties several times while he dabbled in politics. In 1860, after his bid for the presidency, he made it clear to his legal partner, William H. Herndon, that after his term in office, he wanted to return to the practice and continue as if nothing had happened.   6. Lincoln Grew a Beard at the Suggestion of a Young Girl Abraham Lincoln without a beard. Source: Picryl.com   For most of his adult life, Lincoln kept his face clean-shaven. In October 1860, while campaigning for the presidency, he received a letter from an 11-year-old girl, Grace Bedell, who suggested he grow a beard. She wrote,   “I have got 2 brothers and part of them will vote for you any way and if you will let your whiskers grow I will try and get the rest of them to vote for you you would look a great deal better for your face is so thin. All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husbands to vote for you and then you would be President.”   Lincoln wrote back to her, grew his beard, and became president! He was also the first US president to have a beard.   Before becoming president, Lincoln served in the House of Representatives during the Mexican-American War. 7. Lincoln Loved Cats Cat. Source: photo by Greg Beyer   Abraham Lincoln was fond of cats. When he became president, he left his dog, Fido, back in Illinois and was gifted two cats by Secretary of State William Seward upon taking up residence in the White House. Lincoln had a great affection for Tabby and Dixie and is believed to have remarked that Dixie was smarter than some members of his cabinet.   It is believed that at one point during his presidency, four cats were living in the White House. This was unusual because, at the time, cats had not yet become the popular pets that they are today. Cats were only popularized as household pets in America and Britain in the late 19th century.   Nevertheless, Lincoln’s love for his cats was born out of a deep sense of compassion that characterized the American president. On a visit to a wintery battlefield in March 1865, Lincoln rescued three very cold kittens who had lost their mother. He took them into an officer’s tent, where he kept them warm. Upon leaving, he instructed a colonel to take good care of them.   “I hope you will see that these poor little motherless waifs are given plenty of milk and treated kindly.”   Once, when Lincoln’s wife, Mary, was asked about her husband’s hobbies, she simply replied, “Cats.”   Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd, also had a tragic and controversial life.   8. Lincoln Is the Only President to Hold a Patent A model of Lincoln’s patented invention, which allows boats to traverse sandbars using inflatable bellows. Source: Wikimedia Commons   From a young age, Abraham Lincoln showed a fascination for mechanical things. As a young man, he also took a job as a flatboatman and took journeys up and down the Mississippi River. He had a lifelong passion for boating, and he often navigated through the waterways of the United States, regularly encountering the annoyance of being stuck on a sandbar.   This led Lincoln to create a bellows device that inflated to lift boats over these sandy obstacles. Patent No. 6469 was issued in 1849 but was sadly never constructed.   While other presidents were also inventors, none of them took the extra step of having their inventions patented. James Madison, for example, created a curious cane with a microscope embedded in it, allowing nature lovers to examine things up close while out hiking!   9. Lincoln Had a Thing for Hats Abraham Lincoln’s hat that he wore on the night of his assassination. Source: Smithsonian Institution   Abraham Lincoln also loved his stovepipe hats, an even taller version of the top hat. Despite already being six feet four inches tall, Lincoln made himself stand out even more by wearing a stovepipe, and the top hat has been associated with him ever since.   Not only did the hat make him stand out even more, but it also served as a storage space for important documents, a very useful function for a president on the move with lots of paperwork!   10. His Death Wasn’t Immediate The assassination of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth, artist unknown. Source: Wikimedia Commons/Heritage Auctions   Shortly after 10 pm on April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth crept up behind the president while he was watching a production of Our American Cousin in Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC. Wilkes leveled his Derringer pistol at the back of Lincoln’s head and pulled the trigger. The bullet entered his head through the back of his left ear and came to a halt behind his right eye.   The attack left him unconscious, and he was taken across the road to a house where he was tended to by doctors. The damage, however, was irreparable. Lincoln spent the last eight hours of his life in a coma and died at 7:22 in the morning on April 15. According to eyewitnesses around his deathbed, he slipped away peacefully.   John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices were caught and put on trial. Four of them were executed by hanging, while Booth died in a shootout with the police.   Despite his abrupt and premature ending, Abraham Lincoln led a life filled with notable events. An adventurous and ambitious human being, Lincoln left an indelible mark on the history of the United States.

It is a journalist’s duty to report the truth, yet so many news outlets covered themselves in shame by bowing and scraping to honor the “transgender identity” of the man who carried out one of the deadliest mass shootings in Canadian history. Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, was born a man and he died a man. He spent his last day on Earth killing his 39-year-old mother, his 11-year-old stepbrother, a 39-year-old teacher, three 12-year-old girls, and two boys, 12 and 13, before taking the coward’s way out and turning the gun on himself. He reportedly wounded about 25 others at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, and critically injured two more. Initial reports on the shooting described Van Rootselaar as appearing female, but the Royal Canadian Mounted Police erased all doubt Wednesday at a press conference. “I can say that Jesse was born as a biological male who approximately six years ago began to transition to female and identified as female, both socially and publicly,” Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said. ?ANOTHER TRANS SHOOTERPolice just confirmed that 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who killed 6 people in the Tumbler Ridge school shooting after killing his mother, identified as transgender.They're using the killer's preferred pronouns?https://t.co/04TUv6Wn6x pic.twitter.com/zRJAQ9aAyh— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) February 11, 2026 I understand the impulse to treat people with respect when they claim to identify as the gender opposite their sex. Many consider it common courtesy to refer to a person by preferred pronouns, rather than insisting on biological truth. In some circles, it is a faux pas—if not sacrilege—to state the naked truth that a man is still a man, regardless of what gender he claims to adopt. But, if ever there were a situation where common courtesy need not apply, it would be here. Do you really want to extend “common courtesy” to a school shooter? Do you really want to say, “I know he slaughtered children, and his own mother, but we’ve got to be nice and call him a girl, now”? For crying out loud, let’s stop this insane charade. The vast majority of mass shooters are male, so the initial news reports that the shooter was a woman immediately invited skepticism. When the RCMP’s update clarified that the shooter was really a man dressed up as a woman, every journalist following the story learned the truth. There is no excuse, at that point, for calling the shooter a woman or using female pronouns for him. Yet, outlet after outlet did it. News Outlets Gaslight Readers CNN “reported” that “the suspect is an 18-year-old woman.” The very next sentence? “She was born biologically male and transitioned about six years ago, police said.” CNN also referred to the shooter as “an 18-year-old female resident of the town.” The New York Times used female pronouns for the shooter, stating that “she killed her mother and stepbrother before fatally shooting several others, and later herself.” The Associated Press merely referred to the shooter using female pronouns, without even disclosing to readers that police identified him as male. Reuters’s headline ran, “Canadian police identify 18-year-old woman as suspect in mass school shooting.” Reuters did acknowledge that the shooter had been “born male,” but not until the eleventh paragraph, and only after describing Van Rootselaar as a “woman” and using female pronouns for him throughout. USA Today acknowledged the transgender identity in the second paragraph of the story, but still used female pronouns for the shooter throughout. Why the Pervasive Bias in Favor of the Shooter’s ‘Identity?’ Why did news outlets do this? First, Deputy Commissioner McDonald set the stage for it by saying that police would refer to the shooter as a woman because the shooter had presented himself that way. Apparently, accuracy about biological sex takes a backseat to political correctness, even when it means honoring the ravings of a mass murderer. Second, the Associated Press Stylebook, which many outlets use as a benchmark for how to report the news, has taken an aggressively pro-transgender activist position. The stylebook urges journalists to “identify people as transgender only when relevant, and use the name by which they live publicly.” It recommends avoiding “mention of a person’s gender transition or gender-affirmation surgery in news coverage” unless “it is central to the story.” Why? Because this might be “intrusive and insensitive.” This guidance helps explain why the Associated Press appears to have considered the shooter’s transgender identity irrelevant enough to be excised from the coverage entirely. The AP, you see, didn’t want to be “insensitive” to Mr. Van Rootselaar. Forgive me if I don’t care about being insensitive toward a mass murderer. The AP Stylebook goes out of its way to silence dissent against transgender orthodoxy. While the “guidance” on transgender issues is steeped in transgender ideology, it flatly declares that journalists should “not use the term transgenderism, which frames transgender identity as an ideology.” The Daily Signal appreciates the clarity of the AP Stylebook on matters such as spelling protester with an “er,” but we emphatically reject its “guidance” on issues like this where it takes a leftist partisan stance. A Reckoning on Transgender Insanity This horrific shooting comes shortly after a jury ordered doctors to pay $2 million to a detransitioner who regretted having her breasts removed. It comes after the American Society of Plastic Surgeons recommended against transgender surgeries for minors, and even said the data doesn’t support hormones for minors. The tide is turning against transgender orthodoxy, and this moment should shame news outlets into reconsidering their near-religious devotion to it. The post Canadian Mass Shooting Shows It’s High Time for News Outlets to Stop Bending the Knee to Transgender Orthodoxy appeared first on The Daily Signal.

President Donald Trump's Director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, set the record straight Wednesday regarding the positive impact the administration is having on the national debt. Hassett told CNN, "We were in a fiscal situation that was completely out of control when [Trump] came into office, and now...

There’s a shakeup going on at the Department of Justice. Top Trump Administration officials have just booted antitrust chief Abigail Slater. Slater’s departure comes after she and top leaders within the DOJ  disagreed about which cases should be pursued. Here’s Slater’s post announcing her departure: It is with great sadness and abiding hope that I leave my role as AAG for Antitrust today. It was indeed the honor of a lifetime to serve in this role. Huge thanks to all who supported me this past year, most especially the men and women of @justiceatr — Gail Slater (@gailaslater) February 12, 2026 CBS News provided some background information on Slater being booted: Top Trump administration officials had decided to oust Justice Department antitrust chief Abigail Slater and had discussions with her shortly before she announced on social media that she was leaving the department, sources told CBS News. Slater didn’t cite a reason for her departure in her statement on X, where she wrote, “It is with great sadness and abiding hope that I leave my role as AAG for Antitrust today.” But she had lost the trust of Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. In her post as assistant attorney general for antitrust, she determined whether business merger deals would be approved or get derailed, and her every move was closely watched by the business community. Trump officials believed Slater had undermined pending cases because of disagreements with leadership and had disobeyed requests, including to not embark on expensive travel to Europe and on other matters, two sources said. On one occasion, Slater angered Bondi when she traveled to a conference in Paris without Bondi’s permission, prompting Bondi to cut off access to Slater’s government credit cards, one source said. Vice President JD Vance was aware of the fraught dynamics with Slater at the agency, two sources said. Bondi in a statement to CBS News said: “On behalf of the Department of Justice, we thank Gail Slater for her service to the Antitrust Division which works to protect consumers, promote affordability, and expand economic opportunity.” Some users on X disagreed on the Trump administration’s decision to cut Slater: Gail Slater is a warrior. Gail was most principled one there. Now no corporation will be held responsible for anything . When you won’t bend, powerful people get uncomfortable. Respect. @gailaslater https://t.co/kcXHJSK2yW — Grace Chong, MBI (@gc22gc) February 12, 2026 Newsweek has reported that bettors on prediction markets are betting that Bondi will be next: The likelihood that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi will be the first individual to leave President Donald Trump’s Cabinet has surged on prediction markets, surpassing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose chances of departing have also recently been high. Bondi has faced pressure over the government’s handling of files associated with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. On Wednesday, she was questioned by the House Judiciary Committee about the matter in an oversight hearing on Capitol Hill. Since then, according to prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket, her chances of leaving Trump’s cabinet have increased. Pam Bondi is now expected to leave the administration this year. https://t.co/fdz6RIKia1 — Pentagon Pizza Watch (@pizzintwatch) February 11, 2026

Prayers are needed for this Marine’s family. A U.S. Marine who was stationed on the USS Iwo Jima has died. The Marine died after reportedly falling overboard on the Iwo Jima, which was sailing in the Caribbean Sea. The body of the Marine has yet to be recovered. The Navy Times had more details to share on the death of the Marine: A Marine who fell overboard from the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima on Feb. 7 has been declared dead after exhaustive search-and-rescue efforts were unsuccessful, the service announced. Rescue efforts for Lance Cpl. Chukwuemeka E. Oforah, 21, were suspended on Feb. 10, three days after the Marine went overboard in the Caribbean Sea, II Marine Expeditionary Force officials announced. Oforah, of Florida, was an infantry rifleman assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, the service announced. He graduated from Marine Corps Recruit Depot-Parris Island in February 2024 and was deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit at the time of his death. “We are all grieving alongside the Oforah family,” Col. Tom Trimble, the 22nd MEU commanding officer, said in a release. “The loss of Lance Cpl. Oforah is deeply felt across the entire Navy-Marine Corps team. He will be profoundly missed, and his dedicated service will not be forgotten.” A massive multi-branch search effort ensued on Feb. 7 after a man overboard was declared, according to the release. Five U.S. Navy ships, a rigid-hull inflatable boat, surface rescue swimmers from the Iwo Jima and 10 aircraft from the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force joined the search efforts, according to the announcement. The Iwo Jima is currently deployed to the Caribbean, where it was recently involved in transporting captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Here’s a photo of the USS Iwo Jima, where the Marine was stationed: Mayport, #UnitedStates () The @USNavy‘s USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) has returned to the U.S., arriving at NS Mayport yesterday for a much needed return. The Iwo Jima has been on deployment in the Caribbean for 137 days, participating in Operation Southern Spear & Absolute Resolve. pic.twitter.com/NdffE3mg28 — SA Defensa (@SA_Defensa) January 9, 2026 The news of the Marine’s death comes a couple of days before two U.S. Navy ships collided in the Caribbean. The Hill reported more on the collision: Two U.S. Navy ships collided Wednesday in an area patrolled by the U.S. Southern Command (Southcom), leaving two personnel with minor injuries, according to military officials. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Truxtun and Supply-class fast combat support vessel USNS Supply collided during a replenishment-at-sea, Southcom spokesperson Steven McLoud said in a statement. The injured personnel sustained minor injuries in the incident and are in stable condition. Both ships have reported sailing safely and the collision is currently under investigation, McLoud added. The cause of the collision is unclear, along with the exact location of the incident. A replenishment typically involves transferring fuel and other supplies between two vessels that are sailing next to each other. The death of the Marine and the collision come as the U.S. military has begun shifting naval assets from the Caribbean to the Middle East.

On Thursday, Border Czar Tom Homan spoke about the future of ICE operations in Minnesota. In a morning press conference, Homan, who was selected by President Trump to lead ICE operations in Minnesota, announced that Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota will come to a close. Homan shared that both he and President Trump have deemed the operation a success, and now a drawdown will be issued. Watch Homan here: BREAKING: Tom Homan has announced the END of Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, and ICE agents are already pulling out “A significant drawdown has already been under way this week and will continue through the next week.” pic.twitter.com/GGFGS2RAbw — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 12, 2026 Politico covered Homan’s press conference more in depth: The Trump administration’s massive immigration enforcement surge throughout Minnesota is coming to a close, White House border czar Tom Homan said during a press conference on Thursday. “I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude,” Homan said, citing arrests of “public safety threats” in coordination with state officials. A “significant drawdown” in federal immigration agents is already underway, Homan said, and will continue into the next week. But Homan has directed certain officers to remain in strategic areas throughout the state to coordinate with local sheriffs on more arrests. The White House has diminished its presence in Minneapolis amid public outcry after two federal agents shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a local nurse, during a protest in January. The agents were placed on administrative leave. And just last week, Homan announced the White House would shrink the number of immigration officers in the state by 25 percent. Homan characterized the White House pullback as evidence that the president had succeeded in his efforts to fight crime and remove violent undocumented people from the state. Later in the press conference, Homan revealed how many missing children have been saved during ICE operations in Minnesota: BREAKING: Tom Homan says ICE recovered 3,364 MISSING children: “ICE here in this state have located 3,364 missing unaccompanied alien children — children that the last Administration lost and weren’t even looking for.” pic.twitter.com/tmcfmsW4y5 — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 12, 2026 CNBC reported that a small remnant of ICE agents will still remain in Minnesota as the drawdown occurs: Homan added that a “small footprint” of personnel will stay in the area “for a period of time” to transition command back to a local field office, and to ensure “agitator activity” does not flare back up. The conclusion of “Operation Metro Surge” was announced less than three weeks after Trump deployed Homan to Minnesota to run the sweeping deportation mission, replacing Border Patrol commander at large Gregory Bovino. That shake-up followed the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, two U.S. citizens who were fatally shot by federal agents in separate altercations in January. Homan on Thursday touted a recent de-escalation in those tensions, crediting improved coordination between the federal government and state and local leaders since he took over. “With that, and success that has been made arresting public safety threats and other priorities since this surge operation began, as well as the unprecedented levels of coordination we have obtained from state officials and local law enforcement, I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude,” Homan said.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed an executive order banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from conducting operations on state property without a judicial warrant. “Governor Mikie Sherrill took action to protect New Jerseyans’ safety and Constitutional rights as the Trump administration’s federal agents act outside the scope of the law. Governor Sherrill – alongside Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and Acting Human Services Commissioner Dr. Stephen Cha – announced Executive Order No. 12 to protect against ICE raids on state property, a resident reporting portal, and information for New Jerseyans to know their rights,” a press release from Sherrill’s office read. “I take seriously my responsibility to keep New Jersey residents safe and, as a Navy veteran and former federal prosecutor, my commitment to upholding the Constitution will never waver. This executive order will prohibit ICE from using state property to launch operations. To strengthen public safety, we will also give New Jersey residents the tools to report ICE activity to the Attorney General’s office and ensure residents know their Constitutional rights. Today, we are making clear that the Trump administration’s lawless actions will not go unchecked in New Jersey. Given ICE’s willingness to flout the Constitution and violently endanger communities – detaining children, arresting citizens, and even killing several innocent civilians – I will stand up for New Jerseyans right to be safe,” Sherrill said. “This portal will help us to hold them accountable — to track their actions, collect that information, and use it to spot patterns that can inform our response as a state, including in court,” Sherrill said at a press conference. “If you’re approached by an agent or see an ICE operation taking place and you’re at a safe distance, get out your phones, send us your videos, and help to keep New Jersey safe,” she continued. Check it out: BREAKING: New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill Launches New Portal to Track & Report ICE “This portal will help us to hold [ICE] accountable — to track their actions, collect that information, and use it to spot patterns that can inform our response as a state, including in court.”… pic.twitter.com/KNoZTLvdpT — Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) February 12, 2026 The Hill has more: The portal gives residents the chance to report their interactions with immigration authorities in a total of 10 languages. “It is essential that federal agents who conduct immigration enforcement operations in New Jersey follow the Constitution, as well as federal and state laws. When federal immigration officers violate the law and sow fear in our communities, they undermine public trust in law enforcement and make it harder for us to keep the public safe,” acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a statement. “We encourage the public to share photos and videos through our new online portal. We will ensure the safety of our communities and hold the federal government accountable when they violate the law,” she added. “Someone should brief @GovSherrillNJ on the Supremacy Clause before she tries to cosplay as a constitutional scholar. Federal law enforcement doesn’t answer to state executive orders. ‘Protecting New Jersey’ shouldn’t mean protecting people who broke federal law to be here,” Alina Habba commented. Someone should brief @GovSherrillNJ on the Supremacy Clause before she tries to cosplay as a constitutional scholar. Federal law enforcement doesn’t answer to state executive orders. ‘Protecting New Jersey’ shouldn’t mean protecting people who broke federal law to be here. Feds… https://t.co/VlBCqIA9En — Alina Habba (@AlinaHabba) February 12, 2026 PIX11 noted: Examples of concerning activity include uses of excessive force, warrantless searches or arrests, racial profiling, wrongful detentions, interference with voting, or other civil-rights violations. Information submitted through the website may be used by the Office of the Attorney General to assist in enforcing the law, as evidence in court and more. It will also help the state to understand trends in ICE enforcement, shape its legal strategy to protect residents, and guard against misconduct.