Most Americans say the Supreme Court of the United States was right to block much of President Donald Trump’s sweeping emergency tariffs, a decision on an issue that has exposed sharp divisions among Republicans and prompted open celebration from Democrats. A YouGov survey released Friday found that 60 percent of U.S. adults “strongly” or “somewhat” approve of the Court’s ruling, compared to 23 percent who disapprove and 17 percent who are unsure. Democrats backed the decision overwhelmingly at 88 percent, while 63 percent of independents also approved. Republicans were more divided: 43 percent disapproved, while 30 percent said they approve. The ruling came Friday morning in a 6–3 decision against Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners. Trump became the first president to rely on the nearly 50-year-old statute for such broad import taxes. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts concluded that IEEPA does not authorize the president’s tariff regime. The Court declined to address whether previously collected tariffs must be refunded, leaving that question to lower courts. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a Trump appointee who joined the majority, has previously warned that refunds could become “a mess,” a concern echoed in dissent by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, joined by Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. The Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates the ruling could put as much as $175 billion in tariff revenue at risk, noting that importers typically have 180 days after goods are liquidated to file refund claims with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Reactions among Republican leaders ranged from constitutional praise to outright condemnation of the Court. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) applauded the ruling, writing on X that the Court “defended the Constitution” by rejecting the use of emergency powers to impose taxes. “Tariffs are taxes and the power to declare them belongs to the Congress,” Paul added, warning that the precedent would have empowered future administrations to govern “by decree.” The Supreme Court makes plain what should have been obvious: “The power to impose tariffs is “very clearly a branch of the power to tax.” pic.twitter.com/FBjYD29Dfn — Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) February 20, 2026 Vice President JD Vance, by contrast, blasted the ruling as judicial overreach. “This is lawlessness from the Court, plain and simple,” Vance wrote, arguing the decision would make it harder for presidents to protect American industries and supply chains. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) struck a more cautious tone, emphasizing that tariffs remain a viable policy tool. Thune said Senate Republicans would continue working with the administration and House lawmakers to strengthen rural America, adding that Trump “has a wide range of other tariff powers and he will use them to defend American workers.” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) similarly defended the president’s strategy, noting that tariffs have “brought in billions of dollars and created immense leverage” for U.S. trade negotiations. “Congress and the Administration will determine the best path forward in the coming weeks,” Johnson said. Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) sided firmly with the Court, calling the use of IEEPA “illegal” and warning that tariffs raise costs for American consumers, a reality he said Kentuckians know “better than most.” Democrats were far less divided. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) called the ruling “a big victory for the American people” and “another crushing defeat for the wannabe King.” Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) said similarly of Trump’s plan, “tariffs were illegal, dumb, and harmful to families, farms, and small businesses. Americans don’t want tariffs, they want lower costs.” Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House Friday afternoon, called the decision “disappointing” and criticized Barrett and Justice Neil Gorsuch, both of whom he appointed. “I don’t want to say whether I regret nominating them,” Trump said. “I think their decision was terrible.” He added that he was “proud” of Kavanaugh, saying the justice’s “stock has gone so up.” Within hours of the ruling, Trump announced he had signed a new executive order imposing a 10 percent global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows temporary tariffs of up to 15 percent for 150 days to address large trade deficits. The White House’s official X account responded more bluntly, posting: “Keep Calm and Tariff On.”

Winter Storm Hernando will cover the Northeast with more than a foot of snow, starting Sunday. Blizzard conditions are expected for coastal Connecticut, Delaware, Jersey Shore, Long Island, and New York City, according to Weather Channel meteorologist Chris Bruin. Full fledge Blizzard expected in NYC, Long Island, Coastal Connecticut, Delaware and the Jersey Shore. @weatherchannel pic.twitter.com/24NrdLDCGp — Chris Bruin (@ChrisBruinTV) February 21, 2026 The Winter Storm Severity Index is reporting “major impacts” along the Northeast coast, from Delaware up to Massachusetts. The storm is expected to last from Sunday morning through Monday evening, CNN reported. In addition to cold weather, strong winds could cause coastal flooding from Delaware to Long Island, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The National Weather Service also noted that “travel will be extremely dangerous” and warned of “likely” power outages. Monday commutes will likely be disrupted, as the Weather Channel recommends people stay off the roads. An approaching storm will bring rain and high elevation snow to Pacific Northwest through the weekend. Isolated severe thunderstorms are possible across parts of the Southeast today into this evening. An impactful winter storm is forecast to bring heavy snow and high winds to the… pic.twitter.com/zWDLF1qLOe — National Weather Service (@NWS) February 21, 2026 Meteorologist Jim Cantore said on X the storm is “long overdue.” “It’s been years since I’ve seen this kind of blizzard warning for the Northeast,” he said. The storm will turn into a bomb cyclone — a term for a storm with rapidly decreasing pressure — by Sunday, targeting cities such as Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia. New York City is expecting thirteen to eighteen inches of snow and wind speeds up to 55 mph, according to NBC New York. It has been nine years since the city was under a blizzard warning, the Weather Channel reported. The city has seen more than twenty-two inches of snow this year, compared to almost thirteen inches last year. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has resumed homeless encampment sweeps to get people inside before the storm hits, the outlet reported. Cold temperatures are expected to be less severe with this storm. Mamdani faced criticism earlier this month when nineteen homeless people died from cold weather after Mamdani ended the encampment sweeps, The Daily Wire previously reported. The mayor is expected to brief the city on the storm later today. The storm comes on the heels of a catastrophic cold weather event that slammed the South in late January, causing hazardous travel conditions, thousands of cancelled flights, and leaving hundreds of thousands without power. Nashville, Tennessee, was hit especially hard, as The Daily Wire previously documented, with major, long-lasting power outages, frozen roads, and downed trees.

The Trump-Kennedy Center was targeted in what officials described as a “calculated, malicious attack” early Friday after a dark, “toxic” substance was deliberately poured across the venue’s outdoor ice rink, forcing the cancellation of a scheduled performance and prompting a law enforcement investigation. According to Center leadership, a brown-black chemical was dumped onto the ice surface sometime overnight, severely damaging the rink and rendering it unsafe for use. “This was not a protest — this was vandalism,” Trump-Kennedy Center officials said, emphasizing that the incident appeared deliberate and targeted. “Today, a targeted attack on the Trump Kennedy Center vandalized and destroyed our outdoor arena, causing severe damage that we unfortunately must cancel tonight’s performance,” Roma Daravi, the Center’s vice president of public relations, said in a statement to Fox News on Friday. “We have turned over video footage to the authorities who are investigating this calculated, malicious attack and will hold those responsible accountable.” Daravi added that Center staff are “working feverishly” to complete repairs in hopes that programming can resume as soon as possible. In a separate statement posted to X earlier Friday, Daravi wrote that the outdoor plaza had been “doused with a toxic chemical” and said the Center “will not tolerate violence or hate at America’s cultural center.”

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he will hike his worldwide tariffs to 15% after a “complete review” of the Supreme Court decision blocking his tariffs on Friday. “Based on a thorough, detailed, and complete review of the ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday, after MANY months of contemplation, by the United States Supreme Court, please let this statement serve to represent that I, as President of the United States of America, will be, effective immediately, raising the 10% Worldwide Tariff on Countries, many of which have been ‘ripping’ the U.S. off for decades, without retribution (until I came along!), to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level,” said Trump in a Saturday morning Truth Social post. The president added: “During the next short number of months, the Trump Administration will determine and issue the new and legally permissible Tariffs, which will continue our extraordinarily successful process of Making America Great Again – GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!!!” NEW: President Trump is raising the 10% worldwide tariff to the “fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level.” pic.twitter.com/0JsJDqLsh2 — Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) February 21, 2026 The White House clarified on Friday that Trump is levying the tariffs by invoking his authority under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, empowering him to address “certain fundamental international payment problems through surcharges and other special import restrictions.” The initial White House proclamation imposed a 10% ad valorem import duty on all articles imported into the U.S. for 150 days, taking effect February 24 at 12:01 a.m. “By taking this action, the United States can stem the outflow of its dollars to foreign producers and incentivize the return of domestic production,” a White House fact sheet explains. “By increasing its domestic production, the United States can correct its balance-of-payments deficit, while also creating good-paying jobs, and lowering costs for consumers.” President Donald Trump imposed a 10% global tariff on foreign goods, moving quickly to preserve his trade agenda after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down many of the levies he imposed last year. Photographer: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images Trump’s actions come after the Supreme Court struck down his reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries in a 6-3 decision on Friday, saying that the president does not have the authority to impose those broad-scale tariffs. Trump, in a White House press briefing on Friday and in subsequent social media posts, said repeatedly that he is “ashamed” of the Supreme Court justices who ruled against him for “not having the Courage to do what is right for our Country.” On the other hand, the president has repeatedly praised the justices who ruled in his favor. “My new hero is United States Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and, of course, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito,” he posted on Saturday morning. “There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that they want to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

'Dead Terrorist Son'

Virginia Democrats this week shelved legislation that would have raised costs on consumers to fund a solar energy promotion program. The decision to table HB 935 means that Virginians won’t be hit with an added fee on their electricity bills—at least for now. Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger promised to make affordability the centerpiece of her agenda, even though her fellow Democrats have proposed more than 50 tax hikes. The “clean energy” legislation would have imposed a fee of 2 cents per watt on solar energy and battery storage projects statewide. Even though developers would pay the charge upfront, industry experts predicted the costs would ultimately be passed on to ratepayers through higher electricity bills. Revenue generated from the legislation would create the Virginia Clean Energy and Battery Storage Promotion Program, which, according to the bill, would “promote the adoption, deployment, and understanding of solar energy and battery storage technologies.”  Similar measures are pending in other Democrat-led states, including California, Illinois, and Maryland. Politically Active Program Funded by Energy Fees  The proposed fee would fund a program explicitly authorized to engage in lobbying, political advocacy, and coordination with national organizations.  Jack Spencer, senior research fellow in the Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment at The Heritage Foundation, said the bill would put the government in a position of making energy decisions that should ultimately reside with consumers.   “The Virginia Clean Energy and Battery Storage Promotion Program is another attempt by government officials to use taxpayer money to decide how citizens should live their lives that will most assuredly wind up being another costly boondoggle,” Spencer told The Daily Signal. “The idea that a government board and a bureaucrat have the knowledge to develop markets and reduce prices flies in the face of every economic lesson learned over the past century.”  Spencer’s solution “is to allow battery firms to compete for the dollars of Virginians in a system of free enterprise. Such a system ensures that Virginians get the products they want at prices they are willing to pay.”  The Daily Signal spoke with another energy industry expert, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about the bill.  “What’s surprising is how open-ended the program is, with no clear direction on how the money would be used or who would ultimately benefit,” the industry expert said.  The bill does not specify how funds would be allocated among marketing, lobbying, or political activity, nor does it identify the national organization that would receive a portion of the revenue.  This is what led the expert to raise the question, “Who are the individuals that are behind it and pushing this?”  How the Solar Fee Would Affect Ratepayers   The proposed fee on all solar and battery installations would apply across Virginia and cover both local and out-of-state manufacturers. Developers are responsible for paying the charge at the point of purchase, but the cost is typically passed to ratepayers, raising electricity bills for households and businesses.  One example is Dominion Energy’s four solar projects, which are set to be completed this year. The projects total 329 MW, and at 2 cents per watt, would cost electric customers $6.48 million.  “If there’s a tax added to solar panels, that would get passed along to the installer and to the homeowner,” the energy industry expert said. “For a big utility-scale project, that’s adding millions of dollars to the cost [and] all ratepayers would have to incur those costs.”  How the Program Would Operate   The program would be overseen by a board appointed by the governor. Structured as a 501(c)(6) trade association, it could have the authority to promote solar and battery storage while also lobbying, contributing to PACs, and coordinating with national organizations.  The industry expert explained the program’s structure and use of funds, warning that it appeared driven more by ideology than consumer needs.  “Half of the funds would be utilized and spent in some manner, either marketing, lobbying, what have you; that’s still pretty vague,” the expert said. “In Virginia, the other half would go to a national entity, again, to be named later, of some sort of organization that would then do national marketing on clean energy.”  The legislation is sponsored by Delegate Alfonso Lopez, who represents parts of Arlington and Alexandria. After advancing in the House Labor and Commerce Committee, lawmakers decided Tuesday to table it until 2027.  Similar legislation in California, Illinois, and Maryland could still advance this year. Those Democrat-led states may be more likely to move forward with clean energy initiatives despite concerns about rising utility costs.  The post Virginia Democrats Shelve Solar Fee That Would Have Raised Electric Bills appeared first on The Daily Signal.