The big media controversy of the day comes courtesy of Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico and late-night television host Stephen Colbert. Talarico insisted that CBS spiked his interview with Stephen Colbert, claiming, “This is the interview Donald Trump didn’t want you to see. His FCC refused to air my interview with Stephen Colbert. Trump is worried we’re about to flip Texas.” This is the interview Donald Trump didn’t want you to see. His FCC refused to air my interview with Stephen Colbert. Trump is worried we’re about to flip Texas. pic.twitter.com/BCev5jZbKc — James Talarico (@jamestalarico) February 17, 2026 Credit: @jamestalarico/X.com Talarico is the probable Senate nominee for the Democrats in Texas and has been highly touted by a wide variety of people across the political spectrum, including Joe Rogan, on whose show he appeared. But the reason CBS spiked the interview is because they’re afraid of the so-called Equal Time Rule. The FCC says that in a Senate primary, if you provide time to one candidate, you also have to provide equal time to the other candidates. CBS then said they didn’t want to provide equal time to Talarico’s rivals, including Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett or some other fringe candidate. Colbert then went on the air and ripped into CBS. At this point, Colbert is hoping that he is fired so he can be treated as a victim — a victim of the Trump administration and their evil acolytes like Larry and David Ellison. Since that is his goal, he is actively attempting to militate for his own dismissal. That is what he is doing right now. So, after the interview, he went on the air and said: You might have heard of this thing called the Equal Time rule. Okay. It’s an old FCC rule that applies only to radio on broadcast television, not cable or streaming, that says if a show has a candidate on during an election, they have to have all that candidate’s opponents on as well. It’s the FCC’s most time honored rule right after no nipples at the Super Bowl. There’s long been an exception for this rule, an exception for news interviews and talk show interviews with politicians. Now that’s crucial. How else were voters supposed to know back in 92 that Bill Clinton sucked at saxophone? But on January 21 of this year, a letter was released by FCC chairman and smug bowling pin Brendan Carr. In this letter, Carr said he was thinking about dropping the exception for talk shows because he said some of them were motivated by partisan purposes. Well, sir, you’re chairman of the FCC, so FCC you.  Brendan Carr is correct. Colbert is obviously motivated by partisan purposes. When was the last time he had a major Republican guest? Can you name one? When has he invited a major Republican guest on his show and treated that person with the same sort of kid gloves with which he treats Democrats? Every episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” is basically an ad for one Democrat or another. It is MS NOW with some bad jokes. CBS responded: THE LATE SHOW was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico. The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled. THE LATE SHOW decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel with on-air promotion on the broadcast rather than potentially providing the equal-time options. First, Colbert and his team tried to retell the lie that the FCC had overtly banned CBS from airing the interview with Talarico. That was not true.  Then, he tried to retell the lie that CBS banned the interview because they were afraid of Talarico. And if Colbert hosted Talarico, then presumably he would also have to host a Republican candidate in the Texas Senate race, like Sen. John Cornyn or Attorney General Ken Paxton. That is not what the equal time rule says. In the middle of the primary season, Colbert would have had to host another Democrat, Representative Jasmine Crockett. And the producers of “The Late Show” decided not to promote the interview on the air because then they would have to do the same for other Democrats. For what it’s worth, Talarico is basically a straight Pete Buttigieg. That is his entire schtick, down to the Pastor Pete routine. If you can remember back that far, one of the most irritating facets of the “Pete Buttigieg for President” campaign — and what irritated me most — is when he would suddenly turn into the world’s worst Sunday School teacher and cite the Bible to say completely non-Biblical things. He would try to explain that the Bible has nothing to say about issues ranging from same-sex marriage to abortion, and that it’s just a social justice document drafted by the Democratic National Committee. Now, Talarico is doing the same exact thing. He’s claiming that you’re a bad Christian if you believe that same-sex marriage is non-Biblical. For the record, same-sex marriage is non-Biblical. There are many books of the Bible that reference this, not least of which is Leviticus. Trying to do the Pastor Pete routine, Talarico declared: Jesus gave us two commandments: Love God and love neighbor. And there was no exception to that second commandment. Love thy neighbor, regardless of race or gender or sexual orientation or immigration status or religious affiliation. And it’s why I have fought so hard for the separation of church and state in the state capital in Texas. When Democrats try to reframe their own religiosity on the basis of “Jesus was a post- religious figure who was in favor of secular humanism” — I may not be a New Testament expert, but it seems to me that Jesus was, in his human form, a Jew growing up under Biblical law, and that Jesus as the creator of Christianity, proceeded to suggest that people ought to follow the precepts of Christianity rather exclusively. I think that’s a non-controversial take on the Bible. It’s amazing how far Democrats have moved in my lifetime. Democrats used to do this routine where they would say, Sure, the Bible says that abortion is bad, Christianity says abortion is bad. There is a long-standing, several thousand years old doctrine that abortion is not approved, that same-sex marriage is not approved, and that homosexual activity is a sin. These are long-standing religious traditions, but we have separation of church and state. In terms of public policy, I don’t believe in making public policy on the basis of Biblical law, because this is not a theocracy. That used to be the Democratic stance, which I think is weak when it comes to trying to make peace with Christians, but at least it is arguable. The new Democratic standards are that the Bible is somehow a document that greenlights same-sex marriage and encourages abortion, and if you truly were a Christian, you would be in favor of all these things. Talarico says, “Love thy neighbor means love thy neighbor, regardless of immigration status or sexual orientation.” The Bible says you are supposed to love thy neighbor as thyself, but you are not supposed to love his sin. You’re not supposed to place a stumbling block in front of the blind. There’s the Biblical injunction, which is commonly presumed to mean that you are not supposed to allow your neighbor to go without redress. If he’s sinning, you’re supposed to warn him. So, back to CBS: What’s happening at CBS right now is an attempt to scuttle the ownership change at CBS and also target Bari Weiss at CBS News. It’s all about virtue signaling for the Democrats. It has nothing to do with reality. Democratic lawmakers, for their part, are suggesting they’re now going to investigate CBS. Representative Darren Soto of Florida wrote, “FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s reign on unlawful censorship continues. This time he’s blocking Democratic candidates. @EnergyCommerce Dems will be investigating this outrage. A reckoning is coming.” FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s reign on unlawful censorship continues. This time he’s blocking Democratic candidates.@EnergyCommerce Dems will be investigating this outrage. A reckoning is coming… https://t.co/56MmbYdfIR — Rep. Darren Soto (@RepDarrenSoto) February 17, 2026 Credit: @RepDarrenSoto/X.com All of this shows you what Democrats are going to do with Congress if they happen to win in 2026, which is to shut everything down.

The United States is rapidly expanding its military footprint across the Middle East, positioning major naval and air assets across the region as the Trump administration mounts pressure on Iran. While the second round of nuclear negotiations wrapped this week and were described as “constructive,” the United States has continued to amass over a dozen warships and hundreds of planes throughout the region.  Here are the assets we know are powering America’s surging military presence: Aircraft Carrier Strike Groups At the center of the buildup are aircraft carrier strike groups — both equipped with aircraft, warships, and vast amounts of weaponry.  USS Gerald R. Ford strike group The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest warship and its accompanying strike group, is en route to the Middle East from the Caribbean, according to USNI News.  On Wednesday morning, it was spotted off the coast of Morocco, presumably heading to the Strait of Gibraltar. The Ford strike group carries a full combat air wing of F/A-18 Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers for electronic warfare, E-2D Hawkeye airborne command aircraft, and Seahawk helicopters — giving it deep strike, surveillance, and electronic attack capabilities. USS Gerald R. Ford — nuclear aircraft carrier USS Bainbridge — Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Mahan — Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill — Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer   USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group The USS Abraham Lincoln Strike group arrived in the Arabian Sea last month after traveling from the South China Sea. As of Tuesday, the strike group was in position and reportedly around 700 kilometers away from Iran. The Lincoln strike group fields roughly 90 aircraft, including Marine F-35C stealth fighters, Super Hornets, Growlers, and Hawkeyes — a force capable of sustained combat operations. USS Abraham Lincoln, aircraft carrier USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Spruance, Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer U.S. Warships Mediterranean Sea USS Roosevelt, Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Bulkeley, Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer Red Sea USS Delbert D. Black, Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer   Arabian Sea USS McFaul, Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer Persian Gulf USS Mitscher, Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy, Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer (part of the USS Lincoln strike group) USS Canberra, Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Santa Barbara, Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Tulsa, Independence-class littoral combat ship Airpower Europe Numerous U.S. aircraft have been observed staging through and departing from bases across the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Greece. The pace of movement has been so high that tracking every flight in real time has become increasingly difficult. Among the aircraft we have been able to confirm are: Numerous F-22s in the United Kingdom Two E-3 Sentry AWACS in the United Kingdom 7 KC-135 Stratotankers departed the U.K. heading to Crete 12 F-16 Falcons seen leaving Italy Over a dozen refueling aircraft have been seen leaving the Middle East or Europe generally 6 F-35s seen leaving Spain RC-135 Rivet Joint signals aircraft seen arriving in Crete with another on the way   Middle East Numerous aircraft have also been spotted in Jordan, Qatar, and flying over the Strait of Hormuz. Throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, The Daily Wire tracked U.S. military cargo planes flying to and from bases across the Middle East, presumably transporting equipment and other assets. Over 50 F-15 and EA-18 fighter jets arrived at Muwaffaq Salti military base in Jordan, reported The Jerusalem Post. Airlift flights by C-17s and C-5Ms were reported between mid-January and February 9. Dozens more continued through Tuesday and Wednesday, according to live flight-tracking data. (Drew Berkemeyer contributed to this report)

Eight skiers caught in an avalanche near Lake Tahoe in California were confirmed dead and a ninth skier is presumed dead after a rescue team braved harsh conditions to search the area for any survivors, Nevada County, California, Sheriff Shannan Moon said on Wednesday. The tragic update comes after rescuers found six survivors near Truckee, California, and brought them to safety following one of the deadliest avalanches in U.S. history. Fifteen, including four guides and 11 clients, were on their way back from a three-day backcountry excursion to Castle Peak in the Sierra Nevada mountains when they were caught in an avalanche the size of a football field on Tuesday, Reuters reported. Authorities initially said there were 16 total skiers, but they later said that one person who was planning on going on the trip backed out at the last minute. Authorities will attempt to recover the bodies of the deceased skiers when the weather calms down and allows for safer travel. “Due to the ongoing challenges of the weather, the avalanche conditions, the effort remains ongoing, as well as our search for the remaining skier,” Moon said. Boreal Mountain Ski Resort said that roughly 30 inches of snow came down in the area within 24 hours between Monday and Tuesday. Search teams made up of around 50 people braved a blinding snow storm during their rescue operation and were forced to ditch their snow cat vehicles for skis when they got within two miles of the avalanche site to avoid causing another avalanche. Up to 18 inches of snow is expected for the area on Thursday and Friday, which could push the authorities’ timeline for recovering the bodies back even further. One of the deceased skiers was the spouse of a person on the rescue team, authorities said. The group of skiers were part of a guided tour that included nine women and six men. Five of the survivors were clients of the guide company, Blackbird Mountain Guides, and one survivor was a guide. Blackbird Mountain Guides has faced scrutiny over its decision to move ahead with the backcountry ski trip despite the forecast for harsh weather and the avalanche risk. Sheriff Moon said during a press conference on Wednesday that she talked to the guide company about its decision. The area near Truckee is one of the most popular destinations for skiers and is known for its beautiful scenery and heavy snowfall. “The backcountry, it’s beautiful. There’s not a lot of people out there, and that’s where a lot of people like to recreate,” Sheriff Moon said. “I myself like to recreate in that area, but Mother Nature, it doesn’t seem to matter, no matter how prepared you are, no matter how experienced you are.”

'beyond horrific'

let’s look at the facts

President of Peru Impeached and Ousted

Liberals were outraged when Conde Nast announced that Teen Vogue was going to be absorbed into Vogue.com and would no longer be independent, but the brand continues to publish extremist propaganda.Teen Vogue was constantly ridiculed and derided by right-wing news outlets for regularly publishing degenerate sexual content and far-left Marxist stories intended to radicalize teens.'We can watch as our neighbors disappear or we can build on these proven strategies to protect the diverse communities we've built together.' Despite reports of its demise, the outlet is still working to despoil the virtue of teenagers online.In the op-ed titled "ICE Watch Programs Can Protect Immigrants in Your Neighborhood — Here’s What to Know," activist Nikki Marín Baena teaches teens how to oppose federal immigration law enforcement.Baena said her group offered "trainings in immigrant neighborhood parking lots and ... Spanish-language videos with tips for how to spot ICE agents."The group also set up an "emergency cash-assistance fund to provide small grants, usually between $300 and $2,000, to help" families of people detained by ICE "stave off eviction and afford the first payment to an immigration attorney."She posted a link to a guidebook for those who wanted to set up a "hotline, neighborhood watch, or cash-assistance program."Baena concluded, "As deportations ramp up again, we have a choice: We can watch as our neighbors disappear or we can build on these proven strategies to protect the diverse communities we've built together."Teen Vogue pushed the article Monday to its followers on Facebook.RELATED: Teen Vogue under fire from pro-life women for publishing post-abortion gift guide A statement from Vogue in Nov. 2025 said that the brand would "remain a distinct editorial property, with its own identity and mission," but the focus would change to "career development, cultural leadership, and other issues that matter most to young people."Apparently that includes anti-ICE propaganda.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Last month, BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales set out on an investigation with a hunch that not every company sponsoring workers under the H-1B visa program in Texas was operating honestly.After researching public records in the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, she physically visited the listed office addresses of several such companies and found that the addresses corresponded to single-family residential homes with no visible signs of business operations or staff present, despite the companies having sponsored multiple foreign workers under the program.Sara’s reporting prompted Governor Greg Abbott (R) to direct state agencies and universities to freeze new H-1B visa petitions to prioritize Texans for employment. In addition, Attorney General Ken Paxton launched a sweeping investigation into three North Texas companies for potential sham operations and visa abuse.Now, however, the New York Times in a recent article titled “How the Visa Debate for Foreign Workers Fuels Racism Against South Asians” is framing the broader debate over H-1B visas, including Sara’s investigation into potential fraud in Texas, as fueling racism against South Asians, particularly Indians, who make up many of the H-1B visa holders..“In Frisco, the tensions over H-1B were heightened by a conservative content creator who recently posted a much-watched video in which she made claims about possible H-1B fraud in the area," author Amy Qin wrote, directly referencing Sara’s reporting.On this episode of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered,” Sara responds to what she interprets as a “hit piece” on her from the New York Times. “If the New York Times wants to take a swing at me, at least have the decency to name me,” she says.“They don’t want to name me because they don’t want to give my exposé more exposure. The ‘much-watched video’ — they couldn’t even say, like, millions of people watched it.”Even still, Sara says her glass is “half full.”“You’re over the target if the New York Times sees that you did something that is so good, that is so truthful and well done and important that they don’t even want to name you because if they said Sara Gonzalez actually posted this crazy exposé, people might be able to watch it,” she says, “and then if they watched it, they might stop being on the New York Times’ side because they’d see the truth.”But the New York Times, Sara says, is “not interested in seeking truth.”“They just want to make this about race because then they can turn their eye from what is actually going on.”To hear more of Sara’s response, watch the episode above.Want more from Sara Gonzales?To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred takes on news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

DHS Takes on 'Journalist' Jim Acosta's Anti-ICE Dem Talking Points (He Keeps Coming Back for More)

James Talarico Preaches to Stephen Colbert That Jesus Never Mentioned Abortion