by Chris Marcus, Silver Seek: We’re seeing a rebound in the precious metals, as the gold price is once again back over the $5,000 per ounce mark, while the silver futures are up $2.21 to $77.89. Of course, it’s always good to see a rebound like that after another sharp sell-off, and maybe the positive […]

from CultivateElevate: TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

Sharing heartfelt Bible verses with a sister on her birthday can bring love and encouragement to their lives. From inspiring promises of God's presence and guidance, to affirmations of strength and wisdom, these verses offer a powerful way to celebrate the special bond between sisters.

Whether you prefer classic Easter hymns or modern worship Easter songs, this collection of popular Easter videos from your favorite performers is sure to move you! Jesus willingly paid all our debts, and these Easter songs and hymns are the perfect way to remember and worship Him!

Emergency crews responded to an explosion at a church in New York on Tuesday morning. Authorities are investigating a blast reported at Abundant Life Fellowship on State Route 12 in Boonville. Multiple people reportedly sustained injuries. WKTV shared a viewer-submitted photo of the scene: VIEWER PHOTO || Emergency crews are responding to reports of a gas odor and an explosion at Abundant Life church on St. Rt. 12 in Boonville. This is a viewer-submitted photo of the scene. pic.twitter.com/RC7qxV13Gg — WKTV (@WKTV) February 17, 2026 Spectrum News has more: It happened following reports of a gas odor inside the building Tuesday morning. Police say four people were inside the church and “reported smelling gas” before the explosion. A Boonville firefighter had entered the church before the explosion. He is listed in critical condition at Wynn Hospital in Utica, police say. According to troopers, the church “sustained catastrophic damage.” Investigators say there is no indication of criminal activity at this time. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. Footage from the scene below: VIEWER VIDEO || Emergency crews are responding to a reported gas explosion at Abundant Life church in Boonville. pic.twitter.com/b58PQ8xxbW — WKTV (@WKTV) February 17, 2026 More footage from the scene in BOONVILLE NY after reports of a gas explosion in a church, multiple injuries reported. https://t.co/MZ5HYZiQu9 pic.twitter.com/TwozW7Tr0c — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 17, 2026 Rome Sentinel shared further: According to the Oneida County 911 Emergency Call Center, agencies dispatched for service to the fire include: the Boonville Fire Department, Boonville Ambulance, the Remsen Fire Department, the Barneveld Fire Department, the Stittville Fire Department, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police (Troop D Oneida), Northstar Ambulance, Oneida County Emergency Services, AmCare Ambulance, the Forestport Fire Department, and Kuyahoora Ambulance. According to a post on the church’s Facebook shortly after the explosion, from a church member named Lydia, “Many have seen the reports of a gas leak and explosion at the church a short while ago. This is ‘a developing story’ as they say, and not necessarily 100% accurate. Our pastor and another congregation member were present at church and had called the propane company to respond to an obvious gas leak.” “The two of them and a few other responders were in the building at the time of the explosion,” the post said. “They have burns that need medical attention but I think everyone will be just fine physically. The building was nearly fully engulfed in flames and smoke when my husband and I left the scene, maybe 15 minutes after the explosion.” “Please just pray for peace, especially for Pastor Brandon and MaeLeah,” the post continued. This story is developing. 

Tricia McLaughlin, the top spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), will step down from her position next week. She reportedly planned her departure in December but delayed it following the shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. The Department of Homeland Security’s top spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, is stepping down, a Trump administration official told CNN. https://t.co/1M34OVjlt2 — CNN (@CNN) February 17, 2026 CBS News has more: Since joining the administration, McLaughlin has become one of the most visible and vocal defenders of Mr. Trump’s deportation efforts, appearing regularly on Fox News and other television networks and posting statements on X to criticize detractors of his nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration. McLaughlin’s imminent exit comes as the Trump administration faces escalating political backlash over its aggressive immigration enforcement operations. McLaughlin is the latest top DHS official to step down in recent weeks. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deputy Director Madison Sheahan announced last month she would leave her position to run for Congress in Ohio. Top ICE Official Steps Down, Announces Congressional Bid Challenging Longtime House Democrat Axios provided additional info: Lauren Bis, a deputy of McLaughlin's who was an early hire in Trump's second term, will be promoted to Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs, Axios has learned. She replaces McLaughlin, who is expected to leave her high-profile post at the agency next week. Politico first reported the news. DHS is also hiring Katie Zacharia, a Fox News commentator and adviser to Richard Grenell, the current interim head of the Trump-Kennedy Center and a former U.S. Ambassador to Germany. She will join as deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Public Affairs, a person familiar with the matter told Axios.

President Trump appointed three Supreme Court justices during his first term (Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett), which is the most appointments to the high court by any president since Ronald Reagan. Trump could potentially get to appoint a fourth justice if the rumor mill is accurate. There is much speculation that Justice Samuel Alito is considering retirement. Supreme Court watchers are trying to read the tea leaves for a possible retirement annoucement by Justice Samuel Alito. https://t.co/JCMpL2RCTU — USA TODAY (@USATODAY) February 17, 2026 USA TODAY shared further: And if Alito wants to step down while Republicans control the Senate, he may not want to gamble on this year’s midterm elections. Republicans are expected to have a much easier time retaining the Senate than the House, but a loss can’t be ruled out. That would make it difficult for Trump to confirm a successor. Because Senate Republicans may not want to hold a confirmation hearing during the fall of an election year, Alito could announce in the next few weeks that he will step down at the end of the term, Strict Scrutiny co-host Kate Shaw speculated. Finally, Alito is coming out with a book in October, right as the court will be starting a new term. Steve Vladeck, a law professor at Georgetown University who writes about the court on Substack, called the publication date “a pretty big tell since one can’t exactly go on a book tour during the first argument session of the term.” Alito is 75 years old, the second-oldest justice on the high court. “That is usually a very good milestone on which to retire,” said New York University law professor Melissa Murray, according to USA TODAY. However, court watcher and lawyer David Lat speculated the book release could mean that Alito plans to remain at the high court. Lat writes in Original Jurisdiction: Speaking of justices and their books, we now know more about Justice Samuel Alito’s book. Its title is So Ordered: An Originalist’s View of the Constitution, the Court, and Our Country, and its release date is October 6, 2026. That’s one day after the start of October Term 2026—leading my former colleague Elie Mystal to predict that Justice Alito will be retired by then, since the justice “thinks he’ll be free to run around the country promoting” his book (instead of doing his day job). But could the date cut the other way? Book buyers are much more interested in what a current justice has to say, as opposed to a retired one—reflected in how the memoirs of Justice Jackson and Justice Amy Coney Barrett became bestsellers, while the memoir of retired Justice Anthony M. Kennedy did not—and I could see Justice Alito not wanting to step down until well after publication.

The trio’s seventh album, Location Lost, comes out in April