Former U.K. Ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson was arrested Monday as he faces scrutiny over files linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, multiple outlets have reported. London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement obtained by both the BBC and the Financial Times that they had "arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office," withholding the name in line with British police rules not to name suspects until charges have been filed.

Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson shouted out this island in the Atlantic as the place where his favorite fish sandwich is served, so you might want to visit it.

US de facto proxy war against Mexican drug cartels nabs drug kingpin -- but it's just getting started!

Selling illegal drugs to the United States is one of the central pillars of the Mexican economy. I understand that it isn’t a pleasant thing to think about, but it is true. The cartels that control the flow of drugs into the U.S. have become exceedingly powerful over the years. The cartels essentially run much of the country, and collectively they probably possess more military firepower than the Mexican government does. The good news for the Mexican government is that the cartels are not united. They have always spent a tremendous amount of time and energy fighting one another, but if something occurred that changed all that, it would certainly be a very ominous development. Have we just witnessed such an event? On Sunday, the death of El Mencho caused violence to erupt all over Mexico… Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” was killed in Tapalpa, Jalisco, Mexico on Sunday, Feb. 22, as part of a Mexican military operation. Oseguera was seriously injured in the shootout and died during air transfer to Mexico City. Six other cartel members were killed and two were arrested, Mexico’s Ministry of National Defense announced. Three military members were also injured during the operation. The operation set off a wave of civil unrest, with vehicles being torched and gunmen, believed to be supported of Oseguera, blocking highways in a more than a dozen states. His death is not going to do much to disrupt the operation of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel because it is highly decentralized. But it could potentially unite the cartels against a common enemy. Without a doubt, the JNGC is going be seeking revenge, and there have been numerous reports of gunfire in and around Puerto Vallarta within the past 24 hours… Videos circulating on social media show vehicles burning in Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara and Tapalpa, which are all located in the state of Jalisco. Armed thugs on motorcycles and the sounds of their gunfire have also been reported by residents of Puerto Vallarta. Videos of Mexican forces exchanging fire with cartel members have started popping up on X and Instagram. Videos of chaos at Guadalajara International Airport in Jalisco have also been circulating, showing smoke rising from runways and people running in a panic. Other videos show people hiding inside the airport and laying on the ground. Cartel members aren’t just setting vehicles on fire because they are angry. It is a common tactic for cartel members to set vehicles on fire in order to slow down the movements of the Mexican military. One American that was in Mexico at the time that all the chaos broke out had an interesting story about how he got back to the airport… Johnson, who co-hosts a morning show on 104.9 The More in Spencer, Iowa, believes he was among the last travelers to catch a cab from his resort before they stopped taking passengers. “The driver who took us did not brake at all. He drove on parts of the road that he shouldn’t have, and we were dodging, burning buses and burning taxi cabs, and he was clinching a rosary and kissed it a couple of times,” Johnson told USA TODAY. Another U.S. tourist posted video footage of a Costco that was being engulfed by flames… A San Diego tourist, James Stephens, posted chilling footage of a Costco store up in flames and revealed the whole city had been locked down. He said: ‘Stuck in Puerto Vallarta as the cartel is attempting to take over the city. Entire city shut down. Can’t get out. Crazy right? We’re safe.’ So far, I have not seen any reports of any U.S. tourists have been killed, although U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno seems to think that the cartels are “hunting down American citizens”… Bernie Moreno took to X on Monday to relay ‘troubling’ reports that narco-terrorists are ‘hunting down American citizens’ in Puerto Vallarta amid gangs clashing with authorities in the city. ‘The drug cartels should be aware that if any American citizen is harmed in Mexico there will be a violent and terminal retribution from the US. Any USMCA negotiations should cease until this situation is resolved,’ the senator added. Yes, there are many Americans that are trapped in Mexico right now that are scared out of their minds. One man actually called his mother in order to tell her where his will was… An American couple on their first trip away from their four-year-old son have told their family members where their wills are hidden after becoming trapped in Mexico. The unnamed individuals were on vacation in Puerto Vallarta when the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel was killed by the Mexican military on Sunday, prompting widespread violence across the region. ‘I had to call my mom today and, you know, just tell her, “Look, here’s where my will is. We just created this. I don’t want you to panic, but I may need you to stay a couple [of] days extra with my son”,’ the concerned father told Fox Digital. As long as they stay out of the way, almost all of the tourists should be perfectly fine, because this fight is not about them. A showdown between the large cartels and the central government in Mexico City has been coming for a long time. And apparently the JNGC had already prepared an extensive plan in case something like this ever happened… Will the other cartels join the JNGC in their fight against the Mexican government? If so, we will want to watch how things develop very closely. If the Mexican government were to fall and the cartels were to take over, it is probably inevitable that the U.S. would feel compelled to invade. And then we would be at war with Mexico. The JNGC is already quite upset with the Trump administration, because it turns out that the CIA was heavily involved in locating El Mencho… The Central Intelligence Agency provided important intelligence on the location of Mexico’s most wanted cartel boss that led to an operation by Mexican special operation forces and his killing on Sunday, according to a U.S. official and others with knowledge of the operation. The Mexican authorities said on Monday that they had found the cartel boss, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the longtime leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel known as El Mencho, by tracking one of his romantic partners. They said they had first followed one of her close associates, who took the woman to a rendezvous with Mr. Oseguera at the cartel leader’s hide-out. Will there be blowback from this? One anonymous online account is warning that we will see “massive terrorism operations on U.S. soil”… This is very serious. I think that the “war on drugs” just went to an entirely new level, and the JNGC is willing to go all in. Are the Mexican government and the U.S. government willing to say the same thing? I believe that we will see a tremendous amount of drug-related violence in the days ahead, and that is not good news for any of us. Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com. About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today. The post Did A Civil War In Mexico Just Begin? appeared first on End Of The American Dream.

Multiple Trump administration officials issued responses after The Guardian published a report claiming the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was backing off its pledge to ban artificial dyes from food. The outlet claimed that the FDA “would loosen labeling requirements to allow companies to state ‘no artificial colors’, even though products may contain some dangerous substances such as titanium dioxide.” “Amusing fake news. The FDA is moving full steam ahead,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary responded. Amusing fake news. The FDA is moving full steam ahead. pic.twitter.com/NToEZYJKIK — Dr. Marty Makary (@DrMakaryFDA) February 23, 2026 More from The Guardian: The FDA in early February announced it would allow food makers to claim “no artificial colors” as long as the dyes are not petroleum-based, but health experts say even some naturally based additives present health risks, and the labeling would deceive consumers. The move comes after the agency in 2025 began pressuring companies to phase out petroleum-based dyes, but stopped short of putting in place a ban. Removing toxins from food is a cornerstone of the Robert F Kennedy-led Maha movement. Kennedy is the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, which holds the FDA, and he quickly zeroed in on dye upon taking office last year. The FDA agreed to what critics label a “handshake” with big food to stop using the dyes, though Kennedy framed it as “an understanding”. Some candy makers still are refusing to fully stop using artificial dyes. The latest decision around labeling “is going to cause confusion and allow some companies to mislead folks about the colors that are present in their foods”, said Thomas Galligan, principal scientist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which researches food dyes. “It’s frustrating, especially when the rhetoric suggests they are solving the problem, but in practice they’re just letting industry do whatever they want,” Galligan continued, adding that the rules were already so loophole-ridden that there were other ways that companies could deceive consumers. The most effective measure to protect consumers is a ban, he said. “This could not be further from the truth. This administration has addressed a roadblock that prohibited companies using natural colors from highlighting that fact on the labeling,” said Kyle Diamantas, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods. “Under the old way, companies that used only natural color were forced to call them ‘artificial’ when making labeling claims, creating consumer confusion and disincentivizing use. Fixing this issue will help companies continue to transition to using natural color alternatives as part of an industry wide phase out,” Diamantas continued. “FDA is actively reviewing the safety of titanium dioxide. We have already received numerous commitments from industry leaders to abandon the use of TiO2,” he added. This could not be further from the truth. This administration has addressed a roadblock that prohibited companies using natural colors from highlighting that fact on the labeling. Under the old way, companies that used only natural color were forced to call them “artificial”… https://t.co/yBQ0K28dDO — Deputy Commissioner Kyle Diamantas (@FDA_KyleD) February 21, 2026 White House Senior Advisor Calley Means called the reporting “utter bulls***.” Utter bullshit. Official response soon. https://t.co/FTx6A3YiTs — Calley Means (@calleymeans) February 21, 2026 Read the full FDA release from earlier this month: Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took additional steps to support the transition of our nation’s food supply from the use of artificial petroleum-based colors to alternatives derived from natural sources. Companies will now have flexibility to claim products contain ‘no artificial colors’ when the products do not contain petroleum-based colors. In the past, companies were generally only able to make such claims when their products had no added color whatsoever — whether derived from natural sources or otherwise. The agency sent a letter to industry providing notice of the FDA’s intent to exercise enforcement discretion related to these voluntary labeling claims. “This is real progress,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “We are making it easier for companies to move away from petroleum-based synthetic colors and adopt safer, naturally derived alternatives. This momentum advances our broader effort to help Americans eat real food and Make America Healthy Again.” Additionally, the agency today also approved beetroot red, a new color option, and approved the expanded use of spirulina extract, an existing color additive derived from a natural source. These actions were initiated by two petitions and will further help the industry transition from petroleum-based food colors. This brings the total number of new food color options approved under the current administration to six. “We acknowledge that calling colors derived from natural sources ‘artificial’ might be confusing for consumers and a hindrance for companies to explore alternative food coloring options,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. “We’re taking away that hindrance and making it easier for companies to use these colors in the foods our families eat every day.” This work builds on previous HHS and FDA actions to encourage companies to phase out the use of petroleum-based colors in their food products. In April 2025, HHS and the FDA first announced a series of new measures to work with industry to phase out use of all petroleum-based synthetic colors from the nation’s food supply—a significant milestone in the administration’s broader initiative to Make America Healthy Again. Ongoing progress in removing petroleum-based colors from the food supply is being publicly tracked by the FDA at Tracking Food Industry Pledges to Remove Petroleum Based Food Dyes. “We are working diligently to facilitate industry’s phase out of petroleum-based colors and speed up authorizations for colors that are derived from alternative sources,” said Kyle Diamantas, J.D., Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods. “The actions announced today give companies even more ways to transition to the use of alternative colors derived from natural sources.” While the FDA encourages manufacturers to transition to alternative colors, including those derived from natural sources, the agency is also reminding manufacturers of their responsibility to ensure color additive safety. Therefore, the agency is issuing a letter that, among other things, highlights resources that may assist manufacturers of authorized color additives in maintaining high standards of safety and purity.

President Donald Trump held a remembrance ceremony for “angel families” at the White House, honoring families of victims killed by illegal migrants. The ceremony was centered on Laken Riley’s death and renewed calls for stricter immigration enforcement. Trump signed a proclamation designating February 22 as “National Angel Family Day,” a day of remembrance for victims […] The post President Remembers Angel Families; CNN, MS Now Prefer Abrego appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.