Monday, February 2, 2026

Yes, Danielle Smith is a separatist

By Max Fawcett
Opinion
February 2nd 2026


David Eby had clearly seen enough. Ahead of a meeting in Ottawa between the premiers and the prime minister, Eby decided to call out the leaders of Alberta’s separatist movement and their widely documented meetings with Trump administration officials. "To go to a foreign country and to ask for assistance in breaking up Canada, there's an old-fashioned word for that, and that word is treason," he said.

Trump Has Overwhelmed Himself

Feb. 1, 2026
By Ezra Klein
Opinion Columnist

Last February I wrote an essay about the Trump administration’s strategy of “muzzle velocity.” Muzzle velocity, in its literal sense, describes the ferocious speed of a bullet at the moment it exits the front end of a gun. The term came from an interview that Steve Bannon, President Trump’s former chief strategist, gave in 2019. “All we have to do is flood the zone,” Bannon said. “Every day we hit them with three things. They’ll bite on one, and we’ll get all of our stuff done. Bang, bang, bang. These guys will never — will never be able to recover. But we’ve got to start with muzzle velocity.”

Trump wants to ‘nationalize the voting,’ seeking to grab states’ power

Trump, who continues to falsely claim that he won the 2020 election, has baselessly alleged widespread fraud.
February 2, 2026
By Mariana Alfaro

President Donald Trump said Monday that Republican lawmakers should nationalize voting — claiming a power explicitly granted to states in the U.S. Constitution.

How to Organize a Real General Strike in the US


By Eric Blanc
General strikes are the most powerful tool in the working class’s arsenal. Recent mass actions in Minnesota against ICE terror were strong steps toward such a strike, but much more organizing is needed. Here’s how we can do it.

hat will it take to stop Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Donald Trump? More and more Americans are coming around to the following answer: a general strike.

Sunday, February 1, 2026

Thousands rally in Vancouver in solidarity with Iranian protesters






Vancouver Police estimate that about 15,000 people were in attendance
Feb 01, 2026 

Thousands gathered in Downtown Vancouver on Sunday to show solidarity with protesters in Iran, who have been fighting against the country’s financial collapse and the regime that led to it.

The Secret Egyptian Air Base Behind Sudan’s Drone War

The covert base offers new evidence of how the Sudanese conflict is morphing into a theater for high-tech warfare, driven by foreign interests.

By Declan Walsh, Malachy Browne, Eric Schmitt
and Nick Cumming-Bruce

Declan Walsh reported from Nairobi, Kenya, Malachy Browne from New York, Eric Schmitt from Washington, and Nick Cumming-Bruce from Geneva.Feb. 1, 2026, 4:05 p.m. ET

Donald Trump Is Frightened



FLOP SWEAT
Trump wants to appear eager to minimize out-of-control clashes between government militias and protesters. But he doesn’t want to stop the things causing those clashes in the first place.

Greg Sargent/January 28, 2026

The media verdict is in: President Trump has “softened” his stance on his paramilitary war on Minneapolis. He struck a “cooperative tone” in a call with Minnesota’s Democratic governor, Tim Walz. The administration hopes to “shift its strategy” on its ICE raids. Trump is executing a “pivot” and is attempting to “deescalate.”

Federal Courts Undercut Trump’s Mass Deportation Campaign

A policy intended to keep immigrants detained indefinitely has led to a deluge of lawsuits, overwhelming some federal courts and resulting in many releases.

By Miriam Jordan and Devlin Barrett

Feb. 1, 2026

The Trump administration has gone to great lengths to arrest and detain as many people as possible during its immigration crackdown. But in recent weeks, a deluge of court cases has led federal judges to release hundreds of immigrant detainees back into the country, and threatens to overwhelm the court system.

China’s top general accused of leaking nuclear weapons secrets to US – report

Zhang Youxia, 75, also reportedly probed over efforts to build his own sphere of influence within the Communist Party, is the latest top official targeted in Xi Jinping’s purge

By Times of Israel Staff and Associated Press
The Chinese military’s top general is reportedly being investigated for leaking information about Beijing’s nuclear weapons program, amid a long-running purge of military officials by the country’s leader.

Democrat Taylor Rehmet flips GOP-held Texas state Senate seat in special election


Democrat Taylor Rehmet won a special election for the Texas state Senate and flipped a reliably Republican district that President Donald Trump won by 17 points in 2024

By JOHN HANNA, AP political writer
January 31, 2026, 9:09 PM

The Associated Press

Federal officers use crowd control munitions as demonstrators protest outside Portland ICE building



Jan. 31, 2026
Scores of nonviolent protesters were hit with chemical munitions during a union-backed rally Saturday.
By Joni Auden Land (OPB), Conrad Wilson (OPB), and Michelle Wiley (OPB) 

Thousands of protesters turned out for a mostly peaceful demonstration Saturday in Portland to speak out against increased immigration enforcement. But, by the end of the day, scores of nonviolent protesters were hit with chemical munitions fired by federal officers responding to some demonstrators directly outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.

‘What the hell do we do with this issue’: Mexico confronts Trump’s Cuba pressure

By Megan Messerly
01/31/2026

As the White House ramps up pressure on Havana, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is weighing how far to bend without triggering retaliation from Washington.

President Donald Trump’s increasingly overt attempts to bring down the Cuban government are forcing Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum into a delicate diplomatic dance.

Saturday, January 31, 2026

US may make a deal on Cuba, Trump says

January 31, 2026
Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt on Air Force One; 
Writing by Jasper Ward in Washington; 
Editing by Sonali Paul

Clock ticks in Cuba as Trump vows to shut off Venezuelan oil

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Jan 31 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he believed the United States would "work a deal" on Cuba. His comments came days after threatening tariffs on any country supplying Cuba with oil.

Dangerous cold: 13 found dead outside in New York City this week


Saturday, January 31, 2026 

With temperatures plummeting, city officials are ramping up efforts to get homeless people indoors.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- As temperatures plummeted last weekend, perilous cold conditions led local officials to warn New Yorkers of the dangers of prolonged exposure to severe winter weather. This week, thirteen people were found dead on the streets of New York City, despite the Code Blue issued by city leadership.

New US envoy arrives in Venezuela after Maduro's ouster

Deutsche Welle 
Politics
The arrival of charge d'affaires Laura Dogu comes one month after US forces kidnapped leader Nicolas Maduro and brought him to New York to face trial. Dogu is a veteran diplomat and Spanish speaker.

China Makes Major Advancements in Space Mining Technologies


China is making significant strides in space mining technologies, with a focus on extracting resources from asteroids and other minor planets.
Published on January 31, 2026 
Written by Lydia Amazouz

China is accelerating its efforts in space exploration by enhancing research into space mining technologies. This move is part of the country’s broader plan to explore and harness the potential of resources from asteroids and other minor planets.

Zelensky Says Sunday Peace Talks are Postponed as Trump Focuses on Potential Deal to Avert Military Action with Iran


The Greek Courier
Source: The Independent, The Guardian, Agence France-Presse
Zelensky said he was ‘counting’ on talks with the US and Russia next week
President Zelensky mentioned that he is “counting” on trilateral talks with the US and Russia, which were initially scheduled for Sunday but may be postponed until next week due to Donald Trump focusing on the “situation with Iran.” Donald Trump announced that Iran is "talking to" the United States, indicating that discussions may lead to a deal aimed at avoiding military strikes. 

House minority leader says Republicans can’t rely on Democrats to pass funding bill, raising fears of longer shutdown

By Manu Raju, Sarah Ferris

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told Speaker Mike Johnson on Saturday that Democrats won’t help Republicans pass a funding bill to reopen the government if they attempt to fast-track the measure Monday, according to two sources familiar with a call between the leaders.