Labor Secretary's Husband Barred From Department Over Sexual Assault Allegations: Reports
LOADING ERROR LOADINGThe husband of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer has been barred from entering her department’s headquarters after at least two women accused him of sexual assault, according to multiple reports Thursday. AdvertisementDeRemer has been barred from entering the Labor Department building following the allegations, according to the Times and The Wall Street Journal. The Labor Department did not immediately respond to a HuffPost request for comment. The secretary's husband reportedly has been barred from entering the Labor Department’s headquarters after at least two women accused him of sexual assault. Chavez-DeRemer, who represented Oregon’s 5th District in the U.S. House for one term before losing reelection in 2024, was confirmed as labor secretary last March.
Source:Huffington Post
February 20, 2026 18:22 UTC
Live updates Trump imposes new tariffs, denounces Supreme Court justices as a ‘disgrace’ after ruling
President Donald Trump on Friday denounced Supreme Court justices who ruled against him as a “disgrace” and announced wide-ranging new tariffs hours after the high court struck down most of his existing import taxes. In a 6-3 decision, the justices had ruled the president did not have the authority under a 1977 emergency economic powers law to impose import levies on goods from nearly all of the nation’s trading partners. In response, Trump used a different law to impose a 10 percent across-the-board tariff.
Source:Washington Post
February 20, 2026 18:17 UTC
The Washington Post Has No Swagger
The Washington Post hasn’t had swagger in decades. This is evident in the staff meltdown over the massive layoffs that have all but destroyed the Post. “The Post Sports section is, was, no ordinary section, in heritage or in coverage,” Jenkins wrote. The idea that the media needs swagger started with Max Tani, the media reporter for Semafor. My book finally did appear in the Post when columnist Kathleen Parker called out her colleagues for ignoring my story.
Source:Washington Post
February 20, 2026 18:16 UTC
Columbia Creek Tennessee Whiskey Is Patience & Grit in a Bottle
Columbia Creek Tennessee Whiskey has debuted in Columbia, Tennessee, as a new brand from SNL Alcohol Beverage Group. The non-chill filtered whiskey is bottled at 95.6 proof and is available now via the brand’s website and select retailers in key markets. It is “distilled in a traditional column‑and‑doubler system,” a production setup commonly used across American whiskey for consistency and scale. The brand also highlighted that it follows the Lincoln County Process, stating: “Before barreling, the whiskey undergoes the slow, time-honored Lincoln County charcoal mellowing process.” This charcoal filtration method is a key differentiator for Tennessee whiskey, and is widely associated with the category’s identity compared with bourbon. “Future releases include Barrel Strength and Single Barrel editions,” it said, positioning the planned expressions as “proof that real Tennessee whiskey doesn’t cut corners.”Tennessee whiskey is a defined American whiskey style typically made in Tennessee using new charred oak and charcoal mellowing, and has seen continued premiumization in recent years through higher-proof and single-barrel releases—two formats Columbia Creek has now confirmed are in development.
Source:Forbes
February 20, 2026 15:28 UTC
As the sewage spills, the politicians snipe
Everyone agrees that a spill of nearly 250 million gallons of raw sewage is an ecological emergency and an environmental disaster. Drinking water was not affected by the rupture, according to DC Water. Authorities have scrambled to slow the spill and divert sewage into the area’s historic canal system. Moore argued the federal government is already responsible since the pipe in question belongs to DC Water and sits on federal land. Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin was more even-keeled about the sewage spill in his description of the disaster in a Tuesday tweet.
Source:CNN
February 20, 2026 15:23 UTC
A US attack on Iran could send oil prices surging at precarious time for Trump
The consequences for oil prices and Americans’ wallets could be swift and severe. That’s sent oil prices up sharply. But America’s escalating conflict with Iran threatens to send oil prices significantly higher, potentially reversing the yearlong slide in gas prices that Trump has boasted about for months. Oil at $80 a barrel could send gas prices, on average, back above $3 a gallon. “Where affordability is a big issue, if gasoline prices come into the mix, the goal will have to be to keep oil prices lower to keep gasoline prices lower.”Trump has long touted – and exaggerated – the effects of lower gas prices.
Source:CNN
February 20, 2026 15:23 UTC
INTEL FROM THE IVORY TOWER: Requiring Voter ID on Election Day? – Pagosa Daily Post News Events & Video for Pagosa Springs Colorado
We looked at Election Day voting requirements, and how the states voted in the 2024 contest at the ballot box. Finally these students looked Donald Trump’s share of the vote in the 2024 Election, as reported by CNN. As the Brennan Center reports “All available evidence, including from the Trump administration itself, indicates that only American citizens vote and the exceptions are vanishingly rare. They would place a massive unfunded burden on state and local election officials. Blocking non-citizens from voting is fine, but stopping legitimate U.S. citizens from voting goes against what America stands for.
Source:CNN
February 20, 2026 15:21 UTC
The Fed15 Podcast | Ep. 136: 2026 Rule Changes + Federal Benefits To-Do List
Dan breaks down several key rule changes converging in 2026, including updates under the SECURE Act 2.0, Social Security, and other federal benefits. He wraps up with important timing considerations and practical steps to help federal employees stay ahead. Katelyn walks through a practical to-do list for the start of the 2026 leave year. She covers TSP updates, FEHB, FEDVIP, dental and vision coverage, and key timing rules for HCFSA and LEXHCFSA accounts. She also emphasizes reviewing your 2025 W-2, evaluating federal and state tax withholding, understanding the 2025 IRA contribution window, reassessing life insurance coverage, reviewing beneficiary designations, and planning for TSP required minimum distributions (RMDs).
Source:Forbes
February 20, 2026 15:20 UTC
Supreme Court Slaps Down Trump And His Tariffs In Historic Ruling
AdvertisementAt the time, the government argued that the rule gave Trump the right to impose tariffs on the basis of a national emergency, or in order to address major foreign policy concerns. “The Government and the principal dissent attempt to avoid the application of the major questions doctrine on several grounds. “The Government and the principal dissent attempt to avoid application of the major questions doctrine on several grounds. Later on Friday, Trump said explicitly that he intends to find other routes by which to impose tariffs. “The Supreme Court did not overrule tariffs; they merely overruled a particular use of IEEPA tariffs,” the president said at a press conference.
Source:Huffington Post
February 20, 2026 15:13 UTC
Guthrie case recalls other high-profile disappearances over the years
The abduction of Nancy Guthrie from her Tucson, Ariz., home is the latest in a series of high-profile disappearances that have gripped the nation. Here is a look at other disappearances that have captured America’s attention. Nancy GuthrieNancy Guthrie, 84, the mother of “NBC Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing Feb. 1 after relatives arrived at her Catalina Foothills home in Tucson and discovered she was gone. Phillip Garrido was sentenced to 431 years to life in prison; his wife received 36 years to life. Smart, now an advocate for child safety and a Netflix documentary subject, has said her faith sustained her through captivity.
Source:CNN
February 20, 2026 15:03 UTC
L.A. 'Enabling' Trump's Deportation Agenda
Illustration: HuffPost; Photo: Getty ImagesWhen federal immigration officers swarmed Los Angeles in June to carry out mass deportations, Magda’s income dried up almost overnight. AdvertisementLos Angeles County, with a population that is nearly half Latino, is a key part of the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda. The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors has previously passed temporary restrictions on evictions for people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the January 2025 wildfires. (Some parts of LA County, including the city of Los Angeles, have an eviction debt threshold of one month Fair Market Rent.) AdvertisementCommunity members at a February 3 Los Angeles Board of Supervisors meeting, holding signs in support of eviction protections.
Source:Huffington Post
February 20, 2026 15:01 UTC
Trojan Horse or Trade Dispute? Texas Attorney General Targets Anzu in High-Stakes Drone Lawsuit
If the court rules in the state’s favor, Texas is entitled to recover up to $10,000 for each violation of the DTPA. “Anzu Robotics products are nothing more than a 21st century Trojan Horse linked to the [Chinese Communist Party],” Paxton said in a statement. The suit does not represent the first time that Anzu Robotics has come under fire for allegedly being a stand-in company for DJI. The Texas lawsuit alleges that “Anzu initially failed to disclose its relationship with DJI at all, even in regulatory filings with the Federal Communications Commission. In a Cyber Security Statement on its website, Anzu attempts to put to rest any concerns over possible data transfers.
Source:Forbes
February 20, 2026 14:38 UTC
Time is ripe to revamp nuclear power rules
As America’s energy demands grow exponentially, the country won’t be able to keep up without more nuclear power. It’s also flirting with relaxing radiation standards and eliminating some over-the-top security requirements at nuclear plants. That has forced operators to incorporate concrete shields into their reactor designs, which raise costs and limit how long employees can work at a given time. The science underpinning the radiation rule is mushy, at best. Meanwhile, coal plants are subject to no standards on radiation, even though they release far greater levels of radioactive material to the public than nuclear plants.
Source:Washington Post
February 20, 2026 14:03 UTC
Majority of Americans think Trump’s deportation campaign is going too far
The poll nonetheless shows Americans are increasingly uncomfortable with how that campaign is being carried out. Just over three-quarters of Americans overall, including a majority of Republicans, say federal officers should be required to obtain a warrant signed by a judge to force their way into a private residence. The poll also underscores the extent to which large numbers of Americans are living in fear of the deportation dragnet. He was among those who participated in the poll and said he opposed the expanded ICE detentions and the tactics used by ICE officers. Homan has since said most of the 3,000 federal immigration officers are being withdrawn from the city.
Source:Washington Post
February 20, 2026 14:01 UTC
How former Prince Andrew reached this point
Britain’s former Prince Andrew arrestedAndrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Britain’s Prince Andrew, has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, police said Thursday. The arrest follows a prior review by authorities into allegations that a woman was trafficked to the UK by Jeffrey Epstein for a sexual encounter involving Mountbatten-Windsor, as well as claims he may have shared sensitive information with Epstein while serving as the UK’s trade envoy. CNN’s Salma Abdelaziz reports.
Source:CNN
February 20, 2026 13:43 UTC