Congrats to US Women's Hockey!!!
Congrats to USA Women’s hockey on their gold medal!
Team captain Hilary Knight, aka "Captain America", scored the game tying goal with their net empty with just over two minutes left in the 3rd period, down 1-0 to Canada, then defenseman, or defensewoman, Megan Keller, scored with an amazing move after an equally great outlet pass, about 4 minutes into overtime.
USA beats Canada for Olympic women's hockey gold: Score, highlights
Speaking of the Olympics, this is a really good read: Opinion | The Best Moments So Far at the Winter Olympics - The New York Times
Back to the women's hockey...First the game-tying goal, then the game winner...there's a chance that NBC may force any of these embeds to be taken down from their respective platforms but hopefully they'll work for you.
And congrats to Alysa Liu, gold medalist in Women's Figure Skating
In a lovely, graceful, even relaxed-looking performance, Ms Liu brought home the first American women's gold in women's figure skating in 24 years. She had quit competitive skating two years earlier and then, in what appears to be a great decision, decided to come back.
I have not verified the story but apparently, unlike Eileen Gu (the American freestyle skier who competes for Communist China), Ms Liu was recruited by China and refused; her father was reportedly harassed by the CCP government after Tienanmen Square.
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SCOTUS and tariffs
We MIGHT get the Supreme Court ruling on the legality of most of Trump's tariffs today. (If so, it would likely be shortly after 8 AM Mountain Time.) Otherwise there's a good chance for next Weds or Thurs. I hope they rule against them. It's not just, in fact not primarily, that they are bad policy but rather that they are illegal. Illegal actions must be struck down even if they are good policy, and until such time as Congress authorizes such policy (assuming such an authorization wouldn't itself be unconstitutional.) The executive branch (i.e. the president) has been accumulating FAR too much power in the past two decades. Congress has allowed it because members don't want tough votes. This has to stop.
Neil Gorsuch’s 'told you so' moment on Donald Trump's tariffs
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Just One Thing: RFK Jr on the show next Monday
I don't normally "tease" for a show the next week, and it's also possible that they'll cancel at the last minute, but at the moment, HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr is scheduled to join the show Monday at 8:34 AM.
I may ask about this, but given the limited time we may stick to issues other than vaccines since that particular area is so frequently discussed already in the media. I do think this was an interesting switch: FDA will now review flu vaccine it had rejected
Today's Guests
Rory O'Neill- 24/7 News National Correspondent joins us to discuss the best months and days to book flights and to fly. Expedia 2026 Air Hacks: Friday Takes Off as the New Cheapest Day to Depart and Book - 24/7 News National Correspondent
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Liberty Vittert is a professor of the practice of Data Science at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St Louis. She's the proprietor and host of a new podcast about the First Amendment: Amended!
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Mike Johnston is the mayor of the City and County of Denver. A couple of the topics we'll cover:
The Denver City Auditor has released a scathing report about a non-profit that Denver taxpayers are funding to the tune of millions of dollars, much of which appears to be spent on food and drink and "healing circles" for staff, and the grant-making process seems utterly broken as well. Caring For Denver - City and County of Denver
I realize there's nothing to do about this now but wonder if Mike takes any lessons from this: Palantir, controversial data company tied to ICE, CIA, multiple countries' militaries, leaving Denver for Miami - CBS Colorado
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Other Stuff
I think this is sensible though I doubt it will work: Trump weighs initial limited strike to force Iran into nuclear deal
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Last time, he gave them 60 days and then ordered the attack on the 61st day. Trump says world will know in 10 days about Iran nuclear deal
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Speaking of free speech: So the Trump administration wants to give Europeans a way to view content, including political content, that their governments have censored because we love free speech so much, but Trump suggested that the six Democrats who made the boneheaded video about soldiers not having to obey illegal orders, which everyone knows already, had committed sedition which could be “punishable by death”?
Exclusive: US plans online portal to bypass content bans in Europe and elsewhere | Reuters
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What’s tough about many of these conversations is that I understand the grain of truth within the Trump administration’s position.
For example, the excessive wokeness and anti-Americanness that has seeped into so many institutions, including museums. And the abuse of the public fisc by many, including by some immigrants. And the way the Biden administration allowed far too many people into the US whether by opening the borders or allowing almost anyone with a claim to be a refugee to come here.
The problem is always how Team Trump goes too far, or at least too far for some judges. The question is whether it’s too far for voters. I suspect that outside of (most of) the Trump base, it is.
Trump's immigration approval hits new low, according to Reuters/Ipsos poll | Reuters
I also note that every one of these executive orders will be overturned on the first day of the next Democratic presidency and some might be overturned by a Republican president.
Slavery exhibit removed by the Trump administration is returning to Philadelphia | AP News
HUD's new rule proposal may limit public housing to citizens only | AP News
New Trump order could mean arrest for thousands of legal refugees in the US | AP News
Probably biggest news of this set of stories: Judge throws out ruling backing Trump mass detention policy
Federal judge accuses Trump administration of ‘terrorizing’ immigrants, violating court orders - syracuse.com
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This is how stupid some people are. And by the way the Portuguese government at issue in the play wasn't even fascist... At this point, as Dan Flynn notes, "fascist" just means "someone I hate because I disagree with him". Far-right character’s monologue prompts violent scenes at German theatre | Germany | The Guardian
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Some good advice in here: NATIONAL LOVE YOUR PET DAY | February 20 - National Day Calendar
I don't know if this holiday impacts trash pickup schedules.
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Surprisingly, the Chinese company appears initially to be complying: Disney sends cease and desist letter to ByteDance over Seedance 2.0
Why an A.I. Video of Tom Cruise Battling Brad Pitt Spooked Hollywood - The New York Times
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Just how big an offense was it to have lunch with Epstein? Definitely not nothing…but does it deserve this? Epstein revelations spur calls to scrape Lutnick's name from college library
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Hard to describe how much I hate this, and not because it would benefit Democrats. This is the opposite of what the nation needs: Democrats would be favored to flip 3 Colorado congressional seats under new redistricting proposal - The Colorado Sun
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Tucker Carlson has become a disgusting liar and anti-Semite and I encourage any of you who still subscribes to his Nazi-adjacent propaganda to stop.
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Might or might not be money well spent, but where is it coming from? Is it legal if Congress didn’t specifically authorize it? And how will this play with the Trump base after Trump campaigned so aggressively on NOT spending more US money overseas? Donald Trump says US committing $10 billion to Board of Peace
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I support this as a matter of individual liberty for two willing participants even though I’ve never “paid for it” (even when I lived in Amsterdam). Colorado lawmakers push to decriminalize prostitution statewide
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Today's Video
There are "first-world problems" and then there's just bad parenting...