Professor Dershowitz On The Obamas . . .

Alan Dershowitz on the Obamas: "I don't like them as people. I remember Michelle Robinson when she was a student, and she was very radical. Obama was not... But once he was reelected... his true self came out. He's not a nice person."pic.twitter.com/7sBm9pzfAV

— Thomas Sowell Quotes (@ThomasSowell) February 13, 2026

Melania Visits Kids With Rare, Serious Diseases

First Lady Melania Trump visited children with rare and serious diseases at The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for Valentine’s Day. Mrs. Trump joined the children, their families, and staff members for an afternoon of creativity, connection, and encouragement. “Love reveals itself in many forms, especially in the hardest moments of care and compassion,” said Mrs. Trump. “The Children’s Inn provides important support to children who have been diagnosed with rare and serious diseases. Returning to The Children’s Inn at NIH is a special reminder of warmth that exists here year-round thanks to the profound resilience of these young people and the dedication of those working to provide comfort, hope, and support during clinical trials. I wish them all a very happy Valentine’s Day.” “We were deeply honored to welcome First Lady Melania Trump back to The Children’s Inn,” said Jennie Lucca, Chief Executive Officer of The Children’s Inn. "Her visit brought joy and comfort to our children and families at a time when compassion and encouragement mean so much. This Valentine’s Day celebration served as a heartfelt reminder that our families are surrounded by care, support, and hope throughout their medical journey.” During her visit, Mrs. Trump made handmade valentines during arts and crafts activities with children and youth who are receiving care through NIH clinical trials. Mrs. Trump also spent time speaking with families and staff, expressing her appreciation for the compassion and dedication shown to children facing serious medical challenges. The Children’s Inn at NIH is a nonprofit that provides a free residential “place like home” to reduce the burden of illness, make childhood possible, and help advance medical research. Families with children, teens, and young adults participating in leading-edge studies at the NIH Clinical Center, the nation’s premier biomedical research hospital, have been welcomed at The Inn since 1990. First Lady Melania Trump previously celebrated Valentine’s Day at The Children’s Inn in 2018, 2019, and 2020, continuing a tradition of highlighting the resilience of children and families and the importance of compassion in healing.

 

The BiggestvRegulatory Relief In US History!

This week, President Donald J. Trump announced the single largest deregulatory action in American history: the full revocation of the disastrous Obama-era “Endangerment Finding” and the consumer mandates that depended on it. This decisive action dismantles the flawed 2009 determination that Democrats weaponized to justify over $1.3 trillion in burdensome regulations on American families, businesses, and consumers.   This historic step clears the path for lower prices, greater consumer choice, and a thriving economy. American families will save an average of over $2,400 on new cars, SUVs, and trucks. Transportation and trucking costs will drop, helping bring down the price of everyday goods. Drivers will no longer be forced into unnecessary, unpopular features that limit choice and jack up costs.   President Trump is proving once again that strong leadership delivers real results: lower prices, more freedom, and a stronger economy for every American.

Here’s what they’re saying: America’s Power President and CEO Michelle Bloodworth: “EPA’s Endangerment Finding has been used as the basis for regulations that threaten the reliability of our nation’s electric grid.  These regulations, such as President Obama’s Clean Power Plan and President Biden’s Clean Power Plan 2.0, were designed to force the premature retirement of coal power plants across the U.S. and increase our nation’s reliance on electricity sources that are not as reliable as coal.  … Forcing the retirement of America’s coal fleet and jeopardizing our electricity supply makes no sense because the U.S. coal fleet is responsible for just 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions while China and India’s emissions account for nearly 40%. The U.S. must take advantage of our coal assets, just as our global competitors are relying on coal to fuel their own economic growth.”   America First Policy Institute Energy and Environment Director Jason Hayes: “This is a critical step toward restoring common sense in climate policy. The rule had become a weapon for sweeping and burdensome regulation, such as electric vehicle mandates, that was driven by a radical environmental agenda. The United States has shown time and again that we can achieve a cleaner environment, including clear skies and waters, without aggressive climate catastrophist mandates. By using an America First approach to fossil fuels, we can build a country that balances the need for safety and environmental care with economic growth. The Endangerment Finding was unlawful, unscientific, and unnecessary to provide the clean and productive environment that Americans desire and deserve.”   American Energy Alliance President Tom Pyle: “Thank you, President Trump and Administrator Zeldin, for this historic victory for American energy freedom, economic prosperity, and commonsense policymaking that serves the interests of American workers, families, and businesses. Since its inception, the Endangerment Finding has been weaponized against projects and goods that deliver affordable, reliable energy to the American people. It has affected investment and infrastructure decisions in ways that have harmed U.S. competitiveness, purely to advance a political ideology.”   American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce CEO Gentry Collins: “This bold decision by the Trump Administration removes the foundation for the failed experiment of mandating electric vehicles and restores common-sense limits on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authority to regulate greenhouse gases only where Congress clearly gave the agency that task. The rule published dismantles burdensome electrification mandates that have stifled innovation, raised costs for ordinary Americans and businesses, and hollowed out our industrial base by making us dependent on China. We applaud the Trump Administration for its decisive leadership, and we intend to aggressively combat any ensuing legal challenge to this historic rulemaking.”   Americans for Prosperity Energy Policy Fellow Faith Burns: “An agency must operate within the framework of its statutory authority. With today’s action, EPA is doing just that. EPA decisions impact our economy significantly. Today’s decision will have a positive impact not only on energy production, but on our economy.”   Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist: “Thank you @POTUS and @epaleezeldin for delivering historic deregulation by rescinding the Obama Endangerment Finding. This is how the Left weaponized the EPA to kill new projects, strangle investment and threaten whole industries. This is a major win for affordable energy.”   Competitive Enterprise Institute Center for Energy & Environment Director Daren Bakst: “Today, the EPA took a big step in ensuring that the agency sticks to its statutory mission of environmental protection instead of being an economic central planner reshaping the economy and dictating how Americans live their lives. Greenhouse gas regulation is a tool that can be used as the basis for some of the most egregious examples of government abuse. We have already seen this with the Biden EPA’s efforts to try and kill off gas-powered cars and reliable electricity generation. Climate extremists will inevitably blast the EPA’s actions, but most Americans realize government policies that drive up prices, restrict freedom, and ignore the rule of law are devastating for the well-being of our nation.”   CO2 Coalition Executive Director Gregory Wrightstone: “The repeal of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Endangerment Finding by Administrator Lee Zeldin is cause for celebration. The basis of this wrongheaded climate regulation put ideology ahead of science. The rule has been an impediment to economic growth, a cause of rising energy costs and a destroyer of many thousands of jobs at power plants, coal mines and manufacturing facilities. Since the 2009 enactment of the Endangerment Finding, its scientific underpinnings have been found to be even weaker than previously believed and contradicted by empirical data, peer-reviewed studies and research.”   Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow: “Thank you @POTUS and @epaleezeldin for repealing the Endangerment Finding, a rule that negatively impacted American lives and our economy. America is freer and more prosperous thanks to you.”   Energy Capital Economic Development Executive Director Rusty Bell: “Both of these policies by President Trump are very good for Wyoming coal and energy sustainability and reliability into the future for the United States. Energy is the most important piece to America’s prosperity and security. We should be looking to add all types of generation to the grid, including significant addition of coal fired generation for that affordable reliable electricity.”   Ford Motor Company spokesman Dave Tovar: “We appreciate the work of President Trump and Administrator Zeldin to address the imbalance between current emissions standards and customer choice. Ford has consistently advocated for a single, stable national standard that aligns with customer choice, the market, societal benefit, and American job growth.”   Heritage Foundation Executive Vice President Derrick Morgan: “President Trump’s rescission of the Obama administration’s 2009 Endangerment Finding is on solid legal, economic, and scientific grounds. The Clean Air Act simply does not give EPA the power of a central planner for the economy, as Obama and Biden’s greenhouse gas regulations envisioned. Catastrophic global warming claims relied on models that systematically overstated the warming and extreme weather events that have occurred since, while the impact of eliminating U.S. vehicle GHGs is so vanishingly small that it wouldn’t even be measurable. Combined with needed permitting reform, this action can pave the way for the energy abundance and affordability that America’s working families need and deserve while bringing to bear our plentiful energy resources to compete with China.”   Independent Women’s Center for Energy and Conservation Director Gabriella Hoffman: “It’s long overdue to repeal the 2009 endangerment finding that labels carbon dioxide as a pollutant. The Obama EPA exceeded its authority regulating CO2 as harmful to human health under the Clean Air Act. For 16 years, this regulation tethered our economy to unsustainable, costly net-zero climate policies that failed to deliver lower emissions. The shale boom and energy innovation—not heavy-handed government—are responsible for lower emissions today.  Carbon dioxide is only 0.04% of the atmosphere and is essential for plant life. Energy deregulation won’t lead to decimation of the environment, either. This is a necessary course correction, and returns power back to Congress. Independent Women’s Center for Energy and Conservation applauds the Trump administration for repealing this flawed rule and putting science—not politics—first.”   Life:Powered: “The Endangerment Finding triggered regulations across mining, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and energy — imposing billions in costs on American families and businesses. After years of fighting this flawed rule, Life:Powered applauds the EPA’s decision.”   Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma President Brook A. Simmons: “The announcement that the EPA has repealed the endangerment finding marks an important shift in federal policy, and I applaud the Trump administration’s efforts to return the agency to the rule of law and common-sense policies. Sound public policy must balance environmental stewardship with economic opportunity while encouraging energy abundance. Removing a regulatory foundation that has been weaponized to increase costs for consumers, harm the oil and natural gas industry, and undermine U.S. energy security is an important step toward regulatory certainty and competitive energy markets. The future of energy in the United States depends on innovation, not litigation, and on a regulatory framework that ensures affordable, reliable energy for families and businesses alike.”   Specialty Equipment Market Association/Performance Racing Industry CEO Mike Spagnola: “This is a tremendous decision by the EPA to course-correct after nearly two decades of abuses by previous administrations at the federal and state levels, and instead return sanity to our nation’s environmental policies. It was with great trepidation that SEMA/PRI watched our nation’s leaders demonize and ban the very motor vehicles that serve as the bedrock upon which the American people--families, small businesses, and automotive enthusiasts--rely to live their best, most prosperous lives. It was even more infuriating to watch these policymakers brazenly justify their actions with a dubious policy position that now rightly goes away, to be replaced with a common-sense, free-market view of what drives our nation’s prosperity.”   Stellantis: “Stellantis welcomes today’s decision, because it enables us to continue offering Americans a broad range of cars, trucks and SUVs — including BEVs, REEVs, hybrids and efficient internal combustion engines — that they want, need and can afford. We remain supportive of a rational, achievable approach on fuel economy standards that preserves our customers’ freedom of choice.”   Taxpayers Protection Alliance President David Williams: “After 16 long years of overregulation and unconstitutional overreach, President Trump is absolutely right to finally end the endangerment finding. The determination had given bureaucrats a blank check to enact heavy-handed regulations that impact everything from vehicle manufacturing to oil and natural gas refining and processing. It shifted enormous policymaking power from Congress to unelected officials. Today’s decision restores accountability and signals that lawmakers, not unelected bureaucrats, are in the driver’s seat… TPA applauds President Trump for putting taxpayers and consumers ahead of reckless and unaccountable bureaucrats. There is plenty more red tape to cut, and we look forward to more free-market reforms from the White House.”   The American Consumer Institute Senior Policy Analyst and Manager for Energy Kristen Walker: “I applaud the Trump administration’s decision to rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding (EF) which has been used to justify heavy-handed legislation and mandates for greenhouse gas regulation. The EF delegated sweeping legislative power to the executive branch, enabling agencies to reshape the energy and industrial sectors without direct congressional authority… Rescinding the EF will lower costs, uphold statutory limits, and usher in a more common sense and democratically accountable approach to energy policy.”   The Heartland Institute Arthur B. Robinson Center for Climate and Environmental Policy Director H. Sterling Burnett: “This action is long overdue and good for the American people, freeing up the auto industry to make the vehicles people want unburdened by unnecessary emission restrictions or money-losing electric vehicle mandates. Today is a win for car and truck buyers and Trump should be applauded for taking this action. The endangerment finding was never justified by either science or law. Now it’s time to strike another blow for affordability, and strike while the iron is hot, to rescind endangerment for power plants as well.”   Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Studies Chief Economist and Acting Director E.J. Antoni: “Rescinding this failed bureaucratic overreach is tremendous news for the American people and American business. The empirical evidence is quite clear: this reduction in burdensome, inefficient regulation will save consumers, workers, and employers well over $1 trillion. It’s welcome news that, under the Trump administration, the American people come first once again, not radical political ideology.”   Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita: “President @realDonaldTrump has officially rescinded a 2009 “endangerment finding” concocted to justify trillions of dollars in burdensome regulations of carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act. This is the single, largest deregulatory action in U.S. history, saving taxpayers over $1.3 trillion and is a massive VICTORY!”   West Virginia Attorney General J.B. McCuskey: “I am enormously excited for this announcement. The Trump administration promised to deregulate, and repealing the unconstitutional Obama-era ‘endangerment finding’ is the single most impactful deregulatory action in American history. This rule was the first salvo of a war against working class Americans. It adopted a radical agenda based on pseudoscience, and it raised the price of every single American product. The endangerment finding’s impact can’t be overstated. It has cost American families over a trillion dollars since its adoption in 2009. So, EPA’s repeal efforts will save American families money and make vehicles—and every good transported by them—more affordable. The Obama administration designed this rule to force gas cars to go the way of the 8-track. But American consumers have spoken… Repealing the endangerment finding is long overdue.”   Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso: “The endangerment finding was based on political expediency – not scientific standards. The Biden and Obama administrations routinely abused this finding as an excuse to roll out red tape that destroyed jobs across America. I applaud the Trump administration for reversing this harmful action and restoring commonsense at the @EPA.”   Senate Republican Conference Chair Tom Cotton: “For far too long, Arkansans have paid the price of the disastrous Green New Deal. That ended today. I’m thankful President Trump and @epaleezeldin have cut unnecessary bureaucratic red tape which will lower prices for all consumers.”   Sen. Shelley Moore Capito: “I applaud this groundbreaking effort from the Trump EPA to further roll back costly regulations from the Obama and Biden administrations that have placed economic hardship on hardworking Americans. This repeal will have a transformational impact on my home state of West Virginia, as these efforts reverse the harmful Democrat attacks on affordable, gas-powered vehicles that West Virginians have endured for far too long. This action represents a key win for affordability, job creation and consumer choice, and I congratulate President Trump and Administrator Zeldin for their continued success in producing visible results for the American people.”   Sen. John Cornyn: “As the Trump EPA repeals Obama’s so-called endangerment finding, progressives fear they won’t be able to dictate the energy supplies, cars and appliances that Americans can buy.”   Sen. Kevin Cramer: “The endangerment finding is the definition of inventing authority out of thin air to justify bureaucratic creep. It’s been used as a cudgel against American manufacturers and producers when Congress never included it in the Clean Air Act. I’m grateful to @epaleezeldin and @POTUS for repealing this heavy-handed endangerment finding.”   Sen. Cynthia Lummis: “I’m thrilled @POTUS & @epaleezeldin are rescinding the imbecilic Obama-era rule used to expand federal overreach. It never received proper congressional debate or approval, yet fueled a decades-long campaign against our fossil fuel industry in the name of climate change.”   Rep. Brian Babin: “Rescinding the 2009 Endangerment Finding is a long-overdue step toward restoring the proper limits of federal regulatory authority. For years, this finding has been used to justify sweeping greenhouse gas regulations that have raised costs for American families, restricted domestic energy production, and placed heavy burdens on manufacturers, workers, and consumers. The Clean Air Act was never intended to serve as a vehicle for such broad regulatory authority, and stretching the law beyond its original purpose has created uncertainty and undermined American competitiveness. I commend EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and the Trump Administration for taking action to ensure environmental policy is grounded in strong legal footing and realistic assessments. This decision will help protect consumer choice, support a strong and reliable energy sector, and reinforce the principle that major national policy decisions should be made by Congress—not imposed through regulatory overreach.”   Rep. Jim Baird: “Today, @POTUS and @epaleezeldin announced the largest deregulatory action in American history and rolled back the costly Obama-era Endangerment Finding! Since 2009, the Endangerment Finding has cost Americans over one trillion dollars and paved the way for burdensome vehicle emission mandates. I was honored to join @epaleezeldin and @SecretaryWright as they unveiled their proposal to rescind this rule in July of last year. I’m grateful the Trump Administration is taking action to stand up for our automakers and lower costs for Hoosier families.”   Rep. Kat Cammack: “‘GREEN NEW SCAM’ up in smoke. The climate crowd said killing Obama-era emissions rules would wreck America. Instead? Cheaper cars. More energy. Less bureaucratic chokehold. America builds again.”   Rep. Ben Cline: “This Obama-era emissions rule drove up costs by thousands and piled on outrageous regulations that ultimately hit consumers’ wallets. @epaleezeldin and @POTUS are championing affordability by nixing this ridiculous regulation, thereby driving down the prices of vehicles.”   Rep. Michael Cloud: “No more pretending plant food is a public health crisis. No more weaponizing EPA against American cars, trucks, jobs, and families.”   Rep. Harriet Hageman: “Rescinding the 2009 Endangerment Finding is a necessary step to stop regulatory overreach that targeted American energy, raised costs, and threatened Wyoming jobs. This authority belongs with Congress and the American people, not unelected bureaucrats.”   Rep. Richard Hudson: “Today, President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin delivered the largest deregulatory action in American history. The Obama-era Endangerment Finding, which drove years of costly vehicle mandates, is gone. That includes eliminating the ridiculous start-stop feature that shuts your engine off at every red light. This action saves Americans $1.3 trillion, lowers vehicle costs by an average of $2,400, and restores real consumer choice. We’re cutting red tape, lowering costs, and putting families back in the driver’s seat.”   Rep. Barry Moore: “Washington bureaucrats shouldn’t dictate what you drive or how much you pay for it. The Trump Administration is cutting red tape, scrapping costly mandates, and putting Americans back in the driver’s seat - saving families trillions and restoring common sense.”   Rep. Riley Moore: “By rolling back the Obama-era Endangerment Finding, the Trump Administration has delivered the largest deregulatory action in U.S. history—undoing the climate crisis hoax that drove up prices and cost hard-working West Virginian coal miners their jobs. A massive win for American families, American workers, and American energy dominance. President Trump is putting the American Dream back within reach.”   Rep. Pete Stauber: “Today, @POTUS and @epaleezeldin announced the largest deregulatory action in U.S. history: the repeal of the Obama-era Endangerment Finding. This move will save American taxpayers over 1.3 TRILLION and save American families over $2,400 for a new vehicle!”   Rep. Tim Walberg: “I applaud @POTUS and @epaleezeldin for repealing this burdensome Obama-era policy that drove up costs and limited options for Michigan families. We must continue to remove costly regulations.”   Rep. Daniel Webster: “Americans should be able to purchase vehicles that best for their needs, not those of unelected Washington bureaucrats. Today, @POTUS and @epaleezeldin are delivering historic deregulation that restores consumer choice and lowers costs for Americans.”

 

SCALIA: On The Anniversary Of His Passing . . .

On the ten year aniversary of Justice Antonin Scalia's passing:

As the Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years I had the privilege of meeting many justices of the United States Supreme Court.
New Jersey's own Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. was witty and engaging as he reminisced about South Jersey landmarks. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was down to earth as she remembered friends and associates in Philadelphia. Trenton native Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. talked about his allegiance to the Philadelphia Phillies and his love of baseball. Justices William Rehnquist, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer were less approachable and more reserved.
But I'll never forget my afternoon with Justice Antonin Scalia who came to Philadelphia to address the members of the bar association in 2004.
To begin with, Justice Scalia's appearance was unprecedented and controversial. Unprecedented because the mostly liberal Philadelphia Bar Association was not in the habit of welcoming conservatives. Justice O'Connor was about as far to the right as they were willing to venture. And controversial because more than a few members of the association threatened not to attend the luncheon hosting Justice Scalia while a few others said they would join with like-minded groups and individuals to protest Scalia's appearance.
And then there was the matter of media coverage which I was responsible for. Justice Scalia's representative reiterated the Justice's strong objection to any live radio or TV coverage of his remarks. TV cameras and still photography on the floor of the ballroom would be permitted only during a brief proscribed period as Scalia accepted applause and delivered the opening portions of his address. Then, the cameras would have to retreat to the ballroom balcony.
Justice Scalia was always concerned that segments of his remarks would be taken out of context and used to distort his message -- something that happen much too often in his view. Also, he didn't want a bunch of flash cameras popping as he was speaking.
Once the ground rules were clear we were ready to move ahead with the event and (despite threats and protestations) we were facing a complete sellout in one of the biggest venues in the city. On the morning of the luncheon, I was assigned to stay alongside Justice Scalia and make sure all his needs were met. I didn't know quite how to react but when we were introduced and Justice Scalia heard the sound of my surname there was an immediate level of comfort.
I stayed with Justice Scalia during an extended pre-luncheon reception where a receiving line had to be set up to accommodate all those who wanted to meet him, shake his hand and maybe (if they were lucky enough) have their picture taken with him. Was I surprised that many of those who had protested his appearance patiently waited in line and dutifully shook his hand, chatting and smiling. Not really. The stature and importance of the man and the office outweighed all else and Scalia was respected as a brilliant jurist regardless of the import of his opinions, both formal and otherwise.
But, here's the thing: Justice Scalia was kind, patient, attentive and engaging with everyone who came through the receiving line. I stood behind him and heard every word he spoke to the lawyers and judges who paid their respects. He was unfailingly pleasant. And he was refreshingly familiar -- like someone you'd meet in the working class, melting pot neighborhood of Elmhust, Queens where he grew up.
I marveled at Justice Scalia's stamina, reminding myself that he still had to sit at the luncheon head table, endure tedious preliminary presentations and then deliver the keynote address. I quietly asked him if there was anything he needed. He quietly leaned back and whispered: "How about a glass of vino?" I quickly arranged for a glass of red wine to be set up on a small table alongside me. Whenever there was a bit of a break in the line, Scalia reached back to take a few sips. He was very grateful.
Then, it was time for the luncheon. More than 500 people were waiting in the ballroom and we knew it would take forever if we tried to walk the Justice through the room and up to the head table. "Justice Scalia," I said "we plan to take you into the ballroom through the kitchen and directly on to the stage, if that's OK."
"Oh, I'd love that, " he answered. "Let's go."
I had to rush to keep up with Scalia as we briskly moved through service corridors and into what hoteliers call "the back of the house." Here, Justice Scalia was in his element as he greeted and chatted with wait staff, cooks, service captains, maintenance people and all the others who made the operation click. He seemed like he could join any one of them and work alongside them in an instant.
Then, it was onto the stage as the entire audience came to its feet and Justice Scalia, responding to the applause with a big smile, assumed the role that destiny seemed to have proscribed for him.
When Scalia eventually rose to speak there was a hush in the room. The city's busiest, most powerful people put aside their own business and remained unfailingly attentive to his every word. He challenged them. He made them think. And maybe he sent some of them back to their offices with new doubts about old assumptions and preconceptions.
That was my hope, anyway.
As U. S. Marshalls whisked Scalia out of the hotel and into a waiting car I caught one last glimpse of him, winking and waving goodbye.

OMG! Now A 'SLEEP TAX' From NJ Dems?

Now a *Sleep Tax* out of Trenton? 🤦‍♂️

The idea: you pre-pay now for removal of your mattress 15 yrs from now. Even if your sky-high property taxes already cover garbage removal.

Welcome to NJ, where they even find a way to tax your sleep. 🙄

I voted NO! pic.twitter.com/9rFehpinhG

— Jay Webber (@JayWebberNJ) February 13, 2026

Watch: Affordability? The Figures Don't Lie!

🚨UPDATE: Peter Doocy Dropped a jaw-dropping Fact-Check Comparing Inflation in Trump’s First Year to Biden’s

• Overall inflation: Biden 4.3%, Trump 1.6%

• Grocery prices: Biden 3.8%, Trump 1.4%

• Gas prices: Biden +24.4%, Trump -5.4%

Trump is Making America Wealthy Again🔥 pic.twitter.com/cDU9usYgiX

— TRUMP SUPPORTER (@_Postive_Vibes) February 13, 2026

You're Not Surprised At THIS, Are You?

Which state do people regret moving to the most in America?

You guessed it, New Jersey, just taking a wild guess it's all the insane progressive policies and taxes

Why do you think most people regret coming here? Btw, Every state that topped the list is run by Democrats 🔵 pic.twitter.com/rr0LpQFtWu

— Wake Up NJ 🇺🇸 New Jersey (@wakeupnj) February 13, 2026

If Only Every NJ GOP Legislator Was Like KANITRA!

The Chairman talked crap about my hometown, shut my mic off and took away my right to question witnesses during yesterday’s disastrous illegal immigration hearing.

They want to keep the truth from getting out about your tax dollars being funneled to non-profits that protect… pic.twitter.com/V90BkSYDHm

— Assemblyman Paul Kanitra (@VoteKanitra) February 13, 2026

NJ State Assemblyman Paul Kanitra explains:

The Chairman talked crap about my hometown, shut my mic off and took away my right to question witnesses during yesterday’s disastrous illegal immigration hearing. They want to keep the truth from getting out about your tax dollars being funneled to non-profits that protect illegals and help them fight deportation. They don’t want you to know that if we send home the 900,000 illegals here, they’ll lose 4 Assembly seats and 2 Congressional seats. Housing will get more affordable. Taxes will drop. They don’t want you to know how the bills they passed yesterday endanger the lives of law enforcement and prioritize criminals over hard working legal residents. Watch this video to the very end and then let everyone across the country know what’s happening here in New Jersey so they can stop it in their states before it’s too late.

Remembering Gayle Michael: Formidable And Tireless!

It happened while I was in New York this past weekend watching an old Noel Coward inspired musical. One character in the show said to the other "You're not gonna die. You're not the dying type."

That's when I thought of my lifelong friend and mentor, Gayle Granatir Michael. Gayle was simply "not the dying type" -- which is why it was a jolt to everyone who knew her when she passed away last week. 

Gayle was part of a special generation of women who were strong, determined and indefatigable. They were trailblazers who predated the modern women's movement.

My first contact with her occurred when I was a student and she was my English teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden, NJ. Gayle told me I had "that certain something" and encouraged me to enter the school's prestigious speech contest, even though I was hesitant to do so. Eventually she ordered me to participate in the contest where I would present a dramatic reading -- just me, the stage and a single spotlight; no costume, no scenery, no props! Gayle coached me every step of the way and then pushed me out onto the stage. I won the contest!

Before I knew it, Gayle was more than my teacher -- she was a treasured family friend who often showed up at my house for dinner. My parents adored her! 

When I graduated high school, Gayle gave me a bottle of Monsieur de Givenchy, a classic French cologne. Gayle explained that she had intended to give the cologne to her father who passed away before she was able to do that. Today, on special occasions, I still wear Monsieur de Givinchy which  continues to be produced by the LVMH luxury group.

Gayle savored the better things in life — the better food, literature, clothing, hotels, sights, cities, places and, most of all  PEOPLE — and she went after all that. She selected friends carefully and connected them to one another. She was a networker long before the invention of the word and was very loyal to her friends. For example, even at the time of her death Gayle was still campaigning for her friend Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Paula Patrick. 

For Gayle, no goals was too high or unachievable. No want was necessarily out of bounds. Her philosophy was “reach for the stars.”

She was decidedly OLD SCHOOL but she always kept current. She was up on the news and the events of the day and even when social media came into play, she jumped into it. 

She was passionate about everything that she believed in and she wasn’t shy about what she believed in. She had opinions — lots of them .  First, at a time when people were not afraid to express their opinions and, later, when they were (and ARE!) she still expressed hers without hesitation. 

She was a patriot. She loved her country and was worried about what was happening, here and beyond. She was troubled about the current state of affairs and where we were headed. She really cared and was always determined to make a difference where and when  she could. 

I never heard her complain or explain; which is to say she was not a “woe is me” kind of person. She didn’t lament, and if you were looking for some deep psychological explanation from her about most things, you weren’t likely to get it because she was a person of ACTION. She didn’t spend time ruminating. She moved — and moved ON, when necessary.

Though she endured the loss of her handsome and accomplished husband, Vincent Michael, early in their marriage and was left with two young boys to raise, Gayle didn't flinch. Today, her sons are successful attorneys, outstanding citizens, husbands, fathers and distinguished professionals. 

Gayle understood that life is a performance. So, you get up each day — no matter what — and you dust yourself off, dress yourself up and get out there. And she did that — often against near insurmountable odds. And she always looked her best, just as you would if you were stepping out into the spotlight, on stage. 

She loved politics (and don’t we all?) but she also understood that everything is connected to everything else. So she was also into art, literature, music, sports, theater, the movies, the popular culture — whatever sparked curiosity and conversation — she was there.

She was a VIVID personality.— and formidable. But, my goodness -- what an incredible life she led! She remains one of my unforgettable characters and a defining influence in my life. She will be dearly missed!

Click here for Gayle's complete obituary.

Lincon's Enduring Legacy Powered By His Words!

Excerpts from Professor Walter Berns in a wonderful article that originally appeared in the Wall Street Journal:

Our extraordinary interest in him, and esteem for him, has to do with what he said and how he said it. And much of this had to do with the Union -- what it was and why it was worth the saving. . . .

It is not by chance that his best and most celebrated speech was delivered on a battlefield, on the occasion of dedicating a cemetery filled with the graves of patriots. I speak, of course, of the Gettysburg Address.
It is brief, a mere 272 words, and could not have taken much more than five minutes to deliver. In its central passage, Lincoln says, "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here." Well, what little do we remember?
We remember he said that this nation was founded in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence and its principles. We remember this because of the unusual way he said it. Not 87 years ago, but "four score and seven." . . . 
This, too, we remember: Lincoln goes on to say that the brave men, living and dead, who struggled on this ground, this battlefield, had "consecrated" it better than he or anyone else could. Consecrated? Had made it sacred, a battlefield? As if they -- presumably the Union soldiers -- were fighting for the Lord? No, but their cause was great and noble.
We also remember Lincoln saying that their work was "unfinished," and that we, the living, should highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain and that this nation, "under God, shall have a new birth of freedom," and that government of, by and for the people shall not perish from the earth.
What little do we remember? In a word, and despite what he said, we remember everything he said. And we remember it because he took great pains to say it beautifully. . . .

We say that a man can be known by the company he keeps. So I say that a nation, a people, can be known and be judged by its heroes, by whom it honors above all others. We pay ourselves the greatest compliment when we say that Abraham Lincoln is that man for us.

Today Is His Birthday; THIS Was His Sanctuary

In honor of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, today:

Tucked away in a corner of the nation's capital, on the grounds of the Soldier's Home, you'll find an historic spot that little known and rarely discussed or spotlighted.
Yet, it is a very important place in the history or our nation.
No, it's not a battlefield, though many old soldiers have spent their final hours there.
And no, it's not a monument as such but it does contain statues depicting a great leader and his horse.
It's Lincoln's Cottage and it's situated near the Petworth and Park View neighborhoods of Washington, D.C.

We recently visited this historic Cottage, which was built in the Gothic revival style and was constructed from 1842 to 1843 as the home of George Washington Riggs, who went on to establish the Riggs National Bank in Washington, D.C.

We called an uber car from our hotel near the White House and were scurried off to the cottage, which really isn't a cottage at all but quite a large and impressive edifice that sits amidst tall trees with an impressive vista of open space beyond.

Lincoln lived in the cottage June to November 1862 through 1864 and during the first summer living there, Lincoln drafted the preliminary draft of the Emancipation Proclamation. Mary Todd Lincoln fondly recalled the campus; in 1865, she wrote, "How dearly I loved the Soldiers' Home." One can imagine how green and breezy the cottage may have been in those days when it was clearly separated from the congestion of swampy Washington.

Poet Walt Whitman, who was living on Vermont Avenue near the White House in 1863, often saw the president riding to or from Soldiers' Home. He wrote in The New York Times, "Mr. Lincoln  generally rides a good-sized easy-going gray horse, is dressed in plain black, somewhat rusty and dusty; wears a black stiff hat, and looks about as ordinary in attire, &c., as the commonest man...I saw very plainly the President's dark brown face, with the deep cut lines, the eyes, &c., always to me with a deep latent sadness in the expression." Whitman quoted this article in his 1876 book Memoranda During the War, adding the phrase: "We have got so that we always exchange bows, and very cordial ones."

The Soldiers' Home stands on 251 acres atop the third highest point in Washington. The Home was designated a National Historic Landmark on November 7, 1973, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 11, 1974. In 2000, the cottage was placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 11 Most Endangered list. Then about 2.3 acres of the Home was proclaimed a National Monument by President Bill Clinton on July 7, 2000. The National Trust took on the restoration which was completed in 2007.

The Cottage exterior was restored to the period of Lincoln's occupancy in the 1860s in a joint venture by the Philadelphia firm J. S. Cornell & Son, and Stephen Ortado, Historic Structures, according to the standards of the National Park Service. Today the property is leased by the National Trust for Historic Preservation through a cooperative agreement with the Armed Forces Retirement Home; and is managed by President Lincoln's Cottage at the Soldiers' Home, an independent 501(c)(3) charity.

President Lincoln's Cottage opened to the public on February 18, 2008. A reproduction of the Lincoln desk on which he wrote the Emancipation Proclamation was commissioned by the Trust for use in the Cottage. The original drop-lid walnut paneled desk is in the Lincoln Bedroom of the White House. The desk is the only surviving piece of furniture that is known to have been placed in the White House and the Cottage during the Lincoln era.

The adjacent Robert H. Smith Visitor Education Center features exhibits about the Soldiers' Home, wartime Washington, D.C., Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief during the Civil War, and a special exhibit gallery. President Lincoln's Cottage and Visitor Education Center is open to the public for tours seven days a week.

Take a break from the usual tourist attractions in Washington and soak up the allure of the most compelling figure in all of American history as you climb the cottage steps and run your hand along the exact same bannister that Lincoln used. It's a rare treat!

We hope you enjoy these photos that we took during our recent visit.