State of the Union, Snowpocalypse, & Robot Army

News without the noise

Adam Rogers
February 25, 2026

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President Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address in history yesterday, clocking in at just under 1 hour and 48 minutes. He opened with an optimistic economic message, declaring a "golden age of America" and touting lower gas prices and a rising stock market.
Trump called the Supreme Court's tariff ruling "unfortunate" and vowed to continue levying tariffs under different legal authority. He brought the entire Olympic champion US men’s hockey team onto the House floor and presented goalie Connor Hellebuyck with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He also awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor to World War II Navy pilot Capt. Royce Williams and Army Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, who was wounded while piloting the helicopter operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump warned he would never allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, outlined a rationale for military action, and called for voter ID legislation, claiming election "cheating is rampant."

A bomb cyclone paralyzed much of the northeastern United States, dumping more than two feet of snow. Meteorologists called it the strongest storm in a decade, with hurricane-force wind gusts recorded across Cape Cod.
More than 2,000 flights were canceled, and 365,000 homes lost power in New Jersey alone. Central Park recorded 19 inches — the ninth largest storm on record for New York City. The Boston Globe stopped printing for the first time in its 150-year history after staff could not safely reach its printing plant. Rhode Island broke a snowfall record set in 1978, recording 38 inches, while 39 locations recorded more than 30 inches.
Forecasters warned a second storm could bring an additional 1-3 inches later this week.

Panama seized two ports at the entrances of the Panama Canal, forcing out Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison after the country's Supreme Court ruled its concession unconstitutional. Government officials arrived at the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals and threatened criminal prosecution if the company did not comply. CK Hutchison said it received no compensation for its decades of investment.
The seizure is the latest development in a US-China rivalry over the canal, one of the world's busiest shipping routes. Trump accused China of "running" it last year, and CK Hutchison agreed to sell the ports to a US-led BlackRock consortium — until Beijing pressured the company to abandon the deal over concerns about American control of the strategic waterway.
CK Hutchison has operated the ports since 1997 and launched international arbitration against Panama. Maersk will temporarily manage the terminals while Panama awards a new contract.

Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales refused to resign despite calls from fellow Republicans, amid reports of an affair with a staffer who later died after setting herself on fire. (More)

The Justice Department sued UCLA over antisemitism, accusing it of letting Jewish faculty be harassed and assaulted during 2024 protests. (More)

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 Tuesday that Americans can't sue the Postal Service even when employees deliberately withhold mail, rejecting a Black Texas woman's racial discrimination claim. (More)

The Louvre's president resigned Tuesday, four months after thieves stole €88 million in Napoleonic jewelry from the Paris museum in France's most dramatic heist in decades. (More)

Iran deployed armed militia to campuses to suppress four days of student protests against Supreme Leader Khamenei. (More)

China blocked 40 Japanese companies from importing military-use goods, citing Japan's growing military and threats to intervene in Taiwan. (More)

US stock markets closed higher on Tuesday (S&P +0.77%, Nasdaq +1.04%, Dow +0.76%). (More)

FedEx filed the first major lawsuit against Trump's tariffs, seeking a full refund after the Supreme Court ruled the emergency powers used to impose them were illegal. (More)

Americans felt slightly more confident about the economy in February, but a recession warning signal flashed for the 13th straight month as job and income expectations stayed weak. (More)

Scrubs returns tonight at 8 p.m. on ABC after 15 years, reuniting Zach Braff, Donald Faison, and original cast members at Sacred Heart with new medical interns. (More)

Today host Savannah Guthrie offered a $1 million reward for information on her missing mother, Nancy, abducted from her Tucson home on February 1. (More)

Cameron Boozer scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as No. 1 Duke demolished Notre Dame 100-56 Tuesday, the worst home loss for the Irish since 1898. (More)

Tiny plastic particles showed up in 90% of prostate cancer tumors in a small NYU study, with cancerous tissue holding 2.5 times more plastic than healthy tissue nearby. (More)

NASA rolled its Artemis II moon rocket back to the hangar after a helium system failure, threatening an April launch that would send the first woman and Black astronaut to the moon. (More)

An Israeli student swimming off Haifa accidentally found a Crusades-era sword on the seafloor after chasing away suspected antiquities thieves. (More)

Man accidentally gains control of robot army.

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