February 24

DOJ sues New Jersey over Sherrill executive order barring ICE from state property

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against New Jersey and Governor Mikie Sherrill challenging Executive Order No. 12, signed February 11, 2026, which prohibited ICE from entering nonpublic state property without a judicial warrant or using state facilities as staging areas for immigration operations. DOJ argued the order violated the Supremacy Clause by obstructing federal immigration enforcement. New Jersey's attorney general called the federal suit a pointless legal challenge to a lawful exercise of state property rights.

Trump 15% Section 122 global tariff takes effect after IEEPA court defeat

On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court struck down Trump's IEEPA-based tariffs in a 6-3 ruling in Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, holding that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the president to impose tariffs. Within hours, Trump invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows surcharges of up to 15% on countries with large trade deficits, and the new tariff took effect at 12:01 a.m. on February 24, 2026, covering goods entering the United States through July 24, 2026.

Consumer confidence rises to 91.2, but expectations index stays below 80 for 13th straight month

The Conference Board released its February 2026 Consumer Confidence Index showing a 2.2-point rise to 91.2, but the Expectations Index remained at 72.0, marking 13 consecutive months below the 80-point threshold that historically signals elevated recession risk within 6-12 months. Economists noted that while current conditions appeared stable, the persistent pessimism about future conditions reflected sustained uncertainty about tariff impacts, the DHS shutdown, and slowing government sector employment.

Trump delivers first formal SOTU of his second term

President Trump delivered the first formal State of the Union address of his second term to a joint session of Congress on February 24, 2026, speaking for over 90 minutes in the longest SOTU in at least 60 years. Trump declared a "golden age" of America, touting tariffs, Iran strikes, and immigration enforcement while pledging to replace the Affordable Care Act. Nearly half of House Democrats boycotted the address in the largest SOTU boycott ever recorded, while others walked out during the speech.

Spanberger delivers Democratic SOTU response from Colonial Williamsburg

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger delivered the Democratic response to President Trump's State of the Union from the chambers of the House of Burgesses in Colonial Williamsburg on February 24, 2026, speaking for 12 minutes. Spanberger accused Trump of driving up costs and chaos, contrasting his golden age framing with affordability struggles facing ordinary Americans. She chose Colonial Williamsburg deliberately, invoking the site where Virginia colonists first practiced self-governance as a symbol of democratic resilience.

Pentagon threatens to blacklist Anthropic over AI weapons safety limits

The Pentagon notifies Anthropic that it may place the company on a defense blacklist if Anthropic refuses to remove safety guardrails that prevent its Claude AI from assisting with lethal targeting decisions. Anthropic's contract with the DOD includes provisions limiting Claude's use for autonomous weapons applications. Defense officials argue the restrictions prevent effective military use. Anthropic refuses to remove the limits, citing its founding commitment to AI safety. The dispute escalates into a public standoff between AI safety commitments and Pentagon operational demands — raising questions about who controls the ethical limits on military AI.

Trump imposes 10% global tariff under Section 122, citing payments deficit

Four days after the Supreme Court struck down his IEEPA tariffs, President Trump signed Proclamation No. 11012 imposing a 10% additional tariff on all imports under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. The administration cited the United States' $1.2 trillion goods trade deficit and negative net international investment position as evidence of a balance-of-payments deficit triggering Section 122 authority. The tariff was set to expire after 150 days on July 24, 2026 unless Congress extended it.

Federal judiciary cites $8.3B courthouse repair backlog and seeks direct control from GSA

The Administrative Office of the US Courts formally requested congressional authority on February 24, 2026 to manage courthouse properties directly, citing an $8.3 billion backlog of critical repairs accumulated over more than a decade. The judiciary reported that ceilings had fallen during trials, elevators had trapped people for hours, and legionella bacteria had been found in building water supplies at some locations. The request came as DOGE-driven staff cuts at the General Services Administration reduced the agency's capacity to manage the federal real estate portfolio, with GSA responding that it should retain control of the properties.

Rep. Al Green ejected from Trump State of the Union over anti-racist sign

Rep. Al Green (D-TX) was ejected from the 2026 State of the Union within two minutes of Trump's speech for holding a sign reading "Black People Aren't Apes," protesting a Truth Social video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as cartoon apes. Speaker Mike Johnson directed the Sergeant at Arms to remove Green under House Rule XVII; the White House deleted the video after 12 hours and blamed a staffer, but Trump refused to apologize. Green drew on the civil rights tradition of accepting removal as deliberate moral witness against racist rhetoric from the presidency.

DOJ files a Title VII suit alleging UCLA let a hostile work environment target Jewish and Israeli staff

The Department of Justice Civil Rights Division filed suit against the University of California, alleging UCLA subjected Jewish and Israeli faculty, lecturers, and staff to a hostile work environment in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The complaint alleged that after October 7, 2023, pro-Hamas protesters shouted down professors in classrooms, swastikas appeared near faculty offices, and employees were targeted online for speaking against antisemitism. This was the first DOJ civil rights lawsuit against a university under Trump''s second term, establishing the enforcement posture for the Title VI follow-up three months later.

CIA posts public Farsi guide to recruit Iranian informants on social media

The CIA published Farsi-language instructions on X, Instagram, and YouTube directing Iranians to contact the agency as potential informants, including step-by-step guidance on using Tor networks and VPNs to evade Iranian surveillance. The post asked potential sources to share their location, name, job title, and access to information. The recruitment drive racked up millions of views within 48 hours.

Full D.C. Circuit hears oral arguments on CFPB shutdown

The full United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit heard en banc oral arguments in National Treasury Employees Union v. Vought on February 24, 2026, with 11 judges probing whether the Executive Branch could effectively disable the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau without congressional action. Acting CFPB Director Russell Vought had issued stop-work orders and initiated mass layoffs of up to 1,400 employees, and the NTEU argued these actions amounted to a constructive shutdown of a congressionally mandated agency. A three-judge panel had previously issued a preliminary injunction blocking the layoffs, prompting the Trump administration to seek full-court review.

Pentagon threatens to blacklist Anthropic over AI weapons guardrails

The Pentagon threatened to designate Anthropic a national security supply-chain risk unless the company removed contractual limits on its Claude AI system that barred use for autonomous weapons and domestic mass surveillance. Anthropic held a $200 million Pentagon contract awarded in July 2025 with two specific restrictions: no fully autonomous lethal targeting and no domestic mass surveillance. Secretary Hegseth demanded the "any lawful use" formulation that Anthropic said could override those protections.

Israeli settlers burn tents and vehicles in Susiya in West Bank attack

Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian community of Susiya in the southern West Bank at night, burning tents and vehicles and damaging homes and property. Reuters said residents and verified video showed deliberate arson; AP described settlers carrying rocks, clubs, and flammable liquid. Israeli forces said they opened an investigation, but reporting emphasized the broader pattern of rising settler violence and low accountability. This should be captured as a settler-violence and displacement-pressure event.