Thursday, February 12th, 2026 - Bondi melts down; Congress blocks Canada tariffs; Pride flag comes down; EPA deregulates

Today’s Headlines: Attorney General Pam Bondi’s House Oversight testimony devolved into a chaotic shouting match, yielding few answers about the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files. Bondi repeatedly deflected, bizarrely citing stock market highs as a more appropriate topic, and accused Rep. Thomas Massie of having “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” The most notable takeaway: Bondi appeared to confirm the DOJ tracked which Epstein-related documents Democratic committee members reviewed, raising fresh concerns about internal surveillance. In Congress, six House Republicans joined Democrats to pass a resolution blocking Trump’s Canada tariffs, which were imposed without congressional approval. The Senate passed a similar measure earlier, but Trump can veto it, and the Supreme Court—currently reviewing the tariffs—has yet to rule. Several quieter policy shifts drew scrutiny. The Institute of Museum and Library Services revised federal grant guidelines to prioritize “uplifting and positive” patriotic narratives aligned with Trump executive orders, signaling a shift away from apolitical, merit-based funding. In New York, the Pride flag was removed from the Stonewall National Monument following a federal ban on “non-agency” flags in national parks. Environmental rollbacks accelerated as the EPA moved to reverse its finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health, while the Federal Judicial Center removed climate science guidance from its judges’ manual after political pressure. ProPublica also reported the U.S. Forest Service concealed knowledge that firefighters’ gear contained cancer-linked PFAS chemicals. Finally, a deep-red Oklahoma special election delivered a surprise: Democrats overperformed by roughly 30 points, marking their strongest showing in the district in nearly two decades. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: NBC News: Pam Bondi hearing devolves into shouting matches with Democrats over Epstein and DOJ prosecutions NYT: House Votes to Cancel Trump’s Canada Tariffs ProPublica: Institute of Museum and Library Services Grant Guidelines Take Political Turn Under Trump NYT: Pride Flag Is Removed From Stonewall Monument After Trump Directive Axios: EPA's "endangerment finding" rescission looms ProPublica: Federal Judicial Center Pulls Climate Change Chapter From Official Manual for U.S. Judges ProPublica: Firefighters Wore Gear Containing “Forever Chemicals.” The Forest Service Knew and Stayed Silent for Years. Newsweek: Democrat Overperforms by 30 Points in Deep Red Oklahoma Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices