France Summons U.S. Ambassador After Washington Condemns Killing of Conservative Activist, Insists There Are ‘No Lessons to Learn’

Emmanuel Macron

France announced Sunday it will summon U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner after Washington publicly condemned the killing of French conservative activist Quentin Deranque.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the U.S. Embassy’s comments about the case amounted to interference in a matter that “concerns the national community.”

He added that France “rejects any instrumentalisation of this tragedy” and insisted the country has “no lessons to learn” from what he described as an “international reactionary movement.”

Barrot said he plans to raise additional concerns with Ambassador Kushner, including U.S. sanctions imposed on former EU commissioner Thierry Breton and French judge Nicolas Guillou.

He described the sanctions as “unjustified and unjustifiable,” while Macron has reportedly written to President Trump requesting that certain sanctions on European citizens be lifted.

Deranque was beaten to death during a clash with far-left thugs, an attack that has sparked nationwide outrage and renewed debate over political violence in France.

The U.S. Embassy in Paris and the State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism said they were monitoring developments.

In a post on X, the embassy warned that “violent radical leftism was on the rise” and should be treated as a public safety threat.

Sarah Rogers, the State Department’s under secretary for public diplomacy, said the killing demonstrated “why we treat political violence – terrorism – so harshly.”

“Once you decide to kill people for their opinions instead of persuade them, you’ve opted out of civilization,” she wrote.

The Trump administration has also condemned the role of “violent radical leftism” in the case.

The incident has heightened the already febrile atmosphere across France ahead of the upcoming municipal elections.

Around 3,000 people marched in Lyon over the weekend in tribute to Deranque.

Six men have been given preliminary charges in connection with the assault.

A parliamentary assistant to a lawmaker from the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, led by communist Jean Luc-Melenchon, has also been charged with complicity.

The diplomatic dispute follows earlier friction between France and Italy after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described Deranque’s killing as “a wound for all of Europe,” prompting criticism from Paris.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/02/france-summons-u-s-ambassador-after-washington-condemns/

‘I Failed’: Doctor Apologizes For Staying Quiet As Surgeons Tried To Lop Off Kids’ Genitals

Ira Savetsky, a plastic surgeon who trained at NYU Langone Health, is apologizing for his failure to condemn the hospital’s so-called “gender-affirming” surgeries on minors.

“As a father to three young children, and as a physician who took an oath to do no harm, I failed to speak up,” Savetsky said Thursday on “Fox & Friends.” (RELATED: California Blocked From Secretly Transitioning Kids In School)

Savetsky added that he “just want[s] to thank President Trump for having moral clarity on this. And our society finally came out strongly against this … You’re at the number one plastic surgery program. You’re just grateful to be there. There’s no room to speak up. You’re a soldier.”

“You work so hard to get there, you’re not gonna, you don’t want to make waves.” 

One assumes that scores of physicians harbored the same objections as Savetsky, but remained quiet for fear of retribution. Hence the importance of a president willing to fight “culture war” battles. 

“I failed to speak up and I just want to thank President Trump on having moral clarity on this.”

Dr. Ira Savetsky, a board-certified plastic surgeon, reacts to an NYC hospital finally ending its transgender treatment program for kids pic.twitter.com/sfrrVaZL5F

— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) February 19, 2026

NYU Langone Health shuttered their Transgender Youth Health Program on Tuesday. A spokesman cited “the current regulatory environment” as contributing to the decision, according to The New York Times (NYT). The Trump administration has threatened to revoke federal funding from hospitals which mutilate children in this manner.

“I can only imagine what the parents were going through. I mean, they’re told that their child is going to kill themselves if they don’t have these surgeries,” Savetsky said, according to Fox News. “They’re pressured, and what are you supposed to do? You’ve dropped everything to do the right thing for your child, and I think that, unfortunately, there was a lot of financial motivation with these institutions.” (RELATED: New School Gender Identity Rules Will Put UK Far Ahead Of US On Parental Rights)

Social pressure has facilitated the trans craze like nothing else. It moves young girls seeking approval and attention and friends to identify as boys. It cows parents into going along. It pushes physicians to ignore their nagging conscience. 

Thankfully, that pressure appears to be lifting. 

https://dailycaller.com/2026/02/20/ira-savetsky-plastic-surgeon-new-york-university-langone-health-donald-trump-transgender-kids-children/

DOJ Files to Revoke Citizenship of Former Mayor Over Alleged Fraud

Former North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime allegedly used two identities and made false statements to authorities during his bid for U.S. citizenship.

The U.S. Department of Justice in Washington on Jan. 6, 2026.

The Trump administration said Feb. 20 it has filed court papers to strip a former elected official in Florida of U.S. citizenship for allegedly committing fraud during the naturalization process.

The civil legal process against former North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime was initiated months after the federal government made a policy announcement.

In June 2025, the government said it would begin prioritizing the denaturalization of foreign-born citizens who either “illegally procured” naturalization or procured naturalization by “concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.”

Bien-Aime, a native of Haiti, used two identities to secure immigration benefits and eventually obtain U.S. citizenship after unlawfully entering the United States, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) said in a statement.

CIS said the fraud was confirmed by comparing the fingerprints he provided while using the two identities, as part of a joint project carried out by CIS and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

CIS alleged that before he became a U.S. citizen using the name Philippe Bien-Aime, the individual used a fraudulent passport with a switched photo to come to the United States under the name Jean Philippe Janvier. As Janvier, he was ordered deported. He later withdrew his appeal and represented that he had returned to Haiti.

In reality, according to CIS, he remained in the United States, used a new name and birthdate, and was married to a U.S. citizen to procure permanent resident status. The marriage was invalid because he was already married to a citizen of Haiti. He also made various false statements during the immigration and naturalization process and became a U.S. citizen in 2006 using the Bien-Aime identity, CIS alleged.

The DOJ said in a statement that a legal complaint was filed Feb. 18 with the U.S. District Court in Miami to launch the denaturalization proceeding against Bien-Aime. Miami-based U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said U.S. citizenship “is a privilege grounded in honesty and allegiance to this country.”

“The complaint alleges that this defendant built his citizenship on fraud — using false identities, false statements, and a sham marriage to evade a lawful removal order,” Quiñones said in the DOJ statement.

“The fact that he later served as an elected mayor makes the alleged deception even more serious, because public office carries a duty of candor and respect for the rule of law,” he added.

Assistant U.S. Attorney General Brett Shumate said the Trump administration “will not permit fraudsters and tricksters who cheat their way to the gift of U.S. citizenship.”

“The passage of time does not diminish blatant immigration fraud,” he said in the statement.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/doj-files-to-revoke-citizenship-of-former-mayor-over-alleged-fraud-5988343?ea_src=frontpage&ea_med=section-1

Mexico Erupts in Flames After Reported Death of Largest Terrorist Cartel Boss, El Mencho

Cartel gunmen have begun carrying out terrorist attacks in various states in Mexico in response to the reported death of the country’s most powerful terrorist cartel leader, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes. Mexico’s government has not officially confirmed his death.

The chaos began on Sunday early morning when cartel gunmen began setting up blockades in four key states that are controlled by El Mencho’s terrorist organization Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG), one of several cartels that have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. government.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

The gunmen deployed road spikes, carjacked vehicles, set fire to buildings, and brought several cities to a standstill in the border state of Tamaulipas, as well as the central state of Guanajuato and the western states of Michoacan and Jalisco. Soon after, states like Nayarit, Colima, and others reported similar chaos. The hyperviolent reaction follows a high-profile military operation carried out in the state of Jalisco, where military forces reportedly killed El Mencho during a clash with his gunmen.

Several top news organizations in Mexico began reporting the death of El Mencho on Sunday morning. The death of the top cartel figure has not been confirmed by Mexico’s government.

Breitbart Texas consulted with key sources within the Mexican government and with various U.S. agencies that are part of the intelligence community, which revealed that the current information and available intelligence point to a strong possibility that Mexican military forces killed the elusive cartel figure. Other information points to an attempt to capture one of his top lieutenants and additional operations aimed at decapitating CJNG.

As violence erupted across the region, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico issued a security alert, warning, “Due to ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity, U.S. citizens in the named locations should shelter in place until further notice.”

If confirmed, the death of El Mencho or the capture of top CJNG figures would strengthen the credibility of Mexico’s efforts to fight drug cartels as requested by the Trump administration. In the past, Mexico had acted against other organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel, the Gulf Cartel, and other smaller cartels — CJNG remained largely untouched.

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2026/02/22/mexico-erupts-in-flames-after-reported-death-of-largest-terrorist-cartel-boss-el-mencho/

Israel to form global alliance against radical Islam, says Netanyahu

Prime Minister Netanyahu lays out vision for “hexagon” of alliances with India, moderate Arab states, African nations, and Mediterranean allies to form a bulwark against both the Iranian axis and radical Sunni Islam.

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans on Sunday to form an international alliance against radical Islam, forming a bulwark against both the Iranian-centered Shi’ite axis and the radical Sunni axis.

Netanyahu laid out his vision while addressing ministers at the opening of the weekly government meeting, during which he touted his ties with the Trump administration.

“We have a unique and, in my opinion, historic alliance with the United States, both nation-to-nation and through my personal relationship with President Trump,” Netanyahu said. “This alliance does not mean that we are not seeking additional alliances; on the contrary, we are cultivating them constantly.”

The prime minister highlighted his “special relationship” with his Indian counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that India could become a major partner in a new alliance to counter radical Islam.

That alliance, Netanyahu predicted, will span Europe, Asia, and Africa, bringing together countries including Israel, India, Greece, and moderate Arab states.

“I want to say something regarding the diplomatic aspect: In the vision I see before me, we will create an entire system, essentially a ‘hexagon’ of alliances around or within the Middle East.”

“This includes India, Arab nations, African nations, Mediterranean nations (Greece and Cyprus), and nations in Asia that I won’t detail at the moment. I will present this in an organized manner.”

“The intention here is to create an axis of nations that see eye-to-eye on the reality, challenges, and goals against the radical axes, both the radical Shia axis, which we have struck very hard, and the emerging radical Sunni axis.”

“All of these nations share a different perception, and our cooperation can yield great results and, of course, ensure our resilience and our future.”

https://worldisraelnews.com/israel-to-form-global-alliance-against-radical-islam-says-netanyahu/?vwo_powered=1

PEAK Desperation! Katie Porter's Bizarre, Creepy, Curse-Filled Anti-Trump Rant BOMBS

Full transparency, we totally forgot that Katie Porter was running for governor. In our defense, she's such a horrible politician and person in general (we've seen how she treats her staff and we know she dumped scalding hot mashed potatoes on her ex-husband) so we don't feel too terribly bad for forgetting about her.

The last time she popped up on our radar she was verbally abusing her staff ... and now she's on our radar again for doing something similar.

Watch this crazy woman.

Post continues:

... kindergarteners in her awful, sing-songy child-scold voice and cadence while giving vent to the only unifier still holding the ratbag of team donkey together:  hatred of trump.

but that is not a platform.

she is at once vulgar and vapid, a sort of demented and deranged cartoon of politics that reaches past mere negative campaigning and deep into self indictment as a bereft and barren movement seeking nothing, no principle, no real aim outside of its own self-perpetuation.

i'm not sure there is really anything left here that can stand as a simple positive.  as they stand in the ruins of DEI, socialist takings, taxes, eco-lunacy and energy destruction, damaged children, deficits, and systemic failures unable to chart a new course or defend what they have wrought in the golden state, they seek any message they can at least get some sort of cheer from, the desperate overreach of a failing comedian whose jokes have turned desperately dark.

the shrillery of the collapsing echo chamber grows ever more intense and ever less meaningful.

this seems like a group in the final stages of eating itself.

will the last donkey out please turn out the lights...

We really really really hope he's right, especially after what Abigail Spanberger somehow magically pulled off in Virginia.

Tiresome is a really good word for this broad.

She is definitely the sort of woman who cuts in line and screams at you if you notice.

https://twitchy.com/samj/2026/02/22/katie-porter-curse-filled-anti-trump-speech-n2425290