Germany’s ruling conservatives on Saturday passed a motion to ban social media use for under 14s and introduce more stringent digital verification checks for teenagers, building momentum for such limits in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

At a party conference in the city of Stuttgart, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union also called for fines for online platforms that failed to enforce such limits, and European Union-wide harmonisation of age standards.

A growing number of countries, including Spain, Greece, France and Britain, are looking at similar social media bans or restrictions on accessing platforms like TikTok or Instagram.

It follows the example of Australia, which last year became the first country to force platforms to cut off access for children.

European nations are more broadly ratcheting up pressure on social media companies, risking a backlash from the United States. President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs and sanctions if EU countries impose new tech taxes or online regulations that hit U.S. firms.

“We call on the federal government to introduce a legal age limit of 14 for the use of social networks and to address the special need for protection in the digital sphere up to the age of 16,” said the motion that passed on Saturday.

Merz’s coalition partners the Social Democrats have also backed social media curbs for children. Pressure from both parties in the coalition makes it increasingly likely that the federal government will push for restrictions.

However, under Germany’s federal system, media regulation is a state‑level responsibility and states must negotiate with each other to agree consistent nationwide rules.

The ban could affect children like those at the Cardinal Frings Gymnasium in the city of Bonn, several of whom a day earlier were scrolling on their phones in the school grounds.

“I think it’s fair, but I think it should be up to the parents to decide whether to forbid it, not the state,” said 13-year-old Moritz, who says he only watches YouTube.

“For children under 12 it should be forbidden, but from age 12 onwards I think children can already distinguish between what is fake news and what is not.”

His classmate Emma, 13, almost exclusively uses Snapchat, but has a time limit on her phone.

A ban would be “kind of unusual, because you get used to sending your snap in the morning before school, or what my friends do, like just scrolling through Instagram or TikTok for a bit,” she said.

Ella, 12, scrolls through social media several times a day.

“So I have TikTok and Instagram myself, but I understand that it’s all addictive, and the more you scroll, the more you want to see.”

Teacher Till Franke said that for many of the children, “it would be a shock at first, because of this daily use of social media.”

But eventually, the students would get used to it, he said, “because they would find other niches where they could communicate with each other.”

(Andreas Rinke, Stephane Nitschke and Petra Wischgoll; Writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Jan Harvey)

The British government is considering removing former Prince Andrew from the line of succession following his recent arrest.

The legislation would prevent Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from ever becoming king, the BBC reported.

Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his titles last year, but is still eighth in line to the throne. He would only be next in line following the deaths of Prince William, William’s three children, Prince Harry, and Harry’s two children.

Removing Mountbatten-Windsor from succession would be the “right thing to do,” Defence Minister Luke Pollard told the BBC.

The government would not take steps to remove Mountbatten-Windsor until after the police investigation concludes, Pollard said. He added that he hoped the move would “enjoy cross-party support.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has indicated support for such legislation, The Times reported. Buckingham Palace has said it will not interfere should Parliament proceed.

Still, James Murray, chief secretary to the Treasury, told the BBC that “any questions in that sphere would be quite complicated.”

Thames Valley Police arrested Mountbatten-Windsor on his 66th birthday on Thursday, The Daily Wire previously reported. He was held on suspicion of misconduct in public office but released later that day, according to the BBC.

His was the first arrest of a member of the British royal family since Charles I was arrested almost 400 years ago.

Law enforcement said Mountbatten-Windsor was being investigated over concerns that he shared “confidential material,” reportedly including trade documents, with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Mountbatten-Windsor could face life in prison if convicted.

“Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office,” Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said at the time.

The Metropolitan Police expanded the investigation Friday and is contacting all of Andrew’s former protection officers, The Times reported.

King Charles III called for a fair investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor.

“What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities,” he said in a statement following Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest. “In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation.”

Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, who died by apparent suicide last year, alleged that Mountbatten-Windsor sexually abused her when she was 17. He previously settled a civil lawsuit brought by Giuffre in 2022 without admitting wrongdoing.

“He knows what he’s done and he can attest to that,” Giuffre said in 2019. “He knows exactly what he’s done and I hope he comes clean about it.”

Giuffre’s family welcomed the arrest.

“Today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty,” they said. “He was never a prince.”

“For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you,” they added.

Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he will hike his worldwide tariffs to 15% after a “complete review” of the Supreme Court decision blocking his tariffs on Friday.

“Based on a thorough, detailed, and complete review of the ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday, after MANY months of contemplation, by the United States Supreme Court, please let this statement serve to represent that I, as President of the United States of America, will be, effective immediately, raising the 10% Worldwide Tariff on Countries, many of which have been ‘ripping’ the U.S. off for decades, without retribution (until I came along!), to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level,” said Trump in a Saturday morning Truth Social post.

The president added: “During the next short number of months, the Trump Administration will determine and issue the new and legally permissible Tariffs, which will continue our extraordinarily successful process of Making America Great Again – GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!!!”

NEW: President Trump is raising the 10% worldwide tariff to the "fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level." pic.twitter.com/0JsJDqLsh2

— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) February 21, 2026

The White House clarified on Friday that Trump is levying the tariffs by invoking his authority under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, empowering him to address “certain fundamental international payment problems through surcharges and other special import restrictions.” The initial White House proclamation imposed a 10% ad valorem import duty on all articles imported into the U.S. for 150 days, taking effect February 24 at 12:01 a.m.

“By taking this action, the United States can stem the outflow of its dollars to foreign producers and incentivize the return of domestic production,” a White House fact sheet explains. “By increasing its domestic production, the United States can correct its balance-of-payments deficit, while also creating good-paying jobs, and lowering costs for consumers.”

President Donald Trump imposed a 10% global tariff on foreign goods, moving quickly to preserve his trade agenda after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down many of the levies he imposed last year. Photographer: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Trump’s actions come after the Supreme Court struck down his reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries in a 6-3 decision on Friday, saying that the president does not have the authority to impose those broad-scale tariffs.

Trump, in a White House press briefing on Friday and in subsequent social media posts, said repeatedly that he is “ashamed” of the Supreme Court justices who ruled against him for “not having the Courage to do what is right for our Country.”

On the other hand, the president has repeatedly praised the justices who ruled in his favor.

“My new hero is United States Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and, of course, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito,” he posted on Saturday morning. “There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that they want to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

The Trump-Kennedy Center was targeted in what officials described as a “calculated, malicious attack” early Friday after a dark, “toxic” substance was deliberately poured across the venue’s outdoor ice rink, forcing the cancellation of a scheduled performance and prompting a law enforcement investigation.

According to Center leadership, a brown-black chemical was dumped onto the ice surface sometime overnight, severely damaging the rink and rendering it unsafe for use.

“This was not a protest — this was vandalism,” Trump-Kennedy Center officials said, emphasizing that the incident appeared deliberate and targeted.

“Today, a targeted attack on the Trump Kennedy Center vandalized and destroyed our outdoor arena, causing severe damage that we unfortunately must cancel tonight’s performance,” Roma Daravi, the Center’s vice president of public relations, said in a statement to Fox News on Friday. “We have turned over video footage to the authorities who are investigating this calculated, malicious attack and will hold those responsible accountable.”

Daravi added that Center staff are “working feverishly” to complete repairs in hopes that programming can resume as soon as possible.

🚨Trump @kencen was targeted today in a malicious act of vandalism🚨

Our outdoor plaza was doused with a toxic chemical and severely damaged (see photo). We will not tolerate violence or hate at America’s cultural center. Authorities are investigating and those responsible will… pic.twitter.com/dIcd0OcKcL

— Roma Daravi (@romadaravi) February 21, 2026

The exact chemical used in the attack has not yet been publicly identified. Authorities have not named a suspect or announced a motive. U.S. Park Police are investigating the incident.

Details on why tonight’s performance of Le Patin Libre: 𝑀𝑢𝑟𝑚𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 was cancelled from @FoxNews.

“EXCLUSIVE: ‘Targeted attack’ vandalizes Trump-Kennedy Center outdoor ice rink, forces performance cancellation.”https://t.co/ENHrqMguzT https://t.co/iH13wRz1Ye

— The Trump Kennedy Center (@kencen) February 21, 2026

This is so sad & unnecessary - @TheDemocrats have been calling artists urging them to cancel and attacking the Center non-stop.

It’s a calculated campaign.

And now they have mentally unstable people taking action - and vandalizing the Center.

We’ve seen serious death…

— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 21, 2026

“It’s a calculated campaign,” Grenell added. “And now they have mentally unstable people taking action — and vandalizing the Center.” Grenell also warned that the venue has received “serious death threats and constant harassment” in recent months, urging “commonsense Democrats” to speak out before the escalation turns deadly.

The incident comes amid major changes at the historic performing arts complex. In December 2025, the board of trustees voted unanimously to rename the venue the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. President Donald Trump was later elected chairman of the board. Earlier this month, Trump announced the venue would undergo a temporary closure beginning July 4 to allow for a sweeping restoration and modernization project.

Despite Friday’s vandalism, Trump-Kennedy Center officials said they remain committed to restoring the damaged arena quickly and resuming scheduled programming. Violence and destruction, leadership emphasized, “will not be tolerated,” and those responsible “will be held accountable.”

Winter Storm Hernando will cover the Northeast with more than a foot of snow, starting Sunday.

Blizzard conditions are expected for coastal Connecticut, Delaware, Jersey Shore, Long Island, and New York City, according to Weather Channel meteorologist Chris Bruin.

Full fledge Blizzard expected in NYC, Long Island, Coastal Connecticut, Delaware and the Jersey Shore. @weatherchannel pic.twitter.com/24NrdLDCGp

— Chris Bruin (@ChrisBruinTV) February 21, 2026

The Winter Storm Severity Index is reporting “major impacts” along the Northeast coast, from Delaware up to Massachusetts. The storm is expected to last from Sunday morning through Monday evening, CNN reported.

In addition to cold weather, strong winds could cause coastal flooding from Delaware to Long Island, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The National Weather Service also noted that “travel will be extremely dangerous” and warned of “likely” power outages. Monday commutes will likely be disrupted, as the Weather Channel recommends people stay off the roads.

An approaching storm will bring rain and high elevation snow to Pacific Northwest through the weekend. Isolated severe thunderstorms are possible across parts of the Southeast today into this evening. An impactful winter storm is forecast to bring heavy snow and high winds to the… pic.twitter.com/zWDLF1qLOe

— National Weather Service (@NWS) February 21, 2026

It’s been years since I’ve seen this kind of blizzard warnings for the northeast. Too say it’s long overdue is an understatement. pic.twitter.com/fOdxIhNpUL

— Jim Cantore (@JimCantore) February 21, 2026

“It’s been years since I’ve seen this kind of blizzard warning for the Northeast,” he said.

The storm will turn into a bomb cyclone — a term for a storm with rapidly decreasing pressure — by Sunday, targeting cities such as Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia.

New York City is expecting thirteen to eighteen inches of snow and wind speeds up to 55 mph, according to NBC New York. It has been nine years since the city was under a blizzard warning, the Weather Channel reported. The city has seen more than twenty-two inches of snow this year, compared to almost thirteen inches last year.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has resumed homeless encampment sweeps to get people inside before the storm hits, the outlet reported. Cold temperatures are expected to be less severe with this storm.

Mamdani faced criticism earlier this month when nineteen homeless people died from cold weather after Mamdani ended the encampment sweeps, The Daily Wire previously reported.

The mayor is expected to brief the city on the storm later today.

The storm comes on the heels of a catastrophic cold weather event that slammed the South in late January, causing hazardous travel conditions, thousands of cancelled flights, and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.

Nashville, Tennessee, was hit especially hard, as The Daily Wire previously documented, with major, long-lasting power outages, frozen roads, and downed trees.

Most Americans say the Supreme Court of the United States was right to block much of President Donald Trump’s sweeping emergency tariffs, a decision on an issue that has exposed sharp divisions among Republicans and prompted open celebration from Democrats.

A YouGov survey released Friday found that 60 percent of U.S. adults “strongly” or “somewhat” approve of the Court’s ruling, compared to 23 percent who disapprove and 17 percent who are unsure. Democrats backed the decision overwhelmingly at 88 percent, while 63 percent of independents also approved. Republicans were more divided: 43 percent disapproved, while 30 percent said they approve.

The ruling came Friday morning in a 6–3 decision against Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners. Trump became the first president to rely on the nearly 50-year-old statute for such broad import taxes. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts concluded that IEEPA does not authorize the president’s tariff regime.

The Court declined to address whether previously collected tariffs must be refunded, leaving that question to lower courts. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a Trump appointee who joined the majority, has previously warned that refunds could become “a mess,” a concern echoed in dissent by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, joined by Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas.

The Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates the ruling could put as much as $175 billion in tariff revenue at risk, noting that importers typically have 180 days after goods are liquidated to file refund claims with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Reactions among Republican leaders ranged from constitutional praise to outright condemnation of the Court.

The Supreme Court defended the Constitution by rejecting the use of “emergency” powers to impose taxes. Tariffs are taxes and the power to declare them belongs to the Congress. This goes beyond this case. No future administration, including a socialist one, can use “emergency”…

— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) February 20, 2026

The Supreme Court makes plain what should have been obvious: “The power to impose tariffs is “very clearly a branch of the power to tax.” pic.twitter.com/FBjYD29Dfn

— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) February 20, 2026

Today, the Supreme Court decided that Congress, despite giving the president the ability to "regulate imports", didn't actually mean it. This is lawlessness from the Court, plain and simple. And its only effect will be to make it harder for the president to protect American…

— JD Vance (@JDVance) February 20, 2026

Tariffs can be an important and effective tool to address unfair trade practices and help level the playing field with foreign competitors. Senate Republicans will continue working with the administration and our colleagues in the House to advance our shared goal to strengthen…

— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) February 20, 2026

No one can deny that the President’s use of tariffs has brought in billions of dollars and created immense leverage for America’s trade strategy and for securing strong, reciprocal America-first trade agreements with countries that had been taking advantage of American workers…

— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 20, 2026

Today, the Supreme Court reaffirmed authority that has rested with Congress for centuries. The American people already know that tariffs make building and buying here at home more expensive. And Kentuckians understand this painful reality better than most. But the use of IEEPA to…

— U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (@SenMcConnell) February 20, 2026

The Supreme Court decision striking down the harmful Trump Tariffs is a big victory for the American people.

And another crushing defeat for the wannabe King.

— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) February 20, 2026

Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House Friday afternoon, called the decision “disappointing” and criticized Barrett and Justice Neil Gorsuch, both of whom he appointed. “I don’t want to say whether I regret nominating them,” Trump said. “I think their decision was terrible.” He added that he was “proud” of Kavanaugh, saying the justice’s “stock has gone so up.”

Within hours of the ruling, Trump announced he had signed a new executive order imposing a 10 percent global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows temporary tariffs of up to 15 percent for 150 days to address large trade deficits.

The White House’s official X account responded more bluntly, posting: “Keep Calm and Tariff On.”

This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.

***

Shortly after the birth of my third son, I was talking with my grandmother, whose homemaking without computers, air conditioning, and a host of other modern conveniences was beginning to seem miraculous. I admitted to her how often my husband and I resort to takeout for dinner and how I struggle to find time to make even three or four home-cooked meals a week. How she managed to get meals almost entirely from scratch on the table with far fewer resources at her fingertips, and with four children at that, was beyond me. I asked her how on earth she did it.

What she said shocked me. She responded by asking me the same thing. My grandmother said she didn’t know how I balanced everything. She said life was slower back then, and she wasn’t as busy as I am.

While she may have some rose-colored glasses when it comes to remembering her past, this interaction nonetheless made me view my reliance on technology in a new light. The more I have thought about it, the more convinced I am that the very technological advancements that make my life easier — the most recent being artificial intelligence — actually contribute to a busier, more overwhelming life.

I’ll be the first to acknowledge that AI has proven and will continue to prove beneficial to society in many ways, particularly through its ability to expedite human ingenuity when employed wisely in the professional sphere. I saw this firsthand when I worked in the intelligence community. But in the personal sphere, I’m skeptical of AI’s overall benefit, and I worry that its promise to make everyday tasks easier may come with more strings than we care to imagine.

Even simple tasks offloaded to AI lead to large amounts of wasted screen time. A few months ago, I asked ChatGPT to generate a meal plan for a week of healthy, easy meals. It spit out some good recipes, and while not overly complicated, one poke bowl-style recipe included pickled onions. I rarely ever use pickled onions, and I ended up making another inquiry to find other meals to make with the pickled onions that would inevitably be left over. I also asked where certain ingredients came from, researched their calories, and checked my grocery app to make sure my preferred grocery store carried pickled onions. ChatGPT often leads to tangents and extended phone time beyond the simple task at hand.

Perhaps more sinisterly, AI platforms encourage this continued use. Anyone who engages with AI regularly knows how its answers are regenerative, encouraging users to extend their searches by further refining or even redirecting users toward new inquiries. AI programs such as ChatGPT or Grok often suggest targeted follow-up inquiries based on the original prompt. Would you like a lower-carb version? An exportable recipe list to share? Suddenly, I’m considering that one of my other busy mom friends would like one of the recipes ChatGPT has given me, and I begin texting the recipe link out to other moms who I think may appreciate them. So there I am, 25 minutes into meal prepping, and I haven’t begun at all. I’m still on my phone.

Technology has an uncanny way of making life busier while making specific tasks easier. Although you may not have spent 30-plus minutes on ChatGPT meal plan tangents like I have, you probably know what I mean. Facebook Marketplace, Google Classrooms, community or city websites, even weather apps — they all make life easier and facilitate incredible information sharing, but they have an unparalleled way of consuming our time. We’re drowning in digital to-dos and an overwhelming amount of online information that we feel obligated to check on a daily basis.

Enter ChatGPT, and we’re only further compounding our digital busyness in the name of expediency. A Pew Research study last fall found something interesting: While Americans express concern over the amount of control AI has in their lives, over half of them use AI daily, and an even higher percentage — 73% of Americans — say that they are willing to allow AI to assist them, at least to some small degree, with day-to-day activities. In other words, while Americans are concerned about AI, it is becoming increasingly woven into our already digitally maxed-out lives. 

This got me thinking, if I hadn’t turned to AI for recipe help, what would I have done instead? Brainstormed harder to come up with some on my own? Asked a friend for her go-to meals? Experimented with recipe creation in an entrepreneurial trial-and-error process? Whatever I would have done, I am convinced it would have been better than the time I spent on ChatGPT searching for meals and embarking down other AI rabbit holes.

In a post-pandemic world, we know all too well the profound shallowness of digital dependence. Using AI to assist with daily tasks and decisions will make life easier in the same way that social media allows us to connect with other people: It will be far less rewarding than ways that we could pursue the same ends offline. Screens flatten genuine human connection and chip away at self-discipline and contentment. AI further liberates us from everyday dependence on friends and family, minimizing the need to ask another human for small matters of advice in decisions for which we now use AI. It also liberates us from the rewarding process and intrinsic fulfillment that comes from brainstorming things ourselves.

And in thus liberating us, it robs us of the everyday joys that come from these mundane human interactions and from the power of organic ideas. As a society, we desperately need to ingest the truth that engaging in activities — whether those be simple matters of housekeeping or artistic and intellectual endeavors — in a way that cultivates wisdom, virtue, self-discipline, and genuine human relationships is the true measure of time well spent. The next time I’m tempted to turn to ChatGPT for recipe ideas, I’m going to call my grandmother and ask her instead. 

***

Rebekah Bills is a freelance writer and mother of three. She previously served as a civilian intelligence officer in the Defense Intelligence Agency.

In Michigan, late winter and early spring are unpredictable. It’s a time of year when the state could get buried under a foot of snow at the beginning of a week and then reach 60 degrees with sunshine by the weekend.

This year, Michigan’s unpredictable late winter season will also serve as an important gauge in a wide-open 2026 midterm Senate election. For the first time in the state’s history, the governor’s race and the U.S. Senate contest will both take place without an incumbent running in either election, thanks to the retirement of Democratic Senator Gary Peters. While the primary elections and the warm Michigan summer are still months away, the Michigan Senate race is already heating up.

The 2026 Senate election in Michigan could also serve as a bellwether for other important races across the country as the GOP looks to hold onto control in the upper chamber. Michigan remains a political paradox as a state that returned Trump to the White House in 2024 while simultaneously electing a Democrat to the Senate. In 2026, it once again remains a pure toss-up.

Recent elections have been brutal for Michigan Republican Senate candidates. The party hasn’t won a Senate race in the state since 1994 — when star athletes Isaiah Thomas and Barry Sanders were still playing in Detroit.

Strong Start For Republicans

Republicans are hoping for a breakthrough in this year’s Senate election with former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, a familiar name on the ballot in Michigan. Rogers ran for an open Senate seat in 2024, but despite voters pushing Trump over the edge in Michigan, Rogers lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin by just over 20,000 votes.

Asked if there is any lingering trepidation from the 2024 election loss, Rogers told The Daily Wire that he’s confident he has “enough votes in the bank to win this election.”

“We had over 100,000 people walk into the polls in 2024, vote for Donald Trump, and turn around and leave, didn’t vote for any other Republican,” Rogers said. “Here’s the good news: I got more Republican votes than any other statewide candidate for a state of Michigan office in the history of the state by 300,000 votes. So I have enough votes in the bank to win this election. We’ve just got to get people ginned up to get there.”

Mike Rogers (JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

This year, Rogers once again boasts an endorsement from Trump, which came much earlier in the race than in 2024, marking him as the clear favorite to win the GOP primary. With the primary all but secure, Rogers is busy building a general election war chest as a crowded field of Democrats vie for the nomination. That’s a welcome development for the Rogers campaign, which fell far behind the Democrats in fundraising in 2024.

Rogers told The Daily Wire that he believes his campaign represents Republicans’ best chance to pick up a Senate seat in the 2026 midterms.

“Having President Trump’s endorsement early, having the Senate leadership support early, having our ground game organized early, all of that has made a tremendous difference,” he said. “And the result of that is that we’ve led in the last four current polls, which tells you in a state like Michigan, getting out a little bit early like this and having better ground game, better organization, better funding is really, really significant.”

Rogers said that after decades of Democratic control of both U.S. Senate seats in Michigan, residents are ready for “change.”

“People are fired up about this race, and they’re excited for change,” he said. “And why not have a voice of reason finally, after 30 years, representing somebody who actually started working on a factory floor and is now a candidate for Senate.”

As he gears up for a general election battle, Rogers is fine-tuning his messaging on the economy and the housing market, issues that President Trump has also focused on in recent months. Earlier this month, Rogers unveiled a plan to help Americans “unlock homeownership.” The Republican Senate candidate proposed expanding 529 savings plans to cover first-time home down payments and deferring student loan payments while saving for a down payment.

“The Democrats will find everything to be against. They don’t stand for much of anything for how to fix a problem,” Rogers said. “They know that I’ve fixed problems, and I’m going to fix problems when I become their next United States senator. That’s what people are fired up about.”

The Daily Wire asked Rogers about Americans’ ongoing economic frustrations one year after Trump, who was largely elected on promises to fix those economic issues, was sworn in. Rogers said the Trump administration and Republicans are trying to fix “four years of really bad Democrat policies” under the Biden administration. The GOP Senate candidate specifically called out how former President Joe Biden’s policies affected Michigan autoworkers.

“They damn near put out of business two great American car companies with all these EV mandates. Even the Ford CEO came out and said it was the EV mandates that was the cause of the increase of cost for these cars,” he said. “Democrats have had years to do this damage. The Republicans and Donald Trump have had about a year to undo as much of that as possible.”

A Big Question Mark For Democrats

Three Democratic candidates are in a close primary race for the chance to face Rogers and maintain the Democratic Party’s dominance in Michigan Senate elections.

U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, state Senate leader Mallory McMorrow, and former health care director Dr. Abdul El-Sayed are at the top of the field in a crowded race. While Republicans are already focusing on the general election, the door remains wide open for Democrats. According to the most recent polling from Emerson College, McMorrow leads the field at 22%, with Stevens coming in at 17% and El-Sayed standing at 16%. Nearly 40% of voters polled, however, remained undecided.

🚨WATCH: Democrat Candidate for Senate in Michigan Mallory McMorrow says that she would not be able to stop herself from hurling cans of beer at Amy Coney Barrett & Brett Kavanaugh if she saw them in public.

Despicable! pic.twitter.com/aQTsPBnvQC

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) December 18, 2025

“I talked to somebody yesterday who said they saw her with Brett Kavanaugh at a tailgate last weekend. I was like, ‘I would not be able to control myself,’” McMorrow said. “That would be bad — there would be beers thrown in people’s faces.”

State Sen. Mallory McMorrow (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Stevens was criticized by some Democratic leaders late last year after she filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. According to The New York Times, some of Stevens Democratic colleagues viewed the move as a political stunt.

Stevens shot back, arguing that she’s “not one for political theater” and that she was “standing up for the health and safety of the people I represent.”

Rep. Haley Stevens (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

In October, El-Sayed sent a fundraising email on the anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, but in the email, El-Sayed made no mention of the terror group’s atrocities and blamed Israel for launching “a ground invasion of Gaza.” After the email was sent, the Democratic candidate said that it was pushed out by mistake, and he released a separate statement on the anniversary of October 7 condemning Hamas for the “heinous attack,” but also accusing Israel of committing “genocide.”

El-Sayed, who was endorsed by democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, told The Daily Wire last week that the email had been approved to go out, but was supposed to be sent on a different day.

“It went out, and I very quickly reached out to leaders in the Jewish community to apologize for having stepped on their grief,” he said, adding, “The message in the email is something I stand by.”

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (Erin Kirkland/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The top Democratic candidates are already beating up on each other, and there are still months to go in the bitter primary battle before Michigan’s August 4 primary. In a forum hosted by the United Auto Workers in Detroit last week, the Democratic candidates clashed over multiple issues, including how far to the Left Michigan voters would be willing to go.

McMorrow, who is leading in early polls, suggested that El-Sayed — who is the farthest to the Left of the three Democrats — is focusing on “rhetoric” over delivering results, while arguing that Stevens is “too beholden to corporate interests.” During the forum, Stevens, who is viewed as most in line with the Democratic establishment and is endorsed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, focused her attacks on Trump and Rogers, NBC News reported.

El-Sayed, meanwhile, ran to the Left of both McMorrow and Stevens, calling for “Medicare for all” and for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be “abolished,” stances he also discussed in a 20-minute phone conversation with The Daily Wire last week.

The Daily Wire reached out to the campaigns of McMorrow and Stevens, requesting interviews, but they have not responded.

The race could ultimately come down to how well Republicans can maintain their focus on the general election and whether Rogers can maintain his fundraising advantage, as the Democrats battle it out for the nomination.

A lot can change in these political campaigns in a short amount of time — just like Michigan’s weather in late February.

In politics, it’s never too early to start looking ahead. For Republicans today, that means thinking about who will lead their party after Trump leaves the scene.

Legal and political analyst Frank DeVito believes Vice President JD Vance is the man for the job, a case he lays out in the new book, “JD Vance and the Future of the Republican Party.” 

“I think there’s a pretty good argument that [Trump] chose somebody who has the potential to be a post-Trump leader of the Republican Party and the MAGA movement,” DeVito told The Daily Wire. 

To say not every Republican agrees with that assessment is an understatement. While Vance has become a central figure in the Trump coalition, critics on both the populist right and the GOP’s more traditional conservative wing question whether his relatively short tenure in national office and shifting political positions make him the natural heir to the movement.

DeVito makes the case that Vance isn’t simply riding the Trump wave, but represents a deeper shift inside the GOP. He says Vance’s focus on family, faith, practicality, and a willingness to confront institutions that have clearly stopped working for normal people are a huge part of the appeal. 

“One of the priorities that he is clearly focused on,” DeVito says, “is how do we provide a world where as many people as possible can get married, have stable marriages, and raise children.”

That emphasis has landed Vance in hot water before, especially when he criticized the Left’s open hostility toward the family. But DeVito said he agrees with Vance’s stance.

“How does any civilization function?” he asked. “You have parents who have children, they raise those children as best they can … You can’t really have civilization without that.”

He points out how normalized it’s become to dismiss those foundations entirely, which leads to civilizational collapse. “If kids are being raised by institutions instead of stable parents … who exactly do we think is going to be running the country in 30 years?” he asked. 

That’s also the context behind one of Vance’s most controversial remarks about how world leaders without children may lack the long-term perspective required to govern well. The backlash was extreme, but DeVito claims the point Vance was making is just obvious. “I would hope leaders are thinking not just about the next election or their stock portfolio, but about what kind of country their grandchildren are going to inherit,” he said.

The comments were criticized not only by Democrats but by some Republicans, who warned that this kind of rhetoric could be politically damaging in a general election.

But it does help to explain Vance’s political evolution, especially his highly scrutinized shift from Trump skeptic to Trump’s running mate. While some conservatives rightly question this about face, DeVito argues it wasn’t opportunism, but a reflection of Vance reassessing Trump’s role in confronting institutional power. 

“If you think American institutions are basically healthy and just need minor corrections, then of course Trump looks insane,” he said. “But what Vance came to believe is that he was wrong about how broken those institutions really are.”

Once Vance figured out the depth of the rot, he pivoted. “They’re actually so co-opted that it might take dropping some dynamite into the system to recover a sane America,” DeVito explained. In that light, Trump isn’t wrecking things for fun, he’s doing what needs to be done to reshape the culture.

What gives Vance credibility here, DeVito insists, is his unique experience going from a broken home to running in elite circles. “How do we create an America where normal people can get married, raise kids, and have meaningful work?” DeVito said. “That question animates everything Vance does.”

Vance grew up amid addiction and instability, then passed through Yale Law and into the upper echelons of society. What he found, DeVito said, was a stunning disconnect. “The elites think things are great and getting better,” he said. “Meanwhile, in the communities Vance came from, it’s addiction, joblessness, broken families, and despair.” 

Faith, again, plays a role here. DeVito argues that Vance’s Catholicism isn’t political branding, but is just more proof that the politician is willing to embrace a truth even when it could hurt his popularity. “There’s really nothing advantageous to your political career about becoming a Catholic in 2026 or when he converted … So I don’t think he would do it unless it was genuine,” the author said.

DeVito said in the book that Vance is uniquely positioned to unify the Republican Party.

“The Republican Party in 2015 when Trump went down the escalator was something very different than it is now,” he said, noting how that change hinged on the charisma and force of one person over the last decade. 

Whether that unity is achievable remains an open question, particularly as factions within the party continue to debate the future of MAGA itself.

DeVito also mentioned that the person on deck doesn’t have an easy job. “It’s a hard dance,” he observed. “Nobody’s going to be Donald Trump.”

Two officers with the Detroit Police Department were suspended without pay for 30 days on Thursday for calling Customs and Border Protection agents on two separate occasions that resulted in the agents taking suspects into federal custody.

A Detroit Police sergeant and officer were accused by Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison of breaking department policy when they called Border Patrol agents during traffic stops on December 16 and February 9, ABC’s Detroit affiliate WXYZ reported. Bettison pushed to fire the officers, but the Board of Police Commissioners voted on Thursday to suspend the cops without pay. The officers were initially suspended with pay on February 12.

We have a place for you, patriots.https://t.co/3c7b0Ry86A https://t.co/8bCkfH1Yhb

— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) February 20, 2026

While Detroit has not officially declared itself a “sanctuary city” for illegal immigrants, it effectively acts as on as the police are prohibited from cooperating with federal immigration agents. During the incident earlier this month, Detroit Police sergeant Denise Wallet was called to assist an officer who was dealing with a person who could not speak English. According to Chief Bettison, the sergeant called Border Patrol to help with translation services instead of using the police department’s translation service line.

Wallet, who has been with the department for 27 years, sued the city after she was suspended. In a complaint, Wallet said that she contacted Border Patrol simply to identify the suspect, “not to enforce immigration law or to inquire into the subject’s immigration status,” Michigan Advance reported. Wallet’s action was discovered by the police department during a bodycam audit, which showed the sergeant make “a verbal comment expressing her disagreement with the DPD policy regarding immigration and collaboration with the federal government.”

In the complaint, Wallet argues that the police department’s policy violates federal law, which states that “no state or local government entity or official may prohibit or restrict any government entity or official from sending to, or receiving from, federal immigration authorities information regarding the citizenship or immigration status of any individual.” Wallet also argues that her due process rights were violated since she was suspended without being given an opportunity to defend herself.

Leftist Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib praised Chief Bettison for punishing the police officers.

“Chief Bettison and I agree that we need to make sure that our community and our residents trust the people who are trying to keep us safe,” Tlaib said.

Michigan House Republican leader Matt Hall, however, said that the Detroit Police Department’s action could prompt the state House to review the department’s policies, saying that firing the officers would be “unacceptable,” The Detroit News reported.

After the board voted on Thursday to suspend the officers without pay, Bettison said he would no longer pursue firing the officers.

“This incident should make it clear, however, that as Chief, I will continue to vigorously enforce DPD’s policies,” he added.

While Detroit has not seen the same surge in federal immigration operations that cities like Minneapolis and Chicago have experienced, ICE agents routinely arrest suspected illegal immigrants in the Motor City and surrounding area.