作者： root

US judge rejects California law that banned masks for federal officers

February 10, 2026 2:47 AM UTC / Reuters

Feb 9 (Reuters) – A federal judge in Los Angeles on Monday preliminarily struck down a California state law that bans federal officers from wearing masks while on duty.

U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder said, opens new tab the U.S. government was likely to prove that the law is unconstitutional and granted its request for an order against its enforcement.

Jumpstart your morning with the latest legal news delivered straight to your inbox from The Daily Docket newsletter. Sign up here.

In the same ruling, Snyder upheld another California law that requires federal officers to display identification when performing their duties.

节点运行失败

California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement that Snyder’s decision on the identification law was “a clear win for the rule of law,” and that “no badge and no name mean no accountability.”

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi called the decision on the mask law “ANOTHER key court victory” in a statement on X.

“These federal agents are harassed, doxxed, obstructed, and attacked on a regular basis just for doing their jobs,” Bondi said. “We have no tolerance for it.”

Newsom signed the provisions in September amid Republican President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles during protests over immigration enforcement operations. The U.S. Department of Justice sued to strike down the laws in November and said it would not comply.

The department said in the lawsuit that federal officers “face a real threat of criminal liability from state officials who have made clear their intent to target federal officers and disrupt federal law enforcement activities, including federal immigration enforcement.”

Snyder, an appointee of Democratic U.S. President Bill Clinton, agreed with the Trump administration that California’s masking law violated the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which prevents states from interfering with federal functions. The judge said the law improperly targets federal officers by treating them differently than state law enforcement officers, who were excluded from the mask ban.

Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington; Editing by Lincoln Feast.

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

巴勒斯坦呼吁国际社会干预以色列的“危险决定”

2026年2月10日 09:11 / 联合早报

以色列安全内阁2月8日批准旨在扩大犹太人定居点的一系列决定。图为约旦河西岸城市希伯伦。 （法新社）

针对以色列安全内阁通过的旨在扩大犹太人定居点、加强对约旦河西岸控制的一系列决定，巴勒斯坦各方发表声明予以谴责，并呼吁阿拉伯国家、伊斯兰国家及国际社会立即采取干预行动。

新华社报道，巴勒斯坦副总统谢赫星期一（2月9日）发表声明，敦促阿拉伯国家联盟、伊斯兰合作组织和联合国安理会召开紧急会议，讨论以色列政府作出的“危险决定”。他强调，阿拉伯国家、回教国家和国际社会应统一立场，谴责相关措施并要求以方立即撤销决定。

巴勒斯坦总统府8日通过巴勒斯坦通讯社发表声明指出，以色列的决定“极其危险”，是以色列对巴勒斯坦人民发动的全面战争的延续，也是对巴勒斯坦人民在约旦河西岸地区民族和历史权利的进一步侵犯。

巴勒斯坦总统府说，以方举措旨在进一步吞并巴勒斯坦领土、驱逐巴勒斯坦人民，公然违反国际法、联合国有关决议以及包括《奥斯陆协议》在内的巴以双方已签署的所有协议。

声明还谴责以色列试图通过上述决定使定居点活动、土地掠夺以及破坏巴勒斯坦公民财产的行径合法化，并呼吁国际社会采取行动制止以方威胁到地区安全的决定。

哈马斯8日也发表声明，谴责以色列相关决定是“法西斯式”的定居点政策，是以方全面吞并和实施种族清洗计划的一部分，意在“改变当地的地理和法律现实”。

哈马斯在声明中呼吁巴勒斯坦各方加强协调，并敦促阿拉伯和回教国家及国际社会采取切实行动，对以色列施加压力，“制止其侵犯和侵略行为”。

Turning Point Action endorses Ken Paxton in heated GOP Senate primary in Texas

PUBLISHED Feb 9, 2026, 7:53 PM ET / CNN

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during AmericaFest, the first Turning Point USA summit since the death of Charlie Kirk, in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. December 20, 2025.

Cheney Orr/Reuters

Turning Point Action has endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in one of the GOP’s nastiest primary battles, supporting the controversial, conservative firebrand in his bid to unseat longtime Sen. John Cornyn.

Paxton announced the endorsement on X, noting he felt “honored” to be supported by the group, which is an affiliate of Turning Point USA,the influential conservative nonprofit founded by the late political activist Charlie Kirk.

“The movement that Charlie Kirk built has inspired millions, and I’m proud to be standing alongside Turning Point Action in carrying on the fight to save this country and defend our freedoms,” Paxton added.

The endorsement comes as top Senate Republicans have been putting pressure on President Donald Trump to pick a side in the Texas GOP primary before it’s too late: Cornyn, Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt are set to face off in a primary next month, which could lead to a costly runoff in May.

A University of Houston poll released Monday found that 38% of likely voters intend to vote for Paxton – compared to 31% for Cornyn and 17% for Hunt, with 12% unsure.

Cornyn, who is currently in his fourth term in office, has been somewhat critical of Trump and repeatedly shared concerns about Trump’s electability in the leadup to the 2024 presidential race. However, in the past year, he’s tried to align himself closely with the president: His launch video featured footage of Trump praising him in 2019 and he posted a photo on X of him reading “The Art of the Deal.”

CNN reported earlier this week that senior Republicans fear it could cost at least $200 million to defend the seat in Texas if Paxton – who has a history of scandals – is the nominee, draining critical resources that could be spent elsewhere. Democrats have been bolstered by wins in major off-year contests and hope to capitalize on that momentum and retake both Congressional chambers, even if the path to a Democratic majority in the Senate is very narrow.

Cornyn has continued to seek out Trump’s endorsement, and he approached Trump again last week following a Democratic upset in a deep-red slice of Texas.

In an interview with CNN, Cornyn warned that Democrats could win the seat if the wrong Republican — namely Paxton — makes it to the general election.

“I think if Republicans nominate the attorney general, I think they absolutely do,” Cornyn told CNN when asked whether Democrats had a chance of flipping the senate seat. “At minimum … we’d have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to salvage that seat that could be used in places like Georgia, Michigan and New Hampshire and elsewhere.”

Meanwhile, Democrats are engaged in a heated primary of their own, with Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a 44-year-old civil rights attorney, and state Rep. James Talarico, a 36-year-old former teacher and Presbyterian seminarian, vying for the nomination.

CNN’s Manu Raju and Sarah Ferris contributed to this report.

The House is expected to vote on the SAVE America Act this week

By Elizabeth Elkind
Fox News

Published February 9, 2026 7:22pm EST

[Hakeem Jeffries rips GOP election integrity bill as ‘voter suppression’]

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries weighed in on the SAVE America Act expected to get a vote this week.

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Listen to this article

3 min

The House of Representatives’ top Democrat claimed Republicans’ [election security bill] was tantamount to “voter suppression” on Monday.

House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., criticized the House GOP-led SAVE America Act during his weekly press conference ahead of an expected vote on the bill coming as early as Wednesday.

“Republicans have adopted voter suppression as an electoral strategy. That’s what the so-called SAVE Act is all about,” Jeffries said.

He said the bill getting a vote this week is “worse than” a previous iteration simply called the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which passed the House in April 2025 with support from all Republicans and four Democrats.

[SCHUMER NUKES GOP PUSH FOR ‘JIM CROW-ERA’ VOTER ID LAWS IN TRUMP-BACKED SHUTDOWN PACKAGE]

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Nov. 3, 2025 in Washington, D.C.(Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)

The main thrust of the SAVE Act was implementing a new proof of citizenship requirement in the voter registration process in all 50 states.

The new bill, led by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, would also create [a federal voter ID] standard at the polls, requiring people to show a form of identification when casting a ballot in national elections.

Jeffries also pointed to a provision that would require information-sharing between state election officials and federal authorities in verifying citizenship on current voter rolls, accusing Republicans of trying to give Americans’ data to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

[SCHUMER FACES BACKLASH AFTER CALLING SAVE ACT ‘JIM CROW’ DESPITE PREVIOUS ALLEGATION FALLING FLAT]

“This version, as I understand it, will actually give [the [Department of Homeland Security)] the power to get voting records from states across the country. Why would these extremists think that’s a good idea?” Jeffries said.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., gestures as he meets with reporters ahead of a key procedural vote to end the partial government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026.(J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

“Who’d want DHS and ICE, who have been brutally, viciously and violently targeting everyday Americans, to have more data about the American people? It’s outrageous. Something is really wrong with these folks. I think they’re trying to lose elections at this point.”

There is no validated evidence to date that non-citizen voting has swayed the results of any federal election.

But Republicans have argued that the influx of illegal immigrants under the Biden administration has made the problem a real possibility in coming elections.

Nevertheless, voter ID provisions have proven popular in multiple public surveys.

A [Pew Research Center] poll released in August 2025 showed a whopping [83% of people supported] government-issued photo ID requirements for showing up to vote, compared to just 16% of people who disapproved of it.

Voters stand in line before casting ballots at a polling location in Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 8, 2022.(Nitashia Johnson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

[CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP]

Jeffries also said the bill would die in the Senate, where at least some Democrats are needed under current rules to overcome a filibuster and advance the legislation.

“It’s not going to pass. If it squeaks by the House, it’s dead on arrival in the Senate. They’re wasting time,” he said.

The real possibility of the bill failing in the Senate is why a group of House conservatives are pushing for Senate Majority Leader [John Thune], R-S.D., to upend the chamber’s rules on the filibuster to get rid of the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome one. Thune has not committed to any route.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

墨总统：制裁不应伤及民生 墨方继续援助古巴 | 联合早报

发布/2026年2月10日 09:22

墨总统：制裁不应伤及民生 墨方继续援助古巴

墨西哥总统辛鲍姆说，美国针对向古巴输送石油的国家施压“极不公正”，并给古巴人民带来沉重压力。 （法新社档案照片）

墨西哥总统辛鲍姆表示，墨西哥将继续向古巴提供人道主义支持，并呼吁停止对古巴实施影响民生的制裁。

新华社报道，辛鲍姆星期一（2月9日）在例行记者会说，墨西哥人民一向秉持团结互助精神，面对古巴当前的困难，不应置身事外。她指美国针对向古巴输送石油的国家施压“极不公正”，并给古巴人民带来沉重压力。

被问及美国威胁对向古巴提供石油的国家加征关税，辛鲍姆说，墨西哥正采取必要的外交行动，与国际社会一道呼吁取消影响古巴民生的制裁措施。她指出，古巴当前面临燃料短缺，最终承受压力的是普通民众，相关制裁不应伤害普通民众。

辛鲍姆说，墨西哥将继续通过外交渠道努力，争取恢复对古巴的石油运输，同时避免对墨经济造成不利影响。

当前，古巴与美国关系紧张加剧。美国总统特朗普1月29日签署行政令，威胁对向古巴提供石油国家的输美商品加征从价关税。墨西哥外交部2月8日发布公告说，墨政府当天派出两艘海军舰船，向古巴运送人道援助物资。

墨总统：制裁不应伤及民生 墨方继续援助古巴

2026年2月10日 09:22 / 联合早报

墨西哥总统辛鲍姆表示，墨西哥将继续向古巴提供人道主义支持，并呼吁停止对古巴实施影响民生的制裁。

新华社报道，辛鲍姆星期一（2月9日）在例行记者会说，墨西哥人民一向秉持团结互助精神，面对古巴当前的困难，不应置身事外。她指美国针对向古巴输送石油的国家施压“极不公正”，并给古巴人民带来沉重压力。

被问及美国威胁对向古巴提供石油的国家加征关税，辛鲍姆说，墨西哥正采取必要的外交行动，与国际社会一道呼吁取消影响古巴民生的制裁措施。她指出，古巴当前面临燃料短缺，最终承受压力的是普通民众，相关制裁不应伤害普通民众。

辛鲍姆说，墨西哥将继续通过外交渠道努力，争取恢复对古巴的石油运输，同时避免对墨经济造成不利影响。

当前，古巴与美国关系紧张加剧。美国总统特朗普1月29日签署行政令，威胁对向古巴提供石油国家的输美商品加征从价关税。墨西哥外交部2月8日发布公告说，墨政府当天派出两艘海军舰船，向古巴运送人道援助物资。

U.S. Olympian Hunter Hess responds after Trump calls him “a real loser”: “I love my country”

February 9, 2026 / 6:06 PM EST / CBS News

U.S. Olympian Hunter Hess said “there is so much that is great about America, but there are always things that could be better,” a day after President Trump lashed out at him for saying he had “mixed feelings” about representing the United States at the Winter Olympics in response to a journalist’s question last week.

“I love my country,” Hess, a freestyle skier, said in a social media post Monday. “There is so much that is great about America, but there are always things that could be better. One of the many things that makes this country so amazing is that we have the right and the freedom to point that out.

“The best part of the Olympics is that it brings people together, and when so many of us are divided we need that more than ever,” Hess said. “I cannot wait to represent Team USA next week when I compete. Thanks to everyone for their support.”

Hunter Hess of Team USA after competing in the Aspen Snowmass Men’s Freeski Halfpipe Finals on Jan. 10, 2026, in Aspen, Colorado. Michael Reaves/Getty Images

American snowboarders at the Olympics also weighed in when asked by a journalist on Monday if they’d like to address Mr. Trump calling Hess a “real loser” or how they felt representing Team USA.

Bea Kim said she thinks “there are a lot of different opinions in the U.S. right now. Obviously, we’re very divided. I personally am very proud to represent the United States. That being said, I think diversity is what makes us a very strong country and what makes us so special.”

Maddie Mastro said she was proud to represent the United States, but she’s “also saddened with what’s happening at home. It’s really tough. I feel like we can’t turn a blind eye to that. But at the same time, I represent a country that has the same values as mine, of kindness and compassion. And we come together in times of injustice.”

“My parents being immigrants, this one definitely hits pretty close to home,” two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim said. “I think in moments like these, it is really important for us to unite and kind of stand up for one another, for all that’s going on. And I think that I’m really proud to represent the United States. The U.S. has given my family and I so much opportunity. But I also think that we are allowed to voice our opinions on what’s going on. And I think that we need to lead with love and compassion. And I would love to see some more of that.”

Chloe Kim of Team USA speaks during a news conference at Livigno Snow Park on Feb. 9, 2026, in Livigno, Italy. Hannah Peters/Getty Images

International Olympic Committee spokesperson Mark Adams told journalists Monday that he was “not going to add to the discourse” about Mr. Trump’s remark.

“I won’t comment on the statement of the president of the United States, nor would I do so for any other head of state,” Adams said.

When asked if Hess needs more protection after Mr. Trump’s comment, Adams declined to publicly discuss security issues.

The U.S. and Paralympic Committee said Sunday it was aware of an increasing amount of harmful messages directed at athletes, and that it was doing its best to report credible threats to law enforcement and remove harmful content, the Associated Press reported.

“I think it’s important to say what we feel and stand up for what we believe in and stand up to injustice, and I’ve been really proud seeing other athletes doing that,” Gus Kenworthy, a skier competing for the United Kingdom in the 2026 Winter Games, said in a video on social media late Sunday.

Last week, Kenworthy, who is a dual U.S.-U.K. national and has previously competed for Team USA, posted a photo of an explicit message condemning U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on social media. The message was written in urine in the snow.

“I just want to remind everyone that you can love the U.S. and be proud to be an American – I am – and still think it can be better, and still think that the country can improve,” Kenworthy said. “And just because you love the U.S. doesn’t mean you stand with this administration and stand behind their politics and their legislation and support the things that they support. Because I don’t. And I do not support ICE, and I think it’s absolutely evil and awful and terrifying.”

Last week, Team USA freestyle skier Chris Lillis told journalists, in response to questions about political issues at home, that he felt “heartbroken about what’s happened in the United States” and that “as a country, we need to focus on respecting everybody’s rights and making sure that we’re treating our citizens as well as anybody with love and respect.”

Late Sunday, he posted a social media video of him falling while attempting a ski run.

“For all the haters here’s one of me crashing to get you stoked,” the caption said. “Don’t worry I’m pretty tough.”

“Athletes since the ancient games have been political and politicized,” J. Simon Rofe, an associate professor in sports diplomacy at the University of Leeds told CBS News.

Rofe mentioned when American track medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in protest on the podium at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico as just one of many examples of Olympic athletes using their positions to take a stand on political issues.

“What’s noticeable [in these Winter Games] is athletes’ agency in being political. So the platforms of social media provide that opportunity to a far greater degree than we’ve seen in the past,” Rofe said. “Sport plays that huge role in society and communities of convening people together. It allows for conversations that wouldn’t happen otherwise. Now, some of those conversations may be to your taste and to your disposition, and some of them will not be.”

欧洲安全专家：特朗普是破坏国际秩序的“大铁球” | 联合早报

发布/2026年2月10日 10:37

欧洲安全专家：特朗普是破坏国际秩序的“大铁球”

慕尼黑安全会议主席伊申格尔在报告前言中说，今年慕安会受到关注，不仅反映了诸多冲突与危机主导着全球议程，也源于美国在国际体系中角色的变化。 （法新社档案照片）

欧洲主要防务论坛——慕尼黑安全会议的主办方发布一份报告，直指美国总统特朗普“破坏式政治”助长战后国际秩序瓦解。

《纽约时报》报道，慕尼黑安全会议（简称慕安会）主办方星期一（2月9日）在德国柏林发布的《2026年慕尼黑安全报告》认为，世界已步入“破坏性政治”时代，彻底的破坏已成为主流，国际秩序正遭到摧毁。

慕安会主席伊申格尔（Wolfgang Ischinger）在报告前言中说，今年慕安会受到关注，不仅反映了诸多冲突与危机主导着全球议程，也源于美国在国际体系中角色的变化。

报告说，“在许多西方社会，倾向破坏而非改革的政治力量正在壮大”。其破坏性议程建立在民众对西方民主机制表现普遍失望、对实质性改革和政治路线修正丧失信任的基础上。

“但这种破坏能否为提升民众安全、繁荣和自由的政策真正铺平道路尚不清楚。”报告说，人们或许将看到一个由交易性协议而非原则性合作、由私利而非公共利益、由区域霸权而非普遍规范所塑造的世界。

延伸阅读

---

特朗普政府资助欧洲国家推广言论自由 鹤冈路人：特朗普新战略所勾勒的世界观

慕安会官员在报告中以异常直率的措辞警告称，自第二次世界大战结束以来维系西方与世界大部分地区的安全秩序，正遭受特朗普与其志同道合领导人的攻击，并把特朗普称为“破坏铁球”（Wrecking Ball）。

欧洲安全专家写道：“讽刺的是，美国总统——这个对1945年战后国际秩序的塑造贡献最大的国家——如今却成了最主要的破坏者。”

“基于此，启动建设了80多年的战后国际秩序，如今正遭受破坏。”

他们说：“在特朗普的领导下，美国已基本放弃了‘自由世界领导者’的角色。”

美国驻北约代表惠特克（Matthew Whitaker）在报告发布会上驳斥报告对特朗普的描述。他说：“我没有看到一个正在遭到破坏的世界。”

惠特克称特朗普政府“并非试图瓦解北约”，并暗示特朗普的举措只是为了迫使欧洲变得更强大。

他说：“当你的孩子还小时，他们依赖你，但最终你会期望他们工作自立，所以对我来说，我们现在正处于这个阶段。”

慕尼黑安全会议创始于1963年，前身是以跨大西洋伙伴关系为重点议题的“国际防务大会”，如今已发展成为国际战略和安全领域的重要年度论坛之一。本届慕安会定2月13日至15日在德国慕尼黑举行。

今年报告的主题为“正遭摧毁”，旨在为即将举行的第62届慕安会设定议题方向。报告认为，彻底的破坏已取代审慎的改革和政策修正，成为当今主流。本届美国政府挣脱现有秩序束缚的意图最为显眼。

欧洲对俄罗斯的军事侵略以及特朗普迅速重塑的安全战略，包括特朗普持续试图从丹麦手中强行夺取格陵兰岛的担忧日益加剧，慕安会的气氛变得更加紧迫。9日发布的报告总结了欧洲官员近几个月来多次表达的担忧，而且措辞比许多欧洲领导人通常敢于表达的更为尖锐和详细。

美国副总统万斯在2025年慕安会上就民主和移民等问题严厉抨击欧洲，引发震动。万斯声称，欧洲当前面临的最大威胁来自其内部，“欧洲正逐渐背离它一些最根本的价值观”。他对德国移民政策提出批评，点名批评欧盟委员会、瑞典以及美国“非常亲密的朋友”英国。

The House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at making it easier for everyday Americans to purchase a home, an issue that’s become a cornerstone of the affordability crisis plaguing much of the United States.

The legislation, which passed with a 390-9 vote, is a rare show of bipartisanship in an increasingly polarized Congress, having gotten a significant amount of support from both Republicans and Democrats.

Housing affordability is also an issue that President Donald Trump has promised to tackle during his second term in office.

Last month, he signed an executive order making it harder for large investment firms to buy single-family homes that could otherwise be purchased by American families, and his One Big Beautiful Bill Act also included tax incentives aimed at development in economically distressed communities.

TRUMP SIGNS NEW LAW HELPING VETERANS AVOID FORECLOSURE WITH PARTIAL CLAIMS PAYMENT PROGRAM

House Speaker Mike Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street after meeting Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, Jan. 19, 2026.(Alberto Pezzali/AP Photo)

The legislation that passed on Monday is a wide-ranging bill with various measures aimed at growing the supply of affordable housing in the U.S., including incentivizing the construction of multifamily homes, taller buildings on smaller lots, and less restrictive permitting processes in state and local jurisdictions.

The streamlining would include establishing a new pilot program under the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to award grants for creating “pattern books” of pre-approved housing designs that are already compliant with local building codes.

Parts of the bill are chiefly aimed at expanding “missing middle” housing, which is the range between single-family homes and larger apartment buildings.

I TRIED FOR YEARS TO BUY A HOME. WALL STREET ALWAYS BEAT ME — TRUMP MADE THE RIGHT CALL

The measures are primarily aiding first-time home buyers as well as lower-income Americans, and housing developers focused on small and mid-sized housing rather than larger luxury construction.

A “New Low Price” sign in front of a home in Crockett, Calif., on Sept. 24, 2025.(David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Multiple public surveys released in recent months have found that Americans have a strong desire for more affordable housing. One poll shared by the site Affordable Housing Finance found that more than 60% of people surveyed supported increasing missing middle housing.

The bill was also pushed by lawmakers across the political spectrum. Its two main leaders in the House were House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill, R-Ark., a longtime Republican congressman, and progressive stalwart Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the committee.

Another proponent of the bill, Main Street Caucus Chairman Brian Flood, R-Neb., hailed it as “landmark legislation.”

PRO-TRUMP GROUP UNLEASHES BLUEPRINT FOR CRUCIAL HOUSING INITIATIVE FEATURING TOP MAGA INFLUENCER

“It doesn’t matter if you’re in a blue city or a red city, whether you’re a Habitat for Humanity in Omaha or, you know, a housing developer in Birmingham, Alabama, these issues aren’t partisan,” Flood told reporters on Monday. “In order to solve the housing crisis, we have to be able to remove a lot of the barriers.”

Hill told reporters that the legislation did not get in the way of areas that had an oversupply of housing, either.

“If there’s not a demand for housing, this doesn’t get in the way of that. I mean, this requires a bank to be willing to lend a community development program to say that we should spend these dollars to build housing. And if there is a surplus of housing and pricing is affordable, then there wouldn’t be that market signal that says we need new housing,” Hill said.

President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Feb. 2, 2026.(Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

It comes as affordability appears to be an increasingly important topic in the coming November midterm elections.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Other supporters of the legislation include Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., and Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., the latter of which championed a bill whose core tenets got folded into the final piece.

“If House Republicans and Democrats can agree on this package to increase housing supply and lower prices across the nation, the Senate should be able to swiftly send it to the president’s desk,” Stutzman told Fox News Digital. “Our constituents need the relief this bill offers.”

Stutzman introduced a bill in September of last year aimed at streamlining the environmental review process for new rural housing projects.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where it must pass with bipartisan support before getting to Trump’s desk for his signature.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

U.S. military strikes another alleged drug vessel; search launched for 1 survivor

February 9, 2026 / 9:26 PM EST / CBS News

The U.S. military struck its 39th alleged drug-carrying boat on Monday, killing two people and leaving one survivor who is now the focus of a search-and-rescue effort.

The military’s Southern Command said in a post on X it struck a vessel that was “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” and “engaged in narco-trafficking operations.” It did not name the group that allegedly operated the boat, but the Trump administration has listed several Latin American drug cartels as foreign terrorist groups.

A U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson told CBS News that Southern Command notified it on Monday about a “person in distress,” and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center Ecuador is organizing a search-and-rescue effort for the person.

Some 130 people have been killed since the U.S. military began striking alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean last September. The pace of the strikes slowed somewhat after Jan. 3, when U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Monday’s boat strike is the third known strike since then.

In at least five instances, people have survived the operations, spurring efforts to find and rescue them in most cases. Authorities have called off several of those searches, though in one October operation, two survivors were picked up by a Navy helicopter and repatriated to their home countries of Ecuador and Colombia.

The military’s handling of survivors has drawn intense scrutiny. During the first boat strike on Sept. 2, two people survived an initial strike but were killed in a follow-on attack, prompting accusations the second strike may have constituted a war crime. Democratic lawmakers who watched a video of the Sept. 2 operation were hightly critical of the strike. The Defense Department and several congressional Republicans have insisted the survivors may have still been in the fight, warranting the follow-on strike.

The Trump administration has said the strikes are necessary to combat narcotics trafficking. It has labeled the alleged seaborne drug smugglers as “unlawful combatants,” and told Congress the U.S. is embroiled in a “non-international armed conflict” with cartels.

Most Democratic lawmakers have criticized the strikes, arguing the administration hasn’t provided enough evidence that the boats were trafficking drugs to the U.S. and has failed to get authorization from Congress for the military campaign. Several efforts by congressional Democrats to restrict the boat strikes have fallen short in the House and Senate.