A Little Fat Tuesday
By Riley Jones
Feb. 17, 2026, marked the start of Mardi Gras celebrations around the world. Mardi Gras, also called Fat Tuesday, is the final day of Carnival before the 40-day fasting of Lent on Ash Wednesday. The celebration includes balls, parties, floats and parades often organized by social clubs called Krews. Popular colors for decorations and beads include purple (representing justice), gold (representing power) and green (representing faith).
Historians say the origins of Mardi Gras date back thousands of years to the Roman Empire. Originally, it was observed in honor of the harvest festival and later was adopted by those with Christian Faith to celebrate before Lent. Other popular customs of the holiday are the baking of king cakes, made of brioche dough and filled with a small plastic baby (representing Jesus), baked into the center.
Day Six of Partial Government Shutdown
By Daniela Palatchi
Friday, Feb. 20, is day six of the federal government’s partial shutdown. At midnight on Saturday, Feb. 14, the partial shutdown began as Congress and the White House didn’t reach a compromise in their negotiations over funding and new restrictions on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In response to the shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good last month, Congress democrats negotiated various U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reforms with the White House that would regulate President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement campaign. These reforms include prohibiting ICE officers from wearing face masks, enacting a use-of-force policy and requiring agents to wear body cameras.
Since Congress and the White House could not reach an agreement on funding due to disagreements over proposed reforms, and since Congress entered a 10-day break on Feb. 14, the DHS is not receiving funding. The DHS is comprised of 16 subdepartments, and while no departments are being funded, the major operational agencies such as ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the U.S. Coast Guard, the Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). TSA agents are working without pay in airports. ICE and CBP work will continue unaffected by the lapse in funding, as President Trump’s tax and spending cut law from 2025 provided ICE with $75 billion and CBP with $65 billion.
Department of Homeland Security Demands Social Media Companies to Reveal Anti-ICE Accounts
By Kaden Bruton
In late 2025 and 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued multiple subpoenas to some of the biggest social media companies, such as Google, Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Discord and Reddit, to seek information about both anonymous and non-anonymous accounts that have made anti-ICE remarks. The information they seek includes usernames, real names, phone numbers, email addresses and IP addresses linked to the accounts. DHS lawyers justified the demands as “investigat[ing] threats to its own officers or impediments to their officers.”
Family Guy Season 24
By Brett Schlossberg
This past Sunday, on Feb. 15, “Family Guy” season 24 premiered. The episode was the 450th episode of the series, which is one of the longest-running tv shows. It is sixth behind The Simpsons, the show that inspired it, as well as “Gunsmoke,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” and “Lassie.” The show has been extremely controversial over the years, with the use of offensive or risky references. However, it has also matured over the years, with the humor drawn back a little, according to “The Independent.” “Family Guy” was actually cancelled twice in 2000 and 2002, and while the show is still popular, its audience numbers are much lower than pre-cancellation. “The Independent” cites the show’s change in humor as the reason why it’s not as controversial as before. Not as many people can get offended simply due to less people watching it.
The episode aired on FOX at 9:30 p.m. EST, with the episode available to stream on Hulu the next day.
Georgia Army Veteran Deported to Jamaica After Six months of ICE Custody
By Trey Voegtlin
U.S. Army Veteran Godfrey Wade was deported back to Jamaica on Feb. 5, 2026 after serving nearly six months in ICE detention. Wade immigrated legally to the United States when he was a teenager and served 4 years in the United States Army during the 1980s. He was detained after being pulled over for not using a turning signal or carrying his driver’s license while driving. Wade’s family is fighting to get him back home, pressuring the Board of Immigration Appeals to review his case.
Jesse Jackson Passes Away
By Joy Ferguson
On Monday, Feb. 17, civil rights leader Jesse Jackson passed away at 84 years old. According to a statement from the Jackson family, he passed peacefully in his sleep that morning. He had been in the hospital in recent months for his progressive supranuclear palsy. Jesse Jackson was a civil rights activist and a former presidential candidate. He led many boycotts during the Civil Rights Movement and worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Selma to Montgomery marches, from March 21, 1965 to March 25, 1965. Jackson was standing with Martin Luther King Jr. on the same balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis the day before King was assassinated. When Jackson ran for president in 1984 and 1988, he was in the Democratic Party and advocated for social justice. While running, he founded the National Rainbow Coalition, which fought for equal rights for all Americans. Some say he paved the way for former President Barack Obama and former Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Jackson’s impact and all he did for the Civil Rights Movement should be remembered forever, especially now after his passing.
Lunar New Year
By Akiva Bryant
Lunar New Year, which always takes place on the second new moon after the winter solstice, officially started on Feb. 17, 2026. Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, uses the Chinese zodiac, which operates on a 12-year cycle where each year represents an animal. Additionally, the years are represented by five elements that change every two years: water, wood, metal, fire and earth. 2026 is the year of the Fire Horse for the first time in 60 years, representing energy and passion.
Those who participate in Lunar New Year celebrations let go of the past and welcome in new opportunities and ideas. Five or six days before the Lunar New Year, celebrators engage in activities such as cleaning their houses, getting a haircut and buying Chinese couplets, which are scrolls or banners with phrases for their homes for the new year.
NBA All-Star Game
By Shaw Gordon
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game took place last weekend. Damian Lillard won the 3-point contest, beating Devin Booker. The Miami Heat’s Keshad Johnson won the slam dunk contest. This All-Star game featured a new format with 3 teams: Team World, Team Stars, and Team Stripes. The World team consisted of players from around the world, the Stars were young players around the league, and the Stripes were older players in the NBA. The Stars played the Stripes in the final game, and the Stars won 47-21. Anthony Edwards won the MVP of the whole tournament.
Winter Olympics Updates
By Alex Piazza
As of today, the United States holds nine gold medals, 12 silver medals and six bronze medals across all events in the Winter Olympics. This puts them in third place for total medals after Norway and Italy, with 29 and 23 total medals, respectively.
Perhaps one of the most notable wins for the USA came from mono-bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor, who is now tied for the most decorated female Winter Olympian. Milano-Cortina 2026 will be the fifth Olympics the 41-year-old has participated in, making her the oldest woman to win an Olympic bobsled medal. The bobsledder is also from Douglassville, Georgia.
