Super Bowl Night, Public Appeal – Epstein Victims Demand Full Disclosure!
Shortly before the Super Bowl, victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell released a nationwide advertisement. In it, they address Attorney General Pam Bondi directly and demand the full release of all investigative records, as provided for under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. In the spot, several women stand together in front of the camera and say: “After years of being separated, we now stand together because this girl deserves the truth.”
Each of them holds up a photo of her younger self - from the time when they say they encountered Epstein. The message is clear: disclosure, names, accountability. No further delays. No further unexplained redactions.
The appeal comes at a time when the Department of Justice has once again released millions of pages of material. More than three million documents have been made public, including, according to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. A large portion of the material is redacted, in part because of extensive pornographic content and seized files from Epstein’s devices.
On Monday, members of Congress are scheduled to review unredacted files for the first time. The review will take place on site at the Department of Justice. Lawmakers may take notes but are not permitted to bring electronic devices. Staff members will not have access. The new release is only part of the more than six million documents in the department’s possession. Critics have for years questioned how authorities have handled the case.
The Super Bowl ad is intended to increase pressure. “Stand with us. Tell Attorney General Pam Bondi: It is time for the truth,” it says at the end. As millions sit in front of their televisions, the victims demand that the chapter not be closed before everything is disclosed.
Portugal Votes Clearly – But the Right Is Here to Stay
André Ventura speaks out after his defeat in the presidential election in Portugal. “The message from the Portuguese was clear: We lead the right in Portugal, we lead the right wing space in Portugal, and soon we will govern this country!”
Portugal elected António José Seguro president with more than 65 percent of the vote. André Ventura received around 34 percent. The result is clear, almost overwhelming. And yet it tells two stories at once. One about stability. And one about shift. Seguro benefited from a broad alliance across party lines. Conservative supporters rallied behind him to stop Ventura’s Chega party. The campaign became a choice between liberal democracy and a nationalist course. Many voters consciously chose to send a clear signal of rejection.
The Socialist António José Seguro is the new president of Portugal, decisively defeating the far right candidate André Ventura. A key factor was the stance of conservative forces, who withheld support from the far right and publicly backed the Social Democratic contender.
At the same time, Ventura achieved a result that permanently anchors his movement at the center of Portuguese politics. Chega outperformed the ruling conservatives’ showing in the last parliamentary election. Just a few years ago, the party was barely visible. Today it is present nationwide, especially among younger voters and people facing economic concerns. Rising rents, high living costs, growing migration - Ventura addressed these issues directly. His campaign used sharp slogans and openly questioned immigration. Even extreme slogans found support. This shows how much the political climate has changed.
The president in Portugal has primarily representative duties but can block legislation or dissolve parliament in times of crisis. Seguro promised restraint and not to act as a shadow prime minister. Ventura, by contrast, campaigned for an interventionist presidency. The result stops the immediate breakthrough of the right. It does not end it. Portugal has made a clear decision. But the question of how durable that protective wall is remains open.
Armstrong to ICE: “Quit Your Damn Job”
At the Spotify Super Bowl party, Billie Joe Armstrong used the stage to address ICE agents directly. “To all the ICE agents out there, wherever you are: quit your damn job,” the Green Day frontman said during his performance. He made clear that, in his view, it is not about “just doing your job,” but about what you ultimately stand for. Armstrong warned that political leaders will abandon their people as soon as it is convenient. When this is over, he said, those carrying out deportation policies today will not be protected but discarded. He called on officers to switch sides now instead of being left empty handed later. The audience did not get a cautious statement but a blunt message. Armstrong chose maximum clarity and made his contempt for the system ICE currently represents unmistakable.
Bad Bunny Makes Super Bowl History – Spanish, Identity, Backlash
Bad Bunny headlined the Super Bowl halftime show - entirely in Spanish. For the first time in 60 years, the central show of the NFL final was not in English. That alone marks a cultural turning point. The Puerto Rican star arrives with momentum: his album “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” just won the Grammy for Album of the Year. The record deals with identity, history, home. Traditional sounds meet modern beats. Puerto Rico takes center stage.
Lady Gaga was the first surprise guest at Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show. She appeared as if at a staged wedding, the apparent bride and groom stepped aside, and together they performed “Baile Inolvidable.” Gaga herself headlined the halftime show in 2017. Bad Bunny then shifted into a setting that resembled a shopping mall parking lot and followed up with “NuevaYol.”
Fans hold signs before the NFL Super Bowl 60 between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, February 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, California.
But his performance is far more than pop. Since the announcement in the fall, Bad Bunny has been in the political crossfire. Right wing voices accused the NFL of sending the wrong signal. Donald Trump also voiced criticism. The backdrop is Bad Bunny’s clear statements against the administration’s ICE policies. A halftime show thus becomes a point of contention. Music collides with immigration policy. Culture is read politically. Bad Bunny stands on the country’s biggest stage - and speaks the language of his heritage. That is precisely what makes this performance so charged.
Trump vs. Team USA – When Criticism of One’s Own Country Becomes a Target
Chris Lillis: “I feel heartbroken about what’s happening in the United States. I’m pretty sure you’re referencing ICE and some of the protests and things like that. I think that as a country, we need to focus on respecting everybody’s rights…”
The Winter Games in Milan were supposed to be about sports. Instead, American athletes are at the center of a political clash. Freestyle skier Hunter Hess said at a press conference that he had mixed feelings about representing his country in the current political climate. “Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I support everything that’s happening in the US,” he said. It was a personal statement about values and responsibility.
The reaction followed immediately. Donald Trump labeled Hess “a real loser” on his platform and wrote that anyone who does not want to represent their country should not have tried out for the team in the first place. Prominent conservative voices also attacked the athletes. Jake Paul told Hess to leave the country if he did not want to represent it. Shortly afterward, he was seen sitting next to Vice President JD Vance at a hockey game.
U.S. Olympic skier Hunter Hess, a real loser, says he does not represent his country at the current Winter Games. If that is the case, he should not have tried out for the team, and it is too bad he is on it. Very hard to root for someone like this. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! - (Once again Trump is lying here, Hunter Hess never said he would not represent his country - Editor’s note)
Hunter Hess: “It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of and I think a lot of people aren’t. Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the US.”
Hess was not alone. Chris Lillis said that developments surrounding ICE left him “heartbroken” and that as a country one must focus on respecting rights. Figure skater Amber Glenn pointed out that the LGBTQ+ community is facing particular difficulty in the current political climate. Glenn later reported a wave of hate messages and threats that led her to limit her social media activity.
Svea Irving: “It’s definitely a tough time in our country right now. I just continue to represent my values which are compassion and respect and love for others.”
The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee stated that it is observing an increase in abusive messages and is reporting credible threats to authorities.
Meanwhile, tensions intensified outside the arenas as well. Thousands in Milan demonstrated against the presence of ICE units. While these are investigators from a specialized unit for cross border crime and not deportation officers, for many ICE symbolizes the government’s hard line. Team USA was cheered at the opening ceremony. When JD Vance appeared on the screens, however, boos were heard. The Games thus show more than athletic performance. They show how deeply politics now reaches even the athletes - and how quickly an open word becomes a target.
Super Bowl Weekend Slows the Box Office – “Melania” Drops, “Send Help” Stays on Top
Hollywood had little chance this weekend. The Super Bowl drew attention away, and box office numbers were correspondingly subdued. In North America, the survival thriller “Send Help” remained at number one in its second week with 10 million dollars. Worldwide, the film stands at 53.7 million dollars and is developing into a solid mid budget success. Meanwhile, Disney’s “Zootopia 2” surpassed 1.8 billion dollars worldwide in its eleventh week. The picture is very different for “Melania.” The documentary about Melania Trump expanded to 300 additional theaters but lost 67 percent compared to its opening weekend and brought in only 2.4 million dollars. The North American total now stands at 13.4 million dollars. Given a reported rights price of around 40 million dollars and marketing costs of about 35 million dollars, the project is clearly moving toward financial risk. International figures have not yet been released.
Studios also used the Super Bowl’s massive television audience for trailer premieres, including “Mandalorian and Grogu,” the Michael Jackson biopic “Michael,” and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.” In theaters themselves, smaller productions held their ground: the Italy set comedy “Solo Mio” opened strong with 7.2 million dollars, the K pop concert film “Stray Kids: The Dominate Experience” brought in 5.6 million dollars plus 13.2 million abroad. Luc Besson’s “Dracula” reached 4.5 million dollars. “Iron Lung” remains notable. The low budget project by YouTuber Markiplier earned 6.2 million dollars in its second week and stands at 31.2 million dollars after two weeks. Production costs were 3 million dollars. The top 10 are led by “Send Help,” “Solo Mio,” “Iron Lung,” “Stray Kids,” “Dracula,” “Zootopia 2,” “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” “The Strangers: Chapter 3,” “Shelter,” and “Melania.” A weekend with little movement, clear winners in the mid range segment - and a political documentary whose hype faded faster than expected.
Cracks in the Red Wall – Democrats Win Where Trump Was Strong
In Louisiana, Democrat Chasity Martinez wins the special election in House District 60 with 62 to 37 percent. A district Trump carried by 13 points in 2024. Days earlier, Texas State Senate District 9 also swung sharply - nearly 15 points toward the Democrats, even though Trump led there by 17 points last year. These are not random flukes. They are real shifts in areas long considered safe.
Intercepted Call, Blocked File – Dispute Over Intelligence Report Tied to Trump
In May of last year, the National Security Agency intercepted a conversation between two foreign nationals. In that call, a person close to President Trump was mentioned. The context: at the time, the administration was deliberating a possible military strike against Iran. A few weeks later, Trump ordered an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. What exactly was said in the call remains classified. It is also unclear who the person from Trump’s circle was. What is certain is that a whistleblower drafted a report about the incident. And that report triggered significant internal conflict. The allegation is that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard restricted access to the document and blocked broader distribution within the intelligence community. She is also said to have shared the information with the White House chief of staff. Critics in Congress consider this problematic because the relevant intelligence committees were not informed early on.
Other voices point out that there were no additional findings confirming the content of the intercepted conversation. Some analysts concluded that the two foreign interlocutors may have been speculating or deliberately spreading misinformation. Against this backdrop, Gabbard decided to limit the report’s visibility. The acting intelligence community inspector general concluded after a review that no misconduct occurred. Exactly when that decision was made is not publicly known. Congress received a heavily redacted version of the review report.
The case remains sensitive. Not because of confirmed evidence, but because of the open questions. Who knew what and when? Was Congress sufficiently informed? And what significance did an intercepted conversation have that may have been mere talk - or perhaps something more?
Question of the Day:
“How unhinged is MAGA really?” – Here’s the answer:
“We wish all our readers a great start to the week.”
