February 18, 2026 – Short News

The small investigation: Email at 0:07 a.m. - and what it reveals about Trump and Epstein!

On April 18, 2011, Jeffrey Epstein wrote a short message to William Riley at 0:07 a.m.: "Before I call Trump. Regarding Virginia - are there other alternatives?" This line appears in a dataset of millions of documents from the Department of Justice archive.

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01867496.pdf

It raises a simple question: How does this fit with Trump’s repeated claim that he had no contact with Epstein since around 2004? Trump stated that the break occurred because Epstein had recruited employees from Mar-a-Lago, including Virginia Giuffre. After that, there had been no further exchange. The 2011 email at least suggests that Epstein considered reaching out directly to Trump in a matter concerning Giuffre. Whether the call took place remains open. But the willingness to call contradicts the portrayal of a complete break.

The timing is significant. In 2009, Giuffre filed a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse. The case was already public, and additional victims had come forward. Riley is said to have been involved in obtaining damaging material about victims. The possible contact with Trump therefore falls into a phase of increasing legal pressure. In 2002, Trump described Epstein as a "terrific guy" and remarked that he liked beautiful women, many of them young. Later, he denied any knowledge of criminal conduct. The now known email does not prove a conversation, but it documents an intention. Giuffre became a central witness against Epstein and Maxwell. Her death last year ended her personal confrontation, but not the open questions. In the Epstein case, documents often decide, not public appearances. This single line, written after midnight, belongs among them.

"It flickered briefly - then everything was gone": How Belgorod lives in the dark

While state television celebrates military successes, Belgorod freezes. Since the end of 2025, Ukrainian rockets have deliberately struck energy facilities in the border city. In the middle of frost, electricity, heating and water fail. On February 8, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced a partial evacuation. In 455 apartment buildings, water was drained from the heating systems to prevent pipe bursts. In many buildings, pipes had already ruptured. After attacks on the "Belgorod" substation and the "Luch" thermal power plant, thousands of people were left without gas or electricity. Around 80,000 residents had no heating, including schools, kindergartens, clinics and universities. When electricity fails, pumps stop, and shortly afterward the water runs dry. Energy sector employees report that repeated strikes on the same facilities leave no time for repairs. Since autumn 2025, that is exactly what has happened.

Rocket attack on the "Luch" thermal power plant on February 7, 2026

As early as September, several HIMARS rockets struck the "Luch" plant, turbine sections burned, and power production collapsed. Officially, authorities spoke of technical disruptions. At the beginning of October, they admitted severe damage. Around the turn of the year, large parts of the region were again without supply for days. 550,000 people temporarily lost electricity, a similar number heating, and hundreds of thousands also water. Gladkov called the situation catastrophic and declared that the previous state could not be restored. At minus 22 degrees in early February, almost the entire city failed. Residents report that the lights flickered, then everything disappeared. Internet, mobile service, in the morning also the water. Supermarkets closed, generators became scarce, gas stations were overcrowded. Streets remain dark in the evenings, parents call their children because routes have become unsafe.

Officially, since the beginning of the war, 60,000 people are said to have left the region. Statistical figures indicate significantly more. Many nevertheless remain because apartment, job and family bind them. Military analyst Ruslan Leviev says Belgorod effectively functions as a forward buffer for regions further inland. Protective measures are minimal, mostly anti-drone nets instead of massive fortifications. Belgorod lives in half-darkness. Apartments are restored first, not the streets. Every repair remains temporary. Every winter day is a risk.

Trump demands obedience - Potomac crisis becomes a demonstration of power

After a massive pipe rupture in January, large quantities of untreated wastewater flowed into the Potomac, one of the most important rivers in the capital region. Experts speak of one of the most severe incidents of this kind in the history of the United States. Instead of focusing on technical details or ecological consequences, Donald Trump chose a political attack. In a social network, he demanded that those responsible in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia "get to work immediately." If they were not capable of doing so, they should call him and "politely" ask for help. The federal government was "not involved at all," but could solve the problem.

Responsibility, however, lies with a regional water authority as well as with federal oversight by the Environmental Protection Agency EPA, which remains fully operational despite a partial shutdown. Nevertheless, Trump linked the incident with partisan accusations and blamed Democrats for the situation. At the same time, he put forward the disaster agency FEMA as a future coordinator, although it is affected by the shutdown. While engineers assess the extent of the damage, the White House sharpens its tone toward local decision-makers and reframes an environmental crisis into a power struggle.

Brussels summons - accusation of antisemitism causes diplomatic rupture

Belgium’s government has summoned U.S. Ambassador Bill White on Tuesday after he publicly accused his host country of antisemitism and directly attacked a minister. The background is an investigation by the Antwerp public prosecutor’s office examining whether three Jewish mohel performed ritual circumcisions without medical qualifications. White spoke of a "ridiculous and antisemitic prosecution" and called on Belgium to create a legal basis allowing religious mohel to carry out their activity. In his post, he tagged leading representatives of the U.S. government. In Belgium, circumcisions are regulated so that rabbis may not perform them without appropriate medical licensing.

Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot sharply rejected the accusations. Personal attacks and interference in ongoing proceedings violate diplomatic ground rules, and any claim of antisemitism is false and unacceptable. The public prosecutor’s office confirmed that investigations are ongoing, but emphasized that there are no active indictments. Israel’s foreign minister also commented and suggested Belgium should face the criticism. The incident fits into a phase of increasing tensions between Washington and European governments. The question of where legitimate criticism ends and diplomatic boundaries are crossed now stands openly in the room.

Washington against Vanuatu - climate liability divides the UN

The U.S. government is attempting behind the scenes to stop a resolution of the UN General Assembly that calls for decisive action against climate change and provides for possible compensation for damages. In a letter to all embassies, the State Department demands that other states persuade Vanuatu to withdraw the draft. Its adoption could pose a significant threat to U.S. industry. President Trump has made clear that the United Nations and many states exaggerate the climate issue into the greatest threat in the world.

The draft responds to an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice stating that states can violate international law if they fail to take sufficient climate protection measures. It provides for national plans to limit warming to below 1.5 degrees, the elimination of fossil subsidies and full reparations in case of violations. An international damage registry is to document evidence and claims. Vanuatu is pushing for a vote by the end of March. Washington speaks of an overreach by the United Nations and warns against new obligations that states never agreed to. This intensifies the conflict between small island states facing existential threats and large emitters who fear liability and financial consequences.

New Subpoenas in the Russia Matter - Justice Department Expands Investigation Into Former Senior Officials

The Justice Department is issuing new subpoenas in a Florida-based investigation reviewing Russian interference in the 2016 election. This once again places the January 2017 intelligence assessment at the center, which concluded that Moscow sought through a coordinated campaign to support Donald Trump and harm Hillary Clinton. While initial letters in November concerned documents related to the creation of that report, the current subpoenas now demand records from the years that followed. Former senior officials from intelligence agencies and law enforcement are affected. Attorneys for former CIA Director John Brennan state that their client has been named as a target of the investigation, without any legally sustainable basis being apparent. Previous bipartisan investigations as well as the report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller confirmed that Russia intervened through hacking operations, the release of internal emails, and covert campaigns on social media. A criminally provable conspiracy between the Trump camp and Russian actors, however, was not established.

An ongoing point of contention remains the so-called Steele dossier, a collection of opposition research containing unverified allegations about possible Russia connections. A later internal CIA review criticized procedural issues, but did not question the fundamental assessment of Russian interference. Whether the now expanded investigations will lead to indictments remains open. Only one thing is certain: The conflict over 2016 is, even a decade later, not legally or politically resolved.

Vance laughs off 2028 - and avoids any commitment

Fox moderator: "As vice president you would surely like to become president yourself." - JD Vance: "Ha ha ha. Would I?"

Vice President J.D. Vance was asked several times on Tuesday about the 2028 presidential election. Whether he intended to run. Whether he hoped for support from Donald Trump. Vance did not respond with clear answers, but with demonstrative laughter and evasive maneuvers. "Why don’t I just do as good a job as I can in this job. We’ll worry about the next job sometime in the future," he said. It was not a rejection, but also not a commitment. Particularly striking was his handling of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who in Washington is considered a possible intra-party rival. Vance called him his "closest friend in the administration" and explicitly praised his work. "The media want to create a conflict where there is none," Vance explained. What remains is a classic in-between position. No move forward, no retreat. Anyone with 2028 in mind says nothing today that locks him in. Vance knows that. And he is playing for time.

Trump goes to court - dispute over halt to wind energy moves to the next round

The Trump administration is appealing a ruling that had struck down his blanket halt on wind energy projects on federal land. Judge Patti Saris of the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts ruled in December that the order was "arbitrary and not factually justified" and violated existing U.S. law. A coalition of attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C., led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, had filed the lawsuit. They challenged Trump’s order from his first day in office, which halted nearly all leasing for wind farms on land and offshore. The Department of Justice filed the appeal on Tuesday. Trump has repeatedly criticized renewable energy, especially offshore wind power. Instead, he relies on fossil fuels for electricity generation. With the appeal, the conflict over energy policy now moves to the next instance - and remains a central point of dispute between states and the White House. The prospects for the Trump administration are considered very low.

Trump wants to protect airports under his name - trademark application for presidential title

The Trump Organization has filed applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to secure exclusive rights to the use of the presidential name for airports. Protected designations are to include "President Donald J. Trump International Airport," "Donald J. Trump International Airport" as well as the abbreviation "DJT." The applications cover not only airports themselves, but also shuttle buses, umbrellas, travel bags and even flight suits.

The trigger is a legislative initiative in Florida that provides for renaming the airport in Palm Beach - near Mar-a-Lago - after Trump. The company states that it is not about financial advantages, but about protection against "misuse." Neither the president nor his family would receive licensing fees or other income from a possible renaming. Whether this also applies to other airports or merchandising products was left open by the company. Trademark lawyers speak of a process without historical precedent. Never before has a sitting president, through his private company, precautionarily applied for trademark rights for public infrastructure. Typically, airports are named after presidents only years after they leave office - or posthumously.

At the same time, the family has recently expanded the Trump brand internationally: towers, golf resorts and residential complexes in Dubai, India, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam bear the name. Guitars, Bibles and sneakers are also marketed. Trump himself points out that his company is run by his sons and that he is not involved in day-to-day operations. The question remains whether protecting a presidential name for public airports is legally mere precaution - or another step in an open commercialization of the presidency between office and brand.