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What Happened Today – February 10, 2026

The FAA declared “national defense airspace” over El Paso, grounded every flight for 10 days, and authorized deadly force against any aircraft that enters the zone without offering an explanation.

The FAA declared “national defense airspace” over El Paso, grounded every flight for 10 days, and authorized deadly force against any aircraft that enters the zone without offering an explanation.

That designation hasn’t been used domestically since September 11, 2001, when the country was under active attack. This time, the federal government shut down a major American city’s airspace and pointed weapons at the sky.

More than half the country is already exhausted by Trump’s personal army of federal agents and his loyalist’s capricious, contradictory policies. This is exactly the kind of system shock that America and Americans don’t need during a time when Trump has threatened NATO, other allies, and holds another country’s president in a New York jail cell.

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🚨 GovBrief Intensity Score 220
Extreme. History will remember.
Volume: High (21)
Severity: High (2.62)
Defining Moments: 2
Commerce Secretary Lutnick confirms he lunched with Jeffrey...
El Paso Airport closed 10 days
Previous 5 Days
🚨333|🟢48|🔴133|🚨208|🟠128
100 = normal day. Volume is headline count. Stories weighted by significance. Defining Moments are the ones history remembers.
Today's Quote
‘No, no, we are a small country.’ Again and again and again, I couldn’t get her off the phone. So it was at 30% and I didn’t really like the way she talked to us, and so instead of giving her a reduction I raised it to 39%.
Donald Trump speaking about tariffs on Switzerland on Fox News Channel, February 10, 2026.
Yesterday's Most Read

Trump threatens to block the Gordie Howe International Bridge from opening between Windsor and Detroit, falsely claiming Canada owns both sides of a project the U.S. approved during his first term.

Today’s GovBrief News


Dissent 1 of 21

Trump excludes all Democratic governors from the White House business meeting during the annual National Governors Association conference, prompting NGA to cancel the session entirely.

Most Democratic governors boycotting dinner too

Source: CBS News

February 10, 2026

Foreign Relations 2 of 21

Vance's office deletes post acknowledging the Armenian genocide during his visit to Armenia's memorial, reverting to Trump policy of refusing the term.

First VP to ever visit Armenia

Source: The Hill

February 10, 2026

Health 3 of 21

FDA refuses to review Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine despite no safety or efficacy concerns, rejecting a clinical trial design the agency itself approved in 2024.

EU, Canada, Australia all accepted application

Source: NBC News

February 10, 2026

Health 4 of 21

Forest Service knew wildland firefighter pants contained PFAS "forever chemicals" as early as 2021 but chose not to tell firefighters, waiting instead for a study that is still ongoing.

Senior officials asked duty to notify

Source: ProPublica

February 10, 2026

Health 5 of 21

National Cancer Institute is spending taxpayer funds to study ivermectin as a cancer treatment, alarming career scientists who call it "absurd."

No evidence it works on humans

Source: KFF Health News

February 10, 2026

Human Rights 6 of 21

National Park Service removes rainbow Pride flag from Stonewall National Monument, site of the 1969 uprising that launched the modern Pride movement.

Designated national monument in 2016

Source: WABC New York

February 10, 2026

Voting Rights 7 of 21

Trump-appointed federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking Michigan voters' Social Security numbers, dates of birth and driver's license numbers.

All 3 cited statutes rejected

Source: The Michigan Advance

February 10, 2026

Voting Rights 8 of 21

Unsealed FBI warrant reveals the Fulton County ballot seizure was based on years-old claims about missing ballot images from the 2020 election that have been repeatedly disproven.

700 boxes of ballots seized Jan 28

Source: WSB Atlanta

February 10, 2026

Military 9 of 21

FAA declares "national defense airspace" over El Paso and grounds all flights for 10 days with no explanation, authorizing deadly force against aircraft that enter the restricted zone.

Closest comparison is 9/11 attacks

Source: The El Paso Times

February 10, 2026

Military 10 of 21

Trump administration warns American commercial vessels to stay away from Iranian territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz, advising crews not to resist if Iranian troops board without permission.

Advisory in effect through August

Source: The Hill

February 10, 2026

Military 11 of 21

U.S. sends 200 troops to Nigeria to train forces fighting Islamist militants, weeks after Trump threatened to go in "guns-a-blazing."

US struck 2 camps Christmas Day

Source: The Wall Street Journal [gift link]

February 10, 2026

Courts 12 of 21

Federal Judicial Center removes 90-page climate science chapter from official reference manual for U.S. judges after Republican attorneys general call it biased.

2 climate cases on Supreme Court docket

Source: ProPublica

February 10, 2026

Criminal Justice 13 of 21

Former Minnesota U.S. attorney who resigned over the Renee Good investigation now defends Don Lemon against his former office's first-ever criminal FACE Act religious freedom charges.

First criminal FACE Act religious prosecution

Source: KMSP Minneapolis

February 10, 2026

Immigration 14 of 21

ICE secretly leases more than 150 offices across nearly every state, with DHS ordering GSA to hide locations and bypass competitive bidding.

Near schools, churches, hospitals, daycares

Source: Wired

February 10, 2026

Immigration 15 of 21

Newly released body camera video contradicts DHS account of Border Patrol agent shooting Chicago woman five times during October immigration raid.

Commander praised shooter, offered retirement extension

Source: ABC Chicago

February 10, 2026

Education 16 of 21

San Francisco's 6,000 public school teachers strike for the first time in nearly 50 years, closing all 120 schools and leaving 50,000 students without classes.

District faces $100M deficit

Source: The Marin Independent Journal

February 10, 2026

Education 17 of 21

Trump administration agrees not to withhold K-12 school funding over DEI programs after 19 state attorneys general sue.

Funded foster, homeless, special ed students

Source: News from the States

February 10, 2026

Oversight 18 of 21

Commerce Secretary Lutnick confirms he lunched with Jeffrey Epstein on his private island in 2012, contradicting his claim he cut all ties in 2005.

Bipartisan resignation calls mount

Source: Spectrum News

February 10, 2026

Oversight 19 of 21

State Department will begin proactively revoking passports of parents owing more than $100,000 in child support, expanding a 1996 law that currently affects fewer than 500 people.

Program collected $621M since 1996

Source: The Associated Press

February 10, 2026

Grift 20 of 21

Trump administration's new dietary guidelines website directs Americans to Elon Musk's Grok chatbot for nutrition advice, weeks after the chatbot generated millions of sexualized deepfakes of women and children.

Free version limits questions

Source: Government Executive

February 10, 2026

Fighting Back 21 of 21

Grand jury refuses to indict six Democratic lawmakers after Trump's U.S. attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro sought sedition charges over a video reminding service members they can reject unlawful orders.

Trump called for their death

Source: Axios

February 10, 2026

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