THE TOP NEWS STORIES THIS WEEK
2-1-26 TO 2-7-26
FROM GEMINI
The first week of February 2026 has been a whirlwind of shifting political power, economic volatility, and major technological milestones. Here are the top stories for each sector from February 1 to February 7, 2026.
🇺🇸 U.S. News
Artemis II Launch Preparations: NASA's Artemis II crew entered final quarantine this week. Despite delays due to frigid Florida weather, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket began its "Wet Dress Rehearsal" to prepare for a lunar flyby mission—the first crewed mission to the Moon in over 50 years.
Greenland Diplomatic Retraction: After a tense January involving discussions of acquiring Greenland, the administration officially retracted threats of military force and tariffs against European nations that had opposed the move, aiming to stabilize NATO relations.
Columbia 23rd Anniversary: The nation observed the 23rd anniversary of the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy on February 1, with memorial services held at Kennedy Space Center and Arlington National Cemetery.
⚖️ Politics
White House Executive Orders: Following the inauguration, President Trump signed a series of executive orders during the first week of February, focused on immigration and trade, while Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt held daily briefings to outline the administration’s "First 100 Days" agenda.
New START Treaty Expiration: On February 4, the New START Treaty officially expired. For the first time in decades, the U.S. and Russia are operating without legally binding restrictions on their nuclear arsenals, sparking intense debate on Capitol Hill.
Fed Independence Legal Battle: The Supreme Court began hearing arguments regarding the President’s power to fire members of the Federal Reserve Board, a case that could fundamentally change the independence of U.S. monetary policy.
🌍 World Affairs
Costa Rican Elections: Costa Rica held its presidential election on February 1. Initial results suggest a run-off will be required in April, as no candidate secured the 40% threshold amid high voter polarization.
Singapore Space Summit: Global leaders and tech giants convened for the Space Summit 2026 in Singapore (Feb 2-3) to discuss satellite infrastructure and the rapidly growing Asia-Pacific space sector.
Nipah Virus Outbreak: The WHO was notified of a fatal Nipah virus case in Bangladesh on February 3. While the risk of global spread is considered low, health officials are monitoring 35 close contacts.
🎓 Education
FERPA Investigations: On February 5, the Department of Education launched two major investigations into whether student data was illegally shared with third parties to influence previous elections.
New School Prayer Guidance: The Department of Education issued updated federal guidance on constitutionally protected prayer and religious expression in public schools.
National School Counseling Week: Schools across the country recognized National School Counseling Week (Feb 2–8), focusing on mental health support for students following post-pandemic educational shifts.
📈 Economy
The "Friday Crash": February 6 saw a historic collapse in gold, silver, and cryptocurrency markets. Silver recorded a massive one-day decline of 25%, following a rally that had previously pushed gold above $5,000/oz.
Fed Chair Nomination: The White House nominated veteran Kevin Warsh to be the next Chair of the Federal Reserve, a move that initially unsettled bond markets as investors weighed his stance on interest rate cuts.
S&P 500 Volatility: The S&P 500 briefly touched the 7,000 mark early in the week before retracing due to concerns over a potential government shutdown and wholesale inflation data.
💻 Technology
Oracle’s $50B AI Expansion: Oracle announced a massive $50 billion plan to build a global network of data centers specifically for "autonomous agents" and generative AI, signaling a major infrastructure war with Microsoft and Google.
CES 2026 Highlights: Following the close of CES, "Physical AI" (AI trained in virtual sims then put into robots) emerged as the dominant trend, with Nvidia’s Vera Rubin superchip entering full production.
Uber’s Luxury Robotaxi: Uber, in partnership with Lucid Motors and Nuro, debuted its most luxurious autonomous vehicle yet, featuring a "halo" LED system and personalized in-cabin experiences for San Francisco riders.
🏥 Health
Drug Shortages Crisis: A report released on February 4 revealed that 88% of primary care physicians are currently struggling with significant drug shortages, particularly in specialized oncology and pediatric medications.
Aviation Net Zero Report: The Air Transport Action Group released its Waypoint 2050 report on February 5, claiming Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) must contribute up to 58% of carbon reductions to meet health and climate targets.
Resident Physician Well-being: New studies released this week highlighted that 1 in 7 resident physicians in the U.S. is currently facing food insecurity, prompting the AMA to push for better institutional support.
🏆 Sports
Winter Olympics Countdown: Italy began the final one-week countdown for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, scheduled to open on February 6.
NCAAB Showdowns: In a major SEC clash on February 1, Tennessee defeated Auburn 77-69 in front of a sold-out crowd of over 21,000 fans.
Boxing Headlines: The Medina vs. Curiel bout on February 7 generated significant buzz, with analysts calling it a pivotal match for divisional rankings and future title shots.
FROM GROK
- Major winter storm (Storm Kristin) slammed much of the U.S., especially the South, causing dangerous conditions, power outages, and travel chaos.
- REAL ID enforcement began nationwide, leading to over 3,000 flight cancellations and airport disruptions as travelers adapted to new requirements.
- ICE operations in Minneapolis escalated, with reports of agents shooting and killing U.S. citizens (including Alex Prey and Renee Good), sparking protests, demands to remove ICE, and viral incidents like a disabled resident being dragged.
- DOJ released over 3 million pages related to Jeffrey Epstein files, prompting calls for figures like Prince Andrew to testify.
- Partial government shutdown threats/looms over DHS funding and other issues, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries commenting.
- Protests rallied across the U.S. in solidarity with Minneapolis over ICE actions.
- Ongoing fallout from federal worker "deferred resignation" offers, with judicial interventions extending deadlines.
- Search efforts or pleas related to high-profile missing persons cases (e.g., references to Savannah Guthrie's mother in some broadcasts).
- Bus accidents and other incidents (e.g., a fatal bus rollover killing nine).
- Communities continued rebuilding efforts one year after major events like Los Angeles fires.
- Ongoing partial government shutdown debates, particularly over DHS/immigration funding.
- President Trump's gaggles/press interactions at Mar-a-Lago and policy announcements.
- Pushback from some Republicans (e.g., on threats to the Federal Reserve or other agencies).
- DOJ investigation into the Federal Reserve amid pressure to lower interest rates.
- House Speaker comments on potential shutdown resolutions.
- Wyoming AG pushing for rehearing on abortion case at state Supreme Court.
- Supreme Court considerations on firearms bans for marijuana users.
- Trump's proposals for massive military spending increases and imperial tones (e.g., Venezuela, Greenland).
- Release of Epstein-related documents and political demands for testimony.
- Broader administration firings/rules and attention shifting to agencies like Education/USAID.
- Russian drone strikes on Kyiv (Ukraine) amid ongoing peace talks (e.g., in Abu Dhabi).
- Continued Russo-Ukrainian war developments, including prisoner swaps and strikes (e.g., Dnipro minibus attack killing 15+).
- U.S. actions in Venezuela, including oil tanker seizures, blockade threats, and Trump's claims Venezuela would provide 30–50 million barrels of oil to the U.S.
- Gaza/Israel: Air strikes killing dozens; Rafah border reopening after nearly two years, allowing some returns.
- Balochistan (Pakistan) counterterrorism operation ending with high casualties (145 BLA insurgents, civilians, security forces killed).
- Boko Haram: Nigerian forces kill senior commander in raid.
- Sudanese civil war: Khartoum airport resumes limited passenger flights after years.
- Iran: Comments on talks with the U.S.; warnings from Trump.
- Epstein links: New documents prompting UK PM calls for Prince Andrew to testify.
- Other: Pokémon theme park opening in Japan amid tourism boom; various global smear campaigns or incidents.
- Trump administration turning attention to the Department of Education (potential restructuring/cuts).
- Broader federal funding slashes affecting social programs in Democratic-led states (impacting education indirectly).
- Ongoing policy resets (e.g., nutrition guidelines tied to health/education). 4–10. Limited standout stories; coverage overlapped with politics (e.g., agency attention) and economy (e.g., potential impacts from shutdowns on school funding).
- Dow Jones Industrial Average surged over 1,200 points, closing above 50,000 for the first time ever (historic milestone).
- S&P 500 and Nasdaq rebounds amid rotation to cyclical stocks, though weekly mixed (S&P slight decline, Nasdaq down more).
- Trump's claims Venezuela would provide massive oil volumes to U.S. (30–50M barrels), affecting oil prices/markets.
- Gold prices surging to records, impacting jewelers and investors.
- Delayed U.S. labor/inflation data releases due to government shutdown.
- Potential economic toll from Trump's policies (tariffs, trade wars) starting to show (e.g., higher prices for goods).
- China PMI/inflation data influencing global views.
- UK/Eurozone GDP previews.
- Federal budget proposals (e.g., huge military spending increase).
- Broader market sentiment positive early February despite uncertainties.
- ICE use of facial recognition/tech (e.g., Palantir) in Minneapolis operations highlighted.
- Broader Epstein document releases involving digital files/new images.
- AI-related stories (e.g., bots in odd contexts from global oddities). 4–10. Limited major breakthroughs; overlapped with politics (e.g., Fed investigations) and economy (market tech sell-offs/rebounds).
- Historic reset of U.S. nutrition policy (Dietary Guidelines 2025–2030) by HHS/USDA, emphasizing "real food" over processed.
- Ongoing COVID or other implications minimal this week.
- Nutrition policy tied to "Make America Healthy Again" themes.
- Broader socialized medicine debates. 5–10. Fewer dominant stories; some overlap with economy (e.g., insurance impacts) and U.S. news (e.g., ICE incidents involving health/disability).
- Winter Olympics opening ceremony references (e.g., Cortina returning after 70 years).
- Grammy Awards preview (major performances/nominees, tying into entertainment).
- General sports updates (e.g., polar bear cub rescue as lighter story in some broadcasts). 4–10. Limited major events this specific week; more previews than big results (e.g., ongoing leagues, but no massive upsets/headlines dominating).
THIS WEEK'S DAILY TOP NEWS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7 , 2026
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2026
Big Education Ape: MORNING NEWS UPDATE: FEBRUARY 1, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/02/morning-news-update-february-1-2026.html
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2026
Big Education Ape: MORNING NEWS UPDATE: FEBRUARY 2, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/02/morning-news-update-february-2-2026.html
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2026
Big Education Ape: MORNING NEWS UPDATE: FEBRUARY 3, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/02/morning-news-update-february-3-2026.html
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2026
Big Education Ape: MORNING NEWS UPDATE: FEBRUARY 4, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/02/morning-news-update-february-4-2026.html
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2026
Big Education Ape: MORNING NEWS UPDATE: FEBRUARY 5, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/02/morning-news-update-february-5-2026.html
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2026
Big Education Ape: MORNING NEWS UPDATE: FEBRUARY 6, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/02/morning-news-update-february-6-2026.html
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2026
HISTORY
TOP 10 TRUMP NEWS STORIES THIS WEEK
2-1-26 TO 2-7-26
The first week of February 2026 has been marked by significant foreign policy shifts, domestic controversies over immigration enforcement, and a series of high-profile executive actions.
Here are the top 10 news stories regarding President Trump for the week of February 1–7, 2026:
1. New Tariffs and Sanctions on Iran
President Trump signed a major Executive Order on February 6 targeting the Iranian regime.
2. Racist Video Controversy
A massive firestorm erupted after the President’s Truth Social account shared a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as primates.
3. "TrumpRx" Launch
On February 5, the administration officially launched TrumpRx, a namesake prescription drug discount website.
4. Expansion of Mass Deportations (The "Dezer Jet")
An investigation revealed that the administration has been using a private jet owned by Trump’s business partner, Gil Dezer, to deport Palestinians to the West Bank.
5. Federal Drawdown in Minneapolis
Following the fatal shooting of a civilian by federal agents in Minnesota, "Border Czar" Tom Homan announced a drawdown of 700 federal immigration officers from the Twin Cities.
6. Civil Service Overhaul (Firing Protections)
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a rule this week aimed at stripping job protections from approximately 50,000 civil service employees.
7. Diplomatic Tension with China and Taiwan
In a high-stakes call, Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned President Trump to be “prudent” regarding arms sales to Taiwan.
8. Closure of the Kennedy Center
Trump announced a two-year closure of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, citing the need for massive construction to turn it into a "spectacular entertainment complex."
9. Shifting Stance on Tulsi Gabbard’s FBI Appearance
Questions arose this week regarding why Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was present during an FBI search of a Georgia election hub.
10. The 250ft Washington Arch
Reports surfaced that the President is planning a massive 250-foot arch in Washington D.C., near the Memorial Bridge.