5 Big News Stories Overnight - Thursday, February 12, 2026

U.S.: Trump Threatens Congressional Republicans Over Tarrif Vote

Trump posted:

Any Republican, in the House or the Senate, that votes against TARIFFS will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time, and that includes Primaries! Our Trade Deficit has been reduced by 78%, the Dow Jones has just hit 50,000, and the S&P, 7,000, all Numbers that were considered IMPOSSIBLE just one year ago. In addition, TARIFFS have given us Great National Security because the mere mention of the word has Countries agreeing to our strongest wishes. TARIFFS have given us Economic and National Security, and no Republican should be responsible for destroying this privilege. PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP

U.S.: Super Bowl Rating

The Hollywood Reporter:

The 60th Super Bowl drew, as usual, a gigantic audience — but it had to settle for coming in just behind last year’s record-setting telecast.

NBC and Peacock’s telecast of Super Bowl LX — a lopsided, 29-13 victory for the Seattle Seahawks over the New England Patriots — averaged 124.93 million viewers, based on Nielsen’s final same-day ratings (the numbers also include Telemundo’s Spanish language broadcast and streaming on other NBCUniversal and NFL digital outlets). That’s off a scant 2 percent from Super Bowl LIX in 2025, which set an all-time U.S. audience record of 127.71 million viewers across Fox, Tubi, Telemundo and NFL digital properties.

U.S.: Waldorf Astoria’s Chinese Owners Plan to Sell NYC Hotel After Investment

Wall Street Journal reports:

The Chinese owners of the famed Waldorf Astoria in New York City are preparing to put the hotel up for sale, only months after it reopened following a multibillion-dollar, much-delayed overhaul.

A company controlled by the Chinese government is expected to begin marketing the hotel as soon as next month through the real-estate investment bank Eastdil Secured, according to people with knowledge of the plans.

The historic hotel, which occupies a full city block on Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, reopened this past fall after an eight-year gut renovation that created a smaller hotel with 375 guest rooms and 372 condominium units for sale. The Waldorf’s adjoining restaurants, shops and other amenities would be included in a sale, but the condos would continue to be sold separately.

The Waldorf’s transformation was completed last year about five years behind schedule and more than $1 billion over budget. 

U.S.: Bondi Spars With Congress Over Epstein Files

France 24 reports:

US Attorney General Pam Bondi launched into a passionate defence of Donald Trump on Wednesday as she tried to turn the page from relentless criticism of the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, repeatedly shouting at Democrats during a combative hearing in which she postured herself as the Republican president's chief protector.

Besieged by questions over Epstein and accusations of a weaponised Justice Department, Bondi aggressively pivoted in an extraordinary speech in which she mocked her Democratic questioners, praised Trump over the performance of the stock market and openly aligned herself as in sync with a president whom she painted as a victim of past impeachments and investigations.

“You sit here and you attack the president and I’m not going to have it," Bondi told lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee. "I am not going to put up with it.”