Tariffic

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for February 23, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

The Latest

Mike Johnson is stuck between a rock and Rep. Tony Gonzales. The House speaker really cannot lose any more Republican votes, but he also may find it difficult to stand by Gonzales: The Texas Republican was already under scrutiny for allegedly having an affair with a staffer who died by suicide, and then the New York Post reported on text messages Gonzales sent the woman:

• “Send me a sexy pic,” Gonzales allegedly said in a 2024 text. “This is going too far boss,” she replied. “What do you like?” he responded. “Anal?”
• NBC’s Ryan Nobles asked Johnson if he still backs Gonzales’ reelection. “I endorsed Tony before all these allegations came out, they’re obviously very serious, and I’ve spoken with him and told him he’s got to address that in an appropriate way with his constituents,” Johnson said, adding that it’s “too early for anybody to prejudge any of that.”
• Other Republicans aren’t waiting. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said every member should be “condemning” Gonzales for the texts. Rep. Lauren Boebert put it bluntly: “@RepTonyGonzales, RESIGN!” And the House Freedom Caucus PAC just endorsed Gonzales’ challenger.

Mexico’s killing of “El Mencho” has sparked widespread violence and led to the deaths of at least 73 people. Donald Trump called on Mexico to “step up” and do more to stop cartels.Trump isn’t giving up on tariffs. The president said the Supreme Court’s “ridiculous and poorly crafted” decision confirms that he has the power to impose tariffs, and that he’ll punish any country that tries to take advantage of the court’s ruling.

• Johnson said it would be a “challenge to find consensus on any path forward” on tariffs in Congress. Chuck Schumer confirmed as much, saying Democrats will block any attempt to extend the tariffs.

The Administration

Trump said would-be assassins ‘only go after consequential presidents.’ Agents shot and killed a 21-year-old man who entered Mar-a-Lago Sunday with a shotgun and a fuel canister.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon blocked the release of Jack Smith’s report on the classified documents case against Trump. The Trump-appointed judge said Smith’s appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional, and that he shouldn’t be releasing a report “without an adjudication of guilt.”

Maryland is suing DHS and ICE to stop them from converting a warehouse into an immigration detention center. Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown said residents have “the right to know when and how detention facilities are built in their communities.”

Maine residents are suing DHS for allegedly using threats, facial recognition and other surveillance technology to harass people legally observing ICE actions.

The acting commissioner of the BLS said its job numbers aren’t rigged — and that, despite Trump’s claims to the contrary, they weren’t rigged before the president fired former BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, either.

Epstein Watch

London police arrested the UK’s former ambassador to the U.S., Peter Mandelson, who is charged with misconduct in public office for his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

• “Longevity influencer” Peter Attia resigned from CBS and the protein bar company David amid revelations about his relationship with Epstein.

Wintry Mix

Chicago had a contest to name its snowplows. Abolish ICE won.

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Kim Breen, Matt Berman and Christopher T. Fong. If you like it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please subscribe — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.