Quick Hits: Volume CCCXCVII

 - Stephen Colbert's Hollywood career has come full circle. From somewhat entertaining satirist to late night network TV talk show host to now a despicable (and lying) political hack. 

Colbert saw last fall how the Federal Communications Commission's indirect actions against fellow late night host Jimmy Kimmel turned out to be a ratings boon upon Kimmel's return to the airwaves. As such, Steve-O attempted to play up such an angle in an attempt to gin up interest in his program over the short time he has remaining. 

Colbert is a fundraiser for Democrat candidates.

Colbert's sister is a Democrat politician.

Colbert is plugged in with the highest levels of the Democrat party.

What's likely going on here is that Dem bosses needed something to get Talarico past Crockett in the primary and… pic.twitter.com/5Tj1DTmwvh

— 🐺 (@LeighWolf) February 17, 2026

Colbert contended that the FCC cracked down on his hosting U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico (D-TX). The rationale being that the Trump administration was scared that a "Christian" Democrat could actually turn Texas blue, thus they employed their authoritarian tactics to prevent his guest appearance from airing on broadcast TV. 

The truth? 

"THE LATE SHOW was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico. The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled. THE LATE SHOW decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel with on-air promotion on the broadcast rather than potentially providing the equal-time options."

But hey, if we're going to employ leftist tactics, we should come out and say that Colbert is a misogynist and racist for attempting to elevate Talarico over Ms. Crockett anyways. Their rules. 

- Now that Amy Klobuchar is the presumed Democrat nominee for Minnesota governor, arguably the nation's leading polling analysts put forth a hard truth. 

Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s campaign for Minnesota governor puts an already longshot race out of play for Republicans. This race moves from Likely D to Solid D. #MNgov

Read more from @MattKleinOnline:https://t.co/wfXvPzUJWZ

— Cook Political Report (@CookPolitical) February 17, 2026

This also severely hampers Minnesota Republicans' ability to seize control of the House (currently split at 67-67) and Senate (Dems have a 34-33 advantage), given Klobuchar's presence at the top of the ticket will be a huge advantage for DFL legislative candidates. 

At this point, with the gubernatorial race seemingly out of reach, I would be perfectly OK for the GOP to shift its sole focus on trying to take control of at least one if not both chambers of the Legislature. With how badly a DFL trifecta crippled this state with the legislation signed into law in 2023 and 2024, the same makeup of state government in 2027 and 2028 would effectively turn us into a cold California. 

- Speaking of the Legislature, Tuesday marked the first day of the 2026 session. And for one day, partisanship could be put aside for this undeniably inspirational moment. 

Fear not, we still have about 3 solid months to indulge in the obligatory sniping and grandstanding that occurs regularly in today's political climate. But regardless of your party affiliation, it's hard not to root for Sen. Hoffman and his family after enduring all they have over the past eight months. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 2/15/2026

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I've had enough of the world and its people's mindless games......

After a week off, I will be back in the Patriot bunker today for the latest edition of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour blitz gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour, I'll discuss the aftermath of Operation Metro Surge now that the Trump administration begins to scale back activities. Also, it's clear that Gov. Tim Walz wants to continue to milk this issue in an effort to distract from the state's rampant welfare fraud. 

Then in the 2:00 hour, I will talk about some national news, including what President Trump's next move may be now that there have been multiple reports of chaos and incompetence within the Dept of Homeland Security. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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This is a good thing

When Second Amendment advocates proclaim that gun rights are for everybody, they mean everybody.

In the aftermath of Alex Pretti being killed by Federal law enforcement while legally carrying a firearm, many progressives expected 2A activists to parrot members of the Trump administration (including the President himself) when they suggested he shouldn't have possessed a gun in such an environment. However, the shooters are some of the more passionate, well-informed and intellectually consistent collectives out there. And we stood our ground in defending Pretti's right to carry in that situation. 

So could it be that awful incident has caused some on the left to rethink their vehement anti-gun stance? Well, if data compiled within the first month of 2026 is any indication, the tide may indeed be turning. 

Twin Cities gun sales have seen their largest year-over-year leap since the pandemic, with some cities experiencing double or even triple the demand compared to the same time last year, a Minnesota Star Tribune analysis of city and county data found.

The data, as well as interviews with gun store owners and gun safety instructors, indicate the increase is largely being driven by first-time buyers.

The spike in gun sales came during the height of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement efforts in Minnesota, which culminated last month with the fatal shootings of two Minnesotans, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, at the hands of federal agents.

Whenever gun-grabbing politicians question why Americans even need "assault weapons," gunnies basically retort with "Because you tell me I don't need one." And then sales of such caliber of firearms increase dramatically. Could it be that fervent anti-Trumpers are reacting in the same vain when Trump expressed that Pretti should not have had a gun in that situation? 

Of course, surges like this have been seen before in the not too recent past. But is it different this time? 

Gun sales surged during the conflicts that followed the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Permit applications in Hennepin County jumped again following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. capitol and remained high through the summer crime wave that same year. More recently, sales went up following the assassination of DFL Rep. Melissa Hortman and the Annunciation Church mass shooting last year.

Last month’s increase appears to stand out, however, said Rob Doar, president of the Minnesota Gun Owners Law Center, a gun rights advocacy group.

“At least anecdotally, the demographics are shifting a lot, where we see people who are more liberally aligned, or on the left, expressing interest in gun ownership,” Doar said. “From what I’m hearing from permit to carry instructors, their classes have been younger and not necessarily your typical conservative.”

We've been reliably informed for years by anti-gunners that the quickest way for the right to embrace gun control is when black people and other non-traditional demographics start to purchase firearms. But as we saw in the aftermath of the summer of unrest in 2020 as well as this past month, 2A activists are more emboldened (and encouraged) than ever with people wanting to exercise their inalienable right to keep and bear arms. As expected. 

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Scaling back

As someone who supports the Trump administration's illegal immigration crackdown but has struggled with their methodology, I see this as welcome news. 

Border Czar Tom Homan announced Thursday that Operation Metro Surge, the enforcement operation targeting illegal immigrants in Minnesota, is concluding after agents successfully removed thousands of illegal immigrants from the state despite overwhelming public backlash and obstruction by anti-ICE agitators.

Homan, who was dispatched to the state last month to revamp operations after two anti-ICE agitators were shot and killed by agents, revealed that federal agents have made more than 4,000 arrests in Minnesota since the operation began — but he was unable to say definitively how many of those individuals were targeted public safety threats as opposed to general illegal immigrants.

A small number of agents will remain in the state to provide security and investigate allegations of widespread welfare fraud, Homan said.

“Federal government personnel assigned to conduct criminal investigations into the agitators, as well as the personnel assigned here for the fraud investigations, will remain in place until their work is done,” Homan said during a press conference Thursday morning in Minneapolis.

The border czar stipulated that the end of the surge operation does not mean the administration is taking a step back from enforcing immigration law.

“For those that say we are backing down from immigration enforcement or the promise of mass deportations, you are simply wrong… prioritizing public safety threats and national security threats doesn’t mean we’re forgetting about everybody else,” Homan said.

Homan even commended state and local leaders for their cooperation in diffusing what had become an overly tense situation, accentuated by the deaths of two citizens. 

Naturally, the local commie group isn't exactly lauding such collaboration. 

 

A good reminder in case you mistakenly thought Frey, Walz, and Witt were on the side of protecting immigrant neighbors. Instead, they’re bending to Trump’s will. But we will not stop until ICE is abolished 🌹 https://t.co/xgNsbOcsjS

— Twin Cities DSA 🌹 (@TwinCitiesDSA) February 12, 2026

While Gov. Tim Walz certainly embraced this bit of news, he lamented the adverse impact these operations have wrought. 

"...(T)he fact of the matter is, they left us with deep damage, generational trauma. They left us with economic ruin in some cases. They left us with many unanswered questions."

I read that quote and couldn't help but think it could be attributable to Walz's draconian COVID mandates his administration implemented in 2020 and 2021. Walz also indicated that with the legislative session starting next week that he'd like to prioritize assisting small businesses which he claims were harmed over the past couple of months. However, if he were intellectually honest, he'd concede that the recently rolled out Paid Family Medical Leave has been just as harmful if not more so. 

But I digress. 

Regardless, from now until Election Day, Walz and his fellow DFLers are definitely not going to waste this crisis. That is, they're going to attempt to link any adversity which occurs in Minnesota over the next nine months to Operation Metro Surge. Hey, anything to distract from the rampant fraud which is sure to get more of the spotlight now that ICE is drawing down.

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To be memory holed

I'd be hard pressed to think of a tragic event the prog media loves to demagogue more than a mass shooting (with the exception of those which occur every weekend in crime-riddled blue cities, natch). 

However, this particular incident which occurred on Tuesday will likely disappear from media coverage so fast that it'll leave a vapor trail.

• Canada’s deadliest school shooting in decades: Six people, including five students and a teacher, were found dead at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School Tuesday. The bodies of two people – the suspect’s mother and step-brother – were also found at a home in the small mountain town in a remote area of British Columbia.

• Police identified a suspect: The suspect is an 18-year-old female resident of the town who had dropped out of the school about four years ago, police said. The suspect was born as a biological male and transitioned about six years ago, police said. Officers had visited her residence several times due to mental health concerns.

• Most of the victims were children: Five students between 12 and 13 years old, as well as the 11-year-old step brother of the suspect, were killed in the shooting. Dozens more were wounded, including one 12-year-old girl who is currently fighting for her life in hospital.

• Nation in mourning: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told the community that “the nation mourns with you” and British Columbia has declared a national day of mourning Thursday. Mass shootings are rare in Canada, which has much stricter gun laws than the US.

Of course, the salient issue isn't the horrific tragedy involving more dead kids or how a country with such draconian gun laws can have something like this occur. No, it's how we refer to the dead shooter that's critical here. 

JUST IN - Royal Canadian Mounted Police state they will continue to identify transsexual school shooting suspect Jesse Van Rootselaar by his "gender of choice;" female — NYT

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) February 11, 2026

Yeah, I'm sure that will be of great comfort to the victims' families. 

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On assignment

I will not be broadcasting my Sunday radio show today, but fear as the show is in good hands. Your O.G. NARN personality Mitch Berg will be taking the reins, 1-3 PM Central Time. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics Mitch plans on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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Super Bowl LX: The Q&A

Well, it was 20 years ago this week that I started this little venture where I decided to spruce up my Super Bowl prediction. An acquaintance whom I dubbed the Super Bowl Inquisitor (aka SBI) agreed to be a part of this bit initially, but never under the pretense that this would be an annual thing for two decades. 

Anyhow, there's a sense of deja vu with this one as we have a rematch from 11 years ago when the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots squared off. As always, SBI brings the inquiries (or throws shade) and I put forth often ill fated attempts at levity. 

Here we go!

Super Bowl Inquisitor: Wow, hard to believe this has been going on for two decades. A lotta things have changed , but there's been one constant: the Minnesota Vikings have not even made it to the big game, much less won it. 

Brad Carlson: Just hang with me for another 20 years. It's gonna happen eventually. I think. I hope.

SBI: Well then right outta the chute I'll make this my first question. Your Vikings let Sam Darnold walk to Seattle after the 2024 season. They also attempted to move heaven and earth in '24 to acquire the Patriots’ #3 draft pick in order to select quarterback Drake Maye, but were rebuffed. Your reaction?

BC: Imagine you're a lovestruck teenaged guy and you're reminded of the love you lost and the love you couldn't score because she was way out of your league. 

SBI: I have a feeling I know how this is gonna go, but I feel obligated to get your reactions. Yes, it's the musical talent. 

First up, the opening ceremony - Green Day.

BC: Don't care. Just hope they have the time of their lives. 

SBI: National Anthem will be performed by Charlie Puth. 

BC: Sounds like an Arrested Development character. 

SBI: Brandi Carlile gets the nod for American the Beautiful. 

BC: Loved her as the lead singer of the Go-Go's. 

SBI: The Black National Anthem will be sung by Coco Jones. 

BC: OK, now I'm impressed. Not only was she a U.S. Olympian, but she can sing, too????

SBI: And finally, the halftime show's featured entertainer will be Bad Bunny. 

BC: It could be Bugs Bunny, Bugsy Malone or Post Malone. It still wouldn't do a lot for me. 

SBI: Which version of the Seahawks-Pats matchup do you prefer - Super Bowl 60 or 49.

BC: Easily the original version, which is SB 49. Pats-Hawks without Tom Brady and Marshawn Lynch is the equivalent of a Hawaii Five-O remake without McGarrett and Chin Ho. 

SBI: In this day and age there are opportunities to make money via unusual prop bets, including betting on the color of Gatorade dumped on the winning head coach. Is there anything in particular you'd consider a sure thing?

BC: Hammer the over on the number of times NBC announcer guy Cris Collinsworth says "Here's a guy..." That, and Collinsworth somehow invoking Patrick Mahomes' name despite his not even playing in this year's Super Bowl. 

SBI: For the third time ever, the two Super Bowl coaches have the same first name. Fascinating fact our useless trivia? 

BC: Ah, that's right. I keep forgettin' the name of the Seahawks coach. 

SBI: Ugh. Clearly you're getting bored at this point. Moving on.

What's on the menu for this year's gathering? 

BC: I'm re-upping a motto from Super Bowls past: If it's green, it's trouble; if it's fried, make it double.

SBI: Now to the official prediction. The Seahawks have been holding steady as a 4-1/2 point favorite. How do ya see this one? 

BC: Seattle is the better, more talented team. But I just have an inkling that Pats coach Mike Vrabel will push the right buttons to get his team over the top. Not only do the Patriots cover the spread but they win outright. 

I say 21-20, New England. 

With that, thanks for hangin' in these past 20 years!

My 2025 postseason record:

Against the spread: 6-6

Straight up: 7-5

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NARN on a lake

It's the day before a certain big time NFL game, so that means the annual Holes for Heroes ice fishing tournament will be taking place!

I will be joining Mitch Berg for his regular Northern Alliance Radio Network broadcast time today, 1-3 PM Central Time. We'll be on the air live from the ice fishing tourney on Medicine Lake in Plymouth. 

As always, we just kinda wing it as far as content given we like to have on many of the Fishing for Life officials and volunteers to share their perspectives. 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out Mitch's podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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