7. President Donald Trump named Dan Bongino deputy director of the FBI in a Truth Social post, celebrating the former Secret Service agent and ex-Fox News host as a patriot with “incredible love and passion” who will support FBI Director Kash Patel in revitalizing American justice. Trump highlighted Bongino’s educational achievements — a master’s in psychology from CUNY and an MBA from Penn State — and his law enforcement tenure with the NYPD and Secret Service, emphasizing that he’s ready to leave his thriving podcast to serve, a move Bongino acknowledged with thanks to Trump, Pam Bondi, and Patel on X. This move is yet another move to show to Trump voters that his administration is targeting the Deep State that has spent years targeting him.

5. State Sen. Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville) took to social media to correct the Blaze’s Daniel Horowitz, who wrongly claimed SB156, the “Second Chance Act,” would release murderers, clarifying that the bill — approved by the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee the previous day — limits resentencing petitions to non-violent offenders sentenced to life without parole before May 26, 2000. During the committee hearing, Givhan championed the bill, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road), as a remedy for an inequity where recent offenders serve shorter terms than earlier counterparts for identical non-violent acts, calling the perpetual imprisonment of the latter “fundamentally unfair.” The legislation, which could affect a select group who’ve served at least 25 years, has garnered support from conservative advocates like Americans for Prosperity-Alabama, who praise its focus on fairness, redemption, and rehabilitation for those demonstrating change.

4. Alabama’s U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks) has teamed up with Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) to push the DEFUND Act, a bold move to dismantle America’s relationship with the United Nations by cutting all financial support and participation, which they decry as a voluntary $18 billion annual drain funding anti-Israel bias and coercive policies through agencies like UNRWA and UNFPA. The legislation, echoing Rogers’ 2022 effort with the American Sovereignty Restoration Act, seeks to repeal cornerstone U.N. laws like the 1945 Participation Act, close the U.N.’s New York headquarters, and block future engagement without Senate approval, framing the U.N. as a “supranational” relic that no longer serves U.S. interests. Amid the Trump administration’s broader efficiency drive led by Elon Musk’s DOGE, the DEFUND Act would also exit the WHO and strip diplomatic protections, reflecting a growing conservative push to reclaim sovereignty from what Rogers calls an outdated and biased global body.

3. Republican town halls across the country have been bombarded by malcontents screaming at them about Elon Musk, Donald Trump, DOGE, Social Security, and various other issues, the media has gleefully used these moments to suggest that people that voted for President Donald Trump wanted more of President Joe Biden’s policies. In an effort to get in on some of this action, there are a series of demands for town halls from members of Congress, there is even a petition for U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Monrovia). This same strategy was used during Trump’s first presidency, requiring the media to shelve their talk about the unacceptable “tone” taking over American politics and leading them to embrace a new “scream in their faces and be angry” technique.

2. Days after Alabama U.S. Sens. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) asked new FBI Director Kash Patel to fill out the positions at the new FBI facility in Huntsville, Patel announced they will do just that. On his first day as FBI Director, Kash Patel revealed to senior officials his intent to relocate 1,000 employees from Washington to various field offices and 500 to Huntsville, Alabama, fulfilling his vision to shrink the D.C. presence and boost local crime efforts. The move, praised by President Trump who predicted Patel would be the “best ever” director, comes amid Democratic fears of his loyalty to Trump and past threats to target adversaries, stirring concerns as he takes over an agency already shaken by recent Justice Department purges.

1. Federal employees received an Office of Personnel Management email, spurred by Elon Musk, requesting “approx. 5 bullets” of last week’s achievements by Monday night, with Musk warning on X that failing to reply would mean resignation, despite the email lacking such a threat and OPM’s Feb. 5 guidance labeling mass email responses as “explicitly voluntary.” Agencies like the FBI, Defense, and Homeland Security quickly directed staff to delay responding, highlighting legal and procedural confusion, while the American Federation of Government Employees’ Everett Kelley slammed the request as baseless and intimidating to civil servants with job protections. The clash revealed a rift between Musk’s aggressive efficiency push and federal norms, fueling worker anger and uncertainty as unions vowed to challenge any fallout, with some fearing the responses might be misused rather than fostering accountability.

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