The UK government confirmed the television license fee – a tax on owning a TV and consuming content created by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) – will increase by £10.50, from £159 to £169.50, indicating a 6.6 percent rise.
This adjustment is less than the outlined £15 – around 9 percent rise based on the yearly inflation average the BBC and Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) anticipated.
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Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer disclosed this week that there will be a review of the BBC’s funding model, likely due to the increase of the license fee. The elevated fee is set to come into effect this coming April, after the £159 fee stayed stagnant for about two years. The BBC Board acknowledged the government’s move to tie the license fee to inflation after two years of no increase during a period of high inflation.
The government’s decision to raise the license fee by a smaller margin is alleged to lead to “no material difference” to those struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, according to the Shadow Culture Secretary Thangam Debbonaire. The government also recently announced Samir Shah as its preferred candidate to assume the role of BBC Chairman following Richard Sharp’s earlier departure this year.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Two illegal immigrants were arrested in connection with a violent home invasion in North Carolina that involved kidnapping, sexual assault, and brutal physical attacks.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Zaid Mayen, Jonathan David Garcia-Larios, John Carlos Calderon, and an unnamed male victim.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred last Wednesday in a Greenville, North Carolina, suburb.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This is a real-life nightmare. Burglarizing, kidnapping, assaulting, and sodomizing, and ripping off the fingernails of an innocent victim are extremely wicked and heinous.” – Outgoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin
🎯IMPACT: The suspects face multiple felony charges, and federal authorities have issued detainers against their release.
IN FULL
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed on Thursday that two illegal immigrants from Mexico, Zaid Mayen and Jonathan David Garcia-Larios, were arrested in connection with a violent home invasion in North Carolina. The attack, which occurred last Wednesday in a quiet Greenville suburb, involved the suspects breaking into a male victim’s home, restraining him, and subjecting him to brutal assaults, including sodomy and the removal of his fingernails.
DHS officials described the incident as “a real-life nightmare,” with outgoing Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stating, “Burglarizing, kidnapping, assaulting, and sodomizing, and ripping off the fingernails of an innocent victim are extremely wicked and heinous.” The suspects, aged 21 and 20, were arrested last Friday with assistance from U.S. Marshals and local law enforcement.
The two men, identified as a Chapel Hill resident and a previously deported homeless individual, entered the U.S. at an unknown time and date. DHS emphasized that these individuals had no prior criminal record in the U.S. but committed what the agency described as “horrific attacks.” A third suspect, John Carlos Calderon, was also arrested, though his immigration status remains under investigation.
All three suspects face first-degree felony charges, including forcible sexual assault, kidnapping, burglary, and the use of a deadly weapon with intent to kill causing serious injury. Garcia-Larios and Calderon are held without bond at the Pitt County Detention Center, while Mayen is held without bond at the Orange County Detention Center. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued detainers to ensure federal custody of the suspects.
The unnamed victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment and is recovering.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: A California law banning federal agents from wearing masks has been blocked by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued on Thursday by the 9th Circuit Court, following a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against California’s ‘No Secret Police Act.’
💬KEY QUOTE: “Law enforcement officers risk their lives for us, only to be doxxed by radical anti-police activists. Unacceptable.” – Pam Bondi
🎯IMPACT: The ruling protects federal agents from the mask ban, ensuring their safety while the court continues to deliberate on the law.
IN FULL
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals handed the Trump administration a significant win against California‘s anti-mask law targeting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Late Thursday, the appellate court handed down a ruling staying the anti-ICE law, championed by Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), from taking effect as litigation moves forward.
“This crucial ruling protects our brave men and women in the field. We will not stop fighting bad laws like these in California and across the country,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated following the ruling, noting the federal appeals court issued “a full stay blocking California’s ban on masks for federal law enforcement agents.”
Notably, the stay order upholds a lower court’s earlier ruling. It effectively imposes a temporary administrative injunction that prevents California’s anti-ICE law from being enforced until “the court rules on the government’s motion for an injunction pending appeal.”
The ‘No Secret Police Act,’ signed into law by Gov. Newsom on September 20, 2025, sought to ban federal agents, including ICE officers, from wearing masks except in limited circumstances. Newsom claimed the measure was necessary to push back against “Trump and Stephen Miller’s ‘secret police’ tactics,” adding that it would make California the first state to prohibit such practices.
The Trump administration filed a lawsuit arguing that the mask ban threatened officer safety and unconstitutionally allowed states to regulate federal operations. Earlier this month, U.S. District Court Judge Christina Snyder ruled the mask ban was discriminatory as it exempted state law enforcement while targeting federal agents. She issued an injunction against the law, which the 9th Circuit Court has now upheld.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Wall Street celebrated on Friday after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a number of tariffs imposed by President Donald J. Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The U.S. Supreme Court, President Trump, and markets such as the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The Supreme Court ruling was announced on February 20, 2026, with global markets largely closing in the green late Friday afternoon.
🎯IMPACT: Major indexes like the Dow Jones and S&P 500 surged as companies began suing for tariff refunds.
IN FULL
Wall Street and globalist corporations celebrated on Friday after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Donald J. Trump’s tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) were unlawful. Major market indexes like the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite surged throughout the day, with all three closing with significant gains. However, despite corporate investors cheering the high court’s ruling, President Trump announced Friday afternoon he intends to use alternative federal statutes to reimpose the trade levies—including the restoration of a ten percent global tariff under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act.
At market close, the Dow Jones rose 0.4 percent, gaining 196 points. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 rose 0.6 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.7 percent. While investors welcomed the Supreme Court’s reversal of some tariff measures, the Trump administration was quick to emphasize that the ruling is a significant blow to American workers.
Importantly, while the tariffs authorized under the IEEPA were struck down, other trade levies imposed through Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 are in effect. The National Pulse reported earlier on Friday that President Trump, while addressing the ruling at the White House, warned that while some foreign countries are celebrating the court’s ruling, “They won’t be dancing for long.”
“It is my opinion that the court has been swayed by foreign interests,” the America First leader declared, while noting that the majority did concede that the President has the power to embargo and cut off foreign trade entirely under IEEPA. President Trump went on to cite several other federal laws, as outlined by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, that allow him to impose tariffs.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. President Donald J. Trump warned that Europe must resolve its energy and immigration crises or be changed irrevocably.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, European governments.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: February 20, 2026, at a press conference in the United States.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Europe has to get smart. Europe’s getting killed on two things: energy and immigration, and if they don’t solve both of them fast, Europe is not the same place.” – President Trump
🎯IMPACT: President Trump warned Europe will no longer be “the same place” if it does not move to solve its problems “fast.”
IN FULL
U.S. President Donald J. Trump expressed concerns about Europe’s future while addressing a Supreme Court ruling on tariffs on Friday, saying the continent has “gone woke” and that he wants it to “straighten up.” Speaking to the press, he said, “Europe is not recognizable when you go into so many places,” although he praised countries that have been more resistant to mass migration, specifically Hungary, Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia, as exceptions.
“Europe has to be strong, and they’ve become soft and not recognizable. You go into some of the countries, I don’t want to be specific, but I think everyone knows what I’m talking about,” Trump continued. Previously, he has suggested that Britain and France, in particular, have changed for the worse, in the latter case going so far as to say, “France is no longer France.”
“The environmentalists have taken over; they’ve got windmills destroying their fields, their beautiful meadows, and their oceans, and they’re paying a fortune,” he added, warning: “Europe has to get smart. Europe’s getting killed on two things: energy and immigration, and if they don’t solve both of them fast, Europe is not the same place.”
Trump says Europe has gone “woke”
“I want Europe to strengthen up. Europe has gone woke. Europe is not recognizable when you go into so many places. Not all countries.”pic.twitter.com/92SwaPVoFW
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Taiwan’s exports to the United States surpassed those to China for the first time in decades, according to new U.S. Department of Commerce data.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The United States, China, Taiwan, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Taiwanese chipmakers, and Taiwan’s Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: December 2025 trade data reflects U.S.-Taiwan commerce and broader global trends and was released in February 2026.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Investment to the U.S. has increased dramatically, and also because of the rise of AI you have seen dramatic and significant changes.” – Taiwan’s minister of economic affairs Kung Ming-hsin
🎯IMPACT: Taiwan’s economic growth surged, bolstered by its semiconductor industry and increased U.S. investment.
IN FULL
Taiwanese exports to the United States have surpassed those from China in December, marking the first time in several decades that China has fallen behind the island nation just off its coast. Data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce this week shows that imports from Taiwan reached nearly $24.7 billion in December, a 22 percent increase from November, while imports from China edged up to $21.1 billion during the same period.
In recent years, Taiwan has become a key trade partner with the United States, driven by demand for its semiconductor industry, which produces 90 percent of the world’s advanced chips—but many of which are designed by American companies. The U.S. goods trade deficit with Taiwan widened to $146.8 billion in 2025, while the deficit with China expanded to $202.1 billion, despite tariffs imposed during the ongoing trade dispute.
Notably, President Donald J. Trump recently entered the United States into a new trade agreement with Taiwan, capping tariffs on the latter’s goods at 15 percent. Conversely, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and other chipmakers pledged to invest over a quarter trillion dollars to expand U.S. capacity for advanced semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
Taiwan’s economic growth reached 8.63 percent in 2025, nearly doubling from prior years, according to its Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics. The country has also surpassed Japan and South Korea in GDP per capita. Kung Ming-hsin, Taiwan’s minister of economic affairs, noted, “Investment to the U.S. has increased dramatically, and also because of the rise of AI you have seen dramatic and significant changes.”
Importantly, President Donald J. Trump will travel to Beijing in March as part of an official visit. It is expected that he and Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping will meet, with trade a key topic of discussion.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Speaking at the White House just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down most of his trade levies, President Donald J. Trump alleged the high court’s majority was “swayed by foreign interests.”
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, the Supreme Court, and foreign powers.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: February 20, 2026, at the White House.
💬KEY QUOTE: “It is my opinion that the court has been swayed by foreign interests.” — President Trump
🎯IMPACT: Citing Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, Trump said he is ordering the sectoral and national security tariffs to remain in effect—while reimposing the 10 percent universal tariff under Section 122 of the 1974 law.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump blasted the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that his imposition of tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) was unlawful. Speaking at the White House just hours after the high court struck down most of his trade levies, President Trump alleged the Supreme Court’s majority was “swayed by foreign interests.”
“The Supreme Court’s ruling on tariffs is deeply disappointing, and I’m ashamed of certain members of the court, absolutely ashamed, for not having the courage to do what’s right for our country,” the President said, continuing, “I’d like to thank and congratulate [dissenting] Justices [Clarence] Thomas, [Samuel] Alito and [Brett] Kavanaugh for their strength and wisdom and love of our country, which is, right now, very proud of those justices.”
Trump said that while some foreign countries—notably the United Kingdom—are celebrating, “They won’t be dancing for long.” He went on to state, “Others think being politically correct which has happened before far too often with members of this court. They are just being fools and lapdogs for the RINOS and radical left Democrats. They are very unpatriotic and disloyal to our constitution.”
“It is my opinion that the court has been swayed by foreign interests,” the America First leader declared, while noting that the majority did concede that the President has the power to embargo and cut off foreign trade entirely under IEEPA. President Trump went on to cite several other federal laws, as outlined by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, that allow him to impose tariffs.
Citing Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, Trump said he is ordering the sectoral and national security tariffs—which comprise around a third of those he imposed—to remain in effect. Importantly, these tariffs were not addressed by the Supreme Court’s ruling. Further, the President reimposed the 10 percent universal tariff under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act and will direct a new round of Section 301 investigations, which will likely result in additional trade levies in the coming weeks and months.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Hundreds of commercial driver’s license (CDL) truck driving schools and training facilities were found in violation of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) standards and are to be removed from the registry recently, lifting the number of closures to around 8,000.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy, FMCSA investigators, illegal immigrant truck drivers, and the American Trucking Association.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The investigations took place over the past five days across 50 states.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We commend the Trump Administration for taking decisive action to strengthen the integrity of our commercial driver training system and reinforce its commitment to safer roads.” – American Trucking Association
🎯IMPACT: The removal of noncompliant training providers aims to improve the quality of CDL driver training and ensure safer roads amid a spate of deadly crashes involving poorly qualified illegal immigrants.
IN FULL
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has found 550 commercial driver’s license (CDL) truck driving schools and training facilities in violation of its standards. These institutions received notices of removal from the registry of federally authorized truck driver training providers, part of a larger effort that has resulted in almost 8,000 more schools being removed in recent months.
President Donald J. Trump‘s Transportation Sean P. Duffy has spearheaded this nationwide crackdown on CDL training schools in violation of federal regulations and other noncompliant programs. Over the last five days, more than 300 investigators have been dispatched across all 50 states to conduct 1,426 on-site investigations of driver training providers.
As a result, 448 schools were removed for failing to meet basic safety standards, while 109 providers voluntarily closed their operations following the investigations. Despite the removal of nearly 3,000 training providers from the Training Provider Registry (TPR) two months ago, many of these were inactive, minimizing the immediate impact on road safety.
The American Trucking Association praised the initiative, stating, “We commend the Trump Administration for taking decisive action to strengthen the integrity of our commercial driver training system and reinforce its commitment to safer roads.” The Association says it supports strong oversight and random audits to ensure compliance with federal curriculum and qualification standards.
Over the last year, a number of American citizens have died in roadway accidents where the other driver was an illegal immigrant who had been issued a CDL. Two of the top states found to be authorizing commercial licenses for foreign nationals unlawfully present in the U.S. are California and New York.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Chris LaCivita, former campaign co-chief for Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, has quietly abandoned a defamation lawsuit against the left-wing Daily Beast over its reporting on campaign expenditures. He is believed to have settled privately, receiving no correction, apology, retraction, or any cash.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Chris LaCivita and the Daily Beast.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was abandoned nearly 10 months after it was filed.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Fuck around and Find Out. I’m really looking forward to making my case in front of a jury.” – Chris LaCivita (March 2023).
🎯IMPACT: The abandonment of the lawsuit comes after President Trump reportedly told LaCivita that if the stories about his financial take from the campaign were untrue, he should sue the media outlets reporting on it. He has now abandoned such cases.
IN FULL
Chris LaCivita, a senior figure in Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, has abandoned a major defamation lawsuit against the left-wing Daily Beast after the outlet published a stunning report about LaCivita gouging nearly $20M from the campaign’s coffers.
“The consulting firm of Donald Trump’s White House campaign’s co-manager has raked in $19.2 million and counting from the Republican nominee’s political operation in just two years,” the Beast reported in late 2024.
President Trump is said to have told LaCivita that if the claims were not true, he should sue those who published them, forcing LaCivita to embark on a costly legal process that is believed to have used Republican National Committee (RNC) donor cash rather than his own to defend himself.
Per reporting from November 2024, Trump summoned LaCivita on his plane.
“As they settled across from each other, Trump reached for a small stack of paper: a printout of the Daily Beast story… For the next half hour… the two men had it out—profanities flying but voices kept intentionally low—as LaCivita insisted to Trump that he wasn’t ripping the candidate off. Trump, the sources said, seemed to vacillate between believing his employee and seething over the dollar figure, wondering how something so specific could be wrong. Finally, after a couple of concluding f-bombs… he added: ‘You should sue those bastards.'”
RNC donor cash then flowed to LaCivita’s attorney, Mark Geragos, for over $650,000 in legal fees. Geragos previously represented Hunter Biden, Colin Kaepernick, and Michael Jackson.
“F— Around Find Out,” LaCivita tweeted at the time. “I’m really looking forward to making my case in front of a jury.”
Just 10 months later, however, LaCivita abandoned his much-publicized claims. The Daily Beast did not retract or even have to change any part of its story. It offered no apology or cash payment, both of which are common in settlements.
After the campaign, LaCivita was one of the very few campaign staffers not to make it into the White House, instead taking on a role managing RINO John Cornyn’s Senate campaign in Texas, as well as advising Warner Bros. on its mooted takeover. He is also a senior advisor to Senator Lindsey Graham, who is facing a strong primary challenge from Project 2025 author Paul Dans.
As part of his campaign in Texas, LaCivita has endeavored to attack those supporting Attorney General Ken Paxton, including former Trump campaign chief from 2016, Stephen K. Bannon.
In the moments before this story was due to be published, LaCivita lashed out on X (formerly Twitter), falsely claiming that the Editor-in-Chief of this publication, The National Pulse, is an “illegal alien.”
❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) is demanding that Congress immediately take up a new reconciliation bill to codify the tariffs imposed by President Donald J. Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sen. Moreno, President Trump, the U.S. Supreme Court, and Congressional Republicans and Democrats.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Friday, February 20, 2026.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This betrayal must be reversed and Republicans must get to work immediately on a reconciliation bill to codify the tariffs that had made our country the hottest country on earth!” — Sen. Moreno
🎯IMPACT: Earlier on Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down President Trump’s authority under the IEEPA to enact tariffs, finding that Congress’s legislative intent did not extend taxation power to the executive branch under the law’s regulatory provisions.
IN FULL
U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) is demanding that Congress immediately take up a new reconciliation bill to codify the tariffs imposed by President Donald J. Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Earlier on Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s authority under the IEEPA to enact tariffs, finding that Congress’s legislative intent did not extend taxation power to the executive branch under the law’s regulatory provisions.
“SCOTUS’s outrageous ruling handcuffs our fight against unfair trade that has devastated American workers for decades. These tariffs protected jobs, revived manufacturing, and forced cheaters like China to pay up,” Sen. Moreno wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) following the high court’s decision. “Now globalists win, factories investments may reverse, and American workers lose again. This betrayal must be reversed and Republicans must get to work immediately on a reconciliation bill to codify the tariffs that had made our country the hottest country on earth!”
A reconciliation bill could be a viable avenue to effectively reverse the Supreme Court‘s ruling. This type of legislation only requires a simple 51-vote majority in the Senate and is not subject to a filibuster. Additionally, reconciliation bills—though limited by the number of times the legislative vehicle can be used—must pertain to spending, revenue, and debt limit changes, including tariffs.
Still, the path of a reconciliation measure would be uncertain. It is not clear if there are 51 votes in the Senate in favor of tariffs, with at least three Republican lawmakers in the upper chamber—Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)—all opposed to the trade levies. Additionally, the narrow majority in the House could complicate passage as well.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Mortgage rates have fallen to their lowest level since September 2022, which the White House says improves affordability for Americans.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Freddie Mac, and the National Association of Realtors.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The data was released on February 19, 2026, reflecting trends across the United States housing market.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This lower rate environment is not only improving affordability for prospective homebuyers, it’s also strengthening the financial position of homeowners,” Freddie Mac stated.
🎯IMPACT: The Trump administration contends that the increased affordability, rise in home purchase applications, and a boost in housing construction signal growing confidence in the housing market.
IN FULL
Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS), released on Thursday, reveals that mortgage rates have dropped to their lowest levels since September 2022. The Trump White House is highlighting the falling rates as part of its affordability push, with Freddie Mac stating, “This lower rate environment is not only improving affordability for prospective homebuyers, it’s also strengthening the financial position of homeowners.”
According to the Freddie Mac data, the average 30-year fixed mortgage dropped to a multi-year low. This has driven down monthly housing payments to their most affordable levels in over two years. Meanwhile, the National Association of Realtors’ Housing Affordability Index has hit its highest level since March 2022. This marks seven straight months of improving affordability.
In addition to index data, hard data support the case for improving housing affordability. Apartment rents have declined for six straight months, reaching a four-year low. Meanwhile, 62 percent of homebuyers were able to purchase at a discount compared to the original listing price in 2025. Consequently, the number of Americans filing refinancing applications has jumped 132 percent, and home purchase applications are up nearly 10 percent compared to last year. Even on the construction front, the White House contends that the economic environment is improving, citing housing starts at a five-month high.
The White House points to President Donald J. Trump’s decision to order Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase $200 billion in mortgage-backed securities as one of the primary drivers of the decline in borrowing costs. Additionally, the administration is highlighting President Trump’s move to restrict large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes.
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