The State Department announced it would delete all posts from its public X accounts made before President Trump returned to office on January 20, 2025, according to NPR. The posts, which will be archived internally, will no longer be publicly accessible, a State Department representative confirmed. Anyone seeking to view the older posts will need to file a Freedom of Information Act request.
This decision comes as President Trump's Board of Peace prepares for its first meeting on February 19, as reported by Time. The board will discuss the next stage of a ceasefire in Gaza and fundraising for the territory's reconstruction. The board's initial members include the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Pakistan, Turkey, Hungary, Morocco, Kosovo, Albania, Bulgaria, Argentina, Paraguay, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, and Vietnam. However, many U.S. allies have declined to join, fearing the board would undermine the United Nations and due to reports that permanent membership would require a $1 billion cash contribution within the first year.
Meanwhile, President Trump faced widespread criticism after sharing a video on his Truth Social account depicting former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, as reported by Time. The video, which was deleted from Trump's account on Friday, included an AI-generated clip set to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" featuring images of the Obamas' faces imposed on the bodies of apes in a jungle setting. The clip was part of a longer video promoting conspiracy theories about voting fraud during the 2020 presidential election. The depiction of the Obamas as apes aligns with a centuries-old racist trope used to dehumanize Black people, according to Time.
The White House initially blamed the racist post on an unnamed staffer, but critics viewed this as a diversionary tactic, according to Time. The posting occurred during Black History Month.
In other news, American figure skaters Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea competed in the team pair short program at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games on February 6, 2026, according to NPR. Kam fell during the performance. "We wish we were perfect every single time we step out on the ice," the 21-year-old Kam stated.
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