INTERNACIONAL
DHS shutdown looms over Mar-a-Lago shooting as unpaid Secret Service agents neutralize armed suspect
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The U.S. Secret Service-involved shooting of a man with a shotgun inside the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago over the weekend brought the Department of Homeland Security’s partial shutdown into new focus.
Two USSS agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputy confronted and later shot and killed Austin Martin, 21, who authorities said slipped through a vehicular exit gate that had opened for a car before brandishing his weapon.
«They confronted a white male that was carrying a gas can and a shotgun. He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him – at which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position… the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat,» according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.
A U.S. Secret Service agent, left, protects President Donald Trump, right. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Those agents are among the many working their dangerous jobs without pay due to the ongoing partial shutdown of DHS, which Republicans say was brought on by Democrats’ demands that I.C.E., which remains funded through other means, be reformed.
Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., who represents Daytona Beach just up the coast from Mar-a-Lago, said the incident proves the bravery of the Secret Service no matter the circumstances.
«The attempted assassination of President Trump at Mar-a-Lago is a stark reminder of growing leftist political violence in our country,» Fine said in a statement.
«Grateful to the Secret Service who neutralized the terrorist. Even as Democrats refuse to pay them because of their shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, these men and women continue to stand their post.»
Top White House aide Stephen Miller offered an even more pointed response to the dynamic:
BESSENT BLAMES LEFT’S POLITICAL ‘VENOM’ FOR VIOLENCE AFTER DEADLY MAR-A-LAGO INCIDENT
President Donald Trump speaks during the National Prayer Breakfast at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 6, 2025. (L) An aerial view of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Aug. 10, 2022, in Palm Beach, Fla. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images; AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
«Democrats voted to defund Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations (who partner with Secret Service) and all the intelligence and law enforcement functions that support Secret Service,» Miller said.
«Never before in history has federal law enforcement been purposefully defunded.»
House Small Business Committee chairman Roger Williams of Texas added that Americans should take note of the agents who responded whether paid or not.
«As we continue to learn more about the armed man at Mar-a-Lago this morning, we must remember that the brave agents who responded are serving our country without pay due to the Democrat-led shutdown,» Williams, R-Texas, said.
Prior to the incident, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., warned that the Secret Service and other agencies like FEMA would be put in a bad spot if the partial shutdown went forward.
«Democrats are prioritizing illegal immigrant criminals ahead of the safety of the American people,» he said in a February 12 floor speech.
MAR-A-LAGO SECURITY BREACH PROMPTS NEW WARNINGS: ‘HOW MANY CHANCES DOES ONE MAN GET?’
An aerial view shows the Mar-a-Lago estate and the north gate in Palm Beach, Florida, following reports of a shooting incident, February 22, 2026. (Fox News)
At least one Democrat did react to the agent-involved shooting.
Rep. Lois Frankel of Florida, for whom Trump is technically a constituent at his Mar-a-Lago address, said that «political violence is never the answer.»
«Thank you to the Secret Service and Palm Beach County law enforcement for their swift response today and for their continued work in keeping the president safe,» Frankel said.
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The Northeast blizzard presents separate challenges for resource-suspended agencies like FEMA, while certain Homeland Security-run services, such as TSA escorts for members of Congress, are also suspended.
Fox News’ Elise Oggioni contributed to this report.
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La Asamblea Nacional avanza en la discusión de iniciativas legislativas que buscan reconfigurar el esquema de incentivos al sector agropecuario, con el análisis en subcomisión del proyecto de ley 431 de 2025, una propuesta que pretende modificar la Ley 107 de 2013, considerada la base del programa estatal de apoyo a la producción nacional de granos y rubros agrícolas.
La iniciativa se encuentra en fase de evaluación técnica dentro de la Comisión de Asuntos Agropecuarios y plantea ajustes estructurales al programa de incentivos, con el objetivo de mejorar la eficiencia en la entrega de subsidios, ampliar la cobertura de productos y resolver distorsiones que, según sus proponentes, han limitado el acceso de algunos productores a los beneficios establecidos por la legislación vigente.
Uno de los ejes centrales del proyecto es la inclusión efectiva del guandú dentro del esquema de incentivos, rubro que, pese a su importancia en la dieta nacional y su presencia en la producción agrícola del interior del país, ha enfrentado barreras para acceder al programa debido a requisitos relacionados con la certificación de semillas.
La propuesta plantea flexibilizar este criterio, permitiendo el uso de semillas no certificadas hasta que el Comité Nacional de Semillas apruebe una certificación formal para este cultivo.
El texto legislativo establece además que el programa se circunscribirá a productos como arroz, maíz, porotos, frijoles, guandú, sorgo, soya, papa, cebolla y tomate industrial, consolidando un catálogo de rubros estratégicos para la seguridad alimentaria y la reducción de la dependencia de importaciones.
También incorpora definiciones técnicas relacionadas con rendimiento por hectárea, seguro agropecuario obligatorio y semilla certificada, con el propósito de uniformar criterios de evaluación para el otorgamiento de incentivos.
Entre las medidas concretas, el proyecto introduce bonos por hectárea cultivada y pagos por productividad, diferenciados por cultivo, así como incentivos específicos para multiplicadores de semillas y productores con sistemas de riego, buscando elevar la competitividad del sector agrícola y promover el aumento de la superficie sembrada.
En paralelo, la discusión legislativa se produce en un contexto en el que otro proyecto, el número 450, ya fue prohijado y avanza hacia su primer debate, con un enfoque que comparte la finalidad de fortalecer el programa de incentivos, pero con diferencias en su alcance. Esta segunda iniciativa propone incorporar el plátano dentro del programa estatal, argumentando su peso en la seguridad alimentaria y su impacto económico en varias provincias del país.
El proyecto 450 establece que el programa perseguirá objetivos como garantizar la autosuficiencia agrícola, contener el aumento de la canasta básica, mejorar la rentabilidad del sector y elevar la competitividad productiva, además de introducir incentivos específicos para productores de plátano basados en niveles de rendimiento por hectárea.
Aunque ambas iniciativas coinciden en la necesidad de reformar la Ley 107 y ampliar el alcance del programa, su diseño revela estrategias complementarias más que excluyentes.
Mientras el proyecto 431 se enfoca en corregir distorsiones operativas y ampliar beneficios a rubros que enfrentan limitaciones técnicas, el proyecto 450 apunta a incorporar nuevos cultivos al esquema de incentivos y reforzar la lógica de seguridad alimentaria desde una perspectiva más amplia.
La subcomisión que analiza el proyecto 431 tendrá la tarea de revisar ajustes técnicos y económicos relacionados con los mecanismos de desembolso de incentivos, así como evaluar la posibilidad de introducir prácticas agrícolas que mejoren el rendimiento frente a los efectos del cambio climático.
En las sesiones participaron gremios de productores, autoridades del Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario, el Comité Nacional de Semillas y el Instituto de Seguro Agropecuario, quienes presentaron observaciones orientadas a fortalecer la iniciativa.
El debate legislativo refleja la presión existente para modernizar el esquema de incentivos agrícolas en Panamá, en un escenario marcado por desafíos como la volatilidad de precios internacionales, la reducción de áreas cultivadas y la necesidad de aumentar la productividad para garantizar el abastecimiento interno.
El sector agrícola panameño registró en 2025 una producción total de 3.8 millones de toneladas, lo que representó un incremento de 1.3 millones de toneladas frente al periodo anterior, según cifras del Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario.
Este avance estuvo impulsado por cultivos como arroz, maíz, frijoles y sorgo, pilares de la seguridad alimentaria nacional y rubros directamente vinculados al programa de incentivos que busca reformar la Asamblea Nacional.
En el segmento de granos básicos, la producción conjunta de arroz, maíz, frijol y sorgo se ubicó en 11.7 millones de quintales, mientras que la superficie sembrada superó las 127 mil hectáreas, con participación de más de 7,000 productores, concentrados principalmente en provincias con fuerte tradición agrícola como Chiriquí, Los Santos y Veraguas.
Estas cifras dimensionan el peso económico y social de los cultivos incluidos en la discusión legislativa.
En hortalizas y frutales —grupo que incorpora papa, cebolla, tomate industrial y plátano— la producción también mantuvo relevancia en el mismo ciclo 2024-2025, con 60,909 toneladas en hortalizas y 230,873 toneladas en frutales.
corresponsal:Desde Panamá
Trump’s midterm messaging spotlights the economy
‘The Fixer’ host Marcus Lemonis joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s nationwide tour to speak on the economy as polling suggests Americans feel things are less affordable heading into the highly contentious midterm elections.
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President Donald Trump, taking to social media earlier this month, touted, «The highest Poll Numbers I have ever received.»
«Obviously, people like a strong and powerful Country, with the best economy, EVER!» the president added in a post on his Truth Social platform.
But on the day of his annual State of the Union Address, Trump’s poll numbers remain in negative territory in the vast majority of national surveys.
The president’s approval rating stands at 44% in the latest Fox News national poll, which was conducted late last month, with 56% disapproving of the job he’s doing in the White House.
And he stood at 39% approval among all adults and 41% among registered voters in an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos survey conducted Feb 12-17 and released on Sunday.
An average of the most recent surveys conducted over the past four weeks puts Trump’s approval ratings in the low 40s, with disapproval in the mid-50s.
Trump started his second term in positive territory, but his approval ratings sank below water last March and have slowly edged down deeper into negative territory in the ensuing months.
The latest surveys point to a massive partisan divide, with continued strong support for the president among Republicans, a thumbs down among independents and near total disapproval among Democrats.
FOX NEWS POLL: AN EARLY LOOK AT THE 2026 MIDTERMS
«Support among Republicans has remained in place, but the opposition has become even more calcified,» veteran Republican pollster Daron Shaw told Fox News Digital, as he pointed to Democrats.
Deep concerns over inflation boosted Trump and Republicans to sweeping victories at the ballot box in 2024, as they won back the White House and Senate and kept their House majority.
President Donald Trump gestures at the end of his speech after touring the Coosa Steel Corporation factory in Rome, Georgia, Feb. 19, 2025. (Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images)
«We had record inflation. We don’t have it anymore,» Trump said at a campaign event last week in Rome, Georgia. «I’m going to make a State of the Union address on Tuesday. I hope you’re going to watch and we’re going to be talking about it.»
But the president’s approval ratings on the economy are, on average, slightly lower than his overall approval ratings.
DNC CHAIR KEN MARTIN BOASTS ‘WIN AFTER WIN,’ SHRUGS OFF MASSIVE TRUMP, REPUBLICAN MONEY LEAD
And Democrats say their decisive victories in November’s 2025 elections, and their overperformances in special elections and other ballot box showdowns in the year since Trump returned to office, were fueled by their laser focus on affordability amid persistent inflation.
A slew of surveys, including the latest Fox News polling, indicate Americans are pessimistic about the economy and say things have not generally improved during the second Trump administration.
«He can’t unstick the notion that inflation is too high and that the economy is not moving in the right direction,» added Shaw, who helps run the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson.
But Democrats don’t have much to brag about when it comes to the polls.
The party’s brand dropped to historic lows last year in a slew of polls, with the trend continuing into the new year.
The president’s primetime address in front of Congress comes with just over eight months to go until the midterm elections, when Republicans will be defending their razor-thin majority in the House and their narrow control of the Senate.
Last week, the president’s political team huddled in a closed-door strategy session with Trump administration Cabinet members and their top aides on how best to sell the president’s agenda to voters in this year’s midterm elections.
TRUMP CHEERS STEADY INFLATION NUMBERS AS AFFORDABILITY FIGHT SHAPES 2026 MIDTERM BATTLE
According to sources familiar with the meeting, the message during a slide presentation by chief pollster and strategist Tony Fabrizio was that the economy will be the top issue on the minds of voters, and that the White House needs to spotlight its efforts on easing affordability.
«Team Trump will deploy every resource necessary to win the midterms, protect our majorities, and ensure President Trump keeps delivering results for America’s working families,» a source in the president’s political orbit told Fox News Digital.
President Donald Trump takes the stage to speak during a rally at the Horizon Events Center in Clive, Iowa, on Jan. 27. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Regardless of Trump’s overall approval ratings, he remains very popular and influential with Republicans. And in what may be a base election, the GOP sees the president as their best tool to motivate low-propensity MAGA voters, who don’t always vote when Trump’s not on the ballot, to show up at the polls during the midterms.
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Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters told Fox News Digital last month that Trump was the GOP’s «secret weapon» that will help Republicans «defy history» in the midterms.
«We got to make sure we turn our voters out, and we got to make sure that we have people energized. And there’s nobody that can energize our base more than President Trump,» Gruters said.
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INTERNACIONAL
UK’s Starmer calls Russia-Ukraine war ‘most critical issue of our age’ on invasion anniversary
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As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its fourth year since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022, United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer referred to the ongoing conflict as «the most critical issue of our age,» according to a press release announcing additional U.K. assistance for Ukraine.
«On this grim anniversary, our message to the Ukrainian people is simple: Britain is with you, stronger than ever. That is why we are announcing new support today and we will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes,» Starmer said, according to the press release.
«For all the noise in world affairs today, this war remains the most critical issue of our age. It asks the question of whether Ukrainian and European freedom will endure. Our answer, together, is unequivocal. Russia is not winning this war. They will not win this war. Ukraine’s courage continues to hold the line for our shared values, in the face of Putin’s aggression,» Starmer continued. «We will stand by their side, until a just and lasting peace – and beyond. Slava Ukraini.»
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, during a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London on Feb. 24, 2026. (Kin Cheung / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested that the Western world is «pussyfooting around.»
«Putin will not stop the slaughter until he faces much greater pressure. So for heaven’s sake let’s get on with it. Impound his entire shadow fleet. Unfreeze all his frozen assets and give them to Ukraine. Give the Ukrainians the weapons they need to take out all the Russian drone factories. Do all of it now. Putin will not negotiate sincerely until he feels he has no choice,» Johnson wrote in a post on X.
PUTIN PUTS ‘NUCLEAR TRIAD’ ON FAST TRACK, ZELENSKYY CLAIMS ‘WORLD WAR 3’ UNDERWAY
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives in Downing Street ahead of attending the Remembrance Sunday Ceremony in Whitehall in London, United Kingdom, on Nov. 9, 2025. (Ilyas Tayfun Salci/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«The Ukrainians fight like heroes while we in the West pussyfoot and delay. The West can end the war this year — if we stop pussyfooting around,» he said.
President Donald Trump’s administration has been attempting to help broker peace between Russia and Ukraine.
1 DEAD, DOZENS INJURED IN ‘TERRORIST ATTACK’ IN UKRAINE, ZELENSKYY SAYS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 23, 2026. (Ukranian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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In its statement, the U.K. government said the country’s security is closely tied to Ukraine’s fate and outlined new assistance, including £20 million (about $27 million) in emergency energy funding to help repair and protect Ukraine’s power grid and expand generation capacity.
The package also includes £5.7 million (around $7.7 million) in humanitarian aid for frontline communities, including people requiring evacuation and those affected by airstrikes or internal displacement, according to the release.
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Según un especialista, el precio de la carne se mantendrá alto “entre dos y tres años”
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POLITICA3 días ago“Ahora es la hora de jugarse”: el mensaje de Patricia Bullrich a los empresarios tras aprobarse la reforma laboral
- ECONOMIA3 días ago
Según un especialista, el precio de la carne se mantendrá alto “entre dos y tres años”
- POLITICA3 días ago
Cómo será el tratamiento de la reforma laboral en el Senado, luego de haber obtenido la media sanción en Diputados
