President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address February24, 2026 at 9 p.m.
Comer Statement on Trump’s State of the Union Address
WASHINGTON—House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) issued the following statement ahead of President Donald J. Trump’s State of the Union address:
“Our State of the Union is stronger than ever, thanks to President Trump’s unwavering commitment to fulfilling his promises to the American people. In just over one year, this administration has taken decisive action to reverse dangerous Biden-era open border policies, strengthen public safety by removing criminal illegal aliens from our communities, restore American energy dominance by ending the radical Green New Deal agenda, and bring common sense back to Washington by rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse across the federal government. America’s future is bright under President Trump’s leadership, and our work is far from done. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will continue to deliver on its mission by working with President Trump and his administration to ensure the federal government operates effectively, efficiently, and transparently for all Americans.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are urging families with kids turning 3 or 4 this year to apply for free 3-K or Pre-K by Friday, February 27, 2026, highlighting that applications are open to eligible families regardless of language or immigration status and are not first-come, first-served—anyone who applies by the deadline will receive an offer. Families can apply at myschools.nyc or call 718-935-2009, and the city says help is available by phone or at Family Welcome Centers, with interpretation in 200+ languages and online applications offered in 13 languages including Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Uzbek.
Mayor Mamdani, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Urge New Yorkers to Apply for 3-K & Pre-K
— TODAY, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez encouraged families with children turning three or four this year to sign up for 3-K or Pre-K by Feb. 27, 2026, in a jointly released video in Spanish. Applications are open to all eligible families, regardless of the language they speak or immigration status. Programs are free.
“Child care remains one of the largest financial burdens facing New York families. Programs like 3-K and Pre-K are free, open to any child turning three or four this year and can put an average $26,000 back in the pockets of working people,” said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. “If you haven’t signed up yet – now is the time. No matter the language you speak, your immigration status or zip code, there is a seat waiting for your child.”
Families can apply at myschools.nyc or call 718-935-2009. Applications are not first-come, first-served. Any family that applies by the deadline will receive an offer.
Application support is available by phone or at one of the City’s 10 Family Welcome Centers across the five boroughs. Interpretation services are available in more than 200 languages. Online applications are available in 13 languages:
English
Albanian
Arabic
Bengali/Bangla
Chinese
Haitian Creole
French
Korean
Russian
Spanish
Ukrainian
Urdu
Uzbek
As part of the City’s whole-of-government effort to boost enrollment, the administration has:
Launched LinkNYC kiosk and NYC Ferry advertisements in English, Spanish, Mandarin and Russian, including targeted outreach in ZIP codes with large populations of non-English speakers.
Partnered with 19 trusted community organizations to host application workshops and conduct direct outreach, particularly to families hesitant to engage with government.
Worked with faith leaders, elected officials and community-based organizations to reach families in School Districts 4, 9, 14 and 17.
Hosted a multi-lingual and community media roundtable on Pre-K and 3-K.
Conducted outbound calls and texts to eligible families who have not started an application, focusing on districts with lower engagement rates than last year.
Coordinated with shelter-based staff to conduct on-the-ground outreach, including door-knocking and application events for families in shelters.
Announced the opening of a new Pre-K and 3-K center opening this fall on the Upper East Side as part of the administration’s effort to fix the broken 3-K system.
Highlighted the role of home-based providers in delivering universal 3-K through a mayoral visit.
As applications are reviewed, the city will activate additional resources to ensure every child receives a placement and every family is able to accept that placement.
This work aligns with the City’s bold commitment to fix the 3-K system and deliver universal access across all five boroughs, supported by funding from Governor Kathy Hochul.
This fall, the City will also take its first steps toward 2-K, launching 2,000 free child care seats as part of its commitment to universal 2-K by the end of 2029.
A large snowball fight in Washington Square Park (Manhattan) after the winter storm escalated into a police incident after snowballs were thrown at NYPD officers. According to police accounts reported by local outlets, officers arrived around 4 p.m. responding to a call about people on a roof inside the park. Soon after, multiple officers were struck by snowballs and suffered facial lacerations, with several taken to the hospital for treatment.
Later that night, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch publicly condemned what was shown in circulating videos, calling the behavior “disgraceful” and “criminal,” and confirming that detectives opened an investigation to identify those involved. Police unions also pushed for arrests and charges, arguing it was not “harmless fun” once officers were targeted.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said New York City has been hit by near-blizzard conditions since the prior night, with 16–19 inches across most of the city and over 24 inches reported in parts of eastern Staten Island, plus wind gusts up to 60 mph. He said the worst appears to have passed, but snow would continue through the afternoon with another 1.5–2.5 inches expected by 8:00 p.m., and gusts up to 40 mph into the evening. NYC remains under a state of emergency: the travel ban ended at noon, but a hazardous travel advisory stays in effect until midnight, and he urged all non-emergency traffic (cars, trucks, scooters, e-bikes) to stay off the roads so plows and emergency vehicles can operate safely; if people must go out, he recommended public transit.
He outlined the city response: a “full-force” winter operation with 2,600 sanitation workers per 12-hour shift, 2,300+ plows including 700 salt spreaders, and 50+ million pounds of salt deployed, with 99.5% of streets plowed at least once as of 12:30 p.m., and a promise to keep plowing as many times as needed. DSNY used 575 emergency snow shovelers overnight and 800+ on the morning shift, clearing 1,600+ crosswalks, 419 hydrants, and ~900 bus stops. He said the city expanded the shoveler program to 1,800 people per shift, raised pay to $30/hour, and told applicants to report to any DSNY garage (until 8:00 p.m. tonight, and again starting 9:00 a.m. tomorrow) with two forms of ID for payroll. He highlighted extra focus on Staten Island, including additional DSNY equipment and NYPD tow support to free stuck vehicles (including buses), and noted residents can track plowing on the city’s plow tracker.
On city operations, he announced school will be in person tomorrow (despite today being a snow day), alternate-side parking is suspended through the week, NYC Ferry remains suspended today while the Staten Island Ferry runs on half-hour service, with decisions on tomorrow’s ferry service later in the day. Public libraries are closed today with an update later; city buildings reopen to the public tomorrow for in-person services. He said Code Blue and an enhanced Code Blue are in effect through Wednesday morning, described ongoing homeless outreach and added shelter capacity (including 100 additional low-barrier stabilization beds), and listed warming resources (warming buses, warming centers, mobile warming units). He ended by urging New Yorkers to check on vulnerable neighbors and to call 311 if someone needs help finding warmth or shelter.
Video: Mayor Mamdani Holds Press Conference to Provide Weather Updates NYCEM Headquarters 165 Cadman Plaza E Brooklyn, NY 11201 New York , February23, 2026
The White House says President Trump hosted “Angel Families” in an East Room ceremony to honor Americans killed by people described as criminal illegal immigrants, marking the second anniversary of Laken Riley’s murder and signing a proclamation naming February 22 as National Angel Family Day. Family members shared stories of their loved ones and praised Trump for focusing on border enforcement, while one officer said he had previously arrested the suspect later accused of killing Riley and argued the system failed because there was no detainer, accountability, or deportation. The statement frames the event as both a memorial and a policy message: the administration claims the border is now highly secure and vows to keep removing dangerous offenders so other families don’t face the same loss.
President Trump Honors Angel Families, Remembers American Lives Lost to Illegal Immigration
Today, President Donald J. Trump welcomed Angel Families to the White House for an emotional ceremony honoring American lives tragically taken by criminal illegal aliens who never should have been in our country. Paying solemn tribute to the second anniversary of Laken Riley’s murder, President Trump signed a Proclamation designating February 22 as National Angel Family Day — a day of remembrance for victims and their grieving loved ones devastated by the consequences of open border policies.
With America’s border now the most secure in history, the Trump Administration remains unwavering in its commitment to remove dangerous criminal illegal aliens from our communities, ensure accountability, and make sure not one more American family has to endure this pain.
Allyson Phillips, whose 22-year-old daughter, Laken Riley, was killed by an illegal alien while out for a run in Georgia: “If you’ve lived that nightmare that we have lived, you understand the importance of the job that he is doing in securing our nation and fighting for our families — because this could be any family.” (Watch)
Steve Ronnebeck, whose 21-year-old son, Grant, was shot and killed by an illegal alien while working at an Arizona convenience store: “President Trump talked about Grant even before he was elected in 2016 — and finally, we had hope… Now, today, we are finally going to see that somebody’s going to remember all of our loved ones.” (Watch)
Laura Wilkerson, whose son, Joshua, was tortured and killed by his illegal alien classmate: “I met a man about 11 years ago who was running for office and he sat with us a couple days, and he watched as the tears rolled down my face as I told him the story of how our youngest son, Joshua, was brutally beaten, tortured, strangled to death, and his body set on fire. The man next to me was President Trump. He never, ever, looked away from my pain. He looked me straight in the eye and he said, ‘I will never forget the story of your sweet son, and I will never give up fighting for the American family.’ … He has never missed a day of fighting for the American family.” (Watch)
Marie Vega, whose son, former U.S. Marine and Border Patrol Agent Javier ‘Harvey’ Vega, Jr., was ambushed by two illegal aliens during a family fishing trip: “Thank God we have you in office. Without you, America, and the world, would not know the consequences of open borders. Thank you for restoring law and order. Thank you for acknowledging us — the Angel Families.” (Watch)
Jody Jones, whose brother, Rocky, was shot and killed by an illegal alien: “I’m sick and tired of hearing these Democrat politicians stand up on these podiums and say how sorry they are for seeing these criminal illegal aliens being ‘ripped apart’ from their families. What about us? What about the American family? What about us? We mean something, too, and this man right here understands it.” (Watch)
Officer Ethan Curreri, who arrested the illegal alien that would go on to murder Laken Riley months later: “I personally arrested José Ibarra for endangering the welfare of a child. A few months later, I saw his face again in the news after he viciously murdered Laken Riley. I did my job. I put him in custody. The system failed; no detainer, no accountability, no deportation, and an innocent American life was taken. If you enter our country illegally, there will be consequences under this Administration.”
The call has been made. NYC Public Schools will have a full snow day tomorrow!”, features the Mayor of NYC Mamdani calling to some School and announcing a full snow day for schools on Monday, February 23rd . This means there will be no online or remote learning; it will be a classic snow day . The Mayor advises students to stay safe and indoors during the peak of the storm, but encourages them to go out and sled once the storm has passed .
