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Article written by Avalon Stewart, Feb 17th 2026
A Political Storm
Bay Area Storm
On the 16th, the Bay Area in California was hit with over 3 inches of rain in a cold storm that came after a prolonged dry stretch, bringing widespread rain and gusty winds that were so acute it caused flights to be delayed. Now today, the Bay Area is feeling the brunt of back-to-back Level 2 storms which have been partially fueled by abnormally warm ocean water temperatures.
A second low-pressure system is rapidly developing off the Central Coast, bringing another burst of rain and gusty winds to the Bay Area, while widespread storm impacts unfold from Southern California to the Sierra. An ABC7 News meteorologist Drew Tuma stated that they may see snow on some Bay Area peaks, including Mt. Hamilton, which could see up to 8 inches of snow through Wednesday morning and Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until Wednesday night for the Tahoe area.
Due to the gust of the winds and unexpected heavy downpour, there were more than 5,000 customers without power due to storm-related outages across the Bay Area Tuesday afternoon, according to PG&E. The National Weather Service issued unusually blunt language: “Non-emergency travel is strongly discouraged. Falling and blowing snow will exceed the clearing ability of snow removal equipment”. The unsettled pattern continues through the week, with showers lingering Wednesday and another storm system developing toward the end of the week.
Snow falls on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee Calif.
Additionally, search and rescue crews were looking for multiple backcountry skiers feared missing Tuesday after a reported avalanche in Northern California as a powerful winter storm moved through the state, authorities said. At least 10 of them were caught in the avalanche, but it's unclear how many were fully buried, partially buried, or injured. Officials say the group reported three members were actively working to dig out victims.
The DHS, the US, and Iran
It’s already been a tumultuous week in the White House and abroad with the DHS shutdown and the US talks with Iran, and it isn’t getting any less complicated. Both White House officials and Democrats on Capitol Hill have kept largely confidential the specifics of their offers to end the standoff that allowed funding for the agency to lapse as of 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, during a Senate hearing last Thursday.Credit...Eric Lee for The New York Times
The outlines of the Democratic demands, however, are well known: limits on masked police, an end to random sweeps, new requirements for judicial warrants, putting “sensitive locations” such as churches, schools, hospitals and polling places off limits to Immigration and Customs Enforcement among them. The offer was given to the White House Monday evening but brushed aside by the White House less than 24 hours later.
“When it comes to masks, I don’t know of another law enforcement agency in the country that has an 8,000-percent increase in threats,” Tom Homan, President Trump’s border czar, said Sunday on CBS News’s “Face the Nation.” “Just yesterday, the director of ICE, his wife was filmed walking to work. His home address has been doxed. His kids have been doxed and filmed.”
With Congress on a weeklong recess and lawmakers scattered around the world and the nation, chances for approval of a funding agreement this week remained remote since members would have to return to Washington to pass it and the negotiations were not showing any movement.
People carry placards at a protest near the United Nations office, as the second round of nuclear talks between U.S. and Iran takes place, in Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 17, 2026.Pierre Albouy/REUTERS
Additionally, the White House today rejected the latest offer from Democratic lawmakers on proposed new constraints on federal immigration officers, the latest sign that there would not be a quick resolution of the stalemate that has left the Department of Homeland Security without funding since Saturday.
Iran and the US have held another round of talks in Geneva, Switzerland, amid simmering tensions over a potential military confrontation between the two countries. President Trump's threat to launch a new attack on the Islamic Republic if a deal on its nuclear program can't be hashed out looming large over the discussions.With this, the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says an understanding has been reached with the US on “the main principles” of the issue, but that same issue still remains unresolved.
Avalon Stewart
Avalon Stewart
Avalon is from Mount Vernon, Washington. She is a Freshman at Whitman College and plans to major in Psychology and Politics. In high school she competed in Speech and Debate all four years and even was state champ in Congressional Debate. She is passionate about politics and the process of delivering news that people can trust.
Lead editor for The Lamplight
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