You're listening to American Ground Radio with Stephen Parr and Louis R. Avallone. This is the full show for February 17, 2026. 

0:30 We dig into anti-ICE activists who’ve taken their protest tactics into America’s checkout lines. Instead of lobbying Congress, demonstrators are swarming Target stores in Minnesota and beyond—buying bags of salt only to immediately return them—in an effort to jam registers, disrupt workers, and economically punish a private business. It's performative outrage aimed at minimum-wage employees, not policy change. From immigration enforcement to law and order, corporate disruption, and the real-world consequences for local jobs, harassing cashiers won’t change federal law—or stop Immigration and Customs Enforcement from doing its job.

9:30 Plus, we cover the Top 3 Things You Need to Know. 

• Capital Police arrested a man today as he was running towards the Capital Building wearing a tactical vest and gloves and carrying a shotgun.
• Former Democrat Presidential Candidate Jesse Jackson passed away this week at the age of 84.
• A man who claimed to be a woman shot and killed two people at a high school ice hockey game in Rhode Island on Monday.

12:30 Get Prodovite Plus from Victory Nutrition International for 20% off. Go to vni.life/agr and use the promo code AGR20.

13:00 We break down the selective reporting by The New York Times following a fatal ice hockey rink shooting in Rhode Island. The Times carefully sidestepped the suspect’s transgender identity—despite reporting a birth name change—while routinely highlighting other details, like firearms, when they fit a preferred narrative. With another recent fatal shooting involving a transgender suspect in British Columbia, we have to ask why certain facts are deemed “irrelevant” only when they’re politically inconvenient. The message is simple and sharp: report the facts, all of them, without fear or favor.

16:00 We ask American Mamas Teri Netterville and Kimberly Burleson : Have you noticed how much stuff the Left says is "toxic" is actually just normal life?

The Mamas push back on how the left labels everyday behavior as “toxic”—from toxic masculinity to churchgoing, parenting, and even harmless relationship moments. They share real-life examples of social media outrage, including a viral Ring camera clip that sparked cries of “dump him” over a roly-poly bug, and online harassment aimed at public figures connected to Cheer. The conversation turns serious as the mamas argue that anonymous online attacks, political name-calling, and cultural shaming are the real toxicity—while common sense, family values, and disagreeing respectfully are just normal life.

If you'd like to ask our American Mamas a question, go to our website, AmericanGroundRadio.com/mamas and click on the Ask the Mamas button.

23:00 A New York–based Muslim activist suggested that pet dogs—especially indoor dogs—don’t belong in an “Islamic” vision of New York City, following the election of Mayor Zoran Mamdani. Rep. Randy Fine says Americans would choose their dogs over appeasing religious demands—prompting outrage and calls for his resignation. This isn’t Islamophobia but a free-speech question about criticizing religious beliefs, cultural pressure, and whether everyday Americans should ever be asked to give up “man’s best friend” to satisfy ideology. Who’s really barking up the wrong tree?

26:30 We Dig Deep into a new 2028 presidential race poll that shows just how early—and how awkward—the next election cycle already is. On the Democratic side, Kamala Harris leads the field, while Gavin Newsom trails far behind despite acting like a full-time candidate, from foreign speeches to social-media theatrics. Progressive darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez barely registers, raising questions about substance versus slogans inside the Democratic Party.

On the Republican side, the poll underscores the continued dominance of MAGA politics, with J.D. Vance leading the pack and the Trump legacy still shaping the field. The contrast is stark: Democrats running on “vibes,” Republicans running on records—and the numbers show voters can tell the difference.

32:00 Get TrimROX from Victory Nutrition International for 20% off. Go to vni.life/agr and use the promo code AGR20.

32:30 Why does J.D. Vance continue to resonate with so many voters? He says what a lot of Americans are already thinking. Reacting to Olympic skier Eileen Gu, who was born in the United States but chose to compete for China, Vance draws a clear but measured line between freedom of choice and patriotism. He’s not calling for punishment or government action—just honesty about who he roots for and why.

We dig into national loyalty, gratitude for opportunity, and what it means to represent a country on the world stage. It’s a plainspoken, values-driven take that contrasts sharply with identity politics—and highlights why Vance may appeal to Americans who want firmness without bitterness, and patriotism without apology.

35:30 While the media fixates on ICE protests and sanctuary city politics, let's highlight a major development flying under the radar: law enforcement cooperation with immigration authorities is surging nationwide. Despite claims that Americans oppose deportations, the numbers tell a very different story.

More agencies have agreed to fully cooperate with ICE. We break down why this matters: enhanced immigration enforcement, stronger law and order, safer communities, and real incentives for local departments to participate. As reported by The Daily Wire, this quiet shift may be the most significant immigration story of the year—and one that suggests the public mood is far different from the headlines.

40:30 This is what happens when leftist climate policy meets real-world conditions—comfortable ideology colliding with physics, infrastructure, and winter. In the home state of Bernie Sanders, Green Mountain Transit proudly embraced battery-powered buses during the Obama and Biden years. Then temperatures dropped. Charging systems failed below 41 degrees, heaters drained batteries by half, and a battery recall followed after buses reportedly caught fire.

41:30 And we finish off today's episode with some words of wisdom about the Lent season. 

Articles

DC Police: Man with Shotgun Runs Toward Capitol, Gets Arrested

Rev. Jesse Jackson Dies Aged 84

Police ID Pawtucket Ice Rink Shooter as Transgender Father of Three Who Went by 'Roberta'

@ greg_price11 X post "BREAKING: The suspect in the Rhode Island shooting has indeed been confirmed as a man who went through gender reassignment surgery"

Who Leads In 2028 Presidential Race And In 2026 Midterm Elections? I&I/TIPP Poll

The Little-Noticed Surge Reshaping Trump’s Deportation Push

Reality Check: More Local Police Choosing to Work With ICE, Not Less

Pentagon Proves It Can Deploy Nuclear Energy Anywhere In Historic Flight

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