Links 2/20/2026

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1. The Rev Kev February 20, 2026 at 7:22 am

   “EU calls emergency meeting over Hungary and Slovakia’s energy standoff with Ukraine”

   Oddly enough the EU never thought to call an emergency meeting when the Ukraine cut their oil off several weeks ago by pretending the Russians attacked the pipelines. Even more strange is that both Hungary and Slovakia are EU members while the Ukraine is not. Zelensky was mocking those two countries and said that if they changed their vote to bring the Ukraine into the EU, then maybe the oil will start to flow again – maybe. Those two countries had a gut-full and cut off diesel deliveries to the Ukraine. Don’t you need diesel for military vehicles? But wait, there’s more. Hungary has supplied 50% of Ukraine’s electricity and Slovakia 18% so that is kinda a lot. Through treaty obligations they are not allowed to just cut off that electricity but they might just decide to play funny buggers with that supply-

   https://www.rt.com/business/632785-energy-war-ukraine-hungary-slovakia/
2. Wukchumni February 20, 2026 at 8:00 am

   Gooooood Moooooooooorning Fiatnam!

   The order came from the highest sources, the platoon was to round up aliens from Uranus and other celestial locations who didn’t go through proper channels in immigrating to our shores-getting in through the backdoor, and most aren’t afraid of an icy reception by masked authorities, their orbs being on the cold side generally.
3. DJG, Reality Czar February 20, 2026 at 8:03 am

   The Lancet study is a minimum. The most important limitation on it is time: 7 October 2023 to 5 January 2025. That would be the first fifteen months of the genocide. There have been fourteen more months since, and we should recall how horrifying 2025 was in Gaza.

   Up top in the Lancet report, an estimate at “Findings”: We estimated 75 200 violent deaths (95% CI 63 600–86 800) between Oct 7, 2023, and Jan 5, 2025, representing approximately 3·4% of the Gaza Strip’s pre-conflict population.

   I will assume that the Israeli government and forces effected another 4 percent in 2025: The minimal viable figure for violent death is now 150,000.

   The Lancet report waffles around the collateral deaths. I don’t find a definitive estimate. I’m not satisfied with the waffling. The waffling gets whiffy: These examples show that patterns vary considerably across conflicts even in challenging humanitarian conditions, with the ratio of indirect to direct deaths depending on conflict characteristics, humanitarian access, and baseline health conditions.
   

   Oh. Death is so inconvenient, especially when our peeps are the murders.

   And more limitations to ponder. Note that Gaza was the most populous city in Gaza. Hmmm: First, we could not sample households with zero remaining live members or no members who were 16 years or older. Although documented, the prevalence of such households is unknown, introducing potential underestimation. Second, we could not reach the population remaining in Northern Gaza, Gaza City, or Rafah (described in the Methods section), representing a substantial proportion of overall person-time.
   

   In short, we must at least stop using the approved number bruited about here in the World of Western Values. The number so often used, 75K, is just one more incidence of propaganda.

   “See! We haven’t killed enough of them. Q.E.D.!”

   Lancet is mincing words and still manages to come up with an easily misused figure of 75,000 people killed.
   1. vidimi February 20, 2026 at 10:29 am

      When the dust settles, the calculation will have to be Starting Population – Current Population + Births +Net Migration. If you don’t want to attribute all deaths to the genocide than you can throw in a -Expected Deaths in there, too.
      The figures I’ve seen for the Starting population range between 2.3M and 2.5M and I’ve seen a figure of 1.5M for the current population. Emigration is probably not very high as people are trapped, certainly no more than births.
      1. Birch February 20, 2026 at 3:11 pm

         I’m not good at algebra, but I think you mean:
         Starting Population – (Current Population + Births + Net Migration) – Expected Deaths = Killed by Genocide
         1. vidimi February 23, 2026 at 3:10 am

            no, births are an addition to the starting population. The high birth rate in Gaza means the toll of the genocide is actually higher
   2. AG February 22, 2026 at 12:29 pm

      LANCET oddly flip-flopping over the course of the genocide:

      When doing estimates by summer 2024 LANCET had already been much more straight forward approximating 200k.

      via antiwar.com.
      “(…)
      The number of indirect deaths caused by the Israeli siege is unclear but is likely significantly higher than the violent deaths. A letter written by experts and published by The Lancet in July 2024 estimated that if the war ended at that time, the conflict could account for 186,000 deaths, including 37,396 violent deaths (based on June 2024 Health Ministry figures) and indirect deaths.
      (…)”
      https://news.antiwar.com/2025/01/09/lancet-study-gaza-health-ministry-undercounted-death-toll-by-41/

      However the actual occasion for this article by Antiwar was a newer study by LANCET by late 2024 which already was starting to walk back from the 200k figure from summer 2024:
      “(…)
      The study reviewed the period between October 7, 2023, and June 30, 2024, and found there were 64,260 “traumatic injury deaths” in that timeframe. At the end of June 2024, Gaza’s Health Ministry said there were 37,877 dead, an undercount of about 41%.

      As of October 2024, the study said the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli military action likely exceeds 70,000. The latest numbers from Gaza’s Health Ministry put the death toll at 46,006.
      (…)”
      https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)02678-3/fulltext

      The earlier LANCET study from July 2024 (also discussed on NC):

      https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01169-3/fulltext
      “(…)
      In recent conflicts, such indirect deaths range from three to 15 times the number of direct deaths. Applying a conservative estimate of four indirect deaths per one direct death to the 37 396 deaths reported, it is not implausible to estimate that up to 186 000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza. Using the 2022 Gaza Strip population estimate of 2 375 259, this would translate to 7·9% of the total population in the Gaza Strip. A report from Feb 7, 2024, at the time when the direct death toll was 28 000, estimated that without a ceasefire there would be between 58 260 deaths (without an epidemic or escalation) and 85 750 deaths (if both occurred) by Aug 6, 2024
      (…)”
   3. AG February 22, 2026 at 12:55 pm

      p.s. Chris Hedges Q&A from Febr. 21st

      possibly hundreds of thousands dead in Gaza, because many not registered (under rubble e.g.)

      see TC: 15:00
      Chris Hedges Live Q&A: Forging a New Movement for Palestine
      70 min.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5iRTuPTb8g
4. Valiant Johnson February 20, 2026 at 8:04 am

   I wonder what percentage of what we are exposed to in this “flood the zone” media world is manufactured to distract from the outrageous looting of everything going on in the background.
   1. Ben Panga February 20, 2026 at 9:30 am

      T̶u̶r̶t̶l̶e̶s̶ psyops all the way down…
      1. The Rev Kev February 20, 2026 at 9:42 am

         Lately I have been thinking that it is kiddie-fiddlers all the way down. Que the appropriate music-

         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TqSyvdqn9c&list=RD2TqSyvdqn9c&start_radio=1 (2:36 mins)
         1. Spastica Rex February 20, 2026 at 11:59 am

            Well, he seems to like that they “get bigger, every day,” so maybe Maurice Chevalier (or the character he played, more accurately) was not a pedophile?

            It’s possible.
            1. ambrit February 20, 2026 at 6:48 pm

               The original of the tale, I understand, is a story by the French writer Colette. It tells of the grooming of a young girl to be a courtesan in Belle Epoque France. It ties in neatly with my contention that we are living through a re-establishment of a Robber Baron Era.
               I have observed that predatory males in general hew to the theory that menarche qualifies a female for copulations. Hence, the fact that in “more traditional” cultures, the age of consent is often thirteen or fourteen.
               And they call themselves moral beings.
               1. Spastica Rex February 20, 2026 at 8:53 pm

                  Well put, but let’s be frank: Lerner and Loewe were a far cry from Colette and Leslie Caron was 27.
               2. The Rev Kev February 20, 2026 at 11:35 pm

                  A crude saying I heard was ‘Old enough to bleed, old enough to breed.’
         2. skippy February 20, 2026 at 2:13 pm

            Kinko the Clown song from the Dr. Demento Show is more like it – en fin 2025.

            Not going to link it lmmao ….
5. Earl February 20, 2026 at 8:23 am

   I ate two Costco hot dogs, I thought I was gonna die.
   1. TimH February 20, 2026 at 7:19 pm

      You are. We all are. But why did you? Costco’s pizzas, hotdogs, and bbq chickens have been kept to a low price by all sorts of machinations. You are prepared to eat them knowing that?
6. Tom Stone February 20, 2026 at 8:36 am

   I suspect the dogs will soon stop eating the dog food when it comes both to Iran and the crackdown on free speech.
   I also don’t think it will matter when it comes to policy, at least until some critical systems stop working because they take the active cooperation of the public to function.
7. The Rev Kev February 20, 2026 at 8:42 am

   ‘Jeremy Loffredo
   @loffredojeremy
   A few paragraphs into the The New York Times piece on the rebooting of Meta’s facial recognition glasses program is this line from an internal Meta document:
   “We will launch during a dynamic political environment where many civil society groups… would have their resources focused on other concerns.”’

   Meanwhile, a California judge ripped strips off members of Mark Zuckerberg’s team for wearing Ray Ban-Meta AI glasses as they entered a Los Angeles courtroom for a landmark trial over the impact of social media on children. The damn things have inbuilt cameras in them so is equivalent to them using a video camera to record the courtroom and ID members of the jury using facial recognition-

   https://www.cbsnews.com/news/meta-trial-mark-zuckerberg-ai-glasses/
8. .Tom February 20, 2026 at 8:50 am

   > War this week? Julian MacFarlane

   If the Chinese and Russian anti-stealth radars work as advertised the F35s and F22s won’t be of much use.

   A lot of this is hard to say since weapons systems are always overhyped.

   The point is no one knows.

   So it seems. Do we also assume that the operators of these stealth planes are unsure and therefore won’t want to trust the tech/hype? The risk goes beyond losing planes and pilots, it includes losing sales and threat credibility.
   1. Wukchumni February 20, 2026 at 10:24 am

      Was camped at Star Wars Canyon in Death Valley NP for 5 days and we always get an air show on the house with lots of F-18’s and F-35’s cavorting as low as 100 feet above us doing 420 knots, and they ALWAYS come in pairs, the follow up jet maybe 5 seconds later typically.

      Saw 3x single fighter jet flyovers, and how rare is that?

      Maybe i’ve seen 500 low flyovers in 15 years of having them do their thing, and I’ve never even seen 1 lone jet ever!

      Can’t pair ’em up if one got sent to the middle east, can ya?
      1. AG February 20, 2026 at 1:20 pm

         On Richard Bong, WWII ace, Wiki:

         “(…)
         On June 12, 1942, Bong flew very low (“buzzed”) over a house in nearby San Anselmo, the home of a pilot who had just been married. He was cited and temporarily grounded for breaking flying rules, along with three other P-38 pilots who had looped around the Golden Gate Bridge on the same day. For looping the Golden Gate Bridge, flying at a low level down Market Street in San Francisco, and blowing the clothes off of an Oakland woman’s clothesline, Bong was reprimanded by General George C. Kenney, commanding officer of the Fourth Air Force, who told him, “If you didn’t want to fly down Market Street, I wouldn’t have you in my Air Force, but you are not to do it any more and I mean what I say.” Kenney later wrote, “We needed kids like this lad.” He also was made to do that woman’s laundry or any other chore.

         In all subsequent accounts, Bong denied flying under the Golden Gate Bridge. Nevertheless, Bong was still grounded when the rest of his group was sent without him to England in July 1942. Bong then transferred to another Hamilton Field unit, 84th Fighter Squadron of the 78th Fighter Group. From there, Bong was sent to the Southwest Pacific Area.
         (…)”

         I discovered his story when I was looking at what else had happened on August 6th 1945 – Bong died in a test flight with the P-80.
         1. TomT February 20, 2026 at 3:42 pm

            On childhood trips through Wisconsin we would drive on the Bong Bridge, and past signs for the Bong Recreation Area. Even though I’m AARP-eligible at this point, I’m still not mature enough to avoid giggling about this.
   2. PlutoniumKun February 20, 2026 at 11:33 am

      Stealth aircraft designers, just like air defence designers, are perfectly aware of the limitations of each technology.

      Stealth has, for the most part, little to nothing to do with ‘being invisible’. There have always been radars capable of detecting stealth aircraft (for the most part, wide band radars). Stealth, in aircraft design, is about enhancing the aircrafts ability to penetrate airspace by delaying detection, and then being part of a multilayered system intended to protect the aircraft if and when it is detected. This includes speed, manoeuvrability, decoys, jamming, spoofing and so on. And air defence also relies on a complex overlapping mix of active and passive detection and tracking intended to close the kill chain between detection and kinetic strike, or at the very least, forcing the attacking aircraft to stay out of weapons launch range. This is a highly dynamic system with each side constantly playing whack-a-mole with each others capability. For example, its one thing to have a radar that can track a stealth aircraft. Maintaining that track is another thing when the aircraft (or another one), launches a missile that homes in on the radars own emissions. Even jamming systems, such as GPS jammers, can themselves be used for targeting. Once you emit a signal, you make yourself a target. Only passive detection systems (such as IR detectors) can bypass this, and these have their limitations in range and accuracy.

      In a modern conflict, it is at least as important to keep your capabilities (or lack of them) secret to keep your opponent guessing, and vice versa. The US has a significant advantage in a conflict in that the previous Israeli attacks forced the Iranians into revealing defence and counter strike capabilities (they will also have learned a lot through observing Russian action in Ukraine). Of course, they may have held back some capabilities precisely to allow for some surprise element, and its possible (although, I think, highly unlikely) that Russia and/or China have sent in some unknown tech. I say unlikely, because they know that once Iran has it, there is a strong possibility that the US will then learn more about it and the problem with using secret weapons is that they stop being a secret.

      A key element of a US attack will be the use of decoys to trigger air defence activity, which will in turn be used to target detectors and launchers. Knowing this, defenders will have crucial decisions to make about when and where to ‘actively’ respond to attacks. Likewise, the attackers will have to make a judgement call as to whether a lack of activity is a sign of a defeated defence system, or just a trap. In other words, even with highly advanced systems, much relies on human intuition and educated guesswork.

      The issue with stealth aircraft is that their high profile would make a loss very embarrassing. Losing an F-22 would be a much bigger deal than losing an F-15. And losing a B-2 an even bigger deal. This is why they would most likely be held back and used primarily for defence and (in the case of F-35s) used as monitoring and targeting assets, while the attack would overwhelmingly be carried out using cheaper stand-off missiles launched from a distance or from more disposable aircraft. But then again, there is nothing new in this – going back to the days of sail there were always weapons so valuable and high profile they were rarely used because of the potential embarrassment of losing them. An advantage Iran has is that it doesn’t have anything of that nature, but Russia and China do, which is why they would be reluctant to hand their best assets over to help.

      But trying to make predictions about the possible conflict is pretty much a fools game as so much of each sides capabilities are unknown and anyone claiming to know is probably full of it (unfortunately, newspaper articles, podcasts and blogs don’t fill themselves, so everyone is throwing in their opinion and hoping nobody remembers every time they are wrong). Nobody that I’m aware of predicted how effective Israel would be in neutralising Hezbollah and destroying Assads power base, and the attack on Venezuela completely confounded all predictions. The only certainty is that there will be surprises.
      1. skippy February 20, 2026 at 2:48 pm

         I think many would be served by the bloke at Millennium 7* YT channel as he unpacks this topic in fairly concise detail. Yet as you note its a complex situation not limited to physics alone E.g. the way the Kill Chain has/is evolving via data links now with the addition of AI and the speed/distance of missiles. Topping that off is how apples to oranges west vs east is – doctrine.

         For me, it will all boil down too – how long – any conflict lasts. If Iran can get past the initial assault whilst giving the west a proper black eye and then grind at them, even if there is not a clear winner … it will have huge Geopol ramifications far into the future. That is the one thing I don’t understand, why would the west gamble everything on this after how things are rolling in Ukraine.

         I don’t know … is it just a simple case of self reinforcing loops of ideological positivists with too many high tech war toys – ?????
         1. Henry Moon Pie February 20, 2026 at 4:12 pm

            Hunter-gatherer genes and an endocrine system appropriate for hunting in small groups in the savanna. Conquistador/Taker worldview. Homo faber genius for making dangerous stuff organized into huge, 21st century Machine/Superorganism.
            1. skippy February 20, 2026 at 10:55 pm

               Hi mate, wellie there is that observation about that small percent of the population that has a diagnosable psychological condition which is acutely anti social. More so that in many cases people are hired with this in mind or how there are refined tools to condition others to become like this or go along with it.

               Homo faber will always be open to the human tool user dilemma and effected by the above e.g. could be used for social good.

               On the Conquistador question at least on that subject the grunts were lied too with notions of riches, acerbated by the dire socioeconomic dramas at the time [Royal mgmt issue] for anyone not in the elites class, hence they went to gain income for folks back home, and all topped off with the feral religious preview at the time.

               Regardless of all the minutia one could engage in due to the currant situation, military, Geopol, economics, it still blows me away to consider this all started with an audit long ago. The audacity for a democratically elected President wanted to make sure his citizans were getting their contractually obligated share of a national resource sparked a “War is a Racket” Coup for big Oil.

               If the trigger is pulled and it goes sideways Multipolarity is going into overdrive and that is going to be Epic ….
9. Louis Fyne February 20, 2026 at 9:14 am

   zeitgeist watch, the “Toy Story 5” trailer dropped. after a string of awful films (from the Campbellian “hero’s jpurney” persepctive), Pixar might be pivoting….interestingly joining the pro-analog camp.

   or they might just be tired of making box office duds, lmao
10. Screwball February 20, 2026 at 9:17 am

    RE: The Epstein Files

    We have been given a gift.

    The Epstein Files. As released (not sure if all, and who knows), which is probably only the tip of the iceberg of where all this disgusting rot may lead. It also gives us a glimpse into the Big Club, and how it works.

    The people in the Big Club have clubbed (pun intended) us working people our entire working lives. I know, I lived in the belly of the beast. The named people were not only leaders of our industry, learning institutions, government, but also a bunch of sick disgusting humans who abused people.

    This is the topic that should unite people no matter what their political affiliation and should be the main focus. Set aside other grievances for now, and zero in on the people in these files. Summer is coming, there will be marches, rallies, etc., for various causes. Make it this one. Make them show it on the Nightly News.

    We must demand nothing less than full investigations, prosecutions, and punishment. We should be busy legally serving justice to those who are found guilty, once we get to all of them, and the rest must resign in disgrace. They know who they are. Thanks, see ya – we’ll be fine.

    I can’t think of a better cause. Imagine the numbers if those who seem to dislike each other came together on this single topic? Double your money, double your people. They couldn’t ignore it. Force things to happen.

    People might even find out the people they think they don’t like are really kind of cool. Wouldn’t that be wild? 😊

    That’s crazy stuff, I know. I’m old and stupid. But it’s all so sad. And so wrong.

    Ironic. This is Olympic week. The Olympics always remind me of 1980 and the USA hockey team in the middle of the Cold War made up of a bunch of college kids beating the Red Army of Russia, who were professionals. It wasn’t supposed to happen.

    We play’em 10 times, we lose 9. Not tonight, not this game.

    This might be the best chance we will ever get to help “We The People” in favor of the Big Club. Don’t **** it up.

    The first, the last, and everyone in between. Nothing less is acceptable.
    1. Wukchumni February 20, 2026 at 10:45 am

       What needs to be said…

       At long last, have you left no sense of indecency? (with apologies to Joseph Welch)
    2. .Tom February 20, 2026 at 10:59 am

       I’ll march with you, sister or brother Screwball.

       Of all the nonpartisan unifying issues, this ought to be it. Lock up the criminals. No more impunity for the wealthy, powerful, connected, and corrupt no matter how caught by blackmail they are.

       We already have all the laws and enforcement apparatus we need. What’s lacking is the will, a failure that falls shamefully on many institutions including news media.
       1. Spastica Rex February 20, 2026 at 12:07 pm

          Liberty and Justice for All? Sure.

          I’m with you, human (I assume).
    3. SKM February 20, 2026 at 1:44 pm

       Very very well said Screwball!!! I`ve been waiting for just this vital aspect of the whole Epstein business to be talked about…. can`t bear mass media either here in Italy, or and esp the UK and French too. French media full of regular extreme anti russian/Putin propaganda is now onto epstein but only focussing on the sexual exploitation aspects to the total exclusion of the revelations revealing the nature of the power elite that has been manipulating the whole Western dominated international power political system for decades leading to the creation, over time, of the existential mess we (plebs) all now find ourselves in
    4. skippy February 20, 2026 at 2:54 pm

       Albeit just like with the GFC … National security [wealthy/powerful investors] and Economic Stability will be the excuse for the perps to be awarded a get out of jail free card. Better yet they will be given even more wealth and power …. ooooh and with Trump at the helm all will get Presidential cuff links … like he said “my friends” will get hurt ….
11. mrsyk February 20, 2026 at 9:18 am

    Regarding Blue Owl, this quote from the article seems to indicate that zero percent interest rate policy produces bubbles, and at the macro level at that.
    “Years of ultra-low rates and ultra-low spreads and very few bankruptcies led investors to go further and further out the risk spectrum in credit,” Rasmussen said. “This is a classic case of ‘fool’s yield,’ high yield that doesn’t translate into high returns because the borrowers were too risky.”
12. Tom Stone February 20, 2026 at 9:26 am

    While the USA has been busy bringing the benefits of Civilization to Iraq, Libya, Ukraine Etc over the last few decades it has deferred maintaining and upgrading some domestic systems.
    Nothing too serious, just levees, bridges, water delivery and the electrical grid…
    I understand that 1/3 of the transformers in the USA will need to be replaced over the next decade to maintain the current barely adequate electrical supply.
    Where are they going to come from?
    Where will the skilled workforce needed to build and install them come from?
    And that’s just the beginning of what is needed to maintain what we have.
    I’m sure the Tech Lords have an answer, however I suspect it amounts to “Don’t worry bro, I have Prime”
13. Ben Panga February 20, 2026 at 9:28 am

    Whitney Webb first interview since latest Epstein files release (Redacted, YT)

    https://www.youtube.com/live/i4rSBwupwac

    Webb joins the show at 14:50 for about an hour. Delivers dense info at her normal rapid pace, then leaves to go pick up her kids. Such a badass :)
    1. pjay February 20, 2026 at 10:31 am

       She provides a fitting response to the joke of Wexner’s Congressional testimony, and to the idea that any Congressional inquiry will provide any real information at all. Wexner will almost certainly die unscathed, just a poor naive billionaire victimized by that Evil Genius con-man Epstein!

       Comparing the fates of these two might provide a hint as to their relative positions in the food chain.
    2. hemeantwell February 20, 2026 at 12:36 pm

       Thanks for that. Sharp, relentless and also congenial. Her name is so appropriate to the subject matter.
       I’ll help with dinner by getting her two books.
    3. mrsyk February 20, 2026 at 2:31 pm

       Thanks BP, Webb looking sharp. Well worth a watch if you have the time.
       a couple of highlights,

       At about 49 minutes, a must listen on Mark Middleton and “China-Gate”

       (54 min)The Clinton and Gates foundations are implicated.
    4. skippy February 20, 2026 at 10:30 pm

       On the Prince Andrew Arrested thingy …. I hear its the first time a Royal has been taken into custody by police and interviewed in over 400 years ….

       Also … that from a historical point Royals have kept inept relatives around “just in case” someone needs to fall on a sword for public display … then its back to usual business …
14. Randy Holcomb February 20, 2026 at 9:29 am

    The Telesur link is bad-throwing “payload too large” under Safari
15. The Rev Kev February 20, 2026 at 9:30 am

    ‘Reese Gorman
    @reesejgorman
    Les Wexner’s attorney did not like his answers to the questions during the House Oversight Committee deposition.’

    Anybody else notice how that lawyer-slash-minder looked like one of the characters from “The Goodfellas”? Les Wexner is so old now at 89 years of age he looks like he no longer cares what he say. The guy seems to have been not only connected with Epstein but perhaps the Mob and certainly the CIA-

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Wexner
    1. Screwball February 20, 2026 at 9:54 am

       I’m still looking, but wonder who the lawyer is? Knowing that might give us some other insight.
       1. Ben Panga February 20, 2026 at 10:13 am

          >wonder who the lawyer is?

          Per NY Post

          I will f–king kill you if you answer another question with more than five words, OK?” attorney Michael Levy whispered to Wexner about four and a half hours into the former Victoria’s Secret owner’s deposition in the congressional Epstein probe.

          Pretty sure this is his profile at his law firm

          …has represented corporate and individual clients in many of the
          most prominent white collar matters of the past two decades, including his representation of central players in the complex and overlapping investigations of Enron, the collapse of FTX and the banking crisis that ensued, the financial and accounting scandals of Fannie Mae, the downfall of MF Global, alleged tax abuses on Wall Street and around the world, the NFL’s “Spygate” scandal, the unintended acceleration of Toyota vehicles, the murders of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, and many others. He has conducted internal investigations for Fortune 100 and other companies as well as their audit committees and has represented numerous Fortune 500 companies, high-ranking public officials, civic leaders, and prominent corporate executives in major criminal cases and congressional, SEC, and other governmental investigations involving alleged violations of fraud, securities, tax, antitrust, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), money laundering, environmental, healthcare, False Claims Act, obstruction of justice, and other criminal statutes….
          1. Wukchumni February 20, 2026 at 10:18 am

             So, an upscale version of Winston Wolfe in Pulp Fiction?
          2. Screwball February 20, 2026 at 10:49 am

             Excellent, thank you.
    2. Ben Panga February 20, 2026 at 10:04 am

       A Kingpin, the Mob, and a Murder: The Deeper Mystery behind the Arthur Shapiro Homicide (unlimited hangout/Whitney Webb)

       This article has a section on Wexner’s mob ties
16. pjay February 20, 2026 at 9:53 am

    – ‘How Politicians Smear The World, Vol. 1: The Contract’ – Matt Taibbi

    This is an example of the good work Taibbi can still do when he puts his mind to it. I hope he climbs out of the partisan box he seemed to have fallen into and starts doing more of this again. He does need to broaden his scope a bit to connect a few more of the significant dots. That “preposterous” antisemitism claim used to mask campaign donations to Labour might suggest one starting point. It would be nice if he could get beyond his Democrat hate to apply his skills in exposing the current administration over here as well.
17. The Rev Kev February 20, 2026 at 10:01 am

    “Trump Weighs Initial Limited Strike to Force Iran Into Nuclear Deal”

    I think that Trump imagines that he will be able to hit Iran and they will not hit US forces back. The Iranians have already said they will hit back hard on any strike against their country. Then again, I heard that Trump is also thinking about sending in ground troops into Iran and I would imagine the idea would be to occupy the oil rich regions (‘We’re keeping the oil. We have the oil. The oil is secure. We left troops behind only for the oil.’) while the rest of the country breaks up.
    1. Ben Panga February 20, 2026 at 10:16 am

       > I heard that Trump is also thinking about sending in ground troops into Iran

       Where did you hear that?
       1. The Rev Kev February 20, 2026 at 5:50 pm

          On a talk by the Duran but it is only a rumour. However, if Iran broke up, you can bet that Trump will want to grab those oil fields.
    2. Tom Stone February 20, 2026 at 11:13 am

       Where are the US Troops going to come from, how would they get to Iran and how could the be supplied?
       “Boots of the Ground” are possible if they are dropped from F35’s (Before they get shot down) but there won’t be any feet in them.
       1. Mikel February 20, 2026 at 3:17 pm

          A better question: What proxies can be prepared?
18. XXYY February 20, 2026 at 10:08 am

    War this week? Julian MacFarlane

    … Let us keep in mind that the US appears to be counting on subsonic Tomahawks and JASSM cruise missiles that are vulnerable to interception. The Israelis were unable to intercept Iranian hypersonic missiles in the last days of the 12 Day War — and those missiles have improved. If the Chinese and Russian anti-stealth radars work as advertised the F35s and F22s won’t be of much use.

    McFarlane is right that a war with Iran is going to be a missile war that will be over very quickly. Iran has no Navy to speak of, and the US has no army of any size and no way to get them anywhere quickly. US/Israeli subsonic bombers and fighters will take many hours and require many refuelings to get from their remote US bases to target areas in the vast country of Iran, and the same again to get back home.

    Hypersonic missiles defended by the very good Russian and Chinese air defense networks are going to be a very difficult combination for the US to overcome. The US Navy has missiles, of course, but they are in short supply and will require years to replenish.
    1. .Tom February 20, 2026 at 11:11 am

       Do we know if Iranian ballistic missiles can hit targets that move like ships? Iiuc, defending against drones and cruise missiles isn’t so bad and Iran’s successes in June last year were with ballistic missiles. But are those ballistic missiles targeted with simple lat-long at launch or can they acquire and track a target somewhere along the way?
       1. PlutoniumKun February 20, 2026 at 11:59 am

          The Iranians do have ballistic missiles with terminal guidance systems capable of targeting ships, along with (possibly) Chinese and Russian help in tracking, although just how accurate they are is anyone’s guess. Even a huge aircraft carrier is a tiny speck in the vastness of the ocean, maintaining a kill chain (i.e. everything from detection, targeting to final kinetic strike) is exceptionally difficult.

          The problem for the Iranians is that ships don’t just sit around with their crews staring into the sky waiting to be hit (unless, like HMS Sheffield, the Moskva or USS Stark, they are taken by surprise). They manoeuvre, they launch multiple decoys, smoke screens, turn on electronic jammers and spoofers and occasionally fire back. Who will win this game of target and manoeuvre, well, we may soon find out. Hitting and sinking ships is far harder than most people assume. Thats why, contrary to the predictions of more than a century of doomers who have predicting the end of the manned ship because of torpedoes, dive bombers, drones, missiles, or whatever is the military obsession du jour, they are still being built and operated by all sides. The death of the main line ships of the fleet has been proclaimed since at least the early 19th Century, but somehow or another they are still around.

          Hypersonics, btw, contrary to what a lot of armchair warriors think, are very limited in their usefulness as ship killers, at least as far as we know. The very characteristic that makes them very difficult to intercept (i.e. Mach 5+ speed), also makes it extremely difficult to engage and track small manoeuvring targets. Its unlikely that even the most advanced hypersonics built are capable of reliably hitting even a very large ship that doesn’t want to be hit as that requires some form of active homing and precise terminal manoeuvring ability that for a variety of technical reasons is exceptionally hard to achieve at hypersonic speeds. So far as we know from open source information, they are only really useful at hitting stationary targets.
          1. .Tom February 20, 2026 at 1:21 pm

             Thank you, PK. This more than answered my question.
          2. AG February 20, 2026 at 1:30 pm

             How do you see it when both Martyanov and Postol independently agree that the new RU systems couldn´t be intercepted and would hit vessels with fatal consequences. Also due to late discovery by radar as of Mach 10+.

             For those who are not annoyed, Martyanov exclusively on Iran´s military capabilities with Nima, yesterday:
             Hypersonic Missile Could Sink US Navy Carrier
             54 min.
             https://rumble.com/v760e24-andrei-martyanov-iran-bombshell-hypersonic-missile-could-sink-us-navy-carri.html?e9s=src_v1_cbl%2Csrc_v1_ucp_a

             p.s. Forgive me for coming up with the ever same names. But I don´t know of that many worthwhile sources. Certainly not in Germany (argh.) So I take what I get.
             1. Polar Socialist February 20, 2026 at 4:28 pm

                If you bother to look for it, there’s plenty of information available. The first hypersonic missile flew (at least in lab conditions) in the early 1980’s and by late 1980’s they already had figured out the correct materials and shapes for the windows for optical and IR sensors in a hypersonic missile.

                Yes, the plasma shield makes using radar in hypersonic missile more complicated, but it’s actually comparable to a simple-ish jamming, so it’s not impossible to overcome at all. The problem is more about miniaturization of the components while making the sensor and connectors strong enough to sustain the high-G loads during maneuvering.

                Of course, if you can get eyes on target and have an uplink to the missile, it only has to have decent positioning capability and no sensors are needed. Contrary to the common belief, an antenna of a few centimeters in height is enough to poke trough the plasma layer.

                The real challenges in hitting a moving target at hypersonic speeds is that it’s so [familyblogging] fast. At mach 6 the missile is moving 2058 meters per second. So, if the sensor sweep, data interpretation, correction calculation and control surface adjusting loop happens 80 times per second, the relative positions between the missile and the target still change over 25 meters between the cycles.

                Chinese claimed in 2022 they had figured out a way to hit a car with a missile going mach 5.5, production ready by 2025. Can’t find out if they were successful, though. But hitting the broad side of an aircraft carrier in 2026 is very much in the realm of possibility.

                It’s not magic, it’s just engineering problems. Well, okay, building a hypersonic air-breathing engine is pretty darn close to magic, but the rest is pure engineering.
                1. AG February 20, 2026 at 11:27 pm

                   I guess there are reasons though that NATO stated it would need 2 decades to build a Western hypersonic system. While the Russian Navy already issues an increasing number of vessels equipped with hypersonic missiles. So far they are the only armed forces using this technology in actual combat. Shouldn´t they have the edge therefore in the application and further development (in contrast to China).

                   fwiw, Martyanov I think addressed this issue of “homing in” by missiles in a plasma last May and that Russians solved it but without knowing the actual technology of course.
                   TC 18:15-27:15
                   https://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/2025/05/istanbul-hysteria.html
                   He stresses that neither ISN nor Dead Reckoning would do. And there lies the major scientifc achievement of RU R&D.

                   p.s. The Russians did stress the development of new materials in recent years to overcome engineering limits in the past.
             2. Mikel February 20, 2026 at 5:53 pm

                It’s been said that the biggest “aircraft carrier” is a certain country in the region.
                Who believes that Russia or China wants to help to sink that one?
             3. PlutoniumKun February 21, 2026 at 6:06 am

                Although I don’t agree with all the analysis, this article from the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists lays out some of the issues with hypersonic missiles. As Skippy mentions above, the wonderful Millennium 7* YT channel has done detailed deep dives into what we know (from open source materials) about hypersonic weapons.

                As PS says, there is nothing new about hypersonics. The V2 rocket (briefly) went hypersonic. The X-15 spaceplane was hypersonic. All medium to long range ballistic missiles are hypersonic for at least part of their trajectory. There was a huge amount of research in the 1970’s and 80’s on a variety of hypersonic missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles. The US even spent a lot on a hypersonic anti-tank missile intended for launch from A-10’s back in the 1980’s known as the HVM.

                It is correct to say that long range hypersonic missiles cannot be intercepted (basic physics). However, they are easy to identify at launch due to the huge energy requirements which gives notice they are coming, and when they approach the target close range area defence missiles can (theoretically) intercept them, just as Russian Tor missiles can intercept incoming ballistic missiles that are travelling at much higher speeds. It is technically very difficult, but not impossible. Plus there is the additional problem that the energy requirements for hypersonic speeds means a very limited payload – the mostly cause damage through sheer kinetic energy, unlike ballistics which can usually carry plenty of explosives and/or cluster type weapons. A hypersonic must achieve a direct hit if it is to do real damage – a near miss is a miss – this results in even more technical demands on the designers and makes old fashioned defences for ships like… changing direction… quite effective.

                There is nothing magical about hypersonics. They have characteristics that make them very attractive to militaries, but they have many drawbacks and problems (not least, extraordinary high costs that can’t be mitigated through mass production due to the amount of exotic engineering required), just as ballistic, cruise, stealth or any other kind of missiles have.
          3. Mikel February 20, 2026 at 3:35 pm

             “Who will win this game of target and maneuver, well, we may soon find out.”

             AKA…Who is trying to shoot in more different directions at once?
19. Wukchumni February 20, 2026 at 10:12 am

    How does the world react when the first nuclear device used in anger since Nagasaki happens?

    Nuclear Device, by the Stranglers

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdVyL2fVESw&list=RDGdVyL2fVESw
    1. Michael Fiorillo February 20, 2026 at 1:45 pm

       Herman “Sonny” Blount aka Sun Ra aka Le SonyRa had some insights:

       https://m.youtube.com/results?sp=mAEA&search_query=sun+ra+nuclear+war
20. t February 20, 2026 at 10:31 am

    Foody notes that not everything can be taught, and the more subjective the task, the more difficult it is for AI to master.

    And how is an AI doctor making a diagnosis supposed to determine what is more subjective???

    What happens if you present a 3 year old with period cramps? Or a 39-year old man who is otherwise healthy but keeps having cramps in his tail and flippers?
21. Lee February 20, 2026 at 10:38 am

    “Prince Andrew’s Arrest The Epstein Files by Julie K. Brown”

    More from Julie K. Brown from the New Yorker Radio Hour: What Donald Trump and “Everyone” Knew About Jeffrey Epstein (38 minute audio).

    In January, the Justice Department released over three million documents, including many redacted e-mails, related to Jeffrey Epstein. “Should we share the Julie Brown text with Alan [Dershowitz],” Epstein wrote in one note to a lawyer. “She is going to start trouble. Asking for victims etc.” Brown’s reporting on Epstein for the Miami Herald, and her revelations about the federal plea deal he received, had an enormous impact on public perception of Epstein and his ties to Trump. Brown joins David Remnick to discuss the latest tranche of redacted e-mails, which show, as she reported, that Trump knew about his friend’s crimes far earlier than he has admitted. Brown and Remnick also talk about Epstein’s relationship with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and why she does not believe that Epstein died by suicide.
22. Hastalavictoria February 20, 2026 at 10:42 am

    Re; The UK and Wild Boar.Can boar make Britain great again

    As a ” Forester ” i.e someone born within the old Norman Hundred of St Briavels in the Forest of Dean – a wild boar area mentioned in the article- one shares two ancient birth rights.

    The right to open ones own free mine within the Forest – after working one year and a day in a mine.The right to run free range sheep within the Forest.

    Some 30/40 odd years ago some irresponsible twat decided to dump his/her wild boar in the Forest with the consequence that they have proliferated, cause tremendous damage and have to be culled.

    Given the desperate effects of Thatcherism and the lack of investment over the past 40 odd years I do think that wild boar can contribute up the UK economy.

    In the 11century our Norman Kings from their Winter court based at Gloucester used to hunt wild boar in the Forest.

    Why not recreate the experience? Imagine the fun charging around with spears,packs of dogs etc following the Conqueror.

    Thus I proposed that the local council grant licences to rich people – probably Americans – to do this.I reckon it would be a sure fire win/win for everyone except the boar.

    In addition while they were at it I also suggested that they could reopen a couple of local WW2 prisoner of war camps.Again allowing people to enjoy the experience.

    I am still awaiting a reply.
    1. PlutoniumKun February 20, 2026 at 12:09 pm

       In Ireland, hunters regularly release various species in order to give themselves a reason to exist, including Muntjac and wild boar. The latter were hunted to extinction in medieval times, closely followed by the wolf and who knows what else.

       A few years ago a friend of my family casually mentioned that a family of baby boar had run into their kitchen one day (they live in a deep wooded valley). I was sceptical at first, but they had it on film. Unfortunately for the baby boar, my friend used to be a butcher and so they had suckling pig bbq for several days. If they had a mama around, it was never found (at least officially).

       The irony is that the genetic evidence from Ireland is that nearly all its wildlife had been brought in by humans. There is even indirect evidence that bears (extinct since around the 12th Century) may have been deliberately brought all the way from Spain by mesolithic hunters for who knows what purpose. Irelands ‘native’ red deer and badger may likewise have been brought in by boat.

       Since the last of Irelands native forests are on their last legs due to neglect and laurel/rhododendron and sika deer invasion, bringing in wild boar along with beavers and wildcats may be the only way to protect them. Although people are very resistant to any change, if they are, it will probably be by surreptitious introductions.
       1. doily February 20, 2026 at 3:00 pm

          the genetic evidence from Ireland is that nearly all its wildlife had been brought in by humans

          I thought you were going to mention the snakes St Patrick drove out.
    2. Henry Moon Pie February 20, 2026 at 2:21 pm

       Some musical accompaniment.

       Caput apri defero,
       Reddens laudes Domino
    3. lyman alpha blob February 20, 2026 at 2:25 pm

       Texas is way ahead of you.

       They are already shooting them from helicopters and making salami out of them.

       You might need to be rich to afford the salami – $15 seems a lot for a few ounces.
       1. Wukchumni February 20, 2026 at 4:21 pm

          We had puerco rican gangs here, and a few times a year, an ersatz conga line of feral pigs tail-to-snout, would cross the road a hundred feet in front of my car, say 10 of them ranging in size from 110 to 300 pounds.

          If you had a lawn and the porkers got at it, we called it being ‘pigged’ as in ‘Did you hear Steve’s lawn got pigged again?’

          It was the worst roto-til job ever, all for some stupid bugs.

          Some hunter in the community apparently put up a feeding area with hunting blind hidden away, got their trust by feeding them, and then picked ’em off one by one.

          Haven’t seen a wild pig here in say 4 years, whereas i’d see 30-40 a year prior.
23. Alice X February 20, 2026 at 10:42 am

    Just now

    NYT

    Live Updates: Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump’s Sweeping Tariffs

    In a major setback for President Trump’s economic agenda, the court ruled that he could not invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 to set tariffs on imports.

    T, no doubt, has other wrecking balls to try out.
    1. Wukchumni February 20, 2026 at 2:04 pm

       Donald Quixote went to the windmill card again in his all over the place press conference in regards to the Supremes shooting down the tariffs~
    2. Mikel February 20, 2026 at 2:31 pm

       The latest hissy fit reaction:
       https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/20/trump-global-trade-tariff-supreme-court.html/

       “President Donald Trump said Friday he will sign an executive order imposing a new 10% “global tariff,” hours after the Supreme Court struck down his sweeping “reciprocal” import duties in a major rebuke of his trade agenda.”

       “He said he will sign an executive order later Friday imposing the new duties, which are being invoked under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. Tariffs conjured using that statute can only last for 150 days, with any extension requiring congressional approval.

       Asked at the press briefing about that time limit and about getting congressional buy-in, Trump said, “We have the right to do pretty much what we want to do.”

       Giving away the real game with that last sentence.
    3. Alice X February 20, 2026 at 11:48 pm

       And maybe sometime his redactions and witholdings in the Epstein files will be uncovered. Is this what it is all about? It is a Big Club. and I don’t want to be in it.

       I don’t want to spend 2 seconds in the mind of Donald J T.

       I do not know.
24. Henry Moon Pie February 20, 2026 at 10:49 am

    Map of human brain vs. CERES data–

    There they are, right at the top of today’s links, one on top of the other. The dazzling complexity and beauty of a slice of human brain right above a demonstration of humans’ extraordinary stupidity. Nate Hagens, a guy who has supplemented his time as a Chicago MBA pm Wall Street with a Ph.D. in Natural Resources, and over the last four years, by talking to the most interesting English-speaking thinkers in the world, has honed his understanding of how the bizarre contradiction posed by those two pictures at the top of today’s Links came to be. It’s forty minutes, but worth every second. A transcript isn’t available, but it wouldn’t be appropriate anyway because Hagens uses a lot of visuals in his Franklys. (“Humanity as Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde: The Symptoms, Patterns, and Drivers“)

    Hagens covers many of the points discussed yesterday in connection with Thomas Neuburger’s “The Myth of the West: Democracy and the State.” It was an interesting piece followed by a classic NC discussion with Thomas himself joining in. I left one of my patented, out-of-left-field, long comments that read in pertinent part:

    The projects deemed “progress” by our Modernist myth, from the pyramids to AI gods, would never have been possible without organizing large numbers of humans beings and gathering massive amounts of resources using a State apparatus. Bands under Dunbar’s number are never going to build an Apollo Project.

    These projects, while they may have temporarily elevated the status of some Pharaoh or made a nation state the most powerful collection of humans on the planet for a while, always come with a heavy cost for the masses in that society, but more importantly in the long run, they have degraded the Earth and its ability to support life. If we discard our immoral human exceptionalism for a while (physicist Tom Murphy, cited above, is good on this), it seems clear that staying under Dunbar’s number is the only sure way that humans can restrain ourselves from reaching a point where we’re dropping H-bombs or geoengineering the Earth to the detriment of all. Elephants and gorillas have the good sense not to build skyscrapers and GPUs, but Homo faber does not.

    The point in my comment about Dunbar’s number is what Hagens is talking about with the Jekkyl and Hyde metaphor in the title of the Frankly he published today. He’s suggesting that humans undergo a “phase shift” when they aggregate in larger numbers that render useful traits honed by natural selection for humans living in bands into destructive and self-reinforcing Dark Triad characteristics in mass society. His Frankly is a good stab at a TOE of how traits useful when humans hunted the savannah in groups under Dunbar’s number, and may have presented a manageable threat in communities like I grew up in where everybody’s grandpa knew everybody else’s grandpa, have become the Dark Triad traits seen in tyrants and exploiters throughout history, most recently with the Epstein class. He tracks the traits through the system failures that humans continue to experience to the symptoms we’re experiencing.

    It’s good stuff. Even if you disagree with a lot of it, it can get you thinking beyond the theater of the absurd we watch today with no power to change the script or the players.
    1. Tom B. February 20, 2026 at 5:22 pm

       Re the brain map – did not bother to click thru the useless X link but eventually found the original 2024 Science paper (pdf) with many more amazing images – seems to be freely available (to me at least):

       https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adk4858
25. leaf February 20, 2026 at 10:59 am

    https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/20/politics/supreme-court-tariffs

    So the tariffs were ruled as illegal but will the refunds ever be issued?

    I have a feeling they will not be issued or will be issued in an absolutely delayed convoluted manner

    I think for us in Canada though, the tariffs on steel, aluminum, lumber, car parts are still in place based on USMCA and other agreements? Hopefully someone more knowledgeable can clarify
    1. Jason Boxman February 20, 2026 at 1:39 pm

       Apparently the order does not specify what happens to the funds collected; I’d suspect they’re never returned. There will probably be decades of litigation on the issue.
       1. marku52 February 20, 2026 at 3:52 pm

          Luttnick’s kids have been buying up the refund rights at 25 cents per dollar.

          Crooks all.
    2. Pensions Guy February 20, 2026 at 2:20 pm

       Here are a few links to published analyses of the refund process. https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1154981/Stakes-couldn%E2%80%99t-be-higher-in-blockbuster-Supreme-Court-tariff-case
       https://www.orrick.com/en/Insights/2025/09/Preserving-and-Purchasing-Tariff-Refund-Claims
       Best analysis I have seen. https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/hot-topics-in-international-trade-5427909/
    3. ChrisFromGA February 20, 2026 at 2:47 pm

       I smell a windfall coming to Wall St.

       Sell “Tariff refund recovery bonds” for 20-30 cents on the dollar. The buyer gets the right to collect the tariff refunds for a specific company that paid them out, should the legal process play out in their favor. The seller (companies that paid the illegal tariffs) get a quick cash infusion in exchange for having to wait years for any recovery. The Street gets to charge fees, grab some vigorish, and generally do their skimming operation.

       Now collateralize the bonds and whatnot, sell them to granny’s pension fund, use your imagination. More financial engineering!
26. Wukchumni February 20, 2026 at 11:12 am

    Supremes just did a Tariffist Attack on DT Barnum, how out of character for the lineup of 9?

    We’re backing Trump up into a corner, which is fitting for a 6 year old the likes of Anthony Fremont, but terrifying for the rest of the world.
    1. Ben Panga February 20, 2026 at 4:23 pm

       I wonder if he might properly crack? He’s under huge pressure, and the blows to that fragile narcissist ego just keep coming.

       He had the sugar rush up to kidnapping Maduro, but since then he’s been racking up Ls. The base are turning; his approval is super low and the midterms are coming; the Epstein story isn’t going anyway; he’s getting played by the CIA and Israelis on Iran; Russia won’t bend; and now the mean judges took away his tariffs.

       What would a Trump full crack-up look like and what would the Thielites do about it?

       Praying that it’s an implosion not an explosion.

       As you say Wuk, terrifying for the rest of the world.
    2. The Rev Kev February 20, 2026 at 5:59 pm

       He might decide to add more members to the Supremes so that his new appointees outnumber the present ones. Roosevelt once threatened to do the same to an intransigent Supremes back in the 30s.
27. Tom Stone February 20, 2026 at 11:15 am

    If you think it’s crazy now, give it a Month.
    1. DJG, Reality Czar February 20, 2026 at 11:43 am

       Tom Stone, ever the optimist.

       I admit, though, that you have been at the top of your form in your comments of late. Oracular, yet direct, yet inebriating. Delphic, but after a couple of fingers of good cognac. Amen.
       1. Judith February 20, 2026 at 12:51 pm

          Yes. He is always terse and spot on.
          1. JBird4049 February 20, 2026 at 8:19 pm

             Yes, but I think that he is an optimist for giving a month. I’m thinking about two weeks.
             1. Pat February 21, 2026 at 1:51 am

                I don’t normally expect anything more than the usual Dog and Pony show from the State of the Union, but the seismic cracks we have been seeing since MTG resigned keep getting larger so this coming one might be another major crack up. The Supremes are not likely to be as amenable, Congress has been getting feisty and Johnson has even less control of it, and all but the friendliest media has figured out that paying the blackmail doesn’t end and has little advantages.

                I also think a month is optimistic. (And that isn’t even taking the whole disaster of unpopular foreign policy and military threats into consideration.)
                1. Yves Smith February 21, 2026 at 2:25 am

                   Trump does not have to give the State of the Union address. It’s merely a custom. He could conceivably use an attack on Iran as an excuse to cancel or have a different sort of Congressional address later. All he is required to do is provide a note:

                   About Traditions & Symbols | State of the Union

                   Each year, before a joint session of Congress, the president fulfills his or her constitutional duty to “give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union” (Article II, section 3). Presidents George Washington and John Adams delivered their messages in person, but in 1801 Thomas Jefferson chose to send his in writing. That precedent held until Woodrow Wilson decided to deliver his message in person in 1913, a tradition that continues today.

                   https://www.senate.gov/about/traditions-symbols/state-of-the-union.htm
                   1. Pat February 21, 2026 at 3:10 am

                      True. Although the SOTU happening may be the best case scenario for everyone in that case.
                      Attacking Iran is crazy on its own. And not just because it is illegal, unjustifiable, despicable and murderous. (And considering all of that I think this is a decision that means they are guilty of not just murdering Iranians but practically every member of our military that dies during this) But it is also crazy on the domestic front because they haven’t even made enough of a false case for this to persuade the majority of the American public to support this.
                      And I could be so wrong, but I believe this will be repellent to almost all but the most invested in Israel and Armageddon, Even before it goes haywire as many of us expect.
28. flora February 20, 2026 at 11:24 am

    Taibbi’s latest. Publc excerpt.

    How Politicians Smear The World, Vol. 1: The Contract

    As the scandal involving British spying on journalists deepens, we’re learning more about connections to earlier scandals in the U.S. and beyond. Part One in a Series

    Matt Taibbi
    Feb 19, 2026

    https://www.racket.news/p/how-politicians-smear-the-world-vol
    1. Ben Panga February 20, 2026 at 4:25 pm

       I read somewhere recently (sorry can’t remember where, maybe via evil Z*rohedge?) Taibbi saying he’s fired himself as editor in chief of racket & decided to pivot to more Freedom of Information and deep dive stuff.
29. Wukchumni February 20, 2026 at 12:19 pm

    The Interior Department’s decision to eliminate the need for reservations to enter Yosemite, Glacier, or Arches national parks this summer drew criticism from the National Parks Conservation Association and a U.S. senator, who said the decision will diminish the national park experience for visitors.

    In announcing the news, the National Park Service said “the tailored approaches reflect each park’s unique infrastructure, visitation demand and coordination with state and local partners.

    “Our national parks belong to the American people, and our priority is keeping them open and accessible,” said Kevin Lilly, acting assistant secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks. “We’re expanding access where conditions allow and using targeted tools only where necessary to protect visitor safety, maintain emergency access and preserve these extraordinary places for future generations.”

    But Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, said the lifting of reservations for Yosemite is shortsighted and “will diminish the visitor experience for Californians and tourists alike. With our National Park System already strained by Donald Trump’s funding and staffing cuts, this decision will limit outdoor recreation opportunities, degrade the Park’s natural resources, and strain local businesses that rely on a steady stream of park visitors.”

    “Yosemite’s reservation system has proven effective at preventing overcrowding, especially during peak season, while increasing visitations to this natural treasure. I urge the administration to reinstate Yosemite’s plan, and I call on my colleagues to pass my RESERVE Federal Land Act to strengthen the reservation process and increase equitable access to our nation’s public lands,” he added.

    Also disagreeing with Interior’s move was the National Parks Conservation Association, which said getting rid of the reservation systems would create “chaos” in the parks.

    “Today, Interior Department leadership chose chaos over conservation, at the expense of millions of visitors to Arches,” said Cassidy Jones, senior visitation program manager for the nonprofit advocacy group. “Interior Secretary Burgum’s misguided action will put park visitors back into traffic jams, limit access due to closed, overcrowded parking lots and trails and make the park experience worse. Ending the reservation programs is an incredible waste of Park Service staff time and expertise, and it ignores the community members, advocates, and visitors whose input helped shape successful, improved visitor experiences at these beloved parks over the last several years.”

    https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2026/02/update-major-destination-national-parks-drop-timed-entry-reservations
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    We were on a backpack trip in Yosemite NP a few years ago and ran into an NPS ranger who we had a nice talk with, and she related just how out of control things were before reservations were required, 5.2 million visitors in 2016 versus 3 million last year on the reservation system.

    Trump really wants to wreck the NP’s and is doing a bang up job at it, but to what end?
    1. TheMog February 20, 2026 at 2:52 pm

       To privatize and/or run them for someone’s private benefit is my guess.
    2. ambrit February 20, 2026 at 4:33 pm

       Think of all the board feet in the Coconut Grove alone!
    3. Carolinian February 20, 2026 at 5:26 pm

       Maybe the new $100 fee will help with the overcrowding. Meanwhile I’m glad I visited these places before you had to have reservations just to get inside. To me travel is all about serendipity rather than “if it’s Tuesday this must be Belgium.” When I did go to Yosemite it was in the spring and not high summer and the same for my trips to Europe.
30. Jason Boxman February 20, 2026 at 12:47 pm

    From This doctor is training AI to do her job. And it’s a booming business

    AI models are trained on massive amounts of data. But that training doesn’t do much good without that reinforcement learning. Companies like OpenAI, Google and Anthropic use what Mercor’s CEO Brendan Foody described as “large armies of people” to do just that.

    And they’ll need “reinforcement” learning in perpetuity, because human knowledge is never static. Once again, behind the schemes, we have a large human workforce that’s making “AI” or self driving cars or Google Maps or Amazon’s checkout-less stores possible.

    Foody said Mercor is now paying out more than $1 million per day across thousands of experts, and in less than two years has grown from $1 million in revenue run rate to over $500 million. Pitchbook’s Zabelin said the company is valued at more than $10 billion, adding that Mercor and its competitors’ high values show investors think services like human feedback and expert testing of AI models are becoming a permanent and essential part of how AI systems are built and improved.

    Mercor is not the only company in this space. Last year, Meta made a $14 billion investment in Scale AI — which operates in a similar space as Mercor — bringing on its then-28-year-old founder Alexandr Wang as its chief AI officer. Other competitors like Surge AI, Handshake and Micro1 have helped mint a new class of young, ultra-wealthy tech founders.

    Define progress?

    “We need to cure cancer. We need to solve climate change,” [Mercor] said. “And making everyone 10 times more productive so that they’re able to better work on those key problems is going to be a huge, huge benefit to how we make progress as a society.”
    1. Mikel February 20, 2026 at 2:00 pm

       “And they’ll need “reinforcement” learning in perpetuity.”

       In that statement is what it’s really about: constantly gathering information to sell and to surveil. They steal and monetize what they claim has no value – which means trying not to pay anyone else but the thieving middle man. All of the other alleged benefits will be some service enshittification to suffer until people get fed up and then it just goes round and round on a wheel of half-assed for anything as long as they can get away with it.
31. Jason Boxman February 20, 2026 at 1:09 pm

    11 Million Visitors Short: Inside America’s Continuing Tourism Slump (NY Times via archive.is)

    Last year, as tourism grew worldwide, the United States was the only major destination to see a decline in foreign visitors, recording a 6 percent drop, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, an industry group. January saw a continued decline in inbound visitors, down 4.8 percent from January 2025.

    Visitors from Canada, usually the second-largest source of U.S. tourism after Mexico, plunged by 28 percent in January compared to January 2024.

    Other key markets like Germany and France also recorded significant declines, while Britain, the largest long-haul source market for U.S. tourism, saw a marginal growth of 0.5 percent compared to the previous year.

    “When 11 million international visitors aren’t showing up, the result is billions of dollars in economic losses to the travel industry,” said Erik Hansen, a senior vice-president at the U.S. Travel Association, a trade group that promotes travel to and within the country.

    I bet Florida is feelin’ it.
    1. The Rev Kev February 20, 2026 at 6:05 pm

       I can’t recall who it was but an international committee gave a travel warning for the State of Florida due to the possibility of being harassed by authorities if you are tinted. I think that it was a committee connected with the FIFA World Cup being held in the US this year.
32. Tom Stone February 20, 2026 at 2:04 pm

    I hope Nat checks his HazMat suit for leaks before Tuesday’s SOTU, which is likely to be one for the ages.
    I expect the usual “Greatest President ever”, “Greatest Economy Ever” and “New Golden Age” along with mention of the “Evil mullahs of Iran.”
    “Restoring Law and Order” to the strife torn streets of Minneapolis is also likely to be mentioned.
    There is, to my mind, at least a one in three chance that Trump will go completely off the rails with the kind of tantrum that gives a 4 year old some time facing the corner with the admonition not to think about elephants.
    That would liven things up quite a bit.
    I recommend popcorn to your left, a barf bag to your right and a gallon of good whiskey straight ahead.
33. Henry Moon Pie February 20, 2026 at 2:12 pm

    “We need to solve climate change”

    These AIs are so impressive. Apparently, they’re capable of changing the laws of physics. Maybe the aliens that Obama and Trump are talking about have taught them how to do it. Next up: JFK’s real killer is finally revealed. It was an 11 year-old Vladimir Putin, enraged that Jack had bested Nikita in ’62.
34. Jason Boxman February 20, 2026 at 3:07 pm

    A New U.S. Blockade Is Strangling Cuba (NY Times via archive.ph)

    So we’ve declared war on Cuba, basically.

    In Cuba, people are struggling with frequent blackouts, shortages of gasoline and cooking gas and dwindling supplies of diesel that power the nation’s water pumps. Trash is piling up, food prices are soaring, schools are canceling classes and hospitals are suspending surgeries.

    The U.S. embargo on Cuba has complicated life on the island for more than six decades, but by all accounts, this is one of its darkest moments.

    Jorge Piñón, a former oil executive who runs a team at the University of Texas at Austin tracking Cuba’s oil, said the team estimates that the country’s fuel reserves could be depleted by mid-March, triggering social unrest that could threaten the government. Nearly all of Cuba’s energy runs on oil and oil products.

    And Cuba appears to have few lifelines left.

    And people will start to die; this will effect hospitals and utility service, and transportation.

    After Washington took control of Venezuela’s oil, Mexico was left as Cuba’s primary provider. But after Mr. Trump threatened tariffs, it halted its shipments. Mexico is economically dependent on the United States and locked in negotiations with Washington over an expiring trade deal.

    Little Marco has such a hardon for Cuba, one wonders if this was not ultimately the tandem goal.
35. Tom Stone February 20, 2026 at 3:30 pm

    I hope Nat has had his HazMat suit checked for leaks, SOTU is on Tuesday and it will be one to remember, if only due to how far it diverges from reality.
    Trump is a “Sundowner”, he is OK most mornings, but he fades in the afternoon.
    This suggests that he will take something that keeps him bright eyed and chipper for the performance, and if that happens it increases the odds that he will go off the rails.
    I give it a one in three chance that Trump will have a tantrum on air, the kind of tantrum that would have a 4 year old staring at a corner from two feet away.
    Wondering why Dad told him not to think about elephants….
    If you don’t have a HazMat suit I recommend a comfortable chair with popcorn to your left, Barf bag to your right and a gallon of good whiskey straight ahead.
    1. Wukchumni February 20, 2026 at 4:04 pm

       Teetotalitarian Leader always deploys bigger-better subjecterfuge when cornered, so expect conflict in the middle east on the weekend, to steal the thunder of being turned down by the Supreme traitors in his midst.
    2. Jason Boxman February 20, 2026 at 4:11 pm

       As I recall, Obama’s first was my last SOTU ever. That was enough to destroy my bullshit meter completely. I doubt I’d survive hearing Trump endlessly prattle on about how he’s the greatest president in history and America is better today than it has ever been in history, and that he’s ended 17 wars already, and brought back all manufacturing, and prices are down, down, down everywhere.

       What a clown.

       I’ve given everyone the SoTU preview, so you don’t have to watch.
36. Wukchumni February 20, 2026 at 3:44 pm

    Supremes shot down the tariffs
    But it was a majority, oh no, oh
    Supremes shot down the tariffs
    But there were dissenters, ooh, ooh, ooh

    Yeah, all around in DC town
    They’re trying to track him down, yeah
    They say they want to bring him in guilty
    For the killing of an economy
    For the life of an economy
    But I say
    Oh, now, now, oh

    Supremes shot down the tariff, the tariff
    But they swear it was of no offense, oh no
    Ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah
    I say, they shot down the tariffs, oh Lord
    And they say it is nothing personal, no offense, yeah
    Ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah

    Sheriff John Roberts always hated me
    For what, I don’t know
    Every time I plant a screed
    He said kill it before it grow
    He said kill them before they grow
    And so, and so
    Read it in the news

    Supremes shot down the tariffs, oh Lord
    But they swear it was in self-defense
    Where was the majority? Ooh, ooh, ooh
    I say, Supremes shot down the tariffs
    But they swear it was in self-defense, yeah
    Ooh-ooh

    Freedom came my way one day
    And I started out of town, yeah
    All of a sudden I saw Sheriff John Roberts
    Aiming to shoot me down
    So he shot, he shot, he shot the tariffs down and I say
    If I am guilty I will pay (pay, pay, pay, pay, pay)

    They shot down the tariffs
    But I say, but I didn’t shoot no economy
    I didn’t shoot no economy, oh no, ooh, ooh, ooh
    They shot down the tariffs, they did
    But I didn’t shoot no economy, oh
    Ooh, ooh, ooh

    Reflexes had the better of me
    And what is to be must be
    Every day the bucket a-go a well
    One day the bottom a-go drop out
    One day the bottom a-go drop out

    I say
    I-I-I, they shot down the tariffs
    Lord, I didn’t shoot the economy, no
    Yeah, they shot down the tariffs
    But I didn’t shoot no economy, yeah, so, yeah

    I Shot the Sheriff, by Bob Marley & the Wailers

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe2hdbft5-U&list=RDoe2hdbft5-U
    1. elviejito February 20, 2026 at 10:46 pm

       Excellent!!
37. raspberry jam February 20, 2026 at 4:39 pm

    Hubris, overconfidence file:

    Iran reportedly presented the US a proposal at the second round of nuclear talks in Geneva this week that included an offer to halt enrichment of uranium for three years and commit to not using its ballistic missiles to attack Israel.

    US special envoy Steve Witkoff quickly rejected the series of Iranian concessions as not going nearly far enough and refused to even negotiate on the proposal further, Iran International reports, without citing any sources.

    from US reportedly rejected Iranian offer at Geneva talks to halt enrichment for 3 years, Times of Israel
    1. Ben Panga February 20, 2026 at 6:05 pm

       It’s almost like they aren’t real negotiations /sarc
    2. Bugs February 21, 2026 at 1:14 am

       Wit(less)koff isn’t allowed to deviate from the Tel Aviv term sheet. It’s that simple.
38. ambrit February 20, 2026 at 4:41 pm

    One for the Electronica Mingularity Event Horizon Files.
    I just got my very first spam mail linked to the kahoot “address.”
    A very curious, almost academic production, with, a .jpg link attached. Luckily, my will is strong and I will not let curiosity get the better of me and open that, or any other link in “unapproved” e-mail.
    I almost always know something is ‘off’ when the name in the mail banner head is different from the source mail senders “name.”
    Stay safe. The “Forces of Evil” are upping their game.
39. mrsyk February 20, 2026 at 4:54 pm

    FCC asks networks to air ‘pro-America content’ to mark nation’s 250th birthday, Reuters.

    So, no party then. Hold on (emphasis mine),

    Carr said he hoped broadcasters would pledge to show civics programs to fulfill “their public interest mandate to serve the needs and interests of their local communities as America’s 250th birthday celebration marches on.”

    Heh heh heh, what an awful attempt at narrative construction.
    1. The Rev Kev February 20, 2026 at 6:10 pm

       They had better not do much coverage of the American Revolution then. It strikes me that many of the colonist’s complaints in the Declaration of Independence are being replicated in 21st century America. People might notice.
       1. mrsyk February 20, 2026 at 8:40 pm

          I remember the Bicentennial. It was a big deal. There was pride, perhaps misplaced, but genuine nonetheless. Crickets this go round. It’s barely spoken of.
    2. Pat February 21, 2026 at 1:37 am

       Gosh, it might be a different department but this coming from an administration that tore down historically accurate exhibits of slavery in President Washington’s household WHILE he was President is rich.

       Hell, I am not even sure that a good but whitewashed version of the writing of the Declaration of Independence that was developed in the 60’s and produced late in the decade and in the early 70’s like “1776” could pass muster with this crew. I think they would let go the mild rebukes of the Founding Fathers in the portrayal of Washington’s dispatches and pleas to the Continental Congress, but “Molasses to Rum”* would never pass muster. I mean something that calls out the hypocrisy of the merchant class regarding slavery….not our open for business rulers.

       *

       An interesting blog post about Sherman Edwards’ notes and process writing Molasses to Rum
40. Mikel February 20, 2026 at 5:34 pm

    Re: Africa

    France still stalking around Benin.

    Rubio knew his audience.
41. Mikel February 20, 2026 at 6:23 pm

    Polymarket, Substack Unveil Partnership With Dystopic Pro-Gambling Tagline – Truthout

    Somebody already said, “Hold my beer…”:
    https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20260220212/prediction-market-etfs-may-open-the-door-to-all-sorts-of-wall-street-tomfoolery/
    Prediction-market ETFs may open the door to all sorts of Wall Street tomfoolery

    “So far, all the ETF filings are tied to U.S. elections, with products like the PredictionShares Democratic President Wins 2028 Election ETF, the Roundhill Republican President ETF and the GraniteShares Democratic Senate ETF. While the individual details of these ETFs differ, the funds generally invest in a specific prediction market tied to an election outcome. ETF prices move in tandem with the prediction-market odds and increase substantially if the predicted outcome happens – and if it doesn’t happen, “the fund will lose substantially all of its value,” according to the filing. “
42. amfortas February 20, 2026 at 7:22 pm

    a post card from the Wilderness Bar, on the farm, here in Amfortas’ Dream Kingdom:

    2-20-2026

    uncomfortably busy for first 2 months of new year…first firewood, broken chainsaws, cold weather…then icy weather…no money to spare…and still attempting to get gardens ready for spring.
    Pain and bad sleep.
    Then warm weather(Rejoice!!) and work work work to catch up with firewood(i have a lot to cut up, at least for next year, and cooking at wilderness bar)
    giant raised bed(30×16) behind house that I let go to ruin when Tam got sick almost 8 years ago, is covered in paper feedsacks and nonglossy cardboard, with hay, ashes, manure and such on top of that(lasagne gardening)…and numerous lick tubs full of manure and that mulch from the dump…woody and sandy, mixes well with the cow and horse manure from neighbor.
    Ill plant toms, etc in those tubs…dump em in place next winter, and start in again with cardboard, etc.
    carboard, etc keeps th extant viney weeds from doing their thing…and stops the maximillian sunflowers and even the johnson grass from growing…all this labor now, is to lessen labor going forward.
    2 more large beds I must do this to.

    Eldest son and I will be attempting to cover the Big Greenhouse after the windy season ends…i got $350 bucks set aside for a spiderlift and a bobcat to do the necessary over there(and elsewhere) had the materials, covered and onsite, for 3 ½ years.

    Mom finally killed the last 2 of her ancient pecan trees…cousin is sending a small crew of pro’s(with insurance) to fell them.
    So I hafta somehow save myself(skeleton) to be ready to grab the wood and get away from her as quickly as possible.
    But instead of informing me about the crew’s scheduled appearance, she screamed at me about a bunch of counterproductive shit that I have failed to do,lol.
    Same as it ever was.
    (“move that fence 3 feet to the south”,lol)
    waved her fists at me as I drove away…i really thought she was gonna hit me through th truck window.
    So I am delaying doing the sheep and her birds until 5:30 and the austin news is on.
    She hates missing it…its a habit her and late stepdad developed over many decades.
    So might be able to slip in and get it done without having to deal with her, thus harshing my mellow, oh so carefully cultivated this afternoon.

    Moved geese(rather, they moved themselves when I left gates open,lol) to across the road.
    Rye grass galore…no-till.
    Broadcast in the rain a week and a half ago.
    Will move rest of birds next week.
    Also hafta figger a windless day to take one of Eldest and I’s mowers to shop in Burnet, some 70 miles away.
    Narrow highway, and the trailer ramp is like a frelling parachute.

    Brooder is half filled with goose eggs, and other half is chicken eggs. We’ll see what hatches.
    Seed order is done…so new seed to replenish the vault…pluss asparagus crowns for the Buddha Bed.
    Lil Greenhouse, attached to house, is full of mature toms and pepper plants(produced both all through winter)…as well as rooted cuttings of figs(they all took, looks like), pears, sycamore, cottonwood, 2 kinds of plum, and honey locust from seed that I snagged on campus of Texas Tech…all but the figs are still iffy, as is usual for such endeavors.
    Should know in a week or two if any of it took.
    And prolly 200 tom and pepp seedlings are emerging,lol
    I’ll direct seed other things next month, and in april.
    Toms and pepps will be lugged and dolleyed out next month.
    To the Wilderness Bar.

    The Rub, is that all of it feels meaningless without a woman to share it with(always expected the boys to run off…its what kids do, after all).
    I’ll do the library card as chick finding crusade either next month, or in april.
    Warm weather=easier to get a hot bath and clean up real good,lol..as well as a more pleasant environs to hopefully cook for someone, out here.
    And after march 21st, Vernal Equinox, winter coat gets trimmed down from long, full beard to a door knocker.

    Hung out and piddled around naked, doing various light duty chores… this afternoon, because it was almost 80 degrees, again…now have donned the black long johns, and fikken to don the warmups and a flannel shirt and the crazyhat to go do her critters.
    Got a lot done again, today, in spite of my “load management” protocols, yesterday and today(a football term, apparently…per the boys)

    Eldest is coming out manana to help with demon morther’s honey-do bullshit.
    I use my son as a human shield to her violence and craziness, since…as a covert narcissist…she wont go completely crazy if theres a witness.(she’ll just lay into me for us bucking her, later…when its just me…usually from ambush)
    Strange way to live.
    She is OCD to the max about “cleanliness” as far as yard goes…to the point of its mostly dirt, and therefore stickery weeds, now.
    But she soldiers on.
    Mowing the dirt.
    Killing the trees.
    Ive got 3 years worth of work to do on her place after she dies, just getting the large yard back to sustainability.
    To where I can walk through any of it without getting stickers in my shoes.
    And 50 years to get the windbreaks and replacement trees established,lol…(i’m 56)…to speak nothing of the damage she’s done to the front and back pastures.
    And I have no idea how much money is left,lol…or what the life insurance situation s, or if she’s really put aside a buncha money for property taxes, and such.
    Because she lies.
    And now theres the dementia…where she repeats herself and doesn’t remember and all the rest,lol.
    Counterintuitively to all this, is that I am all she has left,lol….grandkids and my brother are at a safe remove…and
    lireally everybody she used to have has abandoned her.
    I am the absolute keyman for the functioning of this place.
    And yet I am the scapegoat, and to blame for everything….and nothing,Ha!
    For shit I have nothing to do with.

    Craziest part of it is that she doesn’t know she’s doing it.
    I have gleaned that, from her perspective, she’s acting perfectly rationally…even with the rage events.
    She has an internal narrative working that absolves her of all guilt.

    And for my part…i try really hard not to react…and instead to just walk away when she does the crazy fist and screaming thing.
    Makes her even more crazy, of course…because she needs my involvement…my reaction.
    (“narcissitic supply” is the term of art)
    Hence the ambushes.

    Whatever,lol.
    I call all that “the Mortgage” on this place…bvecause she’s 83 ande in poor health, and over-exerts herself regularly(OCD abt grass and trees…make a desert and call it peace…and harder not smarter)
    and will absolutely not listen to doctors…who, in her insanity, are all out to get her, and she knows better than them, anyways.
    |
    so there remains hope,lol.
    |she’ll die, finally, of misadventure and miscalculation of her own savvy.
    Cant happen soon enough, as far as I am concerned.
43. Ben Joseph February 20, 2026 at 11:36 pm

    Re: south Carolina ICE rally charge.
    Dinah Marie Chollet is accused of contributing to the delinquency of a minor for posting online support for a planned high school walkout in Summerville. Sounds worthy of a proclamation!

    From Summerville city council website:
    To request a proclamation, please email Beth Messervy, Town Clerk, at bmesservy@summervillesc.gov
44. Jason Boxman February 21, 2026 at 12:37 am

    And a resounding f*ck you to Biden, Walensky, Cohen, and Trump, and Trump’s public mis-health clowns.

    Tracking US flu cases in maps and charts (CNN)

    The current flu season has seen the highest rate of doctor’s visits for flu-like symptoms since the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began collecting data through a national surveillance network in 1997.

    Hundreds of thousands of people in the US are hospitalized with the flu every year. Throughout each flu season, the cumulative hospitalization rate tracks the number of laboratory-confirmed flu hospitalizations per 100,000 people.

    Poking through Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report: Key Updates for Week 6, ending February 14, 2026 at previous years, it’s difficult to discern if this year is uniquely bad. CNN thinks so.

    Its’s almost like some new “flu like” virus that is really a vascular disease hit the scene in 2020 and… never went away.

    Meanwhile, in wealthy person land

    Equinox chairman says ‘health is the new luxury’ as wellness spending soars (CNBC)

    Equinox’s “Optimize” membership is one of the most expensive gym memberships in the world and includes everything from personal training and nutrition to sleep coaching, massage therapy and a “health concierge.”
    Harvey Spevak, Equinox’s executive chairman, said the program has a waitlist of more than 1,000 people, highlighting the “insatiable” demand by the wealthy for longevity and wellness products.
    The global wellness market is expected to reach nearly $10 trillion by 2030, up from $6.8 trillion in 2024, according to estimates from the Global Wellness Institute.
45. Matthew G. Saroff February 21, 2026 at 1:23 am

    I know that it is funny as hell, but Wexner’s lawyer was doing some fairly good lawyering there, except, of course, for being caught on a microphone.

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