John William Godward Dolce Far Niente (Sweet Idleness, or A Pompeian Fishpond) 1904
Wow. One of the greatest speeches of our time.
— Kosher (@koshercockney) February 14, 2026
I don’t know how he does it but @SecRubio manages to impress me more and more each time he speaks.
The fact he received a standing ovation by the European leaders after seeing their defiance against the Trump administration… pic.twitter.com/XybK5aplgz
🚨NEW: @DavidSacks: "We are at the beginning of an economic BOOM … I suspect we'll look back on this time period as the beginning of a new golden age."@chamath: "I agree." @Jason: "I think you're correct." @DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/561QmJMtcU
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) February 13, 2026
Eric Schmidt just told Congress the number that kills the AI race on Earth: 92 gigawatts of new power, and we can’t deliver it.
— Dustin (@r0ck3t23) February 14, 2026
Former Google CEO laid out math everyone’s ignoring. Average nuclear plant: 1.5 gigawatts. AI demand: 92 gigawatts. That’s 60+ new nuclear facilities… pic.twitter.com/HiMADn3bRS
MustafaElon Musk just revealed what happens when Neuralink and Optimus merge, and it’s not about helping the disabled. It’s about making them better than you.
— Dustin (@r0ck3t23) February 14, 2026
“You’d have basically Cybernetics Superpowers.”
Not recovery. Evolution. Lose a limb and the replacement isn’t restoration.… pic.twitter.com/ZsXwBRBlxl
ShareMustafa Suleyman just said what everyone else building AI refuses to admit. As CEO of Microsoft AI, he knows exactly what’s being constructed and where it leads.
— Dustin (@r0ck3t23) February 15, 2026
Suleyman: “We must reject the assumption that superintelligence is inevitable or desirable.”
Silicon Valley worships… pic.twitter.com/qY0G3fZN34
Elon Musk lays out the stark math: When AI's combined intelligence makes humanity's share just ~1%, "it's hard to imagine humans staying in charge."
— Camus (@newstart_2024) February 15, 2026
Instead of fighting for dominance, his bet is alignment through cosmic-scale values. xAI's mission—to rigorously understand the… pic.twitter.com/eYFB6D2y92
Marco wants to be president. What does Trump say?
• Marco Rubio Expands on Purposeful Speech to Munich Security Conference (CTH)
Marco Rubio appears for an interview with John Micklethwait of Bloomberg News. The interview was pre-scheduled as a follow up to the rather historic speech in Munich at the security conference. Within the interview {video and transcript below} Rubio expands on the baseline of the speech, the ‘why‘ is the U.S-EU alliance important. Beginning with the end in mind, Rubio reminds the interviewer that an alliance must first accept the purpose of the assembly. There are common values and common social components to the relationship that sit at the core of the decision to be allies.Read more …
We have a shared civilization based on shared values, and within that central component the Trump administration is staring at the Europeans and saying they have lost focus on these values. Europe is diminishing itself; it is fracturing its culture and has lost its sovereign identity. The United States wants to stay partnered with Europe, but we are not going to be a partner anchored to a collective mindset that has lost its identity. This culturally Marxist status, a gathering of nations infected with political correctness, pontificating wokeness and apologetic self-flagellation, is the core problem the Europeans are not willing to face.President Trump and Marco Rubio are essentially telling the EU to shake it off, quit being woke, get proud of your heritage, institute political systems that give benefit to the population and regain pride in themselves and their identity. The process begins with national security, but that is not just about military spending. Their energy industry needs to support economic independence; they cannot outsource component manufacturing; they need to reestablish economic baselines that are not dependent on Russia, China, India or any other risk vector that could be used to manipulate.
QUESTION: Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, thank you for talking to Bloomberg. You’ve just made this rather remarkable speech where you talked about the destiny of Europe and America always being intertwined. You talked about the alliance which has stretched all the way, culturally, from Michelangelo to the Rolling Stones – a first, I suspect, for a secretary of state – but a culture that has bled and died together. But the very common theme of your speech was the need to share the burden, the need for Europe and America to do things together, which was slightly different from the Vice President last year. Were you kind of offering a carrot where perhaps he was offering a stick?
SECRETARY RUBIO: I think it’s the same message. I think what the Vice President said last year very clearly was that Europe had made a series of decisions internally that were threatening to the alliance and ultimately to themselves, not because we hate Europe or we don’t like Europeans but because – what is it that we fight for, what is it that binds us together? And ultimately, it’s the fact that we are both heirs to the same civilization. And it’s a great civilization and it’s one we should be proud of. It’s one that’s contributed extraordinarily to the world and it’s one, frankly, upon which America is built, from our language to our system of government to our laws to the food we eat to the name of our cities and towns – all of it deeply linked to this Western civilization and culture that we should be proud of, and it’s worth defending.
And ultimately, that’s the point. The point is that people – people don’t fight and die for abstract ideas. They are willing to fight and defend who they are and what matters and is important to them. And that was the foundation he laid last year in his speech – and we add on into this year – to explain to people that when we come off as urgent or even critical about decisions that Europe has failed to make or made, it is because we care. It is because we understand that ultimately, our own fate will be intertwined with what happens with Europe. We want Europe to survive, we want Europe to prosper, because we’re interconnected in so many different ways and because our alliance is so critical. But it has to be an alliance of allies that are capable and willing to fight for who they are and what’s important.
(more…)
“..swarms of drones operated remotely and increasingly automated with AI targeting “
• Eric Schmidt Warns Ukraine’s “No Man’s Land” Is Future of War (ZH)
Google’s old motto, “Don’t be evil,” was retired for very good reasons about eight years ago.Read more …
Former CEO Eric Schmidt has found a new obsession and is linked to a covert drone production pipeline that has supplied hundreds of FPV drones to Ukrainian front-line units, reinforcing his warning in a new Financial Times op-ed that “Ukraine’s no man’s land is the future of war.” “Future wars are going to be defined by unmanned weapons,” Schmidt wrote in the op-ed. He said, “The winner of those drone battles will then be able to advance with unmanned ground and maritime vehicles, which move slowly but can carry heavier payloads.” Schmidt described a stretch on the first line as “no man’s land.”He explained: “Ukraine is ready for the next stage of warfare, with swarms of drones operated remotely and increasingly automated with AI targeting. No man’s land has expanded as each side pulls its most valuable personnel back from the front while new generations of drones achieve longer ranges and increased lethality through better batteries, sensors and aerodynamics. Automating operations so personnel can operate safely behind the lines has become an urgent Ukrainian priority, with plans to move drone pilots even farther from the front in 2026.
The combination of unblockable satellite communications, cheap spectrum networks and accurate GPS targeting means the only way to fight will be through drone vs drone combat. Drones share data in real time, meaning that many inexpensive platforms can act as a single weapon. They will carry air-to-air missiles to defeat attackers, just like a fighter jet does, but will be cheaper and more abundant. Within this kill zone, reportedly extending for miles – and in some assessments, approximately 15 miles or more wide – FPV drones and ground robots dominate, with AI kill chains that, in some cases, reduce or remove direct human-in-the-loop to kill.
Schmidt continued: “When the war in Ukraine is eventually settled, the result may be a tense peace that offers as many lessons for western nations as the conflict itself. In the future, a “drone wall” could be established along the division between Russia and Ukraine, where omnipresent automated drones monitor the border like an intelligent electric fence. Because these drones are valuable enemy targets, they will need to be armed to repel attackers, creating a hard border that is miles high and miles wide.”
Numerous publications have documented the rise of Schmidt’s secretive military drone company, White Stork, including a 2025 Forbes report. A separate report from Aviation Weekly said that Schmidt’s drone company “will expand production to deliver hundreds of thousands of drones to Ukraine this year and more in 2026.” And while humans are still embedded in the kill chain, we must share the gamification of war story that Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces have been using since last year, even keeping an online “killboard” that lets anyone track confirmed Russian losses from Ukrainian drone strikes in near real time.
“Even Democrat Voters agree, 85%, that there should be Voter I.D.”
• Trump Promises Voter ID “Whether Congress Approves Or Not” (ZH)
The SAVE America Act squeaked through the House this week by five votes. The final tally was 218-213, with Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas standing as the lone Democrat to cross party lines. On Friday, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) gave Republicans their 50th vote late Friday afternoon, telling Maine Wire the revised bill strikes an appropriate balance between election security and voter access. “The law is clear that in this country only American citizens are eligible to vote in federal elections. In addition, having people provide an ID at the polls, just as they have to do before boarding an airplane, checking into a hotel, or buying an alcoholic beverage, is a simple reform that will improve the security of our federal elections and will help give people more confidence in the results,” she told Maine Wire.Read more …
“Requiring voters to produce passports or birth certificates on Election Day — as opposed to just a state-issued ID — would have placed an unnecessary burden on the voters. That provision is no longer in the bill, and dropping this requirement was key to getting my support.” With Will Collins on board, Republicans have enough support to pass the bill even without additional backing, with Vice President JD Vance ready to break any tie. Unfortunately, 50 votes only get the GOP so far. The legislation still lacks the 60 votes needed to overcome a Democratic filibuster, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has made clear the bill is “dead on arrival.” And Collins herself opposes scrapping the filibuster to ram the measure through.“I oppose eliminating the legislative filibuster,” Collins said. “The filibuster is an important protection for the rights of the minority party, that requires Senators to work together in the best interest of the country. Removing that protection would, for example, allow a future Congress controlled by Democrats to pass provisions on anything they want — DC Statehood, open borders, or packing the Supreme Court — with just a simple majority of Senators.” President Trump, however, is promising that requiring a photo ID to vote will get done with or without Congress. In a post on Truth Social, he accused Democrats of opposing Voter ID and citizenship verification because “they want to continue to cheat in Elections.”
He said this “was not what our Founders desired” and promised to present an “irrefutable” legal argument on the issue soon. Trump vowed that “There will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not,” and stated that Americans demand “Citizenship, and No Mail-In Ballots, with exceptions for Military, Disability, Illness, or Travel.” Trump also slammed Democrats as “horrible, disingenuous CHEATERS” for opposing Voter I.D., claiming they “boldly laugh in the backrooms” while opposing it. He called the lack of Voter I.D. “even crazier, and more ridiculous, than Men playing in Women’s Sports, Open Borders, or Transgender for Everyone.”
Trump urged Republicans to make it “a CAN’T MISS FOR RE-ELECTION IN THE MIDTERMS, AND BEYOND,” noting that “Even Democrat Voters agree, 85%, that there should be Voter I.D.” He called Democratic leaders “Crooked Losers like Schumer and Jeffries,” who label it “racist,” and promised to present legal arguments for action via an Executive Order. Trump warned that if Democrats regain power, they will “PACK THE COURT with a total of 21 Supreme Court Justices” and warned the country “will never be the same if they allow these demented and evil people to knowingly, and happily, destroy it.” Trump previously signed an executive order attempting to impose proof-of-citizenship requirements on federal voter registration forms. That effort crashed into multiple legal challenges and has been systematically dismantled by the courts.
Judges set policy here?
• Judge Weighs Whether to Block Vaccine Changes From CDC, RFK Jr. (ET)
A federal judge weighing whether to block changes to U.S. vaccine guidance and an advisory panel did not immediately rule Feb. 13 after hearing from attorneys representing medical groups and the government. Lawyers for the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and other groups told U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy during a hearing at the federal courthouse in Boston that recent changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine schedule and the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel violate federal law and will reduce vaccination rates. “This is a clear and present danger to public health,” said James Oh, a lawyer for the groups.Read more …
Oh said the schedule update, which removed the broad recommendation for six childhood vaccines for diseases including rotavirus, influenza and hepatitis A, “set off alarms” in the medical community and occurred without any rational explanation from the agency. The CDC on Jan. 5, with backing from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., narrowed the number of vaccines routinely recommended by the childhood schedule. Government officials said in filings that the the reasoning behind the change was in part due to an assessment carried out by senior health officials that analyzed the U.S. childhood schedule against schedules from other countries.“The U.S. is a global outlier among peer nations in the number of target diseases included in its childhood vaccination schedule and in the total number of recommended vaccine doses,” the officials, Drs. Tracy Beth Hoeg and Martin Kulldorff, concluded. The plaintiffs, which also include several women who say changes under Kennedy have prevented them from receiving vaccines, are challenging a series of actions. They focused on arguments for and against imposing an injunction blocking that update and the health secretary’s remaking of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee.
Oh said that the committee is not fairly balanced because it is dominated by people who oppose vaccines, in violation of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and urged Murphy to block the committee’s upcoming Feb. 26–27 meeting. Government lawyers said in a recent brief that the advisory committee members have a variety of employment histories and that the accusation they are anti-vaccine “does not accurately represent the members’ complex and nuanced perspectives and their committee voting records.” Murphy asked during the hearing whether he could consider the “broader public health impacts” of the changes in vaccine recommendations while weighing the case.
Department of Justice lawyer Isaac Belfer told him health officials were not pursuing an anti-vaccine agenda and welcomed “spirited debate about vaccine policy.” But he said the Department of Health and Human Services had broad authority to change policy to address a decline in public trust in vaccines following the COVID-19 pandemic. “The court cannot substitute its judgment in place of the agency,” Belfer said. Murphy did not immediately rule. With the meeting upcoming, he said he “must make a decision in this case on an uncomfortably tight timeline.”
“:Orban previously dismissed Zelensky’s rhetoric as the behavior of “a man in a desperate position” and has accused Brussels and Kiev of “declaring war on Hungary.”
• Comedian Zelensky Turned Munich Conference Into Circus – Political Consultant (RT)
Vladimir Zelensky turned the Munich Security Conference into a circus with a personal and “childish” attack on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, political risk consultant and lawyer Adriel Kasonta has said. The controversy stems from remarks made by Zelensky on Saturday, in which he mocked Orban’s physique while claiming that Ukraine is fighting to protect the entire EU from Russia. “It’s Ukrainians who are holding the European front… And even one Viktor can think about how to grow his belly, not how to grow his army to stop Russian tanks from returning to the streets of Budapest,” Zelensky said.Read more …
The comment was met with applause from the largely pro-Ukraine and pro-EU audience in Munich, but critics argue that the insult was unbecoming of a “serious” leader. Speaking to RT, Kasonta described the Ukrainian leader’s behavior as that of a “desperate man” resorting to the antics of his former comedy career on one of the world’s most important political stages. “He’s trying to take his tricks from the comedian past into the public fora like the Munich Security Conference – turning this previously very important gathering of Western leaders or world leaders discussing important issues related to world security into a farce,” he said.Kasonta argued that spectacles like Zelensky’s are alienating global observers. “This security conference is observed around the world and countries outside of the Western hemisphere are just scratching their heads and wondering why instead of discussing important issues related to this war-torn world that we are living in currently, we are simply allowing leaders like Mr. Zelensky to turn it into a big circus,” he said. Orban, who has refused to send weapons to Ukraine and blocked EU funds for military aid, responded to the insult on X with characteristic coolness, suggesting that Zelensky’s words would “greatly help Hungarians see the situation more clearly.”
“This debate is not about me and it is not about you. It is about the future of Hungary, Ukraine, and Europe. This is precisely why you cannot become a member of the European Union,” Orban wrote. Orban previously dismissed Zelensky’s rhetoric as the behavior of “a man in a desperate position” and has accused Brussels and Kiev of “declaring war on Hungary.”
Show you can protect it.
• Trump ‘Very Serious’ About Annexing Greenland – Danish PM (RT)
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that US President Donald Trump remains “very serious” about annexing Greenland, despite recently toning down his rhetoric about using military force to take over the resource-rich Arctic territory. Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to acquire the autonomous Danish territory, citing its strategic location and alleged threats from Russia and China – claims dismissed by Copenhagen, Moscow, and Beijing. Although he initially did not rule out using military force, last month he announced a framework deal with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Frederiksen argued the threat is far from over, describing the pressure on Greenland as “unacceptable.”Read more …
“Unfortunately, the US president remains very serious,” she said, adding that “the people of Greenland have never been threatened by anyone before.” While Copenhagen is willing to work with Washington to allow an expanded military presence, Frederiksen stressed that “there are, of course, things that you cannot compromise on” – such as sovereignty and territorial integrity. “We now have a working group. We will try to see if we can find a solution… we will do whatever we can, but of course, there are red lines that will not be crossed,” she said, following a 45-minute meeting on Friday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Details of the talks have not been made public.Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen echoed the concerns, calling it “outrageous” that Greenlanders are being threatened by a NATO member. Frederiksen warned last month that the annexation threats could undermine “everything,” including the US-led military bloc. French President Emmanuel Macron also criticized Washington’s stance, calling the “Greenland moment” evidence that the Trump administration is “openly anti-European.”
“Moscow has since said Zelensky’s legal status is a major obstacle to concluding a binding peace deal “
• Russia Open To Discussing Ukraine’s ‘External Governance’ – Senior Diplomat (RT)
Russia is ready to discuss establishing “temporary external governance” in Ukraine under UN auspices to facilitate long-overdue democratic elections, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin has said. In an interview with TASS released on Sunday, Galuzin noted that the idea was first floated by Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2025, describing it as one possible way to further the peace process. This step, he said, “would make it possible to hold democratic elections in Ukraine, bring to power a capable government with which a full-fledged peace treaty could be signed, along with legitimate documents on future interstate cooperation.”Read more …
“In general, Russia is prepared to discuss with the US, European nations, and other countries the possibility of introducing temporary external governance in Kiev,” he added. Galuzin acknowledged that while the UN “does not formally have a standardized mechanism” for these types of cases, there are historical precedents.Moscow proposed the idea of external governance after the expiration of Vladimir Zelensky’s presidential term in 2024. At the time, the Ukrainian leader refused to hold new elections, citing martial law, which prompted Russia to declare him “illegitimate.” Moscow has since said Zelensky’s legal status is a major obstacle to concluding a binding peace deal.Following US pressure, Zelensky signaled that he is open to having an election, but demanded security guarantees from the West and Russia. In March 2025, the US dismissed the external management proposal, saying governance in Ukraine is “determined by its Constitution and the people of the country.” Prior to this, however, US President Donald Trump branded Zelensky “a dictator without elections.”
“..Democrat extremists are already plotting to primary Fetterman ahead of his 2028 reelection bid, viewing his moderate positions as a betrayal.”
• Fetterman Reveals His Parents Are TRUMP Supporters (MN)
Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has once again set himself apart from the radical elements in his party by admitting that his own parents support President Trump—and using that as a reason to reject the Democrats’ over-the-top attacks on MAGA voters. In a recent interview with Politico’s Dasha Burns, Fetterman again explained why he won’t join the chorus labeling Trump supporters as threats to democracy, emphasizing personal connections over partisan hysteria.Burns asked Fetterman directly about Trump’s praise for him as the “most sensible Democrat,” questioning if it’s a “badge of honor or kryptonite for a Democrat in 2026.” Fetterman responded, “My parents would appreciate it.”Read more …
He continued, “I know, and I love a lot of people that vote for Trump. And that’s part of why I refuse to call these people Nazis, or they’re brownshirts, or they’re trying to destroy our democracy.” Fetterman made it clear he’s not engaging in that rhetoric, stating, “I’m not defending the president, but I will say he hasn’t defied a single court order yet. He hasn’t. And there was the big freak out that he was going to run in 28.” “And I’m like, no, he’s not going to run. That’s not going to happen. And now, of course he’s not going to run,” the Senator added. When Burns pressed on his relationship with Trump, Fetterman said, “If I have something to say it’s not going to be, you know, in an insult. It’s not going to be extreme things…when you have members of Congress calling him a piece of shit.”“And I think it’s crazy, it’s like you just don’t, you know, I’ll always talk and speak, you know, with respect, because I really want to find a way forward.” This admission underscores Fetterman’s ongoing pushback against his party’s extremes, a stance that has increasingly isolated him from Democratic insiders. As we previously reported, Democrat extremists are already plotting to primary Fetterman ahead of his 2028 reelection bid, viewing his moderate positions as a betrayal. Despite his popularity in Pennsylvania, including strong support from Republicans, party officials are contemplating challenges because he won’t fully embrace their radical agenda.
Fetterman recently warned Democrats that socialism and far-left ideas are electoral poison, stating that such policies “pushed our party over the cliff” and led to recent losses. He called for “common sense” to prevail, highlighting the party’s shift toward figures like New York City’s socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani as a warning sign. Fetterman has also urged his colleagues to dial back the constant outrage, telling them to stop turning everything into a “national freak out.” He criticized Democrats for overreacting to issues like the firing of Jimmy Kimmel and risking government shutdowns over partisan squabbles, emphasizing that “people need to just chill a little about a lot of things.”
These repeated calls for moderation have earned Fetterman bipartisan respect, even as they fuel internal Democratic discord. His refusal to demonize Trump voters, rooted in his own family’s views, exposes the growing divide between the party’s base and its leadership’s ideological purity tests. Republicans stand to benefit from this chaos, as Fetterman’s crossover appeal could complicate Democratic efforts in swing states like Pennsylvania. If pushed too far, he might even consider running independently, further splintering the left.
Fetterman’s approach highlights a rare willingness to prioritize respect and practicality over division, a move that contrasts sharply with the Democrats’ ongoing embrace of extremism. As the party grapples with its identity, his voice serves as a reminder that alienating everyday Americans—including Trump supporters—only weakens their position.
”I’m not sure what’s worse: the fact that we needed a bill to stop paying dead people or the fact that a bill to stop paying dead people met resistance. “
• We Actually Needed a Law to Stop Paying Dead People (Margolis)
Last week, President Donald Trump signed the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act. Believe it or not, we actually needed a bill to end fraudulent payments to dead people. And it took four years to get done. “Using dead Americans to rip off taxpayers is as low as it gets,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), who wrote the bill, said in a statement. “Many Americans have seen these scams play out across the country and are tired of watching these fraudsters game the system—so am I. That’s why I wrote this common-sense bill to end this outrageous abuse permanently, and I’m grateful President Trump signed it into law so we can ensure taxpayer dollars go to living Americans who actually need our help.”Read more …
Kennedy appeared on NewsNation this week and discussed the bill. “The idea that we send billions of dollars to dead people, and they get cash. The checks get cashed. It’s obviously a lot of fraud,” Kennedy told NewsNation’s Katie Pavlich. When Pavlich asked if he was specifically talking about Social Security checks, Kennedy clarified: “No, we’re talking about all kind of checks.” The root of the problem lay in bureaucratic turf-guarding. The Social Security Administration maintains a comprehensive list of deceased Americans but refused to share that information with other federal agencies, including the Department of Treasury. Kennedy’s attempts to reason with the agency hit a brick wall of excuses, prompting him to write the bill.“I went to them, and I said, ‘Why won’t you tell Treasury who the dead people are?’ And Social Security said, ‘Well, we don’t have the legal authority.’ And I said, ‘Sure you do,’ and they said, ‘No, we don’t.’ So I knew I wasn’t gonna get anywhere with them, so I had to go pass a bill,” Kennedy explained. The reason the bill took four years to become law, believe it or not, was that he faced opposition, which Kennedy found hard to believe. But his persistence paid off. Kennedy being Kennedy, he couldn’t resist a dig at the state of American elections while discussing his legislative achievement: “And so far as I can tell, dead people can still vote, but they can’t cash checks … ’cause we’re not gonna be sending them to them anymore, and it’s gonna save billions and billions and billions of dollars.”
Kennedy also delivered some harsh criticism of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. According to Kennedy, state cooperation on fraud prevention varies wildly, and Walz falls into the non-cooperating category. “Well, every state is different,” he said. “Some state governors cooperate, some of them don’t. Governor Walz didn’t cooperate. He knew about this fraud. He knew all about it. And he lied about it.” Then came the trademark Kennedy zinger: “I’m sorry. Uh, no offense to the governor, but he learned to lie before he learned to talk.” I’m not sure what’s worse: the fact that we needed a bill to stop paying dead people or the fact that a bill to stop paying dead people met resistance.
I thought there were 3 million more?!
• Bondi Says ALL Epstein Files Have Been Released (Salgado)
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed Sunday morning that all of the Justice Department’s files related to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein have been released. Bondi made the announcement in a letter first obtained by Fox News, which quoted the letter: “In accordance with the requirements of the Act, and as described in various Department submissions to the courts of the Southern District of New York assigned to the Epstein and Maxwell prosecutions and related orders, the Department released all ‘records, documents, communications and investigative materials in the possession of the Department’ that ‘relate to’ any of nine different categories.”Read more …
Among the famous names in the letter are Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill Gates, Prince Harry, Mark Zuckerberg, Woody Allen, Kim Kardashian, Kurt Cobain, and Bruce Springsteen. In accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the list of names includes “all persons where (1) they are or were a government official or politically exposed person and (2) their name appears in the files released under the Act at least once,” the letter said, adding that the names appear in a “wide variety of contexts.”Amid the bombshells of the recent rounds of files were revelations of billionaire Bill Gates’s ties to Epstein, his STDs from “Russian girls,” and efforts to drug his then-wife Melinda. We also saw a message about the burial of two abused girls at Epstein’s Zorro Ranch through machinations of “Madame G,” probably Ghislaine Maxwell. One of Donald Trump’s major and most popular campaign promises was the release of the Epstein files. Some people have asked the DOJ to re-release some of the files with fewer redactions, which protect the names and details of pedophiles, and perhaps this latest release is that answer.
“What if, instead of continuous microwaves beamed at people, it were a “pulsed” energy weapon?”
• ‘The Search for the Cause of Havana Syndrome’ (Moran)
I made a classic mistake in college by taking a course in “Icelandic and Scandinavian Sagas.” The mistake was that I was told it was an easy “A” and the professor was a soft touch. Instead, I got a Viking of a professor with the temperment of “Ivar the Boneless.” What’s worse, the course was a real gonad-buster. Nevertheless, it was one of the most interesting classes I took in college. “Sagas” aren’t like folk tales or legends. They’re more like prose narratives with a rhythm and meter all their own. Unlike many medieval legends filled with dragons and magic, sagas often read like historical novels. They focus on real people, genealogy, and the legal or social disputes of the time. As I found to my chagrin, the sagas are also endless tellings of unremarkable stories and violent people.Read more …
What I took away from that course was that the last person you want to run into in your travels is a 10th-century Viking raider. Steer clear if at all possible. I have been following the “saga” of the search for the cause of the affliction known as Havana syndrome, which the U.S. government refers to as an “Anomalous Health Incident ” (AHI), for much of the last decade. The number of theories about the syndrome nearly matches the number of victims. Bureaucratic infighting, State Department politics, and intelligence agency rivalries have all contributed to confusion and a lack of consensus about the real, serious symptoms our diplomats suffer.Havana syndrome first appeared in 2016, when several diplomats at the U.S. interests section in Havana began to complain of a host of symptoms, including headaches, nausea, vertigo, and lethargy. Some patients reported severe symptoms that prevented them from performing their jobs. Some were even forced to retire. Not all personnel suffered the same symptoms to the same degree. Therein lies the mystery. Some patients suffered from some of the symptoms, but not all of them. Others reported only mild discomfort.
In 2020, the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) released a report on Havana syndrome that concluded: “directed, pulsed radio frequency energy appears to be the most plausible mechanism in explaining these cases.” “It is just a totally incredible explanation for what happened to these diplomats,” said University of Pennsylvania bioengineer Kenneth Foster. “It’s just not possible. The idea that someone could beam huge amounts of microwave energy at people and not have it be obvious defies credibility.
What if, instead of continuous microwaves beamed at people, it were a “pulsed” energy weapon? Such a weapon would be impossible to test on people, right? Who’d volunteer? Enter an unnamed Norwegian scientist who was so skeptical that any device could cause Havana syndrome symptoms that he actually built his own “directed pulse energy” machine and tried it out on himself. Washington Post:
“Working in strict secrecy, a government scientist in Norway built a machine capable of emitting powerful pulses of microwave energy and, in an effort to prove such devices are harmless to humans, in 2024 tested it on himself. He suffered neurological symptoms similar to those of “Havana syndrome,” the unexplained malady that has struck hundreds of U.S. spies and diplomats around the world. The bizarre story, described by four people familiar with the events, is the latest wrinkle in the decade-long quest to find the causes of Havana syndrome, whose sufferers experience long-lasting effects including cognitive challenges, dizziness and nausea. The U.S. government calls the events Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs). The secret test in Norway has not been previously reported. The Norwegian government told the CIA about the results, two of the people said, prompting at least two visits in 2024 to Norway by Pentagon and White House officials.”
The German daily Der Spiegel and 60 Minutes and conducted their own investigation and concluded that it was possible that a directed energy weapon was being used by the shadowy Russian GRU intelligence outfit known as Unit 29155. That group is responsible for sabotage and assassinations. They were in the vicinity of many reported Havana syndrome attacks, according to the investigation. Hardly a smoking gun. But U.S. intelligence did acquire a pulse-directed energy weapon in 2024 for a few million dollars, according to the Post. v Tests are continuing on the device with no definitive answers. The Post reports that the device acquired by the U.S. government is different than the device built by the Norwegian scientist. The story continues. Since it’s not likely that Russia or any other nation is going to fess up and admit they’re targeting our diplomats, the mystery will remain, and our diplomats will continue to be at risk.
“No donations came.” He insisted, “You’re completely wrong. … I did not see anybody.” Hawley countered with video proof of their nearly hour-long sit-down—easy to find online.”
• Senator Unloads On Minnesota AG Ellison Over Fraud Scandal (ZH)
During a Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee hearing this week, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) confronted Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. The Missouri Republican exposed Ellison’s ties to the Feeding Our Future scandal, where fraudsters stole $250 million in federal child nutrition funds. Hawley didn’t hold back, charging the Democrat with protecting fraudsters who funneled cash to terrorists and traffickers, as well as Ellison’s own campaign coffers, and telling him he “ought to be in jail.” Hawley opened the confrontation by spotlighting $10,000 in campaign donations Ellison pocketed from players in the Feeding Our Future mess, which the New York Post broke last year, detailing how the money flowed in right after a December 11, 2021, meeting at Ellison’s office.Read more …
Ellison repeatedly denied it, calling it a false statement. But Hawley read directly from the meeting transcript, where money was discussed repeatedly. An audio recording of that meeting revealed that Ellison met with members of the Somali community who were later convicted in the scandal. In the recording, the individuals ask Ellison for help securing funding before discussing campaign donations. “The only way that we can protect what we have is by inserting ourselves into the political arena,” a man is heard saying on the audio.“Putting our votes where it needs to be. But most importantly, putting our dollars in the right place. And supporting candidates that will fight to protect our interests.” “That’s right,” Ellison replied.Ellison accepted $10,000 in campaign contributions from the fraudsters mere days later, as did his son, Minneapolis councilman Jeremiah Ellison. Hawley proceeded to read from that recording, quoting Ellison’s own words back to him. “Send me the names of all these folks who are investigating them,” Ellison said. He promised to call the Education Department and ask what was going on. “I already have my team working on this,” he told them, according to the transcript. “What day should we get together to discuss it again?” Ellison pledged repeatedly to help them fight the investigators. “You have my attention. I’m concerned about this,” he said. “Let’s go fight these people.””Why’d you do it? Was it worth it?” Hawley asked.
“This is what accountability looks like, of which you’ve had none,” Hawley countered. “You helped fraudsters defraud your state and this government of $9 billion, and you got a fat campaign contribution out of it. You ought to be indicted. That’s the truth.” Ellison shot back hard. He denied the donations flat-out: “a lie” and “No donations came.” He insisted, “You’re completely wrong. … I did not see anybody.” Hawley countered with video proof of their nearly hour-long sit-down—easy to find online. Ellison dismissed Hawley’s quotes as “cherry-picked.” As the exchange got heated, Ellison repeatedly talked over Hawley, which the senator didn’t appreciate. “It’s my hearing, pal,” he snapped. “Don’t call me ‘pal,’” Ellison shot back. “Well, I should call you a prisoner because you ought to be in jail.”
He demanded resignation. Ellison flipped it: “I was thinking the same thing about you.” Hawley didn’t stop there. He brought up testimony from the previous day showing where the fraudulent money went: to terrorist groups, transnational criminal organizations, drug trafficking, and child trafficking. “You took $10,000 and helped them do it,” he said. Ellison kept denying everything, but Hawley had receipts. He cited a Minnesota Star Tribune report that Partners in Nutrition raised concerns with the attorney general’s office in 2018 and 2019, but Ellison did nothing. The New York Post reported that Ellison accepted campaign donations from individuals linked to the fraud after meeting with them. “You’ve been right at the center of this fraud thing from the beginning, and you’ve enabled it,” Hawley said. “You should resign.” Ellison shot back, “And, sir, you should resign. I was thinking the same thing about you.”
Not clear why she’s there.
• Hillary’s Script, Interrupted (David Manney)
Hillary Clinton, a former all-star American leader, took the stage in Munich expecting a stroll on familiar ground. The setting felt friendly, the crowd leaned globalist, and the talking points seemed well-rehearsed. Then a Czech politician, calmly stepping outside the approved script, asked a question that didn’t flatter the room. It was as if a thousand voices in the Force suddenly vanished; the room’s temperature changed. Czech Deputy Prime Minister Petr Macinka challenged prevailing narratives on sovereignty, migration, and Western leadership. He spoke; he didn’t shout. He didn’t posture, he simply disagreed. Clinton’s composure tightened as her facial expression stiffened. Her infamous temper flickered across her face in full public view.https://twitter.com/WyattCatarina/status/2023029449315504573?s=20 Read more …
The exchange quickly spread online, showing Clinton sharply reacting while Macinka remains measured. It was a contrast that told the story better than any summary could dream of.A widely shared Facebook clip captured the moment from a different angle, showing how visibly irritated Clinton grew as her preferred narrative met resistance. Clinton has well over 40 years of navigating hostile interviews and political storms; few situations publicly rattle her. Yet the Munich moment felt different: Macinka didn’t attack her character; he questioned her assumptions in a calm, rational voice.That alone proved disruptive.Western elites have gathered in European conferences for years to reinforce shared assumptions about global governance, open borders, and centralized authority. Dissent rarely appears in those halls without first being filtered, because when it isn’t, tension quickly rises, offering a glimpse into the human nature hidden behind long-built façades.Macinka spoke as an elected official representing voters who increasingly resist top-down mandates from Brussels and beyond, arguing for national sovereignty and accountability to his country. Clinton appeared completely off guard, as if the ground she felt safe standing on had shifted.
Let me be the first to express grave concern for Macinka’s well-being. Given recent political history, he may want to publicly confirm he’s enjoying excellent health and has no plans to be found in mysterious circumstances anytime soon. Purely a precaution, of course. This incident exposed something deeper: Democratic figures for years have accused President Donald Trump of destabilizing Western alliances and eroding global cooperation. Yet in Munich, frustration erupted not from chaos, but from calm contradiction. When agreements fill the air, Clinton appears comfortable, but when respectful disagreement entered the conversation, she clearly bristled.
Her reaction undercut the image of seasoned steadiness she often projects on global stages. Clinton wasn’t the only Democrat in Munich struggling with optics. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and California Governor Gavin Newsom also faced criticism during their appearances. Both tried to present themselves as seasoned global leaders, but drew scrutiny for remarks that appeared tone-deaf and disconnected from global realities. mThe contrast between confident branding and uneven performance created friction. Munich has long been intended as a platform for polished leadership, but it has also been a stage for awkward exchanges.
Global politics demands agility and tolerance for dissent. Leaders seeking authority need to have thick skin to withstand questions without visible irritation. A raised eyebrow, or a wrinkled face that suddenly appears smooth, speaks louder than a thousand words. As we’ve seen from Democrats the past few weeks, they work from prepared frameworks, where talking points guide conversations in friendly venues that reinforce comfort. But when somebody interrupts the rhythm, their ability—or, in this case, inability—to keep it together matters. Clinton’s body language suggested she wasn’t happy with Macinka’s calm, reasoned approach. I imagine that in her mind’s eye, she was wishing for a little Darth Vader dark side to squeeze Macinka into a sugar cube.
Political leaders regularly insist that democracy thrives on debate, but debate loses its meaning when only one side fails to respect the other. Hillary’s Munich moment reminded us that the elites don’t appreciate it when the unwashed speak up. People across Europe and America have increasingly questioned centralized power structures, voting for leaders who promise to prioritize national interests. Those voters expect representation, not lectures from on high. When a representative from that moment speaks plainly on an open stage, dismissing alternative views doesn’t work.
Until somebody ignored it, Hillary’s script ran smoothly. The interruptions showed something more than policy differences; they revealed the moment when Clinton ran into legitimate opposition to the soup she’s been dealing out. Confidence requires calm under pressure, and leadership demands composure when challenged. Hillary failed in both accounts. Munich offered a brief snapshot of that reality. As global politics grows increasingly volatile, moments like this matter: when a steady, shrieking voice, sharing talking points discussed in safe forums, gets interrupted by a dose of reality, we get to see the real person behind the mask. It’s in moments like this that the 2016 presidential election reminds us of just how close we came to, well, you know, living in Hell.
Dalio
X https://twitter.com/TheChiefNerd/status/2023034863545376817?s=20 Homan https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2023039139005047267?s=20 Swan“In 1945, the US had 80% of the world’s money. Gold was money at the time. It had half the world's GDP. It had a monopoly on military power. So the US set the world order”
— Gold Telegraph ⚡ (@GoldTelegraph_) February 14, 2026
– Ray Dalio
This is a very important point to understand right now.
pic.twitter.com/vHaws9UBIH
MuslimSwans have one of the coolest water landing techniques everpic.twitter.com/gfXUruVs1Z
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) February 15, 2026
Europe will never recover from this
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) February 15, 2026
“50 million Muslims now live in Europe. At the turn of the century, that number was less than 500,000 and more are arriving every day — Muslims are now running major cities across the country for the first time in history”
“As the people who… pic.twitter.com/ZxzilsgFQ5
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