Friday, February 20, 2026
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The best way to understand what the hell just happened is through the lens of the utterly absurd BBC story, “As Trump Retreats From Climate Goals, China Is Becoming a Green Superpower.”
Thirty years ago, headlines described the story. That was their only purpose, because people didn’t purchase stories à la carte; we bought the entire newspaper or magazine. Not so today. Now, writers are paid per-click, which means the headline is also an advertisement.
As the economic model changes, so does the message.
And since most people don’t read beyond the headline, the takeaway for BBC headline-scanners is obvious: China must be the new green superpower. Aw gee, Trump blew it again!
America’s biggest wine maker shuts down
production in Napa Valley in huge blow
to wine heartland replies
production in Napa Valley in huge blow
to wine heartland replies
Gallo, a major wine manufacturer, announced the closure of a large Napa Valley production facility and the elimination of nearly 100 jobs across Napa and Sonoma counties — a stark sign of the shifting landscape around alcohol consumption in America.
Considered the world’s largest winemaker by volume, Gallo filed a “warning” notice with the California Employment Development Department on Feb. 12, confirming it will permanently pull the cork on The Ranch Winery in St. Helena. The closure will leave 56 workers high and dry by April 15.
Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX), who is seeking to unseat incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) in the Republican primary, is launching a new satirical ad highlighting Cornyn’s record of partnering with Democrats on gun control and immigration legislation — arguing that if the senator “votes like a Democrat” and “acts like a Democrat,” then “he must be a Democrat.” The video, shared first with Breitbart News ahead of its Thursday evening release, will run across digital platforms and television as the high-stakes Texas Senate primary enters its final stretch.
The president issued his announcement via his Truth Social account on Thursday.
“Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters,” Trump wrote.
Iranian and Russian naval forces held joint exercises in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean on Thursday, risking unintended escalation with the growing American force in the region as President Donald Trump contemplates airstrikes against Iran.Iranian spokesman Capt. Hassan Maqsoudlou said the Iranian units participating in the joint exercises included “special operations units” from the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy and the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated terrorist organization.
We’ve seen the 2016 anti-Trump rallies, the 2020 George Floyd riots, and the ongoing anti-ICE protests in blue cities since President Trump started trying to clean up the illegal immigration disaster left by former President Joe Biden. There’s been one constant: Antifa.
The group, whose name is short for anti-fascist, is known for their menacing black outfits, complete with masks, and their often violent behavior. They show up as if by magic the moment a demonstration breaks out, and they’re not there to keep the peace.
But where does their funding come from? Who’s behind it?
President Donald Trump hosted the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace on Thursday morning, surrounded by members of his own cabinet, like JD Vance, Marco Rubio, and Susie Wiles, and dozens of foreign heads of state and other dignitaries. While the subject at hand — peace in the Middle East, particularly in Gaza — was of a serious nature, the fact is that it almost felt more like some of the most important men in the world had gathered for a party. Trump was playing music and cracking jokes. There were smiles all around.
Iran is rebuilding nuclear sites damaged in previous U.S. strikes and "preparing for war," despite engaging in talks with the Trump administration, according to a prominent Iranian opposition figure. Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the Washington office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said newly released satellite images also prove the regime has accelerated its efforts to restore its "$2 trillion" uranium enrichment capabilities.
"The regime has clearly stepped up efforts to rebuild its uranium enrichment capabilities," Jafarzadeh told Fox News Digital. "It is preparing itself for a possible war by trying to preserve its nuclear weapons program and ensure its protection."
MILAN — For its first six games at these Winter Olympics, the U.S. women’s hockey team was unbeaten and unchallenged. Yet for the first 58 minutes of Thursday’s gold medal game, it looked unnerved — unable to score and headed toward a stunning upset against its archrival, Canada. Nine days after the U.S. had riddled Canada's defense for five goals in a group-play rout, that same Canadian defense had transformed into a stonewalling unit that had shut out the most unstoppable offense of the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Then Hilary Knight, the U.S. captain playing in her fifth and final Olympics, skated in front of the Canadian goal with two minutes remaining
Venezuela's National Assembly, on Thursday, unanimously approved a proposed amnesty that could free hundreds of political prisoners jailed for being critical of the government.
The bill marks a landmark development for the South American nation that has spent decades denying holding political prisoners.
The change in policy comes after former President Nicolas Maduro was removed from power and kidnapped by the US military in a raid in the country's capital, Caracas, on January 3.
Acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who proposed the amnesty last month, signed the bill.
State and federal authorities are investigating after a suspect allegedly stole an ambulance, loaded up staged gas cans and plowed the emergency vehicle into a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) office in Idaho — in what investigators believe was an attempted arson attack.
Just after 11 p.m. Wednesday, an ambulance was stolen from a bay at St. Luke's West hospital.
The suspect, who has not yet been identified, drove the ambulance through the parking lot and retrieved gas cans that were staged in nearby vegetation, according to Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea.
The suspect then drove the ambulance directly into the North Portico building, which houses DHS offices
Virginia judge granted the Republican National Committee a temporary restraining order that halts Virginia Democrats’ gerrymandering efforts to redraw the state’s congressional districts ahead of the upcoming midterms.
The Republican National Committee brought a lawsuit Wednesday to stop what the organization describes as an unconstitutional last-minute power grab by Virginia Democrats. Filing a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, the RNC asked the court to block the implementation of the proposed constitutional amendment. According to local media, Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. granted the RNC motion on Thursday.
Democrat Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker will push for state laws that mandate Illinois communities allow building of unlimited “Section 8” and other taxpayer-subsidized apartment units on any residential lot.
Pritzker unveiled his suburban Section 8 plan during his annual State of the State address, which he gave Wednesday.
Taking aim at single family homeowners in the Chicago suburbs, Pritkzer said their “shameful” opposition to taxpayer-subsidized Section 8 apartments are responsible for driving up the cost of Illinois housing.
Community zoning laws “have made it too difficult and costly to build new (Section 8) housing,” Pritzker said, chiding suburban Illinoisans who oppose high-density, subsidized apartments as old-fashioned and behind the “times.”
The United States Commission of Fine Arts voted Thursday to approve the final designs of the White House East Wing Modernization project as the Trump administration aims to kick off aboveground construction in April.
A final vote was not expected until the Commission of Fine Arts’s (CFA) next meeting in March, but Trump-appointed CFA Chairman Rodney Mims Cook Jr. made the motion to accelerate the federal design review panel’s approval process. "Our sitting president has actually designed a very beautiful structure,” Cook commented before calling for a vote. “The United States just should not be entertaining the world in tents.”
As ICE sweeps in Minneapolis have drawn wide attention, a little-noticed immigration case playing out in a New York federal court has significant implications for America's relationship with Britain and the ongoing debate over global censorship. In late December, the State Department announced its intention to revoke the visas of five individuals who have allegedly censored Americans. The most consequential (snip) is Imran Ahmed (snip) CEO of (snip) the Center for Countering Digital Hate. (snip) Secretary Marco Rubio wrote that Ahmed had led efforts to censor Americans and harm U.S. media outlets, including Zero Hedge and The Federalist.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) revealed at a townhall meeting on Wednesday that Democrats don’t just want to abolish the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but they are actually planning how to dismantle the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) entirely.
“What I will say is that there is an easier conversation happening today than six, seven years ago when I got to Congress, about what we need to do with ICE, which is to abolish it,” Omar told her audience during the townhall meeting. The Democrat congresswoman further revealed, “There is a lot of conversation about what the dismantlement of the Department of Homeland Security should look like.”
The latest business to pick up and leave the high-tax, high-regulation, high-crime nightmare of Illinois may be its iconic professional football franchise.
The governor of Indiana, Mike Braun, announced Thursday morning that a "framework" had been reached for a final deal that would move the Chicago Bears about 20 miles south from Soldier Field to Hammond, Ind. "Indiana is open for business, and our pro-growth environment continues to attract major opportunities like this partnership with the Chicago Bears," Braun said. "The State of Indiana moves at the speed of business, and we've demonstrated that through our quick coordination between state agencies, local government, and the legislature
I made fun of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) yesterday on Rising after listening to her get tripped up when discussing U.S. Taiwan policy at the Munich Security Conference, but her remarks on that topic were brilliant and statesmanlike compared to what she had to say about South America! Can AOC even find the continent on a map? After listening to her say this, I’m doubtful.
Quick fact-check there: The country of Venezuela is entirely north of the equator. You can consult a map if you don’t believe me. Perhaps AOC should put as much effort into learning geography as she does perfecting her Latin-American accent.
U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing a limited initial military strike against Iran in an effort to compel Tehran to accept his demands for a new nuclear agreement, The Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday. The report said the potential move is intended to increase pressure on Tehran to reach a deal without triggering a large-scale assault that could prompt a significant Iranian response. Citing people familiar with the matter, the newspaper reported that if approved, the strike could take place within days and would target military or government sites. If Iran continues to reject Trump’s conditions for halting uranium enrichment, the United States could respond
The UK is refusing to grant permission to the US to use British bases to strike Iran, according to The Times.
US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal of support for the UK plans to give up sovereignty over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean — which includes the key Diego Garcia airfield — stems from the British refusal, reports the UK paper.
According to the report, US plans included the use of Diego Garcia and the RAF Fairford base in England, both of which can only be used to strike if the UK government agrees. British PM Keir Starmer is concerned the Iran strike might violate international law.
War With Iran?
replies
The New York Times covers looming U.S. strikes on Iran:
The rapid buildup of U.S. forces in the Middle East has progressed to the point that President Trump has the option to take military action against Iran as soon as this weekend, administration and Pentagon officials said, leaving the White House with high-stakes choices about pursuing diplomacy or war.
President Trump has been trying to negotiate with the mullahs over Iran’s nuclear program, in search, as always, of a deal.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly demanded that Iran give up its nuclear program, including agreeing not to enrich any more uranium.
That isn’t going to happen with the current Iranian government in charge.
Tucker touches down in Israel
replies
With his voluminous expressions of concern about the treatment of Christians in Israel, one might have expected Tucker Carlson to venture beyond the confines of Ben Gurion Airport to check them out, if not to commisserate with them. However, that was not to be the case. He has yet to meet with Christians in Israel. Most recently, he flew in and out by private jet for an interview with U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee at the airport itself. Huckabee, by the way, invited him to remain in Israel for several days.
Carlson has done his best to turn his airport sojourn into an international incident to Israel’s detriment.
Gavin Newsom hasn’t really been doing much governing in California; rather, he been trashing the United States while overseas, constantly trying to be that annoying gnat in President Donald Trump's ear, weighing in on the matters of other states, and ignoring his own as it continues its slide into decay and corruption.
He is, however, widely rumored to be ramping up a presidential run, and he’s showing every sign that he’s hellbent on mounting a campaign. There's just has one little problem: his record. (X) Click on the tweet for even more; there's that much rotten meat on the bone.
It’s a remarkable record of failure, yet somehow
Just over a month into Democratic Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s term, one of the nation’s largest defense contractors is moving its headquarters out of her state.
Boeing announced Wednesday that it will relocate its Defense, Space & Security headquarters to St. Louis, where the division was based from 1997 to 2017. The company previously moved the unit to Chicago and then to Arlington in 2022 during the administration of former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
The move represents a significant shift for Boeing, which employs roughly 18,000 people in the St. Louis region. Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth joined Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe and Sen. Eric Schmitt at