Why Exactly Did They Destroy The Border?

Authored by Victor Davis Hanson via American Greatness,

Why would any president destroy the U.S. southern border?

The Left typically “pounces” on anyone daring to suggest that the Biden administration had green-lighted illegal immigration to gain new constituents for agendas that otherwise were without broad public support.

The Left smears critics of open borders as racist conspiracists spreading the “Great Replacement Theory.”

Yet for years, Democrats and leftists themselves had written triumphalist books with titles like The Emerging Democratic Majority. And often they crowed that “Demography is Destiny.”

A few left-wing globalists even boasted of a new borderless world, in which anyone could live anywhere he wished.

Not too long ago, Texas State Representative Gene Wu (D-Houston), chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, jumped the shark to say out loud what is usually left unsaid about the Democrat agenda:

The day the Latino, African American, Asian, and other communities realize that they share the same oppressor is the day we start winning, because we are the majority in this country now. We have the ability to take over this country and to do what is needed for everyone.

The same unapologetic left-wing weaponization of illegal immigration is occurring in Europe.

Sheer numbers there have already radically changed the demography—and political constituencies—of the continent.

Recently, the former Spanish “Minister of Equality,” an energized Irene Montero, offered an unambiguous rant:

“I hope for ‘replacement theory.’ I hope we can sweep this country of fascists and racists with immigrants. Whatever their skin color, whether ‘Chinese, Black, or Brown.’”

The culmination of the new hubris in the U.S. was the Biden administration’s destruction of the southern border and enforcement of federal immigration law.

On some days, the Biden influx exceeded anyone’s wildest imagination, at a rate of 10,000 illegal entrants per day.

The Homeland “Security” Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, in Baghdad Bob style, occasionally pontificated that the border was “secure”—as thousands in the background illegally swarmed the border, without health or even rudimentary background checks.

The Left’s political agenda for illegal immigration was to be realized either immediately through compromised ballot integrity or soon enough by warping the census-based reapportionment of congressional districts.

No wonder there is now near-hysterical Democratic opposition to even basic national requirements of a photo ID to vote. Yet, traditionally liberal polls like Gallup and Pew show that 83 to 84 percent of Americans support mandatory presentation of a voter photo ID.

Usually, the Left fawns over European protocols. But it now grows quiet when reminded that 46 of 47 European nations, even those governed by the Left, require IDs to vote.

Apparently, Democrats assumed that once 10 million more of the world’s poorest had illegally crossed the southern border, without audit or English proficiency, they would filter throughout American society and become impossible to repatriate.

Soon, open borders would flip more states blue, as well as increase their congressional seats. Illegals were to be redefined as mere “residents” and often recipients of mail-in ballots.

The reality that millions of new poor through their needs would grow the welfare state, expand government at all levels, require far more taxes, and fuel the DEI binary of oppressed/oppressors were added benefits.

The nexus between the nine-billion-dollar Somali welfare fraud and Minnesota Democratic officials offers a sharp reminder of how the immigration/welfare/DEI exemption industry was created and protected by authorities.

Biden’s new 10 million unlawful entrants may have increased the existing pool of illegal aliens (20 million?) to 30 million.

That total, in turn, radically grew the existing group of 20 million legal foreign-born citizens and legal residents of various categories.

So when Trump took office in January 2025, the U.S. had admitted a record high of foreign-born residents. They now made up some 16 percent of the population and perhaps 53 million in actual numbers.

The influxes came at a time when too often the melting-pot tradition of integration, assimilation, and acculturation was reviled and superseded by salad-bowl ethnic chauvinism and separatism.

Yet the triumphant Left never imagined a Trump reelection.

Nor could it grasp fully Trump’s counterrevolutionary effort to secure the border and undo the Biden nihilism.

Even more surreal to Democrats were his efforts to reinstate the integrity and supremacy of federal immigration law.

No one really believed Trump would seek to find and deport millions who had filtered through fifty states.

Most were enjoying de facto immunity via hundreds of left-wing lower district court judges and blue-state officials of the Tim Walz/Gavin Newsom sort.

There is only one way that the left would ever oppose a return to legal, measured, and diverse immigration. Namely, if any of its immigrant constituencies in the future—such as the 55 percent of Hispanic males who voted for Trump in 2024—dared to vote on criteria other than federal entitlements, ethnic solidarity, and Democratic coercion.

Do that, and the Left would close the border quickly.

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 16:20

Just When You Thought Obama's Tower Of Doom Couldn't Get Any More Ugly...

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

Barack Obama’s infamous Presidential Center in Chicago, already slammed as a dystopian “prison-like” monstrosity, has just received a bizarre new update that’s ignited widespread mockery online.

The addition of disjointed words from one of Obama’s speeches has been dubbed “headache-inducing,” amplifying the backlash against this $830 million behemoth that’s overrun budgets, displaced locals, and turned a public park into a narcissistic shrine.

As construction drags on toward a June 2026 opening, the former president’s ego-driven tweaks have only fueled the fire, with X users unleashing savage roasts and memes comparing the structure to everything from a Soviet-era bunker to a “concrete porta potty.”

The latest fiasco stems from Obama’s decision to etch excerpts from his 2015 Selma speech onto the building’s facade. But instead of inspiring awe, the disjointed lettering has sparked hilarity and disgust.

They somehow managed to make the Obama presidential library even uglier.

My gosh. ? pic.twitter.com/lmZnyJ4FSs

— johnny maga (@johnnymaga) February 17, 2026

One X user highlighted how the words appear chopped and unreadable, calling it a “headache-inducing” mess that perfectly encapsulates the project’s overall failure.

I's indistinguishable from L's and T's. E's indistinguishable from F's. Multiple words get disjointed–not just on one plane but two.
Truly, one of the most headache-inducing reading experiences I've ever had. pic.twitter.com/hohr6Whusy

— Jacob Shell (@JacobAShell) February 17, 2026

what don’t you understand about

YOU ARE AMERICA
ED BY HABILAND
UNENCUMBERED
ADY TO SEIZE WE https://t.co/kmHawlABHO

— Logan Dobson (@LoganDobson) February 16, 2026

Fixed it for Obama. pic.twitter.com/BJU5eA6vIx

— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) February 18, 2026

This is what the text should read… pic.twitter.com/YaZ2iSJQuY

— The OverboostedOne (@OverboostedOne) February 18, 2026

pic.twitter.com/N60Kwjw9Q5

— FoundAgainAfter (@CheatCodeTruth) February 18, 2026

As we previously reported, the Obama Presidential Center has ballooned to nearly $1 billion in costs, resembling a “Tower of Doom” that’s sucking the life out of Chicago’s South Side. Locals have decried it as a “totalitarian command center dropped straight out of 1984,” with property values skyrocketing and forcing out longtime residents.

Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor warned that such developments “displace the very people they say they want to improve it for,” as rents for two-bedroom apartments jumped from $800 to over $1,800 per month. The project’s DEI-focused hiring of diverse contractors has backfired spectacularly, leading to lawsuits over “racial discrimination” and claims of poor performance, proving once again that woke policies lead to broke outcomes.

President Trump didn’t hold back when mocking the stalled eyesore. “He needs help,” Trump quipped, noting how the library-museum hybrid is “not too pretty” and has “run out of money” despite Obama’s insistence on DEI builders.

Trump contrasted this with his own push for classical architecture, like the grand Arch near Arlington Memorial Bridge, symbolizing a return to American greatness.

The center’s foundation is now scrambling with only $116 million in reserves against $230 million in remaining costs, not including staff salaries. Scheduled tours have started, but critics question who’d visit this overpriced ode to Obama’s ego amid Chicago’s economic woes.

Obama’s defenders claim it’ll be an “economic catalyst” for the black community, but the reality is displacement and fiscal chaos. This project exemplifies the hypocrisy of elite liberals: preaching equity while building vast ego towers that burden the working class.

In the end, as Trump restores beauty and dignity to American landmarks, Obama’s legacy crumbles under the weight of its own pretension— a fitting monument to an era of division and decline.

Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 15:40

Canada Announces Plan To Recruit Foreign Soldiers For Fast Track Immigration

It's a common theme throughout history - When governments go authoritarian, they often hire foreign soldiers in order to better control their respective populations or wage war on their neighbors.  The strategy is being implemented across Europe currently; with many nations taking in millions of third world migrants from Muslim nations and using targeted marketing to recruit them as police and military. 

Not all mass immigration is about rigging elections in favor of socialists.  It's sometimes about subjugation using people who have no loyalty to the native population.  

Canada appears to be the latest progressive regime to introduce the integration of foreign military professionals into their ranks.  The decision is part of the the country's new "Express Entry" program for migrants with skills that the government has deemed essential to the economy and to Canada's security. 

Globalist Prime Minister Mark Carney asserts that Canada will "tighten" the open immigration policies of the Trudeau Administration but it will also increase opportunities for foreign professionals to easily obtain entry and citizenship.  Canada's housing market has been crushed by inflation and a supply drought caused by a flood of 3 million immigrants (legal and illegal) over the past five years alone. 

In country with a population similar to the state of California and with less housing, the migrant influx has been a disaster.  Around 23% of Canada is foreign born.  Around 15% are migrants from third world countries.  The majority of these new citizens are low-skill and act as a drain on the nation's social welfare apparatus.    

The announcement of tighter controls on immigration will probably come as a welcome surprise to most of the Canadian citizenry (if it actually happens), but the introduction of foreign assets into the Canadian military is a worrying sign. 

Under Canada's new 2026 Express Entry category-based selection, announced by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab on February 18, 2026, a dedicated category exists for skilled military recruits (also referred to as highly skilled foreign military applicants or Foreign Skilled Military Applicants). This targets highly skilled foreign military personnel specifically recruited by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) for key roles (Start video at 13:30).

The purported focus of this recruitment is doctors, nurses and pilots.  However, the categories for qualified personnel are rather broad, including leadership roles and:

Commissioned officers of the Canadian Armed Forces (NOC 40042)

Specialized members of the Canadian Armed Forces (NOC 42102)

Operations members (NOC 43204)

The parameters do not explicitly call for combat troops, but there is a loophole.  There is no dedicated NOC for Canadian special operations forces (e.g., JTF2 or CSOR), which are typically drawn from combat arms backgrounds and involve advanced training rather than a distinct occupational code.   Special operators often perform overlapping duties, such as operating weapons for defense, configuring surveillance systems, or using engineering for various tasks - elements already listed in 43204's main duties.

In other words, foreign personnel could be brought into Canada through the Express program under the guise of being "support specialists" while acting as combat troops.  This is only if the government decides it wants to hide the importation of combat soldiers into the country.  Carney could also simply change the open policy whenever he likes without public input.

Most nations seek to avoid recruitment of foreign troops to prevent intelligence breaches and loss of unit cohesion.  The US launched a similar foreign military recruitment program under Barack Obama in 2009, but this was shut down by the Trump Administration in 2017.

Canadian officials cite growing tensions with the US as one of the reasons for the decision.  Canada is being forced to finally meet its NATO requirements, while the EU and Canada have expressed hostility towards US efforts to save the west from the mass immigration schemes of leftist politicians. 

Carney, seeking to reduce reliance on the United States, announced a new defense strategy that aims to lift government investment in defense-related research and development by 85%, boost defense industry revenues by more than 240%, increase defense exports by 50% and create up to 125,000 new jobs (which will likely go to foreigners). Like other NATO members, Canada has pledged to raise defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product by 2035.

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is experiencing a severe, long-term recruitment crisis, operating roughly 14,000 personnel short of its goals in 2025–2026.  Critics suggest that Canada, like the EU, may be preparing for a war with Russia that could easily be avoided by staying out of Ukraine.  Another problem to consider is the rise of draconian speech laws and gun confiscation programs. 

Canada may be preparing to oppress the native conservative citizenry (around 40% of the population) as they expand progressive controls.  This would require considerable outside resources (foreign troops) to reinforce their small contingent of 65,000 active duty members, many of whom would likely be opposed to martial law.     

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 15:05

Ethereum Foundation Lists 'Quantum Readiness' As 2026 Priority

Authored by Ciaran Lyons via CoinTelegraph.com,

The Ethereum Foundation has announced it is targeting faster transactions, smarter wallets, better cross-chain interoperability, and quantum-resistant security as its “protocol priorities” in 2026.

In a statement published on Wednesday, the Ethereum Foundation outlined several goals, including continuing to scale the gas limit — the maximum amount of computational work a block can handle — “toward and beyond” 100 million, a major topic of discussion among the Ethereum community in 2025. 

Source: Ethereum Foundation

Some members of the Ethereum community anticipate that the gas limit will increase significantly this year. In November, Ethereum educator Anthony Sassano said that the goal of significantly increasing Ethereum’s gas limit to 180 million in 2026 is a baseline, not a best-case scenario. 

“Post-quantum readiness” is a focus for Ethereum

The foundation highlighted the Glamsterdam network upgrade, scheduled for the first half of 2026, as a major priority. It also emphasized long-term post-quantum readiness as part of its broader security initiative.

On Jan. 24, Ethereum researcher Justin Drake said in an X post that the foundation had “formed a new Post-Quantum (PQ) team.” 

“Today marks an inflection in the Ethereum Foundation’s long-term quantum strategy,” Drake said.

The Ethereum Foundation said it will also focus on improving user experience in 2026, with an emphasis on enhancing smart wallets through native account abstraction and enabling smoother interactions between blockchains via interoperability.

“The goal remains seamless, trust-minimized cross-L2 interactions, and we’re getting closer day by day. Continued progress on faster L1 confirmations and shorter L2 settlement times directly supports this.”

The foundation said that 2025 was one of the “most productive years,” citing two major network upgrades, Pectra and Fusaka, and the community raising the gas limit from 30 million to 60 million between the upgrades, for the first time since 2021.

Buterin’s big plans for Ethereum and AI

Ethereum Foundation’s Mario Havel said in an X post on Wednesday: “It took us a while to push out the announcement because we were preparing the biggest curriculum so far.” 

It comes just days after Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin shared his latest vision for Ethereum’s intersection with artificial intelligence on Feb. 10. Buterin explained that he sees the two working together to improve markets, financial safety and human agency.  

Buterin said his broader vision for the future of AI is to empower humans rather than replace them, though he said the short term involves much more “ordinary” ideas.

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 14:20

Trump Has A UFO Speech Ready To Deliver

Documentary filmmaker Dan Farah appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast in November to promote his new documentary, The Age of Disclosure, and predicted that his film might force Trump to become the first world leader to confirm the existence of extraterrestrial life publicly.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it happens soon after the film comes out — the sitting president has to step to the microphone and say: humanity is not alone in the universe,” Farah told Rogan. “We have recovered technology of non-human origin. So have other nations. There is a high-stakes, secret cold war race to reverse engineer this technology. We need to win this race.” 

“I think Trump might be the only guy that’s willing to do something that crazy,” Rogan replied.

Well, now Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, let it slip during an appearance on the New York Post's Pod Force One podcast that Trump has a speech prepared confirming extraterrestrial life exists.

“Do you think that he's about to make an announcement about UFOs?" host Miranda Devine asked.

“Because President Obama was just on a podcast talking about how he believes in UFOs and hinting that he saw something when he was president.”

“Well, I said this in my podcast, too,” Lara Trump began.

“What's funny is we've kind of asked my father-in-law about this, 'cause we're like, ‘Well, what do you know?’ ‘Cause, Miranda, we all wanna know about the UFOs, or we all wanna know what's going on and he played a little coy with us. And so that, of course, led us to believe, Eric and I, were like, ‘Oh, my gosh, if he won't even, like, fully tell us, maybe there's more to it.’ And then I have just heard kind of around that... I think he's actually said it, I think my father-in-law has actually said it, that there is some speech that he has that, I guess, at, at the right time, and I don't know when the right time is, he's gonna break out and, and talk about, and it has to do with maybe some sort of extraterrestrial life, so to speak.”

Lara Trump suggests that President Trump is ready to make an announcement to the world about the existence of aliens, with his script already prepared for the “right time.”

“He’s going to talk about maybe some sort of extraterrestrial life.”

“I don’t know when the right time… pic.twitter.com/D3Cp4zTjFV

— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) February 18, 2026

The White House offered exactly the kind of answer you'd expect. 

“I’ll have to check in with our speech writing team,” White House Press Secretary Karoline said.

”That would be of great interest to me personally, and I’m sure all of you in this room and apparently former President Obama, too.”

A clip from Obama's recent appearance on Brian Tyler Cohen’s podcast went viral over the weekend after he was asked point-blank whether aliens exist.

"They're real, but I haven't seen them, and they're not being kept in … Area 51 … There's no underground facility, unless there's this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States," Obama said. 

Barack Obama on aliens: “They’re real”

“But I haven’t seen them. They’re not being kept at Area 51. There’s no underground facility — unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the President of the United States.” pic.twitter.com/c6t0DYxewU

— UAP James (@UAPJames) February 14, 2026

By Sunday, Obama was on Instagram trying to walk it back.

"Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there's life out there. But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances aliens have visited us is low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!" Obama wrote.

        View this post on Instagram                      

A post shared by Barack Obama (@barackobama)

Washington's relationship with UFOs — or, in the preferred bureaucratic phrasing, Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs) — has shifted considerably in recent years. A House hearing in July 2023 featured testimony from former military intelligence officer David Grusch, who told lawmakers under oath that he "was informed in the course of my official duties of a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program to which I was denied access." Grusch further alleged the government had retrieved what he called "non-human biologics" from recovered craft, citing accounts from dozens of witnesses he interviewed over four years.

The Pentagon, of course, pushed back. A March 2024 report rejected the core claims — no reverse-engineered alien spacecraft, no hidden extraterrestrial biological material, no off-world technology stashed in some classified warehouse. The agency stood by its denials even as lawmakers held classified briefings.

Lara Trump’s comment adds new intrigue to the discussion. Whether Trump eventually delivers that address — or whether this is one more piece of carefully managed intrigue from a president who has never met a story he didn't know how to control — is a question that, for now, has no answer. But Trump sure does seem like the president who would do so.

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 14:00

California Planning To Sue Trump Admin Over Revised Child Vaccine Guidelines

Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said on Feb. 17 that the state plans to take legal action against the Trump administration over the recent modifications to the childhood vaccine schedule.

A man holds his 14-month-old son while he gets the MMR vaccine at a clinic in Lubbock, Texas, on March 1, 2025. Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Jan. 5, with backing from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., narrowed the number of vaccines routinely recommended by the childhood schedule.

Bonta told Reuters in an interview that he has mobilized his team to identify the necessary details for a possible complaint against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including jurisdictional and legal grounds for pursuing the lawsuit.

“I like the facts. I like science. I don’t want to give any airtime to his—I mean, just conspiracy [expletive],” Bonta told the news agency, referring to Kennedy’s stance on vaccines.

Bonta did not specify when the state might file or whether it would be a multistate filing. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, who also spoke to Reuters, indicated that his state may join California in the filing.

The Epoch Times reached out to HHS for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.

The CDC in January issued a revised childhood vaccine schedule that ended broad recommendations for vaccines against rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B.

The agency said in a Jan. 5 memo that decisions for those vaccinations should instead be made through “shared clinical decision-making,” which involves discussion between parents and health care providers.

The changes were made after President Donald Trump directed the HHS and CDC to review U.S. vaccine schedules and compare them with those of peer countries. The president named three countries—Denmark, Japan, and Germany—that recommend fewer vaccines and fewer vaccine doses.

At the time, the White House said in a fact sheet that if the HHS and CDC determine that those practices from developed countries are better than U.S. recommendations, they are directed to update the U.S. core childhood vaccine schedule to align with such scientific evidence and best practices, while preserving access to existing vaccines for Americans.

“Practices like the hepatitis B vaccination at birth are standard in the United States, but uncommon in most developed countries, where it is typically only recommended for newborns of mothers who test positive for the infection,” the White House stated in December.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and other groups filed a lawsuit on Jan. 19 seeking to challenge the revised childhood vaccine schedule.

They argued that officials failed to adequately review relevant data or provide satisfactory explanations for the changes. A federal judge heard arguments on Feb. 13 and is considering whether to block the schedule update.

In January, HHS responded after executives of top vaccine companies took aim at the Trump administration in the wake of a series of actions on vaccines.

“Vaccine recommendations are based on the best available gold-standard scientific evidence and public health considerations, not corporate interests,” an HHS spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email on Jan. 28.

“Under this administration, HHS is not beholden to the pharmaceutical industry. Decisions are made through transparent processes with the sole aim of protecting the health of the American people. Protecting public health and restoring trust will continue to drive HHS’ vaccine policy.”

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 13:40

Whole Foods Ditching Its "Dystopian" Pay-By-Palm Biometric Payment Option

Whole Foods Market is shutting down its palm-scan payment system nationwide, removing the devices from more than 500 stores by June 3 after shoppers largely ignored them. The chain, owned by Amazon, had pitched the feature as a frictionless way to pay. Instead, it became an experiment few customers embraced, according to The Daily Mail.

The program, called Amazon One, allowed shoppers to link their Amazon accounts to a scan of their palm and check out with a wave of the hand. Amazon says it processes more than a million biometric authentications each month across locations where the service operates, but a spokesperson said weak adoption at Whole Foods drove the decision to discontinue it there.

In interviews at a Union Square store in Manhattan, none of the dozen customers surveyed had used the scanners. Several said they had never seen anyone else try. “I haven’t [used palm payment], and I haven't seen anyone use it before,” said Priscilla Flete. After learning how the system worked, she added, “It’s a bit invasive.”

The Daily Mail writes that privacy worries were a common refrain. “I don't want to give my biometric data to nobody,” said Santiago Tieguec, who questioned the need for the service given that “Nowadays we have our cards in our phones.” Nusrat Abdullah, who hadn’t heard of the feature before, said, “It might be convenient, but I think your information is sensitive... I don't think paying with your hands is very safe.”

Others expressed outright distrust. Gavin McGinn said, “I wouldn't trust them to have that kind of information about people, because who would they sell it to?” Brayden Stephenson, who once tested the scanner out of curiosity, was skeptical that data would truly disappear: “A lot of the time, ‘delete’ is just archive and sell off to somebody else.”

Amazon disputes those fears, saying biometric data is encrypted, stored securely in the cloud and not shared with third parties. The company added that once the rollout ends, all associated customer information—including palm data—will be permanently deleted.

Retail analysts say the technology’s retreat underscores a basic reality: contactless cards and mobile wallets are already fast and easy. Without a clear benefit, many shoppers saw little reason to trade more personal data for the same checkout experience. As Stephenson put it, “I already have a card. I'm not getting anything out of that.”

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 13:05

The Atlantic Busted Fabricating Dead Kid Measles Story

Last Thursday, The Atlantic published a heart-wrenching story about an 11-month-old child who died of measles. Written in the second person from the perspective of a mother whose two unvaccinated children fell ill with the disease, the story is rich with personal detail;

"You plant her on the couch with a blanket and put Bluey on the TV while she drifts in and out of sleep..." 

"While the kids are napping, you tap a list of your daughter’s symptoms into Google and find a slew of diseases that more or less match up..."

"Her cough wracks her whole body, rounding her delicate bird shoulders. She does not sleep well. And as you lift up her pajama top to check her rash one morning, you see that her breathing is labored, shadows pooling between her ribs when she sucks in air." 

Image via NiemanLab

Turns out, NONE OF THAT HAPPENED. The Atlantic's Elizabeth Bruenig simply made it up, leading to mass confusion.

Elizabeth Bruenig, who fabricated measles scare piece without a disclaimer.

As Laura Hazard Owen of NiemanLab - who initially busted Bruenig - writes:

When I initially read Bruenig’s story, I was stunned: An Atlantic staff writer’s unvaccinated child had died of measles in the 2020s, and now she was writing about it? At the end of Bruenig’s piece, though, there’s an editor’s note: “This story is based on extensive reporting and interviews with physicians, including those who have cared directly for patients with measles.” That was the point when I sent a gift link to my mom group: “as far as I can tell this piece is fiction. What do we think about this choice? I am very conflicted!!!” My conflict stemmed from my concern that, though the piece was heavily researched, it was not a true story. I wondered if the key people whose minds might be changed by it — people who don’t vaccinate their kids — would brush it off as fiction, or fake.

Following the publication, two journalists reached out to Owen to let her know that they were similarly confused, as there "was not an editor's note/disclaimer on the piece at all." 

What's more, The Atlantic's own spokesperson told one of the journalists: "This is based on a mother's real account," - after which the outlet added a disclaimer. 

To +1 @laurahazardowen

I've also seen PDF of Atlantic piece on measles as first posted.

a/ Originally it had no editor's note

b/ PR rep initially told reporter (in note I've seen) "this is based on a mother's real account."

If Atlantic was confused, why wouldn't readers be? https://t.co/oWFlaktBWe

— David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik) February 19, 2026

The comments section at The Atlantic is full of similarly confused readers: 

To clarify - The Atlantic published a story about a child dying of measles.

Without notifying its readers the story was largely a work of fiction.

The only added an editor's note after other journalists started asking them about it. https://t.co/cgWdlt0KjS

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) February 19, 2026

Of course, some Harvard douche who doesn't disclose that his own work was mentioned in The Atlantic 'immediately recognized the article as hypothetical.' Great job Stuart! 

I don't understand how anyone would have not immediately recognized the article as hypothetical -- it's in the second person! Obviously none of this has happened to me as the reader, so obviously it's a way of storytelling.

— Stuart Buck (@stuartbuck1) February 19, 2026

 

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 12:30

Teachers Are Fomenting Anti-ICE Hysteria

Authored by Larry Sand via American Greatness,

Employees of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been busy lately, working to fulfill their mandate to remove undocumented immigrants.

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of ICE’s activities is its alleged presence in public schools across the nation.

But is ICE actually going into schools?

Absolutely not.

While there are a few reports of parents being detained at bus stops near schools and images of ICE agents tackling people on school grounds, they are not actually entering the schools.

Tricia McLaughlin, the Homeland Security Department’s assistant secretary for public affairs, explains that agents’ actions in and around schools are intended to protect children.

“ICE is not going to schools to arrest children—we are protecting children. Criminals are no longer able to hide in America’s schools to avoid arrest. The Trump administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement and instead trusts them to use common sense.”

McLaughlin adds, “An arrest might be made at school if a dangerous illegal alien felon were to flee into a school or a child sex offender is working as an employee. But this has not happened.”

Nonetheless, teachers are organizing their students to battle ICE.

As reported by Erika Sanzi, director of communications at Defending Education, teachers in Minnesota have been coordinating student protests on social media.

“There is nothing organic about these events, and despite claims to the contrary, they are almost never spontaneous expressions of student speech. They are basically field trips without the parent permission slip,” Sanzi said.

In Oregon, a video shows kindergarten students participating in a protest, and numerous schools nationwide have preemptively canceled classes so students could protest.

The teachers’ unions have also seized on ICE’s alleged misdeeds to indoctrinate students.

According to materials obtained by Defending Education, the United Teachers Los Angeles gave a presentation last year titled “Preparing for ICE at Your School” that urged its members to engage in political activism and suggested using school resources to thwart ICE operations.

The UTLA documents guide educators on how to resist the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration and urge parents and teachers to collaborate on resistance efforts. It is part of the union’s broader efforts to “build a comprehensive response to immigration enforcement.”

One slide shared with educators reads, “The fight is far from over. We need to keep fighting together!” Another slide titled “What can you do?” instructs educators on how to respond to ICE operations.

Ron Gochez, a teacher at Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School in Los Angeles, a winner of the California Teachers Association “Human Rights Award,” and a spokesman for Unión del Barrio, a Chicano Marxist revolutionary political organization, is at the forefront of the anti-ICE movement in L.A.

During a recent ICE protest in Los Angeles, Gochez told his compadres, “Don’t forget where you’re standing. This is South Central Los Angeles. They (ICE) are not the only ones with guns in this city. Don’t forget that. And I don’t say that because I’m calling for violence; I’m saying that because the people have every right to defend themselves against masked, unidentified gunmen. The people have every right to defend themselves.”

Revolutionary activities are hardly new to Gochez. In August 2024, a UTLA meeting focused on “How to be a teacher & an organizer… and NOT get fired,” during which Gochez outlined stealth methods for indoctrinating his students. He described transporting busloads of students to an anti-Israel rally during the school day without arousing suspicion.

“A lot of us that have been to those (protest) actions have brought our students. Now, I don’t take the students in my personal car,” Gochez said. Then, referring to the Los Angeles Unified School District, he explained, “I have members of our organization who are not LAUSD employees. They take those students, and I just happen to be at the same place and the same time with them.”

Not surprisingly, the National Education Association aligns with various revolutionary groups, including the Sunrise Movement, which is funded by several left-wing billionaires, including George Soros. The group began with a focus on environmental issues but is now dedicated to virtually every radical proposition imaginable, with a particular emphasis on brainwashing students and organizing within schools.

In January, the NEA, under the guise of protecting children, blasted out an anti-ICE message across various social media platforms, saying, “As thousands of ICE agents carry out aggressive enforcement in Minnesota, hundreds of teachers, counselors, parents, school staff, activists, and union leaders are organizing and showing up in powerful ways—from delivering groceries and schoolwork to organizing solidarity actions and mass protests calling for ICE to leave schools and neighborhoods.”

Pushback against the blatant propaganda is mounting, however.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared that protests should be considered unlawful. The state education agency has warned that it could impose sanctions and investigate schools that facilitate “inappropriate political activism.”

“Schools and staff who allow this behavior should be treated as co-conspirators and should not be immune for criminal behavior,” Abbott told reporters.

In Florida, the state’s Education Commissioner, Anastasios Kamoutsas, said schools have a responsibility to ensure that protests do not disrupt school operations and suggested that discipline would be warranted for staff who facilitate or encourage protests during classroom hours.

“We will not tolerate educators encouraging school protests and pushing their political views onto students, especially ones that disparage law enforcement,” Kamoutsas said on social media.

Some Indiana school leaders are also calling for discipline after hundreds of students walked out of class to protest, a move that Republican Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith criticized as unacceptable.

Many parents are unhappy with the protests. One outraged Washington mother, seen in a video, has informed school officials that she is withdrawing her daughter from the district after teachers encouraged students to walk out to protest ICE activities.

When children go off to school each day, teachers act in loco parentis. Unfortunately, these days, “loco” has a whole different meaning.

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 12:15

WTI Extends Geopolitical Risk Gains After Across-The-Board Inventory Draws

Oil prices pushed higher Thursday on worries that nuclear talks between US and Iran might not avert a new conflict that could threaten supplies.

"Oil is extending its gains, with Brent crude back above $70 a barrel... as fears of a military confrontation between the US and Iran rattled energy markets," said Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.

"Nuclear talks between the two sides appear to be going nowhere fast, and the geopolitical premium is clearly back in play," he added.

On top of that, API reported an across the board draw in energy inventories.

“The failure to resolve core areas of contention continues to tip the scales in favor of another military confrontation,” RBC Capital Markets analysts including Helima Croft said in a note.

“The massive buildup of US military assets in the region as well as the recent Iranian naval exercise in the Strait of Hormuz seem to suggest that the launch sequence for a second military conflict has commenced.”

Will the official data confirm API's draws and build (pun intended) on the geopolitical risk premia in crude prices...

API

• Crude -609k

• Cushing -1.4mm

• Gasoline -312k

• Distillates -1.6mm

DOE

• Crude -9.014mm - biggest draw since Sept 2025

• Cushing -1.095mm - biggest draw since Jun 2025

• Gasoline -3.21mm - biggest draw since Oct 2025

• Distillates -4.566mm

The official data confirmed API with inventory draws across the board. Crude saw its biggest destocking since September and Gasoline stocks fell for the first time since Nov7th...

Source: Bloomberg

US crude production extended its rebound from the storm slowdown...

Source: Bloomberg

WTI is trading near $67 after the official inventory data, extending gains...

Source: Bloomberg

"Geopolitical issues, above all Iran, are the key bullish factor in the oil market at the moment," University of Texas-Austin energy analyst Ben Cahill tells Axios via email.

"Otherwise there's not a whole lot of price support toward $70 [per barrel]. The slack in this market could embolden the White House," he said.

Iran exports about 1.5 million barrels per day, mostly to China. But the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow sea passage next to Iran, is a choke point that handles a whopping one-fourth or so of the world's maritime oil trade.

"For oil markets, the concern is clearly what action would mean not only for Iranian oil supply, but also broader Persian Gulf oil flows, given the risk of disruption to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz," ING analysts said in a note on Wednesday.

Daan Struyven, Goldman Sachs co-head of global commodities research, told CNBC that he thinks the market sees tensions escalating further between the US and Iran, a likely catalyst for price hikes and longer-term volatility.

"Both prediction markets and oil markets are pricing some near-term moderate escalation as the base case," he said.

Specifically, if tensions in the Strait were to curtail flows by 1 million barrels per day for an entire year, Struyven predicted that would justify an $8 per barrel price increase, a roughly 11% jump from Thursday's price for Brent crude around $71.50. However, he also noted that fear among traders could push prices even higher, adding to the volatility in the market.

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 12:05

US Coast Guard Seizes $133.5 Million In Illicit Drugs

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Crew of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Seneca seized more than $133.5 million worth of cocaine and offloaded the drugs at Port Everglades, Florida, the agency said in a Feb. 13 statement.

The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk (WMEC 913) and a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter flight crew conduct training evolutions in the Caribbean Sea, on July 15, 2025. Seaman Corrie Gill/U.S. Coast Guard

“80 percent of interdictions of U.S.-bound drugs occur at sea. This underscores the importance of maritime interdiction in combatting the flow of illegal narcotics and protecting American communities from this deadly threat,” USCG said.

In total, 17,700 pounds of cocaine were seized through the interdiction of four drug-transporting vessels in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

One of the drug vessels was boarded by Seneca’s crew on Jan. 25, seizing 4,410 pounds of cocaine. On Jan. 31, crew members boarded three vessels, taking custody of 13,340 pounds of cocaine, the statement said.

The detection and monitoring of illegal drug transit by air and sea are conducted by the U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force-South, based in Key West. Once it is determined that the vessel must be interdicted, the USCG takes control of the operation, boards the vessel, and apprehends it.

“I am extremely proud of the crew’s incredible performance and adaptability during this deployment,” said Capt. Lee Jones, commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Seneca.

“This deployment demonstrates our enhanced posture and continued success in the fight against narco-terrorism and transnational criminal organizations.

“The Coast Guard, in conjunction with our inter-agency and international partners, continues to patrol areas commonly associated with drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific, denying smugglers access to maritime routes by which they move illicit drugs to our U.S. land and sea borders.”

According to the agency, the Coast Guard is accelerating its crackdown on drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific Ocean in support of Operation Pacific Viper, aiming to protect the United States from the flow of illicit narcotics from South America.

Operation Pacific Viper, launched in early August last year, directs U.S. forces to the Eastern Pacific region to counter cartel and criminal groups, seeking to cut off drug and human smuggling before they hit U.S. shores.

In early December 2025, USCG said in a statement that it had seized more than 150,000 pounds of cocaine from the Eastern Pacific Ocean, which it said was enough to create more than “57 million potentially lethal doses.”

In a Feb. 14 statement, USCG announced the seizure of two vessels containing $5.6 million in illicit narcotics off Port Everglades. Authorities seized roughly 745 pounds of cocaine by interdicting two suspected drug trafficking vessels.

“The Coast Guard is in the business of saving lives, and every kilogram of these drugs kept off our streets represents lives saved,” said Lt. Justin Dadlani, commanding officer of Station Fort Lauderdale.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the professionalism of the crew and our continued partnerships with our partners with Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations.”

On Feb. 15, the agency announced that its Cutter Forrest Rednour had interdicted 14 suspected illegal immigrants aboard a vessel 18 miles from San Diego, with all of them claiming to be Mexican nationals.

Earlier on Jan. 27, the Coast Guard said they had interdicted three suspected illegal immigrants from Mexico in two vessels, seven miles off Imperial Beach, California.

On Jan. 21, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said the Coast Guard notified the agency of a suspicious vessel traveling toward Puerto Rico. Upon investigation, CBP agents found 12 migrants from Russia and Uzbekistan aboard. The interception took place on Jan. 13.

“This successful outcome highlights the strong partnerships between the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and all federal and local law enforcement partners in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” said Capt. Robert E. Stiles, Sector San Juan deputy.

“Our daily unified coordination, shared capabilities, and synchronized response efforts are instrumental to safeguarding our nation’s Caribbean maritime borders against illicit smuggling activities.”

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 11:25

Epstein Funded UCSD Study Of 'Telepathic Autistic Savant' Through Deepak Chopra Connection

Jeffrey Epstein was connected with several notable scientists - funding leading research centers, including Harvard, where he donated $9 million, and MIT's Media Lab, which he gave at least $7.5 million (and funneled another $1.2 million to investments under the control of the lab's former director, Joi Ito). He was connected to Stephen Hawking, Marvin Minsky, Steven Pinker and a host of other names. 

Vilayanur Subramanian Ramachandran and Jeffrey Epstein

Now we learn that Epstein provided funding to a lab at UC San Diego after lifestyle guru Deepak Chopra introduced the financier to lab director Vilayanur Subramanian Ramachandran - a neuroscientist who was studying an "autistic savant who displays telepathy," according to the latest DOJ Epstein file dump. 

Chopra, a former UCSD family medicine and public health clinical professor, said in late October that he was just helping Epstein with insomnia by teaching him to meditate. "At my suggestion, he also visited Dr. V.S. Ramachandran's lab at [the University of California San Diego] to learn about ongoing brain research," he told CBS News in December. 

EFTA01013830.pdf

Ramachandran was conducting a study on an "autistic savant who displays telepathy," according to UCSD's The Guardian, citing a Sept. 25, 2017 email with the subject "Cost to study the autistic savant who displays telepathy," in which he tells Chopra, "i don't have a problem with my lab being funded by epstein ... so long as theres no UC connection." 

Ramanchandran further wrote that if Chopra’s “pal [Epstein] is serious about setting in motion a lab for the study of extraordinary brain potential … something like 500,000 to 3 million would get the administrators excited.”

A subsequent email from Epstein to his accountant, Richard Kahn, instructed Kahn to send $25,000 from Epstein’s private foundation, Gratitude America Ltd., to the University of California Board of Regents to fund Ramachandran’s research on savant syndrome. He asked it to be mailed to former psychology department director and current chief administrative officer, Peter Hinkley. 

Chopra later emailed Epstein on October 5, 2017 to provide an update on spending the day with Ramachandran to discuss the "pilot study of autistic savants."

Ceepak Chopra

The 2017 emails weren't the first Epstein-Ramachandran mention. On April 17, 2009, Epstein emailed someone whose name was redacted, replying to a list of "smart" and "out of the box" people to have over to his Florida home sometime in the future. Epstein included Ramachandran in this list, along with others who he described as "good friends of mine for years." 

While there's nothing we could find on the telepathic kid (maybe they sensed danger), Ramachandran did write an article in December 2006 where he says telepathy is "legitimately ignored, except by crackpots" because it's difficult to replicate. He's also mentioned a few times in this piece on life after death, ESP, and other phenomenon.

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 11:05

Epstein Ally Was Talking To Feds About Flip, Wanted $3 Million To Keep Quiet, Then Backed Off Deal

French modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel - whose network delivered new girls from around the world to Jeffrey Epstein on a regular basis, was prepared in 2016 to tell U.S. prosecutors what he knew about Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation. According to newly released files from the DOJ, the now-deceased Brunel’s lawyer was negotiating with attorneys for Epstein’s victims about a possible meeting with federal prosecutors in New York in exchange for immunity - and Epstein knew it. And of course, Goldman Sachs (soon to be ex-) General Counsel Kathy Ruemmler is involved.

Jeffrey Epstein and Jean-Luc Brunel in an undated photo. Justice Department

According to handwritten notes taken by a federal prosecutor in February 2016 state: "One of Epstein’s bfs, Jean Luc Brunel, has helped get girls. He is wanting to cooperate." The notes add: "Brunel is afraid of being prosecuted," the Wall Street Journal reports.

Notes by a federal prosecutor in 2016 regarding potential testimony by Brunel. Justice Department

The discussions contemplated a date for Brunel to walk into the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan. His lawyer said Brunel had recruited girls for Epstein and possessed incriminating photographs, according to the notes.

Then Brunel stopped communicating.

The files indicate that Epstein learned negotiations were underway. On May 3, 2016, Epstein emailed Ruemmler, a top Obama administration attorney who recently announced her resignation over the friendship. Epstein warned that Brunel planned to approach the U.S. Attorney’s office the following week - noting that one of Brunel’s friends had "asked for 3 million dollars so that Jean Luc would not go in."

Epstein said Brunel feared arrest if he did not appear. "I want to know more," he wrote, dismissing Brunel’s lawyer and friend as "scammers."

Ruemmler replied hours later, asking Epstein to call and explain. The next day she wrote: "Awake now. Talking to Poe in 20 mins." Gregory Poe was Epstein’s lawyer in Washington, D.C.

Poe claims he didn't speak with Ruemmler or Epstein about Brunel "on May 4, 2016 or at any other time," telling the Journal that he had a scheduled call that day with Ruemmler about his work on a motion to quash a subpoena directed at Epstein. "My engagement by Jeffrey Epstein was limited," Poe said, adding that he terminated work for Epstein in August 2016.

It remains unclear why Brunel ultimately declined to cooperate, or whether Epstein gave him $3 million not to. What is clear from the files is that no investigation was opened at the time. A 2021 government court filing states that the prosecutor who took the February 2016 notes discussed the meeting with colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s office and the FBI, but no probe was initiated. The notes referencing Brunel were redacted in that filing. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in New York declined to comment.

Epstein and Brunel during a birthday party for Epstein. Justice Department

Epstein remained free for another three years, until his arrest in 2019. He died in a New York jail cell later that year in what the city’s medical examiner ruled a suicide.

"It set us back a couple of years," said David Boies, an attorney who filed civil suits on behalf of Epstein victims, referring to Brunel’s decision not to cooperate. "We know from our lawsuits that there were more than 50 girls that were trafficked after this."

Brunel occupied a central place in Epstein’s orbit. As head of a U.S.-based modeling agency, he recruited foreign girls and young women, secured work visas and provided the appearance of legitimate employment, according to the files. He traveled on Epstein’s private jet, visited his private island and exchanged hundreds of emails with him.

Federal prosecutors in New York were briefed in 2016 on details of Epstein’s trafficking scheme, including allegations that Brunel, Ghislaine Maxwell and others recruited dozens of underage girls, the handwritten notes show. The Justice Department did not move on Epstein until after a Miami Herald investigation in late 2018 renewed scrutiny of his earlier plea agreement in Florida.

When Epstein was arrested in 2019, Brunel and Maxwell were identified as co-conspirators in the FBI investigative file, according to the documents. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

Joseph Titone, Brunel’s attorney, said he advised his client to cooperate with authorities and cut ties with Epstein. "I recommended and advised him to stop communicating with Epstein, but he never did," Titone said.

Brunel was arrested in France in 2020 on allegations of rape and supplying girls to Epstein. He died in jail in 2022. Prosecutors in Paris said Saturday they would re-examine the case and create a special team to analyze evidence that could implicate French nationals.

Ruemmler has said she never represented Epstein and regretted her association with him. A spokeswoman, Jennifer Connelly, said, "This was another instance of Epstein attempting to engage Ms. Ruemmler on a matter about which she had no knowledge, and she appropriately directed him to his legal counsel." Connelly declined to specify which counsel.

As details of Ruemmler’s communications with Epstein became public in the recent files, she said last week she would resign in June from her position as general counsel of Goldman Sachs.

A Modeling Agency as Pipeline

Brunel was always a creep, even before he met Epstein. In 1988, CBS’s "60 Minutes" aired an investigation featuring women who said they were drugged by Brunel and pressured to have sex with his associates to obtain modeling work. One woman alleged on camera that Brunel had drugged and raped her. No criminal charges were filed, and Brunel denied the allegations.

By the early 2000s, Brunel and Epstein had developed a close relationship. Flight logs show Brunel frequently traveled on Epstein’s private jet beginning around 2000.

In 2005, Epstein wired up to $1 million to help Brunel launch MC2 Model Management, which opened offices in New York and Miami. According to the report, the MC2 was an inside joke, referring to the equation E=MC², with the E referring to Epstein.

According to the new files, Epstein used the agency to procure women and as a payroll vehicle. Emails from July 2006 show Epstein instructing Brunel to put a woman "on your payroll" at a $50,000 annual salary. When Brunel asked whether the woman should scout models, Epstein replied: "Start salary as soon as possible." He added that he would be in Paris the following week and "could see her then."

After Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to procuring a minor for prostitution and served jail time, Brunel visited him nearly 70 times, according to jail logs.

Control Through Visas and Debt

Following his 2006 arrest in Florida, Epstein focused on recruiting women in their late teens and 20s from Europe and Russia, the files indicate. Dependent on work visas, housing and financial support, they were vulnerable to control.

In June 2012, Joshua Fink - son of BlackRock CEO Larry Fink - emailed Brunel about an MC2 invoice concerning a 'model' he was 'dating'... Brunel said he would suspend billing. When Brunel forwarded the exchange to Epstein, Epstein replied: "Talk to me first please."

The invoice related to a work visa through the agency. The woman had forwarded chat logs with Fink to Epstein, including messages in which Fink wrote: "And with your visa, I have no idea what it is I can do beyond pay your agency to supplent (sic) your income and theirs because you are not getting work as a model."

Fink said he met the woman at a dinner party and had a romantic relationship lasting about a year. "I had no relationship with Epstein or Brunel," he said. "I am totally shocked that she was forwarding electronic correspondence to Epstein." He said he loaned her money to settle debts with the agency.

"It was a personal relationship, and personal things happen," Fink added. 

The woman told the Journal she felt trapped in a web of abuse controlled by Epstein and Brunel. After signing with MC2 and obtaining a work visa, she said, modeling jobs dwindled while fees mounted. She described the relationship with Fink as consensual and a potential escape. She said Epstein blocked plans for Fink to meet her in Paris to discuss marriage, and the relationship ended.

Brad Edwards, a lawyer representing more than 200 Epstein victims, said, "Epstein’s wealth and power allowed him to infiltrate industries, perhaps most pervasively the modeling industry. He found in Jean-Luc a like-minded predator with whom he could conspire on a daily basis to recruit and control the lives of countless young women, including Jane Doe."

Fracture and Reconciliation - a ruse?

In 2014, Virginia Roberts Giuffre filed a motion alleging Brunel trafficked girls as young as 12 to his associates, including Epstein. As public scrutiny intensified, Brunel and MC2 sued Epstein in Florida in January 2016 - claiming the agency’s value had collapsed due to notoriety surrounding Epstein. The suit alleged up to $10 million in lost profits and difficulty recruiting models.

Titone later contacted Edwards, suggesting Brunel might possess photographic evidence against Epstein. Victims’ attorneys, including Stan Pottinger and Boies, relayed information to federal prosecutors.

By early 2016, Brunel appeared ready to cooperate. The Feb. 29, 2016 notes state: "Titone says his client has photographic evidence." They also note: "Brunel doesn’t want to implicate himself."

Epstein and Brunel with women whose faces have been redacted. Justice Department

On May 3, 2016, Pottinger wrote to a prosecutor referencing Daniel Siad, whom Brunel described as a recruiter for Epstein. Emails show Siad updating Epstein about potential recruits and writing, "please send me the details of the girls names etc." In another message, Siad compared recruiting to fishing: "In This busyness I feel like fisherman some time I cache quick , some time no fish." He itemized expenses of 2,700 euros.

Siad later said in a video broadcast in France that he introduced models to Epstein professionally. "With time, we have learnt that he committed atrocities," he said.

The breach between Brunel and Epstein proved temporary (perhaps as designed). By April 2015, Brunel proposed mediation, and Epstein wrote: "I have some ideas. that I think you will like." Titone said the lawsuit was eventually settled under confidential terms.

When Epstein was found dead in 2019, Brunel went into hiding. French police arrested him in December 2020 as he attempted to board a flight to Senegal. He was charged with sex crimes and, in February 2022, was found hanged in his prison cell.

The Justice Department files suggest that in 2016, a potential turning point slipped away. Brunel did not walk into the U.S. Attorney’s office. The investigation did not advance. And Epstein continued recruiting victims for years afterward.

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 10:55

Rep. Khanna To Force Vote On Iran War Powers: 'Another Endless Dumb Foreign War'

Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) said on Wednesday that he will force a vote on a War Powers Resolution meant to prevent President Trump from attacking Iran without congressional authorization, as required by the Constitution.

The resolution was introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Khanna, and several other Democrats back in June 2025 amid the 12-day US-Israeli war against Iran, but a ceasefire was reached before a vote was held. Massie was the original sponsor, and the legislation currently has 77 co-sponsors, all Democrats.

CQ Roll Call/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect

Americans can contact their House representative and urge them to support H.Con.Res.38 to prevent a disastrous war with Iran, which appears imminent amid the major US military buildup in the region.

"Trump officials say there’s a 90% chance of strikes on Iran. He can’t without Congress," Khanna wrote on X. "[Massie] & I have a War Powers Resolution to debate & vote on war before putting US troops in harm’s way. I will make a motion to discharge to force a vote on it next week."

The California congressman said that he supported diplomatic efforts with Iran but that if "Trump is preparing to bomb Iran soon & others call for troops on the ground, Congress must get on the record so Americans know where their representatives stand."

"Like the votes before the Iraq war, this could be one of the most consequential votes in the history of Congress. Are we going to stop another endless dumb foreign war? Or will the neoconservatives mislead us once again?" he added.

Multiple media reports have said that a US attack on Iran could happen in the coming days or weeks, and all signs indicate it could trigger a much bigger conflict than the 12-Day War, and that Iran wouldn’t hold back in its response.

Tens of thousands of US military personnel in the Middle East are in range of Iranian missiles. Tehran has vowed immediate retaliation if hit with an unprovoked US or Israeli attack.

⚡️#BREAKING Two more American E-3C Sentry radar aircraft in the skies over Tel Aviv on their way to Saudi Arabia. pic.twitter.com/xsWKIt9asq

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) February 19, 2026

"A war with Iran would be catastrophic. Iran is a complex society of 90 million people with significant air defenses and military capabilities," Khanna said.

"We also have 30-40k US troops in the region who could be at risk of retaliation. Congress must do its job and stop this march to war."

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 10:45

New OpenAI Funding Round Could Top $100 Billion, Pushing Valuation North Of $850 Billion

OpenAI's private valuation could soon top $850 billion, as the first tranche of a new funding round is expected to raise more than $100 billion, giving the ChatGPT maker fresh powder for additional infrastructure spending and faster development of its AI tools, Bloomberg reported.

People familiar with the fundraising told the outlet that the ChatGPT maker's valuation could exceed $850 billion, with a reported pre-money valuation of $730 billion.

The first phase of the funding round is being led by Amazon, SoftBank Group, Nvidia, and Microsoft, with allocations potentially finalized by the end of this month.

A second phase of funding could include venture firms, sovereign wealth funds, and other investors, potentially pushing the total fundraising even higher.

UBS analyst Aditi Samajpati told clients earlier that OpenAI's new funding round "highlights the escalating capital intensity of AI development and deepening strategic alignment between OpenAI and Big Tech."

Bloomberg hedged the report by indicating the "deal is not yet finalized and the details could change."

Shares of SoftBank, which held an 11% stake in OpenAI as of December, jumped as much as 4% on the news during Tokyo trading. Shares closed up 2.6% and have remained flat year-to-date after peaking in October 2025.

OpenAI's potentially stunning private-market valuation comes after Anthropic was valued at about $350 billion in its latest Series G funding round led by GIC and Coatue.

Markets are pricing in a world in which US AI giants capture an outsized share of global AI revenue, control the highest-margin layers of the stack, and retain pricing power as customers continue to pay up. The key risk we see is duration in the AI story, and this may be a harder narrative to maintain as the technological gap between US and Chinese AI models narrows.

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 10:30

Iran Will Be "Finding Out" Over Next 10 Days, Trump Says, But Asserts "Good Talks"

Update(1021ET): As has become typical, President Trump is all over the place - his intentions ever more difficult to interpret - at a moment the media has highlighted Iraq war levels of military build-up in the Middle East with an eye on potential attack on Iran.

On Thursday he oversaw the inaugural meeting in Washington DC of the Board of Peace related to Gaza. In televised remarks he surprisingly called tense negotiations with Iran "good talks". But then he immediately pivoted to escalating things a "step further" - which seems a strong hint at launching a regime change war.

"Now we may have to take it a step further, or we may not," Trump added later. Then he set somewhat of a timeline, "You’re going to be finding out over the next, probably, 10 days." Watch the president's fresh remarks:

Trump at his "Board of Peace" on Iran: "Now we may have to take it a step further, or we may not. You're gonna be finding over the next probably 10 days." pic.twitter.com/itAUoc2pPH

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 19, 2026

* * *

Oil prices climbed early Thursday as markets zeroed in on the prospect of US action against Iran, lifting energy shares alongside crude - with West Texas Intermediate above $66 a barrel. The US military build-up in the Middle East means Iran's window to reach a diplomatic agreement over its atomic activities - which Tehran insists is for peaceful domestic energy purposes - is at risk of closing fast, according to the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog speaking to Bloomberg Television. 

At this moment the Trump-assembled armada threatening Iran includes two aircraft carriers, a dozen warships, hundreds of jets, and advanced air defenses. Over 150 US military cargo flights have delivered weapons to the Middle East this month, with a surge of aircraft still headed to the region. Some say the build-up is already nearing Iraq war levels.

Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi underscored the clock is ticking. "There is not much time but we are working on something concrete," said Grossi, in reference to meetings in Geneva with Iranian diplomats. "There are a couple of solutions the IAEA has proposed.

IAEA inspectors haven't verified the state of Iran's stockpile of near-bomb-grade uranium or assessed the scope of damage dealt to enrichment facilities for more than eight months.

Ironically enough, it was the unprovoked surprise Israeli and US attacks which shut the door on such inspections, also after the White House itself insisted on several occasions that the Islamic Republic's nuclear program was "obliterated" in the series of US bunker-buster bomb attacks on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Which is it?

Bloomberg and various analysts have speculated that before the Israeli attacks in June, Iran had enough highly-enriched material to quickly craft about a dozen warheads, assuming the scenario Tehran issued the order to weaponize its nuclear program.

Grossi said he also met with Trump’s envoys on Tuesday in Geneva, alongside the IAEA's some six hours of meetings with Iranian diplomats. He asserted that an IAEA return to the damaged facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz "hinges on the possibility of a wider type of agreement."

"We are conscious of the fact that there is this political negotiation," Grossi added. However, the Iranians are likely going to remain deeply distrustful of the UN watchdog and Grossi himself, given that the surprise June attack resulted in Iranian officials accusing the IAEA team of leaking sensitive data on Iranian facilities to Israel.

This is perhaps why Grossi himself appears pessimistic when commenting on the potential the forge a new deal before US military action ensues.  "There cannot be a deal if the IAEA isn’t able to verify," said Grossi, who described to Bloomberg he's seeking a solution by threading the red lines set by both sides.

"It’s not impossible," he said. "There are certain things that Iran understands cannot be pursued. We have to provide the watertight verification there is no deviation."

Some reports say a US attack on Iran could come as early as this weekend...

Major US naval, air buildup in the Middle East sets stage for potential Iran war.

CNN and CBS reported Wednesday that the US military will be ready to launch strikes against Iran as early as this weekend, though Trump has reportedly not made a final decision yet… pic.twitter.com/cRJOwP2PY8

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 19, 2026

As the second US carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is about to enter the Mediterranean while headed toward the CENTCOM area of responsibility, regional analyst Levent Kemal observes, "The US military buildup in the Middle East is going beyond dialogue or gunboat diplomacy. This is clearly an important preparation for a war aimed at removing the Iranian regime from the regional power balance equation."

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 10:21

The US Must Be Confident It Has A Plan In Place To Lower Oil Prices Once It Strikes Iran

By Michael Every of Rabobank

Lots Of Xs Vs Lots Of Ys

US vs. Iran: The media today talk of a “90% chance of war” and “as soon as Saturday.” We’ve long stressed there’s a high likelihood of a fresh US-Iran conflict, recent US logistics movements said soon, and an Axios headline yesterday refocused oil markets on it. The balance of risks now tilts to a US strike after market close Friday, even if the materiel moved to the Middle East suggests any attack is likely to last weeks rather than being over by the Monday open. One caveat is Secretary of State Rubio is set to meet with PM Netanyahu in Israel on February 28, hard to achieve if missiles are flying. Yet Israel is preparing for exactly that. Indeed, expectations are Iran will retaliate across the region, potentially via terror cells in the West (including in Europe), and perhaps in Hormuz directly if the regime sees itself as at risk. The broader region is flammable too, with tensions running: Egypt vs Ethiopia vs Eritrea; Somalia vs Somaliland; Sudan vs South Sudan; Yemen vs South Yemen; and the Saudis (and Turkey and nuclear-armed Pakistan) vs the UAE (and Israel and nuclear-armed India).

To say that this could be market- and geopolitics-moving is an understatement. Oil, and presumably LNG, prices would spike. How quickly they come down would depend on exactly how this plays out. The US must be confident that it has a plan in place to mitigate these kinds of risks. It certainly did, in a much less risky environment, in Venezuela.

The Fed: The latest minutes were significantly more hawkish than expected. Indeed, the Bloomberg take, accurate or not, is that several members may be leaning towards rate hikes not rates cuts. Given we are months away from the appointment of a new Fed Chair who wants to see the latter, that sets the Eccles Building up for some serious conflict ahead. Indeed, note the colliding views on what the AI revolution means for the US economy. Warsh, based on some optimistic thinking, says it means lower rates; Barr and Daly, based on surrealistic thinking, say it means higher rates. Our US strategist is sticking with 3 cuts this year for now, starting from June (see here).

The ECB: President Lagarde is going to step down early, setting off a scramble for succession. Our ECB team do an excellent job of working through the labyrinth of Byzantine European monetary politics in this report. In a nutshell, it’s not so much about policy preference, or protecting the ECB from the pollutant of political populism, nor about the presidency per se; rather, it’s potentially perpetuating an ECB executive board seat for France. And what would any key European decision be without France trying to do that? C’est la guerre, c’est Lagarde. (And does she have a better gig lined up? The whisper had been Davos leadership, but post-Trump’s stomp on it, is that still a step up?)

The RBA vs. the government: Strong wages growth and jobs data keep the pressure on the Reserve Bank. Private sector wages were +3.4% y-o-y in Q4 and public sector +4%. Jobs growth in January was 17.8K, broadly in line with expectations, but with a surge in full-time employment of over 50K, while unemployment fell a tick to a near-historic low of 4.1%. Yes, there are questions about data quality, population growth, and AI, even if Australia is hardly at the cutting edge in that key area. But what excuses can the RBA keep finding not to be hawkish, even if that eventually sets up a collision with the housing market? There’s already one underway between former RBA Governor Lowe and the government, the former saying the latter needs to stop spending to get rates down again, the latter saying that’s just a personal vendetta.  

The BOE: Reform Party not-Shadow Chancellor Jenrick pledged to retain BOE independence and the Office for Budget Responsibility, while…. drum roll… reforming both. The BOE will be stripped of political goals and a climate mandate, with a focus purely on inflation: QE was mentioned as a bad thing. The OBR is to change its models, with competitions to see which forecaster is most accurate in calling growth and the budget deficit right (as if it’s the salary that makes forecasting hard). He also spoke of making The City a ‘crypto leader’… but is that in Bitcoin, dollar stablecoins, or Euro or sterling ones? Expect major collisions on that front both between legacy banking and crypto, and between crypto players… albeit only from 2029 onwards, barring a political shock.

France vs Germany: Aside from ECB politics, Chancellor Merz has just said that the Eurofighter project that was supposed to be built between France and Germany ‘fails to meet Germany’s needs’. That follows similar recent spats over protectionism and trade deals. More broadly, as Germany rearms, adding military muscle to its existing, if shrinking, economic heft, Franco-German tensions are only going to increase on multiple fronts, forging new intra-EU alliances to emerge.

Canada vs the US: ‘Carney offers to ‘broker a bridge’ to build giant anti-Trump trade club’ - joining the EU with the CPTPP’s Canada, Mexico, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and other Pacific nations. Really? Mexico is deepening trade integration with the US behind a de facto common external tariff. The UK is trying to get back in with the EU via dynamic regulatory alignment, but the benefits are likely to be low given businesses know Reform could win the next election and reverse it. Japan is all in on the US. Australia is close to an FTA with the EU, NZ has one, and both rely entirely on the US security umbrella. The smaller Asian economies are linked to China, with US trade deals not allowing transshipment. And almost all those countries want to net export to the US. With USMCA renegotiation months away, does Canada think this is leverage when the US holds the best cards?

Green vs not green: ‘US pressures global energy body to drop net zero modeling’. “US Energy Secretary Chris Wright made the call to other energy ministers at a closed-door ministerial meeting of the International Energy Agency in Paris on Wednesday, two people who were part of the discussions told POLITICO. The comments met with a muted response from other ministers, the people said…. It comes just a day after Wright publicly threatened to quit the organization unless it abandoned its focus on the energy transition… Wright said the agency should stop basing its modeling on assumptions that it's possible to cut emissions to zero, arguing such targets will never be met… Doing away with those baseline assumptions would be a significant shift for the IEA, which has made them central to forecasts that have in turn formed the basis of global political decision-making around the green transition and underpinned billions in green energy investments.”

Free speech vs hate speech: Welcome to glasnost, reverse-Gorbachev style. Reuters reports the Trump admin is to set up a website, Freedom.org, as a portal which everyone globally can use to access whatever information or apps that they want, regardless of what their own governments won’t let them see for various reasons. This would apparently operate via a permanent VPN. Obviously, this is going to cause tensions with the likes of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea… and Australia, the UK, and much of Europe. (Many readers will nod at immediately: but stop for a moment and think just how bizarre that would have read 10 years ago.)

Young vs. Old: ‘Over 65? Congratulations, You Own the Economy’. As the Wall Street Journal puts it, “The elderly are physically and financially healthier than ever. So why do their needs keep taking priority over younger generations?”

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 10:15

US Pending Home Sales Hit Record Low Despite Falling Mortgage Rates

After plunging in December (biggest drop since COVID), US Pending Home Sales disappointed once again with a modest 0.8% MoM decline in January (+2.0% MoM exp). This left sales down 1.23% YoY...

Source: Bloomberg

This left the Pending Home Sales Index at a record low...

Source: Bloomberg

Mortgage rates continued to slide... so WTF is holding buyers back?

Source: Bloomberg

“Improving affordability conditions have yet to induce more buying activity,” NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said in a statement.

Yun cautioned that the mix of lower mortgage rates and a still-tight supply of houses could cause home prices to start rising quickly again, assuming the lower borrowing costs encourage more buyers.

“This will put increasing pressure on affordability, which is why it is critical to increase supply by building more homes,” Yun said.

Weather could have impacted sales as sales were weakest in the NorthEast and South - where the winter storm was most impactful.

Pending-homes sales tend to be a leading indicator for previously owned homes, as houses typically go under contract a month or two before they’re sold.

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 10:10

PJM Board Approves $11.8BN Transmission Expansion Plan

By Ethan Howland Of UtilityDive

The PJM Interconnection’s board last week approved $11.8 billion in baseline transmission projects, with Dominion Energy’s Virginia utility landing roughly $4.8 billion in those projects.

The projects are part of PJM’s 2025 Regional Transmission Expansion Plan Window 1, which is designed to bolster grid reliability that is strained by accelerated load growth in multiple areas across its Mid-Atlantic and Midwest footprint.

The projects are also needed to handle new generation in southern Virginia, future generation in western PJM, delays to New Jersey offshore wind projects and increased regional flows toward the eastern parts of PJM’s footprint, the grid operator said Friday.

PJM will monitor load and generation in its footprint to make sure needed transmission development is progressing in a timely manner, the grid operator said in its board-approved plan.

DataBank’s IAD4 data center under construction in Ashburn, Va

“PJM also clarified that siting, routing and regulatory processes, as well as construction, take a long time, and PJM needs the plan to be ready and advanced for the forecasted conditions proactively rather than bringing needed development late, which introduces impediments to development and reliability risks to stakeholders,” the grid operator said.

Meanwhile, transmission costs are making up a growing share of the price of wholesale electricity in PJM.

In 2024, transmission contributed $17.71/MWh to the cost of wholesale power in PJM, up 23%, or 5.8% a year, from $14.40/MWh in 2022, according to reports from Monitoring Analytics, PJM’s market monitor.

Transmission costs totaled $13.9 billion, or 32% of total wholesale costs of $43.6 billion, in 2024, the last full year of Monitoring Analytics’ reporting. Energy costs made up nearly 59% of the cost of wholesale power that year and capacity accounted for 6.6% of the total.

As part of PJM’s transmission expansion plan, Dominion Energy Virginia intends to build a $2.3-billion, 525-kV underground “backbone” transmission line in Virginia. The project, set to be online by June 2032, also calls for building two high-voltage direct current converter stations at each end of the 185-mile line for about $1.5 billion.

The project is designed to deliver 3,000 MW into Loudoun County in northern Virginia, the area with the most data center capacity in the world.

Like other multi-zone projects in the RTEP, the costs of the project will be shared across PJM’s footprint.

The just-approved plan also includes a $1.7-billion transmission line across central Pennsylvania proposed by NextEra Energy Transmission and Exelon. The project was opposed by Pennsylvania’s Office of Consumer Advocate, which argued that there were less expensive alternatives to the project.

The project addresses system-wide, structural reliability needs in PJM’s northeastern region that cannot be met with incremental upgrades or “terminal-only” solutions, NextEra and Exelon said in a Jan. 29 letter to PJM’s board.

“PJM’s own analyses and the convergence of independent developer proposals, demonstrates that new high-voltage backbone infrastructure is required to maintain reliable service under plausible future conditions,” the companies said. The project is slated to be operating by June 2031.

The transmission plan includes a $1.1 billion project in central Ohio proposed by Grid Growth Ventures, a joint venture between Transource Energy — a partnership between American Electric Power and Evergy — and FirstEnergy Transmission. The project includes 300 miles of 765-kV lines.

Under the plan, PPL Electric will build transmission projects totaling about $580 million, while Exelon subsidiaries Commonwealth Edison and Potomac Electric Power Co. will build projects totaling about $276 million and $292 million, respectively.

PJM’s RTEPs for 2024 and 2023 included $5.9 billion and $6.6 billion in baseline projects.

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 09:50

Bill Gates Pulls Out Of High-Profile Indian AI Summit As Epstein Fallout Accelerates

The Epstein fallout continues to spread by the day, with billionaire Les Wexner saying he was "conned" by Jeffrey Epstein and insisting he "did nothing wrong" earlier this week, and with Prince Andrew (Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor) being arrested on Thursday morning over allegations that he shared confidential government trade documents with Epstein.

Now, Bill Gates has pulled out of a keynote speech at a high-profile global AI summit in India amid the accelerating Epstein fallout.

pic.twitter.com/tGJtEQS97E

— Gates Foundation India (@BMGFIndia) February 19, 2026

"After careful consideration, and to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit's key priorities, Mr. Gates will not be delivering his keynote address. The Gates Foundation will be represented by Ankur Vora, President of Africa and India Offices, who will speak later today at the Summit," Gates Foundation India wrote on X.

The $86 billion philanthropic body's last-minute decision to yank Gates out of a keynote address follows the billionaire's involvement with Epstein for several years.

The Gates Foundation CEO recently told employees during a town hall event that the Gates-Epstein relationship had deeply tarnished the nonprofit's reputation, according to a Financial Times report.

Related:

• "I Deeply Regret": Bill Gates, Reid Hoffman Deny Epstein Malarkey, And Here's Some Weird Sh*t

• New Mexico Launches Probe Into What Happened At Epstein's 'Zorro Ranch'

• Epstein Ally Was Talking To Feds About Flip, Wanted $3 Million To Keep Quiet, Then Backed Off Deal

We asked earlier...

Hey @CERAWeek you still going with Bill Gates? https://t.co/za6L33BlOj pic.twitter.com/WsIPUddlgl

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) February 19, 2026

It is important to note that Gates has not been accused of involvement in Epstein's sexual abuse. However, draft emails in the Epstein files show that the billionaire allegedly tried to hide a sexually transmitted disease from his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, after a sexual encounter with "Russian girls."

• Latest Epstein Emails Reveal Bill Gates Slipped Wife Antibiotics For STD He Got From Russian Hookers

FT cited a spokesperson for Gates who has said the claims are "absolutely absurd and completely false", demonstrating only Epstein's "frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates." The billionaire has publicly said that he "regrets ever having engaged with Epstein."

Last week:

• Goldman Sacks Ruemmler As Epstein Scandal ClaimsObama'ss Former Lawyer

And this...

Top of Bloomberg this morning, and three days later https://t.co/eADn08Kzdo pic.twitter.com/c3t4cCrWEQ

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) February 19, 2026

Who gets caught up next in the Epstein fallout?

Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 08:55