Syrian Army Crosses New Threshold With Advances in Kurdish Regions @nytimes.com #Syria The Syrian Army has moved into vast new regions, seeking to erase the largest fissure left from the civil war. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/w...

#Lebanon Says Four Months Needed for Second Phase of Hezbollah Disarmament @aljazeera.com Announcement comes as Hezbollah rejects calls to dismantle its arsenals north of the Litani River, describing pressure to do so as a ‘grave sin’. www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/...

Four People Killed in Israeli Strike in Eastern #Lebanon | Palestinian Information Center english.palinfo.com/news/2026/02...

Top Netanyahu aide: Hamas will have 60 days to disarm or IDF will ‘complete’ mission https://www.timesofisrael.com/top-netanyahu-aide-hamas-will-have-60-days-to-disarm-or-idf-will-complete-mission/

Germany Says Talks With France on Nuclear Deterrence Are at an Early Stage @reuters.com "This is not about replacing the US protective shield, but rather supplementing and strengthening it ... The US plays a central role in NATO's nuclear deterrence." 🙄

Israeli Plan To Register #WestBank Land as ‘State Property’ Null and Void: Palestinian Foreign Ministry - Anadolu Agency www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-ea... Ministry says move seeks to legitimize settlement expansion, calls for urgent international action to halt annexation and protect two-state solution

Israel’s #WestBank Annexation Moves Raise Security Alarm in Jordan | Middle East Eye Amman fears a ‘soft transfer’ of Palestinians from the occupied territory, with experts warning it could trigger a ‘regional earthquake’

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, Feb 16, 2026 @thestudyofwar.bsky.social #ISW Key Takeaways ⤵️ 4. The Kremlin appears to be adapting its tactics to conduct sabotage attacks in Europe. understandingwar.org/research/rus...

Oscar-winning director Hamdan Ballal says his family was attacked despite an Israeli court ruling in their favour.

Why Rubio Failed To Repair the Transatlantic Rift @financialtimes.com @gideonrachman.bsky.social 💯 A moment of calm in relations between Europe and the US is a prelude to crises ahead www.ft.com/content/5c6d...

Reciprocity: Ukraine should only agree if Russia agrees to hold a free and fair election. — Let’s Put Demands for a Ukrainian Election To Rest @gmfus.bsky.social Conditions in wartime Ukraine are not suitable for free and fair elections.

⚡️ Croatia has rejected a Hungarian request to transport Russian oil through its Adria pipeline.

No wonder the Epstein files fuel a nihilistic and conspiratorial view that all elites are rotten. It is reprehensible—and hard to understand—why the DoJ has made so little progress filing charges over the past seven years

Same old, same old 💩 — ‘The Best We Can Hope for’: Rubio’s Munich Unity Appeal Fails To Woo Europe @financialtimes.com US secretary of state sought to mollify but underlying message reinforced US administration’s talking points www.ft.com/content/9463...

US Carmakers Spooked by Chinese Rivals Gaining Foothold in America @financialtimes.com Trump spooked the US automobile industry last month when he told business leaders during a visit to Detroit that he would “love” if Chinese carmakers built plants in the US…

Bad Bunny and the Real America @financialtimes.com The NFL halftime show was great entertainment — and a roadmap for a better US foreign policy www.ft.com/content/e68d...

Russia’s Wagner Group Pivots To European Sabotage, Say Western Officials @financialtimes.com 😬 Recruiters involved with fighter group are said to be targeting agents for operations on NATO soil www.ft.com/content/dbd1...

I pay for news, but I won't support mainstream US media owned by large conglomerates and billionaires. Instead, I contribute to public media and interest organizations, and I subscribe to the best of foreign journalism (e.g., Financial Times, the Guardian). Censorship of Gaza is a prime example.

KP2A Tile: Quick Settings tile for Keepass2Android — My lightweight Android app that adds a Quick Settings tile to launch Keepass2Android directly (into unlock), making it faster to open your password database without losing your current context. FOSS, no ads. play.google.com/store/apps/d...

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, Feb 15, 2026 @thestudyofwar.bsky.social #ISW Key Takeaways ⤵️ 6. Recent Ukrainian tactical counterattacks have reportedly liberated multiple small settlements… 👍 understandingwar.org/research/rus...

Likewise the left-wing agenda, which has made no real effort to enact: • Medicare for All (or even to lower the age, a more practical way forward) • Universal childcare • Meaningful gun reform Those are a progressive wish list that lacks broad support.

and let’s not forget overturning citizens United, which they have had opportunities to do. I’m quite disillusioned with democrats for not doing this one SIMPLE THING to save our democracy and our country. Bernie was the only one to raise the citizens United banner in 2016 primaries.

Likewise let's not forget the failure to codify Roe v Wade into law, which Democrats also had ample opportunities to do.

Lest we forget: Not only did Trump fail to end the #Ukraine war in one day, or even in one month, but not even in one year! 😲 — Trump Said He Could Stop the Ukraine War in 24 Hours. After 100 Days, a Deal Still Eludes Him – NBC4 Washington www.nbcwashington.com/news/busines...

Syrian Army Takes Over Al-Shaddadi Base After US Withdrawal @aljazeera.com #Syria The move, in coordination with the US, is the latest implementation of the ceasefire agreement with Kurdish-led forces. 1/2

Palestinian Information Center: #Lebanon 🤬 Israeli violations have resulted in the killing and injury of hundreds of civilians, and it also defies the agreement by continuing its occupation of 5 Lebanese hills it seized during the last war, in addition to other areas it has occupied for decades. 1/2

Israel Kills 10 Palestinians in Gaza Bombing Ahead of 'Board of Peace' Meeting | Middle East Eye 🤬 • Israeli forces have committed more than 1,600 ceasefire violations, killing 601 Palestinians • Overall, Israeli forces have killed more than 72,061 Palestinians, with a further 171,715 wounded. 1/2

Viral AI Video of Tom Cruise Fighting Brad Pitt Leaves Hollywood Flabbergasted | EW 😬 SAG-AFTRA and the MPA have both accused Chinese company ByteDance of widespread infringement via its new generative AI service Seedance 2.0.

If this country was truly “pro-life,” we would have Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, gun reform, universal child care, and a living wage. The right-wing agenda isn’t about “life.” It’s about control.

On the contrary—Democrats could "starve the beast" of funding (otherwise known as appropriations) because they would hold the Power of the Purse. Gemini Pro: ⤵️

I'm sure Rubio gets it, his role in the Trump admin. He sold his soul to the devil.

Republicans Worry #Shutdown Will Overshadow Trump’s State of the Union @politico.com 🤭 President Donald Trump’s Feb. 24 address to Congress is set to collide with a DHS funding lapse. [Oops!] www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

Lawmakers Resign Themselves To Lengthy DHS #Shutdown @politico.com Negotiations will keep going but Democrats and the White House are far apart. www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

Poland Should ‘Begin Work’ on Nuclear Defenses, Nawrocki Says @politico.com 😲 Warsaw should base its security strategy around ‘nuclear potential,’ Polish president said. www.politico.eu/article/pola...

Couldn't indite a ham sandwich! 🤭 — ‘Stunning’: Jeanine Pirro’s Failure To Indict Democrats Is a Big Deal @politico.com The U.S. attorney is stumbling in Trump’s revenge tour — and it’s a sign of more struggles to come. www.politico.com/news/magazin...

In South Texas, the GOP Immigration Hard Line Is Now Political Kryptonite @politico.com 🍿 Texas Republicans bet on continuing to win over Latino voters. Then Trump began his aggressive deportation campaign. 🤭 www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

Russia Attacks a NATO Country in a War Game. It Doesn’t End Well. @politico.com 😬 In a simulation where Russia breaches the Lithuanian border, Europe struggles to respond without U.S. help. www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

Ex-NATO Chief: #Ukraine Victory 'Absolutely Within Reach' @deutschewelle.dw.com 👍 www.dw.com/en/former-na...

Perfect rebuttal by @gideonrachman.bsky.social ⤵️

George Will: Vladimir Putin Faces a Grim Future If the U.S. and Europe Act @washingtonpost.com ☑️ Crippled by his Ukraine misadventure, Vladimir Putin is surely defining success down. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Rubio's 'Reassuring' Speech To Europe at the Munich Security Conference @foreignpolicy.com >> Old Wine, New Bottle? << foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/14/r...

I'm shocked, shocked… — U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham Says Russia 'Not Serious' About Peace Deal With Ukraine @foreignpolicy.com The Republican senator’s comments contradict U.S. President Donald Trump’s position on Russia. foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/14/r...

Last year, it took an Axios engineer 3 weeks to complete a project. This past week, a similar project was completed with the same amount of work in 37 minutes with AI, writes Axios CTO Dan Cox. This is the reality of the AI hype you read and hear about.

My Take: • AI is not (yet) error-free. 80% goes really well, but 20% can be frustratingly stubborn. • The more technical the problem the more likely serious AI hallucinations. • No one AI is perfect: cross-checking between AI tools can really help. • 80-90+% of software jobs will disappear.

Trump vs Bad Bunny: Super Bowl Feud With Possible Midterm Consequences @reuters.com 👍 Trump's comments risk alienating Latino voters, crucial for midterm elections Several key House races are unfolding in Hispanic-heavy districts Trump's Latino support softens amid economic and immigration concerns

Same message. Slightly better packaging. @gideonrachman.bsky.social ⤵️ 1/2

Perfect rebuttal by @gideonrachman.bsky.social ⤵️

@gideonrachman.bsky.social of the @financialtimes.com thinks that "after Trump, the old America could make a comeback," but concedes that "there could be more violence and civil disorder before an American restoration can truly take place." giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

General consensus is that Trump's presidency has ushered in a new world order from which there is no turning back. This view deserves scrutiny, argues @gideonrachman.bsky.social. Read his column on #FTEdit 👉 ft.trib.al/38QnpBf Then have your say in today's #FTEdit poll 🗳️ ft.trib.al/PdHOXLf