Scientists say the Earth’s core may contain up to 45 oceans’ worth of water ZME Science
Researchers skeptical of ‘Havana syndrome’ test secret weapon on themselves WaPo
Climate/Environment
The nation’s largest utilities are moving back to coal – with little input from public grists
Study: Central Asia’s water towers to lose one-third of glacier mass by 2040 The Diplomat
Collapse by Cowards Climate Change Censor
pandemic
Increasing global incidence of post-viral diabetes following COVID-19 and public health implications Discover Public Health
South Korea
Court sentences former President Yoon to life imprisonment after imposing martial law Yonhap News
Japan
President Trump praises Japan’s commitment to invest $36 billion in U.S. oil, gas and critical mineral projects CNBC
Energy blind spot in Japan’s national security strategy Tokyo Review
US company plans to build a training base for debris removal at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Training center to open by 2029 Yomiuri Shimbun
China?
Tokyo’s strategic US investments emerge, putting China at risk Asia Times
President Trump’s April visit to China is rapidly taking shape George Chen
Who can stop the “America First” ambitions that are spreading around the world? –China can. alastair crook
US provides details on claims China conducted secret nuclear weapons test South China Morning Post
syrakistan
Israel plans to resume full-scale genocide in Gaza. dissident
Did Israel detain American right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson? First post
***
One Minute Until Midnight Larry Johnson
What Iran’s naval exercises with China and Russia in the Strait of Hormuz actually mean is a war zone
‘This is not a dry run’: US engages in major military buildup as threat to bomb Iran grows
Congressman Ro Khanna to force vote on Iran war powers resolution next week
***
US preparing to withdraw all troops from Syria
US and British intelligence contractors focused on the Middle East have discussed the price for “destroying” spies.
Africa
Nigeria in crisis as it hands over sovereignty to the US By Jibrin Ibrahim Premium Times
discord in europe
Berlin court orders foreign election interference – calls it Democracy Islander Report
Arms trade corruption tracker exposes NATO’s ‘highest-profile corruption scandal’ The Canary
old blighty
🚨BREAKING NEWS — Donald Trump said “the United States may need to use the airfields in Diego Garcia and Fairford” to attack Iran.
He appeared to suggest that British bases could be used to attack Iran, with or without Britain’s consent. pic.twitter.com/tPxVGP1xss
— Declassified UK (@declassifiedUK) February 18, 2026
Labor Party Surveillance of Journalists Including Me, Kit Clarenberg
British prosecutors drop charges of aggravated theft against 24 Palestinian activists.
Tony Blair: How ‘Schindler’s List’ inspired his approach to politics Jewish Chronicle
A new war that’s not so cold war
Will investing in Russia really make America a $12 trillion millionaire? economist
From the “Crimson Digest” Telegram channel:
Peskov’s comment, in response to RBK’s request for comment on The Economist’s claim that “a $12 trillion agreement was reached with the US on the condition that sanctions be lifted,” is a signal, but not for the Russians…
— Russians with Attitude (@RWApodcast) February 18, 2026
Clash of Civilizations Julian MacFarlane
Estimating trajectories in wars of attrition Warwick Powell
imperial collapse watch
Generalized Dutch Disease Policy Tensor
How the US won over China’s backchip manufacturing
south of the border
11 killed in US ship collision Council on Foreign Relations
Is Mr. Rubio rescinding Cuba’s regime change for his own political gain? responsible national strategy
Lafaire Epstein
Trump’s ‘rape’ allegation included in lawsuit against underage accuser Epstein Roger Sollenberger
The Israeli government installed and maintained a security system at the Epstein Apartment drop site.
Trump 2.0
US President’s son Eric Trump invests in drone maker with government contract Al Jazeera
Hegseth brings Christian nationalists to the Pentagon to pray for Christian restoration; after-action report
Demolition worker at DHS Headquarters (SCOOP) poisoned with asbestos, immigration insider
Credit cards canceled, Google accounts closed: ICC judge on life under Trump sanctions The Guardian
Plans online portal to circumvent content bans in US, Europe and elsewhere Reuters
Democrats are the worst
As President Trump marches America toward war with Iran, critics ask: Where’s the “backlash” from Democrats and the media? common dreams
big brother is watching you
Leaked emails suggest Ring plans to expand ‘search team’ surveillance beyond dogs 404 Media
‼ ️Breaking News: Researchers have exposed a secret AI surveillance project associated with KYC provider Persona and OpenAI that is transmitting user data to the US government.
The code reference includes the intelligence program codenames “Project SHADOW” and “Project LEGION.”
Analysis of source code… pic.twitter.com/fnmQDgzWH8
— International Cyber Digest (@IntCyberDigest) February 19, 2026
jackpot
The collapse is here. It’s just not evenly distributed. jessica wildfire
accelerationist
Child’s Play Harper’s Magazine. A new generation of technology and the end of thinking.
Meta AI glasses give power to creepy oligarchs
Maha
MAHA turns economic populist
secretary @Pete Hegseth He visited us for a beachside brunch. He can turn a lazy afternoon into a MAHA extravaganza that includes tree pull-ups, cold dives, and Mediterranean feasts. pic.twitter.com/3j8IBXyns0
— Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) February 18, 2026
“Liberation Day”
Who will pay U.S. tariffs in 2025? Federal Reserve Bank of New York
WH’s Hassett urges ‘discipline’ from Fed economists over tariff investigation AP
economy
What is happening in the US economy resembles Bernanke’s “unemployment recovery” in the 2000s rather than Greenspan’s “productivity miracle” in the 1990s. However, this is something the United States has never seen before, except that this is an “unemployment boom” that is not preceded by a recession. (https://t.co/TdkIipCNmB) pic.twitter.com/mHuDYAxsLK
— Matthew B (@boes_) February 18, 2026
TINA Small Business in the Economy: Competition for Scrap Charles Hugh Smith
Our economy is structurally engineered to produce outcomes like this… https://t.co/WUwNRjYhtM pic.twitter.com/QYr5ZolciW
— Faiz (@fshakir) February 18, 2026
A.I.
How AI slop is causing a crisis in computer science Nature. Explanation:
It’s a really dangerous situation. There are too many submissions. Too many papers generated. Very little responsibility.
1. In 2026, more than 24,000 proposals were submitted to the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML). This is twice as much as in 2025. To counter this, organizers are now… pic.twitter.com/0vqRABMOat
—Andrew Akbashev (@Andrew_Akbashev) February 18, 2026
antitrust law
Paramount has a secret plan to take over Hollywood before the cops arrive in droves by Matt Stoller
basil
The Guardian analyzes that plug-in hybrids consume three times more fuel than manufacturers claim
Tesla ‘robotaxis’ adds 5 crashes in Austin in one month – 4 times worse than human crashes
class war
Capitalizing the World: The Global Distribution of Income from Real Estate, 2000-2020 Stone Center on Socioeconomic Inequality
Workers’ determination will drive increased unionization in 2025 Economic Policy Institute
Labor movement, attack! hamilton nolan
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