The Daily, 02/10/26
Source: New York Times
“Deception and Dependency: Inside the Latest Epstein Files.” (02/10/25)
Top Iran security official in Oman, site of talks with US, likely over nuclear messages
Source: SFGate
“A top Iranian security official traveled on Tuesday to Oman, the Mideast sultanate now mediating talks between Tehran and Washington over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program aimed at halting a possible American strike. The visit by Ali Larijani, a former Iranian parliament speaker who now serves as the secretary to the country’s Supreme National Security Council, likely focused on what comes next after the initial round of indirect talks held last week in Muscat with the Americans. Larijani’s entourage shared photos of him meeting with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, the chief intermediary in the U.S.-Iran talks, with what appeared to be a letter sheathed in plastic and sitting alongside the Omani diplomat.” (02/10/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/top-iran-security-official-to-travel-to-oman-21344033.php
Ron Paul Liberty Report, 02/10/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Will Netanyahu Take Us To War?” (02/10/26)
All That Glitters
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott
“Since the end of January and into the beginning of February this year, the prices of gold and silver have fluctuated drastically. So much so that there is a good chance the price will have changed before I finish writing this article, never mind before it is published. Even so, this has not stopped various diagnoses of gold and silver as more stable, less stable, worth investing in, avoiding at all costs … The volatility that gold and silver have seen in the opening weeks of 2026 both mask and reveal a long-term trend in their increased valuation: it masks the fact that both are significantly more sought-after than they were a year ago, yet it reveals that the strategy of precious metals as a backstop against global instability is not immune to market hysteria.” (02/10/26)
Legacy media didn’t lose readers, it drove them away
Source: Fox News
by Hugh Hewitt
“In the aftermath of the big layoffs at The Washington Post, there has been an explosion of commentary — again — about the decline and often the death of newspapers. But if you are reading this, it came to your attention via some means other than a subscription to a legacy newspaper. And there, in a sentence, is the dilemma for legacy ‘news,’ and indeed any written product for which a reader has to pay: There is so much ‘free’ content that it is very, very difficult for a high-overhead text product that depends on subscriptions to succeed. By ‘succeed,’ I mean at least break even.” (02/10/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/morning-glory-legacy-media-didnt-lose-readers-drove-them-away
The Fifth Column, 02/10/26
Source: The Fifth Column
“Who’s Afraid of The Big Bad Bunny? (Members Only #300).” (02/10/26)
https://www.wethefifth.com/p/whos-afraid-of-the-big-bad-bunny
Madagascar: Junta whines at Eswatini regime for hosting deposed politician
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Madagascar’s military government has criticised Eswatini for hosting ousted President Andry Rajoelina last week, describing the visit as a ‘grave infringement of its sovereignty.’ Last Friday, the Eswatini government shared photos of King Mswati III meeting Rajoelina, during which the king called on Madagascar’s military junta to restore constitutional order. In a statement, Madagascar’s military leader Col Michael Randrianirina voiced his ‘strongest condemnation’ of the visit, terming it ‘politically unacceptable.’ Rajoelina was overthrown last October by an elite military following weeks of youth-led protests in the Indian Ocean island.” (02/10/26)
The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 02/10/26
Source: The New Republic
“Trump’s Fury at NFL Show Spikes Amid Fresh Signs His Base Is Imploding.” (02/10/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/206386/trump-fury-nfl-show-spikes-amid-fresh-signs-base-imploding
Will Commodity Sports Last?
Source: EconLog
by James B Bailey
“If you wanted to bet on the Super Bowl this past weekend, you had options. You may have bet with a friend. If you live in a state where it’s legal, you could have gone to a casino or used a casino’s app. Or, starting last year, you could have entered into an event contract using a Designated Contract Market regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). This is the same legal structure you would use to buy derivatives on the prices of traditional commodities like wheat, coffee, or pork bellies, now applied to trades like whether the Patriots will beat the Seahawks and what song will be played first at halftime. … As a bettor, I’m happy to see alternatives to the high-fee monopoly casino. As an economist, though, I worry.” (02/10/26)
https://www.econlib.org/econlog/will-commodifying-sports-last
Congress Is Funding Trump Regime’s Anti-Immigrant Violence
Source: National Priorities Project
Lindsay Koshgarian
“This week, members of Congress are negotiating funding levels for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, and Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, after public opposition soared when federal agents killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. As of January 25, ICE held more than 70,000 people in detention, and claimed more than 352,000 deportations. In 2025, at least 32 people died in ICE custody, and so far in 2026, at least eight people have died in the custody or at the hands of ICE and CBP ….ICE is now holding an average of 170 children in detention each day. They can do all of this because ICE and CBP are flush with money from last year’s Big Ugly Bill that stripped health insurance and food assistance from Americans while padding the budgets of ICE, CBP, and the Pentagon.” (02/10/25)