“U.S. immigration policy and NATO commitments have a lot in common. “Gonzo governance” describes a style of political rule that delegitimizes social institutions in favor of leadership promoting the politics of fear that is chaotic, personality-driven, spectacle-oriented, and often indifferent to conventional standards of objectivity or institutional restraint. The term draws loosely from Hunter S. Thompson’s immersive, boundary-blurring reporting style that mixed fact, interpretation, and theatricality. In governance, however, this aesthetic becomes consequential when fueled by social media. It can create a climate in which disruption itself is the governing method. When paired with gaslighting—a psychological tactic in which people are made to doubt their own perceptions of reality—the result is a powerful and destabilizing political dynamic.” (02/27/26)
“A resident shot a home intruder early Saturday morning. Authorities say the man tried to break into a residence in the 600 block of Saint James Street [in Rapid City, South Dakota]. Police responded to the home at around 3:25 a.m. after reports of a shooting. When officers arrived, they found a man with a single gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he received treatment for serious but non-life-threatening injuries.” (02/28/26)
“In August 2025, President Marcos Jr. said that ‘a war over Taiwan will drag the Philippines, kicking and screaming into the conflict.’ Pushing for preparation, the government has boosted US-Philippine military cooperation, military modernization, joint military exercises and the installation of US mid-range missile systems and anti-ship missile launchers. These measures are said to foster Philippine prosperity and security. But how would a major military conflict in the Taiwan Straits, with the active support of Manila’s military logistics, affect the economic futures of the Philippines?” (02/27/26)
“Pakistan has declared ‘open war’ against Afghanistan, bombing the capital and other major cities after a series of escalating attacks between the neighbours. Afghanistan had made its own cross-border attack on Thursday against Pakistan in retaliation for deadly airstrikes on border areas over the weekend, which were reported to have killed a dozen people. In response, Pakistan carried out airstrikes early on Friday, including in Kabul, where at least three explosions were heard. Kandahar in the south, where the Taliban’s supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada is based, was targeted, as was the province of Paktia in the east.” (02/27/26)
“Over the past few years, quiet but extraordinary warnings have emerged from the US Treasury Department. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network reports that illicit e-cigarettes are being used as part of trade-based money-laundering schemes linked to fentanyl trafficking. Illegal vaping products are no longer just a regulatory nuisance or a youth-use talking point. They have become a financial instrument in the cartel economy. The finding matters because it exposes a reality many policymakers have spent years denying — prohibition does not eliminate markets, it reorganizes them. And when demand persists, prohibition reliably hands control to the most ruthless and well-organized suppliers.” (02/26/26)
“Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified that she has no new information regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activities during a deposition before the House Oversight Committee on Thursday. Bill and Hillary Clinton’s depositions on Thursday and Friday mark the first time a former first couple has appeared before a congressional panel under subpoena. … ‘You have compelled me to testify, fully aware that I have no knowledge that would assist your investigation, in order to distract attention from President Trump’s actions and to cover them up despite legitimate calls for answers,” Hillary Clinton said in her opening statement to lawmakers.’ Clinton told the panel Thursday that she does not recall ever meeting Epstein, and told the New York Times that she met Maxwell only a few times. Her name does not appear to have been mentioned in the Justice Department’s publicly released Epstein files.” (02/26/26)
