“Supercharged by billions in dollars from Congress, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has hired thousands of new officers to carry out Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign in an effort it has likened to ‘wartime recruitment.’ In several states, Democratic lawmakers want applicants to think twice about taking part. Bills introduced in recent weeks in the legislatures of at least four Democratic-led states would impose long-term consequences on new ICE employees by rendering them ineligible for jobs in law enforcement, public education, and, in their most expansive form, the entire state civil service. None of the proposals has been signed into law, and potential legislation may face legal challenges.” (02/26/26)
“In a market economy, a producer exchanges his product for money. He then exchanges the received money for the products of other producers. Alternatively, we can say that an exchange of something for something takes place by means of money. Things are, however, not quite the same once money is generated out of ‘thin air’ because of the expansionary central bank policies. Once money out of ‘thin air’ is employed, it sets in motion an exchange of nothing for something. This amounts to a diversion of resources from wealth generators to the holders of the newly generated money. In the process, wealth generators are left with fewer resources at their disposal, which in turn weakens their ability to grow the economy.” (02/26/26)
“A French court on Thursday sentenced Iranian national Mahdieh Esfandiari to one year in prison for justifying terrorism. Esfandiari, 39, was arrested in France last year over comments she is accused of having made on social media, including on Palestinian militant group Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. She was sentenced to four years, of which three are suspended, the judge said, citing ‘the nature of the acts and their seriousness.’ … Some observers see Esfandiari as a potential bargaining chip in negotiations with Tehran for the release of French nationals Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who have been held in Iran since May 2022.” (02/26/26)
“Robby Soave delivers radar on what he believes is a liberal backlash towards the U.S. men’s Olympic Hockey team for meeting with President Trump and accepting medal at this year’s State of the Union.” (02/26/26)
“With Donald Trump’s tariffs being ruled illegal, the government may be on the hook for up to $170 billion in refunds. Because Amazon helped conceal how much tariffs raised consumer prices, it will be easier for companies to hoard refunds for themselves.” (02/26/26)
“While developed nations are investing in military hardware, they increasingly lack the manpower for any future, high-intensity conflict. They could employ conscription, but these are also ageing societies. They have shrinking youth cohorts – the very demographic historically relied on in high-intensity conflict. At the margins of the war in Ukraine, we can see how the two sides are trying to cope with this reality – through the recruitment of foreign soldiers.” (02/26/26)
“As U.S. and Iranian negotiators prepare for more talks in Geneva, the White House is reportedly considering an initial, targeted military strike — with the possibility of broader action if Tehran refuses to accept demands for ‘zero enrichment’ of nuclear material. In his State of the Union address Tuesday, President Trump argued that last year’s U.S. strikes had ‘obliterated’ Iran’s program even as his administration continues negotiations now, without a clear objective. The strategic logic appears straightforward: strike first, demonstrate resolve, increase pressure and force Iran back to the table on American terms. Before momentum carries the country further down that path, the nation is owed clear answers. Decisions of this kind should not rest solely on tactical calculation; they require clarity about legal authority, strategic reality and risk.” (02/26/26)
“While the Pentagon has contracts with all the leading AI labs, Anthropic until this month was the only one contracted for AI use in classified settings: Claude was, for instance, reportedly involved in the operation to capture Nicolas Maduro. But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has grown unhappy with two elements of the DoD’s contract with Anthropic. One, Anthropic won’t let its AI be used to conduct mass surveillance of Americans. Two, it won’t let the DoD use it to operate autonomous weapons systems that can identify, track, and kill targets without direct human involvement. To the Defense Department, the idea that a contractor would be able to tie the military’s hands like this is outlandish …. Hegseth could simply drop Anthropic’s contract over this …. But he doesn’t really want to …. So instead, Hegseth has issued Anthropic an ultimatum: Change your policy, or we’re going to start getting nasty.” (02/26/26)
“The FBI has fired additional agents who worked on an investigation into President Donald Trump, this time terminating employees who participated in the probe into the Republican’s hoarding of classified documents, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday. The firings are part of a broader personnel purge under the leadership of Director Kash Patel, a Trump appointee who, over the last year, has pushed out dozens of employees who either contributed to investigations of the president or who were perceived as not in alignment with the administration’s agenda. The Justice Department has engaged in similarly sweeping firings of prosecutors since Trump took office last year.” (02/26/26)
