An Iran War Puts America, the Constitution, Peace, and the Facts Last

Source: The American Conservative
by Doug Bandow

“President Donald Trump appears intent on war with Iran. After demanding that Norway give him the Nobel Peace Prize for magically solving multiple imagined conflicts, he is threatening to ignite a real war with an unjustified aggressive attack on a nation half a world away that poses no danger to America. He is unashamedly acting on behalf of another government, violating his duty to the American people under the U.S. Constitution, which does not authorize the president to wander the globe bombing other nations at will.” (02/26/26)

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/an-iran-war-puts-america-the-constitution-peace-and-the-facts-last/

Russian, Ukrainian regimes agree local ceasefire for repairs at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Source: The Guardian [UK]

“A local ceasefire around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine has been agreed, with the help of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to allow for necessary repairs of the backup power lines to the plant. The IAEA has confirmed that a local arrangement has been reached to help the repair teams ensure the safety of the plant, with demining activities in the area ongoing to enable access. Reuters noted that the plant, Europe’s largest, has been under Russian control since shortly after the start of the war in 2022. It is not currently producing electricity, and relies on external power to keep its nuclear material cool and avoid a catastrophic accident.” (02/27/26)

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/feb/27/russia-europe-nuclear-plant-iaea-southern-ukraine-latest-news-updates

Waiting for ICE: They’re Almost Here, But Where Am I?

Source: TomDispatch
by Robert Lipsyte

“In early February, the barbarians reached my gate. There could be no more comfort or denial here on this island where I live. The masked thugs were roving through a town just across the water, a short ferry ride away, harassing and arresting long-time residents. I was shocked, but not surprised. What do we do now? Yes, we all knew they were coming, still…. I was raised in the post-World War II ‘it can’t happen here’ era. Hadn’t my parents’ generation crushed the Nazis for all time? While we’d been taught that democracy, like a faith or a marriage, did need tending, we had mostly taken it for granted. Yes, I did understand that life as I had lived it was under attack, but there was still, I thought, some time to respond.” (02/26/26)

https://tomdispatch.com/theyre-almost-here/

Hong Kong: Lai’s fraud conviction overturned

Source: CBS News

“An appellate court in Hong Kong reversed fraud convictions against former media tycoon Jimmy Lai. It was a rare victory for the prominent pro-democracy activist, who is a fierce critic of Beijing and has faced a litany of legal battles. Lai, 78, an outspoken critic of China’s ruling Communist Party who founded the now-defunct Apple Daily, will stay in prison because he was sentenced to 20 years weeks ago after being convicted in another case brought under a China-imposed national security [sic] law. … The conviction that was overturned Thursday was from an earlier fraud case in which prosecutors alleged that a consultancy firm controlled by Lai had used office space that his media business rented for publication and printing purposes.” (02/26/26)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jimmy-lai-fraud-conviction-overturned-hong-kong/

Iran Is the Potential Quagmire That Trump Thinks He Can Avoid

Source: Exiled Policy
by Jason Pye

“The Trump administration’s rhetoric on Iran is beginning to sound familiar in ways that should make Congress uneasy, if what’s past is prologue. The language is confident, abstract, and deliberately imprecise. Trump has casually talked about strikes on Iran, while skirting the far more consequential questions that follow large-scale military strikes that could include escalation, retaliation, political collapse, and long-term responsibility.” (02/26/26)

https://exiledpolicy.substack.com/p/iran-is-the-potential-quagmire-that

Perú Invented a New Form of Government, and Nobody Noticed

Source: Persuasion
by Quico Toro

“To those of us who studied political science, Perú presents a bit of a taxonomic conundrum. We’re all taught at school that systems where the executive needs to keep parliament on side to stay in power are called ‘parliamentary,’ and systems where the executive is separately elected and serves a fixed term independent of legislative majorities are called ‘presidential.’ These are the two flavors democracy comes in. Everyone knows this. Perú didn’t get the memo. Peruvian legislators have figured out one weird trick that magically turns a presidential system parliamentary.” (02/26/26)

https://www.persuasion.community/p/peru-invented-a-new-form-of-government

We can build infrastructure and habitat at the same time

Source: Niskanen Center
by Grace Olson

“Severe weather events now cause billions in damages annually, while electricity demand is on the rise — driven by economic growth and the expansion of artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing. Building resilient, modern infrastructure will be essential for maintaining global competitiveness, ensuring affordability and reliability, and supporting a growing domestic economy. Yet even as our capacity to build the economic and technical infrastructure we need has stalled, we are also losing much of the natural infrastructure we depend on.” (02/26/26)

https://www.niskanencenter.org/we-can-build-infrastructure-and-habitat-at-the-same-time