Politico Playbook Audio Briefing, 02/10/26
Source: Politico
“Hot seat on the Hill.” (02/10/26)
With Friends Like These
Source: Liberal Currents
by John Banks
“To defend itself from Trump’s thuggery, Canada must seek new friends.” (02/10/26)
Trump’s Immigration Officials Don’t Want to Talk About the Cruelty
Source: Mother Jones
by Alex Nguyen
“[O]fficials maintained that ICE agents were under attack in communities like Minnesota’s Twin Cities, claiming without evidence that ‘paid agitators’ were actively trying to stop enforcement. Federal agents have been heavily armed during attacks, arrests, and removal of residents, while protesters have been overwhelmingly peaceful. As my colleague Noah Lanard wrote in October, ICE agents are objectively not in danger: Reviewing ICE’s own data, he found that none of its agents have been killed by an immigrant in its more than two-decade history. The overwhelmingly leading cause of death was Covid-19, followed by cancers linked to the September 11 attacks.” (02/10/26)
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/02/trump-dhs-cbp-ice-house-hearing/
How the US Weaponizes Starvation and Aid in Gaza and Cuba
Source: Common Dreams
by Nuvpreet Kalra
“Last week, the US government announced it would be sending $6 million in aid to Cuba, on top of the $3 million it sent in January after Hurricane Melissa. This aid package might appear contrary to the significant escalation of the 66-year-long US criminal blockade, which has expanded to an all-out fuel blockade since December, with attacks on Venezuela, but it is in fact a core tenet of it. This maneuver seeks to exploit the US-manufactured energy and fuel crisis to bolster opposition groups, substantiate propaganda against the Cuban government and revolution, and force the island into total dependency and submission to the United States. This frankly genocidal strategy closely mirrors that of the US and Israeli ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation,’ and the weaponization of starvation and aid for colonial and imperialist ends.” (02/10/25)
Bankman-Fried Seeks New Trial as FTX Case Returns to Federal Docket
Source: Bitcoin.com
“Sam Bankman-Fried has filed a pro se motion for a new trial in federal court, arguing newly discovered evidence and alleged constitutional violations warrant revisiting his FTX fraud conviction. … The filing seeks a new trial based on claims of newly discovered evidence, alleged prosecutorial misconduct, and due process violations tied to his 2023 conviction. The motion argues that testimony from individuals who did not appear at trial, including former FTX.US operations head Daniel Chapsky, could materially affect the verdict. It also alleges the government failed to disclose information that could have aided the defense, raising constitutional concerns.” (02/10/26)
https://news.bitcoin.com/sam-bankman-fried-seeks-new-trial-as-ftx-case-returns-to-federal-docket/
Buddhist monks head to DC to finish a “Walk for Peace” that captivated millions
Source: Seattle Times
“A group of Buddhist monks is set to reach Washington, D.C., on foot Tuesday, capping a trek from Texas that has captivated the country. The monks in their saffron robes have become fixtures on social media, along with their rescue dog Aloka. They walk to advocate for peace. That simple message has resonated across the U.S. as a welcome respite from conflict and political divisions. Thousands have gathered along Southern roadsides to watch the monks’ quiet, single-file procession that began in late October. … The monks plan to mark the last days of their Walk for Peace with outdoor appearances at Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday and the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday.” (02/10/26)
The Corbett Report, episode 491
Source: The Corbett Report
“What I Learned From the Epstein Files.” (02/10/26)
https://corbettreport.com/what-i-learned-from-the-epstein-files/
Is America still considered part of the “Americas?”
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Adam Ratzlaff & Lucia Gonzalez Camelo
“On January 7, the White House announced its plans to withdraw from 66 international bodies whose work it had deemed inconsistent with U.S. national interests. While many of these organizations were international in nature, three of them were specific to the Americas — the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, the Pan American Institute of Geography and History, and the U.N.’s Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. The decision came on the heels of the Dominican Republic postponing the X Summit of the Americas last year following disagreements over who would be invited and ensuing boycotts. These parallel developments raise important questions about how the region and the United States view their relationship.” (02/10/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/trump-western-hemisphere-americas/
The Price of the Lockdown
Source: Independent Institute
by K Lloyd Billingsley
“How the COVID era fettered science and liberty.” (02/10/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/02/10/price-lockdown/
Australia: Judge rules that erotic novel is “child sex abuse material”
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“An Australian author has been found guilty of creating child sex abuse material in the form of an erotic age-gap romance novel. A New South Wales (NSW) court heard the book explores a relationship between 18-year-old Lucy and her father’s 45-year-old best friend Arthur — detailing the much-older man’s desires which began when the protagonist was a child as well as passages where she roleplays as a toddler. Lauren Mastrosa, a marketing executive for a Christian charity, was charged after the book sparked outrage online but in court she argued Lucy is clearly identified as an adult in the novel.
However, Magistrate Bree Chisholm on Tuesday found Mastrosa’s story ‘sexually objectifies children.'” (02/10/26)