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Week of February 15, 2026

The Statue of Liberty, at sunset, and a sliver of the moon. Take what ever meaning you may get from that stunning image. Photo credit, Gary Hershorn

Ginger

2/22/20267 min read

Here goes...

1. The FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, who lied (admitted it) about Joe Biden and Hunter Biden and who was supposed to serve 6 years in prison…….is now mysteriously not in prison anymore.

“In a plea deal in December 2024, Smirnov admitted to completely fabricating the conspiracy that became central to a Republican effort to impeach then-President Joe Biden. Days later, the Russian asset pleaded guilty to four felony charges, including one count of obstruction, and was sentenced to six years in prison.”

So – the guy is missing – from the prison system.

2. Nope. Not racist at all.

Also, what a ridiculous, embarrassingly stupid take. If you don't understand that the culture in the US is rich because of the contributions of Americans who are white and not white, and immigrants from predominantly white countries, AND those which are not predominantly white, you do not understand the US in the least. Also, what a creep.

3. ICE is spending 40 billion (tax payer money btw) buying many - massive warehouses to convert into detention facilities. They want facilities to hold up to 8,000 detainees. The largest facilities now hold about 4,000.

32 detainees died in custody in 2025 (highest in 20 years), and 6 have already died in 2026. People are dying because of the appalling conditions, being denied medical care or access to their prescriptions. ICE has a ridiculously huge budget but Kristi - Puppy Killer - Noem can’t be bothered to spend the money in a way to make sure detainees are housed in a humane manner. There is a reason people are referring to these “detention facilities” as concentration camps.

From Rep. Raskin

I mean, LOOK AT WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO PEOPLE IN BROAD DAYLIGHT!

4. This guy is ***great***. I do wish the video was not sped up, but it is worth a watch.

5. Trump hates mail-in voting. He thinks it’s easy to cheat. It isn’t. Anyone who lives in Washington, Oregon, or Colorado knows it increases participation (especially among the elderly and disabled) and is very secure. But Trump likes the thoughts in his own head best – regardless of how stupid they might be.

This week he said, “We are the only country in the world that uses mail in ballots.” And, of course, that is bunk. He just makes crap up and tells himself it’s true. And then he believes…himself…regardless of any evidence or data to the contrary. There has to be a psychological diagnosis for this.

6. Trump also likes to claim that non-citizens are voting. Just on a purely logical consideration of the topic – why would any illegal alien, who presumably does not want to be arrested and or deported, actually try to vote. It just doesn’t make sense. But actual evidence, analyzed by the conservative (Libertarian) CATO Institute also confirms non-citizens are NOT voting.

7. Stephen Colbert had an interview with popular Democratic Senate candidate from Texas, James Talarico. Trump is afraid of this guy so he literally had the FCC threaten to pull CBS's broadcast license if they aired the interview. (for the billionth time – imagine if Biden or Obama did this, anyway...). Well, Colbert is awesome so he made sure it aired on Youtube and against orders from CBS lawyers, told his own viewers they could find it on Youtube.

You know what? Most Americans don’t actually like blatant authoritarian tactics like this and Talarico raised over $2.5 million for his campaign in the 24 hours after and the Youtube interview had 7.2 million views.

Also, how pathetic of CBS.

8. Why don’t Republicans in leadership ever deal with this guy?

(Look, I would in fact, chose my dog over most humans but that is not the point here.)

9. Hey don’t forget folks, Republicans are the ones who are good for the economy.

10. Millions of files related to Jeffrey Epstein suggest the existence of a 'global criminal enterprise' that carried out acts meeting the legal threshold of crimes against humanity, a panel of independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council says. But Trump thinks you are stupid if you don’t just let it go (after campaigning on releasing the files of course).

11. Oh hey, you know how Trump really (really) wants to stop drug trafficking and get all the drug dealers out of the country? Well, after pardoning convicted Honduran drug trafficking conspirator Juan Orlando Hernández (former president of Honduras), he used your taxpayer dollars to escort him from a high-security prison in West Virginia to the luxurious Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City.

12. “Courts have ruled 4,400 times that ICE jailed people illegally. It hasn’t stopped.”

13. According to the Wall Street Journal (yes, the WSJ) billionaires’ tax evasion schemes (and the politicians who do their bidding) are becoming a Problem for the Economy. (More on the subject from Common Dreams.)

14. 400 Christian leaders have issued an Ash Wednesday statement condemning the Trump Administration as “cruel and oppressive,” saying the current US Government has been corrupted by an aberrant form of the faith. They are calling on Christians to perform “greater acts of courage” to resist.

“We are facing a cruel and oppressive government; citizens and immigrants being demonized, disappeared, and even killed; the erosion of hard-won rights and freedoms; and a calculated effort to reverse America’s growing racial and ethnic diversity — all of which are pushing us toward authoritarian and imperial rule,”

15. The Department of Education has ended their directive that attempted to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in schools nationwide. What a colossal waste of time and money. Not to mention an embarrassing assault on basic humanity.

16. Trump and White Supremacist Secretary of "War” Pete Kegseth, just keeps blowing up boats – AND PEOPLE – in the Caribbean without providing any evidence of drug trafficking or due process.

17. Speaking of Kegseth, “Christian” Nationalist pastor Doug Wilson, who has argued that women should be denied the right to vote, and that Christian slaveowners were on “firm scriptural ground,” led a worship service at the Pentagon at the invitation of Pete Kegseth.

18. The Supreme Court Blocked President Donald Trump’s Proposal to cut SSI and Veterans Benefits to redirect billions to DHS as Homeland Security while the shutdown continues. The Supreme Court also blocked Trumps use of the Economic Emergency Act to levy tariffs (took them long enough…). Trump of course threw a ridiculous temper tantrum.

19. A lot of us have been saying for 15 years or so that the Citizens United ruling was one of the worst rulings by SCOTUS in history and a reason why our democracy is dying. Well, this is a pretty good illustration.

In case you want to do a deeper dive into why the ruling was terrible for elections read this.

20. Remember last week when I said all I wanted was for the super wealthy – individuals and companies, just pay the same % of income tax as I do? Here is one example of what I am talking bout: Palantir reported $1.5 billion in income in 2025 and still managed to owe nothing in federal income taxes.

21. Trump says he is giving 10 billion in your tax dollars to his totally made up “Board of Peace”. Hello Congress? Anyone there?? Anyone?

22. So – and excuse me because math is not my thing – but it looks like Howard Lutnik, the mastermind behind Trump’s tariff BS, bought the tariff refund rights through his bank at $0.25 on the dollar last year. So, he was betting on his own policy being struck down. Lutnik and his bank (now run by his sons) now stand to make billions.

Look, I realize it’s quaint now to be concerned about a little thing like conflict of interest, but this is MASSIVE CONFLICT OF INTEREST. And if we are ever going to get our country back things like conflict of interest need to be taken seriously again. And if anyone wants to come at me with “but, but what about Biden?”, please reread item one on this list.

23. DOOM SCROLLING BREAK. The moment in the Olympics when the darling Japanese skater was thrilled to get 3rd place (how refreshing) and the winner was thrilled for her. Good stuff. Lifted lil' sis right up off the ground.