Carol K. 〽️💙💛

Rep Jim Himes (D-CT), top Democrat on House Intelligence Committee:

“Everything I have heard from the Administration before and after these strikes on Iran confirms this is a war of choice with no strategic endgame…”

Reading Strongmen now, by @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social. History really does rhyme. it was especially nice to hear some optimism after this morning’s news about Iran.

Washington Post Headline: Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency

Donald Trump’s plan to steal the 2026 midterm elections is already underway.

59% of Americans disapprove of Trump's economy.
68% say he hasn't focused on the right problems.
61% say his policies will move the country in the wrong direction.

Trump calls it a ‘Golden Age’ — the American people aren't buying it.

“Once a threat becomes legible — primarily, by an elected authoritarian beginning to act in authoritarian ways once in office — people start prioritizing democracy in a way they didn’t beforehand.”

Tab for keeping Michigan coal plant open under Trump orders grows to $135M Utility Consumers Energy is seeking permission to pass an initial $42 million in costs for running the J.H. Campbell coal power plant on to power customers in 11 states.

Yeah, this is definitely what we want to encourage…

www.mlive.com/news/2026/02...

We are officially less than one week away from the launch of In Pursuit, a landmark initiative celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.

Our Substack will serve as a digital home for a year-long exploration of leadership, character, and the American Experiment.

I loved the book! Debating it about rereading before the movie.

Same - can’t hit fast-forward or mute fast enough.

Good News! 28 states have publicly rejected Kennedy’s vaccine schedule.

They choose to follow evidence-based guidance from experts like the American Academy of Pediatrics or the American Academy of Family Physicians.

🧪 www.kff.org/state-health...

Via @unbiasedscipod.bsky.social

The US immigrant population generated more in taxes than they received in benefits from all levels of government every year from 1994 to 2023.

The Cato study provides the first-ever 30-year analysis of the fiscal effects of immigration on government budgets.

https://ow.ly/jy8a50Y8kM3

"With a judicial finger in the constitutional dike"

This ruling is fire!

New from MN department of human services today: “New federal data release by the US Centers for Medicare/medicaid services shows the overall rate of improper payment in Minnesota’s Medicaid program is far below national averages.” 2.1% here compared to 6.1% nationally.

A poem by Amanda Gorman for Alex Pretti, murdered by ICE.

A poem by Amanda Gorman for Alex Pretti, murdered by ICE.

Couldn't have said it better than she does. Except for Native Americans, we are all immigrants!

Toddler Rules of Possession 1 If I like it, it’s mine. 2 If it’s in my hand, it’s mine. 3 If I can take it from you, it’s mine. 4 If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine. 5 If it’s mine, it must NEVER appear to be yours in any way. 6 If I’m doing or building something, all the pieces are mine. 7 If it looks like mine, it is mine. 8 If I saw it first, it’s mine. 9 If you are playing with something and put it down, it automatically becomes mine. 10 If it’s broken, it’s yours.

Replace ”Toddler” with “Trump” and tell me I’m wrong.

What can history teach us about what happens when a populist strongman with an idiosyncratic taste for low interest rates undermines central bank independence?

This “blue out” thing should never happen again.

So convenient that (without commercials) an episode of Jeopardy fits perfectly into a CFB halftime. Go IU!! #CFP #Hoosiers

An American hero.

It's an old and obvious pattern. An unpopular president - failing on the economy and losing his grip on power at home - decides to launch a war for regime change abroad.

The American people don’t want to “run” a foreign country while our leaders fail to improve life in this one.

Same...

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The final Calvin and Hobbes, which appeared in papers 30 years ago today.

I don’t believe they will ever be built. Traditional battleships are obsolete. It’s just another massive ego stroke for his bottomless pit of neediness.

News Team, Thank you for the notes and texts. I apologize for not reaching out earlier. I learned on Saturday that Bari Weiss spiked our story, INSIDE CECOT, which was supposed to air tonight. We (Ori and I) asked for a call to discuss her decision. She did not afford us that courtesy/opportunity. Our story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices. It is factually correct. In my view, pulling it now-after every rigorous internal check has been met is not an editorial decision, it is a political one. We requested responses to questions and/or interviews with DHS, the White House, and the State Department. Government silence is a statement, not a VETO. Their refusal to be interviewed is a tactical maneuver designed to kill the story. If the administration's refusal to participate becomes a valid reason to spike a story, we

have effectively handed them a "kill switch" for any reporting they find inconvenient. If the standard for airing a story becomes "the government must agree to be interviewed," then the government effectively gains control over the 60 Minutes broadcast. We go from an investigative powerhouse to a stenographer for the state. These men risked their lives to speak with us. We have a moral and professional obligation to the sources who entrusted us with their stories. Abandoning them now is a betrayal of the most basic tenet of journalism: giving voice to the voiceless. CBS spiked the Jeffrey Wigand interview due to legal concerns, nearly destroying the credibility of this broadcast. It took years to recover from that "low point." By pulling this story to shield an administration, we are repeating that history, but for political optics rather than legal ones.

We have been promoting this story on social media for days. Our viewers are expecting it. When it fails to air without a credible explanation, the public will correctly identify this as corporate censorship. We are trading 50 years of "Gold Standard" reputation for a single week of political quiet. I care too much about this broadcast to watch it be dismantled without a fight. Sharyn

Per NY Times’s Michael Grynbaum on X, this is Sharyn Alfonsi’s email to her “60 Minutes” colleagues in full:

Sir, only you could make everything 92% better… 😅

Rob Reiner was a good man with a treasured legacy.
Donald tRump is neither.

Sherrone/UM is story #1 on the NBC news tonight. Complete with police audio.

Someone should ask him how he’d like this to happen to one of his daughters. 🤬