Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – The Incredible Shrinking “Most Powerful Military in History”

The United States is not merely losing military capacity—it is losing the ability to recognize what it no longer has. As political posture outruns material readiness, allies and adversaries are conditioned to expect reserves of power that do not exist. The result is systematic risk mispricing, easier escalation, and a growing risk of military defeat.

‘This Is Your Money’: Trump Assault on CFPB Has Cost Consumers $19 Billion

The affordability crisis includes the cost of being cheated, which due to the weakening of the CFPB alone is a handsome sum.

Links 2/10/2026

The Ultimate Insult: As Washington Starves Cuba of Energy (And Most Everything Else), It Offers $6 Million in Humanitarian Aid

The US State Department insists that US restrictions on oil in Cuba are not amplifying the need for humanitarian aid there.

America’s Real Health Crisis? Inequality— and a Generation Pays

Raw milk won’t cut it. Even being rich won’t save you. The fast track to improving health in America is tackling inequality

The European Veal Pen: How the US Weaponized Russophobic Paranoia & Energy Geopolitics To Capture Control of Europe

Can Europe free itself from its capture by the US, which looked like a dandy idea until the US became an openly predatory hegemon?

Coffee Break: Trump’s Stochastic Election Attacks, AIPAC Misfire

In 2026, U.S. politics is definied by two trends: Democrats surging in special elections and Trump attacking the very idea of elections.

Journalism May Be Too Slow To Remain Credible Once Events Are Filtered Through Social Media

Some hand-wringing, as well as blame shifting, as to why social media and independent sites are eating the lunches of mainstream media.

Iran War Watch: US Moves Towards Attack Footing Despite Questionable Odds of Success

On the Iran front, the US is taking steps that do not look like mere posturing. Many experts, including ones in Iran, think war is nigh.

Links 2/9/2026

An Iranian Architecture Appreciation Post 

Sanctions have spurred “creative destruction” in Iran where brickwork draws on the past to create shade, natural light, and ventilation. 

An Effort to Ease Water Pollution With Oysters Fizzled. Why?

A Maryland program that lets oyster farmers capitalize off the environmental benefits of the bivalves had few takers.

Links 2/8/2026

The Sunday Morning Movie Presents: Paprika (2006) Run Time: 1H 38M

Paprika is a movie about the boundaries between dreams and the waking world, and what happens when they break down.

With ICE Using Medicaid Data, Hospitals and States Are in a Bind Over Warning Immigrant Patients

ICE access to Medicaid data is forcing hospitals and states to consider alerting immigrant patients that information from emergency medical coverage applications could be used in efforts to remove them from the country.