Sunday, February 15, 2026

Links 2/15/2026

The Sunday Morning Movie Presents: Defamation (2009) Run Time: 1H 31M Plus Bonus Jazz!

Defamation is a movie about the exploitation of anti-Semitism to keep Jews fearful and compliant.

Trump’s DHS Is Pushing the Boundaries of Probable Cause and Due Process to Fuel a Farm Labor Crisis

Agricultural employers are scrambling to find replacements and the administration is turning to guest workers.

Links 2/14/2026

Trump’s Concentration Camp Build-Out Includes Nearly $40 Billion for Warehouse Conversions

Disclosure to a GOP governor confirms that Trump plans to devote nearly $40 billion to one element of his concentration camp plan.

Germany’s “Two-Speed Europe” Proposal Is the EU’s Adaptation to Great Power Geopolitics

Germany, following the European Commission’s lead, is moving forward a plan for the biggest members to impose decisions on the others.

Coffee Break: Science Agonistes, with Hope at the End

Part the First: Confirmation the Scientific Literature Has Entered Terminal Decline?  In an update from last week’s Coffee Break, Cabell’s Predatory Reports database passes 20,000-journal milestone: The US-based information services company reports that Predatory Reports has grown by more than 300% since its launch in 2017. Having reached 10,000 journals in 2019 and 15,000 in […]

When War Weakens Democracy

Wars often undermine democracy, but it appears that that result is not baked in but operates in particular circumstances.

Links 2/13/2026

More Handwringing About Collapsing Birth Rates: How Focus on Gender Roles Misses the Mark

Sentimentality about child-rearing is leading experts not to look clinically enough at why birth rates around the world are plunging.

The EU’s Digital Euro Is Just a Whisker Away from Becoming a Legal Reality

The European Parliament wants a central bank digital currency. And it wants it as soon as possible, and in all its possible forms.

Iran Has More Options Up Its Sleeve Than Trump and Netanyahu Assume

As Israel attempts to push the US into war with Iran, more hard looks at how Tehran could retaliate

Why Governments Insist on CBDCs or Stablecoins When Most People Don’t Want Them

CBDCs could create a two-tier wealth system: non-programmable assets for the elite and total digital surveillance for the population.

Has the Rate of Global Warming More Than Doubled?

Troubling global warming updates from the authoritative James Hansen.

Links 2/12/2026