@mweinstock.bsky.social
My father, Ralph Weinstock, and Ed Reich shared the same page. They hated bullies. They served in World War II. They thought anyone who had to bully someone else to feel good about himself was despicable. If they did their bullying through politics, they were doubly despicable.
Sunday thought: My father and the bullies
Hitler, Joseph McCarthy, and Trump
open.substack.com
February 15, 2026 at 4:12 PM
My father, Ralph Weinstock, and Ed Reich shared the same page. They hated bullies. They served in World War II. They thought anyone who had to bully someone else to feel good about himself was despicable. If they did their bullying through politics, they were doubly despicable.
A helpful guide on how to protest, how to record federal agents and what to do if you're confronted or arrested by authorities.
‘Know your rights,’ but also ‘know your risks’: Experts weigh in on safety for ICE observers
Civil liberties advocates have shared guidance on exercising the right to protest and record law enforcement activity.
www.sandiegouniontribune.com
February 15, 2026 at 4:00 PM
A helpful guide on how to protest, how to record federal agents and what to do if you're confronted or arrested by authorities.
Some Americans expect to lose power. Others want a supplemental heat source. And then there are some who had canceled previous orders when the temperatures were higher in early January — and now regret their decision.
Shivering Americans Snap Up Firewood as Winter Grinds On
www.nytimes.com
February 15, 2026 at 3:41 PM
Some Americans expect to lose power. Others want a supplemental heat source. And then there are some who had canceled previous orders when the temperatures were higher in early January — and now regret their decision.
Cult 101. Trump has bound his followers to himself more than to any policy prescription, making his success or failure their own. Veneration and loyalty are central — ideology secondary. Trump presents himself as infallible, uniquely qualified, even divinely delivered for this moment in history.
Trump’s Relentless Self-Promotion Fosters an American Cult of Personality
www.nytimes.com
February 15, 2026 at 3:34 PM
Cult 101. Trump has bound his followers to himself more than to any policy prescription, making his success or failure their own. Veneration and loyalty are central — ideology secondary. Trump presents himself as infallible, uniquely qualified, even divinely delivered for this moment in history.
Voters are restless. They are less interested in policy detail than in emotional validation. Stable, calm leadership speaks to the head, but rebellion speaks to the gut. In this moment, the gut is winning. As the Democrats look forward to the midterms, they should keep this in mind.
Opinion | What do voters want? Two countries are making the answer clear.
From Britain to Japan, “keep calm and carry on” is getting buried.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 15, 2026 at 3:18 PM
Voters are restless. They are less interested in policy detail than in emotional validation. Stable, calm leadership speaks to the head, but rebellion speaks to the gut. In this moment, the gut is winning. As the Democrats look forward to the midterms, they should keep this in mind.
Something on your mind? Hiromu Kira’s “The Thinker” (Mulholland Dam, Los Angeles, 1930).
February 15, 2026 at 2:32 PM
Something on your mind? Hiromu Kira’s “The Thinker” (Mulholland Dam, Los Angeles, 1930).
Canadian editorial cartoonist Dave Hamond weighs in on the incredible success Trump has had in fleecing his flock, while increasing his family fortune by at least $4 billion since returning to the White House.
February 15, 2026 at 2:24 PM
Canadian editorial cartoonist Dave Hamond weighs in on the incredible success Trump has had in fleecing his flock, while increasing his family fortune by at least $4 billion since returning to the White House.
Editorial cartoonist Mike Luckovich notes Attorney General Pam Bondi’s leading role in covering up what Trump doesn’t want exposed, such as multiple allegations in the Epstein files of Trump sexually abusing minors.
February 15, 2026 at 2:17 PM
Editorial cartoonist Mike Luckovich notes Attorney General Pam Bondi’s leading role in covering up what Trump doesn’t want exposed, such as multiple allegations in the Epstein files of Trump sexually abusing minors.
Editorial cartoonist Daniel Boris reacts to Trump telling Americans “not to worry” as he repurposes the EPA, making it into the Environmental Pollution Agency.
February 15, 2026 at 2:07 PM
Editorial cartoonist Daniel Boris reacts to Trump telling Americans “not to worry” as he repurposes the EPA, making it into the Environmental Pollution Agency.
Editorial cartoonist John Deering sums up the relief felt in Minnesota after the Trump administration announced it was ending its chaotic and deadly immigration crackdown in the state.
February 15, 2026 at 2:01 PM
Editorial cartoonist John Deering sums up the relief felt in Minnesota after the Trump administration announced it was ending its chaotic and deadly immigration crackdown in the state.
German editorial cartoonist George Riemann projects how much of Europe perceives the Trump administration tag team.
February 15, 2026 at 1:57 PM
German editorial cartoonist George Riemann projects how much of Europe perceives the Trump administration tag team.
In at least 4,421 cases, more than 400 federal judges ruled since the beginning of October that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is holding people illegally as it carries out its mass-deportation campaign.
Courts have ruled 4,400 times that ICE jailed people illegally. It hasn’t stopped.
The decisions amount to a huge legal rebuke, one the administration has ignored.
www.reuters.com
February 15, 2026 at 2:48 AM
In at least 4,421 cases, more than 400 federal judges ruled since the beginning of October that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is holding people illegally as it carries out its mass-deportation campaign.
After Trump's unprovoked tariff war, his designs on Greenland and his siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine, America's longtime allies fear being stabbed in the back.
Once the Americans Warned of the Russian Threat. Now, It’s the Europeans’ Turn.
www.nytimes.com
February 15, 2026 at 12:24 AM
After Trump's unprovoked tariff war, his designs on Greenland and his siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine, America's longtime allies fear being stabbed in the back.
In Trump’s first term, Jeffrey Epstein had an interesting text-message exchange with Trump confidant Steve Bannon. Bannon responded: “donalds head would explode if he knew you were now buds with the guy who on monday will decide the nobel peace prize. I told him next year it should be you."
How Jeffrey Epstein used the glamour of the Nobel Peace Prize to entice his global network of elites
Jeffrey Epstein repeatedly played up hosting the head of the Nobel Peace Prize committee in invitations to and chats with elites like Richard Branson, Larry Summers and Steve Bannon, the Epstein files...
apnews.com
February 14, 2026 at 3:34 PM
In Trump’s first term, Jeffrey Epstein had an interesting text-message exchange with Trump confidant Steve Bannon. Bannon responded: “donalds head would explode if he knew you were now buds with the guy who on monday will decide the nobel peace prize. I told him next year it should be you."
Dumb and dumber? Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's preliminary list includes the nation's top universities.
Pentagon may bar tuition aid for top universities in Hegseth’s crackdown on ‘biased’ schools | CNN Politics
Military officers could soon find dozens of top colleges and universities across the United States abruptly off limits for tuition assistance as part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s campaign again...
www.cnn.com
February 14, 2026 at 3:23 PM
Dumb and dumber? Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's preliminary list includes the nation's top universities.
“It’s great when the emperor is Marcus Aurelius,” Elon Musk said in 2017. “It’s not so great when the emperor is Caligula.” Let’s just say that our man in the White House is no Marcus Aurelius.
Opinion | Welcome to the Voyage of the Damned
www.nytimes.com
February 14, 2026 at 3:10 PM
“It’s great when the emperor is Marcus Aurelius,” Elon Musk said in 2017. “It’s not so great when the emperor is Caligula.” Let’s just say that our man in the White House is no Marcus Aurelius.
Cover-up uncovered.
The Winter Olympics condom supply ran out in 3 days. Athletes have thoughts
According to Italian newspaper La Stampa, free condoms at the Winter Olympics ran out in just three days.
www.nytimes.com
February 14, 2026 at 3:05 PM
Cover-up uncovered.
How unchecked authoritarian leaders silence dissent. Did anyone actually believe the Kremlin's explanation that Russian President Vladimir Putin's most prominent political opponent died of natural causes?
Navalny Was Poisoned With Frog Toxin, European Governments Say
www.nytimes.com
February 14, 2026 at 3:02 PM
How unchecked authoritarian leaders silence dissent. Did anyone actually believe the Kremlin's explanation that Russian President Vladimir Putin's most prominent political opponent died of natural causes?
When democracy dies. Kate Diehn-Bitt’s “Self-Portrait in Black Underwear” (1932). Popular during the Weimar Republic, Diehn-Bitt was prohibited from painting when the Nazis took power. She was declared a degenerate artist because her step father was a Jew.
February 14, 2026 at 2:29 PM
When democracy dies. Kate Diehn-Bitt’s “Self-Portrait in Black Underwear” (1932). Popular during the Weimar Republic, Diehn-Bitt was prohibited from painting when the Nazis took power. She was declared a degenerate artist because her step father was a Jew.
San Diego nature captured in black and white.
February 14, 2026 at 2:18 PM
San Diego nature captured in black and white.
Enjoy New Mexico artist Ed Sandoval’s “Beauty of Community and Culture.”
February 14, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Enjoy New Mexico artist Ed Sandoval’s “Beauty of Community and Culture.”
Valentine’s Day humor from The New Yorker’s Jim Benton.
February 14, 2026 at 2:03 PM
Valentine’s Day humor from The New Yorker’s Jim Benton.
Austrian editorial cartoonist Marian Kamensky laments the plight of America’s longtime European allies as they try to placate an erratic narcissistic U.S. leader.
February 14, 2026 at 1:52 PM
Austrian editorial cartoonist Marian Kamensky laments the plight of America’s longtime European allies as they try to placate an erratic narcissistic U.S. leader.
Cuban editorial cartoonist Alfredo Martirena believes ICE is now synonymous with violence and discrimination against immigrants in the United States.
February 14, 2026 at 1:45 PM
Cuban editorial cartoonist Alfredo Martirena believes ICE is now synonymous with violence and discrimination against immigrants in the United States.
French editorial cartoonist Ian David Marsden goes full Exorcist in “The Power of the Dow Compels You” as he responds to Attorney General Pam Bondi playing to an audience of one in defending her handling of the Epstein files.
February 14, 2026 at 1:41 PM
French editorial cartoonist Ian David Marsden goes full Exorcist in “The Power of the Dow Compels You” as he responds to Attorney General Pam Bondi playing to an audience of one in defending her handling of the Epstein files.