Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] The solar activity index dropped to zero for the first time since April 2024. This was reported on February 22 by the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
After an exceptionally active phase in January and early February, when two records for this century were set, the star entered a sharp decline. Observations indicate there are currently no visible signs of reversing this trend.
"The star, having broken records for the strength of its radiation storm and the number of powerful flares in a single region at the beginning of the year, appears completely devastated. Everything is now unfolding like the beginning of a very long depression," the scientists noted on their Telegram channel.
Experts clarify that, despite the deep decline, a complete halt in activity at this stage of the cycle is unlikely. The current downturn, although potentially prolonged, is likely to remain temporary.
[MSN] A major coastal storm is expected to bring blizzard conditions, heavy snow, potentially damaging winds and coastal flooding Sunday and Monday from the mid-Atlantic to New England.
Blizzard warnings have been issued for all five boroughs of New York City for the first time since 2017. Blizzard warnings are now in place for Boston, the first time since January 28, 2022.
- It is also expected to meet the criteria for a Nor'easter, which is when wind gust in from the Northeast.
- Heavy snow, gusty winds and coastal flooding are all expected for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. The worst conditions are expected across the East Coast from Delaware to Massachusetts.
- Flight delays across major cities should be extensive. Traveling by road will not be much better as roads could see partial snowmelt and refreezing, which leads to black ice.
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Obama's estate on the south side of Martha's vineyard will take a hit, possibly some high water will encroach into the front yard. Also the gay bars on Nantucket Island will take a hit. But the winds should not exceed 60 mph so structural damage should be minimal.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
02/22/2026 00:00 ||
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[1811 views]
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#6
^
of course, NYC will need ID and SSN to be able to pay the people who shovel and also to withhold taxes
I would have thought a prospective shoveler would also have to sign a paper saying they had been told that shoveling could result in a heart attack and saying that nyc is not liable.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
02/22/2026 10:49 Comments ||
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[IsraelTimes] Venezuelan authorities granted amnesty to 379 political prisoners, according to a lawmaker overseeing the process, after a new mass amnesty law was enacted following the ouster of former leader Nicolas Maduro.
Venezuela’s National Assembly unanimously adopted the law on Thursday, providing hope that hundreds of political prisoners behind bars may soon be released.
National Assembly deputy Jorge Arreaza said in a televised interview yesterday that a total of 379 people “must be released, granted amnesty, between tonight and tomorrow morning.”
“Requests have been submitted by the Public Prosecutor’s Office to the competent courts to grant amnesty measures,” he said.
Many relatives of prisoners across Venezuela have waited outside jails for weeks for the potential release of their loved ones.
Hundreds have already been granted conditional release by Interim President Delcy Rodriguez’s government since the deadly US raid that seized Maduro.
#2
Clarice Feldman's FB Page: Translated from Spanish
🇻🇪🇺🇸‼️ | BREAKING NEWS — According to the official ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) website, Tareck El Aissami, former vice president and minister of the Chavista regime, appears as captured by the United States, with reports indicating he was directly handed over by Delcy Rodríguez.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/22/2026 15:39 Comments ||
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Have you heard of California’s latest act of economic suicide? Once again, the Golden State’s come up with new and ridiculous ways to turn gold into lead.
If you haven’t been watching the headlines, the 2026 California Billionaire Tax Act (Initiative No. 25-0024) is officially making its way onto the stage. Sponsored by the SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, this ballot measure wants to slap a one-time 5 percent excise tax on the net worth of every individual in the state worth over $1 billion.
The measure’s sales pitch even has a nice, philanthropic ring to it: "Eat the rich to save the sick."
In reality, it’s a classic case of what happens when a state treats its most productive citizens like an ATM with an infinite balance. It’s also another fine example of why California’s circling the toilet bowl.
The proponents of the Act claim the state is staring down a fiscal abyss. Certainly, that’s true. Sacramento currently needs to fill a deficit that swings wildly between $3 billion and $20 billion depending on which way the wind blows.
Apparently, federal cuts to healthcare (Medi-Cal) and food assistance are leaving a multi-billion-dollar gap. Thus, per the hacks in state government, an emergency tax on billionaires is needed to save California’s healthcare system from collapse. By taxing the roughly 200 billionaires living in California, the money grubbers estimate a one-time windfall of $100 billion.
On paper, it sounds like a nifty solution. Supposedly, ninety percent of the money will go to healthcare. Yet when it comes to Sacramento, no amount of money is ever enough for the blood suckers in the legislature.
We’ve seen this script before. Temporary taxes become permanent fixtures. One-time levies become emergency annual dues. In California, a budget crisis isn’t a fluke. It’s a feature of a system that spends money faster than a Silicon Valley founder at a Burning Man auction.
MASS EXODUS
If Sacramento thinks billionaires are just going to sit around and wait for the Asset Seizure Team to show up and confiscate their wealth, they haven’t been paying attention to the moving truck traffic heading east on I-10 and I-80.
[ZERO] The housing market, for much of the 20th century, was the bedrock of the American Dream. Home ownership, and the financial stability it represents, was a sure path to middle-class prosperity.
That dream turned to a nightmare for many American families during the epic real estate bubble and subsequent bust in 2008-09. What’s more, in the near two decades that followed, federal monetary policies coupled with restrictive local development standards have huffed and puffed an even more perilous bubble than the last one.
Now the crumbling facade of American real estate and the associated economic squeeze has become too great to ignore. To understand why the real estate market is falling apart, you must look at who’s expected to buy the houses. The arithmetic simply doesn’t work.
We’ve reached the point where discretionary income, the money left over after you’ve paid for basic needs, has effectively vanished for much of the population. When 67 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, saving for a down payment is impossible.
Currently, about 72 percent of Americans are struggling to pay their monthly bills. We aren’t talking about luxury vacations or even unexpected medical expenses. We’re talking about keeping the lights on and the fridge full. When the buffer is gone, the entire economic engine stalls.
The lack of affordable housing has created a generational rift. Young workers find themselves trapped in a permanent renter class. They’re unable to build the equity that once anchored the nation’s middle class.
Right now, more than 75 percent of homes across the country are unaffordable for the typical household. Most Americans are effectively priced out of the housing market. And this number is climbing.
Between higher interest rates, relative to four years ago, and artificially inflated valuations, the entry-level home no longer exists.
#1
What we are seeing is the rent servitude of a generation. If you can’t buy, you rent. If you rent, you can’t save to buy. It’s a closed loop that keeps equity in the hands of the few while the middle class are stuck paying for a roof they will never own.
Very difficult to afford a home mortgage whilst working at Waffle House or Depot. Good paying jobs have vanished. Of course that was the goal.
#2
Hence President Trump’s recent initiative to end wholesale acquisition of large numbers of single family houses for investment purposes, Besoeker, or so I’ve read. And well-paid jobs are reappearing.
#3
You think GenX and GenZ would be interested in a Levittown* home? The youngins got to be willing to move to where things are. Today, that's affordability. So many Americans in the past to include those from the Old Country(c), gave up being near and dear to families and home for opportunity elsewhere. Heck, even billionaires these days know when its time to 'get out of Dodge'.
* 1000-1200 sq feet, three small bedrooms, galley kitchen and bathroom, dining living room combo, and a utility closet for the furnace and water heater. No air conditioning.
#4
^^^^
Swamp coolers might be a new investment niche market , they weren't great but they did make a difference in our starter home, described almost verbatim above!
#1
One is torn apart and undergoing maintenance and the other is still in dock in Maryland. So not currently underway if it actually goes. Would be easier I think just to send a mobile MASH unit up there.
#3
Spoiler Alert: For the first time since the 1980 "Miracle on Ice," the United States won an Olympic gold medal in men's hockey as Hughes scored the golden goal in 3-on-3 overtime for a 2-1 win against rival Canada on Sunday.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/22/2026 15:10 Comments ||
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#4
I was playing on a high school freshman hockey team north of Boston in 1980. We followed the teams surprising march through the prelims. Most of the games weren’t televised. It was so fun to experience.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
02/22/2026 17:36 Comments ||
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In a statement to The Washington Post, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the agency is 'making tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions' while prioritizing the 'general traveling population' at airports and ports of entry.
'This is the third time that Democrat politicians have shut down this department during the 119th Congress,' Noem said in a statement.
'Shutdowns have serious real-world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS and their families who go without a paycheck, but it endangers national security.'
Starting Sunday, DHS is also suspending police escorts for members of Congress traveling to airports.
[Promethean Updates] Susan Kokinda argues Trump’s response to the Supreme Court tariff ruling points beyond China to “foreign interests” tied to the British Empire's Adam Smith free-trade ideology, defended by the US Chamber of Commerce and Cato Institute. She cites Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ambassador Jamieson Greer framing the administration’s approach as Hamiltonian economic sovereignty, and says tariffs will continue under other laws, including a new 10% global tariff. She contrasts this with Thursday’s Board of Peace meeting, where 60 nations backed “peace through construction,” funding housing, security, and development, rejecting Kissinger-style managed conflict. She warns midterm demoralization risks ending Trump’s agenda.
Watch for comments from Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and the piece on the President's recent trip to Rome, GA.
#1
Tariffs funded the US government entirely until the passage of the federal income tax.
"It's just 1% . And only for an emergency. Shut up, whiners, we're saving the government from bankruptcy.
#2
Sure, but government at all levels was much smaller and less intrusive then, so a considerably smaller portion of the national economy was necessary to pay for it.
Still, President Trump’s team is working to reduce government spending, particularly the waste, fraud, and abuse portion.
#3
Prometheus Action has some interesting content, but the lens and perspective is very monochrome. Whatever input you feed into their function box yields the same output. It is an interesting output but there is no variation.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
02/22/2026 14:22 Comments ||
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[Breitbart] On Friday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s "Hannity," Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) stated that if we did refund "300 billion dollars worth of tariff money to the business community in America, this economy’s going to roar," and "We’ve got between 150 and 400 billion dollars in tariffs collected."
Kennedy said, "The most interesting question is, what we do with all of this money? We’ve got between 150 and 400 billion dollars in tariffs collected. That money’s not in other countries, it’s here. My Democratic colleagues are saying, oh, give it back, give it back. Well, my Democratic peeps better be careful what they ask for. Because if he gives back 300 billion dollars worth of tariff money to the business community in America, this economy’s going to roar, man. And the midterms are only a few months off."
Kennedy also stated that Trump used the tariff authority that he assumed "to negotiate trade agreements, India, Japan, South Korea, Europe. Those countries are not going to rescind those trade agreements, not in your or my natural lifetime. And he would not have been able to do those trade agreements had he not assumed this authority", there are other potential routes for trade authority, and that he would take a win if he was the president.
I agree with Besoeker, pay down the national debit first! Don't be distracted by anything else until the national debit is paid off, then we can focus on other things we can do with the money such as taking care of Americans first!
#6
/\ The National Debt is money the government has borrowed in the form of bonds and direct loans. At $36T dollars (According to the Debt clock), an enormous amount of money that we can just barely cover the interest payments on.
The government borrowing all that money makes it difficult for anyone else to borrow. Consequently, the consumer, homeowners and everyone are in direct competition for those dollars with our own government and their reckless, out of control spending and give-aways.
To combat the spending, the feckless government simply prints more of the paper money which makes what is available out there, of less value each year. We blame our current economic ills on INFLATION. But the simple truth is the problem is 'DEFLATION.' The 'DEFLATION' of the value of the value of the US Dollar.
If the government could manufacturer ROLEX Submariner watches by the trainload, how long would they hold their $14K current value ?
Same with the dollar. The more they print, the less the US Dollar is worth. Difficult to manufacture ROLEX's or mine more gold. Hence the spiraling cost of both. The cost of homes and automobiles are also items value that have spiraled in cost due to deflation of the dollar.
Printing more money to cover debt is little more than a ponzi scheme. We've got a drawer full of max'd out VISA cards and all we can hope to do is pay the minimum interest payments each month before we lose everything. When we can no longer cover the interest payments (or when new cards stop coming) the music stops and the party is over.
My fear is the government will eventually get rid of the pennies, coins, and paper and switch to electronic money, BITCOINS, etc. FDR switched to "gold backed paper" in the 1930's and government money printing presses roared. "Gold backed" dollars became the big lie. The gradual devaluation of the dollar had begun. A conversion to electronic money will produce a similar devaluation. It will be catastrophic (music stops).
Any available money or resources the government can put their hands on should go to paying down the national debt as fast as possible. The basic economics of what is taking place is actually not difficult or complex, it's just common sense.
**Adam Smith’s *The Wealth of Nations***, published in 1776, examines the foundations of economic prosperity and critiques the mercantile system. Smith argues that national wealth stems from productive labor and capital accumulation, not from hoarding gold and silver. He warns that **government debt**, particularly when used to finance unnecessary wars or lavish expenditures, undermines long-term economic health. In *Of Public Debts*, the final chapter, Smith cautions that funding deficits through borrowing can enfeeble states, as it shifts the burden of taxation to future generations and creates a moral hazard where governments avoid fiscal responsibility.
Modern interpretations, such as the **IMF’s 2018 analysis** titled *The Wealth of Nations: Governments Can Better Manage What They Own and Owe*, extend Smith’s ideas. It reveals that governments often ignore their **assets**—like infrastructure, state-owned enterprises, and financial investments—focusing only on debt. The analysis shows public assets total $101 trillion (219% of global GDP), while liabilities (including pension obligations and public corporation debt) reach 198% of GDP. This underscores that **net worth**, not just debt, determines fiscal resilience. Countries with strong asset bases, like China, can better withstand economic shocks, even with high debt.
Meanwhile, critics like economist Richard Murphy argue that national debt is not inherently dangerous—it is, in fact, **a component of the money supply** created through government deficits. However, the **ownership of debt** by wealthy individuals and institutions (e.g., pension funds, life insurers) concentrates wealth and enables unearned income through interest payments. This raises concerns about fairness and democratic control over money creation, suggesting reforms like yield curve control and fairer taxation of unearned income.
Remembering the origin of the 'surplus' was the world's greatest economic engine, I'm inclined to return it to the people, who in turn will spend it on consumer goods: housing, cars, appliances, ...
#10
/\ Smith cautions that funding deficits through borrowing can enfeeble states, as it shifts the burden of taxation to future generations and creates a moral hazard where governments avoid fiscal responsibility.
Making his point even harder. Or perhaps getting $$ while the getting’s good.
[IsraelTimes] US President Donald Trump says he will raise from 10 percent to 15% a temporary tariff rate on US imports from all countries, which he imposed after the US Supreme Court ruled against his signature tariff program based on an economic emergency law.
Infuriated by the high court’s ruling, Trump yesterday ordered an immediate 10% tariff on all imports, in addition to any existing tariffs. The law allows him to impose a levy of up to 15% for 150 days, although it could face legal challenges.
During that period, his administration will work on issuing new and “legally permissible” tariffs, he said.
Israel’s US tariff rate of 15% took effect in August.
“I, as President of the United States of America, will be, effective immediately, raising the 10% Worldwide Tariff on Countries, many of which have been ‘ripping’ the US off for decades, without retribution (until I came along!), to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level,” he writes in a social media post.
1 example:
In the last 3 years, my coffee is already up from $14 for my large Maxwell House medium Roast Can to $20+ a can. My COLA's did come close to covering that 46+% gap.
So now Retirees lost another 5% in Food buying power. So when will an annual COLA cover even the actual Food price increases?
OBTW example: DC Swamp has not balanced a US Federal Gov. budget since 2001. The CBO released final Monthly Budget Review for fiscal year (FY) 2025 shows, shows a $1.8 trillion budget deficit for the year. The net effect of $5.2 trillion of revenue collections and $7.0 trillion of DC Swamp spending ... or about 25% was spent than collected.
You and I would go to jail for writing 1 in 4 back checks.
[MSN] For the first time since the 1980 Miracle on Ice, the U.S. men's hockey team is golden again.
Playing against their heated rivals Canada in the 2026 Winter Olympics gold medal game, Team USA came up big, defeating their northern neighbors 2-1 on Sunday, Feb. 22 — exactly 46 years after the U.S. last became champions.
Team USA star Jack Hughes had the golden goal for the U.S. with the overtime winner, after a tightly-fought game between the two rivals.
The teams wasted no time getting into the game, with the U.S. immediately peppering Canada goalie Jordan Binnington with shots. Canada then took over, getting a few good looks, but it was U.S. forward Matt Boldy who kicked off the scoring, breezing through two defenders to get the puck past Binnington six minutes into the first period.
Canada came out firing to start the second period, and had a golden opportunity to tie the game when the U.S. committed two penalties, giving Canada a 5-on-3 man advantage. But the U.S.'s defense dominated, along with goalie Connor Hellebuyck, keeping the score at 1-0 — until the last two minutes of the period, when defenseman Cale Makar scored to tie the game.
Canada once again dominated through the third period, nearly scoring multiple times if not for Hellebuyck's magic in net. The U.S. looked to take the lead during a four-minute power play, but couldn't find the net, and a push from Canada wasn't enough to finish the game in regulation.
In overtime, it took the U.S. a few miracle saves before Hughes sealed the win, just 1:41 into the extra period.
With NHL players participating in the Winter Olympics for the first time in 12 years, it was the showdown everyone wanted, and Canadian and American fans packed Milan's Santagiulia Arena for a raucous atmosphere.
"It's best on best. It's what every American and Canadian grows up watching, grows up caring about," forward Matthew Tkachuk said Friday after winning their semifinal to make the gold medal game. "This is the pinnacle of the sport. This is as good as it gets, and a rivalry that's as good as it gets. So there will be not one TV without this game on in the United States."
Introducing Kiro, an autonomous development agent, back in July, AWS boasted that the tool can operate for extended periods with context awareness and minimal human input.
"It’s built to reason, execute, and refine continuously across development and operations," Amazon’s cloud unit said, adding that these new products show how AI is no longer confined to analytics or experimentation.
Well, some more tests might still be a good idea, after all. That’s because, according to Financial Times (FT) sources at Amazon, the autonomous coding assistants were at fault for at least two AWS outages in recent months.
AWS experienced a 13-hour interruption to one system used by its customers in mid-December after engineers allowed its Kiro AI coding tool to make certain changes, four people familiar with the matter told FT. The problem isn't machines starting to think like humans, the problem is humans starting to think like machines
The initial move was a human decision. But the problem was that the tool, given the task of changing things around, determined it’d be best to simply "delete and recreate the environment." And there you have it
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[DM]
Introducing Kiro, an autonomous development agent, back in July, AWS boasted that the tool can operate for extended periods with context awareness and minimal human input.
