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Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Books are my comfort food!

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

Polls are now a reliable indicator of what corporate Republicans want us to think.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you do not.

Finding joy where we can, and muddling through where we can’t.

The republican ‘Pastor’ of the House is an odious authoritarian little creep.

Today in our ongoing national embarrassment…

When we show up, we win.

Wake up. Grow up. Get in the fight.

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

All hail the time of the bunny!

“Loving your country does not mean lying about its history.”

There are no moderate republicans – only extremists and cowards.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

Republicans got rid of McCarthy. Democrats chose not to save him.

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Excuses for Particular Missing Epstein Files Don’t Hold Up

by WaterGirl|  February 27, 20262:35 pm| 31 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

Is anyone surprised that the lame excuses from Pam Bondi aren’t holding up?

“We did not protect President Trump.”

That is what Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on January 30, after what he described as the final release of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

It turns out that was not true.

I love this photo that they used for this story from Judd at Popular Information.

Excuses for Particular Missing Epstein Files Don't Hold Up

I’m pretty sure this is not what the conversation looked like when Bill Clinton ran into the Attorney General on the tarmac all those years ago.  Which is still being billed as “met privately with the Attorney General”.  Whereas this photo shots “collusion” to me, but what do I know?

I think I posted something about this last week when this was first noticed by independent journalist Roger Sollenberger, but the excuses are getting more and more lame.

According to a new report by NPR, the DOJ is withholding “more than 50 pages of FBI interviews, as well as notes from conversations with a woman who accused Trump of sexual abuse decades ago when she was a minor.” The New York Times also reported Wednesday that the DOJ withheld summaries of three FBI interviews with the woman about her interactions with Trump. They released a fourth FBI interview, where the woman made allegations about Epstein.

The missing files were first discovered by independent journalist Roger Sollenberger.

The failure to disclose the interviews about Trump and related files seemingly puts the administration in violation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. That law, signed by Trump last year, prohibits the withholding or redacting of documents “on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary.”

The DOJ released a statement on Tuesday claiming that any document withheld “falls within one of the following categories: duplicates, privileged, or part of an ongoing federal investigation.”

But they are not gonna tell us which one.  That bolded line reminds me of the childish taunt “that’s for me to know and you to find out”.

The interviews about the allegations against Trump, however, are not duplicates.

Nor is it clear what legal “privilege” would allow the DOJ to disclose FBI interviews where the woman is questioned about her allegations against Epstein, but not interviews with the same woman about Trump.

On CNN earlier this month, Blanche indicated that there were no ongoing investigations, saying that the DOJ already determined in July “there was nothing in there that allowed us to prosecute anybody.”

Next up in the excuse lineup is this:

In a second statement, released by the DOJ on Wednesday afternoon, the DOJ directly addressed the missing interviews, referring to them as “documents produced to Ghislaine Maxwell in discovery of her criminal case.” The suggestion was that the documents were withheld pursuant to a protective order in that case. But the DOJ, in a court filing, already acknowledged that those documents were not subject to the protective order. Further, as Sollenberger noted, the DOJ released many other files from the Maxwell discovery.

We are getting close to the dog ate my homework category!

What are they hiding?  (Narrator: we all know what they’re hiding)

Congressman Robert Garcia (D-CA) said, “The DOJ appears to have illegally withheld FBI interviews with this survivor who accused President Trump of heinous crimes.”

The withheld documents also undermine Trump’s claim that he was “totally exonerated“ by the release of the files. Trump cannot be exonerated by the release of the files when key documents related to serious criminal allegations were not disclosed.

Released files reveal the woman “came forward in July 2019,” days after federal officials arrested Epstein. The woman alleged, according to a summary of one interview that was disclosed, that Epstein “repeatedly assaulted” her in the 1980s, when she was a minor.

Summaries of three interviews regarding the woman’s allegations against Trump are being withheld. But a brief description of the woman’s allegations was included in a 2025 DOJ slide presentation that was released.

According to the slide presentation, the woman claimed that Trump attempted to force her to perform oral sex. When she resisted, Trump allegedly “punched her in the head.” This allegedly occurred when the woman was between 13 and 15 years old.

The revelation that FBI interviews with the woman about Trump are being withheld raises serious questions. Why did the FBI interview the woman three times regarding her interactions with Trump? Why has the DOJ gone to such extremes to keep these interviews from the public?

Epstein, Epstein, Epstein.

Open thread.

Excuses for Particular Missing Epstein Files Don’t Hold UpPost + Comments (31)

Four O’Clock (Open Thread)

by Betty Cracker|  February 27, 202612:26 pm| 206 Comments

This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Open Threads, Politics, Republican Stupidity

FWIW, which ain’t much.

Newsmax host says that the US will attack Iran today after Wall Street closes — and that Trump does not need to try to convince Americans that the strikes are a good idea, attacking “fake members of Congress” for asking for the president to explain his decision. www.mediamatters.org/greg-kelly/n…

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— Media Matters for America (@mmfa.bsky.social) February 27, 2026 at 9:23 AM

The Newsmax people are fascist lickspittles, which is why they are among the regime’s favored propaganda outlets. So it’s possible they have insider info. Or maybe they’re juicing the betting markets.

Perhaps Mike Huckabee is in on it: (NYT)

With the threat of a U.S. strike on Iran looming, the United States embassy in Jerusalem has told its workers that they may leave Israel and warned them that if they want to, it is vital that they do so immediately.

The directive came from Ambassador Mike Huckabee in an email to embassy workers at the U.S. mission on Friday, a copy of which was reviewed by The New York Times…

Those wishing to leave “should do so TODAY,” Mr. Huckabee continued, urging them to find a flight out of Ben-Gurion Airport to any destination for which they could book passage.

Or maybe he’s just being a dramatic twat. Hard to say.

I feel like we haven’t been properly lied into this war, not even in a perfunctory manner. The same goes for Piggy’s Venezuelan adventure, which left its hated government in place, and Trump is now apparently diverting Venezuela’s oil revenue into an offshore account that he controls?

As for why now with Iran, my guess is because ordering attacks on other countries is a power Piggy can exercise without restraint, at least at first. Since SCOTUS took away the arbitrary tariff power, Trump needs a new plaything to feel big and tough.

People much more knowledgeable than I am on military strategy, maneuvers, ordnance, etc., (i.e., everyone!) seem fairly certain the build-up isn’t a bluff. If it is a bluff, it’s a large and expensive one.

Maybe the unqualified grifters Trump dispatched as envoys can resurrect the basic terms of the Obama deal that Trump blew up because Obama, make it worse for the U.S. and the rest of the world, rebrand it and hand it to Trump to brandish as he makes a climb-down.

Or maybe bombing commences after 4 o’clock PM Eastern time. Y’all’s guess is as good or better than mine.

Open thread.

Four O’Clock (Open Thread)Post + Comments (206)

TGIFriday Morning Open Thread

by Anne Laurie|  February 27, 20266:50 am| 233 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Republican Stupidity, Republican Venality, Sports

Memorial services for the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. begin in Chicago and stretch across the country to honor his long civil rights legacy.

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— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) February 26, 2026 at 3:05 PM

Here we go again:

BREAKING: The U.S. military used a laser to take down a Customs and Border Protection drone, lawmakers say, and FAA closed airspace near El Paso, Texas.

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— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) February 26, 2026 at 9:33 PM

This shouldn't be controversial: filing your taxes should be easy and free.
I've got a bill to do just that. Let's get this done.

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— Elizabeth Warren (@warren.senate.gov) February 26, 2026 at 6:05 PM

“.. one of the few policy ideas in his State of the Union speech .. is actually already on the books, thanks to a 2022 law signed by Democratic predecessor Joe Biden.”
@huffpost.com @svdate.bsky.social
www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-…

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— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 9:29 PM

It will be exactly a year ago Monday that Bessent announced a "affordability czar" would be appointed. I can find no record of this actually happening www.cbsnews.com/news/scott-b…

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— Catherine Rampell (@crampell.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 6:04 PM

I asked Mark Kelly why went to Trump's State of the Union given… everything
"Three weeks ago, he tried to send me to jail…I wanted to show him not only did he not send me to jail, I'm still gonna do my job , and I'm gonna be there to see what he has to say."
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a…

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— Eric Michael Garcia (@ericmgarcia.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 11:59 AM

This has as much weight as toilet paper, there is no mechanism by which to do this. Declaring yourself king of the aliens doesn't work if there are no aliens. The Washington Post would *like* you to believe Trump controls voting now, but that's because they like Republicans and want them to win.

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— politiburb (@politiburb.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 1:45 PM

Scotland supporters can wear their kilts in all their customary glory at the World Cup.

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— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) February 25, 2026 at 9:30 PM


… And thus, as those of us who wear skirts know, World Cup viewers will be preserved from inadvertent flashing.

TGIFriday Morning Open ThreadPost + Comments (233)

On The Road – TKH – Rafting the Colorado through the Grand Canyon

by WaterGirl|  February 27, 20265:00 am| 19 Comments

This post is in: On The Road, Photo Blogging

TKH

In the past seven years I have spent quite a bit of time hiking in the arid US Southwest, in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Two of these hikes were the so called Hayduke route that runs from Arches National Park through Canyonlands NP and Capitol Reef NP, and then through parts of the Grand Canyon to Zion NP. When hiking along the Colorado at the bottom of the Grand Canyon one has to cross the river from the right bank to the left bank as the cliffs stop you in your track. You can cross the river by packraft which will weigh you down by about 7-9 pounds for raft, paddle and life vest, which for an old fellow like me is “bah humbug”. I have used a packraft once while crossing Utah on a route of my own devising, but the hike plan ensured that I could load up the raft shortly before I needed it and could cache it shortly after I had used it. This is not possible on the Hayduke. The alternative is to catch a ferry ride from one of the rafting parties that go down the Colorado from Lees Ferry to either Diamond Creek on the Hualapai reservation or to Pearce Ferry on Lake Mead. On both occasions I have been fortunate to catch a ride in pretty short order after reaching the cliffs. Ever since I had been wondering what it would be like to spend 2+ weeks on a raft or paddle boat going down the Colorado. This summer I found out.

One can do this trip in either of three ways. Either you or somebody you know applies to a lottery for a launch date and, should you win, then you find other people to join you to spread the cost over more bodies. Or you join a group of people you don’t know that has just won the lottery. The third way is to go down the river with a commercial outfitter that has a concession from the National Park. The latter is the way I chose. I don’t know how many more years /months I have to do trips like this and waiting to luck into a slot on a private trip did not appear to be attractive given the “urgency”. I would also have to be on social media to find out when a lottery winner was soliciting applications for joining their trip. “Bah humbug” to that. Moreover, I am out hiking six months of the year and incommunicado for much of that time. It would not exactly be easy to find out about opportunities to join a private party. Whereas with an outfitter you know exactly which time to block out on your calendar for the trip you signed up for and you can arrange  your other activities around that. It was also important to me to do the trip in the shoulder season, either early Spring or in Fall, since I can’t cope with heat particularly well. Being at the bottom of the canyon when it’s 100+ degrees in June, July, August is a ‘thanks but no thanks’ for me.

Going in I had no idea what to expect. In the event I had an absolute blast! Running multiple sets of rapids every day on a paddle raft with a knowledgeable guide steering, surrounded by the roar and froth of “boiling” water was wild fun. Stretches a quiet paddling or just floating on the moving water followed these minutes of wild excitement, so that you had time to contemplate your surroundings and metabolize the adrenaline. This was a “hiking intensive” trip, so we got off the water several times a day to hike in side canyons to see some human artifacts from the native peoples that lived in the canyon hundreds of years ago, some geological sight or a waterfall for a fresh water shower. The lead guide had been a geology minor in college and as a result we got an education, in the best possible way. After this trip I will never look at a pile of rocks by the side of the road in the same way as  I did before. The rocks indeed do tell a story.

The daily routine was that at 6 AM the conch was blown when the coffee was ready. We had breakfast and tried to be on the water by 8 AM after receiving a briefing as to the plan for the day. We would paddle, run a few rapids, go for a hike, have lunch on the shore, do some more paddling and running of rapids or hiking. Somewhere between 4 PM and 6PM we would pull to shore, set up camp, do chores, cook , eat dinner. Paddler midnight was at 8 PM. For those to whom this sounds like way too much work there is an opportunity to do only half a trip, either from Lees Ferry to the Kaibab trail corridor near the South Rim park headquarters or from said trail corridor to Diamond Creek. A  half trip lasts eight days. Lastly, you don’t have to paddle, it’s just what I prefer to do. The alternative is to ride as a passenger on one of the rafts that carry all the gear and supplies. The guides row these rafts and for the passengers it’s dolce far niente all the way.

I am not an action camera guy, so I have no pictures to show from our time in the rapids. You have to paddle like a madman and there is no time to take the camera out and capture the white water around you. Second, on day 8 I went into the drink when a lateral wave came out of left field and washed me out of the boat (don’t underestimate the power of moving water!). Even though my phone (= “camera”) was in a zipped ziploc bag inside a “water-proof” pocket of my paddling vest, it did get wet while I was being spun around in the “washing machine” of the rapid. It only regained “consciousness” shortly before the end of the trip. I am already signed up for a repeat trip and I will be better prepared next time. If OTR will still be an ongoing concern on BJ at that time, I will submit some actions shots from within the rapids at that time.

On The Road - TKH - Rafting the Colorado through the Grand Canyon 9
MarbleCanyon at the east end of the Grand Canyon

From river level one rarely gets a view of the actual rim some 5000 ft above. Most often the rim is set farther back

On The Road – TKH – Rafting the Colorado through the Grand CanyonPost + Comments (19)

Late Night Schadenfreude Open Thread

by Anne Laurie|  February 27, 202612:50 am| 42 Comments

This post is in: Local Races, Open Threads, Republicans in Disarray!

John Cornyn’s nasty attack on Ken Paxton may haunt Texas Republicans. Senator John Cornyn goes medieval on ‘Crooked Ken’ Paxton in a new ad. Their brutal primary could be a boon to Democrats as they try to flip the Senate.

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— Intelligencer (@intelligencer.com) February 25, 2026 at 5:10 PM

Ed Kilgore, at NYMag — “Cornyn’s Nasty Attack on Paxton May Haunt Texas Republicans”:

In many years of observing politics, I’ve seen a lot of nasty, negative ads between primary opponents who belong to the same party. But for sheer volume of vitriol, the latest John Cornyn ad against Ken Paxton, his opponent in the Texas GOP Senate primary, is hard to top:

The Cornyn/NRSC JFC is airing a new ad accusing Ken Paxton of "sleeping around with a married mother of seven" and calling him a "wife-cheater and fraud."

Has there been another instance of a committee going so hard against a candidate who it may have to support in a few months? pic.twitter.com/UAyKQnWwvg

— Jacob Rubashkin (@JacobRubashkin) February 25, 2026

As Inside Elections reporter Jacob Rubashkin points out, this wildly negative ad is co-sponsored by the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, whose fundamental purpose is to maintain GOP control of the upper chamber. Cornyn’s seat is one that could very well become the key to a Democratic takeover of the Senate, which was thought to be highly improbable just months ago. So the very people running this ad calling Paxton a despicable family-wrecking, corrupt, and LGBTQ-loving piece of garbage may soon be backing his general-election candidacy to the absolute hilt. Paxton is the favorite in a toxic contest that will almost certainly go to a May runoff, in which his brand of fierce MAGA conservatives are likely to dominate turnout…

The Texas GOP is in the midst of an ideological revolution against a “Republican Establishment” typified by Cornyn. In 2024 Paxton, along with Texas governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, led a high-profile primary purge of Republican legislators who resisted a school-voucher push and voted to impeach Paxton on corruption grounds (he was acquitted by the Texas Senate). To put it simply, the Texas party is racing to the right at an amazing pace, and the four-term incumbent simply hasn’t been able to keep up. Worse yet, Cornyn looks and sounds like a stereotypical senator, making him a “swamp” creature in the eyes of Washington-hating Texas Republicans (his self-depiction in his latest ad as a cowboy-hat-wearing “Texas Workhouse” probably inspires as much derision as admiration).

Team Cornyn had hoped his bacon might be saved by a Trump endorsement, but the president chose to endorse all three major candidates in the race (Cornyn, Paxton, and U.S. representative Wesley Hunt), a familiar tactic that operates as a permission slip for MAGA diehards in Texas to follow their own preferences. Any way the wind blows, the GOP is going to have a major restoration project come May to bring supporters of either the empty-suit RINO Cornyn or the adulterous “Crooked Ken” back into the party corral during what could be a very difficult midterm election for the party.

Late Night Schadenfreude Open ThreadPost + Comments (42)

War for Ukraine Day 1,463: BRRRRRT!

by Adam L Silverman|  February 26, 202610:03 pm| 13 Comments

This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Military, Open Threads, Russia, Silverman on Security, War, War in Ukraine

Painting by NEIVANMADE. It has a white background an in the center are Soldiers in green doing air defense by firing at incoming Russian missiles in the upper right. The missiles are red and yellow. In the upper left, written in green, is the text: "SAVE THE BRAVEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD!" Below the Soldiers, also written in green, is "SUPPORT FOR KHARKIV"

(Image by NEIVANMADE)

Just a quick note: I want to apologize for snapping at low tech cyclist in the comments the other night. It’s been a stressful week, and a high pain one as well, and I didn’t need to stomp.

The Unmitigated Gaul asked the following in comments last night:

Adam, given how incompetent the Russian armed forces seem to be, and how inept their performance in Ukraine, why is there such widespread fear of Russia in the rest of Europe? Yes, Russia has nuclear weapons, but is there any reason to think that Russia’s nuclear programme, and the maintenance of its nuclear stock, is not as corrupt and inefficient as it was during Chernobyl?

There are several reasons. The first is that all of the eastern European states, as well as the Scandinavian and Nordic ones all know what the Soviet Union, specifically Soviet Russia, did or tried to do to their states and societies. These memories are fresh as they only gained their freedom in the early 90s and have been working hard to escape Moscow’s gravity and influence ever since. They also see what happens when Putin and his aides and surrogates are able to engineer backsliding as in Hungary, or scarf up parts of state’s to be able to exert influence as in Georgia and what was attempted in Ukraine. They also know what Russia is doing in the Balkan states and trying to do in France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Moldova, and Romania. They know that Brexit was at least partially a Russian operation to not just break the EU, but permanently level and weaken Britain. They also know that despite how badly Russia’s forces have performed in Ukraine, if Putin thinks he can just grab a piece of one or more EU member states, then he will. BEcause it gives him a foothold within that state to interfere with it.

Putin has been very clear about what he wants to do. He is constantly communicating it in words and deeds. They are receiving those messages, which is why they’re scared. The problem is that they are not getting their acts together quickly enough. They need to embrace one very specific teaching of John Wesley: “I am always in haste, I am never in a hurry.”

Ukrainian soldiers aboard an An-28 aircraft using a minigun to destroy Russian Shahed strike drone.
😍

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 10:58 AM

BRRRRRT!

Here’s the butcher’s bill from Russia’s attacks last night/this morning.

russia’s “will for peace” looks like this:

420 drones overnight.
39 missiles, 11 of them ballistic.

Homes damaged in 8 Ukrainian regions. Energy infrastructure hit in 3 — as temperatures drop below zero again.

This is not a peace process.
russia is a terrorist state.

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— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 3:29 AM

In Kharkiv, a private house was destroyed and there are injured people. In Zaporizhzhia, there were hits on private houses and multi-story residential buildings, and there are also injured people. In Kyiv, private houses were also struck.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 4:31 AM

Kharkiv and the surrounding region, Mykolaiv region, Vinnytsia and its suburbs, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv and its suburbs and region, Kryvyi Rih, the frontline areas of Donetsk region, and Poltava were also under attack.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 4:02 AM

Here’s last night’s Ukrainian air defense tally:

❗️During the night, Ukrainian air defense destroyed 406 of 459 aerial targets launched by Russia.

Intercepted/launched:

• 2/2 Zircon anti-ship missiles;
• 4/11 Iskander-M / S-400 ballistic missiles;
• 24/24 Kh-101 cruise missiles;
• 2/2 Kh-69 guided air missiles;
• 374/420 attack drones.

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— Maria Drutska (@mariadrutska.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 10:33 AM

However, unfortunately, 5 ballistic missiles and 46 attack drones still struck targets across the country.

— Maria Drutska (@mariadrutska.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 10:33 AM

Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.

show full post on front page

Over These Weeks, the Air Force Has Started Performing Better – Some Elements of the System Were Successfully Reorganized – Address by the President

26 February 2026 – 21:20

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

First of all, today we have reason to thank our air defense – good results, there were interceptions: more than 30 Russian missiles were shot down. Most of them targeted the energy sector specifically – we indeed managed to protect very important facilities. As for the “shaheds,” there are results as well. And every night it is like this – every night when our air defense has sufficient ammunition and when partners fulfill what we agree on, we have the ability to achieve exactly such results and interceptions. Over these weeks, the Air Force has started performing better – some elements of the system were successfully reorganized, precisely in the organization of defense against such massive strikes. I want to thank the command, I thank the Minister of Energy, I thank the Minister of Defense, and everyone involved both at the central level and in the regions so that the sky protection system works. Today I signed a decree awarding state decorations to our servicemembers who are specifically defending the sky. I want to thank you all: army aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, mobile fire groups, everyone involved.

I spoke several times today with Rustem Umerov and Davyd Arakhamiia, as well as with envoys of the President of the United States Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, following the outcomes of their meetings today. There is already greater readiness for the next trilateral format. Most likely, the next meeting will take place in the Emirates – in Abu Dhabi. We expect the format to take place in early March. We need to finalize everything achieved so far for real security guarantees and prepare a meeting at the leaders’ level – and this is exactly the format that can resolve many issues. At the end of the day, leaders decide key issues and when it comes to Russia – such a personalist regime – this is relevant even more than in other countries. The war must be ended – this is our position, the position of Ukraine, and the position of all our partners. But unfortunately, everyone now sees that Russia shows no readiness for peace, and there is still not a single sign that Putin is stopping his war machine. On the contrary, he is preparing to continue fighting, and the world must be ready to pressure Russia so that this changes. The solution is clear to everyone in the world. Russia will stop the war even on its own, of its own will, when the world completely stops Russian oil, other Russian energy resources, and Russian banks. This is absolutely doable. The world’s sanctions must work toward this – toward a genuine and lasting peace. Of course, with both the United States and Europe we are discussing each format of pressure and diplomacy that can truly work. It is very important that partners remain sufficiently resolute. Today I gave the team further directives on what we must achieve.

One more thing.

We had a detailed discussion with Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko on preparing our strategy for energy recovery and enhanced protection of the energy sector for next winter. We will finalize the strategy by March 1 and approve it afterward. This is to ensure that the European Commission, European countries, the United States, global businesses, and Ukrainian companies with the necessary capacity can all join in and work together with us – alongside our people – to strengthen resilience and expand our capabilities ahead of next winter. Of course, this also concerns the period this year when Russian strikes may continue targeting our infrastructure and our cities. All the positive experience of Ukrainian cities, the experience of Ukrainian communities that are going through this winter better than others – all this experience must be taken into account. I expect proposals from the regions. This is your responsibility – and the regions must be truly prepared. I want to thank everyone who works for Ukraine, I want to thank all who defend our state, who defend Ukrainians. Thank you!

Glory to Ukraine!

First Lady Zelenska participated in the first meeting of the Barrier-Free Council today.

Olena Zelenska at a Meeting of the Barrier-Free Council: Seven New Flagship Projects Presented and a Standard of Barrier-Free Language Announced

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska took part in the first meeting of the Barrier-Free Council this year, chaired by Prime Minister of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko.

Participants included government representatives, heads of relevant committees of the Verkhovna Rada, representatives of the United Nations and the Council of Europe, heads of regional military administrations, community leaders, and civil society activists. The meeting was moderated by Advisor – Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Environment Tetiana Lomakina.

“Over five years, much progress has been made in the field of barrier-free accessibility. From the first steps and first discussions – when for many it expanded beyond the topic of people with disabilities – to today’s stage, where every ministry is implementing its own accessibility project. In total – 25 projects covering all spheres of public life,” the First Lady emphasized.

Ministers reported on the implementation of flagship projects, as well as the introduction of new barrier-free practices at the local level.

Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine – Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksii Kuleba spoke about the project “Development of Institutional Capacity of Local Self-Government in Accessibility.” It aims to implement accessibility standards in Ukraine’s infrastructure and public services in 2026.

Head of the Coordination Center for Family Upbringing and Child Care Development under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Iryna Tuliakova presented the project “The Pathway of a Child with a Disability.” It is designed to build a unified system of continuous support for a child with a disability and their family – from early detection to transition into adulthood.

Minister of Youth and Sports Matvii Bidnyi introduced the “Future Hubs” project, aimed at creating a network of hubs based on youth centers that will help teenagers and young people (ages 14–35) overcome barriers in career planning and professional self-realization.

Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi outlined the key tasks of the “STEP. Comprehensive Development, Education and Career” project, aimed at creating conditions for in-person learning and professional integration for about 10,000 children with developmental disorders.

Minister for Veterans Affairs Nataliia Kalmykova presented the “Barrier-Free Veteran Spaces” project, which provides for the creation of a nationwide network of public spaces providing comprehensive support to veterans and their families in every district and regional center.

Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture Taras Vysotskyi spoke about the “Experience Matters” project, aimed at combating prejudice and developing a culture of employment for older professionals.

The Council determined that this year’s priority will be barrier-free language.

“It is not enough to do something useful – it must be properly explained and communicated. That is why the Barrier-Free Handbook – a communication guide – appeared and continues to expand. Barrier-free accessibility is also unique because language itself becomes both its component and its tool. The need to formally establish humane wording has long been overdue,” the First Lady emphasized.

Olena Zelenska also noted that next week the State Standard of Correct, Barrier-Free Language will be presented.

“It is very important that this standard reaches every official. Correct language must become the language of education and healthcare, administrations, law enforcement, services – everything that surrounds us daily. Language must also be barrier-free,” the President’s wife concluded.

Georgia:

Hello from the rainy Rustaveli Avenue. Day 456 of daily, uninterrupted protests in Georgia.

[image or embed]

— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 12:59 PM

February 25 is a tragic day marking Georgia’s Russian Soviet occupation, which took place in 1921. Yesterday, a protest march was held to commemorate this day. The Georgian Dream police said that the citizens did not have a permit to hold the rally.

#GeorgiaProtests
Day 455

[image or embed]

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 5:35 AM

Once again, jail time in Georgia over “verbally insulting a public official” in a Facebook comment.

Politician Lasha Chkhartishvili has been sentenced to 5 days of administrative detention for allegedly insulting judge Davit Makaradze.

[image or embed]

— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 8:44 AM

Soviet historiography is to blame for so. many. troubles. in the South Caucasus.

I bet if history hadn’t been narrated in such an ethnocentric and primordial prism, there would have been much less negative stereotypes and animosity.

1/2

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 6:39 AM

And one would think a communist rule would be against such one-sided conservative teachings.

But it was deliberate. Very deliberate.

Actual inter-ethnic communication is very important. Speaking from experience.

2/2.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 6:39 AM

[image or embed]

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 7:38 AM

Hungary:

Orbán wrote an open letter to Zelenskyy in which he complains about the war, accuses the President of Ukraine of alleged “interference in the elections” in Hungary, and calls for the reopening of the “Druzhba” pipeline.

[image or embed]

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 4:53 AM

The US:

Steve Witkoff on Ukraine:

“We see ourselves as a mediator. We do not see ourselves as a protagonist in this conflict. So never once have we ever come to the Ukrainians, to their leadership, and sought to impose some sort of view that we expected Ukraine to adhere to.”

[image or embed]

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 1:10 PM

This is a lie. The current administration has been pushing Ukraine to accept peace on Russian terms. They have demanded that Ukraine cede sovereign territory and accept caps on the size of its military. Furthermore, they have suspended military aid, intelligence sharing, and even arms sales

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 1:10 PM

several times, and are constantly using public rhetoric to pressure Ukraine.

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 1:10 PM

Marco Rubio on the Russian war in Ukraine:

​”The administration continues to sell weaponry to Ukraine. We don’t sell weapons to Russia, and we don’t sanction Ukraine….”

🤦‍♀️

Thank you for not sanctioning the victim of this horrific aggression, whose entire country

[image or embed]

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 9:07 AM

has been shaken by explosions every day for four years.

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 9:07 AM

See Rubio complaining that their peace effort is not bringing peace any closer. And he blames Ukraine in a disgusting act of bothsidesism: “He [Trump] just doesn’t understand how two countries in such a vicious, horrific, and bloody war cannot reach an understanding on how to end it.”

[image or embed]

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 8:14 AM

I don’t even know, Marco, maybe our inability to reach an understanding lies deep. Like Russia wants to strip us of our independence and kill us, and we really, really want to be free and alive.

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 8:14 AM

Back to Ukraine.

Can there be lasting peace without justice?

I think history gives us a very clear-cut answer.

[image or embed]

— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 9:31 AM

“The fall of Putin’s regime will not make Russia safer. We must create conditions under which the Russian Federation will cease to exist as an empire, and separate national states will emerge on its territory.” Budanov in an interview with the Arab outlet “Al Modon”.
www.almodon.com/arabworld/20…

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 4:42 PM

Here, Меdiazona and BBC Russian Service have compiled a massive database of around 200,000 confirmed and documented Russian military servicemembers killed in Ukraine, as well as mercenaries and recruited prisoners.

[image or embed]

— Illia Ponomarenko (@ioponomarenko.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 3:36 AM

Of them, about 180,000 have been plotted on a map of Russia and its occupied territories according to where they lived — across an enormous expanse stretching from Kaliningrad to the most remote settlements of Siberia, within arm’s reach of Alaska.

— Illia Ponomarenko (@ioponomarenko.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 3:36 AM

Just look at this horror-scape.

Every single dot on that map is a Russian who came to die as cannon fodder against Ukraine. And these are only those whose identities and deaths have been clearly documented and verified.

— Illia Ponomarenko (@ioponomarenko.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 3:36 AM

“Volunteers” have turned up even at the very edge of the world, on the farthest reaches of Chukotka — the ones who decided it was a brilliant idea to travel 9,000 km from their miserable towns to kill Ukrainians for a salary comparable to that of an average middle-class worker in Europe.

— Illia Ponomarenko (@ioponomarenko.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 3:36 AM

Look at it — it is a horrifying spectacle of monstrous, bloody madness in the name of NOTHING.

And an even more staggering testament to extraordinary Ukrainian heroism standing against this titanic monster.

— Illia Ponomarenko (@ioponomarenko.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 3:36 AM

200.zona.media

[image or embed]

— Illia Ponomarenko (@ioponomarenko.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 3:36 AM

Russian channels published footage of a body exchange between Russia and Ukraine. Vladimir Medinsky, who is part of the Russian negotiating group, stated that Ukraine handed over the bodies of 1,000 fallen Ukrainian soldiers, while Russia received the bodies of 35 fallen Russian servicemen.

[image or embed]

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 4:57 AM

Kharkiv:

4:30 AM local time/9:30 PM EST:

Explosion in Kharkiv ‼️ our city is under russian drone attack right now.

This one was very close. Car alerts went off outside, and the building shook.

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 9:34 PM

Last night, Kharkiv didn’t sleep — it endured. Russia attacked the city with 18 drones and two Iskander missiles, striking 11 locations, including homes, a dormitory, and Central Park.

Ten people were injured.

A family that had already fled the region lost their home again.

[image or embed]

— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 2:11 AM

Footage shows the moment of a deliberate russian drone strike on the dormitory in Kharkiv.

#Ukraine

[image or embed]

— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 3:37 AM

A Russian strike on Kharkiv last night heavily damaged an entire neighborhood of private houses. Some were damaged beyond repair. Families left homeless for a crime of being Ukrainian.

[image or embed]

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 8:38 AM

In Kharkiv’s Slobidskyi district, a displaced family lost their home and car after last night’s russian attack.

[image or embed]

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 8:30 AM

Kharkiv after last night’s russian combined missile and drone attack‼️

Mayor of the city:
“Fortunately, no one was killed. But a young woman was trapped under the rubble and was rescued in time.

[image or embed]

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 8:25 AM

As for the injured, at this moment we have 14 people who sought medical help. Ten of them are currently in the hospital in moderate condition. There was a direct strike by a Shahed drone on a dormitory where many people live.”

[image or embed]

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 8:25 AM

The aftermath of today’s attack on Kharkiv. It is known that 16 people were injured, including two children.

[image or embed]

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 4:25 PM

Russian occupied Luhansk Oblast:

An oil depot in temporarily-occupied Luhansk has received drone sanctions.

I look forward to reports about how all drones were successfully intercepted, and that drone debris caused a small fire which was quickly put out with no damage.

The fuel shortage is just a coincidence.

[image or embed]

— Maria Drutska (@mariadrutska.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 6:06 PM

Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast:

Photographer Kostiantyn Liberov went into Kostiantynivka together with fighters from the 28th Brigade and showed what the approach road to the city looks like now on his Instagram.
www.instagram.com/p/DVODqnbjEb…

[image or embed]

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 4:26 PM

A few days ago, near Kostiantynivka, a fighter of the Safari Regiment of the National Police’s “Liut” Brigade was critically wounded during a combat mission.
t.me/c/2102892092…

[image or embed]

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 7:16 AM

His comrades acted fast, performing a blood transfusion at the position under field conditions before evacuating him to a medical stabilization point.

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 7:16 AM

Kryvyi Rih:

The moment a Shahed drone hit a multi-story residential building in Kryvyi Rih.

[image or embed]

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 5:15 AM

Russia:

🚨The Kremlin is now officially panicking over the ongoing Russian economic collapse🚨

There was an emergency meeting this week between Putin, Nabiullina, and government ministers over the crashing price of oil and how to handle the budget. It ran “late into the night”‼️

🍿🍿🍿

[image or embed]

— Maria Drutska (@mariadrutska.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 3:21 AM

Belgorod Oblast, Russia:

Explosions and a blackout have been reported in Russian Belgorod… or should I say, Blackgorod. 👀

[image or embed]

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 5:35 PM

Russians are complaining that it was loud again in Belgorod. After explosions, allegedly caused by missiles, power went out in some parts of the city. A blackout also affected several settlements in the region.

[image or embed]

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 5:19 PM

Smolensk Oblast, Russia:

The OSINT channel Cyber Boroshno shared images of the aftermath of the destruction of ammonium nitrate production facilities at a fertilizer plant in Dorogobuzh.

[image or embed]

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 9:50 AM

A powerful blast wave destroyed one of the overpasses and damaged parts of nearby production units within a radius of several hundred meters.

[image or embed]

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 9:50 AM

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron.

There are no new Patron skeets or videos today.

Thanks to SiubhanDuinne, here is some adjacent material:

Open thread!

War for Ukraine Day 1,463: BRRRRRT!Post + Comments (13)

Thursday Night Open Thread

by John Cole|  February 26, 20269:10 pm| 94 Comments

This post is in: John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House"

Another day, another open thread, another shitshow. Let’s start with this nonsense on stilts:

Netflix said on Thursday that it had backed away from its deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, a stunning development that paves the way for the storied Hollywood media giant to end up under the control of a rival bidder, the technology heir David Ellison.

Netflix said that it would not raise its offer to counter a higher bid made earlier this week by Mr. Ellison’s company, Paramount Skydance, adding in a statement that “the deal is no longer financially attractive.”

“This transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price,” the Netflix co-chief executives, Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters, said in a statement.

Netflix reached an $83 billion deal in December to acquire a large portion of Warner Bros. Discovery’s business, including HBO and the Warner Bros. movie studio. The acquisition was poised to cement Netflix, once a striving outsider to the film and entertainment business, as the pre-eminent juggernaut of Hollywood.

The next President needs to hire about 10,000 trust busting lawyers. And so help me god if they fuck up HBO and turn it into a right wing slop shop with assholes like Ben Shapiro producing movies I will lose my shit.

***

The Republicans had their dog and pony show with Clinton on the hill today, and it went about how you expected it would:

The House Oversight Committee paused its closed‑door deposition of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday after a photograph from the proceeding was shared publicly.

Republican Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado provided the image to conservative influencer Benny Johnson, who posted it online, according to Johnson. Committee rules prohibit outside press or photography during depositions.

The deposition is being recorded on video, but Chairman James Comer has said any footage will be released only after Clinton’s attorneys have an opportunity to review it.

Imagine for a second (I’ll wait for you) if a Democrat did this and what the Republican outrage would be like. Yeah.

***

I have no idea why anyone would let their kid go to fucking Columbia:

In a dizzying sequence of events, a Columbia University undergraduate arrested by federal immigration agents in her college apartment Thursday morning was released later in the day after New York City’s mayor intervened directly with President Trump.

It was the clearest sign yet that Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has vocally opposed Mr. Trump on immigration enforcement matters, holds enough sway with the president to bend a highly charged situation through personal relationship and persuasion.

The drama at Columbia began unfolding shortly after 6 a.m. on Thursday, when five plainclothes immigration agents arrived at the university-owned apartment building of the student and demanded to be let inside, said Claire Shipman, the acting president of Columbia, in a statement released Thursday night.

The officers falsely told the building superintendent that they were from the Police Department and said that they were searching for a missing child. The superintendent let the officers in, Ms. Shipman said.

At the apartment door of the student, Ellie Aghayeva, 29, the officers repeated the same story to gain entry. “Our security cameras captured the agents in the hallway showing pictures of the alleged missing child,” Ms. Shipman said.

Just show up with a picture of a kid and some cop looking shit and head right on in and commence raping. And you know if Mamdani hadn’t intervened Columbia wouldn’t have done shit to get them back- they’d probably offered up a second student as a two for one.

***

Does anyone know wtf is happening here:

The men arrived in Cuban waters aboard a speedboat that apparently had been stolen the night before in the Florida Keys.

The Cuban government said 10 Cubans left from the United States on a Florida-registered vessel armed with assault rifles, handguns, improvised explosive devices, bulletproof vests, telescopic sights and camouflage uniforms. Their goal when they arrived on Wednesday was, the government said: “to carry out an infiltration for terrorist purposes.”

They opened fire on the Cuban Coast Guard, the government claimed. Four of the men died and six more were wounded in the gunfight.

A day later, few details have emerged about the deadly shootout, raising questions about who the men were and how and why they sailed to Cuba’s shores. Were they freelance militants with a poorly laid out plan? Part of a carefully set trap by the Cuban government at a time of increased tensions with the United States?

It feels like some crazy shit like this happens every year but I am curious if some right-leaning bozo thought now his chance to liberate Cuba was here because Trump would intervene if they started a war. My mind runs wild today.

***

That’s it for me. I am going to go sit outside for a little bit and then go watch some tv and exchange awkward side eyed glances at a shiba inu like I’m an eighth grader trying to ask a girl to dance.

DOES ANYONE KNOW what happened to Sarah, Proud and Tall?

Thursday Night Open ThreadPost + Comments (94)

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