Balloon Juice

Interested in a Zoom Book Club to Discuss Tom Levenson’s Book ‘So Very Small’?

by WaterGirl| March 1, 20262:30 pm| 13 Comments

This post is in: Balloon Juice, Balloon Juice Zooms, Book Clubs, Open Threads, Tom Levenson's So Very Small Book Clu

Re-upping this announcement from Wednesday.

Hey everybody,

Anybody interested in having a Zoom book club to talk about Tom’s book, So Very Small?

Tom is super flexible, so we can talk about arguments in book and the relevance of the book today and /or we can use the book as a jumping off point for discussion.

It’s looking like we will start in 3-4 weeks, zooming the first two weeks of April, to give you guys time to read the book if you’re interested.

If you’re interested in reading / discussing this book, let us know in the comments!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

SAVE THE DATES

Wednesdays
April 8 and April 15
8 pm Eastern time

Zooms will start on time and will last 90 minutes.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

MORE DETAILS

We will raffle off a signed copy of one of Tom’s books – only participants in the zooms will be eligible for that.

If you want to participate but aren’t in a position right now to buy the book, let us know in the comments or send me email. I’m sure we’ll be able to pair you up with someone to supply a book.

TO RSVP and get the Zoom link

Send email to WaterGirl and reference Tom or the book in the subject of your message! And don’t forget to include your nym. :-)

Interested in a Zoom Book Club to Discuss Tom Levenson’s Book ‘So Very Small’?Post + Comments (13)

Fun Facts That the Rest of Us May Not Know

by WaterGirl| March 1, 20261:05 pm| 187 Comments

This post is in: Something Fun

As I was reading the discussion this morning about jars that are hard to open, I thought it could be fun to have a thread where we share some of the tricks that make life easier. And then I got email this morning telling me that xylitol is now being marketed as “birch sugar”.

I’m sure you guys all know that Xylitol is extremely dangerous, and even life-threatening, to dogs. It’s in peanut butter and some ice cream and other things one might be tempted to give a dog.

Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), seizures, liver failure, or even death. Cats, ferrets, and horses do not appear to be at risk from ingestion of xylitol.

So then I thought, hey, let’s combine tricks of the trade and some fun (and possibly not so fun) facts that all of us may not know.

Fun Facts That the Rest of Us May Not KnowPost + Comments (187)

Sunday Morning Open Thread

by Anne Laurie| March 1, 20267:32 am| 265 Comments

This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Open Threads, Trumpery

Dog belly dancing, part 2.

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— Liberal Librarian, Emotional Support Cuban 📚 🌿🕓 (@liberallibrarian.bsky.social) February 25, 2026 at 7:21 PM

A children's hospital is renamed for Dolly Parton and hopes to transform pediatric care in Tennessee apnews.com/article/doll…

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— Mark (@ferl67.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 9:09 PM

… “Ever since I’ve been in a position to do my part, to help others, I have tried to do just that. Especially when children and families need it most,” Parton said in a video announcement. “I’ve always believed that every child deserves a fair chance to grow up healthy, hopeful and surrounded with love.”

The impact of Parton’s philanthropy is already felt across Tennessee and beyond. Her Imagination Library initiative reports to send 3 million free books every month to children whose parents request them. She donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University’s Medical Center for research that helped produce Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. And her charitable foundation provides numerous college scholarships and offers disaster relief.

Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital did not share how much Parton donated as part of the naming announcement. But Matt Schaefer, its president and CEO, said her support would ensure “every child who walks through our doors receives the treatment they deserve.”…

For what is apparently the 10,001st post on Skepchick (and my own 3,000th), it's a HAPPY STORY of how scientists have shown that Dolly Parton is substantially improving literacy rates around the world through her Imagination Library 🧪 skepchick.org/2026/02/stud…

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— Rebecca Watson (@skepchick.org) February 26, 2026 at 11:03 AM

This is what people mean when they say "this is not who we are". It's Midwestern police departments finding out even they have a limit. It's everyday suburbanites funding transport & relocation for trans women in danger. It's fighting to crush Republican supermajorities in red states this November.

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— Chatham Harrison dba TRUMP DELENDUS EST (@chathamharrison.bsky.social) February 27, 2026 at 8:17 PM

I think Trump should've named this Iran attack Operation Monkey's Paw to honor his dead hand.
Also, Monkey's Paw is the metaphor for unintended, tragic consequences — which, we all know there will be because hey we're talking about Trump

— Ragnarok Lobster (@eclecticbrotha1.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 4:32 PM

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One, very pathetic that they're still desperately trying to recreate the Obama situation room photo.
Two, Trump looks like he died last week and was badly preserved.

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— ArgellaStone (@argellastone.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 4:26 PM

Key members of Congress are demanding a swift vote on a war powers resolution that would restrain President Donald Trump’s military attack on Iran unless the administration wins their approval for what they warn is a potentially illegal campaign.

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— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) February 28, 2026 at 7:54 PM

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— Liberal Librarian, Emotional Support Cuban 📚 🌿🕓 (@liberallibrarian.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 11:36 AM

filming a hasty video in the dark at a golf resort while wearing a ball cap and releasing it on social media at 2AM then disappearing from view is one of those things that would make this seem like farce if there weren't a very real and mounting death toll attached to it, it's very surreal

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— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachine.com) February 28, 2026 at 1:50 PM

like, i don't think it's conspiracy, it's just how this administration does everything, utterly half-assed and ill-prepared, totally contemptuous of public opinion, subject to the whims of the elderly president and any number of scheming viziers, all of whom have different interests and goals

— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachine.com) February 28, 2026 at 1:54 PM

Stares in “The War Prayer” by Mark Twain.
youtu.be/NPgXTxJAomI?…

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— Malaclypse the Middle (@malaclypse.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 1:14 PM

It would be ironic if the first winner of the FIFA Peace Prize personally derailed the World Cup.

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— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 8:36 PM

Max Boot is like “idk, the justification for this war looks pretty flimsy.” This is the most unsold war in the history of wars. That is like Cat Fancy calling a cat less than mid.

— Starfire’s Deranged Neocon Foreign Policy Podcast (@irhottakes.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 2:11 PM

Never forget who you’re fighting for.

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— SorryHat (@sorryhat.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 7:04 AM

Sunday Morning Open ThreadPost + Comments (265)

Sunday Morning Garden Chat: All Gardening Is Local

by Anne Laurie| March 1, 20264:43 am| 25 Comments

This post is in: Garden Chats

In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.

In the midst of my interminable winter, I have summoned some invincible summer by ordering a bunch of potted irises from Schreiners’ Iris sale. (I think it was Satby who introduced me to their catalog, which is amazing, and their plants are every bit as wonderful.)

If y’all want garden pics every Sunday, you need to step up & send me photos!

I would like to have a garden like the apartment patio the NYTimes describes here:

… Mr. de Mornay, a horticulturist at Flora Grubb Gardens nursery, has assembled a diverse plant collection and as distinctive a range of containers to showcase them in. He put several large potted palms to work to create a kind of canopy for bromeliads and orchids that appreciate relief from the sun, which the cacti and succulents arranged in the patio’s more open areas relish.

His garden may all be staged on level hardscape, but the sense of terrain Mr. de Mornay has conjured with 300 tightly packed vessels seems anything but flat, thanks to their varied heights, and clever positioning.

“The way he has some staggered at different heights kind of creates a stadium-like look,” said Ms. Woodard, who also noted details like a collection of tiny pots raised on a table for closer inspection, and others hanging on a wall…

… but IRL, I’m what one reviewer gleefully described as a cramscaper.

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On the other hand, I think I can avoid the lure of the Washington Post‘s “perennial vegetable garden”…

… “The general reason so many of these varieties have kind of been forgotten is that our food system transitioned towards industrialized agriculture,” Hunter says. Most edible perennials are harvested a little at a time, leaving roots or parts of the plant behind to continue growing. That’s difficult or impossible to do with machines, “so a lot of these perennials can’t be grown industrially,” she says. “But they’re great for backyard gardeners.”

One reason to embrace perennials: They are eco-friendly. Plants that grow over many years increase soil health and biodiversity and sequester carbon. “Just not basically nuking your garden every year is a way to get a little closer to a natural ecosystem,” says Ashley Adamant, founder of the gardening and DIY site Practical Self Reliance…

Skirret. One of Hunter’s best-selling seeds is this root vegetable that was popular in medieval Europe “before potatoes came over from the Americas,” she says. “I tell people it’s like a stand-in for carrots or parsnips, but it could also be a substitute for potatoes because it’s a starchy root vegetable.” Once the seeds are established, “they’re really easy to grow,” she adds. “They make masses of white roots that are long and skinnier than a carrot. You can eat them raw or cooked. My favorite way to eat them is just to roast them in the oven with olive oil and salt. The leaves can be eaten, too. They kind of taste a little bit like celery leaf or parsley leaf.”

Potato onion. “Regular onions are biennial; the plants live for two years,” Hunter says. Potato onion varieties, on the other hand, reproduce indefinitely if some of the crop is left in the ground to seed the next year’s growth. The name comes from the onion’s long period of freshness once it’s harvested. “They have amazing storage,” she says. “They’ll keep in the fridge for, like, a year.”…

Dandelions. “People pay a lot of money for dandelion greens in the grocery store,” Adamant says. “They grow these huge, carrot-like tap roots that get even bigger if they’re in a garden bed rather than a lawn.”

Sunday Morning Garden Chat: All Gardening Is LocalPost + Comments (25)

Saturday Late Night Open Thread

by John Cole| February 28, 202611:07 pm| 109 Comments

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

Two thoughts to share: the other day Joelle got some popcorn flavored jelly belly jellybeans, and I had resisted trying them on principle but I walked by earlier and they were just sitting there so I threw a handful in my mouth and the only way I can describe how I feel about it is the last time I felt like this about something was when I was 12- 13 and saw Harold and Maude lying in bed naked or when I watched the Caligula movie a year or two later.

The second is that trying to open those vacuum sealed individually wrapped string cheese packages is one of the most maddening damned things I have ever done and you can’t just cut across the top and squeeze it out from the bottom there’s no fucking way that is working that’s like trying to get a fat person out of a wetsuit (don’t ask) and I have yet to open one without blaspheming a god I don’t even believe in at least once.

But I gotta get this dog to like me so here we are handfeeding strips of string cheese without making direct eye contact and not moving fast while keeping Thurston at bay.

Saturday Late Night Open ThreadPost + Comments (109)

War for Ukraine Day 1,465: A Brief Saturday Night Update

by Adam L Silverman| February 28, 202610:07 pm| 25 Comments

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

(Current mood and yes, I know, it’s now 28 FEB)

Given all the whacked out activity of today, I’m just going to run through the basics tonight so I can go off line.

Sign of the Times: While Russia’s war on Ukraine and the Iran war aren’t directly connected, both are symptoms of the breakdown of the “rules-based order.” The breakdown started when the West failed to challenge Putin’s invasion of Crimea.
It’s the rule of the strong from now on, and lots more war.

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— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 2:09 PM

The good news is that by the time this is done I won’t be considered the only strategic moron on the global stage

— Darth Putin (@darthputinkgb.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 1:16 PM

When I said we wanted a multi-polar world, it was based on the idea that the USA wasn’t going to act like we do. Not sure I like this version.

— Darth Putin (@darthputinkgb.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 1:06 PM

War is nature’s way of teaching Americans geography.

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— Darth Putin (@darthputinkgb.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 4:08 PM

Donald might have to ask the guy he said had no cards for help shooting down Iranian drones that they can’t currently stop.

Be interesting to see what Zelensky demands in return.

— Darth Putin (@darthputinkgb.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 4:50 PM

The next round of negotiations will be fun. Ukraine will be told by a country that started an illegal war to surrender to a country who started an illegal war.

— Darth Putin (@darthputinkgb.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 11:57 AM

It’s all funny because it is also unfortunately true.

Bloomberg reports Russia will likely walk away from peace talks unless Zelensky agrees to give up territory. According to the outlet, next week is make or break, and Moscow says it’s ready to sign if Ukraine pulls troops from Donetsk region.

www.bloomberg.com/news/article…

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 5:27 AM

President Zelenskyy is not going to agree to give up territory. He has been very clear and consistent on that.

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

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It Is Fair to Give the Iranian People a Chance to Rid Themselves of a Terrorist Regime and to Guarantee Security for All Nations That Have Suffered From Terror Originating in Iran – Address by the President

28 February 2026 – 15:50

I wish you good health!

Today has been packed with international work. Rustem Umerov has already delivered a briefing following this week’s meetings with envoys of President Trump. We discussed the main outcomes of the Geneva meetings – mostly on economic matters and reconstruction. And we are continuing preparations for the trilateral format, whenever that may take place.

Right now, we see that events in the Middle East and the Gulf region are unfolding extremely rapidly. Unfortunately, Ukraine knows all too well what this is about. Although Ukrainians never threatened Iran, the Iranian regime chose to become Putin’s accomplice and supplied him with “shahed” drones, and not only the drones themselves, but also the technologies. Iran also provided other weapons to Russia. Over the course of this full-scale war, the Russians have used more than 57,000 shahed-type attack drones against Ukraine – against our people, against our cities, and against our energy infrastructure. Other nations have also suffered from this terror. Therefore, it is fair to give the Iranian people a chance to rid themselves of a terrorist regime – to rid themselves of it and to guarantee security for all nations that have suffered from terror originating in Iran.

Our position – it’s well-known, and Ukraine has stated it repeatedly, including recently. It is important to preserve as many lives as possible. It is important to prevent the war from expanding. It is important that the United States is acting decisively. Whenever there is American resolve, global criminals weaken. This understanding must also come to the Russians. People cannot know the day or the hour, yet every act of evil, terror, and aggression against neighbors ultimately meets a just response. We expect that, in the end, the Middle East region will become safer and more stable. Much has already changed toward that goal. Ukraine is ready to help every nation so that security and justice increase, and terrorist regimes decrease.

Depending on the security situation and real diplomatic possibilities, the time and place of the next meeting of our team and the U.S. team – the meeting with the Russians – will be determined. Russia must end its aggression against us – against Ukraine and against all of Europe. And security must be guaranteed. I have issued updated directives to our negotiating team and the broader Ukrainian diplomatic team. Peace is needed – true peace – and a real possibility for people to live freely and to live safely.

Also today, an important meeting was held here in Kyiv with representatives from the Netherlands – a state that is one of the leaders in supporting Ukraine and our defense. I want to express my gratitude that members of the new Dutch government – the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs – came almost immediately to visit us here in Ukraine. And that speaks volumes. I am thankful for it. I briefed them on the security situation and on what our intelligence expects from Russia in the near future. Of course, we also discussed the prospects for negotiations. I am grateful for the Netherlands’ readiness to continue supporting our state and our people. Our priority remains air defense. The Netherlands contributes significantly both through the PURL initiative and on a bilateral basis. We will continue this cooperation. At all levels with the Netherlands, with all our partners in Europe, and with all partners in the free world, we will continue building relationships that enhance protection for life.

I thank everyone who is helping us!

Glory to Ukraine!

First Lade Zelenska participated in a University of Zhytomyr offsite today.

Olena Zelenska Took Part in an Off-Site Meeting of the “How Are You?” University Community in Zhytomyr

28 February 2026 – 11:00

In Zhytomyr, Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska took part in an off-site meeting of the “How Are You?” university community, which now includes 31 higher education institutions across 20 regions.

The meeting was held at the Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University. Also attending were Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mykola Trofymenko, Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs Yulia Kirillova, representatives of the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance, vice-rectors, heads of university psychological services from the “How Are You?” community, and mental health experts.

The President’s wife emphasized that one of the goals of the All-Ukrainian mental health program “How Are You?” is to make mental health support services accessible to people where they live.

“So that exhausted people don’t have to look for help elsewhere, but it comes to them in their familiar environment. The fact that community universities set such an example is invaluable. We have a truly unique situation: mental health services are now available in places we could never have imagined before – museums, children’s centers, libraries, sports halls, and businesses, both large and small companies,” the First Lady said.

At Zhytomyr Polytechnic, participants explored the work of the leadership school and visited the “Polytechnic” museum, which combines mental health support practices, youth career guidance, and modern science. Specialists from the psychological service presented digital projects supporting mental health at the university, initiatives in narrative therapy, the use of fairy tale therapy, and other formats for working with students.

They also visited the university’s Veteran Development Center, where a program trains specialists in veteran support. The center includes a dedicated teaching and practice lab for interactive sessions, support groups, psychological workshops, and thematic seminars.

“The universities in the ‘How Are You?’ community run numerous initiatives to strengthen mental health: masterclasses, support groups, veteran centers, and services for internally displaced persons. And this is not only timely today – it is also vital. Now is the time when every collective, university, school, bank, or factory must become a space of mental support for everyone around, to remain viable,” Olena Zelenska noted.

During the meeting, results from research on training nonmedical mental health specialists were also presented. It showed that 65% of future specialists choose the profession out of a desire to help people. Over the past five years, interest in becoming a psychologist has doubled.

A meeting was also held with project teams from higher education institutions involved in developing and implementing training programs for peer-to-peer consultants, together with graduates of the first group. They discussed adapting the training program and implementing the approach in practice.

“You are now leading the fight to preserve the mental health, endurance, and common sense of all Ukrainian society. All of this together is what we actually call resilience. Therefore, the quality of your work – every course, every graduate, every event and initiative – is literally lifesaving,” the First Lady concluded.

Additionally, six new educational courses for mental health specialists were presented, created by “How Are You?” according to international standards and professional needs: “Prevention of Risky Behaviors among Youth,” “Trauma-Informed Approach,” “Adolescence: A Map for Adults,” “Mental Health Legislation: A Navigator for Specialists,” “Motherhood and Fatherhood without Stress: A Course for Specialists,” and “Basic Communication Skills for Providers of Psychosocial Support.”

The implementation of the All-Ukrainian mental health program “How Are You?” is supported by the Coordination Center on Mental Health at the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, with expert guidance from the World Health Organization.

Georgia:

Day 458 of daily, uninterrupted, nationwide protests in Georgia.

Iranian, U.S., and U.K. flags are more prominent than usual today — the U.K. flags following sanctions on two Georgian propaganda channels. 🇬🇪🇮🇷🇺🇸🇬🇧

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 11:21 AM

The American flag featured prominently at today’s #GeorgiaProtests, Day 458.

A free Iran would flip the entire wider region for the better.

📷 MOSE

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 3:03 PM

Many U.S. flags at the 458th consecutive day of the #GeorgiaProtests.

In the background, Kashveti Church in Tbilisi. 🇺🇸🇬🇪

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 11:56 AM

The weather in Georgia was so bad today that most neighborhoods were left without electricity, heating, or water. Yet a large crowd turned out for the weekly march in Tbilisi.

Day 458 of daily, uninterrupted, nationwide protests. 🇬🇪

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 11:42 AM

I have tremendous respect for the Georgian opposition. And they are absolutely correct that a free Iran would be better for the Middle East and the world. Unfortunately, that is neither what Trump nor Bibi nor their teams want and, as a result, what they’re doing is unlikely to result in it happening.

The EU:

I have a few more questions regarding this statement. But this ‘Monday meeting’ energy is giving me major flashbacks to my MoD days…

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— Maria Drutska (@mariadrutska.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 4:09 PM

Throwback to the first six months of the war when we tried to set up an emergency Saturday call for our Minister with a certain European Defense Minister to ask for, you know, urgent weapons and ammo to stay alive.

— Maria Drutska (@mariadrutska.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 4:09 PM

Their team: ‘Oh, the Minister is away for the weekend with his kids in City X. Let’s try for Monday or maybe Tuesday.’

Us: ‘So sorry for interrupting your family time with our literal war…’ 🥲

— Maria Drutska (@mariadrutska.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 4:09 PM

Hungary:

Orban posted a video of troops guarding a Hungarian oil refinery from what he calls “Ukrainian threats.” Hungary won’t give in to Zelensky’s “blackmail” over the Druzhba pipeline, he declared. What “Ukrainian threats” those men are protecting the site from remains unclear.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 6:15 AM

Orban complains the Iran situation doubles Hungary’s oil supply problems.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 9:23 AM

The US:

Newsmax Ukraine was officially presented in Kyiv. Among the guests were the Head of the Presidential Office, Budanov, the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Ukraine, Julie S. Davis, and others.

The channel is expected to begin broadcasting this spring in Ukrainian, Russian, and English.

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— Maria Drutska (@mariadrutska.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 8:45 AM

Something tells me the launch of such a platform is not happening by coincidence.

Your thoughts?

— Maria Drutska (@mariadrutska.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 8:45 AM

Newsmax is a thoroughly Trump/MAGA movement outlet. Think of it as a US RT. Nothing good will come of this for Ukraine.

Biden on Trump’s SOTU speech: The guy talked for almost 2 hours, but never mentioned the anniversary of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Not once. I’ve spent a lot of time in Ukraine. The incredible bravery of those people. Imagine how they feel, wondering,

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 12:03 PM

“Are we leaving them?” We’re walking away. He doesn’t even apologize.

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 12:03 PM

Back to Ukraine.

Russia admitted during the latest talks it will have to accept US security guarantees for Ukraine, Budanov says.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 12:45 PM

ZELENSKYY ON IRAN:

“Although Ukrainians never threatened Iran, the Iranian regime chose to become Putin’s accomplice and supplied him with “shahed” drones, and not only the drones themselves, but also the technologies. Iran also provided other weapons to Russia.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 10:17 AM

Over the course of this full-scale war, the Russians have used more than 57,000 shahed-type attack drones against Ukraine – against our people, against our cities, and against our energy infrastructure.

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 10:17 AM

Other nations have also suffered from this terror. Therefore, it is fair to give the Iranian people a chance to rid themselves of a terrorist regime – to rid themselves of it and to guarantee security for all nations that have suffered from terror originating in Iran.”

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 10:17 AM

Ukraine’s Drone Force now has over 1,000 crews and took out every third Russian soldier on the front in January-February, Ukrainian Defense Minister Fedorov says. The goal is 50,000 enemy losses per month.

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 11:36 AM

Ukrainian border unit “Phoenix” pilots downed 114 fixed-wing drones in February.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 11:14 AM

Magyar’s Birds spotted a BM-21 Grad firing at Ukrainian positions and hit it mid-operation.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 10:10 AM

Ukraine’s General Staff reports overnight strikes on a Russian command post, fuel and ammo depots, and troop concentrations in Donetsk, Kherson and Belgorod regions.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 7:46 AM

Russia launched 5,060 Shahed-type drones at Ukraine in February, averaging 181 per day. Ukrainian defenses intercepted 87%, up from 83% in January.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 7:42 AM

Moment a Ukrainian Yak-52 anti-drone aircraft gunner shoots down a Russian Shahed-136 in the south.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 3:28 AM

Kharkiv:

❗️Multiple explosions reported in Kharkiv. Russia is attacking the city with drones!

— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 5:39 AM

Explosions in Kharkiv ‼️ reportedly air defense is working on russian drones.

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 11:26 AM

Kharkiv Oblast:

This is how firefighters are forced to work near the frontline in the Kharkiv region. Anti-drone nets are essential because russia hunts them with drones and kills with double taps.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 7:55 AM

Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast:

This was Kostiantynivka. This is the language russia brings to “peace talks.”

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 5:17 AM

Russian occupied Makiivka, Donetsk Oblast:

Occupied Makiivka right now 🔥🔥🔥

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 3:13 PM

Drones attacked an oil depot in occupied Makiivka this evening.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 3:10 PM

Donetsk Oblast:

Evening in Donetsk region, anti drone nets, and moonlight behind it by Yan Dobronosov.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 1:33 PM

The Russian S-300V air defense radar was struck on February 28 in the Donetsk region by a Nemesis unit.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 8:01 AM

Zaporizhzhia:

An 86‑year‑old woman was killed, and two other residents of the Zaporizhzhia district were injured in daytime russian airstrikes‼️

Rescuers recovered her body from the rubble of a destroyed house. Another private home was also damaged.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 11:21 AM

Belgorod Oblast, Russia:

Yesterday in Russian Belgorod a HIMARS reportedly took out a Pantsir-S1.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 5:18 AM

Krasnodar Krai, Russia:

Supernova+ shows footage from Novominskaya of the fire glow at the Albashneft mini refinery. The plant produces diesel, fuel oil and low-grade gasoline, capacity 100,000 to 150,000 tons a year.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 4:17 AM

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

There are no new Patron skeets or videos today.

Here is some adjacent material.

Ukrainian dog vs Russian drone. A little scene from the front.

Footage by the 12th “Rym” Territorial Defense Battalion.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 12:17 PM

Open thread!

War for Ukraine Day 1,465: A Brief Saturday Night UpdatePost + Comments (25)

Two Devils Dancing

by WaterGirl| February 28, 20269:30 pm| 56 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

Two devils dancing – Putin and T – and I’ll bet that one of them doesn’t understand that he’s only a puppet, with the strings being pulled by the other devil.

I am not a foreign policy expert by any stretch of the imagination, and I have way more questions than answers, but as a human who is able to draw a dotted line from one thing to another, it does seem the height of hubris to not take note of the fact that a head of state assassinating the head of another head of state is opening Pandora’s box. That would be true even if that whole region wasn’t a volatile powder keg. Right? Or are we so far past the looking glass up is down?

I don’t know whether Politico‘s take is right or wrong or somewhere in between, so I’ll leave it to those more expert than me to hash that out.

As Tehran was being pounded by U.S. and Israeli bombs on Saturday morning, its top diplomat dialed Moscow’s number.

That made me think of all the people frantically calling T for help on Jan 6, looking for help and getting none.

On the other end of the line, according to an official Russian statement, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov offered his Iranian counterpart sympathy and promised his — verbal — support.

Iran, thus, became the latest country after Syria and Venezuela to feel firsthand what partnership with Russia does, and doesn’t, mean.
Since launching its full-scale war in Ukraine four years ago, the Kremlin has flexed its rhetorical muscle as the flag bearer of a so-called multipolar world. But, at decisive moments, its response on the ground in allied nations has been conspicuously anemic as their leaders came under attack.

Iran now threatens to become the latest example of the discrepancy between the Kremlin’s big talk in the face of American hegemony and the real world where that hegemony is increasingly on full display.

For Tehran, Moscow’s lackluster response should come as no surprise.

Frog, meet scorpion. No, wait, is there a story where they are both scorpions? And one is more poisonous than the other?

The writing has been on the wall since at least last summer, when — during a 12-day war with Israel that included a massive U.S. assault on Iranian nuclear sites — top Russian officials similarly offered statements of condemnation but no action.

In the months that followed, Moscow has tried to contain the damage. It has defended the Islamic regime’s right to quash protests, which they, reports suggested, used Russian military equipment and technology to put down.

And Moscow has publicly cast itself as a mediator between the U.S. and Iran, proposing to store enriched uranium stockpiles on Russian soil.

Is everything related to foreign policy simply kayfabe now?

In the hours after Saturday’s attack, many social media users dug up Putin’s comments from June 2025 at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, where he defended Russia’s “neutral” stance during the first U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.

Russia’s failure to intervene in Iran undoubtedly represents a reputational blow on the global stage. But it also might bring some spoils of war.
Moscow will be hoping to deflect attention away from itself by highlighting the West’s — and particularly the U.S.’s — failure to live up to international norms.

It is also likely to entrench the Kremlin’s rigid position on Ukraine, which it has consistently framed as a defensive move against Western aggression.
“It will be difficult to convince Putin that he was ever wrong [about the danger of the West,]” said Vladimir Pastukhov, a Russian political scientist affiliated with University College London, on Telegram. “To the doubters he’ll point to Tehran and say: ‘It could have been us.’”

At the very least, if U.S.-brokered talks on peace in Ukraine break down, Moscow will have its talking points ready.

Oh my god – IF the US BROKERED TALKS ON PEACE IN UKRAINE BREAK DOWN????

Are we actually pretending that the US is a legitimate actor here? And that the President of Ukraine is going give up?

I laughed at T being called The Peacekeeper. The president of the US is being mocked – deservedly so – on the national stage.

Among the first Kremlin figures to react Saturday was the deputy chairman of Russia’s security council and former president, Dmitry Medvedev.

“The peacekeeper is at it again,” he wrote on X, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump. “The talks with Iran were just a cover. Everyone knew that.”

If there’s one thing in this article that I know to be true, it’s that diplomacy with T is pointless. Will Putin’s last move on the chessboard be to knock over Trump? The only thing I know for sure is that these are dangerous times.

Fyodr Lukyanov, a Russian foreign policy adviser to the Kremlin, went as far as suggesting that the events in Iran show that diplomacy with Trump was “plain pointless.”

Moscow will be hoping that is the message that stays with its remaining allies — rather than its own inaction.

I am looking forward to hearing from BJ peeps who are more knowledgeable than me in this arena.

Discuss!

Two Devils DancingPost + Comments (56)

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

You cannot love your country only when you win.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

When I was faster i was always behind.

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

The unpunished coup was a training exercise.

Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

Mediocre white men think RFK Jr’s pathetic midlife crisis is inspirational. The bar is set so low for them, it’s subterranean.

I did not have this on my fuck 2025 bingo card.

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

Democracy is not a spectator sport.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

I have other things to bitch about but those will have to wait.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

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

There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

This chaos was totally avoidable.

“In the future, this lab will be a museum. do not touch it.”

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

They spent the last eight months firing professionals and replacing them with ideologues.

Interested in a Zoom Book Club to Discuss Tom Levenson’s Book ‘So Very Small’?

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Two Devils Dancing