ART OF THE DEAL:

As we watch events unfold, let's go over some clear patterns in how Trump does things back to Trump I and is continuing these patterns. Today's lesson is on leverage.

Leverage in negotiation is a very simple concept. You need to have benefits to offer or costs to impose on your…

— Blume Industries CEO Balding 大老板 (@BaldingsWorld) February 25, 2025

OPEN THREAD: You know what to do.

ONE WOULD THINK: Space Force to play ‘central role’ in Iron Dome U.S. missile defense initiative.

EVERY DAY IS LIKE CHRISTMAS: House Passes G.O.P. Budget Plan For Deep Cuts to Taxes and Spending.

Related: Donald Trump, the libertarian president?

UPDATE:

What a ringing endorsement of @dbongino. pic.twitter.com/ZAPf0QH2wi

— Carl Benjamin (@Sargon_of_Akkad) February 25, 2025

ANOTHER UPDATE:

BREAKING: House GOP passes budget bill which ends taxes on tips, overtime, social security.

Promises made.
Promises kept.

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 26, 2025

ALSO THE FOSSILIZED DAIQUIRIS: Ancient Beaches Found on Mars Reveal The Red Planet Once Had Oceans.

WELL, GOOD: Scientists Discover Compound in Ginger That Fights IBD Naturally.

IMPORTANTLY, IT HAS A SQUAT RACK: I spent $32,000 turning my basement into a home gym. It took longer than I thought, but it’s been worth it.

REPORTS OF THE V8’s DEATH ARE HIGHLY EXAGGERATED: The Mercedes-AMG C63 Will Have Its V-8 Back by 2026, Report Claims.

NOT SO OUTDATED: Straight Talk: Snub Not the Snub-Nose.

FASTER, PLEASE: Inside the new therapies promising to finally beat autoimmune disease: Type-1 diabetes, IBD, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, coeliac disease and lupus are all caused by the body attacking itself. But new therapies that reset the immune system could offer lasting help.

THEY KEEP GETTING SMARTER, WHILE PEOPLE STAY THE SAME: Anthropic releases its ‘smartest’ AI model.

HMM: Selective jamming: Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces reveal new method of attacking Wi-Fi networks.

IT’S GOOD FOR NEARLY EVERYONE: Exercise helps colon cancer survivors live longer, study suggests.

THE POWER OF SOUND MONEY:

🚨🇦🇷 MILEI’S PESO POWER: ARGENTINA’S SOCCER TEAMS ARE BALLING OUT

For years, Argentina’s top players bolted for bigger paychecks abroad.

Now? They’re coming home—because Milei’s economic overhaul made local contracts competitive again.

River Plate, one of Argentina’s biggest… https://t.co/nw5OQiYMbU pic.twitter.com/bge79jxE3d

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 25, 2025

MARK JUDGE: The New York Times Reporter Who Apologized to Me Needs to Come Fully Clean: David Enrich owes me the conversation he promised.

(There was a typo in the link, it’s fixed now. — Charlie)

YOUTHQUAKE: 3 in 4 college-age voters support Trump’s DOGE cuts: poll.

Also:

Everyone sees right through this narrative. The only people who don't want government corruption exposed are part of the corruption. https://t.co/dgtFJgzrNz

— Jeff Carlson (@themarketswork) February 24, 2025

PROF. GIORDANO: Congress must dismantle the Department of Education.

MY NEW YORK POST COLUMN: Privateers ahoy! Hit cartels where it hurts with this old-school tactic.

Yes, I know I had a substack on this topic, but the Post people wanted me to do a column based on that essay.

JOHN LUCAS: Republicans Should Fight ‘Resistance’ Democrats’ Nationwide Injunctions.

IS DONALD TRUMP FDR? LINCOLN? JACKSON? WARREN HARDING? Harding was bold and enlightened on civil rights & civil liberties and ushered in peace, prosperity, bipartisanship, cautious internationalism, and innovative management.

CHANGE:

Business confidence hits fresh records as 63% of CEO’s now expect a boom. Under Biden it was just 19%.

They’re eager to invest — and create jobs — to ride the wave. pic.twitter.com/XFZZC0jbWB

— Peter St Onge, Ph.D. (@profstonge) February 25, 2025

FIRST THE USAID GRAVY TRAIN IS SHUT DOWN, NOW THIS: Democrat Donors Pull Funding From Party: The Party ‘Is F***ing Terrible.’

SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, SLEAZY? SHOCKED.

Dem Sen. Whitehouse in hot water over wife's nonprofit's millions in federal grants. FOX: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., is being accused of violating ethics rules after backing laws that financially benefited his wife's environmental organization. https://t.co/YC0tAHJ5y0

— John DePetro Show (@JohnDePetroshow) February 24, 2025

DON SURBER: USA is refuge for manufacturing: Red China, England and Europe are making America the safe place for factories.

YEP, PATRONAGE WAS MUCH MORE ACCOUNTABLE: The Administrative State Is So Corrupt It Makes The 19th Century’s Patronage System Look Good.

Flashback: Abolish the Civil Service.