THE WARMTH OF COLLECTIVISM, GOOD AND HARD: Mamdani Abandons Key Leftist Policy As Homeless New Yorkers Freeze To Death.

HIGHER EDUCATION IS A MONEY LAUNDRY FOR THE LEFT THESE DAYS: The Resurrection of Liz Magill: Georgetown Law Search Committee That Tapped Disgraced Penn President As Dean Included 11 Democratic Donors and a Democratic Political Aide.

And the left, unlike the right, always takes care of its own.

ANOTHER NARRATIVE BUSTED: Police killed fewer Americans in 2025 under Trump than in Biden era 2023 or 2024.

New data shows that as Trump’s unprecedented surge of federal agents poured into neighborhoods across the country, 2025 saw fewer police killings nationwide than either of the last two years of Joe Biden’s term — exactly the opposite of what many feared. Progressive police reform group Campaign Zero publishes daily data at mappingpoliceviolence.org, including figures on killings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol. In 2025, their data shows 1,314 police killings compared to 1,382 in 2024 and 1,362 in 2023. Indeed, in the month in which Pretti and Good were killed in 2026, police killings were down again compared to 2025. These facts complicate the political narrative that Trump has unleashed “violent and sometimes deadly tactics … by federal immigration officers in communities across the country.” If they are so violent, why did police kill 68 fewer people in 2025 than 2024? Certainly, that’s not what I expected to happen. I don’t think anyone did.

Oh, I think Trump probably did.

Plus: “We’ll see if anyone notices that police violence went down under Trump. I doubt it.”

Even if they notice, I doubt they’ll tell.

GOODER AND HARDER:

NYC public school teachers voted overwhelmingly for Mamdani.

The United Federation of Teachers, representing NYC public school teachers, endorsed Mamdani, with 64% of delegates voting for him.

He’s now raiding their pension fund.

— Bad Hombre (@Badhombre) February 18, 2026

You would need a heart of stone not to laugh.

OF COURSE: Senate Hopeful with Deep Democratic Ties Has Paid family Over $350K From His Campaign Coffers.

I’LL TAKE MY STEAK RARE, WITH A SIDE OF BACON. Think chicken is healthier than beef? New study says not so fast.

OPEN THREAD: Hump Day.

I REALLY ENJOY THE LACK OF RESPECT FOR PUFFED-UP ESTABLISHMENT FIGURES:

Hi dickweed, remember when your boss launched a year long unilateral war in Libya? https://t.co/xPAVxUwizq

— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) February 18, 2026

DID THEY SPRAY ENOUGH OF THAT FLEX-SEAL STUFF ON IT? NASA will fuel up its Artemis 2 moon rocket for the 2nd time on Feb. 19. Will it leak again?

No joke, in our old house we had a leaky skylight. Roofing guys couldn’t fix it. Finally I got on the roof and sprayed two cans of that flex-seal stuff that’s advertised on late-night TV all around it. No more leaks. Granted, there were no cryogenics involved, but still. If there are more problems tomorrow, maybe it’s worth a try. I mean, it can turn a screen door into a boat . . . .

TEACH WOMEN NOT TO RAPE! (CONT’D): School secretary, 31, accused of having sex with two students after husband catches her with one of them. “Hughes was transported to Randolph County Jail, where she is being held on a $25,000 cash-only bond.”

PROBLEM?

The problem is that a class action lawsuit of this kind that encompassed even a small fraction of those for whom this is true would create sufficient liability to end public schooling in America https://t.co/rzdvMWikC8

— Wesley Yang (@wesyang) February 18, 2026

LIFE IN THE 21ST CENTURY:

So many people in the comments are pointing out flaws and completely missing the point, which is the rate of change here.

2 years ago AI couldn’t generate a simple video of Will Smith eating spaghetti without it looking like a horrific DMT trip. Now it’s on the verge of… pic.twitter.com/z4C8TGxZSB

— Cognitive Dissident (@STP48315) February 17, 2026

Flashback: Backyard Filmmakers Are Hollywood’s Greatest Fear.

Backyards now optional. (I thought I’d posted this yesterday, but I was wrong.)

NEWS YOU CAN USE: The Best Cars That Still Offer a Manual Transmission in 2026, Ranked.

WHY SO MANY NASTY BIGOTS IN HEALTHCARE? California Botox Nurse says Jews Pray at “Synagogue of Satan”, Claims “Nazis didn’t execute real Jews.” “Not only are Jews unsafe in her care, but it calls into question the judgment of those who employ her” says Physicans Against Antisemitsm (PAA).

MEN AREN’T WOMEN, WOMEN AREN’T MEN, ANIMALS AREN’T PEOPLE: Annals of Animal Rights Lawfare: Judge – Again – Rejects Claim That Elephants Are People. “This was not a criminal animal-cruelty case or an agency enforcement action. It was an attempt to rewrite personhood through the courts.”

HOWARD WOLOWITZ SMILES: Robot hand approaches human-like dexterity with new visual-tactile training.

I’VE NEVER TRUSTED PASSWORD MANAGERS: Password managers’ promise that they can’t see your vaults isn’t always true.

NEWS YOU CAN USE: Erection pills may have major benefits — for more than just sex: ‘Too many men are missing out’.

Viagra and other common erectile dysfunction medications are known as PDE5 inhibitors, meaning they block an enzyme that restricts blood flow by tightening muscles and narrowing blood vessels.

These medications relax the blood vessels, which increases blood flow throughout the body, including to the penis.

Researchers saw a link between medication use and better heart health, noting that the blood flow and relaxed muscles could play a role in cardiovascular benefits. The improved circulation and vascular function could also reduce the risk of strokes. . . .

Previous research has also found that taking erectile dysfunction medications could reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

Well, there you are.

THE FLOW: Palantir Shifts HQ to Miami From Denver After Protests.

FOLLOW THE SCIENCE:

Lewiston shooting incidents 2019-2025

Lewiston shooting incidents post-ICE surge https://t.co/DEBsF7aPg9 pic.twitter.com/Zf2KNJW2a5

— Steve Robinson (@SteveRob) February 18, 2026

JEFFREY SINGER: A good place to start Trump’s new health care plan: More drugs over the counter.

Watching a TV commercial for Primatene Mist — the over-the-counter inhaler that uses epinephrine (adrenaline) to treat asthma attacks — I found myself wondering why people with asthma can buy that drug but not albuterol. It’s a question that goes straight to the heart of President Trump’s “Great Healthcare Plan.”

Epinephrine is a blunt instrument. It stimulates the heart and blood vessels and can raise blood pressure and heart rate. Albuterol, in contrast, is more targeted. It acts mainly on the bronchial system and has fewer effects elsewhere in the body.

Yet in the U.S., the cruder drug is available over the counter, whereas the cleaner one is locked behind a prescription. In much of the world — including Australia, South Africa and large parts of Latin America — patients can buy albuterol without a prescription.

Just one example of many. BTW, Epinephrine is good for severe allergic reactions. I used to keep some Primatene Mist in my first aid kit for that reason, but they took it off the market for a while because its propellant depleted ozone (no, really) and I didn’t put it back when it returned because I just didn’t get around to it.

OUR LEADING INSTITUTIONS, AND THOSE WHO LEAD THEM, HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE OVERWHELMINGY DEPRAVED AND CORRUPT: The Chomsky Moment And The Cracks In Cultural Hegemony.

FIGHTING BIGOTRY: Former UCSB student government president sues school alleging antisemitic harassment.

SIDES: Harvard undergrads prepare asylum claims, law students fight deportations of illegal aliens in court.

“WELL KIDS, I’VE GOT TO DO IT AGAIN.” Lara Trump reveals Trump’s unexpected reaction to leaving White House in 2021 on ‘Pod Force One.’

Like Gandalf after the Balrog, he came back stronger and better.