February 18, 2026

OH, GROW UP:

And since I still have the late Robert Duvall on the brain, here’s a quick glimpse of him as Tom Hagen in a tough-love moment from The Godfather that Obama could have used, long before he got into politics.

Posted at 10:55 am by Stephen Green

HMM: Iran and US agree on ‘guiding principles’ of nuclear deal, Tehran says.

American and Iranian negotiators have hashed out “guiding principles” for an agreement during the second round of talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, according to Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

“We were able to reach a general agreement on a set of guiding principles, based on which we will proceed from now on and move toward drafting a potential agreement,” Araghchi told state TV from Geneva, where the talks were held.

“This does not mean that we can quickly reach a final agreement, but at least the path has begun.”

A US official agreed that “progress was made, but there are still a lot of details to discuss. The Iranians said they would come back in the next two weeks with detailed proposals to address some of the open gaps in our positions.”

The Trump administration has insisted that Iran expand the talks to cover its ballistic missile program and the treatment of anti-regime protesters — topics that Tehran has insisted are off the table.

“Jaw, jaw is better than war, war,” but with a second CVN on the way to the region, this story feels a little more like “The art of saying ‘nice doggie’ until you can pick up a rock.”

We’ll see.

Posted at 10:40 am by Stephen Green

THE SCIENCE IS NEVER SETTLED, BUT GOVERNMENT MONEY SURE CAN LOCK IT INTO PLACE:

Posted at 10:24 am by Stephen Green

SKYNET SMILES: Mission autonomy software by Collins and Shield AI was integrated on the YFQ-42 and YFQ-44 CCAs by using the government-owned A-GRA architecture.

The testing focuses on proving that mission software can be rapidly ported between platforms, creating what the Air Force describes as a competitive and adaptable ecosystem for future autonomous air combat systems. The service explains this validates a core principle of the new acquisition strategy: decoupling software from hardware through an open, modular architecture to accelerate innovation and avoid dependence on a single vendor – the so-called “vendor lock.”

“Verifying A-GRA across multiple partners is critical to our acquisition strategy,” said Col. Timothy Helfrich, Portfolio Acquisition executive for Fighters and Advanced Aircraft. “It proves that we are not locked into a single solution or a single vendor. We are instead building a competitive ecosystem where the best algorithms can be deployed rapidly to the warfighter on any A-GRA compliant platform, regardless of the vendor providing the algorithm.

The Air Force’s CCA concept envisions large numbers of uncrewed aircraft operating alongside crewed fighters such as the F-35 and the future F-47. Once known as “loyal wingmen,” these aircraft are now expected to perform missions ranging from reconnaissance and strike to electronic warfare and decoy operations. The service has previously noted it intends to field in the long term at least 1,000 CCAs in different configurations.

We’ve come a long way from “kick the tires and light the fires.” But 1,000 seems low for CCAs meant to be “attritable” when the piloted aircraft is at risk.

Posted at 9:38 am by Stephen Green

KRUISER’S MORNING BRIEFING: Jesse Jackson and the Golden Age of Not Getting Along With Each Other. “esse Jackson was a polarizing figure, to be sure. However, his peak polarization days came during a time when we all weren’t so quick to get bent out of shape about things like that. Political Americans knew how to not get along better back then, if that makes any sense. People were just as passionate about politics then, but we didn’t have social media or 24 hour political news offerings on television. We would get our political fixes, then do other stuff. I used to golf in those days. It’s impossible to fret over the likes of Jesse Jackson when one has a short game that’s trying to give you a heart attack.”

Posted at 9:07 am by Stephen Green

THE ART OF THE DEAL: Trump renews threat to cut funding for $16B Gateway project.

In a fiery social media post, Trump reiterated his opposition to the proposed rail tunnel connecting New Jersey and New York City under the Hudson River as New York and New Jersey leaders demand the release of tens of millions of dollars in federal funding frozen by his administration.

“I am opposed to the future boondoggle known as ‘Gateway,’ in New York/New Jersey, because it will cost many BILLIONS OF DOLLARS more than projected or anticipated,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday. “The project will be financially catastrophic for the region, unless hard work and proper planning is done, NOW, to avoid insurmountable future cost overruns.”

Trump said the federal government is willing to meet with New York and New Jersey officials to discuss funding for the project.

I’m not sure what local officials might fear more: Losing all their federal funds, or having a developer like Trump come in to look at their books.

Posted at 8:36 am by Stephen Green

NATIONAL SUICIDE FOR PUTIN’S EGO: Russia’s Middle-Aged Poor to the Grinder. “What the data we do have show is that Russia will fight Ukraine to its last poverty stricken middle-aged man before pushing the papered urbanites in Moscow and St. Petersburg—or the flinty TicTok warriors of Chechnya—into the trenches.”

Posted at 8:23 am by Glenn Reynolds

WE’RE LIVING IN A PARODY:

Posted at 8:20 am by Glenn Reynolds

THE WEST IS IN TROUBLE:

Posted at 8:16 am by Glenn Reynolds

CHANGE: Gen Z Men & Highly Educated Lead Return to Religion.

The decline of religion remains a fundamental reality in most Western countries, particularly in Europe, where over 50% of those under age 40 do not identify with any faith. Even in more religious America, some estimate that as many as 100,000 churches will close in the near future. Meanwhile, the ranks of “Nones,” those outside religious communities, have grown so large that their numbers rival those of Catholics and evangelical Protestants.

Yet, as we document in a new report for the Chapman Center for Demographics and Policy, there are signs that religion is enjoying more than a nascent revival. Data emerging from the 2020s suggest that we are witnessing a complex spiritual restructuring that intersects with economic mobility, demographic resilience, and a profound intellectual realignment.

For the first time in decades, Pew Research notes, in the U.S. at least, Christianity has stopped its nosedive as more people begin to see the efficacy, and the rewards, of religious faith and practice.

This fragile development is especially noteworthy as it exposes growing divides and fault lines in American politics and culture.

Read the whole thing.

Posted at 7:34 am by Stephen Green

21ST CENTURY BIGOTRY:

Posted at 7:20 am by Glenn Reynolds