FEBRUARY 16, 2026

Today is Washington’s Birthday, observed.  It is NOT “Presidents’ Day”.  There is no such thing as “Presidents’ Day”. You are not required to buy a mattress or a new automobile. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ROCKY! I invited him to Chatmoss for a birthday libation, but he was too busy with his friends in New York. Nevertheless, I hope he enjoyed a festive day.

Inflation has fallen to 2.4% annually. WINNING!

The Trump Administration is expanding the production and use of coal as an energy source in the United States, and the mainstream media is apoplectic. The Trump Administration is right, and the media is wrong. America and the world need more energy, more coal, more oil, more natural gas, and more nuclear power. During the recent unpleasant weather, solar and wind were not heating homes in the Northeast. Imported power, and people burning trash and wood were keeping people from freezing, literally, to death.

The United States is the Saudi Arabia of coal. More coal means more jobs and prosperity in Wyoming, Virginia, Indiana, West Virginia, Montana, and Pennsylvania. “Coal. It keeps the lights on.”

President Trump signed a bill into law eliminating payments by the federal government to dead people. It is unbelievable that we needed a law to stop payments to dead people. No wonder our debt is so high.

The Congress passed a resolution of disapproval, blocking the District of Columbia from opting out of the federal tax breaks provided by the One Big Beautiful Bill. Why does the D.C. City Council think it deserves the money more than its residents? Such arrogance, entitlement, and just plain greed!

Naturally, Virginia Senators Mark Warner (D.) and Tim Kaine (D.) voted against the resolution. Because they believe that all money belongs to the government.

Rep. Sydney Kai Kamlager-Dove (D. Ca.) openly admitted that her primary concern isn’t the impact on constituents if Department of Homeland Security funding is cut.  Instead, it’s about standing against ICE and permitting illegal alien offenders, including murderers, rapists, and drug kingpins, go free.  Surprised?  No. No, you are not.

A federal judge blocked the federal Department of Corrections from transferring 20 former death row residents (China Joe commuted their sentences to life in prison) to the Super Max facility located in Colorado. Since when did federal judges decide where the DOC housed inmates? This is surreal, a horrible usurpation of executive authority.

Inexplicably, the federal judge ruled that the DOC must give the inmates an opportunity to challenge their transfer. Due process for deciding where one will be imprisoned? WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? That is not how this works. That is not how any of this works!

The Richmond Free Press, a black owned, weekly newspaper in Richmond, Virginia, is going out of business. That is a real shame. The Free Press was never my cup of tea, particularly its editorial positions, but the news reporting was solid, spot on, and accurate. Over a period of years, I enjoyed excellent relationships with its reporters. This newspaper’s death is a sad occurrence for all of Richmond.

New York Times columnist Ross Douthat wrote that President Trump’s 2nd term has ended the age of conservatism. Uh, no. Conservatism ended in 1989, when George H. W. Bush became President. President Trump has actually resurrected Mr. Reagan’s conservatism, and adapted it to changing circumstances.

Governor Tampon Tim (D. Mn.) wants the federal government to reimburse Minneapolis for all the damages visited upon it during the riots against ICE operations. HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! Good one. Tampon Tim denigrates, criticizes, and rails against ICE for doing its job, and then asks for money to compensate his State’s largest city for damages relating to his, and his citizens’ efforts to obstruct that enforcement.

Tampon Tim also is asking the Minnesota legislature to appropriate at least $10 million to compensate business owners for damages due to citizen rioting. WHOA! Why should taxpayers’ monies be used to compensate some for the criminal acts of other private citizens. You do not get to burn down your house, and then demand that someone else pay for its reconstruction.

“So my Ojibwe name is Gizhiiwewidamoonkwe, which means ‘Speaks in a Loud and Clear Voice Woman.’  And I am so grateful for my community and, you know, I am a member of the White Earth Nation, which is the largest [Indian] tribe in Minnesota.”

–Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flannagan (D.).

Is every Minnesota Democrat nuts? I mean, c’mon man!

At Columbia University, Leftist professors and students erupted in rage over a planned ICE recruitment event on the school’s campus. Apparently working in federal law enforcement is rather distasteful to the commies in Harlem.

The American Taliban is on the march again. Virginia General Assembly Democrats are trying to eradicate any vestige of our history. They are trying to eliminate the State song emeritus, Carry Back To Old Virginny, as well as cancelling the issuance and use of license plates commemorating the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and Robert E. Lee. And they want to revoke the tax exempt status of any organization related to the Confederacy, such as The United Daughters of the Confederacy.

A disclaimer; one of my automobiles displays Robert E. Lee license plates. Robert E. Lee is the 2nd most important Virginian, behind only George Washington. He is America’s greatest military strategist, and a renowned educator, who probably did more to aid reconciliation between North and South following The Late Unpleasantness than anyone else.

Abigail Spanberger can have my license plate. If she comes to my house and pries it from my cold head hands. Otherwise, she and the others can go straight to Hell.

The Supreme Court of Virginia refused to stay the planned referendum on the gerrymandering constitutional amendment. A circuit court ruled that the proposed amendment violated by the Virginia Constitution, and the Virginia Code. Never mind, the Supreme Court will let the matter go forward.

The Supreme Court of Virginia did not decide merits of the case. It will do so later. In other words, vote first, decision later. Sigh. This sucks. It really, really does.

Students at local high schools in Frederick County and Winchester, Virginia staged a walk-out in protest of ICE enforcing federal law, removing illegal aliens from the country. Ah, isn’t that cute?

After many, many years, VPI is ending identity (race, sexual preference) based graduation ceremonies. It never should have entertained them. Students graduate, groups do not. Let’s recognize individual achievement.

At the always useless United Nations, Iran was elected vice-chair of the Commission for Societal Development. The Commission is charged with advancing democratic principles, non-violence, women’s rights, and minority rights around the world. Sigh.

Russian Gleb Smolkin is a figure skater, competing in the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. The entitled Russkie panned the experience, complaining that there were no Russian or Georgian restaurants in Milan, and that all there was to eat was Italian cuisine. Sigh.

President Trump pardoned a number of former NFL players convicted of federal crimes, including former Dallas Cowboy great, Nate Newton. Nate Newton was an incredibly talented offensive lineman, and a favorite of the late John Madden, particularly on Thanksgiving Day games.

“In fact, the Bad Bunny fiasco appears to be symptomatic of the NFL’s broader, cynical business wager: It believes all those working-class white dudes who voted for Trump — those useful idiots — will put up with a lot of BS because they are hooked on football like an drug addict on heroin.”

–Charles Gasparino, The New York Post (February 15, 2026).

Congratulations to Colin Morikawa on winning the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach. Always my favorite tournament of the year, played in the most beautiful place in the world for golf.

Edward Crane, libertarian scholar and co-founder of the think tank, The Cato Institute, has died at age 81. R. I. P.

Former Pittsburgh Pirate reliever Elroy Face–the Baron of the Bullpen–has died at age 97. R. I. P.

GFK