So now it's all Israel's fault?

An interesting daily briefing from The Times of Israel, which goes over the multiple changing reasons given by the Trump admionistration for why it started the war with Iran. One of the latest and most blame-shifting reasons given by Marco Rubio seems to be "Israel made us do it".

Nobody made the US attack Iran. Trump saw an opportunity ... he could distract from the Epstein stuff at home, while also getting to throw his weight around. He couldn't resist.

So let's not blame Israel. First, it isn't true that Israel forced America's hand, and second, this lie only stokes the antisemitism of both the far Left and the far Right.

Rick Springfield

A punchy ‘80s classic that still makes you sing the signature chorus.
pic.twitter.com/2hVqJYdTdK

— Music and lyrics! 🎙️🎵🎸🎼🎹🤘 (@somethingrand77) February 27, 2026

Is it only me who remembers a tv movie, Nick Knight, in which Rick Springfield played an L.A. police detective/vampire? :)

But of course he's known for so much more ...

Dario Amodei

Interview with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei about the problem with the Pentagon.

He mentions his concerns ... that his software will be used to circumvent Americans' "right not to be spied on by the government" and to circumvent the "right for our military officers to make decisions about war themselves and not turn it over completely to a machine".

The interviewer seemed strangely aggressive and pajorative.

What's the plan?

The Iranian people have to take their country back.

Israel wants to see a democratic transition to a free Iran, and when that happens—we'll be the closest of allies.

Joining @TimesRadio: pic.twitter.com/XIbi0aCx3S

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) March 1, 2026

It's understandable why Israel would want to get rid of Iran's ability to launch ballistic missiles, use nuclear weapons, and support terrorism by Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. And Eylon Levy gives some reasonable scenarios of a better Iran after the war.

But I don't see why the US suddenly went for bombing and regime change. The possibility of nukes? It's not like there aren't already other scary countries with nuclear weapons. Missile attack? Iran doesn't have missiles that can reach the US. And the US has no workable plans for how to create a better Iran after the bombing. It's almost like it was planned as a distraction from domestic problems.

War with Iran

So, during the night, amid "peace" talks and without telling Congress, the US attacked Iran. Israel joined the US in the attack. Iran has struck back at Israel and US military bases throughout the region ...



Here's the latest on what's happening from The Times of Israel's daily briefing ...

Anthropic and the Pentagon

Anthropic CEO Amodei says Pentagon’s threats ‘do not change our position’ on AI

Google, OpenAI workers push for military AI limits

Here is science and technology journalist Jacob Ward on what's happening with the struggle between Anthropic, the American artificial intelligence company headquartered in San Francisco, and the Pentagon, including ethical considerations ...

Hillary Clinton

So, Hillary Clinton is testifying today to the congressional committee investigating Epstein ... The five topic areas the Clintons agreed to discuss during their Epstein depositions

I myself have wondered why the Clintons invited Ghislaine Maxwell to their daughter's wedding if they were supposedly not close friends. Heard the answer today from the above news video, and here it also is from Wikipedia ...

Theodore William "Ted" Waitt (born January 18, 1963) is an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist. Waitt is a co-founder of Gateway, Inc. .... Waitt was romantically linked for several years to Ghislaine Maxwell. She attended the wedding of Chelsea Clinton in 2010 as Waitt’s guest ... - Wikipedia

Anyway, the more relevant person to ask questions of would be Bill Clinton, not Hillary. And, of ciurse, the even more relevant person to ask questions of would be Donald Trump. I doubt the Republicans on the committee will go for that.

A.I.

UPDATE - Anthropic says U.S. military can use its AI systems for missile defense ... Skynet here we come :(



Ezra Klein talks to Jack Clark about A.I.

I'm about halfway through the podcast and I'm feeling pretty depressed about the way it's going. The people creating these artificial intelligences realize that they don't completely understand what's happening, and yet they can't and won't stop or even slow down.

They tell themselves that if it can be done, it will be done. They say that if they themselves do it, at least they will have some control. But that control is ephemeral at best.

I don't know science, but I've read enough science fiction to see a possible future. I don't think I'll like it.

NPR investigation

Justice Department withheld and removed some Epstein files related to Trump

Benjamin Orr

Two very different examples of The Cars' bass player and vocalist, Benjamin Orr. Sadly, he died too early from pancreatic cancer.

“Drive” by The Cars remains one of the most beautiful, bittersweet songs ever recorded. Soft, haunting, and somehow still comforting.pic.twitter.com/2iXZZUAwev

— Music and lyrics! 🎙️🎵🎸🎼🎹🤘 (@somethingrand77) February 20, 2026

The damage

There's been a lot in the news about the ways the Trump administration has caused damage to Americans, but one that I've been noticing lately is the damage to our health. Here are just a couple of examples ...

Trump administration eases limits on coal plant emissions of mercury and other toxins

Trump seeks to boost controversial herbicide glyphosate [Roundup], drawing MAHA ire

Why are Republicans in Congress letting him do this? I don't anymore expect them to care about the population in gemeral, but do they really believe that their money and power will save them and their loved ones from the health disaster Trump is creating?

Tariff decision

Supreme Court strikes down Trump's sweeping tariffs, upending one of his key policies

Here's the unhinged and misleading response to the Court's decision ...



Businesses and consumers can breathe a sigh of relief, but for how long?

Kathryn Ruemmler

I first heard Kathryn Ruemmler mentioned in connection to Epstein in a podcast by Ezra Klein.

What struck me was that she was the White House Counsel under President Obama. How did someone with such an important job, a job where she tells the priesident what's ethical, pass as a normal human? How did Obama choose someone, almost make them Attorney General, who called Epstein "Uncle Jeffrey"?

Ugh!

Here's a bit from the Wikipedia page ...

After departing her White House counsel position, and while she was once again employed as a partner at Latham and Watkins, Ruemmler was a close associate of, and met with, Jeffrey Epstein on dozens of occasions between July 2014 and May 2019 .....

Ruemmler called Epstein "wonderful Jeffrey," "sweetie," and "Uncle Jeffrey," and wrote "I adore him" in a December 2015 email exchange which appears to show Epstein booking and paying for her first-class trip to Europe. In other back-and-forth messages with Epstein, Ruemmler expressed gratitude for her "friendship" with Epstein as well as concluded her messages with "xo" and "xoxo." Other emails show her asking Epstein to help her land a job with Facebook and giving him advice as to how to respond to the coverage that his crimes were receiving in media. She also conveyed to Epstein that she was romantically involved with a married associate of his ...

Bernie

Bernie speaks in CA about income inequality and the consolidation of every kind of power, including political, by those who are the most wealthy.

It's rare in America to hear discussions about this stuff - we are a capitolist country where people are supposed to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, and no one is supposed to challenge hard gotten gains.

The thing is, life isn't fair. Some people inherit wealth, some steal it, some are doomed by circumstance to never have enough. A society worth its salt tries to give its citizens a fighting chance, but the US is ranked 29th on the inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (at the top, Scandanavian countries, and at the bottom South Sudan and Somalia).

Makes me think of philosopher John Rawls, whose idea of social justice was to try to give everyone equal rights and equal opportunities, no matter what their original situation is.

Sad billionaires

- Sergey Brin

Bernie Sanders and Gavin Newsom become adversaries over push to tax California billionaires

Opponents of proposed California wealth tax ramp up their campaign

Wealthy guys like Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Governor Gavin Newsom are against the idea of taxing CA billionaires 5% of their wealth just one time in order to help the less fortunate.

It is very expensive to live here in California, at least it is for people who aren't doing well. Since January of this year, I have had my SNAP benefits lowered and Medi-Cal has stopped paying for one of my medications, because the state says the budget doesn't have enough money.

But still, the poor billionaires! ... sound of tiny violin playing sad music ... It would be sooo unfair to ask them to help just one time. I mean, they might move away from California to some better place if we aren't attendant enough to their every need. And then what would we do without them?!

Let's find out.

Daily briefing

The Times of Israel's daily briefing discusses the US/ Iran conflict, what's happening in Gaza with Hamas, and also the upcoming Board of Peace meeting tomorrow in DC.

John Oliver

Getting rid of Hamas

The Israeli people do not want to return to war.

But as more hostages reveal how they were held as sex slaves in Hamas' dungeons, we will not let the Hamas Rapist Regime exist mere meters from Israelis' homes.

Either diplomacy finds a solution, or we will have to. pic.twitter.com/QypjmkBvG5

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) February 16, 2026

Top Netanyahu aide: Hamas will have 60 days to disarm or IDF will ‘complete’ mission

As far as I can tell, the "board of peace" has no realistic plan ... none ... for how to disarm Hamas. There will be troops from countries like Indonesia, apparently, but those troops are not going to be fighting with Hamas, they will be doing "strictly humanitarian" work, not combat. No country has agreed to actually take weapons away from Hamas by force.

Jared said Hamas would be disarmed by a Palestinian police force trained by Egypt and Jordan, but this force still does not actually exist ... Who will disarm Hamas under Trump’s ‘Board of Peace,’ and how?

The "board of peace" disarmament plan is a plan built on avarice and fear - the idea that you can bribe people and threaten people into doing your bidding. This is Trump's plan for every endeavor, from tariffs to Greenland. Thing is, it won't work on fanatics (or people who see through you). I think they actually have a final fallback plan ... leave Hamas in power and pay them to be nice. Utter fail.

So, it will have to be up to Israel to get rid of Hamas, because they do need to be gotten rid of.

Valentine's Day

Think Valentine's Day stinks? Then the stinking corpse lily is perfect for you! It may look beautiful, but its rotten-flesh scent will make you think twice before gifting it to your sweetheart. Its pungent smell is a come-hither to carrion flies, which spread pollen. pic.twitter.com/J6g7QEYoB8

— American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH) February 14, 2026

Eeeek! ;)

Epstein's people

Ezra Klein talks to Anand Giridharadas about the Epstein files. They discuss the many different kinds of people Epstein knew ... the rich, the famous, politicians, academics, left wing, right wing, movers and shakers, low profile people behind the scenes, almost all men ... and how they wanted something that Epstein could provide.

I realized what Epstein's circle reminded me of ... high school. Guys, trying to impress other guys, using girls as currency-widgets to improve their standing amongst themselves. Pathetic, and given their relative power, dangerous to us normal people.