memeorandum: February 15, 2026 — The Trump administration's white nationalist project was on full display … (Heather Cox Richardson/Letters from an American)

10:05 AM ET, February 16, 2026

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Discussion: New York Times, The Moderate Voice and ABC News

Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American:

February 15, 2026 — The Trump administration's white nationalist project was on full display this weekend at the 62nd Munich Security Conference that took place from February 13 to 15, 2026. The Munich Security Conference is the leading international forum for discussions of security policy.

Kasie Hunt / CNN:

Trump's damage is done. Democrats - and Europe - are struggling to define what's next — Many of the Democrats who came to the Munich Security Conference this weekend want to be president. But even if one of them can win the White House in 2028, they may find they can no longer claim …

Discussion: The Philadelphia Inquirer, Raw Story, UnHerd and Semafor

Miranda Devine / New York Post:
Marco Rubio delivers tough love to Europe — and the overgrown teenage brats know ‘Dad’ is right

Discussion: Mock Paper Scissors, The Bulwark, Straight Arrow News, The Atlantic, Drezner's World, NewsMax.com, Axios, Newsbusters and Breitbart

Hannah Knowles / Washington Post:

Mitch McConnell is taking a beating in the race to replace him — Three GOP candidates, all former McConnell interns, are keeping their distance as they seek to align with President Donald Trump. — One Republican candidate to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell introduced himself with an ad …

Discussion: Raw Story

Perry Bacon / New Republic:

You Know What? Maybe the Time Is Right for an AOC Presidential Bid — Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sure looked like a presidential candidate this weekend. She attended a policy conference in Munich that often draws potential White House hopefuls, including Governor Gavin Newsom and Senator Ruben Gallego this year.

Politico:

All the President's U-turns — With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco, Irie Sentner and Makayla Gray — Good Monday morning. This is Jack Blanchard, busy reading and re-reading this new Harvard study that suggests drinking strong tea and coffee actually lowers your risk of dementia.

Discussion: Raw Story

New York Times:

Despite Epstein's Toxicity, Steve Bannon Stood by Him, Texts Indicate — Mr. Bannon, a MAGA podcaster, developed a seemingly chummy relationship with Mr. Epstein, who was accused of sex trafficking. He said it was in the name of getting Mr. Epstein to open up.

Discussion: The Week, New York Sun and The Independent

Politico:

Trump wants the Fed to cut rates. Kevin Warsh has bigger plans. … That policy, he says, has distorted the market and enriched Wall Street rather than ordinary Americans by propping up stocks and bonds, which are overwhelmingly owned by the wealthy. — But any effort to significantly reduce …

Alex Thompson / Axios:

Pelosi's new campaign: Boost Newsom for 2028 — Nancy Pelosi is retiring from Congress, but she has more campaigns in mind. Among them: Boost Gavin Newsom as a potential contender for the White House in 2028. … She's been a key validator for Newsom as he's emerged on the national stage …

Discussion: Breitbart

New York Times:

Like Trump, U.S. Embassies Are Raising Cash for Lavish July Fourth Parties — Some of Washington's diplomatic outposts in Asia are raising millions for events to mark the 250th independence anniversary. One ambassador offered to sing and dance. — From his desk at the White House in December …

Discussion: Joe.My.God. and The Daily Beast

Chris Geidner / Law Dork:

The Trump admin argument that masks “are for officer safety reasons” is actually an admission — Tom Homan highlights how secrecy aims to block accountability, the immoral lawlessness at the core of the Trump administration. And, for paid subscribers: Closing my tabs. — ∙ Paid

Discussion: CBS News, Daily Caller News Foundation, Newsweek, Breitbart and NewsMax.com

Hiroko Tabuchi / New York Times:

With Latest Rollback, the U.S. Essentially Has No Clean-Car Rules — The E.P.A.'s killing of the “endangerment finding” caps a year of deregulation that is likely to make cars thirstier for gas and less competitive globally, experts say. — The momentous end to the federal government's legal authority …

Discussion: Bloomberg

France 24:

Iranian Foreign Minister heads to Geneva for renewed talks with US — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left for Geneva on Sunday, where talks between Iran and the United States are set to continue, his ministry said in a statement. According to the Foreign Ministry, these “indirect” …

Discussion: Radio Free Europe/Radio …, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Politico and Washington Examiner

Margaret Brennan / CBS News:
Trump told Netanyahu he would support Israeli strikes on Iran's ballistic missile program, sources say

Discussion: Straight Arrow News, The Dispatch and Washington Examiner

Christian Paz / Vox:

Anti-system voters are turning on Trump over Epstein — And young Republicans are particularly enraged. … If Joe Rogan is any indication, February 2026 may go down as the month that the Epstein files saga cemented itself as a lasting political liability for President Donald Trump and Republicans.

Richard Rubin / Wall Street Journal:

Tax Deadlines Accidentally Got Turned Off for Three Years. Now What? — Attorneys race to file refund claims after IRS loses court case — WASHINGTON—Oops. So it turns out that Congress may have turned off tax-filing and payment deadlines for more than three years.

Discussion: Detroit Free Press and Staten Island Advance

Julia Ainsley / NBC News:

Agreements that allow local police to work with ICE skyrocket — There were 1,168 agencies with officers signed up to help ICE, up from 135 during the Biden administration and 150 at the end of Trump's first term, according to an analysis of ICE data. — Listen to this article with a free account

Jeffrey Toobin / New York Times:

An Alternative to the Supreme Court's Originalism — The Federalist Society, the conservative legal organization founded in 1982, is justly famous for providing a right-wing agenda for the courts and for promoting its allies to be judges and justices. The American Constitution Society …

Maxine Joselow / New York Times:

Teddy Roosevelt's Family Urges G.O.P. to Protect Public Lands — In a rare letter to Republican senators, four descendants of the former president oppose mining near a wilderness area in Minnesota. — Ted Roosevelt IV doesn't like to put words in a dead man's mouth.

New York Times:

Trump Risks Igniting a Nuclear Wildfire — The world is entering a dangerous new nuclear age. This month, the New START treaty between the United States and Russia — the last major restraint on the world's two largest nuclear arsenals — expired. In its place, the Trump administration …

Discussion: Washington Post

Al Weaver / The Hill:

Republicans worry party won't do enough to address costs before midterms — Some Senate Republicans are warning that the party is not doing enough to address affordability heading into the midterm elections, with hopes of passing more big-ticket items this year quickly fading away.

Discussion: Raw Story

Rebecca Falconer / Axios:

RFK: FDA “will act on” ultra-processed foods petition … - “The questions that he's asking are questions that FDA should've been asking a long, long time ago,” he added of the former Biden administration adviser. … - Kennedy in October directed the FDA to review all affirmations of GRAS …

Discussion: New York Times, CBS News and STAT