Odds and Ends — 19 February 2026

about 19 hours ago

Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, Business, AI, and Debt:

@theycallmedan is very enthusiastic about the prospects for Hive A.I. but I think I need someone to translate what he said into words that a Boomer Neo-Luddite can understand.

OpenAI and Paradigm Turn Focus to Smart Contracts

The Worst-case Future for White-collar Workers

The well-off have no experience with the job market that might be coming.

Blood in the streets? Google searches for ‘Bitcoin going to zero’ at highest since 2022

Flash Fiction:

”You may want to reconsider your choice of occupation. I’m not convinced you’re cut out for this one.”

”What?!? I live for insurance! I’ve written more policies than anyone in this office and all of the really innovative policies we write are mine.”

”Those ‘innovative’ policies are the problem. Just last week you gave that weird cat lady a mouse rider on her homeowners policy. Did you not for one minute think about what could possibly go wrong?”

Written for this prompt.

Coronavirus and Public Health:

Americans Report Far More Long COVID Brain Fog Than the Rest of the World

Common Diabetes Drug Linked With 'Exceptional Longevity' in Women

Politics:

Macron Blasts Social Media’s Free Speech Defense

French President Emmanuel Macron said the free speech defense of social media platforms is ‘pure bullshit,’ pushing back against a key foreign policy goal of President Donald Trump.
European nations including the UK and Germany are weighing social media bans for minors, with regulators saying the services are harmful and addictive.

AIPAC Accused of Secret Campaigning

Democrats in the state say they have seen an influx of ads focusing on issues ranging from immigration to health care by groups named Elect Chicago Women and Affordable Chicago Now. None of the ads mention Israel, and none of the groups are publicly affiliated with AIPAC. But the ads benefit candidates favored by AIPAC donors.

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/2024202713857175724

Some of the nation's leading defense lawyers have been trying to wrap their heads around what they consider abnormal behavior by the U.S. Department of Justice over the past year.
Now, they're debuting a tool to help track criminal cases that appear to involve irregular charging practices, including aggressive legal theories and possible political retribution against President Trump's foes.

https://twitter.com/adgirlMM/status/2024296852942966827

White House directing DHS to hunt for voter fraud by naturalized citizens

———— Blatant In-Your-Face Corruption ————

https://twitter.com/TheTrueVanguard/status/2023885036513276296

———— Melon Husk ————

https://twitter.com/SeanOhhhh/status/2024049543633908000

———— Mors Imperii ————

https://twitter.com/thejackhopkins/status/2024311827618799959

Trump Seems to Be Panicking About the Midterms

President Donald Trump has unleashed a bombardment of debunked election conspiracy theories as he pressures Senate Republicans to do whatever it takes to pass new voting restrictions.
The president shared a flurry of posts on his Truth Social platform pushing false claims that the 2020 election was stolen and demanding that Senate Republicans pass new legislation that experts say would disenfranchise millions of Americans.

https://twitter.com/Unbranded63/status/2024109595963150574

Meta Begins $65 Million Push to Advance AI Agenda

Meta is preparing to spend $65 million this year to boost state politicians who are friendly to the artificial intelligence industry, beginning this week in Texas and Illinois.
The sum is the biggest election investment by Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The company was previously cautious about campaign engagements, making small donations out of a corporate political action committee and contributing to presidential inaugurations.“
Now Meta is betting bigger on politics, driven by concerns over the regulatory threat to the artificial intelligence industry as it aims to beat back legislation in states that it fears could inhibit AI development.