Three to Get Ready for February 16, 2026

Bad News First

The news can be disheartening, but it can also inspire or focus our engagement. Let’s gird our loins and take a quick peek.

1. Without providing evidence of drug trafficking or “narco-terrorism,” the U.S. military continues to conduct deadly strikes on boats in the Caribbean, bringing the death toll to 133.
2. The federal Office of Management and Budget has instructed NASA to pause selected science missions, withholding funds appropriated by congress.
3. In Colorado, the federal government has renamed the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, laid off another 134 employees there, and will be transferring management of a supercomputer at an atmospheric research facility in Boulder to “an unspecified third party.”

But Here’s the Good News

Bad news drives clicks, so encouraging developments don’t always make the headlines. But good things can and do happen, I promise!

1. In an opinion leading off with a quote from George Orwell’s 1984, a federal district court judge in Pennsylvania has ordered the National Park Service to restore an exhibit on slavery at the President’s House, part of Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park.
2. The Department of Justice dropped its appeal of a court order blocking a $1.2 settlement proposal calling for “a ban on diversity-related scholarships, restrictions on foreign student enrollment, a declaration that transgender people do not exist, an end to gender-affirming healthcare for minors, limits on free speech and nearly unfettered sharing of personnel data with the government” at UCLA.
3. Per a Reuters review, courts have ruled 4,400 times that ICE jailed people illegally.

And Here’s What You Can Do

Even small efforts have the potential to ripple out in ways we don’t expect. Plus, doing even a little good is good for you.

1. THIS WEEK: Attend a virtual training on how to resist the latest book ban tactics.
2. BEFORE NOON on MARCH 4: Comment on the proposal to construct a 90,000 square foot ballroom where the White House East Wing used to be.
3. Take a look at Charity Navigator’s ratings for groups protecting the environment and see if there’s one you can support.