An Israeli television channel reported Thursday that the government's Health Ministry convened an emergency session with hospital directors and major health funds to assess readiness for a possible escalation with Iran.

According to i24 News, senior ministry officials attended the meeting and instructed hospital administrators to detail their level of preparedness in the event of a direct confrontation with Tehran. The extra caution also stems back to the June war with Iran, where hundreds of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones inflicted significant damage on Israeli cities and bases.

Authored by Autumn Spredemann via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Artificial intelligence (AI) is often framed as a force multiplier that can accelerate decision-making and produce valuable information. Meanwhile, AI deployment exercises have yielded mixed results, highlighting challenges such as systems stalling and unpredictable software outside controlled environments.

We previously went through some plausible escalation scenarios in the event President Trump orders military strikes on Iran. The problem with a supposedly 'limited' attack is that Tehran's response could be devastating, targeting American military bases across the region. This would then turn into all-out war in the region.

Authored by John R. Lott Jr. via RealClearPolitics,

CNN: "The bottom line is this: voter ID is not controversial in this country."

So why are Democrats in Congress voting against requiring photo ID to vote in any federal elections? pic.twitter.com/CopONRjDCX

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) February 12, 2026

We've seen this winter storm story before: low pressure develops off the East Coast. The question now is which model is correct: ECMWF or GFS.

Alright, we're pretty much down to 2 scenarios at this point. ~48 hours till start time. Euro/Euro AI/CMC sticking to scenario 1. GFS/NAM with scenario 2. Either way, an impactful snow event is on the way for someone here in SNE/Mid-Atl. Just a matter of who... pic.twitter.com/AospuqpWoE

— Weather Sphere (@WeatherSphere22) February 20, 2026

Authored by Kit Knightly via Off-Guardian.org,

The list of countries that want to “ban social media for children” (read: identity-gate internet access) just continues to grow and grow.

There’s Germany…

NEW - Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), a former BlackRock chairman, wants to end the anonymity on the Internet: "I want to see real names." pic.twitter.com/sUjG7XIdrd

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) February 18, 2026

Another day, another rich liberal leaving a state over policies they promoted. 

In today's episode of modern hypocrisy, Steven Spielberg, director of blockbuster hits like Jaws, E.T., Poltergeist and Saving Private Ryan, has moved to Manhattan, according to the Los Angeles Times. A spokesperson for one of Hollywood’s most reliable Democrat Party donors was quick to insist the relocation has nothing to do with California’s highly controversial wealth tax proposal.

Authored by James Howard Kunstler,

The message seems to be something like the USA isn’t messing around with all those strike forces in the waters around Iran.

The Islamic Republic suddenly looks like Rock-and-Hard-Place-Land.

Everybody and his uncle are trying to figure out the calculus in play, World War Three or a happy ending?

Goldman Sachs is the latest firm to scrap the DEI scam from its board policies.

In fact, the bank is preparing to strip race, gender identity, sexual orientation and other demographic factors from the guidelines used to evaluate potential directors, according to people familiar with the plans who spoke to the Wall Street Journal.

Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times,

Florida lawmakers on Thursday completed the approval of a bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport in honor of President Donald Trump.

The measure, now awaiting Gov. Ron DeSantis’s signature, comes at the same time as the Trump family’s recent federal trademark filings for airport names incorporating the president’s identity. The Trump Organization says it will see no financial gain from the Palm Beach site.

The SpaceX IPO, potentially launching as early as mid-June, is set to accelerate the "space investment" theme we previously outlined, with Elon Musk's rocket company rumored to target about $50 billion in proceeds at a $1.5 trillion valuation.

Steve Cohen spent last fall doing something few billionaire owners enjoy: apologizing. As the New York Mets staggered through a bruising 2025 campaign, he took to social media to tell fans he was sorry for the disappointment at Citi Field. Yet even as the baseball season fizzled, Cohen was clinching a very different kind of pennant, according to Bloomberg.