Category: News
IMF Urges Beijing To Curb Industrial Subsidies As Flood Of Chinese Goods Crushes Global Industrial Bases
IMF Urges Beijing To Curb Industrial Subsidies As Flood Of Chinese Goods Crushes Global Industrial Bases
China’s factory overcapacity is the result of Beijing’s long-running industrial policies. Years of state support have built more factory capacity than domestic demand can absorb in the world’s second-largest economy, flooding global markets with low-priced goods, from EVs to TVs. The end result is a growing risk of hollowing out industrial bases worldwide, and our latest example this week has washed up on Europe’s shores in the form of EVs.
China has absolutely killed the European auto market pic.twitter.com/J2AD2zyRea
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) February 19, 2026
January registrations of Chinese EVs across Europe were certainly eye-opening, signaling the decline of Europe’s industrial base (read the note here). As Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey recently warned, “China would love to wipe out the American automotive industry, partly for economic reasons, because it also means we will never be able to fight a war against them…”
It appears the rest of the world is finally getting the memo after more than a decade of Chinese overcapacity flooding global markets and pressuring industrial bases worldwide into collapse.
The International Monetary Fund warned this week that Beijing should significantly scale back state support for industry, citing spillover risks that could undermine manufacturing bases abroad.
China’s industrial policies “are giving rise to international spillovers and pressures” and, compounded with soft domestic demand, are making the world’s second-largest economy “more reliant on manufacturing exports as a source of growth,” the IMF said.
“Industrial policy has enabled tech innovation in some sectors, but overall the impact on the economy has been negative,” said Sonali Jain-Chandra, mission chief at the IMF for China and Asia Pacific, who was quoted by the Financial Times. She pointed to “resource misallocation” and “overspending.”
IMF data show that China spends roughly 4% of GDP subsidizing companies in critical industries that, in turn, export goods worldwide. It stated that the figure should be reduced to about 2%.
At this point, China should be retooling its economy to boost domestic demand, yet Beijing is leaning heavily on supply-side measures to sustain its industrial dominance.
France’s Emmanuel Macron has bemoaned “unbearable imbalances” in trade, while other European leaders and industrial insiders warned last week that carbon costs are squeezing EU industrial competitiveness and need to be fixed urgently.
Meanwhile, the IMF has urged Beijing to move toward a “consumption-led growth” model for its economy, which would involve demand-side reforms to support household consumption.
If countries such as those in Europe fail to respond effectively to the flood of cheap Chinese goods, their industrial bases could suffer lasting damage, potentially proving disastrous in wartime. Under President Trump, the US began to reverse course and repair its industrial base as unipolarity gives way to a dangerous bipolar world.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 02/19/2026 – 23:00
Naperville Central’s Sophia Cochran is a rebounding machine. The 5-8 guard has ‘one gear, and that’s top gear.’
Basketball is not Naperville Central sophomore Sophia Cochran’s first sport.
Lately, however, she’s been second to none at two things, defending and rebounding. The first isn’t surprising considering Cochran was a starting defender on the soccer team as a freshman.
“I play soccer as my main sport,” she said. “I know basketball is definitely something difficult to play, but something that’s not that different is the attacking of the ball.
“So as long as you find out where it’s going to go, then you can attack it and make sure you get it in your hands.”
Cochran is getting the ball in her hands a lot, and the stunning thing is how she’s doing it. The 5-foot-8 guard scored five points but more importantly grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to help lift Naperville Central to a 52-41 victory over rival Naperville North in the Class 4A Naperville North Regional championship game on Thursday.
The third-seeded Redhawks (25-6) have beaten the sixth-seeded Huskies (20-11) three times this season and advance to play second-seeded Waubonsie Valley (30-3) in the East Aurora Sectional semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Cochran is no stranger to beating Naperville North. During the soccer season last year, she scored the game-winning goal in a 2-0 victory over the Huskies. But nobody anticipated what Cochran did Thursday. She wasn’t a starter until late last month.
“Not only wasn’t she starting, she wasn’t playing,” Naperville Central coach Andy Nussbaum said. “The first time we played North, I don’t think she played at all.
“But there was a point at which we made the decision to play man-to-man, and Sophia is one of our best two man-to-man defenders.”
That’s not a coincidence.
“I feel my main position in basketball is defending, even though you’re on both sides of the court,” Cochran said. “I feel like I translate that over a lot from soccer. I have that same mindset.”
Cochran may excel at the defensive end of the court, but she’s just as tenacious at the other end. The Redhawks outrebounded the Huskies 43-21 overall and 18-3 on the offensive glass. Cochran had seven offensive rebounds, including a crucial one with her team trailing 15-12. She scored on a putback with 12 seconds left in the first quarter, triggering a 10-0 run. The Redhawks led the rest of the way.
“She gives us a great job on the defensive end,” Nussbaum said. “She usually gets their best player assigned to her, but the rebounds is something I didn’t expect.
“I mean, she goes after the ball, and that’s not the standard for everybody. There’s a lot of standing around, but Sophia has only one gear, and that’s top gear. She’s like when you drive a go-kart and never use the brake, pedal to the floor. That’s Sophia Cochran.”
Naperville Central’s Sophia Cochran (2) grabs a loose ball as she’s chased by Naperville North’s Sam Kelly (12) during the Class 4A Naperville North Regional championship game in Naperville on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Naperville Sun)
Indeed, this isn’t the first big rebounding game for Cochran. She had 13 rebounds when the Redhawks beat Waubonsie Valley 68-65 on Feb. 10 to clinch the DuPage Valley Conference title.
That’s remarkable considering Cochran plays alongside 6-4 junior center Annabelle Kritzer and 6-2 senior guard Trinity Jones, a McDonald’s All-American Game selection.
Jones had a game-high 21 points and nine rebounds against the Huskies, while Kritzer added eight points and 10 boards. Junior guard Ava Podkasik paced the Huskies with nine points and 10 rebounds.
Nussbaum said Cochran reminds her a bit of Callie Tumilty, who plays soccer at Ohio State.
“She’s got decent size, and she’s a tremendous athlete,” Nussbaum said of Cochran. “She doesn’t handle the ball as well as Callie did, but when Callie played for us, she gave us that kind of athleticism. I would not be surprised if Sophia is a DI athlete in that sport with the spotted ball.”
Naperville Central’s Sophia Cochran, right, puts up a shot during the Class 4A Naperville North Regional championship game against the host Huskies in Naperville on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Naperville Sun)
Naperville Central senior guard Erin Hackett, who had 15 points, five rebounds and four steals, has played both sports with Cochran.
“She kind of came in thinking she was going to be a bench player, but she’s willing to work,” Hackett said. “She’s everywhere on the court, so I think that helps out a lot.
“I think this is one of her best games overall. She was being very aggressive on the offensive boards.”
It helped the Redhawks win a regional title.
“It was amazing,” Cochran said. “Freshman year, I don’t think I would have ever dreamed of being up here, just to play with these girls. It’s definitely something that I never imagined, but it’s amazing it has happened.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
Wizards vencen a Pacers 112-105 y cortan racha de 3 derrotas
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bub Carrington y Anthony Gill anotaron 13 puntos cada uno y ayudaron a impulsar una decisiva racha en el cuarto periodo por los Wizards de Washington, quienes resistieron apenas para derrotar el jueves 112-105 a los Pacers de Indiana.
Kadary Richmond y Jaden Hardy también sumaron 13 puntos cada uno por Washington, que cortó una racha de tres derrotas en un día en que anunció que Trae Young aún está, como mínimo, a una semana de su debut con el equipo.
Bilal Coulibaly y Tristan Vukcevic anotaron 12 puntos cada uno en el primero de una serie de dos partidos consecutivos contra el mismo rival.
Jarace Walker anotó 19 puntos y capturó 13 rebotes por los Pacers, que cayeron a 2-3 durante una gira de seis partidos como visitantes —la más larga de la temporada— que abarcó el receso del Juego de Estrellas.
Taelon Peter agregó 16 puntos pero Indiana quedó un partido por detrás de Washington en el fondo de la clasificación de la Conferencia Este. Jay Huff y Ben Sheppard anotaron 15 cada uno.
Los bases de los Pacers Kam Jones (dolor en la espalda) y Aaron Nesmith (esguince de tobillo) se retiraron antes del descanso.
_____
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Juliana Stratton ad with anti-Trump expletive draws attention in Democratic primary race for US Senate
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Juliana Stratton unveiled her campaign’s first TV ad Thursday, a controversial half-minute spot that includes six people, including incumbent U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, hurling an expletive at President Donald Trump.
The ad begins with three people repeating the phrase, “F−−− Trump. Vote Juliana,” followed by Stratton, the current two-term lieutenant governor, saying, “They said it. I didn’t.”
Then in the ad, Stratton speaks about how she will stand up to Trump in Washington, D.C., and closes with another three people, including Duckworth, saying, “F−−− Trump,” before Gov. JB Pritzker appears briefly to say, “Vote Juliana.”
The campaign said a version of the ad that bleeps out the “F” word was being sent for broadcast TV stations to air. But an unredacted version was sent to reporters and appears on the campaign’s “YouTube” website. The campaign did not say if the unbleeped version would be used on cable or digital platforms.
The ad is the first produced and paid for by Stratton’s own campaign, though her candidacy has been bolstered by millions of dollars in ads from an allied political action committee largely funded by Pritzker, the billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune.
While potentially attention-grabbing for its shock value, its use of repeated profanity raises questions about how effective it will be with Democratic voters in the March 17 primary as she faces two main rivals, U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg and Robin Kelly of Lynwood.
U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly, from left, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton debate for the U.S. Senate Democratic nomination at WGN-Ch. 9, Feb. 19, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
All three candidates have sought to portray themselves as the strongest contender to take on the Trump administration if elected in November. But Krishnamoorthi, a prolific fundraiser, has spent millions on advertising since July and had the TV airwaves to himself until the Stratton-aligned Illinois Future PAC began advertising in mid-January. Kelly has aired two TV commercials.
Federal Communications Commission rules and communications law generally prevent licensed broadcast TV stations from editing or censoring political advertising content from legally qualified federal candidates unless it is legally obscene or violates a felony statute.
The new ad served as the backdrop for the latest debate among the three Democratic contenders vying for the seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin in January. The hour-long debate, hosted by WGN Ch.-9, was also broadcast statewide on Nexstar-owned stations in Champaign, Rockford, Peoria, the Quad Cities, St. Louis and the Terre Haute, Indiana, market.
Stratton defended the ad in the debate, saying, “It captures exactly what people are feeling right now.”
“They feel like, look at Washington. People aren’t happy with what’s happening in Congress. They’re wondering why nothing is changing in their lives,” she said. “Everything is getting more expensive and here they are wondering, ‘When are we going to stand up and not let this president just get away with what he’s doing?’”
Asked by moderator Micah Materre what happened to former First Lady Michelle Obama’s 2016 admonition that “when they go low, we go high,” Stratton responded, “Well, we’re not talking about a normal president. We’re not even talking about a normal person.”
Kelly, in her 13th year in the House, added her own colorful language to the debate as she explained to voters she was running to make life more affordable.
“Frankly, it pisses me off that Donald Trump and his billionaire, millionaire friends have only gotten richer, while others have struggled and are being squeezed. It also pisses me off to be seeing millionaires and billionaires are trying to buy this election and that should piss you off too,” she said.
All three of the candidates said they would support efforts to see Trump impeached for a third time.
“When the president said the other day that the only thing that’s holding him in check is his own morality, we know that we’re in trouble,” Krishnamoorthi said. “He doesn’t have morality. He doesn’t have a moral compass. He’s about himself. He’s about putting his private, personal interests above those of the public.”
Kelly said her decision to push for the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over her leadership of Trump’s aggressive federal immigration enforcement policies was “a way of getting to” Trump.
“We can start working on his secretaries, whether it’s (Attorney General) Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem, (Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.) Kennedy — all the incompetent leaders that he has surrounded himself with,” Kelly said. “But yet, he definitely is worthy of impeachment because of all the things that he’s doing.”
Kelly and Stratton said they supported efforts to enact Medicare-for-All legislation, with the lieutenant governor saying she wanted to make sure “people understand that health care is a way that we can address affordability and we need to be bold and courageous in pushing to make sure that happens.”
Krishnamoorthi said Medicare-for-All was “an excellent goal” and would vote for it if a bill were presented but said there was a more immediate need in restoring Trump cuts in Medicaid funding and the elimination of tax subsidies for people under the Affordable Care Act.
“Right now we have a five-alarm fire that’s consuming our health care system that we need to address,” he said, citing the eventual loss of health care insurance for 17 million people.
On foreign policy, Kelly was the only one of the three who said she believed the killing of Palestinians by Israeli military forces in their effort to remove Hamas after the group’s deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack constituted genocide.
“It may not have started off being like that, but I believe that is what it turned into,” Kelly said.
Stratton said what happened in Gaza was “horrific and the devastation and the suffering that we have seen is terrible.” Krishnamoorthi said he feared that supporting a resolution to label the Palestinian deaths “genocide” could “get in the way of progress right now in this fragile ceasefire.”
“If that gets in the way of progress, then we’re going to go back to war and we can’t let that happen,” Krishnamoorthi said. “That would be the worst outcome right now.”
All three agreed a Trump military strike in Iran over that nation’s nuclear program would be illegal without the invocation of the War Powers Act by Congress.
“I actually feel like he’s looking for trouble and that he wants to get us into some type of arms issue, because it’s a distraction for the things that he’s not doing in his own country,” Kelly said. “American people are sick of our soldiers dying overseas.”
Prior to the debate, Kelly announced the backing of several congressional colleagues, including U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/19/illinois-senate-race-stratton-ad-trump-expletive/
New MLB union head Bruce Meyer dismisses salary cap and defends free agency and arbitration as labor clash looms
PHOENIX — Bruce Meyer staunchly defended free agency and salary arbitration on his first full day as head of the baseball players association, dismissing any possibility of agreement on a salary cap in another sign of a likely labor confrontation next winter.
The 64-year-old was promoted to executive director on Wednesday, a day after the forced resignation of Tony Clark, who had led the union since 2013. The sport’s five-year labor contract expires Dec. 1, and Major League Baseball is expected to propose a salary cap.
“We believe in a meritocracy,” Meyer said Thursday after meeting with Milwaukee Brewers players. “We believe in a system, and players believe in a system, that rewards players for performance.”
MLB players struck for 7½ months in 1994-95 to fight off a cap proposal, a structure used by the NFL, NBA and NHL.
“We don’t believe in a system that’s basically a zero-sum game that says ‘If we pay you, we’ve got to take that out of the pocket of another player,’” Meyer said. “That’s how the other systems work.”
Meyer spent 30 years at the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges before joining the NHL Players Association in 2016 as senior director of collective bargaining, policy and legal. He’s been the MLBPA’s chief negotiator since 2018, though his tenure hasn’t always been smooth. Some players tried to oust him two years ago, when with Clark’s backing he fought off the challenge.
“You’re never going to have, with that many people, everybody agreeing with everything,” Meyer said. “It just doesn’t happen. Other unions I’ve been involved with and other labor situations, you’re never going to get everyone on the same page. But you try and do the most you can. Disagreements are not just expected, they’re actually great.”
Meyer defended baseball’s system of salary arbitration and free agency that has existed since the mid-1970s and has pushed the average salary to the $5 million range.
“Salary arbitration is a crucial right. It’s something that players fought for decades ago,” he said. “It’s important because it’s the first ability a player has to really access something like their free market. It is not a perfect system, but it’s better than the alternative, certainly, that the league has proposed.”
Under the current system, Juan Soto was able to command a record $765 million, 15-year contract from the New York Mets. The high-spending Los Angeles Dodgers won their second straight World Series last season after signing Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million deal.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says the teams and fans are concerned about payroll disparity.
“Salary cap doesn’t help players at any level. It doesn’t help the middle-class players,” Meyer said. “It’s not just a math game because salary cap comes with an erosion or complete elimination essentially of guaranteed contracts. … It eliminates freedom and flexibility. And, of course, over time, once you’re in that system, the history is it always becomes worse and worse for players.”
Clark was asked to resign by the eight-man subcommittee after an investigation by the union’s outside counsel discovered evidence he had an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, a union employee since 2023, a person familiar with the union’s deliberations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that detail was not announced.
Meyer said the MLBPA will work with the same outside counsel to determine if any changes needed to be made to the organization in the aftermath of Clark’s resignation, including the future of the union’s office in Scottsdale.
“There’s a lot of things that are going to be under review,” Meyer said. “We want to make sure we’re engaged in best practices at all times. We’ll take recommendations from the people who are advising us, who are doing investigations and audits, everything is up for review.”
Meyer expects his interim role will last through the current round of negotiations. Players will then decide how to proceed.
“It’s unfortunate the way things kind of went down but we’re feeling really good, we’re confident in the people we have,” said Giants pitcher Tristan Beck, the team’s alternate player representative. “Bargaining’s the No. 1 thing on the union’s mind this year and I think we’re in as good a spot as we were yesterday.”
Soon after he was elected, Meyer spoke with MLB’s chief negotiator, whom he has clashed with during bargaining.
“Dan Halem gave me a call last night, and he was very nice, very gracious, very classy,” Meyer said of the deputy commissioner. “Despite occasional reports of contrary, we have a good relationship.”
A former All-Star first baseman, Clark had been the first former player to head the union.
“Tony’s relationships are something that I certainly can’t duplicate overnight and maybe not ever,” Meyer said.
Meyer rejected claims he is overly influenced by Scott Boras, baseball’s most visible agent.
“Scott is an agent who represents a lot of players,” Meyer said. “He has no more influence over the running of the union than any other agent.
AP reporters Ronald Blum in New York and Janie McCauley in Scottsdale, Ariz., contributed.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/19/bruce-meyer-mlb-union-head-labor-talks/
Ex-CIA Analyst Peels Back The US Information Operation In Iran
Ex-CIA Analyst Peels Back The US Information Operation In Iran
Authored by former CIA officer Larry Johnson
As part of the US campaign to engineer a regime change in Iran, the US military and intelligence community are using Operational Preparation of the Environment aka OPE. OPE is defined in joint publications (e.g., JP 3-05 Special Operations) as non-intelligence activities conducted prior to or in preparation for potential military operations to set conditions for success. It encompasses shaping the operational environment through intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, information operations, civil affairs, psychological operations, and other preparatory actions—often in denied or politically sensitive areas.
I believe that one of the major OPE efforts is to convince the US public that the overwhelming majority of Iranians despise the Islamic Republic and want it overthrown. In my opinion, a major player in this OPE is a polling outfit known as GAMAAN. GAMAAN (Group for Analyzing and Measuring Attitudes in Iran) collaborates with Psiphon VPN, which is widely used across Iran. GAMAAN findings have been consistent in painting a picture of massive opposition to the Iranian regime.
According to GAMAAN polls taken prior to 2025, a significant majority of Iranians — around 70% — oppose the continuation of the Islamic Republic. The highest level of opposition, 81%, occurred during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising in late 2022. Support for “the principles of the Islamic revolution and the Supreme Leader” has decreased from 18% in 2022 to 11% in 2024. Opposition to the Islamic Republic is higher among the youth, urban residents, and the highly educated. An overwhelming majority of Iranians (89%) support democracy. Gamaan
Only about 20% of Iranians support the continuation of the Islamic Republic. When asked about preferred alternatives, about 26% favor a secular republic and around 21% support a monarchy. For 11%, the specific form of the alternative system doesn’t matter. About 22% report lacking sufficient information to choose an alternative system.
But what are the funding sources for GAMAAN and Psiphon VPN? Let’s start with GAMAAN. GAMAAN describes itself as an independent, non-profit research foundation registered in the Netherlands. It emphasizes its academic credentials (e.g., founded by scholars at Dutch universities like Tilburg and Utrecht) and innovative online methods (e.g., anonymity sampling via VPNs like Psiphon) to overcome self-censorship in authoritarian contexts.
GAMAAN operates under the supervision of a board including Dr. Ammar Maleki (founder and director), assistant professor of comparative politics at Tilburg University, and Dr. Pooyan Tamimi Arab, associate professor of secular and religious studies at Utrecht University. Maleki is an assistant professor of Comparative Politics and a self-described activist for democracy in his native Iran. Tilburg University Critically, he does not hide his political stance — his Tilburg University profile explicitly states that he is “a pro-democracy activist and political analyst of Iranian politics” and that he tries “to have an impact on political debates around democratization of Iran.”
This is where the picture becomes more contested. GAMAAN has relied on US government-funded VPN provider Psiphon to disseminate its surveys; collaborated with the USAID-funded Tony Blair Institute; and collaborated with and received funding from historian Ladan Boroumand, co-founder of the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran, which is in turn supported by the US government-funded National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
Psiphon is owned and operated by Psiphon Inc., a Canadian corporation based in Ontario. Psiphon was originally developed by the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, with version 1.0 launching on December 1, 2006, as open-source software. In early 2007, Psiphon, Inc. was established as a Canadian corporation independent of the Citizen Lab and the University of Toronto.
It has a notable funding history. In 2008, Psiphon, Inc. was awarded sub-grants from the US State Department Internet Freedom program, administered by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. In 2010, Psiphon began providing services to the Broadcasting Board of Governors (US), the US Department of State, and the BBC. More recently, in April 2024, the Open Technology Fund (OTF) announced increased long-term funding for Psiphon, with subsequent OTF awards totaling US$18.54 million for 2024 and US$5.87 million for 2025.
The Open Technology Fund (OTF) is administered by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent federal agency of the US government. USAGM provides OTF with its primary funding through annual grants, which originate from Congressional appropriations under the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs budget. OTF operates as an independent nonprofit corporation (since 2019) but remains a grantee under USAGM’s oversight and governance, as authorized by Congress (e.g., via the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act).
So while Psiphon Inc. is technically an independent Canadian company, it has historically been substantially funded by the US government and other Western institutions — a fact worth noting given its role as the methodology partner for the GAMAAN polling inside Iran. In other words, it is a cut out that, in my opinion and based on my experience, is supporting a CIA information operation to portray Iran as a country on the precipice of overthrowing the Islamic Republic.
There is an alternative polling database that paints a radically different picture of the mood in Iran with respect to the Islamic Republic… The Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland has conducted a separate series of surveys using phone-based methods, which show more moderate results. Their findings from 2023 and 2024 found that about 75% of respondents expect Iran’s constitution and political system to be about the same in ten years, and only 17% agreed with protesters’ calls for the Islamic Republic to be replaced. However, three in five now think the government should not be strict in enforcing Islamic laws, distinctly up from 2018, and support for demands that the government fight corruption has been consistently near-unanimous since 2018.
On the protests themselves, asked in 2024 to think about waves of demonstrations over the past ten years, two thirds say their main objective was to demand that officials pay greater attention to people’s problems, while only one in five think their main objective was to demand greater freedoms or bring about change in Iran’s system of government.
President Pezeshkian, based on the polls from 2024, was viewed favorably by 66% of those polled at the start of his term… and 70% expressed confidence that he would be an honest and trustworthy president, though only a quarter were very confident. Majorities expressed some confidence that he can improve relations with neighboring countries and protect citizens’ freedoms, notably women’s rights, but majorities are not confident that he can lower inflation or improve relations with the West.
There have been no new polls in the wake of Israel’s surprise attack on June 13, 2025. Based on my conversations with both Nima and Professor Marandi, the reaction in Iran has been similar to what happened in the United States in the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks… National unity increased.
The failed color revolution launched on December 28, 2025 by the United States and Israel has reinforced support for the Islamic Republic. President Pezeshkian has openly admitted his government’s failures on the economic front and he has taken some steps to institute reforms. A more important development was the signing of the Trilateral Security Agreement with Russia and China at the end of January. Those two countries are now providing more resources and support to stabilize the Iranian government and improve the economic lives of the Iranian people.
Donald Trump’s threats to attack Iran are backfiring among the majority of the population in Iran. Yes, there are some Iranians who still want to bring an end to the Islamic Republic, but they are dramatically outnumbered. Remember the boost in popularity that George W Bush enjoyed in the aftermath of 9-11? He even picked up support from Democrats who had previously despised him. That same phenomena has happened in Iran. Prior to the June 13, 2025 attack, Iranians under the age of 50 had no vivid memory of Iran/Iraq war — where Iran was attacked with the encouragement and support of the United States. The June 2025 attack, coupled with the foreign instigated late December 2025 protests and violence, have awakened a new sense of nationalism among the Iranian public that has strengthened support for the Islamic Republic.
The belief in the West that Iran is more vulnerable now than at anytime in the last 46 years is the creation of a US funded propaganda campaign that relied on an ideologically biased pollster to produce results that have been used to convince most Americans that Iran is yearning to breath free… All we have to do is kill off the leadership in Iran.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 02/19/2026 – 22:35
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ex-cia-analyst-peels-back-us-information-operation-iran
Durant anota 35 puntos y Rockets aguantan para vencer a Hornets por 105-101
CHARLOTTE, Carolina del Norte, EE.UU. (AP) — Kevin Durant encestó dos tiros libres con 3,2 segundos por jugarse para completar sus 35 puntos, y los Rockets de Houston resistieron para vencer el jueves 105-101 a los Hornets de Charlotte.
Jabari Smith Jr. sumó 15 puntos, mientras que Reed Sheppard y Alperen Sengun aportaron 13 cada uno para Houston. Los Rockets remontaron un déficit de 11 unidades en la primera mitad.
Grant Williams encabezó a los Hornets con 20 puntos. Brandon Miller anotó 17, pero acertó apenas uno de 12 triples.
LaMelo Ball, que jugó un día después de verse involucrado en una colisión de dos autos en el centro de Charlotte, terminó con 11 puntos, siete asistencias y siete rebotes.
Los Hornets, que habían ganado 11 de 12 antes del receso del Juego de Estrellas y cuya única derrota había sido ante Detroit, líder de la Conferencia Este, se vieron sólidos al inicio y se escaparon a una ventaja de 11 puntos al comienzo del segundo cuarto.
Pero los Rockets empezaron a despegarse en el último periodo. Sengun anotando en una bandeja invertida girando ante el pívot novato Ryan Kalkbrenner y, en la posesión siguiente, un gancho corto dio a Houston su mayor ventaja, 95-84, con cinco minutos por jugar.
_____
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
EEUU e Indonesia anuncian un acuerdo comercial
Por DIDI TANG, NINIEK KARMINI y ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL
WASHINGTON (AP) — Estados Unidos anunció un acuerdo comercial con Indonesia el jueves, mientras el presidente indonesio Prabowo Subianto estaba en Washington para asistir a la primera reunión de la Junta de Paz del presidente estadounidense Donald Trump.
Según el acuerdo, la nación asiática eliminará los aranceles para el 99% de los productos estadounidenses, mientras que Estados Unidos mantendrá aranceles de 19% sobre la mayoría de los productos indonesios, informó la Casa Blanca. Esa es la misma tasa que Estados Unidos ha fijado para Camboya y Malasia. Indonesia también aceptó abordar las barreras no arancelarias a los productos de Estados Unidos y eliminar las restricciones a las exportaciones hacia Estados Unidos de tierras raras y otras materias primas industriales, señaló la Casa Blanca.
Empresas indonesias y estadounidenses también alcanzaron esta semana 11 acuerdos por un valor de 38.400 millones de dólares, que incluyen compra de soja, maíz, algodón y trigo de Estados Unidos, cooperación en minerales críticos y recuperación de yacimientos petrolíferos, así como empresas conjuntas en chips informáticos.
“Hemos negociado muy intensamente durante los últimos meses, y creo que hemos alcanzado entendimientos sólidos sobre muchos temas”, dijo Prabowo ante ejecutivos empresariales el miércoles en la Cámara de Comercio de Estados Unidos.
Un comunicado de la Casa Blanca lo describió como un “gran acuerdo” y afirmó que “ayudará a ambos países a fortalecer la seguridad económica, promover el crecimiento económico y, de ese modo, conducir continuamente a la prosperidad global”.
El acuerdo fue firmado posteriormente por los representantes comerciales de ambos países.
Los minerales críticos influyen en el acuerdo con Indonesia
Empresas indonesias acordaron esta semana comprar 1 millón de toneladas de soya, 1,6 millones de toneladas de maíz y 93.000 toneladas de algodón a Estados Unidos. También se comprometieron a comprar hasta 5 millones de toneladas de trigo estadounidense para 2030.
Los países acordaron cooperar en minerales críticos, aunque no se conocieron los detalles por el momento.
Washington busca que Indonesia acepte levantar las restricciones a las exportaciones de minerales críticos, algo que el gobierno de Trump sostiene que podría proteger a los fabricantes de Estados Unidos de interrupciones en la cadena de suministro. El gobierno estadounidense ha intentado protegerse del control de China sobre dichos elementos, que se emplean en diversos productos, desde aviones de combate hasta teléfonos.
En el evento de la Cámara de Comercio, Prabowo dijo que Indonesia puede servir como un “puente” y un “mediador honesto” entre las grandes potencias, en aparente referencia a la competencia entre Estados Unidos y China.
___
Karmini informó desde Yakarta, Indonesia, y Ghosal desde Hanoi, Vietnam.
___
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/19/eeuu-e-indonesia-anuncian-un-acuerdo-comercial/
Lanús sorprende a Flamengo al superarlo 1-0 en ida de la Recopa
Por MARCELO R. ANDROETTO
BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Lanús, campeón de la última Sudamericana, dio un golpe sorpresivo el jueves, al derrotar 1-0 a Flamengo, actual poseedor del cetro de la Libertadores, en la final de ida de la Recopa.
Un espectacular cabezazo de pique al suelo por parte de Rodrigo Castillo, tras un centro preciso de Sasha Marcich, a los 77 minutos, posibilitó que el “Granate” se llevara el triunfo en el estadio La Fortaleza de la ciudad de Lanús.
Ahora, viajará con ventaja a Río de Janeiro para el partido de vuelta, a disputarse en el estadio Maracaná el jueves próximo.
El Lanús de Mauricio Pellegrino continuó con su excelente racha ante equipos brasileños: desde 2025 está invicto, con tres triunfos y cuatro empates.
Flamengo, campeón de la Copa Libertadores tras derrotar 1-0 en la final a Palmeiras, busca su segunda Recopa Sudamericana, tras la obtenida en 2020 frente a Independiente del Valle, que en la edición 2023 se cobró revancha.
En tanto, Lanús, dueño de la Copa Sudamericana luego de vencer al Atlético Mineiro en definición por penales, busca alzar el trofeo por primera vez, después de perder la Recopa 2014 precisamente a manos del “Galo”.
El equipo del sur del Gran Buenos Aires venció con toda justicia. Con disciplina táctica y garra, impuso condiciones durante buena parte del partido y logró empequeñecer al gigante brasileño.
Un Flamengo liviano y de estrellas apagadas -comenzando por el recién regresado Lucas Paquetá, de floja actuación-, tuvo la posesión de balón (65 por ciento), pero jamás supo cómo herir al anfitrión.
El entrenador Filipe Luis decidió salir a jugar sin delantero central. El colombiano Jorge Carrascal quedó como “falso 9”, mientras en el banco esperaban dos “pesos pesados” como Bruno Henrique y Pedro.
Así, el “Mengao” apenas consiguió rematar al arco una vez en los primeros 45 minutos: una quirúrgica asistencia del uruguayo Georgian De Arrascaeta para la incursión de Everton, cuyo disparo fue despejado por el arquero Nahuel Losada.
Su colega Agustín Rossi, en cambio, fue llamado a intervenir en un par de oportunidades durante la primera etapa, ante remates de Agustín Medina y Eduardo Salvio.
Del entretiempo la visita pareció volver más ambiciosa y por un breve lapso su juego dejó de ser intrascendente. Poco antes de la hora de juego, saltó al campo Pedro, junto a Samuel Lino. Luego ingresó el uruguayo Nicolás de la Cruz. Pero tampoco lograron inclinar la balanza.
Con Flamengo algo más adelantado, el anfitrión comenzó a encontrar terreno disponible para la contra, su arma predilecta. Y siguió al acecho ante cualquier imprecisión o error por parte del campeón de la Libertadores.
La tercera fue la vencida para Castillo, quien regresó al equipo en tiempo récord tras sufrir un edema muscular en el cuádriceps izquierdo diez días atrás. Al delantero que hizo inferiores en River Plate le anularon dos goles por fuera de juego. Pero ante el centro de Marcich, no falló: atacó la pelota y cabeceó de pique al suelo para convertir su decimotercer tanto para el “Granate”.
“Fue un orgullo cómo jugó Lanús, en todo momento lo fuimos a buscar, lo jugamos como una final. Nos queda el partido en Río, vamos a intentar campeonar, obviamente”, declaró el goleador.
Flamengo tambaleó y pudo volverse a Brasil con un resultado en contra incluso más abultado. El chileno Matías Sepúlveda entró como sustituto, en gran forma: metió un disparo en el travesaño y casi festeja de tiro libre.
Con el pitido final del árbitro venezolano Alexis Herrera, el público de Lanús se entregó al éxtasis de la victoria, que lo deja muy bien posicionado para la revancha.
Flamengo no jugó a la altura de sus individualidades y tendrá que reaccionar en el Maracaná, con fútbol y carácter, si pretende revertir la historia.
“Estoy totalmente convencido que podemos darlo vuelta”, dijo Filipe Luis.
_____
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Carmel’s Josie Hartman won’t play in college. ‘I think it’s my last run.’ So she makes sure the wins continue.
Carmel senior point guard Josie Hartman pulled her teammates together for a pep talk at halftime on Thursday.
Standing in a circle with them underneath the basket, Hartman wanted to send a strong message.
“I told them to keep going, keep the energy up, and we have a good lead,” she said. “I wanted to keep playing hard in the last half and for us to play together.”
Hartman teammates responded with a big second half that propelled the second-seeded Corsairs to a 53-36 victory over third-seeded Waukegan in the Class 4A McHenry Regional championship game.
Freshman guard/forward Liv Johnson‘s 25 points and 13 rebounds, both game highs, paced Carmel (23-9), which won its first regional title in 4A and advances to play top-seeded Hononegah (26-7) in the Rockford Guilford Sectional semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Junior guard Maliyah Mays and senior forward Maron Bowes each scored nine points, and Hartman added eight.
Junior guard Alliaya Cade led the Bulldogs (19-11) with 18 points, and senior forward Hadassah Brown added 10 points.
With an Illinois assistant in attendance to watch Johnson, the 5-foot-9 Hartman ran the offense with precision, steadying her teammates and spreading the floor with her ball movement. The Bulldogs pressured her, but she maintained her poise.
Hartman also held Waukegan senior guard Alexy Chapa, who had missed nearly two weeks with an injury, to one point in the first 24 minutes.
“Josie has been playing great,” Carmel coach Ben Berg said. “Her season has been uneven, but she’s really picked it up in the last month, especially scoring the ball. She is our leader. When things kind of go crazy, she calms us. She did a great job on defense.
“She’s such a smart player, probably one of the most intelligent players I’ve ever coached in any sport.”
Hartman, a three-sport athlete who won’t play one in college, entered the game averaging 9.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.2 steals. As a scorer, she plays a secondary role to the 6-foot-1 Johnson, who has 11 college offers and went into the game averaging 18.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals and had made a team-high 48 3-pointers.
But Hartman set the tone with a gliding layup just three seconds into the game. She added a runner in the lane to pad Carmel’s lead to 44-24 late in the third quarter.
“I think it’s my last run, and I want to give it all I’ve got,” Hartman said. “I feel like my experience is helpful to the team. It all comes down to my freshman year and being a little nervous. Throughout the years, I’ve gained more confidence.
“I can trust my teammates. I don’t have to score in double digits and can make it up in other ways, like getting assists and playing defense.”
Johnson, whose father, Lucas, played for Illinois, said Hartman’s impact is clear.
“I think Josie’s leadership is a big thing,” Johnson said. “She has really helped me and been a good leader to help the team.”
Bowes pointed to Hartman’s leadership too.
“She is always does a good job of picking everyone up when their mood or energy is bad,” Bowes said. “I’m the same age as her, but I see her as a big role model.”
Hartman said she’s driven to lead the Corsairs deep into the playoffs, especially after watching her older sister Anna play a key role in the team’s run to the 3A state title in 2022.
“I was in the stands for every game when my sister played here, so to get this opportunity is amazing,” Hartman said. “I’m excited for the rest of the playoffs. We have a great team.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/19/4a-high-school-basketball-waukegan-carmel-josie-hartman/
