Sunday, February 22, 2026

Sunday Reflection -- Honesty

 



"I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is the best policy." -- George Washington, born on this day in 1732.  A Founding Father and our first President's view thus stands in direct opposition to the beliefs of the "thing" Americans voted into office twice -- a dishonest, criminal, evil person to his core who, as one yardstick, has told many tens of thousands of lies during his time on Earth (30,573 alone in his first term).  Washington famously declined to run for a third term, setting a tradition that was observed until FDR, and is now enshrined in the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution (something, like honesty, the MF has no interest in or respect for).  As one of the most researched of American presidents, Washington's strengths and flaws have been written about by numerous historians and biographers.  But most can agree that he set a standard of integrity, courage, resolve and honesty that we are sorely missing in our "leaders" today.

(Image: Francis G. Mayer/Corbis/VCG/Getty Images)

Today's Cartoons

 

(click on images to enlarge)

(Malcolm McGookin, caglecartoons.com, Canada)

(Jeff Stahler, gocomics.com)

(Sean Delonas, caglecartoons.com)

(Pedro Molina, Tribune Content Agency)


(Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News)

(Mike Smith, Las Vegas Sun)

(David Rowe, Financial Review, Australia)

(Michael Ramirez, Las Vegas Review-Journal)

(John Darkow, Columbia Missourian)

(Clay Jones, claytoonz.substack.com)

(Dave Whamond, caglecartoons.com, Canada)

(David Sipress, @dsipress)


A New Threat From The Extortionist-in-Chief

 



Vindictive racist the Malignant Fascist is targeting former Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice, demanding that Netflix fire her from their board of directors.  From Business Insider:

"In a post on Truth Social, Trump demanded that Netflix 'immediately terminate' Rice from its board of directors, 'or pay the consequences,' amplifying a message from right-wing activist Laura Loomer. Loomer had urged action against Rice, criticizing her role at the company and pointing to recent remarks she made about Trump and corporate America.

Rice, who served in senior roles in the Obama and Biden administrations, recently warned companies against aligning themselves too closely with Trump. Speaking on Thursday on the "Stay Tuned with Preet Bharara" podcast, she said corporations that "take a knee" to the president and break the law should expect consequences, predicting an "accountability agenda" if Democrats take back power." (our emphasis)

Using tactics more akin to organized crime, the MF is using Netflix's proposed purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery as hostage to his threat:

"The clash comes as the streaming giant pursues a high-stakes merger that will require approval from the Department of Justice's antitrust division."

We'll see if Netflix buckles to the MF's extortion, or whether they stand up to him and his regulatory lackeysIf they read the polls, rather than his "Truth" Social, they might be persuaded to fight this abuse of his power.

(photo: Mug shot from Fulton Co., GA Sheriff's Department)


Anchors A-Wait: Captain Cankles' Latest Goof

 


The desperate and demented Malignant Fascist, feeling the heat of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's humiliating arrest for leaking trade secrets to the MF's pedo pal Jeffrey Epstein, keeps looking for distractions. Of course, the main ones now are his war threats against Iran, and his reimposition of tariffs despite last week's Supreme Court slap down. A new, less noticed distraction was announced on his "Truth" Social rage outlet, and it relates to his obsession with grabbing Greenland:

"Working with the fantastic Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there. It’s on the way!!! President DJT"

While the ignoramus didn't specify which hospital "boat" he was sending ("on the way"), both U.S. Navy hospital ships -- the Mercy and the Comfort -- are in the Alabama Shipyard in Mobile undergoing maintenance and repair which is not expected to be completed for months. So neither ship is "on the way," as he would have known if he bothered to check beyond Louisiana's dumbass MAGAt Gov. Jeff Landry. 

Another day in the failed, incompetent and dangerous regime of the MF. 

BONUS: Why would Greenland want a health care system inferior to the U.S.?

 

Trump Punishes Travelers So He Can Fund His Killer Goons (UPDATED)

 



Coming soon:  longer lines at airports and ports of entry, courtesy of the Malignant Fascist trying to leverage public safety and convenience to get his DHS domestic terrorists funded:

The Department of Homeland Security is temporarily suspending its TSA PreCheck and Global Entry programs due to the agency's lapse in funding

"TSA and CBP are prioritizing the general traveling population at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and special privilege escorts," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. 

The two programs, which allow expedited clearance processes for pre-vetted domestic and international travelers, are expected to be suspended starting at 6 a.m. ET Sunday, according to a DHS official. 

The DHS personnel assigned to these programs will be redirected to assist the broader traveling public.

This is a rare move and will result in longer lines, likely frustrating many travelers. The two programs were not suspended during last year's government shutdown. [snip]

The ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson blasted the move

"This is Trump and Kristi Noem purposely punishing the American people and using them as pawns for their sadistic political games," Johnson said in a statement. "TSA PreCheck and Global Entry REDUCE airport lines and ease the burden on DHS staff who are working without pay because of Trump's abuse of the Department and killing of American citizens," he said. 

"Trump and Kristi are making your lives harder -- and your travel less safe -- all on purpose because they know you don't trust them. They pulled these games with FEMA disaster response last week, now this madness. They would rather force Americans to miss their travel waiting in long lines at the airport than stop Trump's secret police from shooting our neighbors."

U.S. Travel, a non-profit organization that represents the nation's travel industry also expressed its "disappointment" and criticized the move in a post on X writing, "Travelers should be prioritized, not leveraged. Travel is the gateway to the American economy and Americans should not have their mobility, security or travel experience diminished because elected leaders fail to resolve their differences."... (our emphasis)

No doubt Noem's gnomes will have illegal signs at TSA check-ins blaming Democrats for this, when it's entirely what Bennie Thompson said.

UPDATE:  The clown car that is this regime is now saying the PreCheck program will remain operational (no word on Global Entry).  Someone must've yanked the Malignant Fascist/ Noem's chain hard.  Nothing to see here, move along...

(Photo:  Give Trump credit! / Getty Images)


Saturday, February 21, 2026

Today's Cartoons

 

(click on images to enlarge)

(Pat Bagley, The Salt Lake Tribune)

(Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News)

(John Cole, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA)

(Jeff Danziger, The Rutland Herald, VT)

(Rick McKee, caglecartoons.com)

(Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press)

(Dave Granlund, politicalcartoons.com)

(Jimmy Margulies, King Features)

(R.J. Matson, CQ / Roll Call)

(Marty Two Bulls, m2bulls.com)

(Bill Day, caglecartoons.com)

(Will McPhail, @willmcphail4)


Portland Frog Brigade Joins "State Of The Swamp" Rebuttal

 


The Malignant Fascist's State of the Union address/ weave/ rant scheduled for Tuesday night will be getting some pushback in the form of a "State of the Swamp" event:

The Portland Frog Brigade is taking its show on the road.

At least eight members of the amphibious group, which gained fame after wearing inflatable frog suits to ICE protests last fall, will be heading to Washington, D.C., to be among the headliners for the State of the Swamp, an alternative event to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday.

Organizers are calling the State of the Swamp event “The Rebuttal to the State of the Union,” with the Portland Frog Brigade tweaking that to “The Ribbital.”

Dozens of celebrities, politicians and activists are lined up to speak or appear, from Robert De Niro and Mark Ruffalo to U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. The event, set for 4 p.m. Tuesday at the National Press Club, can be live streamed at Defiance.org.

“Boycott Trump’s speech,” a banner on that group’s website says. “Join our party.”...

 Join the party at the live stream link above.

The "official" response from the Democratic Party will be delivered by Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger immediately following the MF's address/ weave/ rant.

(Photo:  Mark Graves/ The Oregonian)


Skeets Of The Day

 

The Epstein-Trump files coverup / Look, aliens in Area 51, and War!  --


Based on the tremendous interest shown (in the Epstein files, where my name appears between 38,000 and 1 million times and there is record of the FBI interviewing four times a woman who alleged I sexually assaulted her and punched her in the head when she was around 14 years old)…look at Area 51!

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— Maximillian Potter (@maxpotter.bsky.social) February 20, 2026 at 10:07 AM

 

Oh, and i might take us to war with Iran. You might want to focus on that. How about that show? Look at that. And the masked barely trained probably Oath Keepers I have unleashed into American cities who have been killing people—what about that? Isn’t that interesting? Are you not entertained?!

— Maximillian Potter (@maxpotter.bsky.social) February 20, 2026 at 10:14 AM


The Epstein - Trump - Putin link -- 


PEOPLE Jeffrey Epstein Was Vladimir Putin's Wealth Manager, FBI Source Claimed in Newly Released Epstein Files Unsealed evidence related to the billionaire sex offender includes testimony from a "confidential human source" about Epstein's dealings By Meredith Kile 2/2/26 people.com/jeffrey-epst...

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— LadyCat311 🇺🇲 (@coffeecat311.bsky.social) February 20, 2026 at 8:07 PM

 

Dementia Don's glorious golden ballroom to entertain his billionaire friends -- 


After rage posting against the Supreme Court, Trump posted a pic of his bunker ballroom

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— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes.bsky.social) February 20, 2026 at 3:02 PM


The Malignant Fascist's insiders to cash in on tariff refunds, Bessent's arrogance and more -- 


CORRUPTION WATCH: The family of Commerce Secy Lutnick now gets pay outs of tens of billions or more in tariff refunds. The Fix Is In: Lutnick Family To Make Killing On Tariff Demise talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-f...

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— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm.bsky.social) February 20, 2026 at 7:07 PM


Feels like another (likely missed...) messaging opportunity for Dems... The administration is literally laughing about how they won't give back the $175 billion they illegally stole from you.

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— Mike Masnick (@masnick.com) February 20, 2026 at 7:31 PM

 

“You're thinking of the $175 billion in tariff money all wrong. As if I had the money back in a safe. The money's not here. Your money's in the White House ballroom, the renaming of the Department of Defense, the $10 billion transfer to the Board of Peace, and a hundred other unauthorized actions.”

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— Missing The Point (@missingthept.bsky.social) February 20, 2026 at 5:20 PM

 

Cut the check, Donald Trump.

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— JB Pritzker (@jbpritzker.bsky.social) February 20, 2026 at 5:44 PM


Better alert Tulsi "Moscow's Girl" Gabbard stat! -- 


In October 2024, the Georgia secretary of state’s office launched an investigation after receiving numerous reports from residents across several counties saying they’d received partially prefilled absentee ballot applications from Musk’s America PAC. trib.al/iWJMZHi

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— The New Republic (@newrepublic.com) February 21, 2026 at 10:19 AM


MAGAt crime blotter: sex trafficking of minors by state official in Alaska -- 

 

MAGA chief of staff to an Alaska senator arrested—for sex trafficking at least 12 children. Police report calls him "compulsive child exploitation offender" engaging in "high-volume conduct" with 13-year-old girls. Last victim was supposed to be a "birthday gift"—but her mother managed rescue her.

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— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨‍💻 (@longtimehistory.bsky.social) February 20, 2026 at 11:49 PM

 

The unfortunate unveiling  --

 

omg

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— Adam Parkhomenko (@adamparkhomenko.bsky.social) February 20, 2026 at 5:31 PM

 

Tariff Refunds Another Trump Disaster




In his obsession to illegally levy tariffs on importers of foreign products,  thinking that he was punishing the exporting countries, the reckless and profoundly ignorant Malignant Fascist couldn't conceive that it would fall apart in court, and that the billions of dollars in tariffs collected would have to be reimbursed.  His ignorance of the separation of powers and confidence that his spineless cult in Congress would back him up on taxation roles has led to a disaster that he engineered.  From the Associated Press:

"Companies have been lining up for refunds. But the way forward could prove chaotic.

When the smoke clears, trade lawyers say, importers are likely to get money back — eventually. 'It’s going to be a bumpy ride for awhile,' said trade lawyer Joyce Adetutu, a partner at the Vinson & Elkins law firm.

The refund process is likely to be hashed out by a mix of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, the specialized Court of International Trade in New York and other lower courts, according to a note to clients by lawyers at the legal firm Clark Hill.

'The amount of money is substantial,' Adetutu said. 'The courts are going to have a hard time. Importers are going to have a hard time.’'

Still, she added, 'it’s going to be really difficult not to have some sort of refund option’' given how decisively the Supreme Court repudiated Trump’s tariffs."  (our emphasis)

States such as Illinois and Nevada are also requesting reimbursement on behalf of their citizens, adding to the Trumpian mess.

The MF seems willing to extend the problem by vowing to employ other means to impose tariffs (see post below), now that his "economic emergency" ploy was struck down by the Supreme Court.  He indicated as much in his raving, demented attack on the decision yesterday, and specifically on the two justices that he nominated, Gorsuch and Coney Barrett.  So, consumers, importers and our U.S. export sector facing retaliatory tariffs abroad will continue to pay the price -- literally -- for the MF's anger and stupidity.  

Trump Keeps Trying To Tax Americans Through Tariffs

 



The economics/Consitutional-illiterate moron Malignant Fascist keeps trying to add to the burden of American families struggling with affordability through tariffs, even after the Republican Supreme Court gave him an off-ramp yesterday.  He's taking aim at his cankles and firing again:

President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing a new “temporary” 10 percent global tariff following the Supreme Court’s decision Friday striking down many of the global tariffs he raised last year.

“It is my Great Honor to have just signed, from the Oval Office, a Global 10% Tariff on all Countries, which will be effective almost immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump is invoking Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 15 percent to address a “large and serious balance-of-payments deficit,” according to a White House fact sheet. Tariffs imposed under the authority may remain in effect for no more than 150 days unless Congress passes legislation extending them.

The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, rejected the administration’s authority to implement tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The announcement seeks to keep many of his tariff policies intact even after the court’s ruling.

“Effective immediately, all national security tariffs under Section 232, and existing Section 301 tariffs — they’re existing, they’re there — remain in place, fully in place, and in full force and effect,” Trump told reporters at a White House press conference Friday afternoon. “Today, I will sign an order to impose a 10 percent global tariff under Section 122, over and above our normal tariffs already being charged. And we’re also initiating several Section 301, and other investigations, to protect our country from unfair trading practices of other countries and companies.”

The duties are set to take effect Feb. 24 at 12:01 a.m...

His toddler-level concept of tariffs is that they bring money into the country (he hopes some of it into his pocket, eventually).  What everyone who ever took a history or economics course or simply has common sense knows, though, is that tariffs are a tax paid on imported foreign goods that's passed on to businesses and consumers through higher costs.  Tariffs also isolate America from its trading partners and friends, making us seen as unreliable and leading those long-time partners to look for other trade relationships.  That the most powerful person in our country either doesn't comprehend that or doesn't care (or both) and is actively trying to circumvent what SCOTUS has asserted is not his prerogative, should be a final straw for many in commerce, agriculture, and industry that have gone along with him over the years -- and many are speaking out.

The American people have also made up their mind:


But, please proceed, MF!  And hurry up, mid-terms!

(Image: via MockPaperScissors)


Snowy Aomori, Hot Spring

 

Travel and food vlogger Mei takes us on another relaxing trip, this time to snowy Aomori prefecture in northern Honshu, Japan.  Beautiful winter scenery, food stops, a luxe onsen (hot spring bathing), shopping, Kabushima Shrine, coastline views, and more.  Aomori is also apple country on Honshu, so expect to see apple drinks, food, and apple motifs.  Enjoy a peaceful Saturday respite.  (Promos for the airline, resort hotel, and Aomori prefecture.)

Friday, February 20, 2026

QOTD -- "I Can Do Anything I Want"

 


"... Can’t charge one dollar to any country under IEEPA, not one dollar, I assume to protect other countries. This must have been done to protect those other countries. Certainly not the United States of America, which they should be interested in protecting. That’s what they’re supposed to be protecting.

"But I am allowed to cut off any and all trade or business with that same country. In other words, I can destroy the trade, I can destroy the country. I’m even allowed to impose a foreign country-destroying embargo. I can embargo, I can do anything I want, but I can’t charge one dollar because that’s not what it says, and that’s not the way it even reads. I can do anything I want to do to them, but I can’t charge any money. So I’m allowed to destroy the country, but I can’t charge them a little fee. I could give them a little two cent fee, but I cannot charge under any circumstances. I cannot charge them anything.
.."   --economics-and-Constitution-illiterate Malignant Fascist fantasizing about destroying countries (including his own, Q.E.D.) at an unhinged (even for him) news conference today after the Republican-majority Supreme Court ruled that his tariffs were un-Constitutional.  The megalomaniac also rants about the three Republican Justices who defied him being "fools and lapdogs," about what a great success his tariffs have been (they're a big tax on Americans), about winning the 2024 election by millions of votes even though Democrats cheated (edged Harris by 1.5% of the votes cast), and so much more soggy brain yapping, gaslighting, and sheer moronic ignorance.  If you have the intestinal fortitude to browse through the rest of the transcript, be prepared for the madness.

 

Today's Cartoons

 

(click on images to enlarge)

(John Darkow, Columbia Missourian)

(Peter Kuper, politicalcartoons.com)

(Joe Heller, hellertoon.com)

(Rick McKee, caglecartoons.com)

(Robert Ariail, Spartanburg Herald-Journal, SC)

(Jeff Koterba, caglecartoons.com)

(Jon Richards, @criticalcartoon)

(Steve Sack, stevesack.substack.com)

(Jimmy Margulies, King Features)

(R.J. Matson, CQ/ Roll Call)

(Steve Nease, neasecartoons.com, Canada)

(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

(Pia Guerra and Ian Boothby, @mannequinonthemoon, Canada)


Maryland Bans ICE Partnering

 



The governor of Maryland has signed state laws banning local partnerships with ICE, giving undocumented immigrants and their communities needed support.  Dem Gov. Wes Moore signed emergency legislation earlier this week that ends so called 287(g) agreements allowing local law enforcement to partner with ICE / Border Patrol.  From CBS News:

"Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed two emergency bills into law on Tuesday, ending 287(g) agreements, which allow law enforcement agencies to partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

The new law prevents state agencies and employees from entering into 287(g) agreements and orders that all existing agreements end by July 2026. 

'In Maryland, we will not allow untrained, unqualified and unaccountable agents to deputize our brave local law enforcement officers because Maryland is a community of immigrants. It is not our weakness,' Gov. Moore said Tuesday.

It comes amid an ongoing federal crackdown on immigration enforcement led by the Trump administration."  (our emphasis)

Nine Maryland counties -- all Republican-controlled jurisdictions in a blue state-- have 287(g) agreements with ICE, which will now be voided in the summer.  Eight other states have withdrawn from 287(g) agreements with ICE.  We'll have to see what the recourse will be if local Trumpist police departments don't comply with the law.

Gov. Moore, in his role as vice chair of the National Governors Association, has been in the sights of the racist and vindictive Malignant Fascist, who disinvited him to NGA-sponsored functions at the White House this past week.  This action by Moore had to have been a contributing factor to the MF's petulant action.

(photo: Gov. Wes Moore, Liliana Ramirez, 10, whose father was taken by ICE, and Speaker of the House Joseline Peña-Melnyk, at law signing / Governor's Office)

 

Skeets Of The Day

 

Trump's economy-crushing ILLEGAL tariffs struck down, and stagflation --

 

Trump's Friday morning so far: -- extremely disappointing 4th quarter GDP number -- inflation report hotter than expected -- Supreme Court strikes down tariffs

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) February 20, 2026 at 10:09 AM

 

BREAKING: Supreme Court rules 6-3 against Trump, holding that Trump violated federal law when he unilaterally imposed global tariffs. No word on what to do with the $134B in tariffs illegally collected from 301,000 businesses. My bet is Trump finds a way to grift it for himself.

— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@qasimrashid.com) February 20, 2026 at 10:40 AM

 

Trump built everything around tariffs. This has blown things up.

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— Mark Chadbourn (@chadbourn.bsky.social) February 20, 2026 at 10:13 AM

 

CNN: The Supreme Court rules that President Trump’s emergency tariffs are illegal.

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— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) February 20, 2026 at 10:12 AM


The Golden Age of So Much Winning.

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— Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) February 20, 2026 at 9:16 AM

 

The Epstein-Trump files coverup / the "insane strategy" distractions --

 

White House banking on 'insane strategy' in bid to ride out Epstein crisis: MS NOW analyst www.rawstory.com/trump-epstei...

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— Keith (@khankso.bsky.social) February 20, 2026 at 9:54 AM

 

What about the 2 million unreleased Epstein files tho

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— Adam Kinzinger (@adamkinzinger.substack.com) February 19, 2026 at 9:09 PM

 

Just make sure that Trump knows that whether he attacks to Iran or not, we will still want the release of the rest of the #Epstein files! I also understand that he's there is a constitutional war power he is hoping for to impede our votes. i domt believe this is so. www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/202...

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— West Coast SW (@westcoastsw.bsky.social) February 20, 2026 at 9:41 AM


Trump's looting of America, cont. --

 

Trump plans to send $10 billion in funds that Congress hasn’t appropriated from the US Treasury to an organization that he will continue to chair personally even after he is out of office. This is looting.

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— Jacob T. Levy (@jacobtlevy.bsky.social) February 19, 2026 at 9:35 PM

 

A pedocon named Dingus  --

 

a) pedocon theory remains undefeated b) I’m sorry his name is WESLEY R. DINGUS???

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— Micah (@rincewind.run) February 19, 2026 at 10:52 PM

 

U.S. women figure skaters make us proud with talent, compassion, and grit (Happy Friday!) --

 

Alysa and Ami are the definition of heartwarming. 🥹 #MilanoCortina2026 ⛸️

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— Ellie (@ellie.bsky.social) February 19, 2026 at 5:04 PM

 

Amber Glenn's triple axel today was MONEY. SWISH. LOVE IT. #MilanoCortina2026 ⛸️

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— Ellie (@ellie.bsky.social) February 19, 2026 at 2:54 PM