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February 18, 2026

Emil Lippe for The New York Times

Notable

Democrats, Texas is in play. Don’t screw this up. “While funding and logistical support from out of state is essential, managing the funders and so-called experts can be … a lot.”

— Michelle Cottle, Opinion writer

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The A.I. disruption is here, and it’s not terrible. “The market keeps convulsing, and I wish we could hit the brakes. But we live in a brakeless era. No matter where you work, my hunch is this is coming for you.”

— Paul Ford, an essayist and a technologist

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Netanyahu plays Trump and American Jews for fools — again. “When Israel is engaged in de facto annexation, with what human rights groups describe as ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank, it is turning itself into a major contributor to permanent conflict in the region. None of that is in America’s interest, but it is greatly appreciated by Iran.”

— Thomas L. Friedman, Opinion columnist

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Spotlight

Sammy Harkham

In the Resistance, We Drive Minivans

In Minneapolis, people ignore the cold to defend their neighbors from ICE.

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ICYMI

What Democrats can learn from Jesse Jackson’s rainbow populism. “His voice may now be silenced and his body returned to dust as his spirit has ascended to his God and the ancestors, but his legacy as one of our greatest patriots is undiminished.”

— Michael Eric Dyson, a professor of African American and diaspora studies

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More in Opinion

Jamelle Bouie Marco Rubio Is Failing Western Civ The Declaration of Independence’s powerful vision of equality stands as a chief obstacle to the MAGA right’s effort to consummate its vision of domination. By Jamelle Bouie

Massimo Calabresi President Trump Is a Wrecking Ball. And He’s Only Getting Started. As we lose our alliances and instability spreads, America is headed for more, not fewer, international entanglements. By Massimo Calabresi

Ross Douthat What the American Right Wants From Europe The tensions in Marco Rubio’s trans-Atlantic vision. By Ross Douthat

Bret Stephens Western Civ Can Save Us — Again Marco Rubio reminds an audience in Munich of what still unites us. By Bret Stephens

letters Jesse Jackson’s Life and Legacy Readers reflect on the passing of the civil rights leader. Also: Power serving the public; climate change and gravity.

In Your Words

Re: “Take It From a Doctor: It’s OK if Your Medical Advice Comes From A.I.”

Seeing a patient and listening to their story with an appropriate physical exam gets the job done 80 to 90 percent of the time. Actually examining a patient is rapidly becoming a lost art. — A comment by BrewDoc from Rural Wisconsin

Read more comments on the story here and check out our Letters to the Editor.

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