BY: Andrew Springer and Anthony Cifone, NOTICE News co-founders
Good morning! It’s Monday, February 16, 2026. In today’s newsletter:
A wild new conspiracy theory about Epstein is taking off
Join our new Facebook group: The Progressive Majority
Stories the algorithm is keeping out of your feed
⏱️ Estimated read time: 7 minutes, 35 seconds
⁉️ Questions? Comments? Just reply to this email!
Nominations. Trade Wars. Shutdowns. Why Investors Are Demanding This Risk Premium in 2026.
Markets are no longer reacting primarily to earnings and rates.
Global investor surveys report geopolitical conflict and policy swings now rank above recessions as the biggest threats to portfolios.
That means higher risk premiums across equities, bonds, and FX. In plain English: you may be taking more risk for less upside.
So what have sophisticated investors done differently for decades?
They diversify with assets that are priced globally and historically appreciate independently of traditional markets.
One typically exclusive to the ultra wealthy? Postwar and contemporary art.
It’s shown low correlation to stocks, global demand, and resilience during political shocks.*
And now it’s easy to fractionally invest in multimillion dollar art featuring Banksy, Basquiat and more, thanks to Masterworks.
Investors have seen net annualized returns like 14.6%, 17.6%, and 17.8% across 26 exits.
See how to add political-risk insulation to your portfolio at Masterworks:
*Investing involves risk. Past performance not indicative of future returns. See important disclosures at masterworks.com/cd.
TOP STORY
‘That’s not Ghislaine Maxwell’: New Wild Theory After Epstein Prison Video
A new video of Ghislaine Maxwell invoking the Fifth Amendment during a congressional deposition has spawned a new wave of conspiracy theories, with social media users claiming the woman on screen “looks nothing like” the convicted sex trafficker.
The video, released by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, shows Maxwell refusing to answer questions about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and whether she was involved in trafficking young women.
The theory is that while Maxwell was being transferred to a cushy, minimum security prison, she may have been swapped out with a body double.
We’ve got to admit—the eyelids do appear strikingly different to us. How does that happen?
➡️ Question of the Day
Do you think it's possible Ghislaine Maxwell was swapped out for a body double?
Ending Hunger, Homelessness Would Cost Less Than ICE’s 2026 Concentration Camp Expansion
Trump is spending $38.3 BILLION on expanding ICE detention camps—roughly the same amount it would cost to substantially end chronic homelessness in America. ICE is buying industrial warehouses across the country and converting them into concentration camps, including one Georgia facility designed to hold 10,000 people—more than double the capacity of the nation’s largest federal prison. Read the full story →
Barack Obama Steals The Show With Unexpected NBA All-Star Game Moment
While Trump gets booed everywhere he goes, Barack Obama casually snagged a loose ball courtside at the NBA All-Star Game and reminded everyone what a beloved president actually looks like. The former hoops enthusiast then proceeded to roast Reggie Miller about the Bulls destroying the Pacers in the ’90s—because even at All-Star Games, Obama brings receipts. Watch the instant replay →
Trump Spent $40 Million to Deport Just 300 People
The Trump administration burned through at least $40 million—that’s over $133,000 per person—to deport roughly 300 migrants not to their home countries, but to random third-party nations willing to cash checks in exchange for warehousing unwanted people. A new Senate report exposes the whole scheme as “costly, wasteful and poorly monitored.” Gee, you think? Read the full story →
Join our New Facebook Group: The Progressive Majority
The Progressive Majority is a community for progressives building the future we deserve—rooted in justice, equality, and real democracy. We share political news, organize grassroots action, discuss progressive policies, and support each other in the fight for voting rights, healthcare, climate action, and social justice. We're not the fringe, we're the majority. Together, we're unstoppable. Join the group today →
🗳️ Yesterday’s poll results
On Friday we asked, do you think ICE is actually leaving Minnesota? 95% of you said NO.
painterlee123 said, “My opinion; Dept of Homeland Security seems to have been turned into trump’s private Gestapo (or whatever you want to call it) to foment fear and hatred against the people in Minnesota, not only to continue his insane racist agenda against immigrants, but against any blue state that threatens his desperate efforts to stay in power. Monday is Presidents’ Day, what better way to celebrate it (for all those who want to see an end the the train wreck of the current administration) than for its leader to be arrested for his crimes against the country and the constitution (Treason) and marched off to an appropriate prison. (I realize March is the last thing we should expect he could do)
hudson186 was more pithy: “TRUMP AND HIS CROOKED PALS ARE ALL LYING LOW LIFE PIECES OF SH*T”
tomhatchfield said, “The administration has lied about everything so far - why stop now?”
fernando said, “The US government nowadays is following the Russian Putin model of propaganda. Nothing they say is true anymore, and the main stream Media is stupidly falling for it.”
maholstrom said, “Since we Know that trump and his band of criminals would lie when the truth sounded better, why would anyone believe anything…”
p15061023a said, “I believe they’re going to find ways to manipulate and control and harass people that will keep them out of the news”
👀 Kept Out of Your Feed
Here are some stories the algorithms may be keeping out of your feed.
Even FOX NEWS is dragging Pam Bondi for acting like a “shrieking Karen”
Progressive organizers just pulled off a shocking win in TEXAS
Someone came for Hillary Clinton during a panel and her clapback was ruthless
Obama finally called Trump’s social media what it is: a “clown show”
Trump’s minions are literally begging companies for birthday party money
Pam Bondi put dead celebrities on the Epstein list and got instantly destroyed
A MAGA candidate was just outed as the new owner of Epstein’s ranch
The IOC is defending selling “Nazi Games” merch and their excuse is wild
Trump did the most cringe Valentine’s dance while Melania tried to disappear
Obama just casually confirmed aliens exist and nobody’s talking about it
Hillary Clinton just bragged about her husband’s deportations while slamming Trump
Turning Point is having a full meltdown over Charlie Kirk conspiracy theories
The renderings of Trump’s tacky White House ballroom are exactly what you’d expect
Meghan Markle finally published the first clear picture of Lilibet
IN DEPTH
The Democrats' Food Politics Disaster: How MAHA Co-Opted a Progressive Issue
Remember when “eat real food” was progressive?
When Michelle Obama got crucified by Rush Limbaugh for suggesting maybe we shouldn’t poison our kids with junk food at school?
When Fox News lost its mind over calorie counts on Big Macs? Yeah. Good times.
Now RFK Jr.—a man who literally has a brain worm—is running victory laps with Mike Tyson crunching apples during the Super Bowl, directing 125 million viewers to their propaganda website. The MAGA crowd is treating him like a revolutionary for saying things Michael Pollan wrote in 2007.
And Democrats? They’re sitting this one out, apparently content to watch Republicans steal an issue that used to be theirs while they mumble something about “not wanting to seem elitist.”
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