Judge rules forced prison labor unconstitutional, under Colorado’s constitution
Excerpt: It goes back to the 13th Amendment which has a clause that states, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.”
That clause has previously allowed forced labor in prisons, but in 2018, Colorado voters amended the state’s constitution making slavery, or forced labor, illegal with no exceptions.
When Colorado passed Amendment A, it became the first state in modern history to end the 13th Amendment’s exception clause. Rhode Island banned slavery without exception in 1842. At least five other states have made the same ban including Utah, Nebraska, Alabama, Oregon and Vermont.
Me again: American prisons should embarrass and infuriate every American. The first of 10,000 desperately needed reforms is, prisons should not be slavery.
AND NOW THE NEWS
#584
FEBRUARY 17, 2026
No, ICE isn’t ‘retreating.’ It’s loading up to invade your town.
ICE Director Todd Lyons lied in Congressional testimony
Sightings ∙ California ∙ Colorado ∙ Florida ∙ Minnesota ∙ Oregon ∙ Oregon
Georgia teacher killed in crash by man fleeing from ICE
California: 5 months ahead of World Cup, big questions about human rights and ICE presence in LA
9-1-1 calls as immigration agents sweeping through America [This American Life]
FBI refuses to cooperate with Minnesota investigators of Alex Pretti murder
Tom Homan: Minnesota should say “thank you” for DHS operation
Idaho teacher sues over banned ‘everyone is welcome’ poster
Excerpt: Attorney General Raúl Labrador later issued guidance stating the “Everyone Is Welcome Here” poster violated the law. In an opinion published on the attorney general’s website and in an op-ed for Fox News, Labrador described the poster as “DEI messaging disguised as inclusion” that “mask[s] a comprehensive worldview that undermines parental authority over children’s moral development.
CBS won’t let Stephen Colbert interview Senate candidate James Talarico
Stephen Colbert interviews Senate candidate James Talarico
In the interview, Talarico doesn’t say anything more ‘radical’ than Try being a Christian.
CBS News is the only big-time media where the above isn’t newsworthy
Repercussions of federal anti-vax policies: Vaccine makers curtail research and cut jobs
How Walmart and Pepsico rigged prices and supercharged food inflation
In Los Angeles, rampant post-fire price gouging went unpunished, report alleges
After staff cuts, IRS employees who don’t know bupkis will handle customer service
Bondi lies that all Trump-Epstein files have been released
Excerpt: Millions of new files relating to the late sex offender Epstein were released by the DoJ earlier this month. At the time, the deputy attorney general said three million pages were not released.
Democratic National Committee pays $6.5M to buy Kamala Harris’s email list
This is what you’re paying for, if you donate to the Democratic Party.
White nationalism is the agenda Elon Musk & other MAGA leaders are pushing
Yeah, it’s corny, but also it’s true, so let’s explain America to dumbshits like Elon Musk, and dumbshits who admire Elon Musk.
Turning Point USA announces alternative Puerto Rico
Trump’s private company files trademark for ‘President Donald J. Trump International Airport’
Trump donor who criticized offshoring to close Ohio plant and move work to China
Vandals accuratize Republican Party of Eau Claire County headquarters
Waste piles up in Cuba as US-imposed fuel blockade halts collection trucks
US blows up boats on both sides of the Panama Canal on the same day; 11 dead
After destruction of US AID, ‘Biblical diseases’ could resurge in Africa, health officials fear
Macron urges calm after far-right activist fatally beaten
I’m calm, thanks.
US plans to review up to five years of the social media history of foreign travelers
Belgian Foreign Minister calls US Ambassador to account
We have so many anti-competent Trumpers in American government, it’s easy to forget that American diplomacy is run by anti-competent Trumpers, too.
Mamdani hires groundbreaking computer scientist as Chief Tech Officer
AMERICAN POLICE ARE OUT OF CONTROL
IGNORING THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY
THE LORD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS
MY BROWSER HISTORY, MINUS THE PORN
Nothing will meaningfully improve
until billionaires fear for their lives.
2/17/2026
Logo illustration by Jeff Meyer. Tip ‘o the hat to the Anderson Valley Advertiser, Daily Grail, Fat Magic, Jemin Na CPA, Joe My God, Jamie Zawinski, Republican Crimes Tracker, Voenix Rising, What Not’s, and anywhere else I’ve stolen links, illustrations, or inspiration.
Special thanks to Linden Arden, Becky Jo, Joey Jo Jo & John the Basket emeritus, Jeff Meyer, Dave S, Name Withheld, and always extra special thanks to my lovely late Stephanie, who gave me 21 years and proved that the world isn’t always shitty.
News always and only from reliable sources, and I decide what’s reliable — no right-wing bullshit, no Substack because fuck Nazis, and no RawStory, Newsweek, or other clickbait sites. Written news is preferred; video links will be rare, and never to videos where a camera is pointed at a reporter or podcaster — that’s show biz, not news. When necessary, links lead to secondary sites that strip away paywalls, aggressive ads, or the original site’s dumbass design.
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