Author: Brick Tungsten

I’m at the bar stool, smelling like hickory smoke and bad decisions, watching Washington finally remember we’re a maritime nation. President Trump’s administration rolled out a Maritime Action Plan, and it reads like somebody grabbed the wheel instead of letting America’s ocean trade hitchhike under somebody else’s flag.

The problem: America’s trade rides foreign hulls

Fox News reported on February 16, 2026 that the administration unveiled a sweeping plan to reclaim U.S. maritime strength and reduce dependence on foreign-built, foreign-owned, and foreign-flagged vessels. Senior officials put a brutal number on it: nearly 99% of U.S. international maritime trade is moving on foreign-built, foreign-owned, and foreign-flagged ships.

That is not “global cooperation.” That is like owning an F-150 and paying strangers to drive it because you forgot where you left the keys.

China’s shipbuilding edge is the scoreboard

Fox reported China produces more than half of the world’s commercial ship tonnage. The Maritime Action Plan itself says the United States builds less than 1% of new commercial ships globally. That’s the reality check, delivered cold, like AM radio at dawn.

The plan’s core: yards, workers, and stable demand

Published in February 2026, the plan describes a U.S. shipyard base of 66 total shipyards:

• 8 active shipbuilding yards
• 11 shipyards with build positions
• 22 repair yards with drydocking
• 25 topside repair yards

It also admits the industrial gut punch: workforce shortages, supplier consolidation, and federal “stop-start” ordering cycles that make long-term planning harder than trying to smoke ribs while somebody keeps yanking the fuel.

The plan leans into investment incentives, shipyard modernization, and regulatory relief. It also pushes Maritime Prosperity Zones, modeled after 2017 Opportunity Zones, to steer capital toward waterfront communities that can build, repair, and crew ships. On people, it floats a Mariner Incentive Program at MARAD to support education, recruitment, training, and retention, plus steps to strengthen pipelines through state maritime academies and other training routes.

Taxes, trust funds, and the enforcement timeline

The plan proposes a Land Port Maintenance Tax to address cargo routing around costs: 0.125% of merchandise value entering through land ports, funding a Land Port Maintenance Trust Fund.

It also discusses a Maritime Security Trust Fund, including a revenue illustration that a $0.25 per kilogram fee could yield close to $1.5 trillion over 10 years.

On China trade enforcement, the plan summarizes the USTR Section 301 investigation: initiated in 2024, public report released January 16, 2025, responsive action taken April 17, 2025. It also notes a U.S.-China economic and trade deal on October 30, 2025, with U.S. implementation of responsive actions suspended for one year starting November 10, 2025.

Defense reality: fewer builders, bigger bottlenecks

Fox tied this to rising Navy shipbuilding costs and a shrinking industrial base. Defense shipbuilding is concentrated: just two shipbuilders build the Navy’s nuclear aircraft carriers and submarines, Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding and General Dynamics’ Electric Boat. Fox also reported Secretary of the Navy John Phelan warned shipyards need to act like we’re at war, and cited the Office of Naval Intelligence assessment that China’s shipbuilding capacity is more than 200 times that of the United States, amid submarine production delays and supply-chain bottlenecks.

Final sermon: build the ships, crew the ships

This plan is not a magic wand. It’s a blueprint with real numbers, real vulnerabilities, and proposals that still need money, laws, and follow-through. But at least it says the quiet part out loud: maritime power is steel, workers, shipyards, and time. Live free, grill hard, and build the ships.

I’m parked at The Red Hat Saloon with the grill snapping like AM radio lightning, watching Silicon Valley discover a truth older than the Constitution: if you sell tools to the Pentagon, those tools are for Pentagon things. Not yoga. Not vibes. Not a “trust and safety” book club.

Pentagon review hits Anthropic after Maduro raid questions

Fox News reported on February 16, 2026 that the Pentagon is reviewing its relationship with Anthropic after friction over questions tied to the U.S. operation targeting Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The spark, according to officials: Anthropic asked whether its AI model, Claude, was used in the raid to capture Maduro. That question set off alarms inside the Pentagon.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told Fox News Digital the relationship is being reviewed, stressing that partners need to help America’s troops in any fight. That is simple warfighter logic, unless your brain has been marinating in boardroom kombucha.

The contract is real, and the networks are classified

Here’s the part that should make every contractor spit out their coffee: Fox reported Anthropic won a $200 million Pentagon contract in July 2025, and Claude was the first model brought into classified networks. This is not a toy chatbot. This is national security plumbing.

“Supply chain risk” is the phrase that makes vendors sweat

Fox reported senior Pentagon officials are floating whether Anthropic could be treated as a potential “supply chain risk.” In plain English, that can mean the Pentagon may start requiring vendors and contractors to certify they do not use Anthropic models.

Fox also reported officials did not elaborate on exactly when Anthropic made the inquiry or to whom. Axios, which Fox noted broke aspects of the feud, described Anthropic raising the question with an executive at Palantir, its partner in Pentagon contracting. Fox said Palantir could not immediately be reached for comment.

Anthropic disputes the characterization; Pentagon pushes “all lawful purposes”

Anthropic disputes the idea it was policing missions. Fox reported the company said it has not discussed the use of Claude for specific operations with the Pentagon and has not discussed such matters with industry partners outside routine technical discussions.

Anthropic pointed to limits it says it holds in policy discussions, including fully autonomous weapons and mass domestic surveillance. Fox reported Pentagon officials deny those restrictions are at the center of the dispute, and the Pentagon is pressing major AI firms to authorize tools for “all lawful purposes.”

Fox also reported a senior Pentagon official said other leading AI firms are working with the Pentagon in good faith, naming OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and xAI’s Grok as agreeing to this standard in unclassified systems, with one agreeing across all systems already. Fox did not specify which company agreed across all systems.

The Maduro raid detail remains unconfirmed

Fox reported neither Anthropic nor the Pentagon confirmed whether Claude was used in the operation. Axios similarly said it could not confirm the precise role Claude played, while also reporting that two sources said Claude was used during the active operation. Axios also reported Claude is currently the only AI model available in the military’s classified systems.

So yes, review the relationship. Kick the tires. Check the wiring. If you’re selling a high-powered pit boss smoker to the Pentagon, do not act shocked when they plan to cook with it. Live free, grill hard, and keep the mission ready.

I could smell the propane before the first syllable hit the AM radio. Not literal propane, but that familiar scent of something powerful getting switched on while the bureaucrats flap around like moths headed for the bug zapper. That is what it looks like when America remembers it can actually build and sell serious energy again.

What happened, and when

On February 16, 2026, Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Hungary in Budapest. Fox News reports Rubio leaned hard into the Trump era closeness with Hungary, calling the relationship about as close as he can imagine, and telling Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban that “Your success is our success.”

Rubio’s message: allies, tightened like lug nuts

This was not a sleepy handshake tour. Fox also reports Rubio said that if Hungary ever hits financial trouble, growth roadblocks, or threats to stability, President Donald Trump would be very interested in finding ways to help. That is not diplomatic soup. That is an alliance being tightened down.

“Civil nuclear” does not mean soft

Public reporting still leaves key details unclear: it does not spell out the full text of the agreement, the exact timeline, or whether Hungary has made binding purchase commitments right now. What is described publicly reads like a framework opening the door for American nuclear technology, fuel, and industry to compete and cooperate.

• AP reports the agreement includes the possible purchase of small modular reactors, plus U.S.-supplied nuclear fuel and spent fuel storage technology.
• CBS News reports Hungary will purchase nuclear fuel from American suppliers for the first time, and Holtec International will help Hungary manage spent nuclear fuel.

Politics and timing in Budapest

AP notes Hungary has parliamentary elections scheduled for April 12, 2026, and that Rubio publicly embraced Orban’s bid for another term during the visit. Call it politics if you want. I call it realism: you deal with the leaders who run the place.

The money angle: the “we still make stuff” part

Anadolu Agency reported the State Department framed these Central Europe civil nuclear steps as advancing “mutual security interests” and said the deals represent more than $15 billion in business opportunities for U.S. vendors and thousands of American jobs. CBS notes Hungary’s nuclear sector has long been linked to Russia for technology and fuel, and this deal is described as a shift toward diversification.

The real villain: permanent dependency salesmen

The villain here is the anti-energy priesthood that wants the West dependent, timid, and apologizing for existing. Fox also highlighted Trump’s public praise and endorsement of Orban on Truth Social this month, framing Orban as focused on protecting his country, growing the economy, stopping illegal immigration, and ensuring law and order.

Are there unanswered questions? Sure. But the direction is clear. Turn the radio up and watch the usual suspects squirm. Live free, grill hard, and do not apologize.

I could smell it before I saw it: that hot plastic, overworked-smart-TV aroma, like a microwave trying to resurrect yesterday’s brisket. America’s remote just got a new option, and it is not a lecture from Silicon Valley. It is a paywall with a V8 rumble.

What launched, when, and what it costs

Here’s the verified meat on the plate. On February 17, 2026, Fox Nation’s full library became available as a subscription through Prime Video. The price reported is $8.99 per month, or $71.88 for an annual plan. Fox News also pegged the library at more than 10,000 hours of originals, documentaries, and specials. That is not a trickle. That is a fire hydrant aimed at your couch.

For the cord-cutter crowd, there is a bigger combo: Prime Video users can bundle Fox Nation with FOX One for $24.99 per month. FOX One is also listed at $19.99 per month on Prime Video, which tells you exactly what the bundle is doing: it is a two-lane on-ramp through the streaming traffic jam.

Why this is a direct hit on the streaming gatekeepers

Prime Video is a massive platform. That is the point. Fox Nation showing up there is not begging for scraps. It is tossing a brisket the size of a spare tire onto the biggest picnic table in town and saying, “You want it? Grab a plate.” No cable guy. No antique box. No 400-channel hostage situation.

What’s inside the library

• Exclusive content across originals, documentaries, and specials
• Programming tied to familiar names: Kevin Costner, Kim Kardashian, Rob Lowe, 50 Cent, Matthew McConaughey, Dan Aykroyd, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Quaid
• Exclusive new seasons of “COPS” and true crime content
• Next-day access to Fox News Channel primetime programming, including daily episodes from Laura Ingraham and Jesse Watters

Faith, history, and the kind of content that makes people spill oat milk

Fox Nation spans faith-based programming, history, true crime, live sports, and lifestyle series. Fox News highlighted “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints” as the platform’s most-watched program, and noted season two includes an episode directed by Francesca Scorsese about Carlo Acutis. It also said “David: King of Israel”, hosted by Zachary Levi, premieres this month.

And for the folks who like their entertainment with elbow grease, Fox News reported Fox Nation is the exclusive streaming home for Real American Freestyle, providing the only at-home live viewing experience for that league.

So yes, as of February 18, 2026, Fox Nation is on Prime Video. The price is clear, the bundle is real, and the streaming swamp can clutch its pearls all it wants. This is Americans choosing what to watch, where to watch it, and how to pay for it. Live free, grill hard, and do not apologize.

You ever pop a grill lid and catch that first face-full of hickory smoke? That’s the vibe of Mark Cuban telling the NBA to quit acting scandalized about tanking. When a system rewards losing, somebody’s going to get real good at losing.

The fines that lit the fuse

Here’s the meat, clean and hot:

• Utah Jazz: fined $500,000 for conduct detrimental to the league tied to Feb. 7 vs. Orlando and Feb. 9 vs. Miami, when the Jazz removed Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. before the fourth quarter and didn’t put them back in, even though the NBA said both were otherwise able to continue and the outcomes were still in doubt.
• Indiana Pacers: fined $100,000 for violating the Player Participation Policy tied to a Feb. 3 game against Utah. After an investigation that included review by an independent physician, the NBA determined Pascal Siakam, plus two other Pacers starters who didn’t play, could have played under the policy’s medical standard, including in reduced minutes.

Commissioner Adam Silver wasn’t subtle. In the league’s release, he said prioritizing draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition, and the NBA will respond to further actions that compromise integrity. He also said the league is working with the Competition Committee and the Board of Governors on additional measures.

Silver says tanking is worse this year

During All-Star Weekend, Silver said tanking has been worse this year than it’s been in recent memory, and he’s looking at every possible remedy, including taking away draft picks. He also raised a blunt question: if teams are manipulating performance for draft position, how do you even know the very worst record belongs to the truly worst team?

Cuban says: stop pretending and sell hope

Fox News describes Cuban as a Dallas Mavericks minority owner, and he jumped onto X with a lengthy message arguing the league has been misguided thinking fans want their teams to compete every night with a chance to win. He said the NBA isn’t really in the basketball business, it’s in the business of creating experiences, and people remember who they were with, not the box score.

His core claim: fans want hope, and hope comes from a path to getting better through the draft, trades, and cap room. Cuban argued you have a better chance to improve via all three when you tank. He added the Mavericks didn’t tank often, only a few times over 23 years, but said fans appreciated it, and tied it to improving and trading up to get Luka Doncic.

And Cuban’s closer? The NBA should worry more about pricing fans out than tanking, pointing to the parent who can’t afford three kids, food, and a jersey. Until incentives change, the smoky truth stays the same: when losing pays, somebody will learn to lose professionally. Live free, grill hard, and demand systems that reward winning.

I’m at The Red Hat Saloon, smoke in my beard like freedom cologne, and the TV coughs up a headline that hits harder than a pothole at 70: Mike Trout is not playing for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic because he could not get his contract insured.

The simple reason: insurance did not clear

Fox News reported on February 17, 2026 that Trout told reporters the biggest hurdle was insurance. He tried to clear it. He didn’t. So he’s out of the WBC. Not because he forgot how to hit. Not because he hates the flag. Because the risk math did not sign the permission slip.

Why the money matters: $35.45 million is not cookout cash

Here are the numbers Fox laid out, and they explain the whole mess. The Los Angeles Angels are set to pay Trout a base salary of $35.45 million for 2026, plus $1.67 million tied to a signing bonus arrangement in his $426.5 million contract.

That kind of money turns “USA!” into an Excel spreadsheet, and suddenly everybody wants guarantees, waivers, and a premium big enough to make a banker sweat through his blazer.

It was not just one report

The Associated Press also reported on February 16, 2026 that Trout planned to skip the WBC because of insurance issues. Same conclusion, different outlet: no insurance, no tournament.

How the WBC insurance setup works

Fox described the basic machinery: the WBC uses National Financial Partners to arrange insurance policies on the contracts of 40-man roster players. The key issue is team protection. If a player gets hurt, it’s not just about the player missing time. It’s about whether the club gets reimbursed while still paying a sidelined star.

Fox also pointed to a past example: the New York Mets were fully reimbursed for Edwin Diaz’s $18.64 million salary in 2023 after he tore his patella tendon celebrating a win.

The bigger sting: pride stuck behind red tape

Fox noted Trout has dealt with injuries over the years, and that reality sits behind this whole insurance fight. He played 130 games last season, his most since 2019. He’s trying to stay on the field for the Angels, and when the insurance wall goes up, that national jersey gets locked behind glass like it’s too expensive to touch.

And it’s not only Trout. The Washington Post reported on January 27, 2026 that insurance problems have affected other stars across the WBC landscape too, which makes this feel like a system problem, not a single-player mood swing.

Let the players play. Let the tournament shine. And let America stop acting like it needs actuarial approval to wear its own colors.

I can smell the burnt bratwurst grease of international pageantry from here, like somebody tried to grill virtue on a cold rink and wondered why it came out rubbery. You know that sound when a pickup tailgate slams shut? That is what consequences are supposed to sound like. Not a whisper. Not a committee. A clean, honest thunk.

When the Olympics finally got a taste of old-school hockey, France grabbed the fire extinguisher.

What happened on the ice

Here is the part that is actually on the record, while the global sports priesthood clutches its pearls.

• In men’s hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, France defenseman Pierre Crinon fought Canada’s Tom Wilson.
• The fight happened late in a game Canada won 10-2, with about seven minutes left.
• Under Olympic and IIHF rules, fighting is not treated like the NHL’s five-minute penalty situation. It is a game misconduct, and both players were ejected.

The suspension that ended his Games

Fox News reported that Crinon was suspended for the rest of the Games by France’s hockey federation. That meant no next game against Germany, and no return even if France advanced.

And the French federation did not hide the why. They pointed to Crinon’s behavior after the fight as he left the ice, calling it provocative and saying it violated the Olympic spirit and the values of the sport.

The part I respect, even if it annoys the “spirit” crowd

Let me say something that will confuse the faculty lounge: I do not need the Olympics to be a group therapy session with skates. Hockey is not synchronized hugging. It is a fast, cold, lawful form of controlled chaos, like a fireworks show run by a guy who actually read the manual.

So when France’s federation looked at their own jersey, their own flag, their own moment on the world stage, and said, “Nope, not like that,” I got it. Not because I am anti-fight. Because I am pro-consequences.

The FFHG put out a formal communiqué on February 16, 2026. They described an interview process with the player and French delegation leadership, emphasized a duty of example for anyone wearing the national sweater, and noted that the international federation decided not to add extra sanctions for the in-game misconduct. France still chose to bench Crinon for the remainder of its Olympic tournament games anyway, in alignment with the French National Olympic and Sports Committee.

Why this matters beyond one hockey helmet

Now pour yourself a cold one and lean in, because this is where it gets political. I am a Trump guy, so I am going to say it plainly: the country is starving for the return of standards and consequences. Not cruelty. Not chaos. Consequences. The kind that make people straighten up like they just heard the National Anthem and remembered they still have a spine.

Keep the sport tough, keep the rules clear, keep the consequences real, and stop acting like authority is a dirty word. Live free, grill hard, and bring back standards that actually mean something.

I can smell it already: charcoal heat, motor oil, and that sharp bite of winter air that makes a man sit up straight. Then I watch three Americans on blades move like a single machine, and suddenly the soul feels calibrated again.

Team USA takes silver in the men’s team pursuit

On February 17, 2026 at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Team USA’s men won silver in the speedskating team pursuit. Ethan Cepuran, Casey Dawson, and Emery Lehman finished the final in 3:43.71.

Italy won gold at home in 3:39.20 with Davide Ghiotto, Andrea Giovannini, and Michele Malfatti. China took bronze, edging the Netherlands by 0.09 seconds in the bronze race.

That is not a sob story. That is a silver medal forged the old-fashioned way: teamwork, pain tolerance, and refusing to fold when the ice feels like frozen rebar.

The part that stings: the horsepower is there

The U.S. guys have shown what they can do. They set a world record of 3:32.49 in November. Dawson even withdrew from the Olympic 10,000 meters to focus on the team pursuit, which is the kind of sacrifice you make when the mission is “we,” not “me.”

A team pursuit is the opposite of how Washington operates

A team pursuit is three skaters rotating smoothly, staying in formation, and living under one merciless truth: the clock. No grandstanding. No ego drifting into the lane. No speeches. Just execution.

• Clear mission: eight laps, one plan.
• Measurable results: hundredths of a second do not care about your talking points.
• Shared burden: the strongest skater is not a hero if he breaks the unit.

Accountability: the clock never lies

Here’s the clean math of the final: USA 3:43.71, Italy 3:39.20. That 4.51-second gap is a stack of tiny advantages and razor-thin execution. In this sport, you do not argue the stopwatch into submission. You either deliver or you do not.

And for the record, this is not a fluke. Cepuran, Dawson, and Lehman were part of the U.S. team that won bronze in 2022. Continuity. Discipline. Results. That is what a functioning unit looks like.

I want leaders who govern like a team pursuit: tight rotations, clear mission, measurable results. Until then, I’ll be right here at The Red Hat Saloon, grilling freedom at medium heat and demanding performance.

I’m parked at The Red Hat Saloon with hickory smoke in my beard, watching a sport where gravity gets a vote and fear gets told to sit down and hush. And Team USA’s Mac Forehand just went up a ramp the size of a rental car and came back down with an Olympic silver medal.

Silver in Livigno, and it came down to the last run

On February 17, 2026, in Livigno, Italy, Forehand took silver in the men’s freeski big air final at the 2026 Winter Olympics. He nearly stole gold on the second-to-last jump of the night with a 98.25, and on the broadcast he blurted out, “Oh my God.” That is what honesty sounds like when the stakes are sky-high and the landing actually holds.

Then Norway’s Tormod Frostad answered on the final run with a 98.50 and locked up gold at 195.50 total points. Forehand finished at 193.25. Austria’s Matej Svancer grabbed bronze with 191.25.

How big air works: no vibes, no speeches, just execution

• Each skier gets three runs.
• Their two best scores count toward the total.
• Medals go to the totals, not the excuses.

That’s why I love it. The scoreboard doesn’t care about your résumé, your hashtags, or your precious little bureaucratic feelings. You do the trick, you land it, you get paid in points.

Razor-thin margins and a defending champ who paid for mistakes

This finish was tight at the top, with Forehand’s 98.25 briefly putting him in first before Frostad’s 98.50 took it back at the end. That’s the whole story of competition right there: perform under pressure or get passed.

And in case anyone thinks judges were handing out medals like participation trophies, Fox noted defending Olympic champion Norway’s Birk Ruud crashed on two runs and finished eighth with 118.25. Mistakes got punished. Landings mattered. The results followed performance.

My bar-stool takeaway

Silver is not a consolation prize in a final like this. It’s proof of work, risk, and execution when the whole world is watching. Forehand put up 193.25 and forced the gold medalist to answer with a last-run 98.50. That’s not soft. That’s steel.

Live free, grill hard, and let the scoreboard do the talking.

I’m parked on a bar stool at The Red Hat Saloon with smoke in my beard and a ribeye singing like AM radio static, and even from here you can feel the Strait of Hormuz tighten up like a lug nut on a work truck. Because when Iran starts tossing real missiles near the world’s busiest shipping corridors, the global economy does not “keep calm.” It starts clenching.

What happened on February 17, 2026

Fox News reported that on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, Iran fired live missiles into the Strait of Hormuz during naval drills. Iranian state-affiliated outlets described the exercise as the “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz” drill. The activity included missile launches from vessels, coastal positions, and inland sites, plus drones operating under signal-jamming conditions. Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the IRGC, claimed shipping traffic in the corridor was suspended for several hours.

And yes, the timing was the point

While those missiles were putting on their little intimidation parade, President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were in Geneva meeting senior Iranian officials for a second round of nuclear talks. That’s not coincidence. That’s a negotiation tactic: crank the risk, then try to bargain like you’re doing the world a favor by not making it worse.

The Strait is not Iran’s private driveway

The Strait of Hormuz is an international sea passage and an essential trade corridor. U.S. Central Command said as much in a January 30, 2026 statement urging the IRGC to conduct any live-fire naval exercise safely and professionally and to avoid unnecessary risk to freedom of navigation. CENTCOM also noted that on any given day roughly 100 of the world’s merchant vessels transit that narrow stretch of water.

Threats, fog, and the whole checklist

• IRGC posture: Fox reported Rear Adm. Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the IRGC Navy, said Tehran stands ready to shut down the strait if ordered by senior leadership, as relayed by Tasnim.
• Real-time uncertainty: Fox’s report includes Iranian media claims about suspended traffic for several hours, but public reporting does not always make it clear what portion of traffic paused and how broadly it was enforced.
• Negotiation scope: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as cited by Fox, said meaningful negotiations would need to address more than enrichment, including Iran’s ballistic missiles, sponsorship of terrorist organizations across the region, its nuclear program, and its treatment of its own people.

My bar-stool conclusion

The villain is the regime and its IRGC power structure treating an international choke point like a stage. Trump says he’ll be involved “indirectly,” called Iran a tough negotiator, and said he prefers a deal over other outcomes and hopes they’ll be more reasonable. Fine. Talk. But do it like a grown nation: shoulders back, eyes open, and no apology for defending freedom of navigation.

Live free, grill hard, and don’t let the world’s bullies turn trade routes into theater.