Psilocybin Mushrooms Are Going Mainstream, but Scientific Research and Regulation Lag Behind
Psilocybin mushroom use is exploding in the United States, with recent estimates showing about 11 million adults tried the substance in 2026. Legal reforms have decriminalized possession in cities like Denver and created supervised‑use programs in Oregon and Colorado, but most of the country remains a regulatory gray zone. At the same time, growers are boosting mushroom potency, outpacing the limited scientific data that currently relies on synthetic psilocybin rather than whole‑mushroom products. Researchers warn that the lack of real‑world safety information could lead to adverse health outcomes as the market expands.
Satyajit Das: BNPL – Buy Now, Pain Later
Buy‑Now‑Pay‑Later (BNPL) financing has exploded to over $300 billion, up from $2 billion a decade ago, driven by pandemic‑era e‑commerce. Fin‑tech firms charge merchants 4‑6% discounts and levy $5‑$15 late‑payment fees that translate into annualised interest rates comparable to payday loans. While...
The Fight Over ‘Critical Minerals,’ Explained
Critical minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earths are essential for electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines, and demand is projected to double by 2030. The United States, fearing China’s dominance in refining, launched Project Vault,...
Notes on the American Justification for the Ramadan War in West Asia of 2026
The United States has launched a five‑week “Ramadan War” against Iran, justifying the conflict with claims that Tehran exports terrorism, threatens Israel, and is on the brink of a nuclear bomb. Critics argue these excuses mask deeper political and religious...
The Fed, Congress, and the President: The Constitutional Authority to Make Money
Christine Desan argues that the Federal Reserve is not merely an independent regulator but the institutional embodiment of Congress’s constitutional prerogative to create money. The paper traces the historical shift of money‑making from monarchs to legislatures, showing how the U.S....
Claudia Sheinbaum’s Blitzkrieg War on Cash
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced a nine‑month push to make digital payments mandatory at gas stations and toll booths, aiming to curb the country’s reliance on cash. The plan hinges on the Bank of Mexico’s CoDi platform, which now offers zero‑commission...
War Against Iran Exposes Fragility of Much Ballyhooed Eurasian Trade Corridors
The war against Iran is exposing the vulnerability of high‑profile Eurasian trade corridors, from the Middle Corridor to the International North‑South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the Iran‑China railway. Turkish Treasury Minister Mehmet Şimşek framed the conflict as a chance for Turkey...
The Sunday Morning Movie Presents: Night On The Galactic Railroad (1985) Run Time: 1H 48M
The Sunday Morning Movie series spotlighted the 1985 anime *Night on the Galactic Railroad*, directed by Gisaburo Sugii and adapted from Kenji Miyazawa’s novel. Critics on MyAnimeList, TheNorm, and Letterboxd praised its atmospheric animation, evocative music, and philosophical narrative about...
Iran War: Disaster in Iran as Multiple Aircraft Downed, Pilot Missing; Iran Pounds Israel Hard After Trump Asks for 48...
Multiple U.S. combat aircraft—including an F‑15E, an A‑10C, and rescue helicopters—were shot down or forced to emergency land during operations over Iran, leaving one pilot missing and another crew member still being rescued. The losses contradict earlier Trump administration claims...
AI’s Fluency in Other Languages Hides a Western Worldview That Can Mislead Users
Large language models like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini can generate fluent responses in many languages, but their reasoning remains rooted in a Western, primarily American worldview. The bias stems from training data dominated by English‑language sources, causing concepts such as...
Satyajit Das: The Wages of War
Satyajit Das warns that global defence spending has surged to $2.7 trillion in 2024 and is projected to hit $6.7 trillion by 2035, raising the share of GDP devoted to military budgets from 2.2% to 2.5%. He argues that modern, high‑tech weaponry...
A Fifth of NYC Built on Bygone Water Now at Risk: Study Maps City’s ‘Blue Zones’
Researchers at the New York Botanical Garden identified more than 500 “Blue Zones” – historic wetlands, ponds and streams now built over – that cover over one‑fifth of New York City. About 1.2 million residents (12% of the population) and 11% of the...
Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – The Invulnerable Golden Dome
The piece argues that the proposed "Golden Dome" missile‑defense architecture cannot deliver the promised invulnerability, even with trillion‑dollar spending. It points out that missile defense is fundamentally probabilistic, and recent Middle‑East engagements have shown leakage under layered defenses. Costs rise...
Michael Hudson and Steve Keen: How the Global Crisis Will Unfold
Michael Hudson and Steve Keen warned that Iran’s recent attacks on Qatar’s LNG facilities could cut roughly 20 % of global liquefied natural gas, sending oil, gas and helium prices soaring. They argue the resulting energy shock will slash global output by...
Drillers See Triple-Digit Crude and Hit the Brakes
U.S. oil drillers are seeing Brent above $100 a barrel and WTI over $90, yet most remain reluctant to expand output. The Dallas Fed Energy Survey shows only 21% intend to add significant wells, as firms focus on repairing balance...
Easing Capital, Reviving Risk: The Quiet Return of Too Big to Fail
The U.S. regulator’s latest proposal to ease capital adequacy rules for the nation’s largest banks marks a reversal of post‑2008 reforms aimed at curbing systemic risk. Critics argue the move weakens loss‑absorbing buffers, reviving the “too‑big‑to‑fail” dynamic that forces taxpayers...
War Widens to the Caspian. Why Isn’t Iran Attacking Azerbaijan?
Israel launched a surprise strike on Iranian naval vessels in the Caspian Sea, claiming hits on missile boats, a corvette, a shipyard and a command centre. The attack raises the prospect of a broader regional clash, as Iran has yet...
Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – Distributed Deterrence
The article outlines a shift toward "distributed deterrence," where precision‑strike weapons such as cheap missiles and long‑range drones enable smaller states to threaten critical infrastructure far beyond their borders. Declining costs and mobile launch platforms make these capabilities accessible to...
Causal Evidence on Cost-of-Living Shocks: How the Energy Crisis Affected Energy Demand, Labour Supply, and Financial Strain
Researchers using Finnish administrative data examined how the 2022 European energy crisis affected household behavior. An eightfold jump in electricity prices revealed stark income‑based heterogeneity: high‑income families sharply reduced usage, while low‑income households cut consumption little and instead faced higher...
In Latest Blow to Trump’s Mass Deportation Plan, Judge Blocks Overhaul of Immigration Appeals
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., issued an injunction blocking key parts of President Trump’s proposed overhaul of the Board of Immigration Appeals. The rule would have reduced the appeal filing deadline from 30 days to 10, required rapid dismissal...
From Fed Failures to Inflation and Stablecoins: America’s Trust Is Cracking
The new book *Avoid Fiscal & Economic Disaster with Ethics, Economics, and Excellence* by former Fed official Bill Bergman and retired Air Force Lt. Col. Larry Feltes warns that America’s greatest vulnerability is a collapsing trust in its institutions. They...
How Africa Keeps Losing Despite China V. West Race for Minerals
The United States hosted its first Critical Minerals Ministerial in February 2026, unveiling a preferential trading bloc, price‑floor mechanisms and a $12 billion strategic stockpile to curb China’s dominance. At the same time, a US‑backed consortium struck a $9 billion deal with...
India Exchanges BRICS Ties for Lead Role in the American AI Cage
India is rapidly pivoting from its BRICS stance toward deeper integration with the West, highlighted by a landmark EU free‑trade agreement and its entry into the US‑led Pax Silica AI alliance. The India‑Middle‑East‑Europe Corridor (IMEC) is being repurposed from a logistics...
Bibi Put Israel’s Partners in an Awkward Position With His Description of the “Hexagon”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a new “hexagon” of alliances that would link Israel with India, Arab states, African nations, Greece, Cyprus and unspecified Asian partners. He framed the network as a counter‑balance to an Iranian‑led “Resistance Axis” and...
Michael Hudson: Destiny of Civilization – Financialization & Collapse
Michael Hudson argues that the shift from industrial capitalism to finance‑driven rentier capitalism has turned economic growth into rent extraction, eroding productivity and widening inequality. He traces the historical battle against landlord rents in 19th‑century Britain to today’s debt‑financed housing,...
Russia’s BRICS Sherpa Debunked Speculation About It Turning Into A Security Bloc
Russia’s deputy foreign minister and BRICS Sherpa Sergey Ryabkov publicly refuted claims that the bloc is evolving into a security or collective‑defence organization. He clarified that recent naval exercises off South Africa were conducted by individual member states, not a...
Will Russia (and Iran) Be Forced to ‘Restore Order’ in the Caucasus? Part 2: The March to Central Asia
The article examines how Azerbaijan’s new rail, gas and power corridor through Armenia is reshaping the Caucasus‑Central Asia nexus, while the United States seeks a 74% stake in the infrastructure for five decades. Moscow and Tehran face pressure to intervene...
Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – Requiem for Nuclear Arms Control
With the New START treaty lapsing on Feb. 5, 2026, the United States and Russia lost the last binding caps on their strategic nuclear forces. The article warns that the primary instability stems not from overt arsenal growth but from three...
Links 2/17/2026
The February 17 Links roundup from Naked Capitalism highlighted escalating US debt‑ceiling talks, the Federal Reserve’s cautious monetary stance, and fresh EU sustainable‑reporting regulations. It also flagged a sharp equity market dip following mixed earnings, rising corporate‑governance scrutiny, and new...
The EU’s Digital Euro Is Just a Whisker Away From Becoming a Legal Reality
The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to endorse two amendments to the ECB’s annual report, labeling the digital euro “essential” for monetary sovereignty, payment‑system resilience and universal acceptance. The first amendment passed with 438 votes, the second with 420, signalling political...
Suffocating an Island: What the U.S. Blockade Is Doing to Cuba
The United States has intensified its embargo on Cuba, cutting oil shipments and tightening sanctions under President Trump and Senator Rubio. The fuel shortage has reduced electricity to three‑to‑six hours a day and halted public transport, forcing Cubans onto bicycles...