Links for you. Science:

Mobile genetic elements drive a fusion-deletion life cycle that shapes plasmid evolution and antimicrobial resistance
Scientist Jack Horner linked to Jeffrey Epstein in newly released DOJ files
FDA reverses course, agrees to review Moderna’s flu vaccine
NanoHIVSeq: A Long-Read Bioinformatics Pipeline for High-Throughput Processing of HIV Env Sequences
How Microbes Got Their Crawl. In the oceans and on land, scientists are discovering rare, transitional organisms that bridge the gap between Earth’s simplest cells and today’s complex ones.
FDA reverses course, will review Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine

Other:

DOGE Bro’s Grant Review Process Was Literally Just Asking ChatGPT ‘Is This DEI?’ (not even smart enough to do the dirty work themselves)
Wilson Building Bulletin: To fight (Congress) or not to fight, that is the question (wimping out when faced with Republican lawbreaking: it’s not just for national professional Democrats anymore!)
10 Thoughts On “AI,” February 2026 Edition
Leaked Email Suggests Ring Plans to Expand ‘Search Party’ Surveillance Beyond Dogs
With state backing, Augusta County says no to ICE facility
“The most powerful crime syndicate in history”
Strategic Bombing and the Pop History Problem: Reviewing Malcom Gladwell’s “The Bomber Mafia”
Ohio GOP mayor accused of sniffing underage relative’s underwear (his last name is Dingus–we need new scriptwriters)
AI bots may lead to the end of the internet as we know it
Republicans keep pretending Trump can bail them out in November
Popularism!
After leaving WHO, Trump officials propose more expensive replacement to duplicate it
Ah, Well, Nevertheless
Offshore wind triumphs over Trump in court, but future projects face delays
GGWash endorses Janeese Lewis George for mayor of the District of Columbia
After the massive sewage spill into the Potomac, a shitload of questions remain
Moonlighting: D.C. Rental Housing Administrator Solicits Landlord Clients For His Side Gig. Terrance Laney was put on leave after City Paper asked about the potential conflict of interest in his dual roles.
Goldman Lawyer, Epstein Conferred on Secret Service Prostitution Scandal. In a series of 2014 emails, the wealthy financier gave advice to the former White House counsel as the Colombian incident blew up.
Labor Secretary’s Husband Barred From the Department After Sexual Assault Reports
Inflation Is Down, But Americans Still Feel an Affordability Squeeze
After Censoring CBS, Trump Will Go For CNN
‘No expense has been spared’: Inside a luxury jet DHS wants to buy for deportations
Yeah, US Olympians are woke. Deal with it. Sports have always been political — it’s just a question of who’s speaking out.
You may soon need a passport to vote. Trump is making it harder to get one.
For LGBTQ Winter Olympians, visibility matters just as much as medals
Tabletop industry veteran Ryan Dancey loses Alderac COO job after saying AI can generate game ideas as good as some of his company’s designs
Under Mamdani, City to Probe Businesses Where Most Workers Take Zero Sick Days. Employers will be subject to an investigation by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection if more than half their employees took zero paid time off in a given year.
Republican congressman’s anti-Muslim remark prompts calls for his resignation
We’re pediatricians. We see how ICE is harming children.
Crypto super PAC wades into Illinois House primaries