Worth Knowing, Probably Not Quite Threadworthy 2/20

[SVPete]

Kevin James Meets The Tolerance Mob

https://upstreamreviews.substack.com/p/kevin-james-meets-the-tolerance-mob

In a recent interview with Variety, veteran comedian and actor Kevin James made an almost non-comment that was the definition of milquetoast: that he prefers to leave political analysis to those better suited than he and focus on what people come to see him for: comedy.

James was conducting an interview as part of his promotion for his new film Solo Mio, a romantic comedy from Angel studios in which he plays an unlucky groom left at the altar in Rome. The film has so far fared well and the interview covered a number of topics, and almost passingly mentions James’ resistance to wade into politics near the very end of the article:

“Politically, for me to speak on it, there are experts who know much more than I do,” James says. “I’m just focusing on what I can do, delivering a fun, heartfelt break from the craziness of the world. Everybody carries themselves around all day long with a lot of stress. It’s necessary in some ways, but you also need a break. You’ve got to look around and find the good in things. Otherwise, you’re just not going to function. I want to make people have fun, have hope and get a nice escape in their day.”

Honestly, how much controversy could this have stirred up? Plenty, of course. This Fox News article covering the online row details a number of comments people on social media have been posting, painting James’ as some arch-conservative for simply wishing to distance himself from politics. Buzzfeed also ran an article detailing a variety of comments from the leftist peanut gallery, and the quote eventually got the attention of the r/entertainment subreddit, where the comment thread quickly devolved into wondering what Ja Rule’s opinion of the whole thing was ...

Of course, James has four strikes against him among the Prog Faithful for daring to do a film with the more or less Christian-oriented Angel Studios and for being a devout Catholic. Whatever James's political views, he gets, "Shut up and be funny!"

[SVPete]

Tucker Sob Story About Israeli Detention Collapses With Video Release

https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/02/tucker-sob-story-about-israeli-detention-collapses-with-video-release/

Tucker Carlson’s Jihad against the Jewish people, whom he dishonestly blames for the problems of Christians in Muslim countries and areas, seems to have no bottom.

Yesterday Tucker and his business partner Neil Patel (CEO of Tucker Carlson Productions) staged a pathetic publicity stunt by running to a reporter who used to work for him and now is at The UK Daily Mail to paint himself as a victim. Tucker claimed he was detained and interrogated at Ben Gurion airport.

The US Embassy and Israeli authorities denied it, as did Ambassador Mike Huckabee who was there. They all insisted that Tucker and his team were merely put through the routine passport control and questions that others get, and that Tucker was given preferential treatment because he arrived by private jet and had access to the VIP area, which is where it all took place.

A video clip was released today showing Tucker laughing it up with airport personnel and even having his photo taken with one of them.

It's pretty much a universal aspect of GoogTube "Karen" videos that the "Karens" are clueless about stores' ubiquitous security cameras while doing their @#$% and lying to play victim. How Carlson fantasized he could pull off this absurd slander eludes me.

[SVPete]

A Wisconsin Middle School Just Violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2026/02/19/wisconsin-school-blacks-only-breakfast-n2671545

A middle school in Madison, Wisconsin, is in hot water after it was revealed the school offered a free brunch and games for Black students and staff members. Democrats have spent the past several weeks claiming the SAVE Act is a restoration of Jim Crow laws, and yet not one of them will condemn this school for its open and blatant segregation and discrmination.

On the announcement, the "Feeding Our Soul Brunch" was described as "open to all staff and students who self-identify as Black/African American. 'Feeding Our Soul' is exactly what it sounds like: a moment to slow down, breathe, eat well, laugh together, and feel seen. We want Black students and staff to experience school as a place where their presence is celebrated and where community is built intentionally."

Except that the community doesn't include students of any other race.

As O'Donnell points out, this violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Educrats being educrats.

[SVPete]

Police refute claim that black Virginia Tech professor was victim of racist attack

https://www.thecollegefix.com/police-refute-claim-that-black-virginia-tech-professor-was-victim-of-racist-attack/

Professor Onwubiko “Biko” Agozino, a self-described scholar-activist with interests in the race-class-gender articulation, said he believed he was targeted earlier this month after several young white men in trucks pulled up in front of his house blaring music and throwing snow and ice from one vehicle.

“Dr. Biko Agozino (who recently ran for delegate in the 42d district) and his family were targeted at their home by a group of 8 white young men riding in four 4 different trucks,” according to a statement by New River Valley Indivisible, a progressive organization.

“The young white men parked in front of Dr. Agozino’s home and unleashed a torrent of racial slurs, including the N-word, and threw ice bricks onto the property, blocking his driveway. This hateful assault was accompanied by the blaring of music, specifically Drake’s ‘Energy,’ in a calculated effort to terrorize and intimidate Biko and his family,” the statement continued.
...
But the Christiansburg Police Department released a statement Feb. 12 stating that is not what happened.

“After several interviews, including a third-party eyewitness, and a detailed investigation, detectives found that a group of juveniles were attending an organized function at a home in the area,” the police said.

“Before departure, two juveniles attempted to clear frozen snow and ice out of the bed of a truck, but were unable to completely remove, due to the slope of the vehicle. Upon departure, the juveniles stopped at a flat spot on the street, where a juvenile pushed out the remaining frozen snow and ice,” the statement read.
...
“At no time did any juveniles yell obscenities, or direct attention to any homes in the area while clearing the snow and ice,” the department stated.

I'm going to speculate that the CPD made this statement after collecting and reviewing video from multiple neighborhood security and doorbell cameras.

The demand for racist "hate crimes" far exceeds the supply, so hoaxers are working overtime to satisfy the unsatisfied demand.

[SVPete]

ESPN Replaces MLB With a Cultural Statement

https://pjmedia.com/david-manney/2026/02/19/espn-replaces-mlb-with-a-cultural-statement-n4949725

ESPN confirmed that it will launch "Women's Sports Sundays" in the prime Sunday night window once held by Major League Baseball. The network and league are breaking up, ending a 35-year run of Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN. Beginning this year, NBC and Peacock take over the contract.

The new block runs for nine weeks during the summer, featuring 12 live primetime games from the WNBA and the National Women's Soccer League. Executives also plan to include women's college basketball or softball matchups when scheduling allows. The programming shift places women's leagues in one of the most valuable slots in sports television.

Leadership defends the move
Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN's chairman, directed the change after the baseball rights deal expired, and assembled a 60-person team to fast-track the development of the Sunday block. Susie Piotrkowski, vice president of women's sports programming and ESPNW, helped design the nine-week rollout and will oversee production and storytelling around featured athletes.

Pitaro framed the decision as a business move rooted in growth. ESPN leaders have avoided political leads and insist the network follows audience trends and advertiser interest. The network still carries roughly 30 midweek MLB games under separate agreements, but the flagship Sunday platform is gone.

MLB lost me in the 1980s with their strikes, so I don't know how popular the ESPN's MLB Sunday night programming is, but I have a hard time believing this move won't be a ratings loser, maybe after the first week or two. Are Jimmy Pitaro and Susie Piotrkowski Bud-Lighting ESPN? As usual, my speculation and a tenner will get you a latte' and change at Peet's or Dutch Bros.

[SVPete]

Stolen ambulance allegedly driven into Idaho DHS office building in attempted arson attack

https://www.foxnews.com/us/stolen-ambulance-allegedly-driven-idaho-dhs-office-building-attempted-arson-attack

State and federal authorities are investigating after a suspect allegedly stole an ambulance, loaded up staged gas cans and plowed the emergency vehicle into a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) office in Idaho — in what investigators believe was an attempted arson attack.

Just after 11 p.m. Wednesday, an ambulance was stolen from a bay at St. Luke's West hospital.

The suspect, who has not yet been identified, drove the ambulance through the parking lot and retrieved gas cans that were staged in nearby vegetation, according to Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea.

The suspect then drove the ambulance directly into the North Portico building, which houses DHS offices, Basterrechea said.

Investigators believe the suspect poured an accelerant inside and around the outside of the ambulance.

However, the suspect was unable to ignite the accelerant before being scared off by responding agencies, according to Basterrechea.

My emphasis. OK, this could be CT-grade speculation, but the pre-staged cans of gasoline and the apparently readily stolen ambulance at least suggest that this was not a lone-wolf attack.

[SVPete]

NYT: Trump Is 'Strangling Cuba'

https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2026/02/20/nyt-trump-is-strangling-cuba-n3812102

Do tell. Or could it be that the vestigial Castroite communist government has strangled itself, and can no longer be rescued by its socialist alumni in Latin America?

The New York Times prefers to give credit to Donald Trump. Undoubtedly, Trump will accept it with delight:

Cuba is confronting the United States’ first effective blockade since the Cuban Missile Crisis and running out of fuel fast, pushing the nation toward a humanitarian crisis and its government to the edge of collapse, according to a New York Times analysis of shipping data and satellite images.

Cuban tankers have hardly left the island’s shores for months. Oil-rich allies have halted shipments or declined to come to the rescue. The U.S. military has seized ships that have supported Cuba. And in recent days, vessels roaming the Caribbean Sea in search of fuel for Cuba have come up empty or been intercepted by the U.S. authorities.

Last week, a tanker linked to Cuba burned fuel for five days to get to the port in Curaçao but then left without cargo, according to ship-tracking data. Three days later, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a tanker full of Colombian fuel oil en route to Cuba that had gotten within 70 miles of the island, the data showed.

"Strangling"? One can hope. Cuba has been exporting terror around the world for decades, so that would be long overdue FAFO.

[SVPete]

‘Epidemic of Sexual Abuse’ in California Schools, Attorney Claims

https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/02/20/epidemic-of-sexual-abuse-in-california-schools-attorney-claims-n4949733

A sexual abuse attorney affirms that woke California’s public schools have a severe crisis of sexual grooming and abuse. Perhaps that’s not surprising in a state where teachers can legally and secretly “gender transition” children.

Attorney John Manly spoke with show host Catherine Herridge in a Feb. 19 episode. “The main issue is, is that there is an epidemic of sexual abuse in the state” of California, he said, “by teachers, by coaches, by other school employees.”

Manly worries that both the school abuse epidemic and the Epstein files scandal illustrate the “view into how many people aren’t bothered” by child abuse. Countless powerful politicians, businessmen, and celebrities willingly accepted Epstein‘s perverted services or remained friends with him despite his pedophilia, and we have yet to see any major prosecutions for any of the disgusting crimes. When did our society become tolerant of what Manly called “emotional murder” of children?

Manly is an attorney in California, so naturally, his knowledge of the crisis there specifically is more detailed. Since 2012, he said, when victims could begin filing civil lawsuits for damages in California, “our firm alone… has discovered over 350 or 360 perpetrators, teachers.” He added, “And we believe there's many, many more. We know there's many more, because we certainly don't have all of the cases.”

IOW, not only are there "rubber rooms" for unfireable teachers, but the path to isolation in a rubber room is long and populated with victims. I'm sure CA is far from unique in this respect.