Buck Banks, Author at Pensito

Pritzker Invoices Federal Government for Tariff Refunds

February 21, 2026 Buck Banks

“Your tariff taxes wreaked havoc on farmers, enraged our allies, and sent grocery prices through the roof,’ wrote Pritzker, a possible 2028 presidential candidate and frequent Trump critic. ‘This letter and the attached invoice stand as an official notice that compensation is owed to the people of Illinois, and if you do not comply we will pursue further action.”

— “Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker sent a letter — and invoice — to the White House on Friday demanding $8.6 billion be refunded to his state’s 5.1 million households, roughly $1,700 each,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

U.S. Economic Growth Weaker Than Expected

February 21, 2026 Buck Banks

1.4%

U.S. economic growth slowed in the final three months of last year, dragged down by the six-week shutdown of the federal government and a pullback in consumer spending, AP reported. The nation’s gross domestic product — the total output of goods and services — increased at a 1.4% annual rate in the fourth quarter, the Commerce Department reported Friday, down from 4.4% in the July-September quarter and 3.8% in the quarter before that.

Timeless Principles, Modern Realities

February 20, 2026 Buck Banks

The latest thing is AI agents doing “synthetic mentorship,”
Giving advice from a database of every expert’s quote and quip.
The technology commoditizes wisdom,
But it lacks contextual intuition,
So what you get is a lot of hogwash soaked in sheep dip.

Beam Me Info, Scotty

February 20, 2026February 28, 2026 Buck Banks

Crank up them quantum computers, atomic clocks and Mars space stations,
We’re teetering on the edge of a technological revelation.
We sent it from here and we know where it went,
Even though we only received ninety percent,
But we’ve undoubtably achieved the teleportation of quantum information!

Most Believe Elites Won’t Be Held Accountable for Epstein Files

February 19, 2026 Buck Banks

69%

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll found 69 percent of respondents saying they believe the Epstein files “show that powerful people in the U.S. are rarely held accountable for their actions.”

The Worm in the Midterms

February 18, 2026 Buck Banks

Many Americans see Donald Trump as a doddering old fool,
And they’re tired of his ham-handed authoritarian rule.
His approval’s in the crapper,
But here’s the ultimate slapper,
Fifty-six percent of Americans find him racist, corrupt and cruel.

Colbert’s Talarico Interview Gets 3 Million Viewers on YouTube

February 18, 2026 Buck Banks

3 million

Stephen Colbert’s sit-down with Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D) reached 3 million views in just 18 hours Tuesday after the network pulled the interview from “The Late Show,” The Wrap reports.

A Lie Too Far

February 18, 2026February 18, 2026 Buck Banks

Tricia McLaughlin, DHS mouthpiece, we bid you a hearty goodbye,
We’re holding back our liberal tears and stifling leftist sighs.
Why she picked now to go,
Nobody seems to know,
But perhaps she hit her limit and just couldn’t tell one more lie.

Why the Epstein Files and Coverup Are Vital

February 17, 2026 Buck Banks

“This is not a bread-and-circuses moment. The Epstein controversy is vitally important. One could argue that it’s the biggest scandal in American political history. The U.S. Government, from the President on down, is trying desperately to cover up a massive child sex trafficking ring where some of the richest, most powerful people on earth were either involved or turned a blind eye. … During Pam Bondi’s deranged appearance before the Senate last week, it was revealed that the Department of Justice hadn’t even interviewed the survivors. One can only assume that Bondi is too worried about whom they will implicate.”

— Dan Pfeiffer

Ossoff Calls Election Deniers ‘False Prohets’

February 17, 2026 Buck Banks

“Among today’s false prophets are the election deniers who indulge this president’s obsession with overturning the 2020 election. Hear me when I say this — they tell a lie so absurd, and therefore so debasing to tell, that the act of telling it proves the teller’s total and humiliating submission.”

Author: Buck Banks

Pritzker Invoices Federal Government for Tariff Refunds

— “Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker sent a letter — and invoice — to the White House on Friday demanding $8.6 billion be refunded to his state’s 5.1 million households, roughly $1,700 each,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

U.S. Economic Growth Weaker Than Expected

1.4%

Timeless Principles, Modern Realities

Beam Me Info, Scotty

Most Believe Elites Won’t Be Held Accountable for Epstein Files

69%

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll found 69 percent of respondents saying they believe the Epstein files “show that powerful people in the U.S. are rarely held accountable for their actions.”

The Worm in the Midterms

Colbert’s Talarico Interview Gets 3 Million Viewers on YouTube

3 million

Stephen Colbert’s sit-down with Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D) reached 3 million views in just 18 hours Tuesday after the network pulled the interview from “The Late Show,” The Wrap reports.

A Lie Too Far

Why the Epstein Files and Coverup Are Vital

— Dan Pfeiffer

Ossoff Calls Election Deniers ‘False Prohets’

— Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), in a campaign speech.

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“One woman at a rally in New Jersey told me last week that she was ‘nauseously optimistic.’ That may capture a lot of people’s last-minute jitters.”

— Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), quoted by Axios, on what Democrats feel ahead of the midterm elections.

“I think Congress made a mistake not protesting turning the Rose Garden into what looks like the entrance to Liberace’s bathroom.”

— Former President Bill Clinton, quoted by The Wrap.

“Boy, they are scraping the bottom of the barrel. It feels like a real desperation play to me, because it has got zero basis in the law.”

— Republican election law expert Ben Ginsberg, quoted by Politico, on the Trump administration’s effort to invalidate Alaska’s election results.

Numerati

3,824

$1.4 billion

-35 points

31%

63% to 38%

KFF Poll: “With the 2026 midterm campaigns in full swing and early voting about to begin, there is a wide enthusiasm gap between partisan voters, with Democratic voters 25 percentage points more likely than Republican voters to say they are ‘more motivated’ than usual to vote (63% vs. 38%).”