Welcome to The Weekly Reckoning (recorded February 19, 2026 — Day 2 of Lent) where we cover the week’s biggest headlines and the stories everyone’s dancing around.

Tonight we talk about the coming Iran war and why the ramp-up feels different than other recent conflicts. Is the administration saber-rattling to avoid a full-scale war… or setting up a “win” ahead of the State of the Union? We also get into War Powers, the media’s predictable “presidential” pivot the moment bombs drop, and why the smart money is usually on escalation.

Then we hit the culture side: ESPN dropping Sunday Night Baseball and shifting toward women’s sports programming—what it signals about Disney/ESPN strategy, “sports as experience,” and the broader trend of turning everything into sports entertainment rather than competition.

On the Church front: an update on the SSPX after Rome’s decision regarding bishops, what happens next, and why unity matters—especially when discipline feels uneven across the spectrum.

Finally, we spend serious time on the shockwave: AI movies. The new generation of clips (Seedance and others) isn’t “spaghetti Will Smith” anymore. Action scenes are getting convincing fast—and that raises the real question: in a year, what can you trust online? We also talk about trademarking likeness/voice, impersonation channels, and why Catholics should be thinking proactively about using these tools for good stories instead of surrendering the space.

Drop your thoughts below:

Do you think an Iran strike happens before Feb 24?

Are AI films a new category… or the end of Hollywood’s monopoly?

What’s the right path forward on SSPX/Rome?

🙏 Lenten prayers for peace, prudence, and unity in the Church.
Like, subscribe, share — and as always: Viva Cristo Rey.

00:00 – Welcome to The Weekly Reckoning (Feb 19, Day 2 of Lent)
00:27 – Feast of St. Udren (companion of St. Patrick)
01:02 – The “coming Iran war” + why the noise level matters
02:26 – Venezuela contrast: quiet ops vs loud signaling
03:44 – Before or after the State of the Union?
04:14 – Media narratives, “they lie like they breathe”
06:09 – Vatican & the “Board of Peace” critique
07:04 – $10B “peace” slush fund + 1984 vibes
09:08 – “State of the Union” vs nation/state debate
11:43 – War Powers, impeachment talk, and political theater
12:38 – “Bibi visits → talking points activate”
15:13 – Second-term presidents pivot to foreign policy
18:35 – Epstein “arrest” update + catch-and-release cynicism
21:20 – Fallout & resignations tied to Epstein associations
24:08 – “Woke right” label: useful vs abused
25:18 – Bannon, trad politics, and Church drama
30:30 – SSPX bishop decision + fears of escalation
33:12 – “Church survives because God runs it” (historical perspective)
34:08 – Lent, fasting, real food, and modern weakness
38:17 – Orthodox Triumph of Orthodoxy (anathema chant)
39:38 – ESPN drops Sunday Night Baseball for women’s sports
42:16 – NBA tanking + sports becoming “experience entertainment”
44:17 – Olympics as content + curling confusion
48:41 – Canada, cheating, and cultural rot jokes
51:28 – White House UFC / spectacle politics
54:35 – AI movies earthquake: Seedance + action finally works
57:29 – Likeness/voice cloning + duplicate channels
58:50 – Will AI films become their own category?
1:00:06 – Hollywood writers: “pack it in”
1:02:11 – Catholic opportunity: reclaim storytelling with AI
1:06:04 – Saint of the Week / Cry Room
1:07:26 – Joe Enders fired + support link mentioned
1:09:16 – Wrap-up + Steve’s new book plug

#WeeklyReckoning #Iran #Geopolitics #Trump #StateOfTheUnion #Epstein #Catholic #SSPX #Lent #ESPN #MLB #WomensSports #AIMovies #Deepfake #CultureWar