Friday, February 20, 2026 – BigPineKey.com

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[Tariffs Illegal] The Supreme Court just declared Trump’s emergency tariffs are illegal and he has to give all that money back ($100 billion). The tariffs Trump made up in April are gone. Link

[Iran Go Boom] “On 15 October, the reflagged U.S. tanker Sea Isle City was struck by an Iranian Silkworm missile while at anchor near the oil terminal outside Kuwait City. Seventeen crewmen and the American captain were injured in the attack. On 18 October, the U.S. Navy responded with Operation Nimble Archer. Four destroyers shelled two Revolutionary Guard bases in the Rostam oil field, located on oil platforms, that had been used to stage attacks on shipping. After the shelling, the USS Thach landed a SEAL platoon and a demolition unit that planted explosives on one of the platforms to destroy it. The SEALs then boarded and searched a third platform two miles away. Documents and radios were taken for intelligence.”

I GREATLY appreciate reading your posting on Feb 3 in regards to Operation Earnest Will here on the CT. As a fresh graduate of MHS, in the US Navy stationed upon the USS Thach FFG-43, I was honored/TERRIFIED to be on tour in the Persian Gulf doing our thing. Many thanks to our shipmates who spent many hours working hard to carry out the mission. Attached to this email is a rare photo of our Uss Thach in the foreground of the two (out of three) remaining oil platforms. Please know that these platforms are no longer above the water line thanks to our SEAL/BUDS heroes. As we had them aboard our Thach for this mission, I can assure you that those dudes are cut from a different cloth. We sailed away with a trove of paperwork, flags, weapons and various other items. Quite a time and quite an experience, grateful for all of that. Many thanks to all of our veterans and those who are part of that support team, wives, children, USNS and other services who supported this mission.

I have included my shipmate and friend Tom K as he was on the bridge and may find it in himself to add to this story. I was a snipe in the bilge with less to see Tom K had the view.
“Non sibi sed patriae”—”Not for self, but for country”

Thanks for all you do Ed. GO PINERS! Mel Marshall Jr. DC3, USN 1985-1889

[Classical Favorites] This Saturday in Key West beloved classics—Mozart’s “Haffner” Symphony & Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnole. Sat., February 21 at 7:30pm
Tennessee Williams Theatre: 5901 College Rd, Key West

[Disgraced] I knew if I waited long enough I’d find a reason to stop wishing I were a Prince.

[Nickel-Iron Battery] Thomas Edison’s failed rechargeable battery may get a second life. The famed inventor’s nickel-iron idea isn’t suited for EVs, but it could help solar farms and data centers. A rechargeable battery based on technology pioneered by Thomas Edison may finally get its due. But while the famous inventor envisioned nickel-iron batteries powering the automobile industry over a century ago, researchers now believe the underlying concepts are more suited for renewable energy centers. Link

[R/V Trade Show] The Heavy Hitters: A Closer Look at the 2026 Lineup. Four of the region’s top dealers are bringing their absolute best to the TRADEX floor. If you’re heading to the show, these are the specific rigs you’ll want to climb inside. Link

What a f**ked up world. I’m sure glad that I didn’t have to live through these terrible years.

Yippiee!!!!!!!! We received $595.81 from Progressive Insurance as part of Florida’s “excess profits law” when the insurance companies make too much money. I can’t believe it. We benefitted from something, not like those hundreds of class action suits I get in the mail and sign up for and never receive anything from.

[Failure] What did Sears, Kmart, JC Penny, Montgomery Ward and the other commercial giants that dominated the economy before the internet all have in common. They all had too much debt and failed to innovate

[When We Were Young] Deer Editor and all of you Piners. Keep on keeping on; and much love to the old timers and of course, those who came prior to us.
Big Pine Key, such a magical place to call home. We’ll never be that carefree or high again. Ha.
~Mel Marshall Jr

80% of Americans live within ten miles of a Walmart.

[Passage of Commodus] Inside the Colosseum’s Passage of Commodus, where emperors once walked. One theory suggests the infamous Roman emperor survived an assassination attempt in the tunnel now open to the public. Link

Teen brothers build a Disney-inspired ride in family basement. ‘Big Hero 6’ inspired Nico and Matteo Mucchetti’s ambitious project. Link

Why do cats’ eyes glow in the dark? That eerie glow is actually a pair of built-in night-vision goggles. Link

Walmart is looking more inviting these days, but I wonder how easy it is to return stuff and they don’t have the reviews like Amazon. I like Amazon because of how easy it is to return stuff.

[Love 22] As spring cleaning is here (actually it is rainy and snowy up here, thus indoors) I came across this $22 dollar bill from quite a while ago. Such a time to watch Love 22 run his mouth, just amazing. No matter how you challenged him, he could add the numerology numbers and it would always come out to 22.

[Friday Joke] A husband and wife were having a ight. The wife decided to go for the silent treatment. The husband, realizing he was in trouble, wrote on a piece of paper “Wake me up at 6 AM, I have a ﬂight.”
The next morning, he gets up at 9 AM and missed his ﬂight. Furious, he saw the same piece of paper on the bedside table and written on it , “Wake up, it’s 6 AM.”

[No Condoms!] 2026 Winter Olympics Village ran out of condoms after just 3 days. This condom shortage may give you an idea of what many athletes in Milan Cortina, Italy, are doing with their free time at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The answer may be each other. Link

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Grey’s Anatomy’s Eric Dane is dead at 53. Eric Dane starred as Dr Mark Sloan in Grey’s Anatomy but has died after a long battle with motor neurone disease which affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Link

[Friday Joke] A man goes to see a divorce lawyer. “How much do you charge?” he asks.
“A thousand dollars for three questions,” replies the lawyer.
“Isn’t that a bit steep?” the man asks.
“Yes,” replies the lawyer. “Now what’s your third question?”

Isabeau Levito is one of the most popular and trending names in US figure skating, known for her polished artistry and composure under pressure on the ice. Even though she is just 18 years old, the Philadelphia native is a part of Team USA at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. Behind her meteoric rise is a lovely family story that stretches from New Jersey rinks with deep Italian roots in Lombardy, shaping the career of the skating sensation. Video

The current Coconut Telegraph was published on 2/20/26 at 9:07 am.

[House For Sale] Big Pine Key. 3 bedrooms. 2 full bathrooms. House on stilts over full concrete slab. Bay window in Kitchen plus a pantry. Stainless steel appliances. Plenty of kitchen cabinets and granite counter tops. Dining area/living room. Big front porch. Large, locked storage room downstairs. Covered parking for two vehicles. Central air conditioning plus heat. Back two bedrooms have additional mini-split A/Cs for custom cooling. Very bright and clean and in a quite neighborhood. Laundry area in hallway. Only 3 houses are on the street and none are across from the home. $550,000.
See Full Offer and a Virtual Tour