Breaking world news keeps popping up and at this point I think my phone is personally trying to give me an ulcer. It’s February 16 2026, middle of the afternoon here outside Denver, sun’s finally out but it’s still freezing, and I’m sitting on the couch with my laptop burning my thighs because the desk chair broke last month. Every refresh brings another major global story: more saber-rattling over semiconductors, another round of insane weather wiping out crops somewhere, oil doing whatever oil does when everyone’s nervous. I swear I can feel my blood pressure just from the vibration pattern of the alerts.
I told myself last night “tomorrow I’m logging off for a full day.” Yeah that lasted until 8:47am when the first notification hit. Now here I am writing about it instead of finishing the client mockup that’s due Wednesday. Classic me.
The One Piece of Breaking World News I Can’t Stop Thinking About
The Taiwan/China chip situation is legitimately freaking me out more than it should for someone whose biggest geopolitical expertise comes from Reddit threads at 2am. I do freelance web stuff—nothing fancy, mostly Squarespace sites for local contractors and coffee shops—and literally everything depends on affordable hardware staying affordable. Last week a client in Fort Collins asked if we could push back the launch because “new server parts are suddenly impossible to get without paying double.” Double. Because of breaking world news halfway around the planet.
I sat there staring at the email like… what am I supposed to say? “Sorry bro, geopolitics says your restaurant website is delayed”? Ended up charging him less just to keep the gig. Felt gross but rent’s rent. Then I spent an hour googling “how long can you live on rice and beans” before I remembered I hate beans.
The Rest of These Major Global Stories Are Piling On Like Bad Roommates
- Weather chaos everywhere: Midwest getting hammered again, Southeast still underwater from last week’s storm. My insurance already sent the “premium adjustment notice” email. Thanks guys.
- Middle East keeps simmering: cousin texted “extended orders maybe” with a thumbs-up emoji. That’s how we communicate fear in this family apparently.
- Prices just… refusing to chill: saw avocados at $3.49 each at Sprouts yesterday. For one avocado. I bought the sad $1.99 ones that are already turning black inside.
I keep thinking maybe I should start a victory garden or something but I killed a cactus last summer so probably not.
How I’m (Barely) Coping with All This Breaking World News
My current extremely mid strategy:
- News breaks → stare at wall for 90 seconds → refresh anyway
- Tell myself “one more article then bed” at 11pm, still reading at 1:30am
- Send group chat screenshots of the most apocalyptic headlines with “lmao we’re so back” even though nothing is back
- Buy dumb comfort snacks I don’t need (today’s haul: Takis and those little Reese’s trees even though it’s not Christmas)
It’s not a plan. It’s barely a coping mechanism. But it’s what I’ve got.
Look, if you’re also lying awake wondering which major global story is gonna break the camel’s back first, you’re not crazy. Drop a comment—what’s the one thing in breaking world news right now that’s got you quietly spiraling? I’ll probably read it while pretending to work tomorrow.
