Parents Claim Outrage After Unannounced Ivanka Trump School Visit, NASA Chooses Next New Frontiers Finalists, 'Combat Jack' Dead: P.M. Links

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  NASA

  President Trump suggested the United States could cut off foreign aid to any country that votes for a United Nations resolution calling on the U.S. to withdraw its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

• Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) says he's resigning on January 2.
• Some parents in Connecticut say they're outraged after Ivanka Trump made an unannounced visit to their children's school.
• A judge declared a mistrial in the case of rancher Cliven Bundy, accused of leading an anti-government standoff in Nevada in 2014.
• A Virginia state legislative race previously decided by one vote has now been declared a tie; there will be a coin toss.
• Prosecutors in Turkey are seeking a sentence of four years for Knicks player Enes Kanter for insulting the Turkish president.
• LaVar Ball wants to start a basketball league for high school graduates, paying top prospects up to $10,000 a year, to serve as an alternative to the NCAA.
• NASA has chosen two finalists for its next New Frontiers mission, a trip to a comet and one to Saturn's moon Titan.
• Reggie "Combat Jack" Osse is dead at 48.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

President Trump suggested the United States could cut off foreign aid to any country that votes for a United Nations resolution calling on the U.S. to withdraw its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Sanctuary countries.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Hello.

[Brandybuck]

I look up Israel in Wikipedia. Guess what the official capital of Israel is? No really, guess!

Jerusalem

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel

p.s. I note that they have added an addendum to the sidebar in last couple of weeks, asserting that it's not internationally recognized. Nice going, neutral viewpoint, nice going.

[Zeb]

It's also, as I understand it, not where most of the government actually resides (correct me if I'm not up to date).
If there is no practical virtue in putting the embassy in Jerusalem, then I don't see the need or reason to further stir up that hornet's nest, whatever you think of the situation over there.

[damikesc]

The Knesset is there, so yeah, most of the government is in Jerusalem. They assuredly were not in Tel Aviv.

[mad.casual]

If there is no practical virtue in putting the embassy in Jerusalem, then I don't see the need or reason to further stir up that hornet's nest, whatever you think of the situation over there.

This assumes that you don't have several articles of clothing effectively snagged on the tree immediately below the hornets' nest and that even if you free that hand, the hornets will quietly resume their previously passive industrious nature rather than hating you existentially for touching their tree.

If you're going to remain in contact with the tree and the hornets are going to be pissed whether you touched it once or continue to touch it, then it doesn't really matter if you touch the trunk or the branches and you should call a branch a branch and a root a root.

[mad.casual]

Free those snags rather than that hand.

[Elias Fakaname]

Most of the government is absolutely in Jerusalem.

[Brandybuck]

Even though most of the government is there, it's not government that necessarily dictates where an embassy should go. The size of the city also matters. And Jerusalem is still the biggest city there.

[JoeBlow123]

In all honesty, I like this even if I think the Jerusalem move was dumb. We give oodles to countries across the globe and do not enforce loyalty in return. Countries don't want to support us? Fine, no more freebies. Go beg from the Europeans, Russians, or Chinese.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) says he's resigning on January 2.

BUT WHAT YEAR?

[MarkLastname]

I would give him 10/10 troll points if he had said he'd resign next February 29.

[buybuydandavis]

Nice

[Anomalous]

U2 were right. Nothing changes on New Year's Day.

[Juice]

NASA has chosen two finalists for its next New Frontiers mission, a trip to a comet and one to Saturn's moon Titan.

They destroyed Cassini so that it would contaminate any of Saturn's moons, but they already sent a probe onto Titan and plan to send other probes to other moons. I guess those will be sterile or something?

[Juice]

*would not*

[BYODB]

An odd choice indeed given how much garbage we've tossed out into the solar system.

[Careless]

You joke, but yes, they sterilize them.

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

So is the favicon the 'new' reason logo? The colors are switched?

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

And now you switched it back?

YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM ME

[lap83]

it looks like an orange penis #metoo

[Fist of Etiquette]

NASA has chosen two finalists for its next New Frontiers mission, a trip to a comet and one to Saturn's moon Titan.

They're sending one finalist each to the two destinations? I hope it was New Jersey Democrat Chris Christie and anyone from Jersey Shore. Or Jersey, really.

[Libertarian]

It would be entertaining if we could vote, a la American Idol, on who the lucky passengers were to be.

[Pro Libertate]

No. Believe it or not, they aren't even considering human crew for the winning mission. Robots stealing American jobs again.

[Fist of Etiquette]

A Virginia state legislative race previously decided by one vote has now been declared a tie; there will be a coin toss.

And the one to pocket that coin first wins.

[Brandybuck]

So in a town near my hometown, there was a tie vote for mayor. This was Kingsburg California. The judge decided to flip a coin. All the press was there. The judge flips the coin. One of the candidates snatches the coin as it's still spinning on the ground and declares "Look! I won!"

Politicians are the same everywhere. Sigh.

[Pro Libertate]

You know, if the election is that close, wouldn't it be better to split the term between the two?

[Libertarian]

You mean split the politicians in two, like Solomon? I'm for it.

[Pro Libertate]

Bible question: If Solomon's tactic had failed, what would he have done to the child?

[BYODB]

Given half of the dismembered kid to each bitch that wanted a kid cut in half, I'd presume. He was pretty wise like that.

[Zeb]

Yeah, they didn't fuck around back then.

[mad.casual]

Nothing sends the message "Solve these problems among yourselves." like half a dead baby. He who governs least, governs best.

[This Machine Chips Fascists]

Bible answer: If male, make it a slave. If female, newest bride.

[paranoid android]

A Virginia state legislative race previously decided by one vote has now been declared a tie; there will be a coin toss.

Katherine Mangu-Ward hardest hit

[Zeb]

Meh. I'm still not voting.

[Fist of Etiquette]

It turns out that one vote didn't matter.

[NYC2AZ]

Future election slogan for the loser.

[Sevo]

I keep reading your handle and imagining:
"Tower, this is 2AlphaZulu five miles out on left downwind with Poppa"

[NYC2AZ]

2-Alpha-Zulu, information Quebec is current. Hold outside the Delta and let me know when you've obtained the ATIS.

[Philadelphia Collins]

Victor, what's our vector?

[Brandybuck]

Oh noes! Students might actually be in a room with a person who disagrees with their parents! News at eleven!

Obviously the Connecticut academies for affluent white progressives aren't nearly exclusive enough...

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

@AndyOstroy

What a shocker... there's ONE black person there and sure enough they have him standing right next to the mic like a manipulated prop. Way to go @SenatorTimScott.

@SenatorTimScott

Uh probably because I helped write the bill for the past year, have multiple provisions included, got multiple Senators on board over the last week and have worked on tax reform my entire time in Congress. But if you'd rather just see my skin color, pls feel free.

Rekt.

[Juice]

Ok, that's funny.

[Rhywun]

That is outstanding. That guy has probably been telling racist leftists to pound sand his whole life.

[dantheserene]

That has got to sting. Andy got himself slapped.

[Fist of Etiquette]

A judge declared a mistrial in the case of rancher Cliven Bundy, accused of leading an anti-government standoff in Nevada in 2014.

It's not good for prosecutors that these things aren't being slam dunks.

[BYODB]

If memory serves, this just means the State can try again doesn't it?

[Zeb]

I believe so. Dismissing the charges was the other option, which would have meant no more trials.

[NYC2AZ]

I read somewhere else that the judge will decide if it will be retried some time in the first week of January.

[Fist of Etiquette]

One parent, Karey Fitzgerald, told News 12 in Connecticut that she understood security concerns but would have appreciated being fully informed.

"This should have been brought to our attention, although I do understand security reasons," she said.

Fitzgerald continued: "I think we should have had the choice to send our child to school or keep them home."

Hey, idiot, either you understand the security concerns or you don't. Either way, I hope your precious angel survived the encounter.

[stuartl]

No, it is too late. Precious angel has been ruined by the exposure. Grief counseling will be offered.

[gormadoc]

My favorite thing is that these kids are high schoolers. Like, sure, be upset and vocal if Ivanka talks to your captive preschoolers, but these are high schoolers. You don't choose to send them to school; they choose to not skip. Stop treating them like toddlers.

[Elias Fakaname]

When I was in high school, having a smoking hot chick like Ivanka come t my class would definitely make for a good day.

[Conchfritters]

When I was in high school, I would have used her visit as an excuse to sneak outside for a smoke break.

[Griffin3]

Is that some sort of euphemism?

[Libertarian]

"Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) says he's resigning on January 2."

At the end of 2017, I thought it was impossible to be surprised by anything. I was wrong.

[OpenBordersLiberal-tarian]

I'm disappointed by Franken yet again. Weeks ago, I couldn't believe he succumbed to the Republican-led witch hunt, then I grew hopeful recently based on reports the Democrats realized they made a mistake pressuring him to resign. Now it turns out he really is giving up after all? Sucks.

[Libertarian]

I'm the only one here who's onto your trolling/sarcasm. You're wasting your time replying to me.

[Sevo]

I have a hard time believing that the commentariat does not recognize the commie-kid schtick. The pile of shit stinks regardless of the clothes he changes into in lame attempts at humor/satire.
You have to be pretty stupid to be a lefty, so it's no great surprise his new sock does no better than his last three or four.

[jjjjj]

Could you imagine the outrage directed at parents if Malia Obama stopped by a school and the parents were upset by it?

[OpenBordersLiberal-tarian]

False equivalence. Ivanka is the offspring of a white nationalist installed as President by Russian hacking, while Obama's daughters are lovely young women whose father is a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

[Rat on a train]

Trump just needs to drone strike more if he wants to get a NPP.

[Eidde]

Get down with NPP.

[Rhywun]

I saw this on AP last night, word for word. I guess they picked it up for easy sharing with the hive mind. Anyway if they found more than 2 parents that were "upset" I'll eat my hat. Someone just thought it would be good click-bait is all.

[The Last American Hero]

It was just some dads that were upset they missed the chance see Ivanka in person.

[Elias Fakaname]

I would feel cheated as well. Especially if she wore anything that showed cleavage.

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

Malia Obama was not, y'know, part of her dad's cabinet.

[The Last American Hero]

Are you sure? Most of his policy decisions seem like they were devised by a 12 year old.

[Ken Shultz]

"A judge declared a mistrial in the case of rancher Cliven Bundy, accused of leading an anti-government standoff in Nevada in 2014."

For those of you who haven't been paying attention to this trial, the judge sent the jury home about a week ago while they debated about whether it would be a mistrial or whether the charges would be dismissed.

At the heart of the problem, the BLM agent who was originally assigned to the case brought up a bunch of problems with exculpatory evidence that was being withheld from the U.S. attorneys who were trying the case. The BLM agent published his internal memo last week detailing the withholding of evidence, his being kicked off the case after complaining that evidence wasn't being shared with the DoJ prosecutors, much less Mr. Bundy's defense, and he further alleged that exculpatory evidence that should have been shared with the defense disappeared from safe in his locker once he threatened to share it himself.

In short, the government illegally withheld exculpatory evidence, and it's unclear whether that evidence will ever see the light of day--because it was supposedly embarrassing to senior officials at the BLM. If there's doubt as to whether the exculpatory evidence will ever be made available to the Cliven Bundy defense, in complete, not tampered with form, then it's unclear whether Cliven Bundy can ever get a fair trial.

[damikesc]

Seems to be a running issue with government lawyers. I bet Ted Stevens would find it amusing.

[This Machine Chips Fascists]

It took a whistle blower to surface this, not due diligence. Railroading citizens ought to carry a significant penalty. That fact that it doesn't speaks volumes.

[NittanyCougar]

I have been paying attention. Ken - a lot more details here: http://www.oregonlive.com/oreg.....en_bu.html

[Ken Shultz]

It would take a lot for a judge to dismiss charges on the basis of unseen evidence, but declaring this a mistrial may have accomplished the same thing. No jury can rule beyond a reasonable doubt that all the exculpatory evidence has been supplied to them. It would be on the prosecutors to bring such a case against Bundy again--and why would they want to stick their necks out for the idiots at the BLM, who embarrassed the hell out of DoJ lawyers by withholding evidence in the first place. The last thing they want to do is be accused of malicious prosecution, and if exculpatory evidence were to materialize from the BLM after the U.S. Attorneys Office got a conviction, they might be in serious trouble.

My guess is that Cliven Bunch will never be tried on these same charges again, and all the other pending charges against the Bundys and their associates are in serious jeopardy--if they depend on any evidence collected or that should have been collected by the BLM.

[Unicorn Abattoir]

A Virginia state legislative race previously decided by one vote has now been declared a tie; there will be a coin toss.

I propose a constitutional amendment stipulating that political ties are settled by knife fight.

[Brandybuck]

I propose an amendment stipulating races ending in a tie have their offices filled by a kitten. Because kittens.

[Pro Libertate]

With the "Star Trek Fighting Song."

[mad.casual]

With the "Star Trek Fighting Song."

I know what you mean but I'm fairly certain everyone will read it this way.

[Pro Libertate]

Amok Time.

[This Machine Chips Fascists]

There's fighting music and there's battle music.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I'm laughing at the superior youtube...

[Sevo]

Happy holidays, all you socialists!:

"Children Are Starving Under Socialism"
[...]
"The article goes on to describe how infants are dying of starvation, young children are leaving their homes to forage for food in dumpsters, adults are shriveling to the size of children, and so on. All of this despite Venezuela supposedly having the "largest proven oil reserves in the world." The Times says Venezuela's "economy has collapsed." It refers to the country's "economic crisis" at least seven times by my count, but the origin of that crisis remains a mystery. This is as close as the Times wants to come:
President Nicol?s Maduro has acknowledged that people are hungry in Venezuela, but he has refused to accept international aid, often saying that Venezuela's economic problems are caused by foreign adversaries like the United States, which he says is waging an economic war against his country."
http://www.powerlineblog.com/a.....ialism.php

[Conchfritters]

Let them eat empanadas.

[Eidde]

"Some parents in Connecticut say they're outraged after Ivanka Trump made an unannounced visit to their children's school."

I would assume these are the same parents who are upset when they discover their younger kids have been shown inappropriate materials in Sex Education, without parental notification?

[This Machine Chips Fascists]

Wrong, those virtue signals are for different 2 different groups.

[Eidde]

The way I'd put it is that, to the best of my knowledge, Ivanka doesn't show the kids any age-inappropriate, propagandistic material.

[Elias Fakaname]

If Ivanka wanted to show me ANYTHING age inappropriate, I would let her.

[buybuydandavis]

"Parents Claim Outrage After Unannounced Ivanka Trump School Visit"

And I should care about their feelings, feigned or actual, why?

[Tony]

Can we just assume that you fantasize about Trump teabagging your face with his nutsack and then be spared any more of your demonstrating it on this forum?

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

You're hardly one to be criticizing anyone for a sexual fetish considering how often you bring up your cousin-fucking fantasies.

[Elias Fakaname]

It probably doesn't help that his cousin is an eleven year old boy nicknamed 'cheese pizza'.

[DRM]

Given how often you assume nonsense completely unrelated to reality, Tony, the only question there is why you're referring to yourself in the plural.

[JoeBlow123]

"Sadler said in a post on her website: "There was a massive disparity in pay between my similarly situated male co-host and myself. He was making close to double my salary for the past several years."

"How can I remain silent when my rights under the law have been violated? How can we make it better for the next generation of girls if we do not stand for what is fair and just today?" she added."
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42432235

I did not know her rights were violated by getting paid less. People are funny.

Seems to me she should be mad at her agent, not E!

[Sevo]

"How can we make it better for the next generation of girls if we do not stand for what is fair and just today?"

Shaddup and siddown.

[Elias Fakaname]

Women's be thinkin' too much. That broad best be quitin' her bitchin' and gettin' back to the kitchen.

[Sevo]

Not sure regarding your comment, but that was certainly not my claim

[MarkLastname]

Consider the pay differential the fine she pays for getting to live 6 years longer, which we'll just blame on her in keeping with this logic.

[CE]

LaVar Ball wants to start a basketball league for high school graduates, paying top prospects up to $10,000 a year, to serve as an alternative to the NCAA.

Actually, he wants to pay them up to 10K per month (not per year), all paid for by the Big Baller Brand, for the top 80 high school graduates who can't play in the NBA for a year (instead of pretending to be college students for half a year).

The league sounds like a great idea, actually -- I'm surprised the real shoe companies haven't done it.

[Sevo]

"I'm surprised the real shoe companies haven't done it."

Maybe 'cause it's cheaper with under-the-table payments to the college teams?

[Scotticus Finch]

Thanks CE; came here to point out that the pay could be 12x higher than Ed reported.

It's a fine idea, but it was tried just a few years ago in Vegas already. Biggest problem is a lack of quality coaches and money. Ball says they will play in NBA arenas. Thing is, they don't rent those venues out like a birthday bounce castle.

TV coverage will be an issue too. If people don't watch (and how many people really are excited about eleventh-grade basketball players, and enough of them to watch more than one team or a few games?), there just won't be any money to pay players or coaches.

[Scotticus Finch]

Also, if a kid flames out of the JBA (or whatever) at 17 years old, he's screwed. If that same kid disappoints as a freshman at Duke, he has four years of eligibility to either get better, or -- god forbid -- get an actual college degree.