“SMART DIPLOMACY:” Meddling White House Wants Britain To Stay In European Union. “The topic within Britain is not whether British membership in the EU is in America’s interest, but whether it is in their own. An increasing number of Britons are coming to the conclusion that it is not. Recent polls have shown that, for the first time, a majority supports leaving the EU.”

I like this British response.

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: Our universities must stop charging so much, delivering so little and sending our kids into lifelong debt.

NEW YORK SENATE PASSES GUN CONTROL LAW, REPUBLICAN SENATOR COMMENTS: “We haven’t saved any lives tonight, except one: the political life of a governor who wants to be president. We have taken an entire category of firearms that are currently legal that are in the homes of law-abiding, tax paying citizens. … We are now turning those law-abiding citizens into criminals.”

GUN-LIST PUBLISHER HUNKERS DOWN: Journal News deploys Fifth Avenue firm to reject interview requests. “Under normal crisis-management circumstances — if indeed such a thing exists — a media org’s reliance on outside help might not merit comment. In this case, however, it does, considering how many journalists have attempted and failed to score a minute or two with Journal News decision-makers.”

AARON SWARTZ UPDATE: Petition to boot U.S. Attorney Ortiz in Aaron Swartz case tops 25,000. “A citizens’ petition at Whitehouse.gov launched Saturday demanding the removal of U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz over the prosecution of Aaron Swartz is gaining steam, with more than 26,000 signatures as of this morning — exceeding the 25,000 threshold needed to generate an official response from the White House under the Obama administration’s stated terms.”

UPDATE: Prosecutor’s Husband Defends Push To Jail Internet Activist. “Tom Dolan blasts Aaron Swartz’s family for pointing a finger at his wife, U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz. Dolan, an IBM executive, offers the first defense from the prosecution side as Swartz’s defenders demand Ortiz’s firing.” Nothing says professionalism like having a prosecutor’s spouse speak out on the prosecution.

But if it’s true that Swartz was offered a 6-month deal, as the prosecutor’s husband says, it’s support for one of the reform suggestions I make in my Due Process When Everything Is A Crime article: Requiring that all plea deals offered by the prosecution be disclosed to the jury if the case goes to trial. Let the jury wonder why if they were willing to settle for 6 months, they’re now asking, say, 35 years. 34 1/2 years in jail is a high price for putting the government to the trouble of trying a case.

REMEMBER, ONLY POLICE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO HAVE GUNS: “Take, for instance, Richmond Phillips, a D.C. police officer, who allegedly shot his baby mama and then left their infant daughter to die in a hot car. Yes, you read that right. A police officer is being charged with the murders of his mistress and his daughter.”

WELCOME TO THE HUNGER GAMES: Washington’s Economic Boom: Financed By You. “There’s something unsavory about having a capital city doing outrageously well while the rest of the country is limping along — especially when its economy is premised in part on capturing wealth rather than creating it.”

Nice to see that the New York Times is noticing.

OUR NATION’S PROBLEMS, NEATLY ENCAPSULATED:

Under the law, President Obama must submit a budget by the first Monday in February, but he has met the deadline only once. The annual budget submission is supposed to start a congressional budgeting process, but that has also broken down. The Senate last passed a budget resolution in 2009.

Worst. Political. Class. Ever.

THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION’S WAR ON WOMEN:

Leon Panetta—a man—is going to leave his position as secretary of defense. Barack Obama wants him to be replaced by Chuck Hagel—a man.

Michael Morell—a man—is going to leave his position as acting director of central intelligence. Barack Obama wants him to be replaced by John Brennan—a man.

Hillary Clinton—a woman—is going to leave her position as secretary of state. Barack Obama wants her to be replaced by John Kerry—a man.

Timothy Geithner—a man—is going to leave his position as secretary of the treasury. Barack Obama wants him to be replaced by Jack Lew—a man.

Since making Jack Lew—a man—the secretary of the treasury would require him to leave his current position as chief of staff, Barack Obama will have to nominate someone else for that position. According to the New York Times, the choice is down to Ronald Klain and Denis McDonough—both men.

Hey, he gave you chicks free birth control. That’s what you wanted, right? Stuff for your vaginas. These jobs aren’t about vaginas. And it’s all about the vaginas.

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE UPDATE: French-Led Intervention in Mali Gathers British and American Support.

SHERIFFS COME OUT against gun control.

HARRY REID: DON’T EXPECT AN ASSAULT WEAPON BAN. Plus this:

“The Second Amendment is something that was adhered to by Hubert Humphrey, John Kennedy,” Reid said. “So I don’t think anyone wants to diminish the Second Amendment, but I think everyone should just take a deep breath and realize where we are and where we need to go.

“We have too much violence in our society, and it’s not just from guns. It’s from a lot of stuff. and i think we should take a look at TV, movies, video games and weapons. And I hope that everyone will just be careful and cautious.”

Oh, I think plenty of people want to diminish the Second Amendment. But that’s a good reminder that support in the Democratic Party used to be broader.

ECONOMY: Worry Over Sales Spurs Talk of Cheaper iPhones.

PROF. JACOBSON: “My wife repeatedly promises to stop cursing at the television.”

IN CANADA, FEMINISTS TRY A PRE-EMPTIVE BAN ON SEXBOTS. “Imagine the feminist outrage if men decided to follow their example and outlaw vibrators due their negative impact on the pursuit for gender equality and the way they tend to objectify men as sexual objects.”

UPDATE: Eugene Volokh wonders if this might be a hoax: “I was interested in the story, and I tried to follow the links, but eventually got to one that was broken; and a search for “Human-Robot Relationship Act” (mentioned at http://theantifeminist.com/feminists-seek-legislation-over-sex-bots/, the last working page I could find in the link chain) found no reliable sources on the subject. This makes me wonder whether there’s any there there, though I’m not positive about it.” Beats me. Though even as a hoax, it’s probably a case of hoax foreshadowing reality. . . .

JANUARY 19TH IS Gun Appreciation Day.

BLOGGER MANDY NAGY (LIBERTY CHICK) COULD USE SOME HELP. I donated.

HMM: Internet Activist’s Prosecutor Linked To Another Hacker’s Death. “Prosecutor Stephen Heymann has been blamed for contributing to Swartz’s suicide. Back in 2008, young hacker Jonathan James killed himself in the midst of a federal investigation led by the same prosecutor. . . . Swartz’s family has accused Heymann, U.S. Attorneys Scott Garland who was the lead prosecutor, and Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz of contributing to their son’s death.”

UPDATE: MIT Refused To Support Push To Keep Aaron Swartz Out Of Prison, Lawyer Says.

I ANSWER THE TOUGH QUESTIONS.

I’VE BEEN GETTING THESE EMAILS, TOO: Bob Owens: Just spoke DIRECTLY with @walmart corporate PR. Rumors of stopping ammo purchases are completely bogus. But the really bad news for Wal-Mart is that people found them believable.

MEDIA CORRUPTION: CBS forced CNET staff to recast vote after Hopper won ‘Best in Show’ at CES.

THEODORE DALRYMPLE ON Gerard Depardieu and taxes.

AT AMAZON, markdowns on heart-rate monitors, pedometers, and more.

Also, New Year’s markdowns on storage, cleaning, and organization essentials.

WHY OBAMA WOULD RATHER TALK ABOUT GUN CONTROL: My USA Today Column: The debt is up about 60% since Obama took office. This can’t go on forever.

WELL, HE CAN’T EVEN SHOW UP ON TIME TO HIS OWN PRESS CONFERENCE: White House tells Paul Ryan it won’t meet budget deadline. “The White House has informed House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) that it will miss the legal deadline for sending a budget to Congress. Acting Budget Director Jeff Zients told Ryan (R-Wis.) in a letter late Friday that the budget will not be delivered by Feb. 4, as required by law.” Laws are for the little people. Just ask David Gregory.