WELL THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY, YOU KNOW: The Marine Corps Is Testing a Fully Autonomous Huey Helicopter.

The tests, which took place in late November, involved a hardware and software kit known as Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System (AACUS) which includes both hardware and software and can be installed on any rotary wing aircraft. The Marines currently fly three different helicopters: the CH-53E Super Stallion heavy transport helicopter, the AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopter, and the UH-1Y utility/light attack helicopter.

The hardware side of the AACUS kit involves a LiDAR sensor for ranging and ground mapping, and cameras for obstacle avoidance and route planning. According to USNI News, the hardware used were commercial, off-the-rack components easily sourced in the civilian market. The software, including flight algorithms, was developed by Aurora.

The autonomous tests consisted of three simulated missions, in which the unmanned UH-1H “Huey,” given guidance by Marine infantrymen with just “mere hours” of instruction by Aurora engineers, flew supplies to a remote outpost. The Marines interacted with the Huey via a tablet and laptop computer.

Not bad for a platform which first flew in 1956.

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE, LAWS-ARE-FOR-THE-LITTLE-PEOPLE EDITION: College ignores judge’s rejection of its Title IX procedures, re-tries student with same approach.

California’s Pomona College got slapped down in court in October for denying a “fair hearing” to a student accused of sexual misconduct.

Its response? Replace the Title IX investigator, but use the same “evidence” and procedures faulted by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mary Strobel to re-try “John Doe.”

The member institution of the private Claremont Consortium is pursuing the same strategy as Pennsylvania State University and the University of Texas when courts found serious problems with their Title IX adjudications, according to Brooklyn College Prof. KC Johnson, co-author of The Campus Rape Frenzy. . . .

Pomona ignored repeated credibility problems with Doe’s accuser, its hired investigator relied heavily on school-requested Title IX investigations for business (suggesting conflict of interest), and it let the accuser skip the campus hearing – meaning she was never asked any questions by anyone in cross-examination.

Despite Judge Strobel telling the school that this failure to even indirectly cross-examine the accuser was unlawful, and that it violated its own rules by inventing an unwritten procedure to accommodate the accuser, Pomona is going forward with a new hearing against Doe.

Title IX Coordinator Sue McCarthy told Doe last month that the “same Investigation Report, Investigation Notes, and Statement of Alleged Policy Violation” issued before the May 2016 hearing would be used in the rehearing.

If I were Judge Strobel, I would not be amused.

Cost of sending your son to Pomona College to be abused: $69,725.

MATTHEW WALTHER: Net neutrality is dead. Good riddance.

Even if there were no other compelling arguments in favor of killing net neutrality (though there are), the end of net neutrality would be welcome because it will frustrate the hopes of the largest group temper tantrum thrown by non-toddlers in recent American history.

Has this country ever seen a more simperingly childish mob than the one responsible for the outcry over this boring prudential question concerning the allocation of hertz? Has so much canned emotion ever been spilled over so bland and technocratic and uniquely prudential an issue? Having strong feelings about net neutrality — which essentially mandates that your internet service provider treats all internet traffic and data equally — is like getting upset over a public-access TV debate on the generic ballot or the proceedings of the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs.

If nothing else, ludicrous statements like the one from the heads of the New York, Brooklyn, and Queens Public Library systems calling the proposed change “appalling” and the gravest threat to education this country faces do the helpful work of reminding us that, like public schools, libraries in this country are now little more than transmission centers for digital entertainment.

Meanwhile, Ajit Pai, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has received death threats against his children.

The choreographed temper tantrum has been… sadly typical.

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: Conservative group has funding suspended after hosting Dennis Prager.

AT AMAZON, Hot New Releases, Updated Hourly.

Plus, new Kindle Daily Deals.

And, today’s Digital Deals.

LIZ SHELD’S MORNING BRIEF: Possible Deep State Coup, Nat. Sec. Strategy Preview and Much, Much More.

JONATHAN ADLER: Good and Bad Critiques of the Mueller Investigation.

ROGER SIMON: The FBI’s Ship Of Fools.

Of the many astonishing revelations now emerging from the Russia investigation, not enough has been made of the fact that — that Zelig of the FBI who mysteriously appeared at every controversial moment — was second in command for counterintelligence.

That’s right, counterintelligence — that activity “designed to prevent or thwart spying, intelligence gathering, and sabotage by an enemy or other foreign entity.”

And yet that same Mr. Strzok was conducting a clandestine extra-marital affair with an FBI colleague over thousands of text messages that could be and likely were (more of that in a moment) intercepted by those same foreign intelligence agencies — or were, at the very least, recklessly exposed to them.

Now you don’t have to be James Jesus Angleton or even have read a novel by John le Carré to know one of the most important vulnerabilities in the intel world is just such dangerous liaisons, frequently used for blackmail of all sorts.

Yet, our second in command in counterintelligence conducted his in full digital view of anyone and did so replete with idiotically extreme comments about the president of the United States that would make our Peter a prime candidate for blackmail.

Given that an FBI counterterrorism supervisor recently had his gun and wallet stolen by a stripper, this is less of a surprise than it might have been.

THE DEEP STATE STRIKES BACK: State Department Employing ‘Pretzel Logic’ in Defiance of Trump’s Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital.

President Donald Trump formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital last week, but the State Department will not recognize that fact on official documents, maps, and passports, saying boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem are subject to final status negotiations.

“We’re working with something here I like to refer to as pretzel logic, and it’s something we see from this State Department quite often, especially when it comes to issues like Israel,” Kredo said.

Kredo said hostility toward Israel is deeply embedded at the State Department. His sources told him that career diplomats at the agency strongly opposed Trump’s decision to make the recognition announcement last week.

“The White House really dragged the State Department along on this,” Kredo said, adding that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was forced to call Arab leaders about the announcement.

“Twisting and turning to not actually fully implement the president’s will,” Kredo said of the State Department.

SecState Tillerson has a personnel problem in his Department, which could be ameliorated with a few high-profile firings — so why won’t he?

BREVITY IS THE SOUL OF WIT: Reporter uses 1,992 words to explain why young people aren’t buying Obamacare. I only need 12 words.

Obamacare has made healthcare too expensive and too inflexible for young people.

That’s really all you need to know, but if you want to know how that’s the case, here are 395 more words:

The key problem takes root in Obamacare’s creation of an artificial price-premium on younger, healthier Americans. Obamacare imposed a 3:1 price ratio, which meant older Americans could only be charged three times the insurance premium of younger Americans. The problem with this regulation is that it has forced younger Americans to pay absurd premiums to unjustly subsidize their elders. And be under no illusions, this state of affairs is morally unjust.

It’s not just that older Americans have higher earnings and the potential to have saved more for their health needs, it’s that older Americans are about to get a great health deal anyway. Consider, for example, that the average Medicare recipient now receives three times more in lifetime out-payments from the government than what they paid into the program. Why shouldn’t near-Medicare age Americans be forced to pay a more proportionate cost for their healthcare?

While Republican healthcare reform efforts would have raised the age-cost ratio to 5:1, they were blocked by the moral fictions of former President Barack Obama and much of the media.

Making matters worse, younger Americans are never going to get those same Medicare benefits our parents are receiving. Oh no, we’ll be paying off the extraordinary national debt.

Young people should be the most government-debt-averse and old people the least, but it’s backwards.

PROBABLY OVERDUE: Oh my: FBI deputy chief Andrew McCabe headed for the exit?

McCabe has spent the past year popping up in the news for all the wrong reasons. In February 2016 he was promoted to deputy director and assumed oversight of the Hillary Emailgate investigation — after his wife had received nearly $700,000 from Democratic groups for a failed run for Virginia state senate. This past February he got caught talking to then-chief of staff Reince Priebus about an allegedly bogus Russiagate story in the NYT, a no-no since DOJ investigations are supposed to be independent of politics. His latest news cameo was (apparently) in the infamous text in August 2016 from FBI agent Peter Strzok to Lisa Page: “I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in Andy’s office – that there’s no way he [i.e. Trump] gets elected – but I’m afraid we can’t take that risk. It’s like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you’re 40.” Who’s “Andy”? Almost certainly it’s Andrew McCabe.

What was the “insurance policy” against Trump’s presidency that was discussed in McCabe’s office? McCabe is scheduled to testify about it before the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday.

Comey’s plan to trigger a special counsel? Plus: “By the way, a new poll from Harvard shows a majority of the public now believes Mueller has a conflict of interest in the investigation by dint of his friendship with Comey. That’s fertile political soil for Trump.”

CALIFORNIA CONTINUES ITS MOVE TOWARD BLADE-RUNNER-LIKE DYSTOPIA: Robots are being used to deter homeless people from setting up camp in San Francisco. Programming them to shout “Exterminate! Exterminate!” was maybe a bit over the top. . . .

LATE-STAGE SOCIALISM: Flood of Venezuelans are fleeing depressed country.

“Leaving was tough, but staying would have been tougher,” said Andrea Sequiera, 29, as she waits at the back of the line with her husband Luis, 31, and 8-year-old son Fabian. ”We know lots of people who would like to get out of Venezuela but can’t afford the ticket.”

Although Venezuelans for years have been fleeing the “socialist revolution” first launched by the late Hugo Chávez in 1999, in recent months the trickle has turned into a flood as living conditions become ever more dire — from hyperinflation to acute shortages of food and medicine to one of the worst homicide rates in the world.

In response to protests over the once-wealthy country’s seeming demise, President Nicolás Maduro’s increasingly authoritarian regime has cracked down on opponents, making prospects for improved times less and less likely.

Unexpectedly.

THAT SEEMS WISE: Pence Delays Trip to Preside Over Senate Tax Vote. “Vice President Mike Pence will remain in Washington next week to preside over the Senate’s vote on the Republican tax overhaul bill, his chief spokeswoman said, a signal GOP leaders expect to thread the needle. . . . The questionable attendance of Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Thad Cochran of Mississippi, who both face health complications, raises doubts about whether the GOP will have the requisite votes.”

REPORT: State Department Allowed Hillary Clinton to Keep Call Log, Schedules Secret.

PROCUREMENT: Russia’s New Su-57 Stealth Fighter Has A Big Problem That Won’t Be Fixed Until 2025.

THE HILL: Conservative group sues FBI for records on agent dismissed from Mueller probe. “A conservative watchdog group said Thursday that it has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request into the FBI’s removal and reassignment of a top counterintelligence official from special counsel Robert Mueller’s team probing Russian meddling in the U.S. election. Judicial Watch announced it had filed the request for all employment forms and records of FBI agent Peter Strzok’s involvement in the Russia case after it said the FBI failed to respond to its prior FOIA request in August.”

Why “conservative” rather than “nonpartisan watchdog group?”

CHANGE: Amazon will resume selling Apple TV, Google’s Chromecast.

I ALWAYS THOUGHT SURGEONS COULD BE EGOTISTICAL, BUT… Surgeon pleads guilty to burning initials into patients’ organs.

MIDDLE EAST: U.S. Displays Weaponry It Says Proves Iran’s Influence.

The exhibit included debris from what the U.S. said were the missiles used in attacks against Saudi Arabia, as well as a small explosive drone, another small missile and components used to make a self-propelled power boat filled with explosives that could target ships. A Saudi ship was attacked with such a weapon earlier this year.

U.S. officials pointed to components of the displayed weapons as proof that each was made by one of eight Iranian state-owned industries. Each of those firms, according to the Pentagon, are linked to Iran’s Ministry of Defense and its Armed Forces Logistics Agency, an arm of the ministry.

Ms. Haley noted the nine valves on the side of one of the missile components. U.S. officials maintain that only Iran produces missiles with nine valves.

All of the evidence the Pentagon disclosed was provided or loaned to the U.S. either by Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates, according to U.S. officials. The embassies of those countries in the U.S. didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Houthi insurgents fired missiles into Saudi Arabia on July 22 and on Nov. 4, in the midst of the war in Yemen, prompting Saudi Arabia and the U.S. to accuse Iran of arming the rebel group and calling for international sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

The U.N. report, which was expected to be released Thursday, said international investigators had found the remnants of both missiles to have the same diameter as widely used Scud missiles.

Tehran got away with murder in Iraq under George W. Bush, and were let completely off the leash under Barack Obama.

Maybe times are changing.

I WONDER WHY: The Hill: Poll: 54 percent say Mueller has conflict of interest. “‘The special counsel has serious perception issues as a clear majority now see him as having a conflict of interest,’ said Mark Penn, co-director of the Harvard CAPS-Harris survey.”

I DON’T SEE WHY, THEY SEEM PRETTY DAMN GOOD AT IT ALREADY: Senators push for funding bill to include money for sexual harassment training.

IN THE EMAIL FROM TOM KNIGHTON:  Hostile Territory.

Tommy Reilly and the misfit crew of the cargo ship Sabercat just managed to make it off of the planet Ararat with their load, but that was the easy part.  Now they have to land on a planet completely controlled by a church many consider more of a cult than a religion, all so they can get their hands on some information, information that could free all the colonies from the control of the Earth Defense Command.

Unfortunately, a master criminal got his hands on it first, which means the crew of Sabercat have to get it back, then escape from a planetary government known to shoot first and ask questions later.

Yep. It seems Tommy has landed his ship and his new family deep inside hostile territory.

AND YES, MY FRIEND IS STILL READING “WHAT HAPPENED”:  Look, it’s hard to stage an intervention.  She lives in Texas.  Also this post is exceptionally good.  Possibly because she was really mad at Hillary.  Making History – Amanda S. Green.