THE SCIENCE IS SETTLED: FBI Report Highlights Effectiveness of Concealed Carry.

The FBI’s recently released “Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2016 and 2017” report [PDF] indicates 16 percent of crimes that qualify for inclusion in the paper were stopped by a law-abiding citizen with a gun. The figure represents more than a five-fold increase from the agency’s 2000-2013 study [PDF], when the figure was 3.1 percent.

The 2014 and 2015 report, the first biennial study on the topic released by the agency, adds statistical weight to the long-term trend. During those years, 5 percent of the attacks were stopped by armed citizens.

More armed citizens means more crimes stopped by armed citizens.

THE BROWARD SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING KINDA LIKE A SHITHOLE: REPORT: Deputy Peterson Accused Of ‘Covering Up’ Alleged Sexual Assault By Broward Sheriff’s Son. “A local Miami news station released an explosive report on Thursday night about a ‘disturbing assault’ that happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School four years to the day before the tragic shooting in February. The alleged incident involved one of the sons of Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel and was allegedly ‘covered up’ by Officer Scot Peterson, the resource officer who infamously failed to confront the Parkland shooter.”

STEPHEN KRUISER AND TWEET OF THE DAY: “Actors were more enjoyable when they had publicists who didn’t let them speak to the public & reveal how stupid they were.”

The old studio system did have its charms.

KIMBERLEY STRASSEL: The Real Constitutional Crisis.

We are told that Mr. Trump cannot be allowed to have any say over the Justice Department’s actions, since this might make him privy to sensitive details about an investigation into himself. We are also told that Congress—a separate branch of government, a primary duty of which is oversight—cannot be allowed to access Justice Department material. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes can’t be trusted to view classified information—something every intelligence chairman has done—since he might blow a source or method, or tip off the president.

That’s a political judgment, but it holds no authority. The Constitution set up Congress to act as a check on the executive branch—and it’s got more than enough cause to do some checking here. Yet the Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation have spent a year disrespecting Congress—flouting subpoenas, ignoring requests, hiding witnesses, blacking out information, and leaking accusations.

And the executive power is vested in the President, and no one else. Everyone else in the executive branch just works for the President.

GOOD GUY WITH A GUN: OK City police: ‘Bystander with a pistol’ took out shooter who opened fire in restaurant.

UPDATE: Amazing to see this headline at CNN of all places:

PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH: Pentagon Is Speeding Up Arms Exports to Saudi Arabia, Other Allies.

I REMEMBER WHEN PEOPLE SAID IT WAS A MODEL FOR HUMANE, FEMALE-LED STARTUPS: A NEW LOOK INSIDE THERANOS’ DYSFUNCTIONAL CORPORATE CULTURE.

WELL, YES: Venezuela is now a dictatorship.

Maduro is not alone in the world. In recent years, Venezuela has rebuilt its strategic global alliances, giving clear preference – in the form of oil diplomacy and insider access to Latin American politics – to countries that share Maduro’s world view and governing style.

The regime’s relationships with the authoritarian governments of Russia, China, Turkey, Bolivia and Cuba – all of which congratulated Maduro on his win – are strong.

These countries’ leaders practice a new kind of authoritarianism. In the 21st century, dictatorships do not necessarily take on the classic form – that of Mao, Lenin or the Latin American military juntas of the 1970s and 1980s.

Instead, Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the like often maintain a democratic facade. They hold elections – but they do so under corrupt conditions, ensuring that they and their parties stay in power.

They decry capitalism and imperialism, claiming to rule in the name of the people. Meanwhile, they amass great personal wealth and power.

Venezuela’s Maduro, who enriched his inner circle while the country starved, is now indisputably part of this crowd.

Looting the country is the entire point of stealing elections.

SHOW YOUR WORK: James Clapper Says Russia DECIDED the 2016 Election: Swung at Least ‘80,000 Votes in Three States.’

I DO NOT TRUST THE “INTERNET OF THINGS” (CONT’D): Woman says her Amazon device recorded private conversation, sent it out to random contact.

BUT I THOUGHT THE SCIENCE WAS SETTLED:  3.5 Billion-Year-Old Fossils Challenge Ideas About Earth’s Start.

IT’S FRAUD ALL THE WAY DOWN:  Leftist Fraud All the Way Down.

ON THE ROAD TO TOTALITARIANISM:  Duke strikes another blow against freedom of thought,

BLACK LIVES MATTER USED THEM TOO. FOR THE LEFT IT’S ALWAYS RECREATE SIXTY EIGHT:  Hey, David Hogg, the 60’s Called. They Want Their Die-In Protests Back.

TRUMP PLAYS WHOA FAT! LIKE A VIOLIN:  BREAKING: North Korea signals willingness to reopen summit.

BREAKING: Explosion at Indian Restaurant Outside Toronto Appears to Be a Bombing.

MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN MOST:  Fireflies light up national parks with synchronized mating ritual.

BUT, BUT, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS TOBACCO THAT HURT YOU, AND POT WAS PRACTICALLY HEALTH SMOKES/SARCASM:  All the ways marijuana can hurt your health.

LESS THE WATER WEIGHT AND SOME OF US WEIGH HEAVIER THAN WE ARE!  This is how much all life on Earth weighs.

WELL, NEXT TIME i GO OVER, I’LL HAVE TO TRY THIS:   Unearthing Portugal’s Wine of the Dead, a Relic From the Napoleonic Wars.

NEWS YOU CAN USE:  How to Reduce Healthcare Costs by 92 Percent.

AT AMAZON, Deals on Top-Rated Products.

FAKE BLACK WOMAN, FAKE WELFARE RECIPIENT: Former Spokane NAACP president Rachel Dolezal facing felony theft charges for welfare fraud.

ONCE YOU MAKE EVERYTHING THE DOMAIN OF POLITICS, EVERYTHING YOU DO PISSES SOMEONE OFF: Netflix Users Threaten Boycott Over Obama Content Deal.