MY USA TODAY COLUMN: It’s time to stop funding local governments with unfair court fines.

MEANWHILE, OVER AT VODKAPUNDIT: Hong Kong Caves to Protestors’ Original Demand: So Now What?

NUTRITION: Teenage boy goes blind after existing on Pringles, white bread and French fries.

The unidentified patient told doctors he had only eaten fries from the fish and chip shop, Pringles potato chips, white bread, slices of processed ham and sausage since elementary school, and he avoided foods with certain textures. He first visited a doctor at age 14, complaining of tiredness, according to a case report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine on Monday.

He wasn’t taking any medication, had a normal BMI and height, and showed no visible signs of malnutrition.

Doctors discovered low vitamin B12 levels and anemia, treating the patient with vitamin B12 injections and offering dietary advice.

One year later there were signs of hearing loss and vision symptoms, but doctors did not find the cause.

His vision had worsened to the point of blindness by 17 years of age, and doctors identified vitamin B12 deficiency, low copper and selenium levels, a high zinc level, reduced vitamin D level and bone level density, according to a statement from the University of Bristol.

By this stage, vision damage was permanent.

Where were the parents in all this?

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: Elizabeth Warren’s pushing for free college. Meanwhile her Harvard professor husband earns $400,000 a year.

THAT WOULD BE NICE: Why California May Go Nuclear.

Last week, a California state legislator introduced an amendment to the state’s constitution that would classify nuclear energy as “renewable.”

If the amendment passes, it would likely result in the continued operation of the state’s last nuclear plant, Diablo Canyon, well past 2025, its current closure date.

Diablo generates 9% of California’s electricity and 20% of its clean, carbon-free electricity.

It is also the most spectacular nuclear plant in the world, made famous by an employee’s photo of a humpback whale breaching in front of the plant.

“I’m not going to argue it’s not a long shot,” said the legislation’s sponsor, Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham.

“But we can’t make a serious dent in slowing the warming trend in the world without investment in nuclear power.”

Whatever justification he needs, doesn’t change the fact the nuclear is good.

BILL GERTZ: Influence Power: How China Covertly Operates in the U.S.

PRIORITIES: University of South Carolina declines Constitution course, keeps ‘Tailgating 101.’

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MY USA TODAY COLUMN: It’s time to stop funding local governments with unfair court fines.

HONG KONG MOVES FROM PROTESTS TO CIVIL UNREST AS CHINA THREATENS INTERVENTION: My latest Creators Syndicate column.

…Michael Yon reports that one can feel the collective political and emotional change on Hong Kong’s streets — change that may have dire consequences.

Has the protestors’ cause gone beyond autonomy?

Sometime during the past three weeks, (Yon) mused, the situation went beyond civil unrest. “It is clear that a growing number want to overthrow the HK government,” he said. Though he had yet to hear anyone say it, he bet that “within just a week or so they will be saying it.” He speculated an insurgency could erupt because “clearly many protestors would rather see the city burn than just surrender.”

As Stephen Green noted in an earlier post, the Hong Kong government has withdrawn the “Extradition Bill” (nickname for the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019). The BBC calls the bill “controversial.” Despicable is more apt.

Is Beijing having second thoughts?

The column’s conclusion:

Beijing must de-escalate the Hong Kong crisis. If the regime resorts to force and kills hundreds, if not thousands, of Hong Kong citizens, President Donald Trump will use that heinous act to unite the world against communist China.

Stay tuned. And read the whole thing.

KRUISER’S MORNING BRIEF: Midweek Mainstream Media Malpractice Edition. “While I had to go out of my way to find any updates about the tragedy in California, I was repeatedly reminded that ONE small Catholic removed Harry Potter books from its library. This hot piece of journalism broke on Saturday and was still in heavy social media rotation on ABC News’s and several other major MSM accounts early Wednesday morning. Four days of coverage. So far.”

SETH BARRETT TILLMAN: Boris Johnson Still Has An Ace Or Two To Play.

UPDATE: Revealed: Lords Plan to Block Remainer Legislation.

JAVELIN FIRE: Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division fire the Javelin anti-tank missile during a live fire exercise in Jordan on August 27, 2019. The Pentagon caption says the soldiers are operating in “realistic terrain.” Yeah, it’s realistic. Totally real, in fact.

YOUR LOCALLY-OWNED GUN STORE ALREADY HAD A BETTER SELECTION AND PROBABLY NO SUCH RESTRICTION: Walmart to no longer sell certain ammunition, ask customers to stop open carry in stores.

ANALYSIS: TRUE. Putin Plays Erdogan Like a Fiddle.

Erdogan’s Moscow visit follows the delivery of Russian S-400 air defense batteries to Turkey. Ankara was repeatedly warned that these batteries would provide the Russians an opportunity to decipher the F-35’s stealth technology, thus jeopardizing the security of the whole F-35 fighter aircraft program. Paradoxically, Turkey was not just a future recipient of 100-plus F-35s, but also a co-producer of the aircraft. Washington, in what was an important gesture, had offered the Turks a role in the manufacturing of many of the F-35’s components, including parts of the fuselage. Ankara would have reaped billions of dollars in export sales and acquired valuable technological know-how in the armaments industry, a long-sought goal.

Not surprisingly, Turkey’s insistence on acquiring the S-400s triggered a crisis in U.S.-Turkish relations. The United States had few options but to expel Turkey from the F-35 program. The cost to Turkey has been enormous: It will not be able to modernize its aging fighter fleet, but perhaps more importantly, it lost out on technology transfer and the opportunity to earn billions of dollars in export opportunities. Instead it is Putin who is pocketing billions of dollars while successfully lobbing a hand grenade into the relationship between two critical and long-standing NATO allies.

Turkey under Erdogan was probably always a lost cause for the West, but blowing the F-35 deal was more stupidly damaging to Turkey’s national interests than is typical even for Erdogan.

LIES, SMEARS, AND THE NEW MEDIA NORMAL: A Shameless Lying MSNBC Hack is the Face of the Media.

SOD OFF, SWAMPY: Vegan woman demands neighbour stop using meat on barbecue due to smell.

The massage therapist has been embroiled in a battle with Toan Vu, his wife and children since late 2018.

After her claims were rejected by a tribunal earlier this year on lack of evidence, she applied to the Supreme Court of Western Australia for right of appeal. It was also turned down in July.

Lawyer John Hammond said going to the Supreme Court was an “extreme option” — but it hadn’t stopped Ms Carden from further appealing the case.

She told Nine News she believed her neighbours were “absolutely deliberate” in allowing their smells to cross into her yard.

And it’s not just the smell of meat and fish that has made her furious — it’s the smell of cigarettes and the sound of children playing with basketballs.

“It’s been devastating, it’s been turmoil, it’s been unrest, I haven’t been able to sleep,” Ms Carden said.

What manner of Hell is it that has other people in it?

BOOM: Google target of new U.S. antitrust probe by state attorneys general.

BREAKING: Hong Kong leader formally withdraws controversial extradition bill.

Related: Austin Bay’s piece from last night, featuring Michael Yon’s view from the ground in Hong Kong.

I’ll have more on this later.

DAVID BROOKS: Say, that Liz Warren seems to be a bit of a flip-flopper, doesn’t she?

THIS NEW BOOK ISN’T GOING AS THE DEMOCRATS HAD HOPED: Mattis: You won’t believe how Obama and Biden bungled Iraq and allowed the rise of ISIS.

Well, you’d believe it if you were a long-time InstaPundit reader, because you’d already know.

WHEN YOU’VE LOST ‘THE VIEW’… ‘The View’ Panel Condemns Debra Messing’s Call to Publicly Shame Trump Donors.

SOMEHOW OR OTHER I ENDED UP WRITING FOR A LOT OF INDIE ANTHOLOGIES THIS LAST MONTH. MOSTLY BECAUSE THEY WERE CUTE THEMES. TAKE THIS ONE FOR INSTANCE, NOW ON PRE-ORDER:  Storming Area 51: A Bayonet Books Anthology Vol 2.

It started as a joke. Storm Area 51 they said.

“They can’t stop us all” was the battle-cry.

But all laughter stopped when the U.S. Air Force mobilized the reserves and pulled out the big guns.

It was too late, relentless mockery and derision by the media and the powers that be had pushed the weebs and alien enthusiasts too far. What else were they supposed to do?

They put on their big girl panties and showed up, determined to find out exactly what was hidden behind the walls of the clandestine government facility.

Buy this book and share in the terrible secrets concealed deep behind the barbed wire, fences and armed guards.