HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: Now it’s not just rape and skyrocketing tuition to worry about, it’s also soaring rates of mental illness among college students. “We are seeing an epidemic of mental illness on college campuses across the country. According to national data, 40% of undergraduate students have felt so depressed within the past year that it’s been difficult for them to function, 10% have seriously considered suicide, and these numbers are higher than the numbers for kids and young adults of the same age who are not attending college.”

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VIRGINIA CLOWN SHOW, NOW-THEY-TELL-US EDITION:

She said defending Fairfax is difficult because the idea of standing up for a man accused of sexual assault is not in her nature. But “even though I’m a very strong feminist,” she said, “you can take advantage of MeToo and get back at someone you dated. I believe in believing women, but you can’t believe all women because some people lie.”

I’m so old, I can remember when even suggesting that “you can’t believe all women because some people lie” marked you as a bigot and pro-rape. But I guess it’s different when the accused is a black Democrat, especially if there’s some risk that his resignation might help Republicans.

UPDATE: Compare what she said about Kavanaugh:

For the opposition party: Vicious stereotypes. For our guys: Nuance and empathy.

A STANDARD SOCIALIST MOVE: USING FOOD AS A WEAPON AGAINST YOUR OWN PEOPLE. Venezuelan President Maduro blocks humanitarian aid from US.

HEADING BACK TO THE GOOD OLE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TODAY! If you are reading this post early Saturday morning, I’m on a United Airlines flight heading north to Houston, then to Dulles International Airport outside of the nation’s capital and finally back home in Maryland.

It’s been an amazing week in Puebla, Mexico, for many reasons, but, as great as this 19th annual Friendship Baptist Church (FBC) mission has been, it will be so good to sleep in my own bed tonight.

American generosity and selfless Christian service to others is best displayed when it’s done entirely out of the heart and given with absolutely no strings attached. In case you want to know more about why the 2019 mission was such a success, find out more here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

REMEMBER “PEAK OIL?” NOW THE PROBLEM IS TOO MUCH OIL: Out of nothing, a new petro-state.

On the coast of South America, just north of Brazil, lies the obscure and impoverished former British colony of Guyana, distantly remembered for a bizarre mass suicide four decades ago that begot the term “drinking the Kool-Aid.”

But today, the discovery of a massive trove of oil off its shores, including two finds just this week, put Guyana on the cusp of becoming one of the world’s wealthiest nations, in the league of petro-states like Qatar. . . .

Exxon plans to begin producing 120,000 barrels per day next year, and to bump that up six times to 750,000 by 2025.

All that money will indeed be disruptive for Guyana, but as problems go, there are worse ones.

IT’S COME TO THIS: Amy Klobuchar’s treatment of staff was so bad that Harry Reid ‘spoke to her’ in 2015.

When you’ve lost that legendary champion of the working man Harry Reid…

CULTURE OF CORRUPTION: Pelosi Stacks Climate Committee with Dems Backed by Energy Interests.

ANNALS OF LEFTIST AUTOPHAGY. Emails: Jake Tapper Tore Into ‘Irresponsible’ BuzzFeed Editor For Publishing The Steele Dossier.

Tapper was seemingly upset with [Ben] Smith because shortly before BuzzFeed published the dossier, CNN had reported parts of the document had been briefed to then-President-elect Donald Trump in a meeting with top intelligence community officials Jan. 6, 2017.

CNN did not publish the dossier, but BuzzFeed used CNN’s story as a hook to publish Steele’s 35-page report.

“That was pretty uncollegial[.] Not to mention irresponsible[.] No one has verified this stuff,” Tapper wrote to Smith.

Smith defended his decision, telling Tapper that publishing the dossier “was not an easy call.”

“Collegiality wise it was you stepping on my dick,” Tapper responded.

This is CNN.

TOM MAGUIRE: Green with . . . laughter.

But this proposal, and especially the accompanying (and withdrawn) fact sheet isn’t merely ludicrously ambitious and devoid of common sense (Eliminate air travel?!? Retrofit “every” building in America?!?). It also reveals a stunning absence of basic knowledge of history and public finance.

One wonders whether Ms. AOC actually has the time and temperament to collaborate with experts and study an issue (yet another reason she is the Trump of the left!). Or did Democratic leadership cut her loose and send the real Washington hands off on other projects? Let her primary herself!

On to specifics. This passage on how the extreme environmental makeover might be financed may have sounded great in a college dorm. A freshman dorm. But this is a frightening level of ignorance about the structure, legal authorities, independence and role of the Federal Reserve when it comes from a Congressperson as part of a legislative package.

She wasn’t elected for her knowledge or her competence.

NEO: The Green New Deal and the left’s grand plan.

WHILE DEM INCUMBENTS SHIFT LEFT TO GUARD AGAINST PRIMARY CHALLENGES, THE GOP NEEDS TO COME UP WITH SOME ACCEPTABLE CENTRISTS CHALLENGERS: Ed Markey pairs with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Green New Deal.

UPDATE: I find some of the responses here disturbing. Look, sure, you want to elect people who agree with you 100%. But it’s hard to get a majority that way. The Dems took the House by running centrist (or centrist-appearing) candidates who could win in close districts. You’re not going to win a seat Ed Markey holds with a Ted Cruz, or Tim Scott. But somebody who caucuses with you and votes with you most of the time is better than someone who caucuses with the other side and votes with them all of the time. And just by running someone you make the Dems defend what would otherwise be safe seats, leaving them fewer resources to go after others. This is Politics 101 and it works.

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE IN THE SENATE: ‘Klobuchar’s Wrath’: Minnesota Senator Once Hit Aide After Throwing Binder.

FOR ONE THING, IT’S UNFAIR TO THE OTHER BLOODTHIRSTY TYRANTS: Jim Treacher: Could We Please Stop Comparing Everything to Hitler?

WELL, YES, DISCRIMINATORS USUALLY WANT DISCRIMINATION LAWSUITS DROPPED: Harvard Wants Lawsuits By Sororities, Fraternities Dismissed.

NOW OUT: The latest in one of my favorite science fiction series, Man-Kzin Wars XV.

CLOWN SHOW UPDATE: Virginia delegate plans to introduce articles of impeachment unless Fairfax resigns.

UPDATE: Virginia Legislative Black Caucus Calls On Fairfax To Step Down.

NEWS YOU CAN USE: Aux 88 Member Keith Tucker’s Guide To Detroit Electro.

HARSH, BUT FAIR: Jeff Bezos Protests the Invasion of His Privacy, as Amazon Builds a Sprawling Surveillance State for Everyone Else.

OPEN THREAD: Celebrate the end of the week.

STAY TUNED: Covington Catholic Teen’s Lawyer: Hundreds in Media Will ‘Pay a High Price’ for Defamation.

SEEN ON FACEBOOK: KAVANAUGH SMILES.

LINDSEY GRAHAM 2.0 STILL KICKING ASS: Liberal activist groups howl over “Monster Markup” of Trump judicial nominees.

Related: “‘Let’s vote on the Green New Deal!’ Graham, a Republican, tweeted Friday. ‘Americans deserve to see what kind of solutions far-left Democrats are offering to deal with climate change.’”