Archive for 2020
September 10, 2020
WHY CAN’T DEMOCRAT-RUN CITIES HANDLE A STRONG BLACK WOMAN AS POLICE CHIEF? Dallas Police Chief Resigns After City Council Criticized Her Handling of Protests. First Seattle, now this. What kind of signal does this send to the young black women of America?
A DEVASTATING CRITIQUE: A week of so ago, the New York Times ran a piece about a new study that purports to find that Proposition 209, passed back in 1996, rendered California’s under-represented minority students worse off. The implication, of course, was that California readers should vote in favor of Prop 16, which, if passed, will repeal Prop 209.
The study the NYT was heralding was done by a mere grad student and had not yet been peer-reviewed. Moreover, its findings contradicted peer-reviewed studies by distinguished economists. The latter studies had based on data that were available to any scholar who might be skeptical of their findings. By contrast, the grad student’s study was based in large part on data that he claimed to be prohibited from disclosing.
This is an excellent example of “political usefulness bias.” Has the NYT ever reported on the peer-reviewed studies that find that Prop 209 has actually increased the GPAs and graduation rates of under-represented minorities? Or increased the numbers of under-represented minority STEM majors? Of course not. What about the peer-reviewed studies that suggest Prop 209 is likely to have increased bar passage rates for minorities? Perish the thought that the NYT would report such things.
On Tuesday, Dr. Richard Sander presented a devastating critique of the student study. Among other things, it seems that when the student did use publicly available data, he used the wrong data.
But here’s the kicker: The University of California Office of the President admits that the data came from it and that the student was acting as its employee. Well … there’s a history to this. UCOP had previously denied scholars like Sander—who is a UCLA professor—access to the data (while allowing access to other scholars access). In yesterday’s LA Times, the story contains this quote:
“Why is [UC], which is prohibited from engaging in political activity, allowing its confidential data to be used in an amateurish, inaccurate paper that has been prominently injected into a political debate, for what certainly looks [like] an attempt to influence the fate of Prop. 16. on the November ballot?” [UCLA Law Professor Richard] Sander asked. “It’s not hard to connect the dots and see that the university is using its data as a political weapon, to be withheld from objective scholars who might report ‘”inconvenient truths.'”
Why indeed.
JUST ONCE I’D LIKE TO SEE A ‘DEMOCRATS POUNCE’ HEADLINE: Biden slams Trump over Woodward book revelations, says president ‘failed to do his job on purpose.’
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEAL-MAKING DIPLOMACY POINTS SERBIA AND KOSOVO TOWARD PEACE: My latest Creators Syndicate column.
Deal-making diplomacy in action:
No, it’s not a peace treaty between Serbia and Kosovo; it’s an agreement to reach a deal. But the positive small step that makes possible larger steps is proving to be a trademark Donald Trump diplomatic and peace-making technique. Trump emphasizes economic progress that diminishes the negative effects of divisive ethnic, religious and cultural differences, and neuters destructive historical grievances as the harmful excuses for hate they are. Trump sees economic development that everyone can see sets the stage for the resolution of seemingly permanent political disputes. Like last month’s United Arab Emirates and Israel agreement to diplomatically recognize each other and openly display their extensive commercial ties, the Serb-Kosovar agreement makes a dramatic international statement about how leaders see the future.
I think sentences two, three and four in that paragraph fairly describe Trump’s deal-making diplomacy. It’s transactional, is often incremental, but he’s shown he can promote cooperation. The mainstream media do not see it, or if they do, they ignore it.
Read the entire essay.
RELATED: Radio Free Europe on historic mediated deal.
ALSO RELATED: Powerline on the diplomatic breakthrough.
WEIRD HOW SENDING MIDDLE-CLASS WHITE KIDS IN TO BURN DOWN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS HASN’T IMPRESSED BLACK VOTERS: Trump’s black voter boom ‘could potentially cost’ Biden the election.
Related: Biden’s Soft Hispanic Support. Well, to be fair, Democrats offer even less to Hispanics than they do to blacks.
But don’t get cocky. If you’re not donating and volunteering, you’re taking things too lightly.
IT’S GOOD TO BE THE NOMENKLATURA: Maine Dem Spiked Ethics Probe Into Partymate’s Teen Sex Abuse. “Sara Gideon blocked investigation into her handling of colleague’s sexual misconduct.”
RIGHT? Save Election Night: There’s no reason America has to wait weeks for final results. Well, to be fair, it takes time to manufacture enough mail-in votes to swing an election.
KING STALLION IN THE DESERT: Marines flying a new CH-53K King Stallion run the big helicopter through a “degraded visual environment” (DVE) at the Army’s Yuma Proving Ground (Arizona). The CH-53K is one impressive aircraft. This article from 2007 discusses why the Marines decided to acquire the upgraded version of the classic CH-53E helicopter. Note the 2007 article speculated the Marines would start getting the King Stallion in “about eight years” (the 2015-2016 time frame). As I understand it the Marines got their first operational King Stallions in early 2018.
GROUND CONTROL TO MAJOR TED: Cops Send an ‘Earth to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’ Message: Your City’s on Fire and the Cops Are Leaving.
I’VE SEEN BURGER CHEFS WHO FLIP LESS: Biden: Oh, never mind about that national mask mandate too.
September 9, 2020
TRUMP’S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE IS LOOKING BETTER: Arab League rejects Palestinian Authority demand to condemn Israel-UAE deal.
SEEN ON FACEBOOK: “A woman who is 3rd in line to have access to our nuclear codes is claiming that she was duped by a hair salon. Let that sink in.”
OPEN THREAD: Talk, talk.
HOW LONG UNTIL YOUR SMARTPHONE CAN MATCH THAT? 3,200 megapixels! The camera heart of future Vera Rubin Observatory snaps record-breaking 1st photos.
DON’T GET COCKY: Is Joe Biden another Tom Dewey?
SEEN ON FACEBOOK: (Yeah, I put it there. Come at me…)
SNOWFALLS ARE NOW JUST A THING OF THE PAST: Extinction Rebellion Targets British Newspaper Distribution.
Distribution of several British newspapers was disrupted on Saturday after climate change activists blockaded printworks used by Rupert Murdoch’s News UK, publisher of The Times and The Sun, drawing condemnation from Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Extinction Rebellion said nearly 80 people had blocked roads leading to two printworks, at Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, north east of London, and at Knowsley, near Liverpool. Hertfordshire police said they made 42 arrests and Merseyside police made 30.
The Murdoch-owned Newsprinters works also print the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times. Campaigners said they had taken the action to highlight what they regard as the newspapers’ failure to accurately report on climate change.
ALWAYS THE LAST TO KNOW: “House of Cards. Can the American university be saved?”, asks far-left Nation magazine:
Across the country, universities are canceling classes and furloughing workers, leaving thousands stranded without income. Though some schools have lengthened the tenure timelines of assistant professors, the majority have refused to extend a similar courtesy to graduate students. Staff members and adjuncts have likewise been abandoned—forced to work fewer hours or unceremoniously let go. The situation is likely to get worse as students refuse to shell out tens of thousands of dollars to take subpar online courses while sitting in their living rooms. Without exaggeration, American higher education may be on the verge of a total breakdown.
It’s like there’s an Education Apocalypse or something. Somebody should write a book with that name.
HOME SCHOOLING UP 400 PERCENT IN TEXAS: More evidence that the education unions are utterly discrediting public schools with their reaction to Covid.
NEWS FROM MY NECK OF THE WOODS: UT moving students out of dorm to make more room for COVID-19 isolation cases.
PUBLIC HEALTH PRIORITIES: Sex parties allowed but dancing at weddings banned under Queensland’s COVID-19 restrictions. I really think that bringing back tar and feathers would be socially constructive.