HE’S RIGHT TO WORRY: Justice Alito worries about improperly removing jurors with ‘traditional religious beliefs.’

WHAT HE’S DONE IS PHENOMENAL, AND BASICALLY WITHOUT PARALLEL IN HUMAN HISTORY:

Why Elon Musk is the most indispensible man in America today. pic.twitter.com/t9H4QNFpLL

— wretchardthecat (@wretchardthecat) February 21, 2024

EVERYTHING IS GOING SWIMMINGLY: It’s Been 30 Years Since Food Ate Up This Much of Your Income. “The last time Americans spent this much of their money on food, George H.W. Bush was in office, ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ was in theaters and C+C Music Factory was rocking the Billboard charts. Eating continues to cost more, even as overall inflation has eased from the blistering pace consumers endured throughout much of 2022 and 2023. Prices at restaurants and other eateries were up 5.1% last month compared with January 2023, while grocery costs increased 1.2% during the same period, Labor Department data show.”

George H.W. was a one-termer.

WHY IS HARVARD SUCH A CESSPIT OF ANTISEMITISM? Chair of Harvard University History Department Belongs to Group Behind Grotesque Anti-Semitic Cartoon: Sidney Chalhoub pledged to support ‘Palestinian liberation’ as part of Harvard Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine.

RESPONING TO THE THREAT: Heavily armed ‘optionally crewed’ ships to enter service under massive reshaping of Australia’s naval fleet. “Under the sweeping overhaul, Australia’s current fleet of combat-ready warships would rise from 11 to 26, consisting of nine ‘Tier 1’ frigates and destroyers and 11 smaller general-purpose frigates, as well as six optionally crewed vessels which will form a ‘Tier 2’ force.”

#JOURNALISM:

If you're a mass shooter at a Kansas City Chiefs parade, the media protects your identity because you're "under 18."

If you're a fan in face paint at a Kansas City Chiefs game, the media tries to ruin your life, calling you a racist at 9 years old. pic.twitter.com/zk7r0GDgsi

— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) February 20, 2024

In case they wondered why people are cheering the layoffs.

OPEN THREAD: Because I love you and want you to be happy.

THE NEW SPACE (ARMS) RACE: Claims of Russian Space Nuke Hint at Signs of a New Arms Race.

FASTER, PLEASE: Breakthrough: New Drug Might Halt Rheumatoid Arthritis in Those Most at Risk.

NOT SEXY ENOUGH TO GET THE ATTENTION IT DESERVES: CDR Salamander: Sealift: a Tragedy of Numbers. “Have you ever seen the horror movie where victims knew they were doomed left a written record – or just their name – so there would be some proof they ever existed? Maybe they left evidence for others in the future to find out what happened, who the perpetrator was … what caused the unfolding tragedy? After reading the letter of February 6th from Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, to Ann C. Phillips, Administrator, Maritime Administration, that is exactly what came to mind.”

BASED: Finland to open 300 shooting ranges to boost interest in national defence.

BUYBACKS: Detroit automakers splurge on shareholders with big stock buybacks.

BEHIND THE CURVE: This State Might Ban Gasoline Cars. Here’s Who’s Fighting Back.

Banning internal combustion engines is so 2022.

SCENES FROM THE GLOBAL BABY BUST: A novel elderly care robot could soon provide personal assistance, enhancing seniors’ quality of life.

RIDICULOUS, GENDER IS SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED: Neural network model identifies distinct brain organization patterns in women and men.

BRING ON THE DEEPFAKES: OpenAI unveils new text-to-video generator Sora.

HMM: Study finds link between too much niacin intake and heart disease.

ELON NEEDS ALLIES: Musk’s SpaceX Forges Tighter Links With U.S. Spy and Military Agencies: Company has grown from a for-hire rocket launcher into a major national-security contractor. His overriding goal is to establish a spacefaring civilization. To ward off his enemies, he’s allied himself with the most powerful part of the Deep State. I hope it works. The risk is that SpaceX will be turned into just another bloated defense contractor. I think that risk is low as long as Musk is at the helm.

FIGHT RACIAL BIGOTRY AND DISCRIMINATION: White University Administrator’s Race Discrimination Case Can Go Forward.

PROGRESS: GOP-backed bill to hold colleges partly responsible for student loan debt advances.

WHY IS HIGHER EDUCATION SUCH A CESSPIT OF ANTI-SEMITISM? University of Missouri student pleads guilty after destroying Jewish group’s Shabbat display.

I TALK ABOUT REGULATING NONPROFITS: A conversation with University of Tennessee law professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds (Part 1 of 2).

Plus: A conversation with University of Tennessee law professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds (Part 2 of 2).

HIDE THE DECLINE: Nate Silver Drops Truth Bomb on White House for Trying to Hide Biden’s Cognitive Decline.

I’M SUSPICIOUS THAT THIS IS JUST ANOTHER BUREAUCRATIC ATTACK ON SPACEX/ELON MUSK: U.N. committee to take up issue of satellite interference with astronomy after refusing to do so last year.

FIGHT THE POWER: En Banc Fifth Circuit Will Hear NCLA Lawsuit Against Legally Defective Nasdaq Board Diversity Rules.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has agreed to an en banc rehearing of the New Civil Liberties Alliance’s National Center for Public Policy Research v. SEC lawsuit challenging “Board Diversity Rules” that SEC promulgated without statutory authority. These rules impose race, gender, and sexual orientation quotas on corporate board membership for companies listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange, along with compelling corporate speech to explain any quota missed. SEC also furnishes lists of quota-satisfying names to companies unable to meet such quotas on their own. NCLA welcomes the opportunity to argue this case before the full Fifth Circuit, where we will urge the Court to set these unlawful rules aside. The Court also granted the petition for rehearing en banc filed in the case by the Alliance for Fair Board Recruitment.

Nasdaq reported a wave of alleged investor interest in discriminating against some companies and in favor of others based on the gender, race, and sexual orientation of those companies’ directors. Nasdaq responded by proposing a set of rules to SEC that would help investors discriminate with respect to these identities. One Rule forces every Nasdaq-listed company to either include on its board minimum quotas of individuals of a certain gender, race, and sexual orientation, or else to explain why the board does not meet such quotas. The Rules also require the companies to publicly disclose information about their directors’ self-identified gender, race, and sexuality. These measures compel speech in derogation of the First Amendment, and they further violate Americans’ rights to due process of law and equal protection under the law.

Reminder/Disclosure: I’m on the NCLA Advisory Board.