As many of you know, I love the NASA site and all things associated with space exploration. In that vein, I had to share this photo of the first meteorite found on another planet. I could come up with a better name than “Heat Shield Rock” (like Rocky McRock Face or something) but those NASA people are a bit literal. There is a stark beauty of such objects, hardened and shaped by billions of years. I also still get a thrill of being able to see these pictures from another world. While this picture was taken in 2015, there are some new pictures that are truly record breaking in terms of distance below. These images should remind the public of the tremendous breakthroughs being made by NASA and its partners with limited funding, including significant cuts. Indeed, as Trump pushes to make the International Space Station a private or corporate effort, we need to keep in mind the windfall of new information that has come with each of these programs.
Continue reading “NASA Continues To Rack Up “Firsts,” Including “Heat Shield Rock” Found On Mars”
Edward Wilson, 37, was reportedly in a position most drivers loathe. He was standing in the apartment complex in Sartell, Minnesota with the temperature at 
There could be a ticket war starting after the Milwaukee Brewers moved to reduce the number of Cubs fans at Miller Park. In recent years, the park has sounded like Wrigley with large numbers of people driving the two hours to Milwaukee. Not only do Cubs fans want to cheer for their team but the tickets are generally cheaper. However, that could be a thing of the past after the team opened early tickets to Wisconsin residents only. Of course, entrepreneurial Brewers fans could easily circumvent the plans and resell the tickets to Cubbie fans. The question is whether this will spark a ticket war. 
You may recall our discussion of the debate in 2015 over whether
A second White House official has resigned following a media investigation into allegations of domestic violence. 
Southern New Hampshire University is one of the burgeoning online universities that promises faster and cheaper degrees than the traditional colleges. While there are considerable questions raised over content of these courses and the value of the degrees, SNHU insists that it is reaching a population that would not otherwise be able to attain degrees. Ashley Arnold, 27, however, had to educate her professor that Australia is not just a continent but also a country. 
We 
It is like a broken record in politics. A powerful man is accused of a despicable and criminal act toward women. He emphatically denies the allegation and then . . . crickets. 
A Tennessee widow is suing White County Sheriff Oddie Shoupe after the disclosure of a body camera recording in which Shoupe ordered the shooting of her husband so not to “tear up” the cars of his deputies. Michael Dial was unarmed and moving at only around 50 miles an hour in his truck (which was pulling a trailer). Shoupe’s orders and comments on the tape are highly disturbing.
President Donald Trump’s successful career on reality television has been much discussed during his presidency. The controversial inclusion of Omarosa Manigault Newman on his staff was a reminder of that history. Newman was fired on The Apprentice but later became a supporter of Trump for president. She was then made the director of communications for the 
Spirit Airlines has been long criticized for its treatment of passengers and added charges for even carry on luggage. However, Texas State University student Belen Aldecosea, 21, has raised a truly shocking allegation by any measure. She is t
Below is my column in USA Today on the increasing talk of treason by both Democrats and Trump in recent weeks. 
The University of Washington has been sued by the schools College Republicans after it demanded the payment of $17,000 in security fees for the planned speech of Oregon activist Joey Gibson of the Patriot Prayer group. The lawsuit raises an important free speech question in whether schools can effectively bar conservative speakers by insisting that free speech is not free in a financial sense. The imposition of prohibitive costs on groups like the College Republicans is facially neutral but potentially discriminatory in practice based on the content of speech. It also creates a system that indirectly supports “the heckler’s veto.”
Pakistan continues to show the world that it remains on the course of Islamic extremism and increasingly intolerant of free exercise and free speech. Now the Pakistani government is warning media not to cover the increasingly popular Valentine’s Day celebrations. Islamic clerics have declared the Western holiday to be an offense to Islam. None of these clerics or government officials appear concerned that there is a far greater danger to Islam if it is threatened by people wanting to exchange Valentines or throwing parties.
The United States has long rejected the holding of military parades featuring tanks, missiles and other heavy weapons as a symbol of authoritarian regimes like the Soviet Union, North Korea and other countries. We commonly have parades with marching military and military bands in Washington. What we generally have not done is add heavy weaponry — the signature display of so many of the history authoritarian enemies of this country (though, as some have pointed out on this blog, there have been exceptions where tanks or missiles were present in inaugurations). Trump’s desire for military equipment at the presidential inauguration was