Rum on Rum: Rule of Men, Not Law

FASTER, PLEASE:  “Researchers have identified a drug that can regenerate teeth from the inside out, possibly reducing the need for artificial fillings

This is how the characteristics of an obscure Amazonian language set off an academic feud that shows no sign of letting up... Yammer Disagreements with petty pedantics 

REPORT: Intel chiefs tell Trump that Russian operatives claim to have compromising information on him Business Insider (David L). From earlier in the day. My reaction then: As if that has ever ruffled Trump? The sex tape didn’t bother him, the foundation scandal didn’t bother him, the kerfluffle about $915 million loss in the 1990s and the effort to claim he’d cheated (which he apparently hadn’t, see here, the underlying article is back behind a paywall). Or more accurately, he gets all bent out of shape on Twitter for a few days and then carries on. Trump even casually creates “compromising information” like defending Roger Ailes, not distancing himself from David Duke, attacking the parents of the slain solider…the list is really long.

BuzzFeed Posts Unverified Claims on Trump, Stirring Debate New York Times

These Reports Allege Trump Has Deep Ties To Russia BuzzFeed . So this leak of an unverified report is kosher when Wikileaks publishing documents whose authenticity has not been denied isn’t?

Trump and the IC “consultants.” Sic Semper Tyrannis. A reader writes: “[The ‘Russian Hacking’ flap] is led by the many SES-level political operatives in intel in USG after eight years of digging in and getting promoted under Obama. SES level in USG are all political climbers who ass kiss to get to that level. I have seen it and chose to retire at FS-01 level (bird col) rather than play that game.” I love the sound of breaking rice bowls in the morning

"Lawsuits over Trump business threaten to tie up presidency": The Associated Press has this report

back, not a President Trump Globe and MAil

American Unintelligence on Russia (Op-ed) Kevin Rothrock, Moscow Times. The Guardian’s Moscow correspondent: “I sign up to almost every word of this @KevinRothrock piece on hacking report. … Such an oddly mis-calibrated document.”

Rule of Men, Not Law Ian Welsh 

What Happens When You Give Free Money to Poor People New York Magazine. As opposed to, ya know, political power.

Aggregating Distributional Treatment Effects: A Bayesian Hierarchical Analysis of the Microcredit Literature(PDF) Rachael Meager, MIT

Echoes of Jonah Goldberg’s “Liberal Fascism” from the Center for American Progress Carl Beijer

Poet: I can’t answer questions on Texas standardized tests about my own poemsWaPo

The long and painful journey to world disorder Martin Wolf

Some Indian kidnappers accept online (non-anonymous) payments.

Why Facebook should hire a chief ethicist: Column USA Today

Apple’s desensitisation of the human race to fundamental security practices Troy Hunt (DK). To be read on conjunction with Apple Store photo ring scandal in Brisbane: Privacy commissioner weighs in Brisbane Times

Real estate all over the world could tank as China curbs capital outflow Business Insider

Alibaba’s Ma meets Trump, promises to bring one million jobs to U.S. Reuters

The Cost of India’s Man-Made Currency Crisis Editorial Board, NYT

Steven Mnuchin is About to Get Eviscerated by Senate Democrats Vanity Fair. The mills of God grind slowly… 

16 Celebrities React to Meryl Streep’s Moving Golden Globes Speech Elle