Look! President Obama actually meets with congressional leaders — including Republicans! (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Another slow day…

1. Middle-class incomes grew faster in 2015 than any year in modern history, new data show — Not mine, of course, but this isn’t about me. If her campaign weren’t such a mess at the moment, this would be good news for Hillary Clinton to tout. President Obama will probably bask in it a bit.
2. Clinton’s impulse to ‘power through’ with pneumonia set off cascade of problems — Think about it: Had she listened to the doc and rested over the weekend, she wouldn’t have gone to the event where she talked about the “basket of deplorables,” and she wouldn’t have collapsed in public. (Extra-point question: What do you get when you cross a basket of deplorables with binders full of women?)
3. RCSD: Teen attacks student, driver, trooper during bus fight — The alleged attacker was 13 years old.
4. 50 Years Ago, Sugar Industry Quietly Paid Scientists To Point Blame At Fat — They got a lot for their money, as I recall.
5. Edward Snowden makes ‘moral’ case for presidential pardon — This is from The Guardian, of course, which adores the little scrub. This is one case in which I must pause to applaud British new outlets’ habit of scrupulously using quote marks in headlines rather than commit to anything. “Moral” case, my arse.
6. Russian Hackers Leak U.S. Files From Doping Agency — First a story about Snowden, now one about his pals. Interesting how the Russians have gotten so brazen about this stuff lately…

Poor Hillary Clinton. Not only did she have her spell on a Sunday, when no one else in this country is making news, but nothing much happened today, either. But here are some topics:

1. Clinton To Release More Details About Her Health — Yeah, that might be a good idea. At least, now that this is out in the open, she can take a couple of days to rest and recuperate. And anything that gets you out of a trip to California can’t be all bad. But I sincerely doubt she’ll be able to truly relax, under the circumstances.
2. Syrian cease-fire takes effect amid questions over ability to fully quell violence — We’ll see. I’m not terribly optimistic, but we’ll see.
3. Here’s What Trump Was Up To Amid News Of ‘Deplorables’ And Pneumonia — Yeah, what happened to that guy? For once, the focus was off him. And did you notice something? For once, he’s lying back and just letting this pneumonia thing play out and damage Hillary without his remarking on it. In other words, acting like a politician who knows what he’s doing. Which is scary. I prefer to see him flailing, making himself the issue.

And you know what? That’s about it. Maybe y’all can find something more interesting…

Burl Burlingame took my photo from earlier today, ran it through Prisma, and came up with this…

Some quick topics to finish off the week:

1. North Korean Test Leaves U.S. With a List of Bad Options — Yup. Meanwhile the Post reports that North Korea is inching closer to intercontinental nuclear capability. Think on that while you try to enjoy your weekend.
2. Congress passes Saudi 9/11 lawsuits bill — The president promises to veto. Will Congress be able to override him for the first time?
3. Judge Rules That Construction Can Proceed On Dakota Access Pipeline — But federal agencies halt work in an area that the tribe was particularly concerned about.
4. Three USC fraternities in hot water after misconduct allegations — Could somebody please ‘splain to me why fraternities exist, why they are tolerated? At best, they’re an unnecessary distraction from higher education, and at worst, well… fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.
5. Fired Richland school deputy wants his job back; sheriff says it won’t happen — We’re talkking about Ben Fields, who threw the student across the room at Spring Valley High last year.
6. Facebook backs down, says it will no longer censor ‘Napalm Girl’ war photo — Young Mr. Zuckerberg that it ain’t all that easy being an editor. This was a huge deal in Norway.

Burl’s effort above inspired me to play around a bit with the app, too. I like this one…

This, Gary, is Aleppo. For starters…

Not a lot of news out there, but here are some topics:

1. Trump and Putin, sittin’ in a tree — Everyone is expressing their shock and horror over the Republican nominee’s fondness for the Russian strongman. Here’s what his opponent had to say. POTUS weighed in as well. And our own Sen. Lindsey Graham says the bromance “unnerves me to my core.” Not that he’s ready to back the only available alternative, you understand…
2. And what is Aleppo? — I include this in case you want to argue that there are alternatives other than Hillary Clinton. No, there aren’t. But as I said on Twitter this morning, don’t worry, Gary. You’re a Libertarian. If you knew, you still wouldn’t care…
3. Colin Powell’s Ways Around Disclosure Detailed In New Email — Of course, he’s not running for president. Which is a shame, come to think of it.
4. Boy stops for Pledge of Allegiance, creates buzz — I’m just including this to show you just how slow the news is today. Last week we were all worked up over a guy who did not stand for the National Anthem. Things are so desperate that now we’re “buzzing” about people who do. OK, the Pledge of Allegiance. Same thing…

If y’all have some better topics, I’d be obliged…

Check out the barrel on that revolver.

I’m not detecting a burning interest in blogging today among the usual suspects (Google Analytics confirms this hunch), but since I’ve got to go to the dentist in the morning to get a crown, and will be really busy after that, I’m giving you something to occupy you once you do get interested:

1. TV’s Wyatt Earp, Hugh O’Brian, dies at 91 — This won’t matter to any of you youngsters, but to me this is huge. His Wyatt was second only to TV’s Wild Bill Hickok in my estimation when I was a preschooler. I wanted my own toy version of his long-barreled revolver so much I can’t remember whether I ever actually got it, if that makes sense — it’s almost tangible in my memory. Also, Phyllis Schafly died today at 92. That’s pretty far afield, so if there’s a Rule of Three going, the third could be anybody.
2. Philippine president calls Obama ‘son of a whore’ — I’m beginning to understand why they call this guy the Trump of the East.
3. ‘Honorary’ job at for-profit college paid Bill Clinton millions — For what it’s worth, The Washington Post is playing this bigger than “Trump dismisses questions about improper gift to Florida attorney general.”
4. Without conservative majority in Supreme Court, voter-law challengers score big wins — So, um, GOP Senators — remind me again why you won’t hold hearings on a nominee? It doesn’t seem to be doing you much good.
5. Apple’s New iPhones Arrive as Glow Fades — That Tim Cook just can’t get a break, can he? They pan his new releases before anything is even known about them. Sorry, dude, you’re no Steve Jobs. Meanwhile, The Guardian warns that Apple better not leave off the headphone jack. I agree. That would stink…

There’d better be a place to plug these in…

The guy who told Trump how it’s not gonna be, in his fancy official duds.

Some topics very quickly:

1. SpaceX Rocket And Its Cargo Explode On Launch Pad In Florida — Why am I not upset? Well, of course, no one was hurt. But also, this wasn’t our space program, the way it was in the good old days. (“Our rockets always blow up!“) It’s a private company. Their business, not mine.
2. There’s a football game tonight, but it’s out of town! — Yay!
3. Mother boarded child’s school bus, allegedly attacked bus driver — Ah, the stresses of a new school year — buying the kids new clothes, getting up early every day to make them a nice lunch, giving the bus driver a proper thrashing…
4. Trump Dealt With People Who Had Mob Ties — Sometimes the bad stuff about Trump gets repetitive. We already knew this one, right?
5. More than 6 million immigrants could be deported under latest Trump plan — Yeah, you know what? I’m just tired of even trying to keep track of him and his utter nonsense. I did note that yesterday, he said he and the Mexican president didn’t discuss Mexico paying for the wall, and el presidente reported telling him in no uncertain terms that that will never happen. Which makes me wonder: Do even the most ardent Trump fans believe that would ever happen? Sigh. Let’s move on… I really want this to be over, and behind us, and no more substantial than a bad dream…

Some quick topics before I leave the office:

1. Gov. Haley directs SC agencies to plan possible budget cuts — WTF? (by which I mean “What The Fiscal?”) I know we’re expecting less of a windfall in additional money this year, but I fail to see how that leads to this unless we used ‘massive’ amounts of nonrecurring money for recurring expenses. Which I don’t think is the case. She can call this mere contingency planning, but leadership would be to talk about how in the future we might stop grossly underfunding essential government functions. Let’s talk big picture, instead of issuing random edicts to please the Grover Norquist crowd.
2. McCain is in the fight of his political life in the age of Trump — Sad situation. I’d hate to see him end his career with a defeat. And all because his party has run mad, led by a man who does not see McCain as a war hero.
3. Cayce man imprisoned for having more than 1 million child pornography images — So if you have fewer than a million, you just get a fine? Sorry; I’m in a pedantic mood this week. Bottom line, here’s someone who, if guilty, needs to go under the jail. I can’t believe they plan to let him out in 15 years, even if he is 66.
4. Alien life, or noise? Russian telescope detects ‘strong signal’ from sun-like star — So apparently, now they’re hacking aliens, too…
5. Gene Wilder, Star Of ‘Willy Wonka’ And ‘Young Frankenstein,’ Dies — You can leave out the “Willy Wonka” as far as I’m concerned; I never got the appeal of that. But to consider the brilliance of his performance in “Young Frankenstein,” Dammen und Herren, we must enter, quietly, into the realm of genius…

The underpaid Augusta Greenjackets take the field against the Fireflies in Columbia Monday night. The home team won, 7-4.

Wrapping up the week:

1. A top French court overturns the burkini ban — Good for them. So maybe France can now rejoin the ranks of liberal democracies.
2. The shadowy corner of pro baseball, where minor leaguers live below the poverty line — Interesting piece by Kent Babb, formerly of The State. It features salary info about the team in Augusta, which I saw play the Fireflies just the other night. The Fireflies’ salaries are not mentioned.
3. First case of Zika reported near Myrtle Beach — OK, you’ve got me worried now.
4. Guess How Many Zika Cases Showed Up At The Olympics? — Hint: Fewer than in the Myrtle Beach area. This was the Y2K of health scares.
5. Multi-million grant to fund cutting-edge brain research at Clemson — Sorry. I couldn’t resist being reminded of the classic Ariail cartoon below.

Busy day today, so talk amongst yourselves:

1. Turkish Military Storms Syrian Border in Major Assault on ISIS — They are being supported by U.S. air assets and special forces.
2. Earthquake in central Italy leaves dozens dead — It happened last night, and the death toll, as usual, is expected to rise.
3. Democrats Have 60 Percent Chance of Retaking the Senate — First time I’ve seen a number like that. Of course, I don’t care. Let the Whigs take the Senate, as long as Trump loses. (Although I’ve prefer the Federalists, so I do have preferences.)
4. ‘This is not a photo-op issue’: Obama tours flood-damaged Baton Rouge — “The President say, “Little fat man, isn’t it a shame…?”
5. U.S. lawmakers demand investigation of $100 price hike of lifesaving EpiPens — I think mine are out of date, but there’s no way I’m buying new ones until this is straightened out.
6. How will Spurrier’s autobiography compare to these coaches’ memoirs? — Alas, I will never know. I must learn to live with that.

President Coolidge may well have said “Isn’t it a shame.” But it’s not like he was going to go overboard helping…”

Who would he need blocking for him to achieve THIS goal?

Some quick glimpses of what’s out there…

1. Former USC star Lattimore interested in running Richland Recreation Commission — All I can say is that I doubt he could do a worse job. Beyond that, I’m not sure what to say. Maybe you football fans will know.
2. Trump, Shifting Tone, Says He Will Be ‘Fair’ on Immigration — Yeah, that would definitely be a shift. This is worrying me. Ever since Manafort was pushed out, he’s been doing the stuff that Manafort tried to get him to do — stuff he would have to do to win the election.
3. Carolina Band is tuned; are you ready for Gamecock football, too? — When I saw that headline, my response was, “Would it do any good if I said, ‘No!’? Would it delay the inevitable?”
4. Speedo Cancels Its Sponsorship Deal With Ryan Lochte — Sounds OK to me. I mean, I’d rather see Speedo dropping Lochte than Lochte dropping his Speedos…
5. How welfare reform changed American poverty, in 9 charts — With the reform 20 years old and another Clinton running for president, it makes sense to take stock.

Note that I just gave you three sports-related topics. Do I win a prize?

Yeah, I know I showed you this before, but I just can’t get over the image…

Only one more day in the week, and so much to deal with. So let’s distract ourselves, with everything from tragedy to farce:

1. Justice Dept. says it will end use of private prisons — Well, it’s about time. If we as a society are going to take people’s freedom away, we have the obligation to run the prisons ourselves, not delegate that to the lowest bidder.
2. U.S. Acknowledges Cash Payment to Iran Was ‘Leverage’ in Prisoner Release — So, yeah, ummm… there was a connection.
3. Amnesty International: Over 17,000 People Have Died In Syrian Detention Centers — Oh, and have you seen the picture of the little boy?
4. U.S. swimmers ‘invented robbery story’ — So, is this what we send these people down their for?
5. Naked Donald Trump statues pop up in cities across the US — From what I could tell, it seems the sculptors made his… hands… look quite small…

Photo supplied to WashPost by Jason Goodrich

It doesn’t look good for me having time to blog much today — and the day’s half over — so I’ll go ahead and start an Open Thread, with some possible topics. Talk amongst yourselves:

1. Trump shakes up campaign, demotes top adviser — Basically, the message from here on out is “Let Trump be Trump.” Which I suppose is excellent news for those of us who think it’s fine that he be himself, as long as he isn’t also president. Jennifer Rubin has a pretty good take on it. She says it’s time for Republicans to cut their losses and concentrate on down-ballot.
2. Sweeping fed indictment targets SC ‘Irish Travelers’ — Yeah, that’s why I posted the clip above from “Snatch.” The feds allege that the folks in Murphy Village have gone way beyond selling shoddy caravans.
3. SC tax agency can’t sue private companies over penny tax, judge rules — I don’t know all the ins and outs of this, but my gut is that I hate to see the courts preventing DOR from trying to inject some accountability. I mean, if they legally can’t, they can’t. I just hate to see it.
4. Release of Code Raises Fears That N.S.A. Was Hacked — Great. First Snowden, now this.

That’s all I’m seeing in a quick sweep over the news. Maybe y’all can suggest something better.

Still from a video Tweeted by the Clinton campaign, showing Republicans saying candidates should release their returns.

Some topics as the week winds down:

1. Clinton tax return shows couple made $10.7 million in 2015 — Meanwhile, someone else — I’m not saying who — is still sharing nothing.
2. Clinton Widens Lead Over Trump in Battleground States — That’s in the WSJ. The NYT reports that since the conventions, “instead of attracting a surge of new admirers, Mr. Trump has been hemorrhaging support among loyal Republicans, anti-establishment independents, Clinton-loathing Democrats and others…”
3. Lawyers for ex-N. Charleston officer say video defends shooting — The lawyers here know what Carl Sandburg said: “If the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts. If the law and the facts are against you, argue total B.S.”
4. The Trump we saw: Populist, frustrating, forever on the make — This is from a book a couple of Washington Post reporters are writing.
5. Have we detected an alien megastructure in space? Keep an open mind — And now, for something completely different… It’s probably a space bypass being constructed by the Vogons, as part of a stimulus package pushed by President Zaphod Beeblebrox.

I don’t know about you, but I intend to be mentally prepared. Maybe it’s time I went back to school…

A few topics for consideration:

1. USC classes you won’t believe actually exist — OK, you made me look, and it was interesting, but it did not strain credulity. Yeah a class treating the Hunger Games as literature is ridiculous, but don’t you think higher education should be preparing us psychologically for the Zombie Apocalypse? Look how traumatized Rick Grimes and the others were. You know why? Because they were not prepared mentally! As for the other courses… Suddenly I’m flashing on some dialogue from “Ghostbusters” (the real one). Dean Yeager: “Your theories are the worst kind of popular tripe, your methods are sloppy, and your conclusions are highly questionable! You are a poor scientist, Dr. Venkman!” Peter Venkman: “But the kids love us!”
2. Costco opens Columbia store today — Seriously, did any of you consider for an instant going there today? I’ll look at the traffic density function on Waze a couple of months from now and see if it’s safe, and maybe check it out then. Meanwhile, let me know if you hear we’re getting an Apple store.
3. US government blasts Baltimore police over race — And race isn’t the only problem. I saw “The Wire.”
4. Even under oath, Trump struggled with the truth — The Donald, deposed. In a 2007 case.
5. Is split-ticket voting making a comeback? With Trump on the ballot, some Republicans hope so. — It’s not “ticket splitting.” It’s being a rational, responsible voter. Anyone who votes exclusively for one party or the other and doesn’t consider that SOME candidates in the other party may be superior to those who oppose them should lose the right to vote. Voters have an obligation to think about each and every choice on the ballot. Harrumph.

There are other topics out there. Bring them up if you like.

Dwayne Stafford, the jail inmate accused of attacking Roof. Not a hero, but still…

You know, it’s a bit of a misnomer that I call these “Open Threads,” and then give you a bunch of specific topics. Basically, in reality, it’s a Virtual Front Page that I don’t put as much thought into — in terms of picking a lede, worrying about the mix, etc.:

Anyway, here are some topics:

1. Sheriff: Security snafu led to inmate assault on Dylann Roof — Three points to make: One, man is it hard to work up any sympathy, although of course, inmates should be protected from violence. Two: The story says he attacked him for “no reason.” Really? Because most of us wouldn’t have trouble thinking of one if we did it. Three: So is “snafu” an OK term now in a family newspaper? That’s kind of FUBAR. Wait… can something be “kind of” FUBAR?
2. Ryan Stands by Trump but Says Endorsement No ‘Blank Check’ — Really? Because so far, it pretty much looks like it is just that.
3. Swing-state polls show Trump trailing Clinton by wide margins — Yeah, well… I’m not breathing easy until it comes out that way on Election Day.
4. NIH Plans To Lift Ban On Research Funds For Part-Human, Part-Animal Embryos — As my grandson has taken to saying, What the what? Where are we, the island of Dr. Moreau?
5. Virginia officer found guilty of manslaughter — Again, The Guardian leads with a story about gun violence in America that you have to hunt for on U.S. sites. But it’s a worthy story. This is about an 18-year-old kid shot when he was suspected of shoplifting.
6. Egypt ‘kills head of Islamic State’s Sinai branch’ — But maybe it didn’t really happen, right, since the BBC puts it in quotes…

Meanwhile, as I type this, the president is having a live presser at the Pentagon:

President Barack Obama meets for lunch with formerly incarcerated individuals who have received commutations, at Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C., March 30, 2016. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Some things out there at this hour (feel free to bring up your own):

1. SC resident infected with brain-eating amoeba with 95 percent death rate — They’re hoping to get a potentially life-saving drug to the patient in time. I don’t know know what to say about it other than God help this poor person.
2. GOP reaches ‘new level of panic’ over Trump candidacy — After he refused to endorse Ryan and McCain, GOP leaders are in meltdown mode; even Reince Priebus has found the self-respect to become “livid.” Meanwhile, Mike Pence pointedly did endorse Ryan. Meg Whitman is going to vote for “her.” And what else? Oh, yeah — while not completely tired of attacking the Khans, he switched gears and lashed out at a baby. I’m guessing he’s been told you’re supposed to kiss them, not attack them, but does he listen?
3. Trump Edges Close to Clinton With Flood of Donations — Yeah, that’s right. Even as every Republican with a clue is desperate for a way out of the situation, his base is investing in him more than ever. Which reminds me of this item from The Takeaway…
4. A policy expert explains how anti-intellectualism gave rise to Donald Trump — It’s an interview with Max Boot, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former foreign policy adviser to the presidential campaigns of John McCain, Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio. And author of a New York Times op-ed, “How the ‘Stupid Party’ Created Donald Trump.”
5. Clinton, Kaine Driven By Their Faith In The ‘Social Gospel’ — Yep. First they stole flag-waving from the GOP; now this. Presumably, they’ll let the Republicans keep guns. Or maybe not.
6. President Obama Commutes the Sentences of 214 Additional People — He’s commuted more sentences than the previous 9 presidents combined, according to the White House.

I’m back from vacation, although I’m still stubbornly refusing to shave. Here’s what we have today:

1. Obama goes after Trump: ‘I’m tired of folks trash-talking America’s military’ — Don’t you love the way Trump’s GOP has ceded the rah-rah flag-waving stuff — normally their forte — to the Democrats? I love me some irony, and this is Grade A. Oh, and the criticism from Republicans that I wrote about this morning is currently leading the NYT (see above).
2. Pope Francis Says It Is Wrong To Identify Islam With Violence — Just so you know…
3. Looking ahead to the Rio Olympics — There was a thing about this on public radio today and I missed it, but we can have our own discussion here. One important health warning, though: Comment all you want, but keep your mouths shut while doing so…
4. His friend disappeared while tubing; he had a ‘couple of beers’, then called police — That’s all. Just thought I’d share that headline. It’s stuff like this that caused Mark Twain to want to give up on humans.
5. U.S. Targets ISIS With New Round of Airstrikes in Libya — I mentioned this earlier today, but thought I’d give you another crack at it. Somewhat to my surprise, the WSJ is the only paper leading with it at this hour. (See below.)

The most memorable image of the Reagan assassination attempt. In part, I recall it as the first time I ever saw an Uzi.

Let’s look at some headlines before the convention evening gets rolling:

1. Trump urges Russia to interfere (again) in U.S. politics — Yet another thing that, taken all by itself, would sink the hopes of any candidate in any normal election year. But watch — it won’t slow down Trump? Why? Because anyone who would consider voting for him doesn’t understand how outrageous what he said is.
2. Prison minister, family vouch for serial Columbia child molester’s freedom — Do you think a child molester should ever, EVER be free again? This is a crime that tests my opposition to the death penalty, that makes one almost doubt the wisdom of the Constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Seems like the very least we could do is make sure such people are never in a position to get near a child again…
3. Man Who Tried to Kill Reagan in 1981 Will Be Released — I’d let this guy go before I’d let a child molester go. Which is moot, because I wouldn’t have let this guy go, either.
4. All Charges Dropped Against Officers in Freddie Gray Case — Not sure what to say aside from the fact that this seems a logical outcome based on what I’ve heard about the evidence in the case. It’s ironic — there have been some truly horrific cases in which cops have wrongly shot black men. The case in North Charleston comes to mind. But the weird thing is, two of the cases that initially launched Black Lives Matter were based on protesters leaping to shaky conclusions.
5. How Tim Kaine Went From City Council To Vice Presidential Candidate — Tonight will be our first good look at the guy who will be vice president unless the majority of voters really do go stark raving mad in November.

I like the Reuters image The Atlantic used with their report.

I realize that at this hour on a Friday I won’t have a lot of takers, but here goes:

1. Shooting Kills 6 in Munich; City Shuts Transit to Hunt Gunmen — So not ALL mass shootings occur in this country. It’s interesting — it’s harder to get guns in Europe, yet otherwise it seems easier for terrorists to operate.
2. “I Alone Can Fix It.” — Here’s a place for y’all to comment on the speech last night by the Great and Powerful Oz. Here’s what his team did for that speech: They took all the stuff he likes to say, and wrote it into complete sentences. Same crazy, but more coherent. Amazingly, he actually read it. For more observations from me, go to Twitter and scroll down to last night’s stuff.
3. Clinton is getting ready to pick Kaine as her VP … we think — I hope that’s right. He seems the best of the lot in the short list.
4. My name is Michael Caine … actor changes name due to Isis — I love this. His real name is Maurice Micklewhite, but airport security people refused to believe that, so he’s legally changing to his stage name.