Just Links Today! (And a Pretty Picture)

Here's the pretty picture:

Links!

• Library Land
• Ursula Le Guin on fiction vs. 'alternative facts': Letter to the editor "A recent letter in The Oregonian compares a politician's claim to tell 'alternative facts' to the inventions of science fiction. The comparison won't work." I would also add that fiction, while not factual, is actually very truthful - and that is a major difference.
• 25 million books are missing from UK libraries – but who's counting? "Library campaigner and former head of Waterstones Tim Coates said: 'It’s not just Suffolk that has this problem. This is a national issue, because librarians are not doing enough stock checks because cuts mean they can’t do their job properly.' He added that throughout the book industry, it was acknowledged that inventory reviews always revealed there to be fewer books in store than databases suggested."
• Health, Science, & Technology
• The Real Reasons Autism Rates Are Up in the U.S. "The prevalence of autism in the United States has risen steadily since researchers first began tracking it in 2000. The rise in the rate has sparked fears of an autism ‘epidemic.’ But experts say the bulk of the increase stems from a growing awareness of autism and changes to the condition’s diagnostic criteria. Here’s how researchers track autism’s prevalence and explain its apparent rise." 
• International
• Women 'weaker, less intelligent' - Polish MEP Korwin-Mikke  I cannot repeat the first thoughts that went through my head. "A tweet shows Socialist MEP Iratxe Garcia-Perez scolding Mr Korwin-Mikke." I don't know anything else about her, but I like her already.
• To Battle Fake News, Ukrainian Show Features Nothing but Lies We need this in the U.S. This would be awesome.
• U.S. News
• Police video: 'Show your hands,' then a gunshot "Officer Sarah Stumler's body camera shows she approached a box spring leaning against a wall. As she looked behind the box spring, Warrick is seen in the video standing in the shadows. Stumler yelled, 'Show your hands,' and raised her gun from her side. Almost immediately, she fired once, then said, 'Shit.'"
• New York Gallery Owner Denied Entry Into US From Argentina  "Mosqueda, who was sent back to Argentina, explains the “dehumanizing and degrading” experience he was subjected to at the border, including being questioned under oath, denied legal counsel, held without food for 14 hours, prohibited from using any means of communication, and denied privacy when using the bathroom....The curator and gallerist explains he has been a legal resident of the US for ten years, as a student, employee, and proprietor."
• Related: DHS document undermines Trump case for travel ban "The document, from the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, makes the case that most foreign-born, U.S.-based violent extremists are likely not radicalized when they come to the U.S., but rather become radicalized after living in the U.S. for a number of years."
• And related to that: Donald Trump: Terrorist Recruiter?  "Trump’s ban provides no additional protection at the border, fuels the effectiveness of the messaging of terrorist groups abroad, and increases the danger within our borders by making young Muslims feel excluded at best, and like they are the enemy at worst."
• We won’t know what’s in the Republican health-care repeal plan until they pass it  That's not how this is supposed to work. "Republicans accused Democrats eight years ago of drafting the health-care law in secret, despite dozens of public hearings and work sessions. But now it’s their own process that is highly secretive, with U.S. Capitol Police guarding a basement room where the draft legislation is kept hidden from voters, the news media and even members of Congress.... Only Republicans can see the bill text before the markup next week, and it’s only on view in a basement next to the Capitol. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was denied entry into the room Thursday when he tried to go read the bill. Worse, Republicans plan to mark up the proposal and take a vote without having a score from the CBO — which means no one will know what repealing the law will do to people who are covered under the ACA until after the committee votes on it."
• Remember when we said Trump would call for an end to clean water? Yeah, we meant like this: Trump would cut Chesapeake Bay cleanup from $73M a year to $5M  I'm sure he's not planning on stopping there, though.
• Speaking of environmental issues: 'Just racist': EPA cuts will hit black and Hispanic communities the hardest Shocking.
• President Trump’s blaming the Democrats for Cabinet delays that are normal — and his own fault 
• The web of relationships between Team Trump and Russia What a mess...
• Speaking of which: The FBI is at the center of a big unanswered question surrounding Jeff Sessions and Russia Well, that can't be good. "[Sen. Mike] Lee's spokesman said the FBI had not yet offered an explanation for why it did not inform the Judiciary Committee about the investigation before Sessions' January confirmation hearing. The person said the senator learned of the investigation through news reports Wednesday evening." I wonder if this is why Trump et al. dislike the press so much. 
• Sessions has argued that his meeting with a Russian envoy were in his official capacity as a Senator - but, then, why did the money used during that time come from campaign expenses? Jeff Sessions 'used campaign funds' for trip to event where he met Russian ambassador Yep, that's right: "...he used political funds from his re-election account for the trip, while sources said he discussed Mr Trump’s campaign with Mr Kislyak."
• Trump tweets about Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi photos with Putin, Russian envoy Trump has decided to try and obfuscate by pointing fingers at Pelosi and Schumer for meeting with Putin, too! Pelosi's was an official meeting, with press attending; Schumer's was a very public one, at the opening of a gas station, of all things. As Pelosi pointed out, this is very different from what Trump's people are accused of doing. 
• And he was doing so well... Trump tried Twitter discipline this week. He decided it’s totally overrated. 
• Related: Some Thoughts About Trump's Tweeted Allegations About Wiretapping "In a series of tweets this morning, President Trump alleged that President Obama 'had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower.'  Although the press have asked the White House for more elaboration, nothing has been forthcoming.... I have no doubt that Trump made these accusations as a way to divert attention from the ever increasing evidence of contacts between Russian officials and his campaign.  His modis operandi (which has worked well up to now) is to deny, deceive and divert."
• Trump transition team canceled plan for ethics training for staff Maybe that's why this administration is having so much trouble meeting ethical guidelines, hey? 
• You know, things like 'not lying to Congress' would be covered by ethics training: 5 Trump Cabinet Members Who’ve Made False Statements to Congress