Friday roundup

Ryan Fazio at The Federalist says major league baseball should definitely not institute a 20-second pitch clock, that there are many other reasons games are lengthening.

Since the Iran nuclear "agreement" went into effect, every 90 days the US government is required to officially weigh in on whether Iran is in compliance, The Trump administration did so in April. Fred Fleitz at NRO says it should not make the same mistake again, that Iran's violations are not of the fuzzy, around-the-edges variety, but rather direct and documented:

One. Operating more advanced uranium-enrichment centrifuges than is permitted and announcing the capability to initiate mass production of centrifuges. (Although I agree with this concern, the U.S. should not have agreed to let Iran enrich any uranium while the JCPOA is in effect, never mind enrich it with advanced centrifuges. This is one of the JCPOA’s most serious flaws.)

Two. Exceeding limits on production and storage of heavy water, a substance needed to operate plutonium-producing heavy-water nuclear reactors. (Again, I agree, but the U.S. should not have agreed to a pact that allows Iran to produce heavy water or operate a heavy-water reactor.) 

Three. Covertly procuring nuclear and missile technology outside of JCPOA-approved channels. There’s direct evidence of this, from German intelligence reports.

Four. Refusing to allow IAEA inspectors access to nuclear-research and military facilities. 

File this one under amateur-hour personnel decisions: Donald Trump's lawyer specifically assigned to Russia-intrigue matters crossed a bright line regarding degree of snark when he responded to an ordinary citizen who emailed him. Granted, the emailer was a Rachel Maddow-watching leftie who called on him to resign, but this was way over the top and, shall we say, unhelpful:

Kasowitz responded. Like a nut.

Kasowitz replied with series of angry messages sent between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern time. One read: “I’m on you now.  You are f**king with me now Let’s see who you are Watch your back , b*tch.”

In another email, Kasowitz wrote: “Call me.  Don’t be afraid, you piece of sh*t.  Stand up.  If you don’t call, you’re just afraid.” And later: “I already know where you live, I’m on you.  You might as well call me. You will see me. I promise.  Bro.”

Let me stress – this is the man Trump chose to represent him before Mueller and his team of investigatory power houses.

But, in 2017 post-America, you can count on online venom to be found all along the spectrum:

A Democrat state lawmaker in Maine on Tuesday attacked President Trump and his supporters in a now deleted Facebook rant in which he used the vilest language imaginable and threatened the president. Rep. Scott Hamann (D-South Portland) wrote:

Well then f*ck you, snowflake. You're a f*cking pussy ... See, it's not only Trump supporters who can talk like complete a$$holes. As long as that's what's coming out of that side, then I'll match you dumb f*cks word for word. 

A hair-raising reminder that the jihadists only have to be lucky once:

Five terror attacks , some of which were just minutes away from being carried out, have been thwarted by police in the capital [in the last four months]. 

Let's end with a feel-good story: An elephant flailing away in the ocean ten miles off the coast of Sri Lanka is rescued by a navy vessel of that country. Video at link.