Russian Jet: CBS News reports that a US satellite detected a heat flash when the Russian airliner was going down over the Sinai desert, but Reuters reports according to sources with access to the plane’s black boxes that it was not struck by an outside object like a missile. It appears certain that the jet broke up in mid air, but the cause is not determined.

The Supremes: The Supreme Court yesterday heard arguments about dismissing black jurors in cases in which the defendant is black. Since 1986 it’s been illegal for prosecutors to use “peremptory” challenges, dismissals for which they have to give no reason, to dismiss black jurors. The case involves the 1986 conviction of Timothy Foster, a black man who was convicted by an all white jury of killing a white woman.

The prosecution in Foster’s trial had used challenges to get rid of all the black jurors. Prosecution notes discovered years later showed specific notations that the jurors they wanted to challenge were black.

Justice Steven Breyer said that the prosecution explanations for dismissing the black jurors reminded him of his grandson’s reasons for not doing his homework.

Demographics: Researchers have noticed a startling rise in the death rate of Americans 45-54 years old who have less than a college education, mostly because of drugs, alcohol, and suicide. Angus Deaton, the 2015 Nobel-winning economist at Princeton University said, “Half a million people are dead who should not be dead.” He said it’s, “About 40 times the Ebola stats. You’re getting up there with HIV-AIDS.”

The study suggests that as this segment of the population grows older, it will put a greater financial burden on the federal budget.

Your Tax Dollars: The US spent $43 million to build a natural gas filling station for cars in Afghanistan, even though it should have cost no more than $500,000, according to an audit. The gas station was supposed to demonstrate how smart it would be to run Afghan cars on natural gas tapped from the country’s own turf. But Afghanistan doesn’t have a natural gas development and distribution system. USA! USA! USA!

Running Man: South African prosecutors have appealed to have the conviction of blade runner Oscar Pistorius changed from culpable homicide to murder. If they succeed, the double amputee athlete will be sent back to prison. Pistorius was released from prison last month after serving one year of his five-year sentence for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through the bathroom door.

The Obit Page: Ahmad Chalabi, the exiled Iraqi politician who was instrumental in convincing President George W. Bush to invade Iraq, has died of a heart attack in Baghdad at age 71. Chalabi had cultivated ties with the neoconservatives who had Bush’s ear, and pushed information that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. The information later proved to be exaggerated or made up.

New Rules!: Stung by the CNBC debate, representatives of the Republican presidential campaigns spent the weekend drafting proposed rules for future televised debates. A draft leaked to the Washington Post includes rules about opening statements, a ban on questions that pit candidates against each other, and a promise to keep the temperature of the venue below 67 degrees.

Donald Trump said he would negotiate his own rules.

Candidate Ted Cruz of Texas said, “How about if we say from now on if you have never voted in a Republican primary in your life you don’t get to moderate a Republican primary debate.”

Speaking in New York last night, President Obama was laughing about the Republican angst over their handling by CNBC moderators. He said, “If you can’t handle those guys, then you know I don’t think the Chinese and the Russians are going to be too worried about you.”

In a Word: Flailing Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush has discovered that it takes more than an exclamation mark to make him an exciting presidential candidate. He’s changed his campaign slogan from “Jeb!” to “Jeb Can Fix it.” That should fix it.

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