The Solar System Loses A Great One, While Paleontologists Find A Big Clue

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 IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ

 The Solar System Mourns The Loss Of John Glenn

John Glenn, the retired astronaut, former US Senator and all-around American legend, died yesterday at the age of 95. Glenn led a life of superlatives. As a Marine Corps pilot, he broke the transcontinental flight speed record. As an astronaut, he became the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. Then, in 1998 at the age of 77, he joined the shuttle Discovery to become the oldest man in space. Oh, and did we mention that he did that while serving his 24th and final year as Senator from Ohio? The only thing he didn’t accomplish was winning the Democratic presidential nomination when he ran in 1984. Given the drawn-out and painful process of the 2016 elections, it’s baffling to think a legend with his resume couldn’t win the nomination. Yet, Glenn was loved by both parties and honored by many US Presidents. His story will live on in history books and movies. His name will be forever linked to a nostalgic form of Americana: one that champions the advancement of science and the age of exploration. May he orbit in peace.

 NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ

 Aleppo: Russia Wants You To ‘Wait And See’ If They Do The Right Thing

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that the Syrian army has suspended combat operations in eastern Aleppo, giving civilians a chance to evacuate. Lavrov estimates some 8,000 people will be taken out of the war-torn city before Syria’s government tries to recapture what remains of rebel-held areas. White House spokesman Josh Earnest was cautiously optimistic, saying that we’ll have to “wait and see” if Russia and the Syrian government follow through on this promise. Meanwhile, the Syrian rescue group White Helmets urged international organization to protect its volunteers who have not yet been able to evacuate. “If we are not evacuated, our volunteers face torture and execution in the regime’s detention centers,” the group told the Guardian. “We have good reason to fear for our lives.” They might need a little more than the “wait and see” approach.

A Dinosaur Tail Was Discovered Inside A Piece Of Amber

What we’re about to tell you sounds like the exposition to Jurassic Park, but that’s because it is. In a once-in-a-lifetime find, Chinese paleontologist Xing Lida discovered part of a 99-million-year-old dinosaur entombed in a piece of amber. The discovery has blown away scientists and pretty much everyone besides Steven Spielberg. Turns out, the tail section belongs to a young coelurosaurian, which belonged to the same group of dinosaurs as the predatory velociraptors and the tyrannosaurus. But what makes this discovery so important is what’s inside the amber: both bone fragments and feathers. Xing’s startling discovery just adds to the mounting evidence that many dinosaurs looked more like Big Bird than Godzilla.

New Israeli Bill Upsets The UN, As Well As Israelis

Israeli lawmakers voted on Wednesday to advance a bill that would retroactively legalize 4,000 settler homes that weren’t exactly legal when they were built. Needless to say, the United Nations isn’t a fan of the idea, and warned that building Israeli settlements on privately-owned Palestinian land violates international law. The United States and European Union officials also warned that the bill eats away at the possibility of a two-state solution, if that’s even an option anymore. And, sure enough, it seems like most Israelis aren’t too fond of the bill either. The bill just snuck by the Knesset with 57 members voting to approve the draft legislation, while 51 members were against it.

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 KEEPING OUR EYE ON

Bestiality: Thanks to a lengthy campaign from the Humane Society, a bill banning the sexual abuse of animals finally passed Ohio state legislature. Now it’s up to Governor John Kasich to either sign the bill into law or keep the tradition alive. It’s currently legal to have sex with animals in nine US states, plus Washington DC, of course.

Displacement: According the figures released by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center, as many as 3.5 million people in Africa were uprooted from their homes in 2015 due to conflict and natural disasters. With 2016’s data looking just as bad from the forecasts, IDMC is calling on state governments to recognize their role in taking on more development projects.

 LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT

 Sofia Vergara Is Being Sued By Her Own Embryos

Only in America can you legally sue someone before you’ve even developed a heartbeat. It all started back in 2013, when actress and Modern Family star Sofia Vergara and her then-boyfriend Nick Loeb created embryos at a California clinic through in-vitro fertilization, or IVF. A contract was signed at the time that stipulated that neither partner could do anything with the embryos without the other’s consent, and today, Vergara is refusing to allow her ex to use the embryos with a different surrogate mother. Loeb tried to sue Vergara for custody of the embryos, but thanks to that earlier contract, he was unsuccessful. But now, the embryos are doing the suing. Seriously, we can’t make this stuff up. The two embryos, now named Emma and Isabella, are listed in Louisiana court documents. While Loeb is obviously in on the case, he’s not listed as plaintiff. In the lawsuit, the unborn embryos argue that they are being “deprived of their inheritance” by not being born. This, apparently, can happen in Louisiana, where a fertilized egg is seen as a “juridical person” under state law.

 WEEKEND READS

 Weekend Reads For December 9

• Our latest installment of #BlanchedNuts takes a look at the most influential climate skeptics of 2016, ranging from Nobel Laureates to bad gamblers.
• In light of Trump’s China tweets we rounded up a few important pieces on the US-China relationship:
  • Pnut Reader Ali Wyne asks what happens if America just can’t compete with China in the Pacific in the long-term.
  • The Eurasia Group wonders whether the US or China will swing first amidst mounting tensions.
  • The Atlantic explores China’s “Great Leap Backwards” and what it means for Sino-US relations.
  • Taking a step back, are the two countries destined for war, or is there a way out?
  • If we are talking about China, perhaps we should have Henry Kissinger, who orchestrated the US-China relationship, weigh in here? The Atlantic interviews him and here he is generally impressed with China’s cool reactions so far.
  • The Washington Post argues against an American overreaction to Trump’s Taiwan call. After all, they are a strong US ally.
  • Also, we picked up “Age of Ambition,” by Evan Osnos to learn more about China. You can also read his New Yorker piece on Xi Jinping here.
• On a similar vein, is it the end of the Anglo-American worldview?
• How did the alt-right embrace racism? Salon’s Matthew Sheffield takes a look.
• Switching to a more light-hearted topic. How do you hide $400 million from your wife when you are getting a divorce?
• The Wall Street Journal warns against empathy saying it could make us tribal or, even, cruel. Counterintuitive but interesting. (But also, behind a paywall.)
• Also behind a paywall (and equally interesting) the Journal looks at the life of the “last diplomat” Robin Raphael.
• Bill Gates asks “what makes a great leader” and reviews “the myth of a strong leader” by Archie Brown. You can find the book on Amazon if you are interested.