The Trumps asked to borrow a Van Gogh but the Guggenheim offered a solid gold toilet instead.
"America," by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelanis, is a fully functional gold toilet.The emailed response from the Guggenheim's chief curator to the White House was polite but firm: The museum could not accommodate a request to borrow a painting by Vincent Van Gogh for President and Melania Trump's private living quarters. The curator's alternative: an 18-karat, fully functioning, solid gold toilet -- an interactive work titled "America" that critics have described as pointed satire aimed at the excess of wealth in this country.
For a year, the Guggenheim had exhibited "America" -- the creation of contemporary artist Maurizio Cattelan -- in a public restroom on the museum's fifth floor for visitors to use. But the exhibit was over and the toilet was available "should the President and First Lady have any interest in installing it in the White House," Spector wrote in an email obtained by The Washington Post.
The artist "would like to offer it to the White House for a long-term loan," wrote Spector, who has been critical of Trump. "It is, of course, extremely valuable and somewhat fragile, but we would provide all the instructions for its installation and care." [...]
The White House did not respond to inquiries about the matter. [...]
On the face of it, President Trump might appreciate an artist's rendering of a gilded toilet, given his well-documented history of installing gold-plated fixtures in his residences, his properties and even his airplane. But the president is also a self-described germaphobe, and it's an open question whether he would accept a previously used toilet, 18-karat or otherwise.
Cattelan's "America" caused something of a sensation after the Guggenheim unveiled it in 2016, drawing more than a few headlines. [...] "More than one hundred thousand people" who "waited patiently in line for the opportunity to commune with art and with nature," Spector wrote in a Guggenheim blog post last year. The museum posted a uniformed security guard outside the bathroom. Every 15 minutes or so, a crew would arrive with specially chosen wipes to clean the gold.
They should have offered a golden shower instead.
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Police union slashes number of 'get out of jail free' cards issued
Patrolmen's Benevolent Association boss Pat Lynch slashed the maximum number of "get out of jail free" courtesy cards that could be issued to current cops from 30 to 20, and to retirees from 20 to 10, sources told The Post. 
The cards are often used to wiggle out of minor trouble such as speeding tickets, the theory being that presenting one suggests you know someone in the NYPD.
The rank and file is livid.
"They are treating active members like shit, and retired members even worse than shit," griped an NYPD cop who retired on disability. "All the cops I spoke to were... very disappointed they couldn't hand them out as Christmas gifts."
A source said Lynch ordered the cutback to stop the sale of the cards, which were being hawked on eBay last week for as much as $200.
The PBA and the NYPD declined comment.
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Security Failure: EpiPen's Database Of Everyone Who's Allergic To Bees Has Been Obtained By Bees
"We do not know what they plan to do with it, but we can confirm that bees have a list of everyone who has ever purchased an EpiPen," reads a prepared statement published on the company's website. "Bees have your information now. We are very sorry."Previously, previously, previously, previously, previously, previously, previously, previously, previously.
Same.
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USB Killer, now with pyrotechnic payload
