SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:56 P.M. ET:

BUT WE KNEW THIS, DIDN'T WE? – FROM THE TELEGRAPH:  Dogs will make a speedy effort to comfort their owners if they think they are upset, a study has shown for the first time.  Although anecdotally, dog owners claim that their pets are in tune with their emotions and will offer support in times of crisis, it has never been scientifically tested before.  In a new study, scientists from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, US, took 34 dogs and positioned them behind a door which was closed with magnets, with their owners on the other side.  While sitting behind the door, the owners were asked to either hum "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" or pretend to cry.  They found that many of the dogs nosed their way through the door but did it three times more quickly when they thought their owners were upset and needed comforting.  The Democratic National Committee claims that only Democratic dogs do this, especially dogs belonging to marginalized breeds.

THIS IS THE NINTH CIRCUIT? – FROM REUTERS:   A federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday that the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment protects a right to openly carry a gun in public for self-defense, rejecting a claim by Hawaii officials that the right only applies to guns kept at home.  The extent of the right to gun ownership protected by the Second Amendment is one of the most hotly contested debates in the United States, where life has been punctuated by a steady stream of mass shootings.  The ruling issued by a three-judge panel on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in San Francisco, came a year after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to rule either way on the carrying of guns in public.  Two of the three 9th Circuit judges voted to reverse a decision by the U.S. District Court in Hawaii that state officials did not infringe on the rights of George Young, the plaintiff, in twice denying him a permit to carry a gun outside.  I'd imagine this will find its way back to the Supreme Court.

SHE'S BAACK – FROM GATEWAY PUNDIT:  Thanks to President Trump’s tax cuts and reforms 90% of American wage earners have a higher take-home pay this year.  Over 3 million working Americans have received Trump tax cut bonuses as a result of the Trump tax reform law.  But fake Elizabeth Warren wants to take that all away.  Elizabeth Warren told CNBC Democrats will end the Trump tax cuts if they take power in November.  Warren also promoted a 50% tax hike on American earners.  Wow, there's a winning platform.  Why didn't we think of that?

July 24,  2018