SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET:

MAJOR POLICY NEWS – FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER:   Secretary of State John Kerry this week acknowledged twice that the Islamic State and the threat of terrorism around the world is a bigger threat than climate change, even though he has insisted in past years that climate is the bigger threat.  Kerry revealed his subtle change of thinking during his trip to Europe, where he twice indicated that when it comes to global threats, terrorism is first, and climate change is a very close second.  Does this mean the Democratic Party will charge him with heresy?

FEELING SAFE TONIGHT? – FROM AP:   High-tech hackers brought in by the Pentagon to breach Defense Department websites were able to burrow in and find 138 different security gaps, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Friday.  The so-called white-hat hackers were turned loose on five public Pentagon internet pages and were offered various bounties if they could find unique vulnerabilities. The Pentagon says 1,410 hackers participated in the challenge and the first gap was identified just 13 minutes after the hunt began.  Overall, they found 1,189 vulnerabilities, but a review by the Pentagon determined that only 138 were valid and unique.  Hillary must be ecstatic.  Y'see?  Everyone's doin' it, doin' it, doin' it.

REBELLIONS? – We sometimes wonder who's won the Democratic nomination.  Bernie Sanders won't give up, and his influence seems to be everywhere.  Example:  Elizabeth Warren, as hard left as Sanders, is now being seen everywhere, and the buzz is that she's at the top of the list for vice president.  She even dropped in at Hillary's Brooklyn headquarters today.  Hillary must be thrilled.  I'm sure she'd prefer someone who could actually help her, like the moderate Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia.  But it does appear Bernie is calling the shots.  And on the GOP side, there is more and more buzz about a possible delegate rebellion against Donald Trump.  It's possible, but unlikely, unless Trump continues to sink in the polls.

June 17,  2016