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

READ WITH CAUTION – FROM THE HILL:   Republican-affiliated voters are outpacing Democratic-affiliated ones in early voting in several states with key elections this fall, according to NBC News.  The news outlet, citing data provided by TargetSmart, reports that Republican-affiliated early voters are exceeding Democratic-affiliated early voters in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Montana, Tennessee and Texas.   The only state where Democratic-affiliated voters are outperforming Republicans is in Nevada, according to the eight races for which TargetSmart provided data to the outlet.  Okay, sounds good, but I wouldn't take this to the bank.  Most of the votes will be cast on election day.

I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT – FROM THE HILL:   White House chief of staff John Kelly and former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski got into a physical altercation earlier this year outside the Oval Office and had to be separated by the Secret Service, The New York Times reported Monday.   The Times, citing a half-dozen people familiar with the altercation, reported that Kelly grabbed Lewandowski "by the collar and tried to have him ejected from the West Wing."  The altercation occurred on Feb. 21 and was preceded by an argument between the two men, according to the newspaper.  The two men were inside the Oval Office that day with Trump, and Kelly reportedly complained to the president that Lewandowski was making money off Trump through a contract with a super PAC supporting Trump's reelection, according to the Times.   Kelly was also angry because Lewandowski had criticized him on television for his handling of security clearances for Rob Porter, the newspaper reported. Porter is a former top aide to President Trump who resigned amid abuse accusations from his two ex-wives.  Ah, passion and intrigue in the White House.  Soon to be a minor motion picture.

GREAT MOMENTS IN EDUCATION – FROM PJ MEDIA:   The creators of the ACT test announced on Wednesday that scores for the class of 2018 are the worst reported in decades. Math scores, in fact, are in freefall among ACT-tested U.S. high school graduates, falling to their lowest mark in 14 years, according to The Condition of College and Career Readiness 2018, the ACT’s annual report.  The report includes ACT test results from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  "The percentage of ACT-tested graduates who met or surpassed the ACT College Readiness Benchmark in math—suggesting they are ready to succeed in a first-year college algebra class—fell to its lowest level since 2004," the report declared, with only 40 percent of 2018 graduates meeting the benchmark, "down from a high of 46% in 2012."  The average score on the ACT math test dropped to its lowest level in 20 years — 20.5 on a scale of 1 to 36. American students scored 21.1 in 2012 and 20.7 last year.  If we do not cure the mediocrity and cronyism in our school systems, we can easily turn into a second-rate nation.

October 22, 2018