SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT:

THE JUDGMENT OF SO-CALLED EDUCATORS – FROM FOX:   The parents of three University of Massachusetts-Amherst students who were suspended for reportedly violating the COVID-19 health policy after a photo of the trio, maskless at a party off-campus, was passed to school administrators told "Fox & Friends" the "draconian" punishment was "complete overkill."  The students – all women – were pictured outside and without masks at a large off-campus gathering, according to reports, which noted that the school first removed the students from campus, then later cut off their remote lesson access.  "They went to a gathering, off-campus on a Saturday. They took a picture and another student screenshotted that picture on Instagram and sent it to the administration," one of the parents told host Brian Kilmeade on Tuesday. "So that picture virtually got them kicked out of school."  "It's been heartbreaking watching my well-adjusted daughter be emotionally distraught," she added. "It's been heartbreaking for my whole family."  She stressed that the university has shown "no compassion to us."  The women were also reportedly not allowed to take their final exams, rendering the school year moot and forcing them to reapply next year. The cost for one semester is $16,000 -- a fee the families will not see refunded as part of the punishment.  This isn't discipline.  This is madness.  It tells us something about the kind of "administrators" hired by today's woke colleges.  UMass is a public institution, and the parents involved should go directly to the governor.  They'd get plenty of public support.

DE SANTIS IN ACTION AGAIN – FROM FOX BUSINESS:   Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in response to a cyberattack that shut down a major pipeline and left more than 1,000 gas stations across several states – including Florida – without fuel.   DeSantis’s declaration activates the Florida National Guard as necessary and directs state emergency management officials to work with federal and local officials.   The Colonial Pipeline – the nation’s largest fuel pipeline – delivers about 45% of what is consumed on the East Coast.   Among the states hit by the gas shortages, Florida was the least affected. Most of Central Florida’s fuel comes from Gulf Coast refineries. The fuel shortage will have its biggest impact on the Panhandle because it gets most of its gas supply from Georgia, which the Colonial Pipeline serves, Tampa Bay’s FOX 13 reported.   Nevertheless, drivers in Florida and neighboring states have rushed to the pumps creating what analysts say is unwarranted panic-buying among drivers.    Ron DeSantis is establishing a superior record of keeping people calm in emergencies, and handling complex situations.  He is high on every Republican's presidential prospect list, and for good reason.

May 11, 2021