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

SLEEP WELL – FROM THE TELEGRAPH:   It is said that a clear conscience makes the softest pillow, but according to a new study the secret of a good night’s sleep is having something worth getting out of bed for the next day.  In the first research of its kind, US scientists found that having a purpose in life results in fewer nighttime disturbances and improved sleep quality.  Although all the participants in the study were elderly, researchers said the findings are likely to apply to people of all ages, suggesting that whether you will sleep well is already decided before you even get into bed.  So I guess this means that liberals will never sleep well.

I WANTED SO MUCH TO MEET THEM – FROM THE TELEGRAPH:   Hopes of finding life on Mars, at least on the surface, were dealt a blow on Thursday by a study revealing that salt minerals present on the Red Planet kill bacteria. In lab tests on Earth, the compounds known as perchlorates killed cultures of the bacteria Bacillus subtilis, a basic life form, a research duo from the University of Edinburgh's School of Physics and Astronomy reported. In the new study, Jennifer Wadsworth and Charles Cockell showed the compound can also be activated by UV light, without heat, in conditions mimicking those on the martian surface. It killed bacteria within minutes, said the team, implying the planet was "more uninhabitable than previously thought".   This is a major blow to the Martian real-estate market.  The Democrats are already blaming Trump.

NEW YORK'S FAR-LEFT MAYOR – FROM FOX:   Mayor de Blasio flew all the way to Hamburg, Germany, to praise that city’s police in a speech — while cops back home continued to mourn, without him, the assassination of one of their own in The Bronx.  “Our right to protest is directly related to the fact that our police protect us,” Hizzoner told a crowd of thousands at the outdoor Hamburg Shows Attitude rally protesting the G-20 summit Saturday. “So help me by joining in applause and thanks for the police,” he said as the crowd cheered.  “There have also been great acts of bravery and restraint,” he said. “Remember, our police are working men and women, too.”...And back home, the mayor missed an evening vigil honoring slain NYPD Officer Miosotis ­Familia at the 46th Precinct station house where she worked in The Bronx.  Familia, 48, a mother of three, was shot in the head early Wednesday by a cop-loathing ­parolee as she sat in a police command vehicle.  This mayor is a Castro-supporting leftist who was also a booster of the Sandinistas.   So why is he mayor of New York?  Because the Republican Party of New York City refuses to put up a good fight to replace him.  The mayor is up for re-election this fall, and will probably win.  We need another Rudy.

July 9, 2017