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

SAY IT AIN'T SO, DON JR – But it is.  I've spent most of the day monitoring the developing "Donald Trump Jr" meeting.  We'll have much more on this as the story develops.  Initial reaction:  Clearly, Donald Trump Jr. used poor judgment in meeting with some Russian lawyer after being told the individual had damaging information on Hillary Clinton, and that the information came from the Russian government.  Trump Jr. probably also received awful political advice from Trump campaign operatives.  However, it's hard to go much beyond the charge of "poor judgment."  Trump Jr. can be faulted, and should be.  His lack of candor in revealing the details of the meeting before yesterday cannot be defended.  This is a painful moment.  But to suggest "treason," as one nutty Democrat did, is to show that the Dems will probably ruin their case by exaggeration and distortion.  Still developing.

TELL IT TO THE JUDGE – FROM AP:  HOUSTON (AP) — An 11-year-old Houston-area girl who was pulled over for speeding told police that her mother allows her to drive but that this was the first time without an adult.  Police in Pasadena say the girl told them she was driving her 10-year-old brother home after they stopped her for driving 49 mph in a 35 mph zone.   Their 25-year-old mother, Maria DeJesus Lopez, has been charged with two counts of child endangerment and is free on $3,000 bond following a Monday court appearance.  It's such a relief, in the midst of all these Washington hearings and legal opinions, to see such a beautifully clear-cut violation of the law.  I'm sure the judge will be tough but fair.

MORE LAWBREAKING NEWS – FROM THE L.A. TIMES:   Older-model Hondas and newer-model Toyotas were among the country’s most-stolen vehicles in 2016.  And almost half the stolen Japanese cars were grabbed in California.  The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported in its annual “Hot Wheels” survey that Honda’s Civic and Accord were the most-stolen vehicles last year, followed by pickup trucks made by Ford and Chevrolet, and then by the Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima. A Dodge pickup, the Chevy Impala, the Toyota Corolla and the Jeep Cherokee rounded out the top 10.  But thieves aren’t stealing just any Civics or Accords. The bureau’s report said that Hondas from the late 1990s were the most targeted models — specifically the 1997 Accord and 1998 Civic. That's because those models were sold in very high volume, were built well enough to still be on the road, and did not include the “smart key” technology that makes newer Hondas much more difficult to steal.  Fifty years ago, names like Honda Accord and Civic didn't even appear in American showrooms.  Now they've received the very coveted "most stolen" honor.  Will there be a televised awards show?

July 11,  2017