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

IS THERE ANYONE? – FROM RASMUSSEN:   Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden are among those touted as serious Democratic presidential contenders in 2020, but three-out-of-four Democrats think their party needs to turn to someone new.  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 73% of Likely Democratic Voters believe their party should look for a fresh face to run for president in 2020. Just 16% disagree and think the party should promote a candidate who has already run in the past.  A fresh face in the Democratic Party means someone about 74 who has rediscovered Karl Marx.

AH YES, I REMEMBER IT WELL – FROM THE IRISH EXAMINER:   Two fifths of people have a fictional first memory based on fragments of early experiences, psychologists have found.  Scientists questioned participants in a survey that identified more than 2,000 individuals claiming to have memories from the age of two or younger.  Current research suggests that memories cannot be formed before about three-and-a-half years.  Yet 893 of those taking part in the survey said they had memories extending to before their first birthday.  But they don't remember their campaign promises. 

SOLID ECONOMY – FROM FOX:   WASHINGTON – U.S. retail sales rose at a solid pace last month despite higher prices and modest wage gains, a sign of underlying consumer optimism.  The Commerce Department said Monday that sales at retailers and restaurants increased 0.5 percent in June, following a big 1.3 percent gain the previous month. May's figure was revised sharply higher from an initial estimate of 0.8 percent.  Americans are confident about the economic outlook, with the unemployment rate near an 18 year-low and the economy accelerating after a sluggish first quarter. Retail sales rose 6.6 percent from a year earlier, the fastest annual pace in five years.  Still, some of the spending increases, such as gas station sales, simply reflect higher prices. Excluding auto dealers and gas stations, sales rose 0.3 percent in June.  A good picture, and what the GOP will be selling in the coming months, as the midterm elections approach. 

July 17, 2018