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

WE FEEL THEIR PAIN – NOT – FROM FOX:  UNITED NATIONS – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the U.N. is running out of money and is urging members to pay up amid a looming financial crisis for the international body.   In a letter to staff this week, seen by Fox News, Guterres says he has warned member states of a “troubling financial situation facing the United Nations," which he says is caused by late payments to the U.N. by member states.  “Our cash flow has never been this low so early in the calendar year, and the broader trend is also concerning; we are running out of cash sooner and staying in the red longer,” he says.   Guterres went on to say that the organization will be taking measures to look at reducing costs, in a way that won’t affect their mission. He said he also will be proposing to states various steps to strengthen financial stability at the U.N.  Trump administration threats to cut funding do not appear to be directly linked to the cash crunch.  Let's see how much the UN can raise from those great humanitarian nations around the world that are always lecturing the United States.  And let's see some checks from the big oil producers. 

HAPPINESS? – FROM STUDYFINDS:   NEW YORK — What makes a day “perfect?” Of course, the answer can be quite different from person to person, but a recent survey sought to find out common characteristics of an ideal day for the average person. As the results showed, we typically enjoy just 15 truly perfect days each year, and it’s often the most trivial activities that make us feel the best.  The survey of 2,000 American adults, commissioned by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC), found the average person would be happiest waking up at 8:15 in the morning. A perfect day would entail a sunny, spring-like forecast with temperatures reaching 74 degrees, and respondents being able to enjoy three hours outside. They see themselves spending four hours with their family and three hours with friends, then coming home and hopping on the couch — where they’d use another three hours watching television.  When all is said and done, the perfect day would end with an individual hopping into bed at 10:50 p.m.   How about a day without CNN?

COMMON SENSE – FROM THE HILL:   San Francisco's Department of Elections last week made the move to start allowing non-U.S. citizens to vote in the city's school board elections, sparking a national debate.   The idea is unlikely to be copied in many localities, at least if the latest American Barometer poll is any indication.  According to the survey, which is a joint project of Hill.TV and the HarrisX polling company, 71 percent of respondents opposed San Francisco's decision, while only 29 percent said they supported the move.  Ninety-one percent of Republicans polled said they opposed giving the right to vote to noncitizens, as did 54 percent of Democrats.  Seventy percent of independents said they were also in opposition to the decision.   When respondents were asked the same question but with the wording changed to include the term "illegal immigrants" instead of non-U.S. citizens, the results were nearly the same.  The people have decided wisely.

July 27, 2018