SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:53 P.M. ET:

THE THREE CALIFORNIAS – FROM FOX:  An initiative to divide California into three states has received enough signatures to qualify it for the November ballot, the California secretary of state's office confirmed Tuesday.  The three-states campaign, dubbed “Cal-3,” submitted more than 600,000 signatures.  Tim Draper, a billionaire Silicon Valley venture capital investor, sponsored the ballot measure to divide America’s most populous state into three jurisdictions, the Mercury News of San Jose, Calif., reported.
-- California would be made up of six mainly coastal counties, including Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
-- Northern California would include 40 counties from Santa Cruz to the Oregon border, including San Francisco and Sacramento, the state’s current capital.
-- Southern California would comprise 12 counties, including Fresno, Kern, Orange and San Diego counties.  All I can think of is the pain it would be to change all those current California addresses on the Urgent Agenda mailing list.  At any rate, only 17% of Californians favored the division in a recent poll.  I don't see much of a chance. 

A VICTORY FOR COMMON SENSE? – FROM COLLEGE FIX:  A program at the University of Texas meant to encourage “healthy masculinities” and discourage “restrictive masculinity” has been put on hold and is currently under review after negative media coverage brought it to the public’s attention.  The university’s “MasculinUT” program is “currently being reviewed by a steering committee that will make recommendations to the Vice President for Student Affairs to assure the program’s mission remains clearly defined,” according to the program’s website.  The program was referred for further clarification when it became clear that “some of the communication and discussion surrounding MasculinUT did not convey” the full intent of the initiative.  Last month PJ Media reported that the campaign “treats masculinity as a mental illness,” something the university denied on its website.  Why do I think we can do without this?  And if federal aid is involved, Congress should investigate.

THE NEXT THING – FROM FOX BUSINESS:  Microsoft is taking aim at Amazon.com with the development of technology that would eliminate the need for cashiers and checkout lines.  It’s a challenge to Amazon’s automated grocery shop, according to Reuters.  Microsoft has shown the idea to retailers around the world and has had talks with Walmart about a potential collaboration on the technology that tracks what shoppers add to their carts.  In January, Amazon introduced Amazon Go, an automated brick-and-mortar store that opened in Seattle.  Technology used at the store scans customers’ smartphones at a turnstile as they enter. Sensors then keep track of items that enter or leave a customer’s cart.  As customers leave the store, Amazon automatically bills their credit card.  Seems logical to me.  Checkout is always a pain.  But what if the technology breaks down and you're billed a thousand dollars for an egg?  Will there be a human there to comfort you?

June 13, 2018