SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:54 P.M. ET: 

ETERNAL VIGILANCE, MY FRIEND – FROM AFP:   LONDON, United Kingdom – An extremist who plotted a suicide attack on British Prime Minister Theresa May wanted to decapitate her in a bomb and knife assault, a court heard Tuesday.  Naa’imur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, allegedly wanted to make “big news” by storming Downing Street as May spoke outside her office.  Rahman was fully prepared to die in the attack, England’s Old Bailey central criminal court in London heard.  I wonder how many similar attacks are being planned right now.

WHY NOT TEN? – FROM THE DETROIT FREE PRESS:   LANSING — The unprecedented outpouring of activism from students after the shooting at Marjorie Douglas Stoneman High School in Parkland, Fla., in February is the genesis for a bill introduced in the Legislature last week that would change the voting age in Michigan to 16.  "We allow 16-year-olds to go off and get jobs and pay taxes, but we fail to allow them to exercise their voice come election time," said Sen. David Knezek, D-Dearborn Heights. "Young people are setting aside their differences and identifying issues they think need to change. And they can do everything to get that change except vote."  The real reason for the absurd idea is that young people tend to be liberal, and the Democratic Party wants their vote.  My own feeling has always been that we should raise the voting age to 25, to compensate for the mass immaturity that seems to be gripping the nation.

SAD FOR GENERAL ELECTRIC – FROM CNN MONEY:  S&P Dow Jones Indices announced on Tuesday that the iconic maker of light bulbs and jet engines will be replaced in the 30-stock index by Walgreens Boots Alliance.  GE (GE) was an original member of the Dow in 1896 and has been in it continuously since 1907.  Being ousted from the Dow is the latest indignity for GE, which is dealing with a serious cash crisis caused by years of bad deals. GE has replaced its CEO, slashed thousands of jobs and cut its coveted stock dividend in half.  Last year, GE was the worst-performing stock in the Dow, losing almost half of its value.  Used to be a household name.  And its spokesman used to be Ronald Reagan.  And its slogan was, "Progress is our most important product."

June 19, 2018