SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:56 P.M. ET: 

NOT GOOD – FROM DAILY HERALD:  NEW YORK -- New government data show U.S. death rates rose last year, suggesting 2017 will mark the third straight year of decline in American life expectancy.
Death rates rose for Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, flu and pneumonia, and three other leading causes of death.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted the statistics online Wednesday.  Full-year data is not yet available for drug overdoses, suicides or firearm deaths. But partial-year statistics in those categories showed continuing increases.  This should be a major news story, although the mainstream media might be frightened of the details.  We always prided ourselves on ever-increasing life expectancy.  We'd better study the causes of the decline.

GREAT MOMENTS IN JOURNALISM – FROM NEWSMAX:   Monica Hesse, a veteran journalist and prize-winning mystery novelist, has been named by the Washington Post as the newspaper’s first gender columnist.  Hesse, who began her career with The Post in 2007 as an intern, is "one of our most distinctive writers, she excels at everything from long-form narratives to breaking news, and is known for writing with poignancy and humor," The Post’s senior editors said.  "[She’ll bring] her signature voice to a wide-ranging column that will explore this defining social issue."   I can't wait.  This is what journalism really needs – a gender columnist.

NIKKI HANDLES IT – FROM THE ALGEMEINER:   Washington’s ambassador to the United Nations was interrupted by protesters waving Palestinians flags while speaking at the University of Houston in Texas on Tuesday.  Less than three minutes after taking the podium, Nikki Haley’s speech on US foreign policy achievements was interrupted by a male protester who accused her of sanctioning “the genocide of a native people.” She seemed startled by the exclamation, muttering, “Oh jeez.”  About two dozen students, some affiliated with the school’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter, quickly rose in unison and chanted, “Nikki, Nikki can’t you see, you are on a killing spree,” and “free, free, free Palestine.”  The disruption continued for more than two minutes, until most of the protesters were removed from the Cullen Performance Hall by police. The audience then applauded and Haley resumed speaking, only to be shouted over once again. “Any more?” she asked to loud applause after the final interruption.  She's terrific, and should be on a national ticket.  But the knives are out for her, as they generally are for any rising star.

May 23,  2018