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

YOUNG FLEE VENEZUELA – From Fox:  "CARACAS – If you are between 15 and 29 years old and you live in Venezuela, there’s a one in four chance you are planning to leave the country and put down roots somewhere else.  The acute financial crisis in the South American country is hitting particularly hard on the young, some of whom, having had grown up under the 16-year-old Chavista regime, still have hopes of starting a family in a society where they can at least dream of prosperity."  Remember those Hollywood stars who used to rush down to Caracas to praise the way the leftist country was being run?   Haven't seen them recently.

TERROR USA – From Fox:  "The FBI arrested a third man Thursday in connection with a plot to attack and behead a free speech activist and Boston police officers.  The agency's Rhode Island Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Nicholas Rovinski in Warwick, R.I. shortly after 8 p.m. local time. FBI spokeswoman Kristen Setera told Fox News that Rovinski was arrested without incident and referred further questions to the U.S. Attorney's office in Boston.  The Boston Herald reported that Rovinski is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Boston Friday, where the charges against him will be announced."  Just remember that the war on terror is over.  Barack said so.

MAJOR SNACK NEWS – From the Irish Examiner:  "Eating half a handful of peanuts or nuts a day could protect against death from cancer and heart disease, research suggests.   A study found men and women who eat at least 10g of nuts or peanuts per day have a lower risk of dying from several major causes of death than people who do not consume them."  The major downside, not included in the study, is that this could make Jimmy Carter rich.

FAILED POLICY – From The New York Times:  "WASHINGTON — President Obama is open to expanding the American military footprint in Iraq with a network of bases and possibly hundreds of additional troops to support Iraqi security forces in their fight against the Islamic State, White House officials said on Thursday.  As Iraqi forces struggle on the battlefield, aides said Mr. Obama would consider establishing a series of outposts where American advisers would work with Iraqi troops and local tribesmen. The bases would be run by Iraqis, and Americans would still not engage in ground combat, but they would play a more active role closer to the front lines."  Obama has totally botched Iraq.  Now he's trying to patch the problem by small additions of troops.   This is a perfect definition of amateurism.

June 11, 2015