I’M EXPECTING AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND AN EARTH-SHATTERING KABOOM: US Fighters May Carry StormBreaker Foul-Weather Bomb by Next Year.

The U.S. Air Force’s System Programs Office “is looking at [the bomb and saying], ‘This is going so well’ that they’re pulling the timeline left because they want to potentially field it early,” said Jim Meger of Raytheon’s Missile Systems business development. Meger spoke to Military.com Tuesday during an interview at the Farnborough air show here.

“No matter how challenging a scenario we’ve put into it, the weapon is performing just fantastic,” Meger said.

More procurement wins like this, please.

OH: Bernie Sanders’ Strategist Named in New Cache of Mueller Evidence.

HONEY TRAP: Judge Orders Accused Russian Spy to Stay Behind Bars as DOJ Alleges Sex Offered for Political Influence.

UPDATE (FROM GLENN): Who does she think she is, a New York Times reporter?

SCRAPPLEFACE: Trump Clarifies Russia Quip, 2015 Announcement.

FILIBUSTER-PROOF: Liberals Send Female Senate Democrats ‘Pee-Proof’ Underwear to Oppose Trump’s SCOTUS Pick.

THINX and Icon, the companies behind the “period sex blanket” and absorbent underwear for bladder leaks, sent “endurance packages” to senators Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D., N.Y.).

“THINX and Icon create underwear that champion and support bodies throughout different stages of life,” according to a press release sent by Unbendable Media, a public relations firm. “From first periods to post-menopause and all the little leaks in between, THINX and Icon aim to empower their customers with sustainable solutions, all while breaking taboos around menstruation and bladder leaks.”

The companies said they were sending female Democratic senators urine absorbent underwear to “prepare them for hearings and other potential roadblock attempts in efforts to stop Kavanaugh’s confirmation.”

The underwear will help them “protect women’s rights” by blocking Kavanaugh’s appointment, according to the press release.

I guess nobody told them about the Reid Option.

WHAT? White House Weighing Putin Request to Interrogate Americans Linked to Top Critic Browder.

FLORIDA, MAN: Natty Ice beer thief shot by gas station owner — who faces attempted murder charge.

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, 43-year-old Rennie Defoe Jr. of Plant City, walked into the store about 11:40 p.m. and grabbed three 18-packs of Natural Ice from the cooler.

Video released by the Sheriff’s Office showed Defoe strolling out the front door as the store’s father-and-son owners watched.

The son, Mehedeun Hasan of Lakeland, grabbed a 9 mm handgun and chased after Defoe, the video shows. Defoe tossed the beer into his Toyota Camry and climbed into the driver’s seat.

According to investigators, Hasan — seen in the video pointing the gun at the driver’s window — opened fire as Defoe pulled away.

Defoe drove off, but crashed his car less than a mile away.

He was taken to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center with a single gunshot wound to his left arm and chest, deputies said. He was listed in critical condition, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Hasan, who had no prior criminal history, was arrested on charges of attempted murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Defoe has a lengthy felony record, including charges of robbery, firing into a dwelling, grand theft and distributing cocaine within 100 feet of a school.

It doesn’t seem like a jury would actually convict — but you never know.

NOT THAT ONE; THE OTHER ONE: Today is George Bush’s Birthday.

Some will protest and say, that’s not true, the president’s birthday was July 6. But we’re not talking about the same person, apparently. Nor his father. Because this George Bush turns only 15 today.

The George Bush I have in mind is not the one whose full name is George Walker Bush, nor the one whose full name is George Herbert Walker Bush, but the one whose full name is George Bush Abdul Kader Faris Abed El-Hussein (no relation to Saddam). And this George Bush was born in Baghdad on July 11, 2003.

We were welcomed as liberators — and do read the whole thing.

GOOD TIMES: What’s behind the government’s record income tax collection.

According to the Treasury Department’s monthly statement, our government collected a record $1.305 trillion in individual income taxes through the first nine months of fiscal 2018.

The figure, which goes up to June, is rising because more people are working and paying taxes.

It may also be heading higher because more folks are cashing in gains made in the stock market.

That’s the good news.

But there’s also some bad news attached to the tax cuts. Washington still ran a deficit of $607 billion over the same nine months — despite all those contributions from hardworking Americans.

Washington doesn’t have a revenue problem; it has a spending problem.

NARRATOR: YOU’LL BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED NEXT. Transgender Prisoner Put in Female Jail— You Won’t Believe What Happened Next.

MODERN STASI: What To Learn From The Social Justice Warrior Who Was Eaten By His Own Mob. “Mob compliance is a vicious and deadly cycle. The only way to stop the cycle is to stop complying with the mob’s demands.”

Wilson also describes the social justice industry, which thrives on political correctness, as “a surveillance culture, a snitch culture.” This description is very apt, especially if you recall last summer’s Twitter crusade by celebrity Lena Dunham. She encouraged people to eavesdrop on others’ private conversations to report something politically incorrect to authorities.

Dunham publicly celebrated getting two American Airlines employees investigated after she reported overhearing their conversation in an airport terminal. The employees allegedly engaged in what she called “transphobic” talk. Dunham was modelling the snitch culture so her followers could do same to anyone and everyone.

American Airlines cooperated by publicly agreeing to investigate the employees based on Dunham’s manufactured complaint. As it turned out, the airline claimed it didn’t have conclusive evidence. So, as far as we know, no employees lost their jobs as a result of that particular incident. But it all paves the way for the metastasis of a snitch culture.

That’s standard procedure today for all of the corporations that now operate under the rainbow-colored flag, which is to say just about all of them. As we can see from Wilson’s experience, it’s working so well that the mob can now turn on its own with impunity.

Flashback: “We’re after power and we mean it.”

“Did you really think we want those laws observed?” said Dr. Ferris. “We want them to be broken. You’d better get it straight that it’s not a bunch of boy scouts you’re up against… We’re after power and we mean it… There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt. Now that’s the system, Mr. Reardon, that’s the game, and once you understand it, you’ll be much easier to deal with.”

Don’t be easy to deal with.

PRIORITIES: Battling an image problem, Broward schools seeks public relations exec for up to $175,000 a year.

The school district has suffered a number of public relations hits since the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, which left 17 people dead.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel has reported on how Stoneman Douglas under-reported crime on campus, how the school failed to provide adequate special education services to killer Nikolas Cruz; and how a culture of leniency has allowed unruly students to receive countless second chances.

The school district also struggled to defend its controversial PROMISE program, which offers alternatives to arrests for some misdemeanors. The district initially said Cruz was never eligible for the program, only to backtrack and said he started the program but failed to complete it for reasons no one could explain.

School Board members have complained that the district needs to be more aggressive in defending itself against negative news coverage.

Clearly, nothing more than bad PR is what ails Broward schools.

LIZ SHELD’S MORNING BRIEF: We’ll Always Have Montenegro and Much, Much More. “The latest scandal is that Trump still won’t admit that RUSSIA tried to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, which is an important admission for the media because they want to delegitimize Trump’s election. Do you notice how often the media point out in their pieces or on television that the intelligence agencies agree the RUSSIAN inteference didn’t impact the election outcome? They almost never mention this or if they do, it’s in paragraph 47.”

LIES, DAMNED LIES, AND RESEARCHERS: Bacon Is Bad For Your Mental Health, Say Researchers.

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT: US Congressman Calls for Ban on Crypto Buying and Mining.

Congressman Brad Sherman is no stranger to controversial statements on the subject – back in March he called cryptocurrencies “a crock” – and during the Wednesday hearing of a subcommittee for the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, he went so far as to advocate keeping Americans out of the market entirely.

“We should prohibit U.S. persons from buying or mining cryptocurrencies,” the California Democrat declared. He added that, beyond cryptocurrencies being potentially used as a form of money in the future, it can currently be used by tax evaders and rogue states seeking to bypass U.S. sanctions.

And law-abiding Americans should be punished for that why, exactly?

WINNING: U.S. Oil Shock: Production Hits 11 Million, Inventories Jump Unexpectedly.

The Energy Information Administration said U.S. output hit 11 million barrels per day last week, after holding at 10.9 million bpd for the prior five weeks. Just five months ago, domestic production topped 10 million bpd.

But production data from the lower 48 states appears to be getting rounded off in recent weeks, meaning actual output may be slightly below 11 million bpd.

Crude stockpiles rose by 5.8 million barrels. Gasoline supplies fell by 3.2 million barrels. Analysts polled by S&P Global expected a 3 million-barrel drop in crude stockpiles and a 1 million-barrel drop in gasoline supplies.

I get the feeling that when summer peak demand fades and refineries have a chance to catch up with crude inventories, that pump prices will fall hard and fast.

Just nobody tell Obama.

THAT WOULD REQUIRE TAKING NOTICE OF SOME INCONVENIENT TRUTHS: Democrats must talk tougher on Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba if they want to win Florida.

BUT OF COURSE: Keith Ellison Demands Amazon Remove Christian Books Published By SPLC-Defined ‘Hate Groups.’

THE REVOLT AGAINST THE MASSES: Measure to split California into three states removed from ballot by the state Supreme Court.

THOM NICKELS: At UPenn, Movement To Erase Campus Ties to Slavery Heats Up.

DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME: Man who is 90 per cent covered in tattoos has his genitals removed because they spoiled the view of his body art.

BLUE ON BLUE: Ocasio-Cortez Learns the Agony of Victory as Lieberman Tells N.Y. Dems to Vote Crowley.

I’m not sure how much sway Joe Lieberman holds with today’s Democratic voters.

CHANGE: San Francisco Department of Elections issues voter registration forms for non-citizens.

NEWS YOU CAN USE? This Japanese Town Is Suffering a Ninja Shortage, Will Pay $85,000 to Anyone Who Wants to Be One.

BUT THE NARRATIVE! Supposedly pristine South American forest had been pre-Columbian farmland.

Hot take: European colonialism is good for the rainforest.