SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT:

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE UNITED STATES FLASHES WEAKNESS – FROM THE HILL:   North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told the country's government on Thursday it needed to be prepared for confrontation with the United States.  Kim “stressed the need to get prepared for both dialogue and confrontation, especially to get fully prepared for confrontation” with the U.S. during a ruling party meeting, Korean Central News Agency reported, according to The Associated Press.  North Korea needs to “protect the dignity of our state and its interests for independent development and to reliably guarantee the peaceful environment and the security of our state,” Kim said, according to the state media outlet.  The comments come after the Group of Seven (G-7) countries — the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan — pushed North Korea earlier this week to abandon its nuclear and missile program, AP noted. The countries encouraged the Asian country to come to the negotiating table and respect human rights conditions, according to the wire service.  Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in May there was no "grand bargain" to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.  North Korea realizes it is no longer dealing with the tougher Donald Trump.  So it flexes its muscles, knowing no one will do a thing. 
WISE DECISION – FROM FOX:   The Supreme Court sided unanimously with a Catholic foster agency in a dispute against the city of Philadelphia over whether it should be banned from participating in the city's foster program because it excludes same-sex couples.  The group, Catholic Social Services (CSS), claimed that "Philadelphia’s attempts to exclude the Catholic Church from foster care" violated the First Amendment. Lawyers for the city, meanwhile, said that CSS "lacks a constitutional right to demand that DHS offer it a contract that omits the same nondiscrimination requirement every other FFCA must follow when performing services for the City."  In a 9-0 ruling, the justices sided with Catholic Social Services.  "CSS seeks only an accommodation that will allow it to continue serving the children of Philadelphia in a manner consistent with its religious beliefs; it does not seek to impose those beliefs on anyone else," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in a majority opinion. "The refusal of Philadelphia to contract with CSS for the provision of foster care services unless it agrees to certify same-sex couples as foster parents cannot survive strict scrutiny, and violates the First Amendment."  Freedom of religion was our first freedom.  It has been under attack in recent years.  The unanimous Court today restored some of the balance.  Religious beliefs must, within reason, be accommodated, which is the true American way.  The quote from Chief Justice Roberts gets it exactly right.

June 17, 2022