SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET:

THIS JUST IN – From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:  Britney Spears' manager Larry Rudolph insists the pop star was "by no means endorsing" Hillary Clinton when Spears posted photos of herself posing with the Democratic presidential candidate last week.  Rudolph said he initiated the meeting, which took place Thursday in Clinton's suite at Caesars Palace.  "Hillary was in town," Rudolph said. "I got connected with one of her top aides, whom I spoke to. Hillary said she really wanted to meet Britney, and Britney really wanted to meet her."  Several photos of the meeting were posted on Spears' Instagram account, but #ImWithHer, Clinton's social media hashtag, was quickly deleted.  What does Hillary do now?  There's an old political saying, "If you've lost Britney Spears, you've lost."  How does something like this happen?  How does Hillary explain it?  Britney Spears controls the election.

GREAT MOMENT IN EDUCATION – From London's Daily Mail:  Head of £33,000-a-year girls' boarding school says boys should wear princess dresses and girls dress up as firemen as she calls for 'gender neutral' parenting.   The headmistress of a £33,000-a-year girls' boarding school has called for parents to bring up their children in a 'gender neutral' way so that youngsters can try out 'male' and 'female' roles.  Heathfield school's Jo Heywood believes one of the benefits of gender neutral parenting is that it would produce girls confident about entering careers such as science and engineering, traditionally regarded as a man's world.  I can't wait to go to their senior prom.

TRUMP REJECT INDEPENDENT BID, SORT OF – From The Hill:   Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said on Sunday that it's "highly highly unlikely" that he will launch a third-party campaign.  Trump added, however, that the Republican National Committee (RNC) is not honoring the pledge he signed last year.  "The pledge is the pledge," Trump said on "Fox News Sunday."  "I signed a pledge. I'm a Republican. I'm the leading Republican by a lot and that's where I want to be. I don't want to run as an independent. I'm not going to be doing that. I think it's highly highly unlikely."  We'll see how unlikely it is if Trump gets angry at the party, which will probably happen if he loses the nomination. 

February 21,  2016