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

EVERYBODY'S DOIN' IT, DOIN' IT, DOIN' IT – FROM THE DAILY MAIL:  Germany's foreign intelligence service BND long spied on journalists of the BBC, The New York Times, Reuters and other media, news weekly Der Spiegel reported Friday.  Media rights group Reporters Without Borders labelled the alleged surveillance 'a monstrous attack on press freedom', voiced fears the eavesdropping was ongoing and said it was planning legal action, according to Der Spiegel.  The magazine, which has extensively worked with US fugitive intelligence contractor Edward Snowden and reported on US and German espionage scandals, only cited documents it had seen.   Let's see if the news organizations named show much interest.  They will if they can prove that TRUMP (!!) and BANNON (!!!!) were behind the espionage.  Hmm.  Trump's father is of German ancestry.  That does it.

PROPER PUNISHMENT – FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER:   A TV sportscaster in Chicago was suspended on Thursday for tweets he posted on Sunday that compared President Trump to a "cartoon lunatic" and alleged the election was not fair.  "Sports anchor Mark Giangreco's Twitter comments are not in line with ABC 7 Chicago's non-partisan editorial standards," ABC-7's management said in a statement. "We've reviewed the matter and are taking the appropriate action."  Giangreco's suspension will start Monday, last for a few weeks and be unpaid, according to the Chicago Tribune.  On Sunday, Toronto Star sports columnist Bruce Arthur tweeted, "Donald Trump: a hateful ignorant corrupt simpleton supported by 87 (percent) of Republicans."  It is incredible to see how politicized sportscasting has become, with ESPN the obvious example.  I don't know quite what's driving it, but may sportscasters want a little respect from the other sections of the media.

TRUMP'S STANDING – FROM RASMUSSEN REPORTS:   The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 53% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Forty-seven percent (47%) disapprove.  The latest figures include 37% who Strongly Approve of the way Trump is performing and 38% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -1.   Rasmussen tends to show Trump stronger than other polls do, but it had an excellent accuracy record for the 2016 presidential election.  Polling in the age of Trump is difficult, but I'll go with the guy whose track record is best.

February 24,  2017