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

SAD DAY FOR KIDS – FROM AP:   ELLENTON, Fla. (AP) -- After 146 years, the curtain is coming down on "The Greatest Show on Earth." The owner of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus told The Associated Press that the show will close forever in May.  The iconic American spectacle was felled by a variety of factors, company executives say. Declining attendance combined with high operating costs, along with changing public tastes and prolonged battles with animal rights groups all contributed to its demise.  "There isn't any one thing," said Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment. "This has been a very difficult decision for me and for the entire family."  The company broke the news to circus employees Saturday night after shows in Orlando and Miami.  Ringling Bros. has two touring circuses this season and will perform 30 shows between now and May. Major stops include Atlanta, Washington, Philadelphia, Boston and Brooklyn. The final shows will be in Providence, Rhode Island, on May 7 and in Uniondale, New York, at the Nassau County Coliseum on May 21.  A great institution comes to an end.  I recall going to "the circus" when I was a kid, and "the circus" always meant Ringling Bros.  We took our own kids.  Maybe it is a little old fashioned, and concern for animals is legitimate.  But what a show. 

UGLY – FROM FOX:   Tony-award winning singer Jennifer Holliday has decided not to sing at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration – caving in to significant pressure from gay and lesbian fans who were outraged by her decision to put patriotism over politics.  “I sincerely apologize for my lapse of judgment, for being uneducated on the issues that affect every American at this crucial time in history and for causing such dismay and heartbreak for my fans,” Holliday wrote in a letter provided to The Wrap.  The apology came one day after she defended her participation in an interview with The New York Times.  “We’ve become such a polarized country – we’re not listening to what the Obamas have said,” she told the newspaper. “They told us to move forward with hope – they didn’t tell us to stop participating.”  This kind of ruthless pressure is starting to resemble the kind of thing we expect from organized crime.  Political and social movements, which often have understandable objectives, do themselves enormous harm when they start ordering people around and using muscle.  There is a great deal of cowardice in the entertainment industry, and we're seeing it on display.

I CAN'T WAIT – FROM THE HILL:   Filmmaker Michael Moore announced Saturday evening that he would be holding a "massive rally" Thursday outside Trump’s New York City International Hotel with a pair of actors.  “Mark Ruffalo, Alec Baldwin & myself will be holding a massive rally in NYC in front of Trump International Hotel this Thursday, 6pm! Come!” Moore tweeted.   Moore, Ruffalo and Baldwin have been outspoken Trump critics during the election and after Trump's surprise win. Moore, who accurately predicted Trump’s win, has been calling for massive organization surrounding Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.  "If your rep is a Democrat, tell him/her you expect them to AGGRESSIVELY fight the Trump agenda — and if they don’t, you will work with others to support a true progressive in the Democratic primary in 2018," Moore urged following Trump's win.  Moore also suggested voters to form their “own rapid response team” to quickly react to Trump and the GOP-led Congress.   I think the Democratic primary Moore is referring to will be in 2020.  But who cares about the calendar when you're deeply involved in thought.  As for the rally, I'd rather get a haircut.

January 14, 2017