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

CHANGING FOX – FROM THE HILL:   Fox News has declined to renew contributor contracts for longtime political commentator George Will, Republican strategist Ed Rollins and actress Stacey Dash, according to a network spokesperson.  Will, 75, is a Pulitzer-winning conservative columnist who was with ABC from 1981-2011 before coming to Fox in 2013.  In June of 2016, he declared he was leaving the Republican party because of Donald Trump, a decision the then-nominee appeared to embrace.  In 2015 and 2016, Will had periodically feuded with the network's highest-rated host, Bill O'Reilly, with Will once stating that O'Reilly's best-selling book, "Killing Reagan" was "nonsensical" and "The Factor" host calling Will "a hack" in a subsequent interview.  Sad to see George Will go.  I didn't always agree with him, but he's, at minimum, a thoughtful man who's conducted himself well.  He still has his newspaper column.

OH, LEAVE THE NUT ALONE – FROM THE DAILY MAIL:  The Secret Service has reportedly said it will open an investigation into Madonna after the singer told the Women's March on Washington that she had thought about 'blowing up the White House'.  Donning a black p***yhat, the music icon caused controversy by dropping the F-bomb four times, sparking a slew of apologies from broadcasters airing the protest live.
She went on to speak of her rage at the election result, telling the crowd she had thought a lot about 'blowing up the White House' but knew that it 'wouldn't change anything'.  According to the Gateway Pundit, a spokesman for the Secret Service said they were 'aware' of Madonna's comments and will open an investigation, but the ultimate decision whether or not to prosecute is the decision of the U.S. Attorney's Office.   The Secret Service declined to comment on the matter.  I think sending her to a retirement home would be adequate punishment.  She's a sad spectacle.

JARED OKAY – FROM CNN:  The Justice Department concluded Friday that Jared Kushner serving in his father-in-law's administration would not be a violation of federal anti-nepotism laws.  "In choosing his personal staff, the President enjoys an unusual degree of freedom, which Congress found suitable to the demands of his office," wrote Daniel Koffsky, deputy assistant attorney general in the DOJ Office of Legal Counsel, which serves as interpreter of federal law for the White House.  In essence, Koffsky reasoned that the anti-nepotism law covers only appointments in an "executive" agency and that the White House Office is not an executive agency within the law. He cited a separate law that gives the President broad powers to hire his staff.  That law authorizes the president to appoint "employees in the White House office without regard to any other provision of law regulating the employment or compensation of persons in the government service."  The argument is in line with the interpretation put forward by Kushner's attorney, Jamie S. Gorelick, earlier in the week.   Wise decision.  Presidents have often depended on relatives for advice and special missions.  FDR assigned Eleanor Roosevelt to important duties, especially during World War II.  Bill Clinton assigned Hillary to develop a health plan, which was not adopted.  Milton Eisenhower served as an adviser to his brother, President Dwight D. Eisenhower.  It's interesting that Kushner's lawyer is Jamie S. Gorelick, who is especially close to the Clintons.

January 21,  2017