SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:54 P.M. ET: 

GOOD MOVE, AND RARE – FROM COLLEGE FIX:  College students have often exercised the heckler’s veto against campus events featuring conservative speakers.  The obvious aim is to convince universities to block such events (as DePaul and New York University did) or make them unreasonably expensive for student clubs that invite these speakers and are required to pay steep security costs to deal with leftist thugs. (Sometimes it backfires.)  Columbia University is taking one step toward making the heckler’s veto less effective.  The Columbia Daily Spectator reports the Ivy League school has pledged to pay security costs for student events it judges at risk of “significant disruption,” and will retroactively cover two College Republicans events targeted by student protesters.  The CRs were the target of defunding efforts by the Black Student Union last fall for inviting conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich and anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson.  I hope other colleges follow this example.

AWARDS SHOWS NO LONGER HOT – FROM VARIETY:  Bruno Mars’ big night at the 60th Annual Emmy Awards generated plenty of controversy Sunday. It did not generate much interest from television viewers.  In the key 18-49 demo, Sunday night’s Grammys telecast hit an all-time low, according to Nielsen early numbers, with a 5.9 rating. The show averaged 19.81 million total viewers, its lowest tally since 2008. That’s a 24% drop from the previous year  — the greatest year-to-year declines for the awards show since 2013.  But this year’s ratings slide is more problematic than the one experienced five years ago, and should worry Grammys broadcaster CBS, as well as Oscars broadcaster ABC.  Add that to the decline in NFL ratings over the season.  Maybe the public is sending a message:  Cut out the politics and just give us a good show, or a good game.

THE END OF VEGAS? – FROM CNN MONEY: Elvis just started a new, somewhat boring job. When a guest at the Renaissance Hotel in Las Vegas needs a toothbrush or an extra towel, he brings it to their room.
Three-feet tall and covered in decorative stars, Elvis is a robot. And while it doesn't replace any human employees at the moment, it is a sign of what's next for Las Vegas.  Earlier this month, Las Vegas hosted CES -- one of the largest technology shows in the world. Self-driving cars, cleaning robots, and AI-powered systems offered a peek into the city's own automated future.  But Las Vegas is also the U.S. city most at risk for losing jobs to automation, according a study from the University of Redlands. In 20 years, about 65% of the city's jobs could be automated. Vegas always reinvents itself and always survives.  They'll bring in former President Trump for advice. 

January 29,  2018