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

FIGHTING BACK – FROM THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS:   Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Sunday that any of his players who disrespect the flag during the national anthem won't play in games.  Jones is the first NFL owner to publicly make a stand about disciplining players who kneel during the anthem. Jones didn't specify what kind of other demonstration he would consider disrespectful.  Cowboys defensive linemen Damontre' Moore and David Irving stood alongside teammates during the national anthem before Sunday's home game against Green Bay at AT&T Stadium. At the conclusion of the anthem, the two players raised their fists.  I'm glad Jones is fighting back.  Respect for the anthem and flag should be a basic principle in professional sports.  The NFL is losing favor and losing money because of the behavior of some players, who don't realize they hurting, not helping their cause.

THE WEINSTEIN SAGA – FROM FOX:   The Weinstein Company film studio announced Sunday that its directors have fired movie mogul Harvey Weinstein after the New York Times reported he settled sexual harassment lawsuits with at least eight women.  "In light of new information about misconduct by Harvey Weinstein that has emerged in the past few days, the directors of The Weinstein Company - Robert Weinstein, Lance Maerov, Richard Koenigsberg and Tarak Ben Ammar - have determined, and have informed Harvey Weinstein, that his employment with The Weinstein Company is terminated, effective immediately," the company's board of representatives said in a statement given to Fox News.  Oh, the self-righteousness, the sudden morality!  Does anyone really believe that this crew didn't know all about Harvey's extra-curriculars?  And how about the press demanding that Hillary Clinton address this scandal.  Weinstein was one of her biggest backers.  Hillary is probably asking Bill for advice. 

COMMON SENSE – FROM FOX:  FEMA Administrator Brock Long said on Sunday that as his agency responds to the crisis in Puerto Rico, it's also "filtered out" San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, adding: "We don't have time for the political noise."    More than two weeks after Hurricane Maria lashed the island, killing 36 people, Cruz tweeted Sunday: "Increasingly painful to understand the American people want to help and US Gov does not want to help. WE NEED WATER!" She later wrote, "Power collapses in San Juan hospital with 2 patients being transferred out. Have requested support from @FEMA_Brock NOTHING!"   "We filtered out the mayor a long time ago," Long told ABC News's Martha Raddatz on "This Week" Sunday, after Raddatz mentioned the tweets. "We don't have time for the political noise. The bottom line is, is that we are making progress everyday in conjunction with the governor."  The mayor was exposed long ago as a Democratic operative, with ties to Hillary Clinton.  She isn't taken seriously, but you may be sure she'll wind up speaking at the next Democratic National Convention.

October 8,  2017