SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE –  AT 10:08 P.M. ET:

NO ALOHA – FROM FOX:   Honolulu’s Café 8 ½ gets rave reviews on Yelp for its “Radiatore Verde” and “Italian stir fry,” among other popular dishes at the eclectic mom-and-pop restaurant – but the response to its new 'policy' barring pro-Trump patrons has been decidedly more mixed.  A bright yellow, handmade sign posted on the restaurant's front glass door declares: “If you voted for Trump you cannot eat here! No Nazis.”  A photo of the sign was shared with FoxNews.com. One also is proudly posted on the café’s Facebook page, and was “liked” by some 40 people.  “…The next time you're in Honolulu, eat lunch here, not only are they on the right side of things, the food is delicious and reasonable,” one Facebook user wrote next to the photo.  Others aren’t so charmed.  Honolulu resident and Donald Trump voter Susan Roberts told FoxNews.com she found the sign in “extreme poor taste.”  “It's childish and very unprofessional,” she said in an email. “… The restaurant owner doesn't have to worry ... I will not be stepping foot in that establishment.”  Willes Lee, former chairman of the Hawaii Republican Party and now president of National Federation of Republican Assemblies, told FoxNews.com the sign is discriminatory, and harkens back to “racist and hate-filled” days before statehood.  “Remember when Filipinos couldn't go in certain places, or Japanese wouldn't be allowed [in] many homes? And, it didn't matter who they voted for,” said Lee, who is of Japanese descent.  The anti-Trump crowd is vastly overplaying its hand.  The man hasn't even been inaugurated.

WASHINGTON POST EXPANDING – FROM AFP:   Washington (AFP) - The Washington Post, purchased three years ago by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, will turn a profit in 2016 and expand its newsroom, defying the downward trend in the newspaper industry.  A memo to staff this month from Post publisher Fred Ryan, obtained by AFP, said the newspaper has been helped by its digital efforts and will be launching new "initiatives" in the coming year.  "Thanks to the incredible work of the entire team, the Washington Post will finish this year as a profitable and growing company," Ryan said in the memo.   "In addition to reinforcing our belief that there is a viable business model in quality journalism, this will provide additional funding for several new initiatives that build upon the successes of this year."  The newsroom was "larger this year than last year, and it will grow even more next year," he added.  I'm willing to bet that virtually all the gain came from liberal readers seeking a safe space, rather than mature adults looking for good journalism.  While the Post has a better editorial page than the even-more-liberal New York Times, the paper never makes any effort to appeal to other than liberal readers.

TAKE THAT, VLAD – FROM ZEROHEDGE:   Just a week after Obama held a press conference announcing that he sent a stern warning to Vladimir Putin regarding his alleged "election hacking" efforts (see "Obama Told Putin To "Cut It Out" On Hacking"), the Washington Post is reporting that the Obama administration is close to announcing a series of economic sanctions and other measures to punish Russia for its "interference" in the 2016 presidential election. Quoting "U.S. officials," WaPo said that an announcement from the Obama administration could come as early as this week and would likely include "covert cyber operations." Gee, you think this is a little late?  The obvious reason for the move is not to punish Russia, but to put President Trump in a position where only Trump could remove the sanctions, thus raising further suspicions about his closeness to Putin.  I have no problem about questioning Trump's ties to Putin, but this is a tacky way to do it.  It's the Obama style – direct from the Chicago City Council.

December 27, 2016