SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 9:45 P.M. ET:

THE MALAYSIAN AIRLINER – From Fox:  "AirAsia didn’t have permission to fly from Surabaya to Singapore on the Sunday morning that Flight 8501 crashed into the Java Sea, Indonesian officials said Saturday.  Shortly after Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said it had detected two large parts of the aircraft on the seabed, transport ministry spokesman J.A. Barata said the airline was only permitted to fly the route on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.  'So AirAsia has committed a violation of the route that has been given to them,' Barata told The Wall Street Journal. He said the company's flights from Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city, to Singapore had consequently been suspended on Friday."  Do you get the feeling that something is very wrong with Malaysian aviation?  Details to follow.

HIGH CULTURE NEWS – From the New York Post:  "In a bizarre twist in the Sony hacking scandal, a stunning singer signed to Sony Music has recorded a love song that applauds Kim Jong-un and disses 'The Interview' star James Franco.  Former Michael Jackson backup singer Judith Hill originally wrote the song to submit to Sony for its 'Interview' soundtrack. But when it didn’t make the cut — and the North Korean hacking scandal blew up — she changed the lyrics in attempt to mediate peace between North Korea and the US. Hill, who’s Japanese- and African-American, created 'A Love Letter to Kim Jong-un,' with lyrics playfully describing affection for the dictator while belittling Franco.  'You got me light as a feather,' goes the tune, 'you got me transcending heaven/So don’t be confused/James Franco ain’t got nothing on you.'
The catchy chorus continues: 'Kim Jong-un/James Franco got nothing on you/Yeah yeah/Kim Jong-un/James Franco got nothing on you.'"  Right up there with Irving Berlin and Cole Porter.

CHRIS'S PROBLEM – Probable Republican presidential contender Chris Christie has an embarrassment on his hands in his role as governor of New Jersey.  His record as governor would have to be one of his strongest selling points if he's going to compete successfully for the nomination.  But one of the best-known employers in Jersey, Mercedes-Benz, is thinking of leaving.  A major damage-control operation is underway.  From NorthJersey.com:  "New Jersey officials have offered Mercedes-Benz USA a 'substantial financial package' of incentives to try to keep the German auto company from moving its North American headquarters out of North Jersey, state Sen. Gerald Cardinale said on Friday.  Mercedes-Benz, which employs about 1,000 people in Montvale, has declined to comment on reports that it is considering a move south, possibly to Atlanta. The company has scheduled its annual president’s reception on Tuesday with employees at the Park Ridge Marriott, and some employees, speaking on the condition of anonymity, have speculated that the luxury-car maker might announce plans to move at that time. According to a source, Georgia is offering Mercedes-Benz tax incentives of $40 million to $50 million."  If Chris can't keep Mercedes, his image gets a big fender dent.

January 3, 2014