Smollett guilty; Poll worries Dems; what's a Democracy Summit? Jobless claims drop; Senate rejects vaccine mandate; NY AG drops out of Gov. race; Pope says sex outside marriage not the worst sin.
Duggar guilty; new airlines; top women in entertainment; People's Choice Awards; Serena Williams out again and so is Wendy Williams; tips for not being late and the best state-by-state tax guide.
Good Friday morning. TGIF!
My take: NPR reports the President’s poll numbers are down. Democrats are worried. So why host a Democracy Summit online for 100 countries? While I understand this has been in the planning for months, the event delivers the wrong message to the American public. While economic job numbers are positive, the American people see a tone deaf President slinging around meaningless ideology. Americans are worried inflation and rampant crime. They see our standing in the world at an all time low after the Afghanistan debacle. COVID numbers are increasing and that July 4 COVID victory lap mirrors the September 11 Afghanistan celebration. These two events represent failure and mismanagement. Democrats are often criticized for their right coast, left coast academic arrogance. The Democracy summit might just be the poster child for this reputation. I am certain that the event will give politicians and high-minded thinkers a chance to talk about climate change and reimagining policing. Unfortunately, Democrats and Republicans and the all important Independents will view the day like a corporate training day or that memorable movie day in English class. PR doesn’t serve the population well. PR doesn’t win elections. Actions do. At the end of the day, voters will have to decide if they elected their officials to sit around and pontificate about Democracy or to solve the important security, economic and health issues we all live with daily.
Now to your “1 to…”
Breaking: Jussie Smollett convicted of 5 Of 6 counts of orchestrating fake hate crime against himself: Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett was convicted on five counts Thursday evening on charges he orchestrated a fake hate crime against himself nearly three years ago, while jurors acquitted him of one other count. A jury of six men and six women deliberated more than nine hours over two days before finding Smollett guilty of five of six counts of disorderly conduct, accusing the actor of staging a fake racist and homophobic attack against himself in January 2019, and then lying to police about it, in a bid for publicity. Jurors found him not guilty of the sixth count of disorderly conduct.
From NPR: A new poll finds major warning signs for Biden and fellow Democrats: Americans don't feel the direct payments or expanded child tax credits doled out earlier this year helped them much, according to the latest NPR/Marist poll, and they don't see Democrats' signature legislation as addressing their top economic concern — inflation. Additionally, they're down on the job President Biden is doing, don't give him much credit for the direct payments or tax credits, and have soured on the direction of the country.
Why Biden is hosting more than 100 countries to talk about democracy: Rather than dramatic images of world leaders grouped together in Washington, the summit began as so many other virtual White House events have: with Biden presiding over a super-Zoom of sorts, speaking to a screen filled with small squares of other leaders, from a desk on the sound stage the White House has set up in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building for such remote occasions.
White House officials insist the on-screen gathering of representatives from more than 100 countries will still have value.
US jobless claims at 52-year low amid seasonal volatility: The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits plunged last week to the lowest level in 52 years, more evidence that the U.S. job market is recovering from last year’s coronavirus recession
Three Northeast states deploy National Guard amid medical capacity crisis due to pandemic: The governors of Maine and New York deployed the National Guard in response to dangerously low capacity at statewide medical facilities due to the pandemic. The New York National Guard announced Wednesday that it had deployed 120 medics and medical technicians to a dozen long-term care facilities statewide. In Maine, Gov. Janet Mills activated the National Guard following a spike in Covid-19 cases.
Biden signs order for government to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050:
US will ‘lead by example in tackling the climate crisis,’ says White House, by eliminating greenhouse gases from its activities.
FDA clears booster shot of Pfizer vaccine for older teens: The CDC still needs to sign off before the booster shots can be administered.
Senate issues rebuke of Biden's workplace vaccine mandate: Most Democrats blasted the repeal effort as “ridiculous” and “anti-science,” and warned it would prolong the pandemic and facilitate the emergence of new Covid variants.
Demand for US workers reaches historic high: Demand for workers reached a record high in October as U.S. businesses continued to scramble for workers.
Businesses posted 11 million job openings in October, the Labor Department reported Wednesday, in line with a historic peak recorded in July. Hires stayed even at 6.5 million while the total number of workers leaving their jobs fell off to 4.9 million.
Ukrainian military report says Russia boosted troops to 120,000 near border: Ukrainian defense officials say Russia has increased troop numbers near the Ukrainian border to 120,000 people, including additional army, air force and naval personnel. According to its latest ongoing security assessment -- shared with CNN by Ukrainian security sources -- the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said "combat and other military equipment, such as tanks, armed vehicles and 'Iskander' missiles remain near the border of Ukraine," following numerous Russian military exercises.
Appeals court rejects Trump effort to deny records to Jan. 6 panel: A federal appeals court on Thursday denied former President Trump's effort to block the National Archives from turning over his White House's records to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. A three-judge panel for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected Trump's lawyers' arguments that the former president could wield claims of executive privilege to prevent the current administration from sharing the documents with Congress.
Navy reports contamination at a second water shaft servicing Hawaii base, state officials say: The Navy reported dangerous levels of petroleum contamination in a second ground water source at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii on Wednesday, state health officials said, expanding the scope of a tainted water crisis that has already forced hundreds from their homes and reportedly sickened military families.
Biden speaks to Ukraine’s president amid Russia tensions: US president also briefed NATO allies on talks with Vladimir Putin as efforts to ease tensions with Ukraine continue.
Putin says conflict in eastern Ukraine 'looks like genocide': Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that the conflict in eastern Ukraine between Kiev's army and pro-Russian separatists "looks like genocide", at a time of heightened tensions with the West.
Alleged spy wanted to flee U.S. because she hated Donald Trump, not to duck arrest, say her lawyers: Former Navy nuclear engineer Jonathan Toebbe and his wife Diana are charged with trying to sell U.S. secrets to an unnamed foreign country.
New York Attorney General wants to depose Trump in civil fraud investigation: The New York attorney general is seeking to depose former President Donald Trump as part of a civil fraud investigation into the Trump Organization, according to a source familiar with the matter. Letitia James, the New York attorney general, has requested Trump sit for a deposition by January 7, according to The Washington Post, which first reported the request. The attorney general's office is investigating whether the Trump Organization manipulated the value of its properties.
New York Attorney General Letitia James ends bid for governor and will instead run for reelection: New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday that she is ending her bid for governor of the state and instead running for reelection. "I have come to the conclusion that I must continue my work as attorney general," James said in a statement Thursday. "There are a number of important investigations and cases that are underway, and I intend to finish the job." "I am running for re-election to complete the work New Yorkers elected me to do," she added.
Biden nominates Meg Whitman as ambassador to Kenya: The former business executive and Republican California gubernatorial candidate endorsed Biden at the Democratic National Convention in August 2020.
Spanberger stranded as Virginia nears new congressional map: Democrats are still favored in most districts under a draft map released Wednesday, but one of the party's star young members is left without a seat.
US sees 'urgent' need to boost Taiwan defenses, official says: The United States sees an "urgent" need to bolster defenses in Taiwan amid worrying signals that China wants to reclaim its island neighbor, according to a top Pentagon official in Asia. Ely Ratner, the assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, said at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Wednesday that China is likely preparing to "unify" Taiwan under the People's Republic of China. He called the threat "real and dangerous."
Pope says sex outside marriage is ‘not the most serious sin’: The leader of the Catholic Church said pride and hatred were the ‘most serious’ sins.
'It's just crazy': 12 major cities hit all-time homicide records:"It's worse than a war zone around here lately," police official said.
Josh Duggar found guilty on child pornography charges, facing potential 20-year prison sentence: Duggar has been on trial in federal court since last week with his wife and some family members watching daily from the front row.
Racy photos show Ghislaine Maxwell rubbing Jeffrey Epstein’s feet on his jet: Ghislaine Maxwell was once photographed rubbing Jeffrey Epstein’s feet on what appears to be his private jet — with her breasts spilling out of her skimpy top, according to new evidence released by federal prosecutors Wednesday.
The raunchy photos — entered into evidence on Tuesday — were recovered during an FBI raid at Epstein’s Upper East
Teen accused of sexually assaulting 87-year-old woman outside Waukesha Public Library: A relative of Milwaukee Common Council President Cavalier Johnson has been accused of a brutal attack at the Waukesha Public Library.
Tuesday, Nov. 30, an 87-year-old woman told police she was robbed and had her car stolen while she stopped at the library. Police tracked down the car and arrested a 14-year-old boy after a chase on foot.
Two St. Louis elementary students took guns to school: No one will face charges after two elementary school children brought weapons to their schools in separate incidents, St. Louis police said. Adults quickly confiscated the guns and no one was injured in either incident.
Anti-semitic and racist posters found on campus: UPD says it hasn’t found evidence that the posters pose a risk to the campus community.
Woman's body pulled from submerged car above falls in dramatic Niagara River rescue attempt: The harrowing effort by a Coast Guard diver to reach an occupied vehicle caught in the churning Niagara River just 50 yards from the brink of the American Falls drew international notice Wednesday.
The rescue attempt ended with the somber news that the woman in the vehicle was already dead before the diver was lowered by helicopter to the vehicle, opened the passenger door, pulled her out and lifted her to shore.
Charlottesville’s statue of Robert E. Lee will be melted down: The statue was the focus of a deadly white nationalist rally in 2017. A local African American heritage center plans to turn it into a new piece of public art.
Why do thieves keep stealing catalytic converters? It’s elemental
COMIC: Rhodium is one of several precious metals that put the catalyst in catalytic. And right now it’s worth more than gold.
D.C. council renames the street in front of the Saudi embassy after Jamal Khashoggi: Local officials in Washington, D.C., have passed a bill that will name a portion of the street outside the Saudi embassy after slain Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The 'Jamal Khashoggi Way Designation Act,' which passed unanimously on Tuesday, will serve as a reminder of the dangers faced by journalists all over the world, noting that a free press is "fundamental to our democracy," said D.C. councilmember Brooke Pinto in a statement.
What happened to American Conservatism?: The rich philosophical tradition I fell in love with has been reduced to Fox News and voter suppression. By David Brooks.
CNN and Chris Cuomo are on the brink of all-out war:
Both sides are lawyering up and issuing dueling statements, as the former host’s past comes under renewed scrutiny. CNN also needs to fill a gaping prime-time hole (don’t count on Jake Tapper), and one talent agent suggests a path for Cuomo: “He could start a YouTube channel like Megyn Kelly.”
Fred Hiatt, the Washington Post, and America’s moral and political seriousness
Fewer people are driving downtown since COVID: Americans are still avoiding downtown travel in many cities, a sign that COVID-19 continues to affect when, where and how people move. Traffic congestion is returning to many U.S. cities, but has yet to match pre-pandemic levels, according to new data from INRIX, a mobility research firm. One reason: people aren't making as many trips downtown. Many employees continued to work remotely in 2021.
San Francisco (-49%), Detroit (-41%) and Washington, D.C. (-38%) continued to see significant reductions in downtown trips compared to February 2020.
New Zealand plans to eventually ban all cigarette sales: The proposal, expected to become law next year, would raise the smoking age year by year until it covers the entire population.
Newly-approved eyedrops could replace reading glasses for millions of middle-aged people: The drug, pilocarpine, is being sold under the brand name Vuity by drugmaker Allergan. It's the first drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat presbyopia, an age-related disorder that makes it difficult to see small nearby objects. In the past, those suffering from presbyopia had one treatment option — reading glasses. However, the FDA's approval of Vuity on Oct. 29 opened the door for the once-daily eye drops as a treatment option.
Reddit announces its 2021 recap of top community moments and personalized recap for users: Reddit on Wednesday announced its 2021 recap with the top moments and discussions in the community. The social network is also launching a personalized recap that lets each user see their own year in a review. According to Reddit, users (who are known as “redditors”) have created over 366 million posts this year in over 100,000 active communities. As of November 9, 2021, the social network has recorded a total of 2.3 billion comments, which reinforces just how popular Reddit is around the world.
Elizabeth Holmes' defense rests its case: Elizabeth Holmes' defense rested its case Wednesday, shortly after the founder and former CEO of Theranos 5 tips concluded her seventh day on the witness stand in her own criminal trial.
While the prosecution called 29 witnesses to testify, the defense's case relied almost entirely on Holmes.
‘Pharma Bro’ firm reaches $40 million settlement in price gouging case as Shkreli faces trial: Martin Shkreli, best known for drug price-gouging and a snarky online persona, still faces an antitrust trial over his alleged role in masterminding a plot to jack up prices for life-saving drug Daraprim.
Barefoot Wine and Oreo have teamed up for an unexpected pairing:
Barefoot x OREO THINS Red Blend Wine will be available starting December 9th.
Starbucks workers at a Buffalo store unionize in a big symbolic win for labor: Employees at a Buffalo-area Starbucks store have voted to form a union, making it the only one of the nearly 9,000 company-owned stores in the United States to be organized and notching an important symbolic victory for labor at a time when workers across the country are expressing frustration with wages and working conditions.
Costco is offering a new perk to club members: Costco is searching for ways to make paying $60 for a membership every year worth more to online shoppers — and keep them away from Amazon. So it's expanding an online perk available only to club members: Buy stuff from around 35 brands' websites and save 20% or more. The program, called Costco Next, first launched in 2017 with just a few brands. But Costco has recently ramped it up, offering an array of products such as Anker phone chargers, Mikasa dinnerware, Weatherproof outdoor clothing, Invicta watches, HO Sports floats and tubes, and Sumbody skincare. Costco is now advertising the program prominently on its website, and plans to add more brands and products in the coming year.
Palm Beach International welcomes new budget airline with routes to the Big Easy and Lowcountry: Need to catch a low-cost flight to the Big Easy? Or perhaps you’re heading to the Lowcountry on a budget? A new airline will offer cheap flights from Palm Beach International Airport to six destinations next year. Starting Feb. 19, Breeze Airways will offer Saturday-only roundtrip flights between West Palm Beach and cities in Louisiana, South Carolina, Ohio and Virginia. One-way fares to the Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans and the Charleston International Airport will start at $39. Flights to Akron-Canton Airport, the John Glenn International Airport in Columbus, the Norfolk International Airport and the Richmond International Airport will start at $59 one-way.
Icelandair of the Pacific? That's the hope of Northern Pacific Airways.
Teen finds buried treasure from the bronze age while searching with metal detector: Every kid dreams of finding buried treasure. For 13-year-old Milly Hardwick, that dream has come true in the most unexpected way. While out scanning a field near Royston, England with her father and grandfather, the British teen swung her metal detector over the perfect spot and struck gold—almost literally. Once the detector’s high-pitched squeal alerted them to their find, Hardwick and her father began digging. The first thing they found was an ancient artifact: an ax that’s almost 3,000 years old.
A substitute teacher sang Britney Spears' 'Toxic' on a karaoke machine: He was asked to leave early.
People on TikTok are barking at their dogs: And Animal Behaviorists Are Begging Them to Stop.
'Amazing': Monarch butterflies return in huge numbers to California after almost vanishing last year.
Most dog breeds are really inbred: Selecting traits solely for their looks has caused higher rates of inbreeding in most canines—and as a result, higher vet costs.
Florida wildlife officials move to feed starving manatees in experimental conservation approach: The unprecedented feeding plan comes as more than 1,000 manatees—about 15 percent of the state’s total population—have died this year.
Dozens of camels barred from competing in Saudi Arabia beauty contest over use of Botox: Saudi authorities have conducted their biggest-ever crackdown on camel beauty contestants that received Botox injections and other artificial touch-ups, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported Wednesday, with over 40 camels disqualified from the annual pageant.
Why Pantone created a whole new color for the 2022 color of the year: For the first time in the 22-year history of Pantone’s color of the year, the Pantone Institute has created a brand new color for the franchise, made just for 2022: PANTONE® 17-3938 Very Peri is a dynamic periwinkle blue with a vibrant, violet-red undertone designed to evoke the glowing touchscreens of the digital world and the creative possibilities of the future.
The Hollywood Reporter’s annual(ish) women in entertainment power 100:
Ramping up output while still laboring through the pandemic, the women of the entertainment industry worked doubly hard in 2021, so it's only fair they be celebrated twice ... Ava DuVernay, Scarlett Johansson and — welcome! — the Williams sisters topline THR's survey of Hollywood's leading ladies.
People’s Choice Awards winner’s list: ‘Black Widow’ Movie of the Year; Halle Berry, Christina Aguilera Take Home Icon Awards.
Rapper Slim 400 dead at 33: Gunned down in Los Angeles.
Halle Berry entered the ring ready — she's been a fighter all her life: On the second day of filming her new movie, Bruised, Halle Berry broke two of her ribs. It's the kind of injury that can take months to heal, but Berry feared that taking time off of an independent film — which she was both directing and starring in — would derail the entire production. So she kept her injury a secret, and spent days shooting without a stunt double.
Mel Brooks says his only regret as a comedian is the jokes he didn't tell: Now 95, the filmmaker/actor/comedian is a member of the exclusive EGOT club, for those who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award. His film credits include High Anxiety, Young Frankenstein, History of the World: Part 1, Blazing Saddles and The Producers, which was adapted into a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. He's also the author of the new memoir, All About Me!
Jennifer Aniston has no regrets: The actress on tuning out the media madness ("Am I still having twins?"), the gut punch of the 'Friends' reunion and her journey to "own who I am, where I am and just how long I’ve f***ing been here."
‘Jeopardy!’ stays with hosts Bialik, Jennings for the season: Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings will continue as tag-team hosts of “Jeopardy!” through the rest of this season. “We’re so pleased to have such an excellent and experienced team in front of and behind the camera as we head into 2022!” producer Sony Pictures Television said Wednesday. Michael Davies will remain the show’s executive producer, Sony said.
Wendy Williams not returning to her talk show in early 2022: “The Wendy Williams Show” announced on Wednesday that guest hosts will continue to appear in Williams’ place throughout January when the show returns from its holiday hiatus. Fat Joe and Remy Ma will take over the first week of January, while Michael Rapaport will return to host the daytime talk show the second week. The duo of comedians Kym Whitley and Finesse Mitchell will helm the third week, and fan favorite Sherri Shepherd will close out the month.
Serena Williams makes stunning announcement about Australian Open: Serena Williams confirmed in a shocking announcement that she will not participate in the Australian Open “following the advice of my medical team.”
Having competed in multiple Australian Open tournaments, her first one dating back to 2003, the seven-time women’s singles champion was not on the entry list that was released Wednesday for this year’s tournament.
5 tips to help you stop being so late (or at least make you more honest about it): Being late can send a stressful ripple through an entire day — both yours and someone else's — and no matter what kind of Lateness Olympic events you're competing in, we have some news for you: Striving to be on time is the only real way to stop being late. (Unfortunately, nobody will give you a medal for this, though I sure feel like I deserve one when I'm even five minutes early.)
State-by-State guide to taxes on middle-class families: State tax rates and rules for income, sales, gas, property, cigarette, and other taxes that impact middle-class families.
9 habits that the world's healthiest & longest-lived people share.
That a wrap for the week. Thanks so much for reading. Have a great weekend unless you have something else to do. See you on Tuesday morning unless news breaks.