11.17.2017

Keystone Pipeline Leaks in South Dakota.
A leak in the Keystone pipeline spilled 5,000 barrels, or 210,000 gallons of oil into a field in South Dakota. The spill came from the pipeline that carries crude oil from the oil sands in Alberta, Canada to refineries in Illinois and Texas (see map). The pipeline is part of an existing system, whose fourth phase, known as Keystone XL, has been the subject of ongoing public debate. The spill comes just days before a Nebraska commission will make a decision to grant the final permits needed to complete the Keystone XL section of the pipeline system. 

Mistrial in Senate Corruption Case.
A US District Court Judge declared a mistrial in the bribery case against Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) after jurors said they were hopelessly deadlocked. Menendez, in the senate since 2006, was accused on 18 counts of various forms of bribery (see full list w/ explanation) for trading political favors in exchange for benefits with friends. Menendez had been ranking chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations committee before stepping down in 2015 over the allegations. Despite the mistrial, reports suggest the trial was trending positive for Menendez - the jury was reportedly deadlocked at 10-2 in favor of acquittal. 

House Passes $1.5T Tax Plan.
The House passed their version of comprehensive tax reform yesterday, a sweeping bill with nearly $1.5T in tax cuts for businesses and individuals. The package reduces the number of individual income tax brackets from seven to four, with the top rate held at 39.6%, while reducing the top corporate tax bracket from 35% to 20% (rundown of what else is in the bill). For context, the corporate tax brought in $340B and the personal income tax brought in $1.5T in federal revenue in 2015. The bill passed with 227 out of 435 votes - all Democrats and 13 Republicans voted against the bill. The House will now wait for the Senate to pass its version - the Senate Finance Committee approved its package yesterday, moving it to full debate. 

 

> Astros' Jose Altuve, Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton win MLB MVP Awards (More)
> Actor Jeffrey Tambor accused of sexual harassment by Transparent co-star (More)
> Nigerian women become first African bobsled team to qualify for Olympics (More)
 

> Juno Therapeutics goes public with why it thinks five patients died from a leukemia immunotherapy treatment (More)
> Scientists edge closer to two-atomic layer sensors using graphene (More)
> Pharma founder pleads not guilty in opioid bribery scheme (More)
 

> Walmart reports highest sales growth in nearly a decade fueled by e-commerce, shares up 11% to all time high (More)
> Tesla unveils semi-truck with 500 mile range; $200k roadster - to be world's fastest car in production (More)
> US manufacturing production increases 1.3% in October, best clip since 2009 (More)
 

> Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) accused of sexual misconduct by LA TV anchor in 2006 (More)
> Hispanic Caucus denies membership to Republican Curbelo (R, FL-26) (More)
> Toxic algae blooms, once confined to regional bodies of water, spreading nationwide (More)

The Atlantic | Luke O'Brien. The story of Andrew Anglin, who went from liberal vegan to prolific alt-right troll. Can we learn from Anglin's path to stop the next idealist from becoming a vicious propagandist? (Read)
 

New York Times | Scott Shane, Nicole Perlroth, and David Sanger. Ongoing leaks of some of the country's most sensitive information - in particular by a mysterious hacker group known as the Shadow Brokers - has shaken the intelligence community to its core (paywall). (Read)

Buzzfeed | Keely Flaherty. The story of how Kelly Marie Tran went from nerd to landing the role of a lifetime as the lead in the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi. (Read)
 

Bleacher Report | Leo Sepkowitz. Fly Williams was a prodigy on the ultra-competitive basketball courts in Brooklyn, New York. Drafted by the Denver Nuggets, Williams' downward spiral began after he was shot in an attempted robbery. (Read)
 

The Guardian | Kevin Johnson. Now the author is a convicted terrorist. We aren't sure about the charge, but what happened to the minks (and the surrounding ecosystem)? (Read)

Meet Fortune's 2017 Businesspersons of the Year.

US consumers plan to spend $862 on gifts this holiday season, up from last year (from Gallup).

Here is the right time to tell your kid the truth about Santa, according to a child psychologist.

Photos from inside India’s old school single-screen cinemas.

Robots: Boston Dynamics Atlas robot can perform a backflip (w/ video).

Learn to shoot hoops like Steph Curry via an online class.

Scientists create three puppy clones of 'Snuppy,' the world's first cloned dog. 

A fatal disease is spreading among US deer. 

Historybook: Elizabethan Age commences (1558); Congress has first session in Washington, DC (1800); Suez Canal opens (1869); Arnold Schwarzenegger sworn-in as Governor of California (2003).

"YOUR STRUGGLES DEVELOP YOUR STRENGTHS."
-Arnold Schwarzenegger
 

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