12.12.2017

Alabama Senate Election Today.
Alabama voters head to the polls today to decide between Roy Moore (R) and Doug Jones (D) in a special election to the US Senate. Composite polling has Moore - a conservative firebrand dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct with underage girls - with an average 2.2 point lead. That said, polls have been scattered - a Fox News weekend poll had Jones up 10 points, while an Emerson poll had Moore up by 9. While most of the Republican party infrastructure has returned to back Moore after the allegations, one notable exception was the state's senior senator, Richard Shelby, who said he voted early for a write-in candidate. The Senate seat was vacated when Jeff Sessions was appointed Attorney General, and held in the interim by Luther Strange, who lost to Moore in the Republican primaries. 

Golden Globe Nominations Announced.
Nominees for the 75th annual Golden Globes were announced yesterday, led by Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water which picked up seven nominations (see full list). Steven Spielberg's The Post, about the Pentagon Papers saga, and Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, a revenge drama, both picked up six. The HBO drama Big Little Lies picked up six nominations on the television side. The awards are voted on by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, recognizing excellence in both domestic and foreign film and television. Critics noted the lack of recognition for women directors, along with other notable snubs. The ceremony will take place January 7th, 2017, with Seth Myers as host. 
 
Attempted Bombing During NYC Rush Hour.
Officials have detained one after an explosion during morning rush hour near New York City's Times Square subway station injured four, including the suspect. Mayor Bill de Blasio called the bombing an "attempted terror attack", and the attacker reportedly said he was inspired by ISIS. Officials believe the bomb was an improvised low-tech device that either partially or prematurely went off. The suspect, a 27-year-old from Bangladesh - a southeast Asian country - struck the city's busiest subway interchange, which has over 200,000 weekday riders on average. None of the injuries were considered life threatening. 
 

> Celebrity chef Mario Batali accused of sexual misconduct by 4 women; will step down from his restaurants and ABC's The Chew (More)
>  Philadelphia QB Carson Wentz out for season with ACL injury (More)
> Veteran host of NPR's On Point, Tom Ashbrook, suspended following sexual misconduct allegations (More)
 

> Apple reveals progress on self-driving car technology, can estimate pedestrian position even behind parked car (More)
> Trump signs executive order starting process of sending Americans back to Moon, would be stepping stone to Mars (More)
> First trial of drug to help stem Huntington's disease found safe for humans, lowers levels of harmful protein (More) | HD is like having ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s – simultaneously (More)
 

> Verizon signs 5-year $2.25B deal with NFL for streaming rights (More)
> Boeing increases dividend 20%, announces $18B share buyback; shares increase 1% (More)
> Affirm - payment startup that breaks large purchases into monthly payments - raises $200M at near $2B valuation (More)
 

> Study finds common window blinds sent 17,000 children to ER between 1990 and 2015, with one death each month (More)
> After court order, Pentagon says transgender troops can begin enlisting on Jan. 1st (More)
> Russia to begin withdrawing troops from Syria, says "mission accomplished" (More)

The New Yorker | Kristen Roupenian. This short story in the New Yorker had social media buzzing over the weekend - timely within the broader context of rampant sexual misconduct allegations, while perfectly capturing the influence of 21st century technology on the relationship dance. It touched a chord with many, most likely because it captured common experience. 
 

ESPN | Steve Fainaru and Mark Fainaru-Wada. The inside story of how a marketing and athletic performance partnership between Adidas and Louisville's men's basketball team turned into one of the largest, most complex pay-to-play schemes in the history of the sport, ultimately taking down head coach Rick Pitino. 

Americans still hold dim view of US healthcare system (data from Gallup). 

Reddit visualizes what it would look like if you pulled a 10-meter-wide plug at the bottom of the Marianas Trench.

Netflix reveals its most-watched shows of the year.  

Ugh Millennials: The Wall Street Journal promises to stop making fun of you.

Gizmodo's coolest scientific discoveries of 2017.

Seedless avocados are here to keep you from cutting off your hands. 

The best places in the world to see Christmas lights. 

U.S. State Department rolls out new travel warning system.

Clickbait: Six Flags cancels massive snowball fight due to too much actual snow.

Historybook: HBD John Jay (1745); 1st transatlantic radio signal sent by Guglielmo Marconi (1901); HBD Frank Sinatra (1915); Supreme Court decision in Bush v. Gore certifies George W. Bush as President (2000).

"THE BEST REVENGE IS MASSIVE SUCCESS."
-Frank Sinatra
 

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