12.21.2017

Tax Bill Finalized.
After a procedure delay, the House passed a tweaked version of the Senate-approved joint tax bill, moving the package to President Trump for final signature. The legislation is the biggest change to the US tax system since Ronald Reagan shepherded a tax package in the 80's. As we mentioned yesterday, the bill overhauls both the individual and corporate tax rates, while doubling the standard deduction (find your bracket). The top corporate tax rate would drop permanently from 35% to 21%, while the top income tax rate would fall from 39.6% to 37%, but revert back in 2025. Projections estimate the bill will add nearly 340,000 jobs and raise incomes by 1.5% - though others project the majority of those gains will go to those making between $300,000 and $733,000. Early reports suggest Trump may wait until January 3rd to officially sign the bill. 

North Korea Suspected in Bitcoin Thefts.
North Korea was implicated in a December 19th hack of a South Korean Bitcoin repository, the latest in a string of digital thefts by the Hermit Kingdom (read up on Bitcoin, which has close to $300B in global value, here). While the dollar amount was not disclosed reports say the hackers made off with 17% of the South Korean Youbit exchange total assets, forcing the company to declare bankruptcy. The attack is part of a broader trend of North Korea turning towards cryptocurrency as its national currency continues decline in the face of tightening international sanctions.

Exact Tie in Virginia House Race.
The balance of the Virginia House of Delegates will be left up to chance after a court struck down a one-vote victory in the race for Virginia's 94th district yesterday. On Tuesday, officials declared Shelly Simonds (D) the winner after a recount, beating David Yancey (R) by a count of 11,608 to 11,607 votes. The victory eliminated a Republican majority, creating a 50-50 balance in Virginia's House. On Wednesday, a court ruled that a ballot originally not counted for Yancey should have counted because the voter crossed out their original vote (image of ballot via Twitter) - effectively creating a tie. By Virginia law, the winner will be picked by 'drawing lots' - meaning, the winner, and whether the GOP will have a majority in the state's lower chamber, will be determined by picking a piece of paper out of a glass bowl. Remember - every vote counts. 
 

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The Marshall Project | Jonathan Perri. Towards the end of the Obama administration, a number of nonviolent drug offenders serving seemingly exorbitant prison sentences were given clemency. Hear how those - like Michelle Miles, a first-time drug offender who served 19 years of a mandatory 30-year sentence - are handling their return to society one year later. 
 

Impatient Employers Design Their Own Courses. 

Maybe we all just collectively gave up as a society? The worst passwords of 2017.

The top photos of the year for 2017 from Reuters.

The most wish-listed homes of the year ranked by Airbnb.

2017 will be the most expensive year in US history for natural disasters. 

Women now outnumber men in new med school enrolllees.  

Sweden’s IceHotel gets an amazing facelift from 36 different artists - with amazing results. 

Japan debuts drive-thru funerals. 

Clickbait A woman who can smell Parkinsons. 

Historybook: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premieres (1937); RIP F. Scott Fitzgerald (1940); RIP Gen. George S. Patton (1945); HBD Samuel L. Jackson (1948); Bomb explodes on Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 (1988).

"A PINT OF SWEAT WILL SAVE A GALLON OF BLOOD."
-General George Patton
 

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