TOP STORIES
TRUMP CONTINUES HARD OPENING LINE ON CHINA The president-elect tweeted complaints about Chinese economic and military policy Sunday. And The Washington Post reports that Donald Trump’s unprecedented call with Taiwan, which ruffled so many feathers Friday, had been in the works for months. [Reuters]
BEN CARSON OFFICIALLY TAPPED FOR SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT And yes, Carson still released a statement a little under a month ago that read as follows: “Dr. Carson feels he has no government experience, he’s never run a federal agency. The last thing he would want to do was take a position that could cripple the presidency.” [Alana Horowitz Satlin, HuffPost]
ARMY STOPS CONSTRUCTION ON DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE After months of protests, environmentalists are hailing the move as “’a smashing victory’ for thousands of indigenous activists.” And here’s whatsome of the celebrations looked like. [Chris D’Angelo and Lydia O’Connor, HuffPost]
SHINZO ABE TO BECOME FIRST JAPANESE LEADER TO VISIT PEARL HARBOR The prime minister will visit Dec. 26 and 27, a little over 75 years after the attack. [Reuters]
OAKLAND FIRE DEATH TOLL CONTINUES TO RISE At least 33 have been confirmed dead after a warehouse dance party turned deadly. Here are some of the victims of the fire. [Lydia O’Connor, HuffPost]
ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER MATTEO RENZI RESIGNS He is stepping aside after being defeated in a referendum on constitutional reform. The far-right candidate for office is Austria has conceded after losing the Austrian presidential election, and the prime minister of New Zealandunexpectedly announced his resignation. [Reuters]
FAKE NEWS, REAL CONSEQUENCES An armed man with an assault rifle entered a D.C. pizza restaurant to investigate fake news claims that Hillary Clinton was running a pedophile ring there. [Marina Fang, HuffPost]
CHRISTMAS TREES ARE DYING OFF FROM DROUGHT ACROSS THE COUNTRY Owners of Christmas tree farms fear they could be driven out of business. [Dominique Mosbergen, HuffPost]
WHAT’S BREWING
PATTON OSWALT OPENS UP ABOUT ‘A YEAR OF MAGICAL PARENTING’ The comedian, who lost his wife a year ago, talks raising his daughter through the haze of grief. [HuffPost]
THIS SANDY HOOK PSA WILL STOP YOU IN YOUR TRACKS We did not see the moving twist coming. [HuffPost]
TURNS OUT INTERNATIONAL PHONE FRAUD IS A THING It’s apparently very, very, very expensive to call Cuba. [The Atlantic]
WHILE WE ARE ALL EXCITED AMY SCHUMER MIGHT BE PLAYING BARBIE The internet trolls are not. [HuffPost]
KANYE WEST WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR ‘ERRATIC’ MEDICATION USAGE The rapper allegedly stopped regularly taking his medication for “psychological issues” after his wife, Kim Kardashian West, was robbed in Paris. [HuffPost]
THE RAPE SCENE IN ‘LAST TANGO IN PARIS’ WAS NOT CONSENSUAL Horrific. [HuffPost]
BEFORE YOU GO
~ This interactive shows you exactly what it’s like to be a bee (yes, we love the phrase “be a bee.”)
~ Looks like Hawaii is getting some snow.
~ Only Jennifer Lawrence could almost kill someone because her butt itched.
~ FiveThirtyEight is arguing Rob Gronkowski is the Randy Moss of tight ends.
~ “Losing my son, after his death.”
~ You can make serious money running a fake U.S. embassy in Ghana.
~ This Indonesian tribe is attempting to keep out the modern world.
~ This drunk grinch’s heart has appeared to grow a few sizes after hereturned the light-up reindeer he stole.
~ Who can’t stop laughing from the “SNL” skit where the cast tries to track down Hillary Clinton in the woods?
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