TOP STORIES
TRUMP’S PICKS FOR DHS, AMBASSADOR TO CHINA, EPA The president-elect has chosen retired Marine Gen. John Kelly as Department of Homeland Security secretary, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad as his ambassador to China and Scott Pruitt, who is currently suing the Environmental Protection Agency over climate change, to lead the EPA. [Elise Foley and Jessica Schulberg, HuffPost]
TRUMP REPORTEDLY TRYING TO KEEP A STAKE IN HIS BUSINESS “President-elect Donald J. Trump is considering formally turning over the operational responsibility for his real estate company to his two adult sons, but he intends to keep a stake in the business and resist calls to divest, according to several people briefed on the discussions.” [NYT]
THE RNC IS THROWING ITS HOLIDAY PARTY AT TRUMP’S D.C. HOTEL Because of course. [Sam Stein, HuffPost]
‘U.S. LIFE EXPECTANCY DECLINES FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1993’ “Rising fatalities from heart disease and stroke, diabetes, drug overdoses, accidents and other conditions caused the lower life expectancy revealed in a report released Thursday by the National Center for Health Statistics. In all, death rates rose for eight of the top 10 leading causes of death.” [WaPo]
ALL 47 PEOPLE ABOARD PLANE BOUND FOR ISLAMABAD DIED IN PAKISTAN PLANE CRASH Including the “Pakastani Brad Pitt.” [CNN]
TWO JUVENILES CHARGED WITH ARSON THAT STARTED DEADLY TENNESSEE FIRES The blaze killed 14 people and injured over 130 in Sevier County, Tennessee. [Hayley Miller, HuffPost]
THE SENATE PAID TRIBUTE TO JOE BIDEN And kept calling him Mr. President... [Paige Lavender and Michael McAuliff, HuffPost]
WHAT’S BREWING
THE POPE HATES FAKE NEWS SO MUCH He compared it to spreading excrement. [Reuters]
DIRECTORS SPILL ON FILMING SEX SCENES It’s harder than it looks. [Vulture]
‘THE UNWILLING MODEL FACES OF WHITE SUPREMACY’ “Twitter accounts use pictures of white women to push their racist narrative, and those white women don’t even know it’s happening.” [Racked]
MEET THE NEXT JUSTIN BEIBER He has quite the set of famous parents. [Vanity Fair]
HAS THE OSCAR RACE SHIFTED POST-ELECTION? And is that helping the rise of “Moonlight”? [Vulture]
NETFLIX HAS YOU COVERED When it comes to Christmas movies to binge watch. [HuffPost]
BEFORE YOU GO
~ A federal judge has halted Jill Stein’s recount efforts in Michigan.
~ Rihanna wants to make it clear that she’s all for Beyonce, and the internet needs to chill over this perceived diss.
~ Stop panicking ― Kimye is just fine.
~ Stay away from e-cigarettes, says the surgeon general.
~ Some are questioning the veracity of the account of a seven-year-old tweeting from Aleppo.
~ Here’s something cool you should do with your Election Day pantsuit.
~ Buzzfeed’s investigation into America’s largest psychiatric chain is a must read.
~ We want to be friends with this massive turtle.
~ This theory about self control has us questioning our motives about everything.
~ Netflix knows what you’re doing in your breathers in-between binges.
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