| Trump confirms winning is better than losing |
| It was high fives and back slaps at the White House Wednesday after Congress passed a massive tax cut bill, handing Trump the first major legislative achievement of his 11-month-old presidency. "It's always a lot of fun when you win ," Trump told Republican lawmakers on the South Lawn. What's in the bill? Republican lawmakers say a corporate tax cut will spark a boom in business investment that will lift the paychecks of average Americans. Some leading economists say the $1.5 trillion in cuts will juice business capital spending and wages — but just modestly, and those effects will likely be offset by higher interest rates triggered by a jump in the deficit. It's hard to know how the new tax plan will impact President Trump, but for the rest of us: Here's a look at five different household situations. For homeowners — or those selling or moving — six elements of the tax law that could affect you. |
| McKayla Maroney is done being silenced |
| Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney claims in a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday that USA Gymnastics tried to prevent her from publicly accusing former team doctor Larry Nassar of sexual abuse. The lawsuit alleges that Maroney was forced to sign a confidentiality agreement as part of a financial settlement. The Olympic gold medalist violated that agreement when she tweeted in October that she had been sexually abused by Nassar, who was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison earlier this month after pleading guilty to child pornography charges. The lawsuit points to social-media posts from USA Gymnastics that support Maroney for speaking out, as proof of an attempt at misdirection. USA Gymnastics did not immediately respond to a request for comment. |
| There's more to recycling your Christmas paper than stuffing everything into a big blue bin |
| Hard truth: Sloppy recycling habits means nothing gets recycled. U.S. trash companies are increasingly having to send bales of mixed-paper to landfills. Why? It turns out that the glue on bows, the glitter dusting your fancy wrapping paper, and miles of ribbons — not to mention dirty pizza boxes and plastic grocery bags — clog the process of turning waste paper into new paper and cardboard. Here's the right way to clean up from Christmas: |
| • | Bows: You can reuse them, but you can't recycle them. | | • | Wrapping paper: Recycle. (Unless it's metallic, glittery or velvety flocking.) | | • | Ribbon: Reuse it or trash it. | | • | Cards: Sort them. Plain paper cards can be recycled, but not embellished cards or ones made of photo paper. | | • | Boxes: Recycle, duh, but make sure you break them down. | |
| The moment Matt Damon's interview on sexual violence went wrong |
| Matt Damon gave an interview to ABC News where he said he supports women. But women heard something different. Damon said there's a "spectrum" of sexual violence. Totally. Feminists have been saying that forever. He said rape is awful and criminal. Yep, we're with you. Then he said stuff on the spectrum — like sexual assault, harassment and masturbating in front of women — isn't necessarily criminal, just "gross." Hold up. That was Damon minimizing certain kinds of abuse. Rape isn't the same as being cat-called, but everything on the spectrum contributes to a culture that makes women unsafe and unequal. Men should speak up about sexual violence. But first they should listen to the people who have spent their lives oppressed by it. |
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| Time to 'fess up: Do you save seats on Southwest? |
| Southwest Airlines passengers are divided into two passionate camps, and it's not over drink coupons. Because Southwest has a one-of-a-kind open-boarding process , people who board early often save seats for companions. On one side of the debate are those who see seat-saving as patently unfair, particularly when those seats are premium or when people save entire rows. On the other side: people who think it's not a big deal. Pick another seat and move on! Both factions are likely to be on display as the travel crush begins this week . Southwest has no official position on seat-saving, but prefers that flight attendants spend their time regulating other things. In the spirit of the holiday, let's work it out, y'all. |
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