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Monday, December 11, 2017

'One of our worst nightmares' almost became real

 
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The Short List
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'Thank God': bungled terror attack inflicts chaos in NYC, but little else

It could have been so much worse. During Monday's rush hour in New York, a man detonated a pipe bomb strapped to his chest in a pedestrian tunnel near Times Square. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said a subway bombing like that is "one of our worst nightmares." Yet, only three people plus the suspect had minor injuries in what officials called an "attempted terror attack." The suspect, Akayed Ullah, 27, used a  "low-tech" device that didn't fully detonate. The explosion resulted in virtually no damage, but triggered major traffic jams and interrupted the busy holiday season. Ullah was inspired by the Islamic State, but apparently had no direct contact with the terrorist group, according to the Associated Press. Just weeks ago, eight people died in New York when another man, also said to be inspired by the Islamic State, drove a rental truck onto a bike path near the World Trade Center. 

Past accusations come back to grab Trump

President Trump once boasted that his fame allowed him to "do anything" he wanted to women. Now, three women who allege Trump groped, kissed or harassed them years before he became president are talking.  Jessica Leeds, Samantha Holvey and Rachel Crooks — three of more than a dozen women who have made allegations of sexual assault or harassment against Trump — shared their stories on the Today show Monday and then held a news conference to call for a congressional investigation.  Trump has denied the allegations, and the White House questioned the "timing and absurdity of these false claims." Trump "has escaped his past unscathed" and "our stories seem to fall on deaf ears," Crooks said. "People are being held accountable, except for our president," Leeds added. 

Sexual harassment claims ensnare celebrity chef Mario Batali 

Renowned chef and TV personality Mario Batali announced he is stepping down from his company and TV show for an indefinite period following allegations of groping by several women . "I take full responsibility and am deeply sorry for any pain, humiliation or discomfort I have caused to my peers, employees, customers, friends and family," he said in a statement. Batali's food empire includes restaurants in New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, as well as cookbooks and food products. ABC confirmed that it has temporarily removed Batali as co-host of the daytime show, The Chew, and the Food Network has suspended plans to revive Batali's famed show, Molto Mario

Sorry Mr. President, the Pentagon to accept transgender troops 

Despite President Trump's July 26 tweets saying the U.S. military "will not accept or allow" transgender people to serve, the Pentagon said Monday it will begin accepting transgender troops Jan. 1 . A federal court blocked the effort to reverse the Obama administration's policies on transgender troops at least until Defense Secretary Jim Mattis issues a new policy, which he said would be established by Feb. 21 after an expert panel and high-ranking Pentagon officials make recommendations based on "appropriate evidence and information."

Green Monday? Another excuse to shop  

Today is the second Monday in December, aka Green Monday, Cyber Monday 2, or Manic Monday. It's one of the biggest online shopping days of the year. Why call it Green Monday? eBay coined the term in 2007 because historically that day was one of the e-commerce giant's best in terms of sales. Now many big retailers have Green Monday promotions, including Kohl's and Walmart, with discounts on some online and in-store items. Target offered shoppers $20 for every $100 spent Monday. Here's a roundup of  the promotions.

Golden Globes' light fails to shine on woman directors

In a day filled with accusations of sexual misconduct against powerful men, consider this: No women were nominated for best director for this year's Golden Globes. Those overlooked include Patty Jenkins, director of the box-office smash Wonder Woman, and Greta Gerwig, who helmed the critically acclaimed Lady BirdThe Globes also snubbed standup comic Tiffany Haddish, who already won honors for Girls Trip, and Jennifer Lawrence, despite her intense performance in Darren Aronofsky's mother! The Golden Globes gave the most love to Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water with seven nominations. 

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