| Policy, politics and the 'two worst minutes on television' |
| President Trump said Monday that success must be earned. Sure, he was outlining his national security policy, but his speech landed the same day that one of his federal court nominees withdrew after being unable to answer basic legal questions at a Senate hearing last week. Let's break it down: |
| • | Policy: Trump, in his speech, put such issues as trade, energy independence and tax reform on an equal footing with more traditional military issues like nuclear defense. "We know that American success is not a foregone conclusion," he said. "It must be earned, and it must be won." France's foreign minister is not a fan. And notably left off Trump's security menu? Climate change, which military commanders and security advisers see as one of the major threats of the next century. | | • | Court nominees: "I am no stranger to political realities," Matthew Petersen wrote in his withdrawal letter. He's the third unsuccessful federal court nominee in the past week. Petersen blames the Internet after a five-minute video went viral of his failing to answer basic questions about rules of evidence and civil procedure. "I had hoped that my nearly two decades of public service might carry more weight than my two worst minutes on television," he wrote. It didn't. | |
| A train dangling over a highway is the latest rail tragedy |
| One passenger kicked out a window. Another crawled under a table. "I was wishing and praying that (the train) was going to stop because I'm still alive." They were among the 78 passengers and five crew aboard Amtrak's inaugural high-speed trip between Seattle and Portland, Ore. The train was traveling at 81 mph Monday morning when it derailed in DuPont, Wash., and plunged off a bridge over a traffic-clogged Interstate 5. At least six people on the train are dead. Amtrak's Cascades line saw another derailment five months ago. The National Transportation Safety Board blamed a deadly April 2016 collision outside Philadelphia on a culture of systemic safety lapses at Amtrak. The NTSB is also investigating Monday's crash. |
| A shocking resignation caps a tumultuous year at ESPN |
| ESPN's president resigned Monday. John Skipper said he has a substance addiction and shared that information with "embarrassment, trepidation and a feeling of having let others I care about down." The plan: Former president George Bodenheimer will step in for now. Skipper will "take care of my problem," and his colleagues and employees are offering support. "This isn't company-speak. I seriously cannot express how much respect I have for him," Jemele Hill tweeted. It's been a stormy year at the sports network. Layoffs. A Twitter battle with President Trump. The Barstool Van Talk controversy. Here's to 2018. |
| If you're flying through Atlanta, we are so sorry |
| Traveling for the holidays can be a real pain, but for the unlucky thousands routed through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport — we feel for you. An underground electrical fire caused a major power outage Sunday, resulting in thousands of flights grounded across the nation. Planes were taking off again Monday, but more than 400 flights were canceled and it's still a mess. Did we mention Atlanta is the world's busiest airport? One bright spot for stranded passengers: Chick-fil-A broke its closed-on-Sundays rule to feed those at the airport. |
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| We can't write holiday cards for you, but we can help you do it better |
| If you remember how to handwrite letters, good for you. If you're using this skill to send holidays cards, let us help. Grammar and etiquette are important. Put addresses in all caps. (No, this doesn't imply that you're yelling the street name.) Formal titles like Mrs., Ms., Miss and Mr.? Use them. Do you know how to address the Joneses and the Smiths? Apostrophies are important. Here are our helpful tips. Speaking of tips, here's a no-fuss guide on who should get them and how much. |
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