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"Small technical defect" – A town in Germany had its streets paved with chocolate after a factory mishap. Willy, is that you?

I SENSE TENSION

The Story

Politicians not getting along in DC? Gasp.

Give it to me.

You know President Trump wants funding for a US-Mexico border wall. So far, Congress hasn't been willing to play ball. But a deadline to fund the government is approaching fast (think: next week). And yesterday, Trump said he'd gladly let part of the gov shut down unless lawmakers approve $5 billion for the wall.

Go on.

Trump got together in the Oval Office with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), where they argued on live TV about funding the wall. While VP Mike Pence sat there silently. The Dem leaders offered $1.3 billion for border security. Schumer later accused the president of throwing a "temper tantrum." And Pelosi said the wall is a "manhood thing" for him. Quite the meeting.

What else?

Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said the Senate will vote on criminal justice reform this month. McConnell's been dragging his feet on this because lawmakers couldn't agree on the specifics. After some edits, the bill is expected to pass. It'd be the biggest sentencing reform in decades, with shorter prison sentences for some drug offenders and letting some prisoners out early into halfway houses.

That it?

No. Yesterday, the Trump admin dropped a new proposal that would make it so that thousands of miles of streams and swampy areas are no longer federally protected. Meaning they wouldn't necessarily be protected from pollution or things like pesticides. The admin says it's just reversing an Obama-era rule that treads on farmers' property. There's a 60-day public comment period now. And there could be lawsuits. So nothing is official yet.

theSkimm

The midterms handed Dems control of the House while giving the GOP more seats in the Senate. Now politicians are scrambling to get things done before the change in power. And Trump's quarrel with top Dems is just a preview of what a divided government might look like for the next two years.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say when you co-workers shut down your idea...

Thanks for the support. Earlier today, UK lawmakers triggered a no-confidence vote against PM Theresa May. This comes days after Brexit hit a major roadblock when she delayed UK Parliament's vote on a potential Brexit deal. The reason: the Magic 8 Ball said 'outlook not so good' on whether she'd get enough support for the deal. Now lawmakers will vote on whether she can keep her job today. She needs a majority of them to give her the thumbs up. Otherwise, she'll be out as PM. She says she'll fight a no-confidence vote "with everything I've got." All this adds more uncertainty and chaos to an already-chaotic Brexit situation.

What people are talking about…

This former gynecologist at the University of Southern California. Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Times found that he was allowed to work there for decades despite many sexual misconduct allegations. Since then, hundreds have accused him of inappropriate behavior. Now, a new report says that police have also been looking into a collection of nude photos he kept in a storage unit. This is believed to be the LAPD's largest sex-crimes investigation ever. The doctor reportedly says he's innocent. In other men making headlines, Charlie Rose. CBS News settled a lawsuit with three women who accused the former anchor of sexual harassment. They also claimed the network was aware and didn't stop him. Also, this former Baylor University frat president. He was accused of raping a woman back in 2016 and took a plea deal. The judge on the case said he'll face a deferred probation, a $400 fine...and he won't need to register as a sex offender. This apparently wasn't the first time this judge gave men accused of raping female students light plea deals. See: this and this.

What people are watching…

Strasbourg, France. Yesterday, a gunman opened fire in a Christmas market there, killing at least three people and injuring at least a dozen others. The suspect – who was on a terror watch list – still hasn't been found. This is being investigated as a possible terror attack. France has raised its terror threat level to the maximum level.

What to say when you don't have a business card on hand…

Google me. Yesterday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai faced a whole bunch of search queries…from Congress. Lawmakers asked him about alleged political bias in Google's algorithms and at the company. As in, one Republican rep took issue with Google's effort to get Latino voters to turn out in key states during the 2016 election. Pichai repeatedly denied any political bias. And said the co has no plans to make a censored search engine in China, at least for now. He also said the words "follow up" a lot. As in, he doesn't have an answer yet for senators' questions on everything from hate speech on YouTube to privacy issues to how non-Google-made iPhones work. Damn Google, what happened to turning out results in fractions of a second?

PS: GV (formerly Google Ventures) is a minority investor in theSkimm.

What to say when you hear what Netflix thinks of "Gossip Girl"...

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THING TO KNOW

Hangxiety

When a hangover makes you anxious. As if being hungover wasn't hard enough on its own.

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