A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Anchorage, AK this morning, triggering a tsunami warning. The earthquake itself has caused severe damage to buildings and roads. Alaska’s governor has issued a disaster declaration, and is in contact with the White House.
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker reportedly continued to support a patent company in Miami while knowing it was engaged in fraudulent conduct, then hindered the Federal Trade Commission’s investigation of the company. After these reports surfaced today, he agreed to testify before the House Judiciary Committee in January, and said he will continue to follow the Department of Justice’s policies regarding the special counsel probe. Trustworthy words from a trustworthy man.
Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger has been indicted for murder after fatally shooting Botham Jean, an unarmed black man whose home she entered, afterwards claiming she thought it was her own.
A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration can’t withhold public safety grants from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Virginia, and New York City just because those states have sanctuary cities.
Hackers stole sensitive personal information from up to 500 million Marriott and Starwood properties guests. Marriott first learned of the breach in September, and is offering customers who think their identities may be compromised a monitoring service that requires them to input much of the same sensitive information all over again. Marriott: Come for the terrible lighting, stay for the identity theft!
Ryan Zinke lashed out at incoming House Natural Resource Committee Chairman, Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), alluding to the congressman’s struggles with alcoholism, after Grijalva called on the scandal-plagued Interior secretary to resign. Antagonizing someone with subpoena power over you is either a) stupid, b) a sign of a forthcoming resignation, or c) an indication that Republicans are going to flout oversight efforts next year and dare Democrats to do something about it. At least Democrats are never cowards...oh, wait. Shit.
One of the women victimized by Jeffrey Epstein, the wealthy serial sexual predator, has described being “lent out” to Epstein’s prominent friends and associates, including lawyer/Trump flunky Alan Dershowitz, with whom she claims she first had intercourse at age 16. Earlier this week, the Miami Herald reported that Epstein used his wealth and influence to get one of the most lenient, non-prosecution agreements ever offered to a serial offender with underage victims from then-prosecutor Alexander Acosta, who is now Trump’s Labor Secretary.
Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” music video is finally here, featuring some not-so-subtle messages to her exes, an epic nod to immigrants and refugees, and the one and only Kris Jenner.
Payless trolled a bunch of unsuspecting customers by creating a fake luxury shoe boutique called “Palessi,” where the company marked up its regular shoes, which normally retail for between $20-40, and sold them for $200-600 a pair, raking in a shit ton of cash. Now we know where Kanye got all the ideas for his recent Yeezys.
