Today's Headlines: With Tax Overhaul, Trump Fulfills a Campaign Promise and Flexes Republican Muscle

[In Tax Overhaul, Trump Tries to Defy the Economic Odds]( | View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. | [Unsubscribe]( [The New York Times]( [Most Popular]( | [Video]( | [Today's Headlines]( Thursday, December 21, 2017 IN THIS EMAIL [NYT] [World](#worldNews) | [U.S.](#nationalNews) | [Politics](#politicsNews) | [Business](#businessNews) | [Technology](#technologyNews) | [Sports](#sportsNews) | [Arts](#artsNews) | [N.Y./Region](#nyregionNews) | [Fashion & Style](#dailyFeatureNews) | [Today's Video](#videoNews) | [Obituaries](#obituaries) | [Editorials](#editorialsNews) | [Op-Ed](#opinionNews) | [On This Day](#onthisdayNews) | [CUSTOMIZE »]( Top News [With Tax Overhaul, Trump Fulfills a Campaign Promise and Flexes Republican Muscle]( By MICHAEL D. SHEAR and MICHAEL TACKETT President Trump will enter his second year in office with a major legislative achievement, which Republicans will try to sell to voters in midterm elections. [A North Carolina plant that recycles plastic bottle chips. President Trump and congressional Republicans have argued that their rewrite of the tax code will create more jobs and raise wages.]( [In Tax Overhaul, Trump Tries to Defy the Economic Odds]( By PATRICIA COHEN Few independent analyses project anywhere near the rosy forecasts offered by the president's top economic advisers. [Mark Edelstein, a 58-year-old social-media marketing strategist, wasn't shown job advertising placed on Facebook by a company aiming it at a younger audience.]( [Facebook Job Ads Raise Concerns About Age Discrimination]( By JULIA ANGWIN, NOAM SCHEIBER and ARIANA TOBIN The ability to aim a message at a particular audience has been a crucial marketing tool, but may be at odds with laws against bias in hiring. For more top news, go to [NYTimes.com »]( [Get the Morning Briefing in Your Inbox]( What you need to know to start your day, delivered Monday through Friday. [Sign up »]( ADVERTISEMENT Editors' Picks [Passengers evacuating through a tunnel in Upper Manhattan in June after an A train hit a loose rail on the tracks.]( N.Y. / REGION | System Failure [How Cuts in Basic Subway Upkeep Can Make Your Commute Miserable]( By EMMA G. FITZSIMMONS and MICHAEL LaFORGIA Decisions to scale back routine maintenance turned this year into the subway's worst since the 1970s. OPINION | Op-Ed Contributor [The Real Coup Plot Is Trump's]( By YASCHA MOUNK The president and his allies in the news media and the Republican Party are overthrowing the rule of law and the truth. QUOTATION OF THE DAY "This has been a year of extraordinary accomplishment for the Trump administration." [SENATOR MITCH McCONNELL]( Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, praising the president, with whom he has often been at odds, at an event celebrating the passage of a $1.5 trillion tax overhaul. [] World [President Enrique Peña Nieto speaking at the Institutional Revolutionary Party's national assembly in August.]( [Presidential Ally Is Arrested, and Mexico Corruption Investigation Deepens]( By AZAM AHMED and J. JESUS ESQUIVEL A former deputy in President Enrique Peña Nieto's party is one of several people suspected in an embezzlement scheme intended to lift the party in state elections. [President Trump met on Wednesday with his cabinet at the White House.]( [Trump Threatens to End American Aid: 'We're Watching Those Votes' at the U.N.]( By MARK LANDLER The General Assembly is to vote on Thursday on a resolution that would condemn President Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. [President Andrzej Duda of Poland announcing his decision on Wednesday to sign a controversial judicial overhaul into law.]( [Poland Overhauls Courts, and Critics See Retreat From Democracy]( By MARC SANTORA and JOANNA BERENDT The changes, critics say, are an assault on the rule of law. The right-wing government could now face E.U. sanctions. For more world news, go to [NYTimes.com/World »]( ADVERTISEMENT [] U.S. [The artist Chuck Close.]( [Chuck Close Apologizes After Accusations of Sexual Harassment]( By ROBIN POGREBIN Several women complained that the celebrated artist, known for his outsize portraits, asked them to pose naked and made inappropriate sexual comments. [The Cleveland Clinic has faced challenges securing visas for foreign-born specialists, one of many employers affected by President Trump's tougher approach toward immigration.]( [Without New Laws or Walls, Trump Presses the Brake on Legal Immigration]( By MIRIAM JORDAN The administration says its tougher stand on visa and green card applications will protect Americans from terrorism and job loss, but some call it arbitrary. [In 2008, a commuter train crashed head-on into a freight train in Chatsworth, north of Los Angeles, killing 25 people.]( [Why There Are Still Trains in America Without Life-Saving Technology]( By PATRICK McGEEHAN, PATRICIA MAZZEI and KIRK JOHNSON Congress mandated in 2008 that all passenger rails have automatic-breaking systems. And yet preventable, deadly accidents keep occurring. For more U.S. news, go to [NYTimes.com/US »]( ADVERTISEMENT [] Politics [Election workers in Hampton, Va., recounted ballots in a Virginia House of Delegates race on Tuesday, delivering a one-vote victory for the Democratic challenger. On Wednesday, judges declared the race a tie.]( [A One-Vote Victory in Virginia Lasts One Day as Judges Declare a Tie]( By TRIP GABRIEL A panel of judges agreed to count a challenged ballot for the Republican incumbent, so control of the House of Delegates may be decided in a drawing. [Vice President Mike Pence's trip to the Middle East has been postponed by at least one month.]( [Pence's Christmas Pilgrimage Is Canceled. His Next Mideast Move Is Complicated.]( By DECLAN WALSH Vice President Mike Pence planned to meet with Christian leaders in the Middle East but several canceled after President Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. [Senator Susan Collins of Maine put aside her concerns about health care funding to vote for the tax plan.]( [Fearful of a Shutdown, Congress Inches Toward Stopgap Spending Bill]( By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and YAMICHE ALCINDOR An end-of-the-year showdown over issues like immigration, health care and surveillance appeared to fizzle on Wednesday. For more political news, go to [NYTimes.com/Politics »]( [] Business [Cabs blocked streets in central London in 2014 as part of a protest against Uber in major cities across Europe.]( [Uber Dealt Setback After European Court Rules It Is a Taxi Service]( By LIZ ALDERMAN The ruling by the European Court of Justice means the company must comply with tough rules governing traditional taxi associations in the region. [China's new statement on economic priorities illustrates President Xi Jinping's growing clout, as well as a subtle shift in how the country may address its debt pile.]( [China Shrugs Off Debt Worries as Xi Takes Firmer Economic Grip]( By KEITH BRADSHER "Xi Jinping Thought" on the economy calls for cutting excess capacity and helping the housing market. Debt, once a major concern, gets less attention. [A Shell facility in Afam, Nigeria. Shell and Eni have denied wrongdoing in the purchase of an offshore tract.]( [Shell and Eni to Be Tried Over $1.3 Billion Nigerian Oil Deal]( By STANLEY REED An Italian judge ruled that current and former executives from two of the world's largest oil companies must go to trial on corruption charges. For more business news, go to [NYTimes.com/Business »]( [] Technology [In Protests of Net Neutrality Repeal, Teenage Voices Stood Out]( By CECILIA KANG Young people who have grown up knowing only an open internet organized rallies, streamed the F.C.C. vote in class - and say they plan to keep fighting. State of the Art [What the Tax Bill Fails to Address: Technology's Tsunami]( By FARHAD MANJOO Technology is changing everything about how Americans work, but the industry is left largely unscathed by the Republican tax bill that Congress took up this week. [This year's worst passwords, according to one creator of security applications, include ]( ['Password,' 'Monkey' and the Other Terrible Passwords We Choose]( By NIRAJ CHOKSHI For the first time, "Starwars," "hello" and "freedom," made the annual list of bad passwords compiled by SplashData, a password management company. For more technology news, go to [NYTimes.com/Technology »]( [] Sports [McKayla Maroney is suing the United States Olympic Committee, USA Gymnastics and Michigan State.]( [McKayla Maroney Says USA Gymnastics Forced Confidentiality in Sexual Abuse Settlement]( By VICTOR MATHER The settlement was described in a lawsuit filed by Maroney against the U.S. Olympic Committee, USA Gymnastics and Michigan State. [Fans at a Vytautas game on Saturday. The team's home arena has a capacity of 1,500.]( [How This Lithuanian Outpost Lured LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball]( By ANDREW KEH It all started with a message on Twitter in the wee hours of the morning. Less than a week later, the brothers signed a contract and sent the town into a frenzy. [The official logo for the Russian Olympic team that shall not be known as the Russian Olympic team but rather a neutral team (from Russia) at the Winter Games in February.]( [Olympic Officials Issue Strict Crackdown on Tricolor (of Russia)]( By VICTOR MATHER The athletes from Russia at the Winter Olympics are most definitely, positively not representing Russia. For more sports news, go to [NYTimes.com/Sports »]( [] Arts [Clockwise from top left: Scenes from ]( [The Memorable TV Episodes of 2017]( By JAMES PONIEWOZIK, MIKE HALE and MARGARET LYONS From "Game of Thrones" to "This Is Us," The Times's TV critics each pick some of their favorite hours and half-hours. [[Multimedia Feature] Multimedia Feature: How Ed Sheeran Made 'Shape of You,' the Year's Biggest Track]( By JON PARELES Breaking down the biggest track of 2017 with Ed Sheeran, Johnny McDaid and Steve Mac. [Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba in ]( [[Multimedia Feature] Multimedia Feature: Aaron Sorkin Annotates Aaron Sorkin]( By MEKADO MURPHY Aaron Sorkin annotates the script he wrote for his directorial debut, "Molly's Game," starring Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba. For more arts news, go to [NYTimes.com/Arts »]( [] New York [Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City was in Iowa on Tuesday, where he set out to show that his brand of progressivism was a viable option for Democrats.]( [Bill de Blasio Wants to Be Heard. Is Anyone Listening?]( By SHANE GOLDMACHER New York City's mayor went to Iowa to lay out his vision for the future of the Democratic Party, and to present himself as proof that progressivism sells. [School Sex-Abuse Report Shows Difficulty of Substantiating Claims]( By ELIZABETH A. HARRIS The KIPP charter school network hired investigators to look into allegations against two teachers, but they were unable to reach conclusions. [A devoted fan of ]( [Eccentric, Sure. But a Violent Criminal? Staten Island Puzzles Over the Case of Richard Luthmann]( By ALAN FEUER According to prosecutors, the Staten Island lawyer used "Mafia-style tactics" in bullying campaigns against political enemies. For more New York news, go to [NYTimes.com/NewYork »]( [] Media & Advertising [Started in 1967 from a loft in San Francisco, Rolling Stone gave a voice to the baby boomer generation and redefined music as an art form.]( [Rolling Stone Publisher Sells Majority Stake to Penske, Owner of Variety]( By SYDNEY EMBER The deal for a controlling stake of Wenner Media values the company at $100 million. Jann Wenner, Rolling Stone's founder, will stay on as editorial director. [Glenn Thrush in the White House briefing room in February. The Times said he would no longer cover the White House when he returns from his suspension.]( [Glenn Thrush, Suspended Times Reporter, to Resume Work but Won't Cover White House]( By SYDNEY EMBER Mr. Thrush, who was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior, will no longer cover the White House when he returns from his suspension in late January, The Times said. [The self-anointed ]( Rovaniemi Journal [Santa in Finland, Where Marketing Triumphs Over Geography]( By ROD NORDLAND Hundreds of thousands of tourists fly to Lapland to see Finland's "official Santa." Many come from lands like China, with no Christmas traditions. For more media and advertising news, go to [NYTimes.com/Media »]( [] Science [Dragonfly, a proposed dual-quadcopter lander that would explore Saturn's moon, Titan, was one of two finalists in NASA's New Frontiers competition.]( [Finalists in NASA's Spacecraft Sweepstakes: A Drone on Titan, and a Comet-Chaser]( By KENNETH CHANG The missions, known as Dragonfly and Caesar, were selected from a dozen proposals made in the agency's New Frontiers competition. [A North American beaver in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska.]( [Beavers Emerge as Agents of Arctic Destruction]( By KENDRA PIERRE-LOUIS Climate change may be enabling beavers to move deeper into the Arctic. And as they move, they magnify climate change's effects. [The Earth during the winter solstice of 2010, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.]( Trilobites [Give Thanks for the Winter Solstice. You Might Not Be Here Without It.]( By SHANNON HALL The scientific start of winter offers a moment to reflect on how we might not be here to witness the changing seasons without Earth's particular tilt toward the sun. For more science news, go to [NYTimes.com/Science »]( [] Fashion & Style [Ms. Anderson, the daughter of the owner Jerry Jones, at the Star, the headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys, in Frisco, Tex. Her job is to promote ]( [Keeping the Cowboys Cool, as N.F.L. Takes the Heat]( By KATHERINE ROSMAN Charlotte Jones Anderson, chief brand officer for "America's Team," talks concussions, taking a knee and being a woman in the National Football League. [Doormen, elevator operators and manicurists are finding themselves left out in the cold by an increasingly cashless world.]( Noted [Casualties of the Cashless Society: Those Who Get Seasonal Tips]( By DOUGLAS QUENQUA Widespread use of Venmo, Uber et al mean less money in the pockets of Park Avenue doormen, manicurists and other workers. [The Club House on the Upper East Side is a medical spa just for men.]( Skin Deep [When a Man Needs a Safe Place]( By ABBY ELLIN At the Club House, a medical man-cave opening next week, a guy can get his private procedures without (gasp) women. For more fashion news, go to [NYTimes.com/Fashion »]( []Obituaries [Mamie Johnson, known as Peanut, on her back porch in Washington in 2010, holding some of the balls she used to throw ceremonial first pitches.]( [Mamie Johnson, Trailblazer in the Negro Leagues, Dies at 82]( By DANIEL E. SLOTNIK Johnson, known as Peanut, was the only woman known to pitch in the leagues, playing for the Indianapolis Clowns and compiling an impressive record. [Clifford Irving, left, facing reporters in 1972, as a grand jury in Manhattan took up the literary-hoax case against him.]( [Clifford Irving, Author of a Notorious Literary Hoax, Dies at 87]( By WILLIAM GRIMES Mr. Irving's "Autobiography of Howard Hughes" was one of the biggest literary scandals of the 20th century and landed him in jail. For more obituaries, go to [NYTimes.com/Obituaries »]( [] Editorial Editorial [Congress Refuses to Do Right by Children's Health Care]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD The Children's Health Insurance Program is in limbo while Republicans rejoice at a tax cut of more than $1 trillion for the rich. [Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York in Iowa on Tuesday.]( Editorial [New York Hot Dogs in a Corn Dog State]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD What strange attraction does Iowa hold for Mayor de Blasio? Governor Cuomo or Senator Gillibrand may soon have an answer. [Cardinal Bernard Law celebrating Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome in 2005.]( Editorial Observer [A Judgment Day Cardinal Law Can't Avoid]( By ELIZABETH WILLIAMSON His protection of pedophile priests as archbishop of Boston made me question my faith, yet the Vatican intends to honor him in death. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [] Op-Ed Op-Ed Contributor [Why Holiday Stories Matter]( By STEPHEN GREENBLATT A recent study of hunter-gatherers reminds us that our fictions are more than entertainments. [Matt Damon on ]( Op-Ed Columnist [When #MeToo Goes Too Far]( By BRET STEPHENS Verbal harassment and rape are both wrong, but there's a difference. [The Vogtle Unit 3 containment vessel in June 2017.]( Op-Ed Contributors [The Nuclear Showdown in Georgia]( By ZACK T. PATE and WILLIAM E. WEBSTER JR. A decision on the construction of two new reactors will say a lot about the future of nuclear energy in the United States. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [] ON THIS DAY On Dec. 21, 1988, a terrorist bomb exploded aboard a Pan Am Boeing 747 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people. [See this Front Page]( | [Buy this Front Page]( FOLLOW US: [Facebook] [Facebook]( | [Twitter] [@NYTimes]( | [Pinterest] [Pinterest]( | [Instagram] [Instagram]( [NYT]( Access The New York Times from anywhere with our suite of apps: [iPhone®]( | [iPad®]( | [Android]( | [All]( [.] Save 15% at [The NYTimes Store »]( [.] Have questions? [Help Section »]( [.] Visit our mobile website at [m.nyt.com »]( About This Email This is an automated email. Please do not reply directly to this email. You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Today's Headlines newsletter. 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