
Trump lied more than ever before in 2019: "In 2017, President Trump made nearly 1,999 false or misleading claims. In 2018, he added another 5,689, for a total of 7,688," reports the Washington Post. "Now, with a few weeks still left in 2019, the president already has more than doubled the total number of false or misleading claims in just a single year." How many misleading claims did he make in 2019? 7,725, for a total of 15,413 since being sworn into office, according to WaPo. I wish I could write numbers in all caps.
Boeing updates: As Nathalie mentioned in Slog AM, Boeing is planning on halting 737 MAX production lines—"with no timeline defined for a restart," writes Dominic Gates at the Seattle Times. This afternoon the company announced there would be no employee layoffs: some employees will work on 737 work and others will be redeployed to other facilities. “I think it’s the right thing to do. We care about our workforce," a Boeing insider told the Times. The company's stock fell by 4.29% today.
Did you forget to sign up for healthcare? It's a Christmas miracle—Washington Healthplanfinder has extended the deadline until the end of the month. More info here.
Still need to sign up in a health plan? You're in luck!
Enroll in a plan from now through Dec. 30 at 8pm to receive coverage starting Feb. 1, 2020. #GetCoveredWA pic.twitter.com/AFw6V8LVXo
— WA Healthplanfinder (@WAplanfinder) December 16, 2019
I don't understand Republican logic: Can someone explain Carly Fiorina to me? Thanks.
An actual headline:
“Carly Fiorina says it is 'vital' Trump be impeached, but doesn't rule out voting for him in 2020” https://t.co/94u3AWrcvP
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) December 16, 2019
Director of King County’s coordinating agency for homelessness, All Home, resigns: Kira Zylstra was in hot water last week after an annual work luncheon "with Cultural Presentation" turned out to be a performer giving lap dances and kisses. Performer Beyoncé Black St. James could be seen in videos performing a number that would have fit in just fine at R Place, but was downright salacious at a government-sponsored gathering of well-meaning prudes. This story is so chaotic and conservatives are having a field day.
A Fox News poll showed a majority of Americans favor impeachment: and Don-Don exploded on Twitter. The tweet:
The @foxnewPolls, always inaccurate, are heavily weighted toward Dems. So ridiculous - same thing happened in 2016. They got it all wrong. Get a new pollster!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2019
Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" finally hits No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100: The 25-year-old song "reached an unprecedented industry pinnacle, hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time, becoming both the song that took the longest to do so and the first Christmas track to take the top spot since 'The Chipmunk Song' 60 years ago," writes New York Times. Why? How? The answer has a lot to do with social media.
Breaking news ❄️ pic.twitter.com/PBwOYLRpJK
— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) November 1, 2019
Let's remember our elders: Pour one out for "The Chipmunk Song," which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won three Grammy Awards in 1958.
"I remember the time when we could go … meet our friends and loved ones at the gate:" Since we're busy remembering things, remember pre-9/11? When you could get past airport security even if you didn't have a ticket? We're going back to those lawless times, baby! Sea-Tac is allowing 100 non-ticked passengers through its security checkpoints each day, starting immediately. Good news for parents sending off unaccompanied minors.
How much should hearing aids cost? And when will our national healthcare emergency end? Crosscut's Melissa Santos has a feature out today about how "a plan in the state Legislature would require private insurers to cover the devices, which must be replaced every few years."
Zoomers are bringing back the scrunchie: Sex and the City tried to kill the scrunchie in 2003 by devoting a whole episode to the horrors of the popular hair accessory. But zoomers have prevailed. "In the past year, scrunchies sold eight times faster than the overall category of hair accessories and styling products," writes NPR, the leader in style. It's not just NPR—Teen Vogue declared scrunchies "2019's Biggest Fashion Trend" in September. I'm wearing a scrunchie right now. Jason Momoa wears them. So does Lizzo.
Seahawks wide receiver suspended indefinitely for doping: The NFL announced Josh Gordon's use of performance-enhancing substances this morning but did not disclose which substances he was found to be taking. "The suspension is effective immediately. It's Gordon's sixth suspension for the same type of violation," writes KOMO.
Actor Kumail Nanjiani broke the internet today: The formerly skinny nerd from Silicon Valley and The Big Sick is apparently ripped now. You can blame Marvel. "I found out a year ago I was going to be in Marvel’s Eternals and decided I wanted to transform how I looked," he wrote on Instagram. "I would not have been able to do this if I didn’t have a full year with the best trainers and nutritionists paid for by the biggest studio in the world. I’m glad I look like this, but I also understand why I never did before. It would have been impossible without these resources and time."
Some more male body talk to end the day: "Jason Derulo Said His Huge Penis Had To Be Edited Out Of The Movie Cats And I'm Not Sure How I Feel About It"