1. An Amtrak train derailed and fell off an overpass onto Interstate 5 some 40 miles south of Seattle during Monday morning rush hour, killing at least three people and hospitalizing dozens more. Terrifying footage of the accident, which resulted in the closure of the busy freeway near the state capital of Olympia, showed one train car on top of another, while several vehicles were also involved in the grisly pileup. Mayor Don Anderson of Lakewood, Washington–a town very near the crash site–basically predicted the accident two weeks ago while expressing his dissatisfaction with Amtrak’s safety infrastructure. “Come back when there is that accident and try to justify not putting in those safety enhancements, or you can go back now and advocate for the money to do it, because this project was never needed and endangers our citizens,”. (AP)
2. Sen. Susan Collins announced her support Monday for the Republican tax reform bill. “This legislation will provide tax relief to working families, encourage the creation of jobs right here in America and spur economic growth that will benefit all Americans,” Collins said. Congress is expected to approve the bill this week. Collins has faced pressure to oppose the bill, with several protests taking place outside her offices in Maine. This is the biggest overhaul to the tax code in roughly three decades. (WMTW)
3. American Airlines will offer daily flights from Portland to Chicago beginning in June, the newest direct service offered by the largest carrier at Portland International Jetport. The airline plans two trips a day to Chicago O’Hare International Airport between June and October. Additional flights to Chicago will also give passengers more connections to cities west of the Mississippi River. (Press Herald)
4. The Lakers retired two jerseys Monday night, both bearing Kobe Bryant’s name: The No. 8 he wore for the first part of his career now hangs to the right of broadcaster Chick Hearn’s ceremonial jersey, and the No. 24 he wore for the second half hangs to its left. “We are retiring both your numbers because if we separated [them], each of those players would qualify for the Hall of Fame,” said Jeanie Buss, the Lakers’ controlling owner and president. (LA Times)
If you split @kobebryant into two separate careers with each number, either span would be Hall of Fame-worthy. pic.twitter.com/GQ346gUCrz
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 18, 2017
5. Twitter announced Monday that it will begin issuing a warning before a user can see photos of hateful imagery such as Nazi swastikas. It will also prohibit their use in profile photos. Additionally, Twitter will ban users who associate either online or offline with organizations that promote violence against citizens. Despite the controversy it’s caused in recent months, Twitter decided not to categorize the U.S. Confederate flag as hateful imagery, citing its place in history. (Reuters)
