What to Know
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The White House and the State Department are at odds over Putin's offer to allow the U.S. access to Russians accused of election meddling[hhmc]
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Deaths from liver disease have risen sharply in the U.S., and doctors say the biggest factor is drinking — especially among young adults[hhmc]
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Netflix announced it will broadcast Bruce Springsteen's Broadway show on Dec. 15, his last performance[hhmc]
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Russian Claims Against Americans Are “Absurd,” State Department Says
The White House and the State Department are at odds over Russian President Putin's offer to allow the U.S. access to Russians accused of election meddling in return for interviews of Americans accused by the Kremlin of unspecified crimes. Even as the White House said the offer, made by Putin to President Trump at their summit in Helsinki, was under consideration, the State Department called Russia's allegations against the Americans "absurd," suggesting that any questioning of them would not be countenanced by the U.S. The Russian claims against the Americans, including former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, relate to allegations of fraud and corruption. Spokeswoman Heather Nauert noted that a U.S. federal court had already rejected Russia's charges regarding British businessman and vocal Kremlin critic Bill Browder. She said Russian authorities already know the U.S. position. Browder was a driving force behind a U.S. law targeting Russian officials over human rights abuses.
Facebook CEO Uses Holocaust Example to Defend Misinformation Efforts
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerbergsaid in a podcast interview his social network does not remove posts that deny the Holocaust because the company wants to allow its users to make unintentional mistakes, NBC News reported. Zuckerberg volunteered the example of Holocaust deniers unprompted in the middle of a discussion on the Recode Decode podcast about Facebooks role in the spread of hoaxes and false news stories. “Im Jewish, and theres a set of people who deny that the Holocaust happened,” he said. “I find that deeply offensive. But at the end of the day, I dont believe that our platform should take that down because I think there are things that different people get wrong.” “I dont think that theyre intentionally getting it wrong,” he continued, before the interviewer, Kara Swisher, interrupted him. Zuckerberg later backtracked, saying in an email to Swisher that he did not mean to defend the intent of Holocaust deniers, according to a copy of the email posted by Swisher.
Deaths From Liver Disease Are Surging, and Drinking Is to Blame
Deaths from liver disease have risen sharply in the U.S., and doctors say the biggest factor is drinking — especially among young adults. A new study found a 65 percent increase in deaths from cirrhosis of the liver since 1999, NBC News reported. The biggest increase is among millennials: the team found that deaths from cirrhosis are rising 10 percent a year among people aged 25 to 34. People so young might not even realize that they can drink themselves to death so quickly, but they can, said liver specialist Dr. Haripriya Maddur of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
Woman Finds Black Widow in Grocery Store Grapes
A mom in Branford, Connecticut, is warning fruit-lovers to be on alert after she said she found a venomous black widow spider in a package of grapes she purchased at the grocery store. She said she bought the grapes from the Branford Stop & Shop. A few hours later she made the discovery while she and her 11-year-old son were in the middle of eating the grapes. Luckily it didnt bite, and no one was hurt. She told NBC Connecticut that Stop & Shop offered to give her double her money back for the grapes. Stop & Shop said in response saying in part: “Stop & Shop and our grape growers take necessary measures to keep spiders out of the grapes that are sold. Despite that effort, it is possible for a spider to get into the bunches as they are a part of the natural, organic environment.”
Bruce Springsteen's Broadway Show to Be Seen on Netflix
Put away your wallet — you won't have to pay hundreds of dollars to see Bruce Springsteen's Broadway show. Netflix announced it will broadcast The Boss' one-man show on Dec. 15, his last performance. "Springsteen on Broadway" has been extended three times. He had previously planned to end in February, then pushed it to June 30, then pushed that to Dec. 15. In the show, Springsteen performs more than a dozen songs and tells stories about growing up in New Jersey. Tickets for the show at the Walter Kerr Theatre have been reselling for more than $1,000.
Chance the Rapper Announces Chicagoist Purchase in Song
Chance the Rapper says he has purchased the former news website Chicagoist, making the announcement in a new song. The Chicago native released four songs on his website including "I Might Need Security," where he proclaims "I bought the Chicagoist." WNYC confirmed the acquisition in a statement. The public radio station says Chance the Rapper's Social Media LLC purchased all of the Chicagoist's assets, including its archives, internet domain and social media channels. WNYC bought Gothamist and its affiliated websites in February from billionaire Joe Ricketts, who shuttered the sites last November about a week after New York staffs voted to unionize. In the statement released by WNYC, Chance says he plans to relaunch Chicagoist. He calls it "an integral local platform for Chicago news, events and entertainment."
San Francisco Bans Tour Buses From "Full House” Residence
Tour buses will no longer be swinging by a San Francisco house made famous in the popular 1990s sitcom "Full House." The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency voted to ban commercial vehicles from Broderick Street after neighbors complained. Vehicles that seat nine or more people will no longer be allowed on the block. Spokesman Paul Rose said neighbors complained about double parking and congestion outside the Victorian home, causing traffic hazards. One resident said it's only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. The producer who created the show bought the home for more than $4 million in 2016.
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