What to Know
- Cardinal Bernard Law, a key figure of the child sexual abuse scandal that marred the Catholic Church in Boston, has died, a source says
- Officials approved the first gene therapy for an inherited disease, a treatment that improves sight of those with a rare form of blindness
- An activist who started a "Me Too" campaign to raise awareness about sexual violence will start this year's ball drop on New Year's Eve
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Senate Moves $1.5T GOP Tax Cut Bill to Edge of Final Passage
Jubilant Republicans pushed to the verge of the most sweeping rewrite of the nation's tax laws in more than three decades, a deeply unpopular bill they insist Americans will learn to love when they see their paychecks in the new year. President Trump cheered the lawmakers on, eager to claim his first major legislative victory. The Senate narrowly passed the legislation on a party-line 51-48 vote. Protesters interrupted with chants of "kill the bill, don't kill us" and Vice President Mike Pence repeatedly called for order. Upon passage, Republicans cheered, with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin among them. The early morning vote came hours after the GOP rammed the bill through the House, 227-203. But it wasn't the final word in Congress because of one last hiccup. Three provisions in the bill, including its title, violated Senate rules, forcing the Senate to vote to strip them out.
Cardinal Bernard Law, Who Resigned Amid Scandal, Dies
A key figure of the child sexual abuse scandal that marred the Catholic Church in Boston has died. Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned in disgrace as archbishop in 2002 amid the investigation into the abuse of children in the Boston archdiocese, died at 86, according to a high-ranking source within the Catholic Church. He passed away at a hospital in Rome after an illness. Following his resignation, Law remained with the church. Facing potential criminal charges in the U.S., in 2004, Law was called to Rome and given a parish to lead, which he did until his retirement in 2011. Law was criticized heavily for protecting priests accused of molesting children. Rev. John Geoghan, ultimately convicted of abusing more than 130 boys, was allowed to transfer to a new parish, the allegations against him and other priests kept in secret files.
Officials: Why Was Train in Fatal Amtrak Wreck Speeding?
Local
Federal investigators probing a deadly Amtrak derailment are trying to determine why the train was traveling at more than double the posted speed limit as it entered the curve where it left the tracks and plunged off an overpass and partly onto a busy freeway, killing three people and injuring dozens. Early details from the probe indicate a conductor-in-training was in the cab with the engineer at the time of the derailment and the brake that eventually stopped the train was automatically activated instead of being applied by the engineer, National Transportation Safety Board member Bella Dinh-Zarr said Tuesday. A federal official told The Associated Press that investigators are looking into whether the engineer was distracted by the presence of an employee-in-training next to him in the locomotive. The official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said investigators want to know whether the engineer lost "situational awareness." Investigators also confirmed that technology that can automatically slow or stop a speeding train — known as positive train control — was not in use on that stretch of track. Track sensors and other PTC components have been installed, but the system is not expected to be completed until the spring, Dinh-Zarr said. Regulators have been pressing railroads for years to install such technology, and some have done so, but the deadline has been extended repeatedly at the industry's request and is now set for the end of 2018.
Gene Therapy for Rare Form of Blindness Wins U.S. Approval
U.S. health officials approved the nation's first gene therapy for an inherited disease, a treatment that improves the sight of patients with a rare form of blindness. It marks another major advance for the emerging field of genetic medicine. The approval for Spark Therapeutics offers a life-changing intervention for a small group of patients with a vision-destroying genetic mutation and hope for many more people with other inherited diseases. The drugmaker said it will not disclose the price until next month, delaying debate about the affordability of a treatment that analysts predict will be priced around $1 million. The injection, called Luxturna, is the first gene therapy approved by the Food and Drug Administration in which a corrective gene is given directly to patients. The gene mutation interferes with the production of an enzyme needed for normal vision. Patients who got the treatment have described seeing snow, stars or the moon for the first time.
NYC New Year's Eve Ceremony to Feature “Me Too” Activist
An activist who started a "Me Too" campaign a decade ago to raise awareness about sexual violence will start this year's ceremonial ball drop at Times Square on New Year's Eve. The Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment say Tarana Burke will push the crystal button that officially begins the 60-second countdown to the new year. Numerous women have spoken out publicly since October about sexual misconduct by dozens of high-profile men in entertainment, media, business and sports. A flurry of tweets, Instagram and Facebook posts ensued after actress-activist Alyssa Milano urged victims to respond with the phrase "me too." Milano initially wasn't aware of Burke's earlier campaign and has since publicly credited her. Burke says in a statement that 2018 will bring new momentum to the movement.
