What to Know
- President Donald Trump will unveil his long-awaited infrastructure plan, a $1.5 trillion proposal that fulfills a number of campaign goals
- The maker of OxyContin said it will stop marketing opioid drugs to doctors, bowing to a key demand of lawsuits that blame it for drug abuse
- New York's attorney general has filed a lawsuit against disgraced Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein and the Weinstein Co.
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Trump to Unveil $1.5 Trillion Infrastructure Plan
President Trump will unveil his long-awaited infrastructure plan, a $1.5 trillion proposal that fulfills a number of campaign goals, but relies heavily on state and local governments to produce much of the funding. The administration's plan is centered on using $200 billion in federal money to leverage local and state tax dollars to fix America's infrastructure, such as roads, highways, ports and airports. Trump has repeatedly blamed the "crumbling" state of the nation's roads and highways for preventing the American economy from reaching its full potential. Many in Washington believe Trump should have begun his term a year ago with an infrastructure push, one that could have garnered bipartisan support or, at minimum, placed Democrats in a bind for opposing a popular political measure. But the administration chose to begin with health care and relations with Democrats have only grown more strained during a turbulent, contentious year.
USA Takes Bronze, Nagasu Makes Medal in Figure Skating Team Event
The United States has won the bronze medal in the team figure skating competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Canada struck gold with 73 points, followed by the Russians with 66 points. The U.S.'s final score was 62 points. While Canada's team clinched the top spot, the star of the performance was Team USA's Mirai Nagasu, who became the first American woman — only third overall — to land a triple axel in the Olympics. The 24-year-old from Montebello, California, skated first of the five women in the free skate and led off her routine with the triple axel just 21 seconds in. The feat drew huge cheers from the crowd at the Gangneung Ice Arena. Japan's Midori Ito and Mao Asada also landed triple axels during the Olympics. Nagasu completed a flawless routine, pumping both fists as she finished and got a standing ovation from the excited crowd. She received a personal-best score of 137.53, narrowly edging Canada's Gabrielle Daleman, who had 137.14, for third.
Airliner Crashes Near Moscow After Takeoff; 71 Presumed Dead
Local
A Russian passenger plane carrying 71 people crashed near Moscow, killing everyone aboard shortly after the jet took off from one of the city's airports. The Saratov Airlines regional jet disappeared from radar screens a few minutes after departing from Domodedovo Airport en route to Orsk, a city some 1,000 miles southeast of Russia’s capital city. Fragments from the twin-engine Antonov An-148 airliner were found in the Ramenskoye area, about 25 miles from the airport. State television footage showed the pieces strewn across a snowy field. No one on the ground was reported hurt. State news agency Tass said the plane, which had been flying since 2010, was out of service for two years because of a shortage of parts. Russian news reports said the jet carried 65 passengers and six crew members. Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov confirmed that there were no survivors but did not give the number of people on board. Russia's Investigative Committee said all possible causes were being explored.
OxyContin Maker Will Stop Promoting Opioids to Doctors
The maker of the powerful painkiller OxyContin said it will stop marketing opioid drugs to doctors, bowing to a key demand of lawsuits that blame the company for helping trigger the current drug abuse epidemic. OxyContin has long been the world's top-selling opioid painkiller, bringing in billions in sales for privately-held Purdue, which also sells a newer and longer-lasting opioid drug called Hysingla. Purdue's statement said it eliminated more than half its sales staff this week and will no longer send sales representatives to doctors' offices to discuss opioid drugs. Its remaining sales staff of about 200 will focus on other medications. The OxyContin pill, a time-release version of oxycodone, was hailed as a breakthrough treatment for chronic pain when it was approved in late 1995. It worked over 12 hours to maintain a steady level of oxycodone in patients suffering from a wide range of pain ailments. But some users quickly discovered they could get a heroin-like high by crushing the pills and snorting or injecting the entire dose at once. In 2010 Purdue reformulated OxyContin to make it harder to crush and stopped selling the original form of the drug.
New York Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against Harvey Weinstein
New York's attorney general has filed a lawsuit against disgraced Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein and the Weinstein Co. following an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman launched a civil rights probe into the New York City-based company in October after The New York Times and The New Yorker exposed allegations of sexual assault and harassment spanning decades. Scores of women, including well-known actresses, have come forward with stories of forced sexual encounters. Weinstein was fired by the film company he founded with his brother Robert and expelled from Hollywood's movie academy. Schneiderman's investigation found that employees were subjected to various verbal threats from Weinstein such as "I will kill you, I will kill your family, and "you don't know what I can do." Telephone and email messages seeking comment from Weinstein and the company were not immediately returned.
