5 things you need to know Tuesday
Franken to step down from Senate seat
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., will officially resign Tuesday, nearly a month after announcing he would leave office over sexual misconduct allegations. His successor, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, will be sworn in Wednesday. Franken announced he was leaving the Senate after more than half a dozen women alleged he touched them improperly or made unwanted sexual advances. Many of the accusations refer to incidents that occurred before he was elected in 2008. Franken has disputed some of the accusations, even though one accuser, TV host Leeann Tweeden, published a photo of him leering and reaching for her breasts while she slept. Here are five memorable moments from Franken's years in the Senate.
Will 401(k) investors be as happy this year as last year?
The stock market put a lot of money in 401(k) investors' accounts in 2017, posting its biggest annual gain since 2013. The blockbuster year extended a bull market that began in 2009 and is now the second-longest in Wall Street history. What are Wall Street analysts predicting for 2018? A Paste BN analysis of more than a dozen predictions from Wall Street's biggest banks found wide variation. The most optimistic forecaster says the U.S. stock market will post a 16% gain in 2018. The biggest skeptic still sees gains but forecasts only a 3% rise. We will find out how the new year starts out on Wall Street as the first trading day of 2018 kicks off with the opening bell at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Feeling lucky?
No one won the Mega Millions jackpot on Friday, which means Tuesday night's drawing is worth an estimated $343 million. Residents of 44 states (plus Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands) can play for the eighth-highest payout in Mega Millions history. Not rich enough for your blood? Wait a day for the Powerball drawing.
Public viewing for Atlanta news reporter who died from stroke
The family of Amanda Davis, a longtime Atlanta television news reporter, is holding a public viewing of her body in Decatur, Ga., from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Tuesday. Davis died Wednesday, a day after suffering a stroke at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The 62-year-old was on her way to San Antonio following the death of her stepfather. Davis, a television anchor in Atlanta for more than 25 years, had recently opened up about her battle against alcoholism.
It's a good day to plan out your winter TV-watching
After sifting through dozens of cable and network offerings, Paste BN hand-picked 10 new shows worth watching this winter. The first on the list, LA to Vegas, airs Tuesday night at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Writes TV critic Patrick Ryan: Fox has another potential gem with the ensemble comedy set on that 45-minute flight between Los Angeles and Sin City. Dylan McDermott (The Practice) soars as a cocky pilot, but it's the colorful cast of sardonic flight attendants and kooky passengers that helps stick the landing. Some other shows to consider as you embrace the winter 'hygge' include The Chi (Showtime) Phillip K. Dick's Electric Dreams (Amazon) and Black Lightning (CW).
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