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Updated: 01:03 EST

Republicans force tax cuts through the Senate

NEW The Senate passed the GOP’s $1.5 trillion tax cut early Wednesday morning, leaving just one technical hurdle and President Trump’s signature as the final steps before the president’s top legislative priority becomes reality. There was little last-minute drama in the Senate, where the final tally was 51-48, hardly different from the original version that cleared the Senate earlier this month. Not a single Democrat voted for it, just as no House Democrat voted for a version Tuesday. Protesters provided one of the biggest bursts of emotion, as a group of people yelled out ‘Kill the bill, don't kill us!’ as the final vote was being taken.

Soldier saved a grandmother dangling from Amtrak train

Army 2nd Lt. Robert McCoy (top), a soldier from the nearby Joint Base Lewis-McChord, was driving his truck down the I-5 when he heard a loud bang saw the train cars barreling down towards him. 'It hit three vehicles that were in front of me,' he told CNN affiliate KCPQ. Without any concern for his own safety, the lieutenant jumped out of his truck, grabbed a tourniquet and a CPR mask, and headed toward the wreck. 'There were people yelling. There were people looking for each other, loved ones,' he said.

Columbia frat boy posts flyer asking for a date to formal

Columbia University student, Ned, made a tongue-in-cheek flyer asking the women on the streets of Manhattan to accompany him as his date to his frat's winter formal. Apparently the 28-year-old bachelor was tired of the classic dating apps so he decided to take matters into his own hands. Ned, who didn't disclose his last name for professional reasons, created a flyer that he posted around Soho and the West Village, which just so happened to be close to a few modeling agencies - and it turns out he actually landed himself a model, Anna Besedina.

Mexico bus crash kills 12 Royal Caribbean passengers

Several Americans are believed to be among the 12 people who died when a bus carrying tourists from US cruise ships crashed in Mexico Tuesday. A civil defense source told AFP privately that most of the dead were Americans, although Mexican authorities said they do not have further details of the nationalities of those killed. The bus was carrying tourists from the ships to an archeological site when it ran off the road.

In an October study with nearly 2,000 American participants aged 18 to 59, the percentage of consumers who utilized cable TV and Netflix in 2017 were even.

Riggs sent a message to a fan site asking them not to reveal his character's plot twist, writing: 'Out of respect for me and for one of the last few seasons of the show, I’m asking you not to spoil the ending.'

Parents pull their children out of Connecticut high school in protest at Ivanka Trump's surprise visit

Upon learning that Ivanka Trump (main) was visiting Norwalk Early College Academy at Norwalk High School on Monday, parents - including Karey Fitzgerald (inset) - rushed to the school to pull their children out. Ivanka Trump and IBM CEO Ginni Rometty spoke with a handful of students at the academy. It runs on a program developed by IBM to allow students to simultaneously earn a high school diploma, associate degree and develop technical skills. A majority of the teachers were also unaware that the First Daughter was visiting the school.

Republicans are doubling the standard deduction and the child tax credit, lowering tax rates across the board until 2025 and giving businesses a permanent to spur job creation.

Of the 12 Republicans who crossed party lines to vote 'no' in Tuesday's House tax showdown, all but one hail from states where deduction cutoffs for state and local taxes could cost voters.

Donald Trump has told British prime minister Theresa May he will visit Britain in the new year - but will not meet the Queen. There had been fears of protests hitting the monarch if they met.

'We expect that it likely will, certainly on the personal side, could cost the president a lot of money,' White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated.

This week all three major stock exchanges in the U.S. soared to record highs amid rising optimism that Trump's tax reforms will be signed off and provide help to blue-collar workers.

Wyatt Koch heir sues ex-fiancee to get back $250,000 ring

Wyatt Koch (right), son of industrialist Bill Koch (inset), the forgotten Koch brother of Charles and David, is demanding that Ivie Gabrielle Slocumb (pictured with him left) return the 8.24-carat diamond ring after she called off their engagement in May. According to court documents, Koch bought the ring is an Oscar Heyman cushion cut diamond with two tapered baguette diamonds for $180,000 in March. His lawyers now argue the jewelry is worth $250,000, while Koch is also demanding $15,000 in damages. 

Episode VIII is on a trajectory that should take it crashing through half a billion dollars at the box office on Tuesday after upping is global take to $494.6 million on Monday in five days on release.

Beefed-up James Packer spotted with mystery woman in Aspen

 James Packer has been spotted spending alone time with a mystery woman in Aspen, Colorado. The beefed-up billionaire was seen enjoying a lunch and a smoke with his glamorous lunch date, the pair sitting notably close and clearly having a blast. It comes two months after the 50-year-old finally spoke out about his taxing breakup with pop megastar Mariah Carey, admitting: 'It was a mistake.'

NASA scientists may be on the brink of fully understanding the nature of the mysterious dark matter through X-ray data they've observed from the the Perseus galaxy cluster (pictured).

With the party season well and truly in full swing, it's possible one too many late nights could be starting to show. Beauty expert Jocelyn Petroni tells FEMAIL how keep your skin looking great.

Catt Sadler leaves E! News' as male co-host earns more

E! News' Catt Sadler is leaving the station after a decade at the popular network due to a significant pay disparity between her and her co-host Jason Kennedy (both pictured right). The 43-year-old news anchor confirmed she was leaving in a tweet that read, 'It's true. Today will be my last day on #DailyPop and @enews. I hope you'll tune in so I can thank you for the memories. I love you guys SO much it hurts.' The TV personality also revealed in a statement on her website that she was leaving the network due to a 'massive disparity in pay' between her and Kennedy.

Arizona woman shoots son dead, then stabs herself in neck

An Arizona mom shot her two-year-old son to death before repeatedly stabbing herself in the neck in a bid to kill herself, according to police. Alyssa Pettibone, 26, of Buckeye, Arizona, was arrested and booked into jail on Monday, charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of her two-year-old son, Hudson Pettibone. She was arrested after being treated at the hospital for apparent self-inflicted stab wounds to her neck. The charge stems from an incident which took place on Friday. Police were called to Alyssa's house at about 4pm, when a family member reported that Alyssa had shot Hudson and then tried to kill herself, according to ABC 15. Upon their arrival, officers said they found Alyssa, lying on the bathroom floor, with bleeding stab wounds in the neck. Hudson was also in the bathroom, dead from a gunshot wound, according to police documents.

SplashData has revealed its list of the worst passwords of 2017, using data from more than 5 million passwords leaked this year – and, once again, ‘123456’ and ‘password’ top the list.

Cesarean scar pregnancies are exceedingly rare, and a new NYU Langone case study in documents the first woman to have five in a row. She - and her baby - survived the last.

Indiana pastor remarries after first wife was murdered

Davey Blackburn, the founder of Resonate Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, has remarried to Kristi Monroy (pictured mains with him) after his first wife, Amanda (pictured inset with him and their 1-year-old son, Weston), was tragically killed during a botched home invasion in November 2015. In an Instagram post of the special day, he quoted the Book of Isaiah: 'Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.' Three men were charged with Amanda's murder. They are Jalen Watson, 21, Larry Taylor, 18, and Diano Gordon, 24. Two of the men who entered the house left to try and get money out of her bank account with her debit cards.

Man charged with grand theft after surveillance camera

A porch pirate has been charged after a woman caught him stealing several items on her doorbell device and posted the footage on Facebook. Daniel Colin Kelley, 43, has been charged with grand theft and was booked into the Lake County Jail on Sunday. Lauren Bigham revealed to police that Amazon had notified her that some of her packages had been delivered successfully, according to ClickOrlando.com.

Heather North has died at the age of 71 in Studio City, California after suffering a long illness. The actress was best known for voicing the character Daphne Blake on Scooby-Doo.

Woman accidentally texts Sarah Michelle Gellar

The Buffy The Vampire Slayer star, 40, took to Facebook recently to share a photo of a woman who sent her a photo of herself grinning and showing off her engagement ring. Sarah Michelle explained that Charlyn Willis, 28, wanted to text her sister, but entered the wrong number-and amazingly, she unknowingly entered the actress' contact instead. 'This is #CharlynWillis. She got engaged yesterday, and meant to text her sister, but in all the excitement, got me instead,' Sarah Michelle wrote in her Facebook post. 'Her sister didn't respond, but I did. So please help me say congrats, to Charlyn. (And her fiancé whose name I don't know) #congratulations.'

Model Lauren Wasser says she will lose second leg to TSS

Los Angeles-based model Lauren Wasser, 29, lost her right leg and toes on her left foot in 2012 after contracting toxic shock syndrome from a tampon, leading to gangrene in her feet (inset). She revealed she will 'inevitably' lose her other leg in the coming months because bone grows where her toes once were making it unbearable to walk. She now sports a golden prosthetic leg (right) as her modeling career has flourished and is an advocate, raising awareness about the dangers of tampons to women and young girls.

Facebook will start using artificial intelligence to alert users when photos of them are uploaded to the social media site. Facebook says the feature will allow people to protect their privacy.

Government officials announced that they have lifted the three-year moratorium on funding for research that involves altering certain viruses to make them more lethal and transmittable.

Jayzon Decker pleads guilty to attempting to kill girl

Jayzon Decker, 17, admitted in an adult court on Tuesday to plotting the death of Deserae Turner when she was shot in the back of the head in Smithfield, Utah earlier this year. His victim, who was left partially paralyzed and still has bullet fragments lodged in her skull, cried in court as she listened to the medical challenges she was left facing as a result of the incident. The court heard that Decker and his friend Colin Peterson had lured Deserae to a canal in February under the guise of selling her a pocket knife. The boys had plotted to 'get rid of' her after growing tired of her social media messages.

The new system can automatically spot abusers who set up multiple accounts, and also adds the option to ignore a Messenger conversation and automatically remove it from your inbox.

Researchers from the University of Waterloo in Canada defined wisdom as the ability to be open-minded, intellectually humble and integrate different perspectives on important issues.

Track Palin may spend Christmas in jail, cannot post bail

Court records show that on Monday his ex-wife Britta Hanson(right) filed a petition for a protective order against Track. Britta, who is the mother of Track's 6-year-old daughter Kayla (inset right), was granted a short-term order by the judge and will be back in court early next month to try and get a long-term order keeping her ex away from her and possibly their daughter. At the same time, Track's ex Jordan Loewe (left) also filed an emergency motion to change the child custody agreement that is in place between the couple. Track and Jordan are the parents of a son Charlie (inset lft with Sarah), who is almost two.

Investigators want to know whether the engineer lost 'situational awareness' because of the employee-in-training sitting next to him, a federal official said Tuesday.

The first victims of the Amtrak crash have now been identified as local transit employee Zack Willhoite and his friend Jim Hamre after the train derailed on Monday near DuPont, Washington.

Georgina Chapman could get $12M in Weinstein divorce money

Harvey's Weinstein's estranged wife may have had her heart broken, but she isn't broke. The luxury label fashion designer and ex-Hollywood studio head's humiliated wife, Georgina Chapman, could pocket nearly $12million if the couple divorce within the next 12 months. The once-happy family 'celebrated' 10 years of marriage Friday - marking a new milestone in the couple's multi-million dollar prenup, which is in Chapman's favor.

Zelda Perkins said she was viewed as 'suspect' by London employers after a month-long battle trying to bring Harvey Weinstein to court over allegations of sex abuse in the late Nineties.

Rugby league superstar Jarryd Hayne has been accused of rape in a civil suit filed in an American court - claiming the cross-code athlete committed the alleged assault during his brief stint in the NFL.

Congress paid out $265,000 in taxpayer funds to settle claims of sexual harassment or discrimination over a decade, according to new data released by a House committee.

Elliott Sailors (pictured), based in New York City, is one of 10 models who recounted being told to strip during photo shoots or physically assaulted by industry professionals in a new clip.

Tiffany Trump puts her hand on Secret Service agent's arm

The 24-year-old law student at Georgetown University was photographed protectively putting her hand on her Secret Service agent's arm as they crossed the street together on New York's Upper West Side (left). Tiffany is home for the holidays after finishing up her first semester of law school last week, and she was photographed while on her way to Duane Reade (inset and right). She later met her mother, Marla Maples, for dinner at the Atlantic Grill by Lincoln Center.

It's been an eventful year for women, which is why Trevor Noah's Yearly Show special included a 'Song for Women 2017' with Hillary Clinton making a surprise cameo appearance.

The first daughter, 36, left her home in Washington, D.C. this morning donning a red suit paired with a simple black turtleneck, her trademark five-inch black stilettos, and a matching small purse.

Huma Abedin, 41, wore a colorful faux-fur coat by designer Alice + Olivia on the east side of Manhattan on Monday evening. She has a very similar $1,000 coat by the same designer.

Dakota Johnson and Chris Martin confirm romance

They have found themselves at the centre of speculation they are romantically linked.  And appearing to fuel the romance rumours, Dakota Johnson and her 'beau' Chris Martin have been pictured for the first time, as they made their way through the Charles de Gaulle Airport on Tuesday, after spending a few days together in Paris. The Fifty Shades Darker star, 28, cut a chic figure as she made her way through departures in a pair of leopard print boots and a tailored coat, as she and the Coldplay singer appeared to arrive using the same security escort. 

The army of 'robots', as they were described by the North Korean defector now in South London, live and die for the hermit nation's dictator and would be prepared to do anything for him.

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You Got Served! The hype moment Bronx teen, 13, dance battles his teacher in front of a wild crowd, showing off amazing Harlem Shake and Pop-Lock moves

An amazing video shows Amir Wilson, 13, dance battle his coach in front of a packed auditorium filled with his fellow students at a Bronx, New York, school. 'Battled my dance teacher at my school talent show. He killed it. It was lit. I had to give it to him at the end he bodied,' he said in the original post on Saturday. In the brief clip, the two duke it out to Kid The Wiz's hit Love Come Down, a popular song known for the #lovecomedownchallenge.

Ruth Kretschmer, 90, and her husband, Bob Kretschmer, 92, died in their home in Medinah, Illinois just five days after they marked 71 years in marriage.

A 27-year-old high school teacher has been arrested by authorities in Florida for sending nude photos and sexually explicit texts to a 15-year-old boy she met through Xbox One, police said on Tuesday.

Bitcoin, the world's best known cryptocurrency, has risen more than 1,800 percent this year as mainstream exchange companies introduced futures trading in the virtual currency.

Moment Yemen rebels launch ballistic missile that was intercepted 'just SECONDS from King Salman's palace' - as US claims the weapon was supplied by Iran 

This is the moment Yemen rebels filmed themselves launching a ballistic missile that was intercepted by Saudi Arabia just seconds before hitting King Salman's palace. Eyewitnesses said they saw a plume of smoke over the nation's capital Riyadh after hearing a blast at about 10.50am yesterday - shortly before the scheduled unveiling of the Saudi budget. The Houthis' Al Masirah TV reported that a Burkan H2 ballistic missile had been targeted at the royal residence. However it was shot down by Saudi Arabia's military south of the capital with no reports of any damage. It has led to escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with the US ambassador to the UN saying the missile bears the hallmarks of a weapon provided by Tehran.

The clip shows two girls approaching two Israeli soldiers, before shoving, kicking and slapping them while filming on mobile phones in the Palestinian village of Nabi Saleh in the occupied West Bank.

Texas woman Ruthann Ezell (pictured) was arrested after allegedly attacking a woman with a baseball bat and then trying to run her over in a battle over a parking spot in Texas.

Popular holiday gifts like cell phones and smart toys emit radio energy that may increase brain cancer risks, according to today's warnings from experts including a former NIH toxicologist.

US Census figures reveal a clear correlation between premature death and those who took retirement before 65, according to an analysis by Cornell University.

Swedish royal Christmas card puts Kate and Wills to shame

Crown Princess Victoria, 40, has released a very festive Christmas card and video shot at Haga Palace with her husband Prince Daniel and children Oscar, 19 months, and Estelle, five (top left). The fun images show (clockwise from top right) decorating a tree, enjoying games by the fire and sledging, in stark contrast to William and Kate's more formal offering, which was released yesterday (inset).

A 27-year-old man was shot dead outside the popular Tonic Bar (pictured) in Times Square Tuesday morning. The victim was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where he later died.

Monalisa Perez, 20, of Minnesota, has taken a plea deal in the June 2017 shooting death of her boyfriend, 22-year-old Pedro Ruiz III, which occurred during a YouTube prank.

From peeing in liquor bottles in the minibar to avoid charges, to drinking out of glasses cleaned with furniture polish, FEMAIL reveals the secrets hotels don't want you to know about.

Bill Clinton snuck out of White House to visit mistresses

Bill Clinton was once caught by the Secret Service trying to sneak out of the White House to presumably visit a mistress by hiding under a raincoat in the back of his personal lawyer Bruce Lindsey's (together top right) car, claims former Secret Service officer Gary Byrne. The officer refused to let Lindsey past the gate and radioed for backup, according to Byrne's new book Secrets of the Secret Service: The History and Uncertain Future of the US Secret Service, out next month. Byrne claims that Clinton would routinely sneak out to visit his 'well known and less well known mistresses' in Washington DC during his presidency. Secret Service also took care to never have Hillary Clinton (bottom right) run into any of Bill's mistresses. Pictured inset: Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.

In startling footage five white circles were seen above the Mexican capital. Hundreds of people gathered on the pavements - pointing and chatting excitedly about the unexplained dots.

Violinist Anthony Hyatt leads dancers through MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington on Oct. 11, 2017. Musicians and dancers are part of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center's arts and humanities program. (AP Photo/Tom Sampson)

Musicians, therapists and neuroscientists are collaborating on a new US National Institutes of Health study to discover just what music does to the brain, and how sound might be harnessed for healing.

A video shows a young girl drinking chocolate milk and petting a snake. The massive yellow python named Cher is sitting curled up on her lap.

Samsung's Swedish site is offering a 23-minute online hypnotherapy tool dubbed Unspoil Me. It's designed to make you forget your favourite shows, to re-watch them as if they were new.

Can you spot the bear hidden among the Christmas reindeer?

Somewhere in this herd of reindeer there is a single brown bear - but only the most eagle-eyed viewers will be able to find it. The festive scene is the latest creation from Hungarian artist Gergely Dudas, better known as Dudolf, who is responsible for a string of viral brainteasers. He became an online sensation when his puzzle of a panda lost among a group of snowmen went viral two years ago.

Dutch cartoonist Ruben Oppenheimer was responsible for the crude image, which depicts Mr Erdogan wearing ISIS underwear while having sex with Twitter's famous blue bird logo.

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University used specially designed mini treadmills and swimsuits to study how hatchlings cope with disorientation. They found they're 'crawling machines.'

The Paralympic gold medalist filed legal papers at South Africa's highest court on Tuesday, saying that judges who increased his sentence for six to 15 years had ignored findings by lower courts.

Girl cleared her acne with health food store products

Brianna Lopez, a model from Los Angeles, uses a six-step regimen that includes household pantry items that can be found at a local health food store, including raw honey and spices such as cinnamon and turmeric. She says that she began seeing her blemish-covered skin clear up in just a week and said she 'felt comfortable' in her own skin within two and a half months. She happily documented her complexion transformation in a series of before and after images, with one post earning more than 10,000 likes.

The team hope the radical mission hope it could blast off on the 100th anniversary of Apollo 11's in 2069 - but say technology such as laser sails still needs to be created.

Lizandra Cosme, 32, is accused of burning three girls and two boys, all aged two, at the Children's Learning Place in Chicago on December 1.

Heart-stopping moment a woman pushes a toddler into the center of a wild mall brawl in viral video that has seen lieutenant's wife investigated by cops after she made vile racist comments about it

Video show six women fighting in the Edison Mall in Fort Myers, Florida. One of the women grabs her stroller with her toddler inside and kicks another woman in the face. Lee County sheriff personnel are also investigating racist language that a lieutenant's wife made in connection to the video. Linda Deverso-Pakulis, wife of Lt. Chip Pakulis, (inset) allegedly posted on the video calling the women 'filthy n*****s' and added that to 'send them back to Africa.'

A study from Harvard University revealed that children who regularly drink juice are 79 percent more likely to develop asthma than those who do not.

A Queens man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after he was convicted last month of fatally shooting NYPD officer Brian Moore in 2015.

Luxury Travel Intelligence, a members-only resource for affluent globetrotters, has ranked both The Dukes Dubai (pictured) and Five Palm Jumeirah Dubai at the bottom of its new luxury hotel table.

Jorge Sanders-Galvez, who has been convicted of the murder of a gender fluid Iowa teenager Kedarie Johnson, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

A Tennessee pooch was not thrilled with his owner's latest purchase. Ralfi, a whippet and Jack Russell mix, observed his owner's new pillow, which had a photograph of the dog's likeness.

Eight months pregnant Samarwati Devi, 24 from Madhya Pradesh, central India went to hospital on Monday fearing an early labour. But reportedly doctors said the baby had died.

Declines in honey bee health have caused global concern due to the insects' role as a major pollinator, making them vital to the survival of ecosystems worldwide.

A long-haired Dachshund named Brady is nervous for bath time. A video shows Brady's owner holding his paw as the water runs over his body. The pup and owner live in Irvine, California.

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    Wrap it up in Blac Chyna's Boohoo velvet mini dress

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    Stand out in silver Reebok sneakers like Gigi

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DON'T MISS

Tiny marsupial related to the Tasmanian devil found in the Australian outback a CENTURY after it was thought to have gone extinct

A tiny marsupial has been found in the Australian outback more than a century after it was thought to have gone extinct. The crest-tailed mulgara (main), a Guinea pig-sized relative of the Tasmanian devil, was found by researchers in Sturt National Park in north-west New South Wales. ‘Our survey trips always uncover something surprising. Recently we observed the crest-tailed mulgara, or ampurta, which was very exciting,’ NSW University researchers said.

Cat Person by Kristen Roupenian was published in the December 11 issue of the New Yorker and thousands of women have since shared it online. Now Roupenian has scored big paydays.

The two fought over pavement space in which to hand out their flyers, next to a McDonald's in Novosibirsk, Russia. At first it is innocent shoves but the dispute soon escalated.

Footage has emerged showing a male news reader in China freezing his action seconds after a bee appeared in front of the camera and stopped on his shirt.

Flipping heck! Buffalo charges at sleeping lioness and flings it in the air but the starved big cat is too weak and injured to fight back

The lion is usually the top of the food chain in any safari park but for this vulnerable lioness who has been separated from her pride it is her who has become the hunted. The emaciated and injured big cat is launched into the air by the buffalo who is standing guard over his nearby herd. Without warning, he charges at the cat and launches her into the air. Field guide Bathabile Shakwane, 22, estimated that the lioness would have perished later that day due to starvation and exhaustion. The remarkable encounter was caught on video in the Kruger National Park in South Africa.

   

Showbiz extra

Bricking it! VERY thirsty elephant chases a laborer through a kiln in south India

The bewildered elephant can be seen stumbling through the roofed rows based in a Coimbatore village, in Tamil Nadu. The giant is hunting for the fruits used as fuel for the brick burners - with the elephants finding the smell intoxicating. In this video, the animal had apparently raided the furnace hoping to get his fill of the palm crops. When his hunt failed, the tusked animal went on a rampage - especially after the worker tried to send the mammal away.

Puppy love! Millie the husky is fascinated by her family's newborn and can't stop nuzzling the baby boy

Adorable footage from a family in Manchester shows internet sensation Millie the husky gently nuzzling the newest arrival to her family - a tiny baby boy. The tiny tot is seen dressed in a fetching pale blue onesie and hat. Millie stars with her 'husky brother' Rupert and is is known for being high affectionate and a bit of an attention seeker. Millie is quite the internet sensation with 368k followers on Instagram and more than 147,000 followers on Facebook.

   

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