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the-record-briefs · 6 years

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October 24, 2018: Briefs

Wilkes County Commissioner candidates respond to issues

A lone Democrat is facing two Republicans in the race for two vacant seats on the Wilkes County Board of Commissioners.

Democrat L.B. Prevette, a political newcomer, will face GOP incumbent Commissioner David Gambill, who is seeking his third term, and Brian Minton, a leader of the county Republican Party.

The terms are for four years. The election is set for Tuesday, Nov. 6.

The Record recently submitted questions to the candidates. The following are their responses.

L.B. Prevette, 28

Occupation: Facilitation Specialist for Lowe's Companies

Political experience: has not held public office

With the election drawing near, what do you feel are the main issues facing Wilkes County?

“The main issues facing Wilkes County are the opioid epidemic and a lack of safe and affordable housing and transportation. We have people in our community doing a tremendous amount of work to care and support the people affected by these issues. I believe we need to assist our current institutions by, identifying related programs and allocating resources to create a cooperative infrastructure that allows us to care for the whole person rather than just one issue at a time.”

Why should voters choose you?

“I believe that there's a lot of work to be done in improving the quality of life in Wilkes County. I am passionate about my home and I am passionate about the growth and success of this county. I am self-aware enough to know that I don't have all the answers, but I always seek out the people who do. I was born and raised in Wilkes County, but my age and experiences lead me to have a different perspective on life in Wilkes County than our current leadership. I believe that perspective can lead us to deeper conversations and better actions for our residents.”

David Gambill, 39

Occupation: deputy sheriff

Political experience: (Incumbent commissioner) “I was born and raised in Wilkes County. I went to East Wilkes High School before attending Wilkes Community College to obtain my Basic Law Enforcement Certification. My wife, Megan, and I have been blessed with 19 years of marriage and three children: Tyler (15), Landon (14), and Cassie (8). I have worked as a sheriff’s deputy for nine years. I have served as a Wilkes County Commissioner for eight years, and I am currently seeking re-election for my third term.”

With the election drawing near, what do you feel are the main issues facing Wilkes County?

“The economy is and will always be a key issue. The county must be managed responsibly, and we must be good stewards of county finances. We will need to continue to promote job and industry growth in our county. The fund balance must be strong enough to show responsibility and reliability to adequately promote growth in our county.

“Safety is another important topic. We have to continue to support the sheriff’s department, fire departments, and emergency management personnel in their efforts to promote safety for all citizens. This includes school safety. We have to make sure they have the staff and equipment necessary to provide safety for our students and school employees; as well as throughout the county.”

What should voters choose you?

“I truly love Wilkes County, and I am pleased to call this my home. I ran for office nearly eight years ago with the intention of making Wilkes County an even better place to live and raise children. I want to see Wilkes County continue to grow and prosper while maintaining that special ‘at home’ atmosphere, so our children and grandchildren can live successful lives here in our ‘hometown.’ I am qualified to hold this position because I have eight years of experience, in which I have learned more every day. I am knowledgeable about county issues that have happened in the past, are currently underway, and are being planned for years down the road. This experience is very valuable to a commissioner that is responsible for managing an entire county and the associated budget. I have been humbled by the support of the citizens of Wilkes County in every prior election. I appreciate each one of you. If elected this November, I vow to do my best and always pray for guidance and wisdom to make the best decisions for our county.”

Brian Minton, 45

Occupation: owner/broker-in-charge of The OZ Group, Realtors.

Political experience: Past president of The Wilkes County Young Republicans

With the election drawing near, what do you feel are the main issues facing Wilkes County?

“Additional funding to gain control over the mental health and substance abuse epidemic in our county is of the upmost importance to Wilkes County. We have to get a handle on this issue that grips the lives of many people and families. It is an individual decision one makes to abuse substances, but, it effects their entire family, household, and generations to come. In turn it creates more poverty, more health issues including mental health, and has the potential for more crime. This results in the continuing breakdown of the family and more overall strain on county resources. Funding demands continue to escalate for law enforcement, Social Services, healthcare, and Emergency Management services. Consequently, this takes away from county employment benefits, investments in our youth and the success of Wilkes County.”

“In rankings among other counties for education funding, including the state supplement low-wealth and small-county funding, Wilkes County has slightly improved its ranking, but, still remains near the bottom. This may have resulted from a slight increase in funding or a decrease in other counties’ funding. Historically, Wilkes County ranks a little better in capital outlay spending and debt service, however, we are still ranked lower than our neighboring counties. ‘Can we do better?’ ‘Yes.’ Education and economic development go hand in hand, and to have a sound economy, we must be willing to make education funding a top priority and make the investment, not only for our children’s future, but, for the future of our county. School safety should continue to be a high priority. I think we should invest more in the protection of our children, who are the future of Wilkes County. They deserve to learn and grow in a safe and secure environment that will provide the best learning experience for each child.

“The water intake project continues to be a significant project for the economic future of Wilkes County. Fresh water is a renewable resource, yet the world’s supply is steadily declining. Only 3 percent of the water on the Earth is fresh water with two thirds of this being frozen. Many communities in our state are dealing with water shortages and water quality issues. Businesses require water to operate and a community without a good water supply will not be able to attract or retain companies. We need to provide our citizens, and businesses, with a stable, high quality water source.”

Why should voters choose you?

“My work experience in the corporate world and being a small business owner has instilled in me the belief that government should be run like a business with limited authority over its citizens. Government should be transparent in every regard and held accountable to the people. This would be the endeavor of my service to the people of Wilkes County. My passion is for the people of Wilkes County. I care for the county as a whole, but, my work and service starts with a one-on-one relationship with each citizen and their concerns. I care for each person, each family, and each community. I want this to be the best place to raise a family and start a business which will enable us to retain our youth who can then help make Wilkes County grow and prosper.”

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mrsteveecook · 6 years

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coworker brings food to every meeting, pushing back on daily morning meetings, and more

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…

1. Can I ask my coworker to stop bringing food to every meeting?

I work in an open office environment with about 75-100 people on my floor. We have no set lunch period, and many folks eat lunch at desks or bring food to meetings.

I hate the sound of chewing. I can currently hear a colleague slurping coffee from 10 yards away. I realize this is one of my idiosyncrasies that I need to overcome to be successful with colleagues.

One of my colleagues, regardless of the time I set up a meeting, will bring food. Every. Single. Time. I have tried scheduling early meetings — he brings breakfast food. I’ve tried late afternoon meetings — he brings chips. He eats loudly, with his mouth wide open, and speaks with food in his mouth. I’ve recently left a meeting where he consumed an entire salad. He, incredibly, kept putting huge mouthfuls of greens and toppings into his mouth immediately before he would talk. At one point, he had to cover his mouth to catch the food that was coming out and landing on the table while he talked.

How do I politely ask a colleague to not bring food to a meeting? Is there a polite way to curb this behavior? Or, am I out of line? Is this just something I should get over?

I don’t think you’re out of line at being put off by food flying out of his mouth. And depending on the culture of your office and the relationships involved, when he’s talking with mouthfuls of food or otherwise displaying gross table manners, in some cases you could just say, “Dude, cover your mouth! This is gross.”

But beyond that, I don’t think you can ask him not to bring food to a meeting, unless you’re senior to him (but it doesn’t sound like you are) or unless it’s, like, a client meeting that you’re in charge of.

I suppose that if you really want to, for the meetings where it’s just you and him, you could say something like, “Can I ask you a favor? Would you mind holding off on the chips until after we’re done? I find it’s harder to focus otherwise.” Or, “Oh, I didn’t realize you needed to eat! I’d rather wait until you’re done, so I’ll give you 10 minutes and then come back.” But things like lunch meetings are so common that it’s likely to sound a little … precious. Which doesn’t mean you can’t still ask it.

2. Can I push back on daily morning meetings before my usual start time?

I work remotely with a team spread out around the world. This is a big change from my last job, which was unionized. We had to be at our desks at 8:30.

I was excited by the prospect of some flexibility and the first year has been great. I start at 9:00 most days and now and then have an 8:30 meeting. This is a nice perk since I’m really not a morning person. I’ve been so much happier and more productive with this start time!

This week my team started discussing having a daily 8:00 a.m. meeting :(

Since this job did not come with clearly spelled out expectations, I’m not sure whether or not that’s reasonable. How do I know how hard I can push back on this?

It depends on your employer’s culture around work schedules, but in many places where people work flexible hours, it would be fine to just matter-of-factly, “My schedule is generally 9-5:30 (or whatever it is) — would 9 work for people instead?”

Particularly since the proposed meeting would be daily, it should be okay to speak up about this. Otherwise this would essentially erase your flexible schedule. (That said, I wonder if they’re picking 8 a.m. because you’ve got team members around the world, and doing it later on your end would be too late in the day on their end. Still, though, it’s worth speaking up and seeing what the options are.)

3. Hiring when I might be leaving very soon myself

I’m hiring to fill a vacant role in my department (my only employee), and also midway through the hiring process myself for a position at another company. Up to this point, I’ve been taking your advice to move forward in my current position as if I’m not leaving, since I might not. But as we get closer to the end of both searches, the timing raises some issues.

If I stay, my preference is for an entry-level candidate who can grow in the role. If I leave, my employer might prefer a more experienced candidate who could better support the new person in my role. They might also prefer to put the search on hold so my replacement could have a say in hiring their only employee. There’s no way I can verify that without alerting them to the fact I’m considering leaving, which could make things very uncomfortable if I don’t leave. I think the only solution there is to continue on as if I was staying. If the company isn’t happy with the result, well, that’s the natural consequence of setting up an environment where I’m unable to discuss professional growth. Which is, of course, one of the main reasons I’m thinking of leaving.

Which brings me to the thing really bothering me. I may be in the position of finishing my own hiring before I know whether I’m getting an offer. For the entry-level candidates I’m interviewing, the fact I possess a specific license means that the experience they get in this position will qualify them for that license. There’s probably a 25% chance that someone hired to replace me would have that license, so me being in this role is a key decision factor for at least some of these candidates. I can’t delay the hiring process more than a couple days without raising eyebrows, see above.

The company I’m interviewing with isn’t going to care that delaying another week or two would impact the career of a random third party new grad, so the question is, would it ever be appropriate to tell someone, as part of a job offer, that you, the manager extending the offer, may be leaving the company shortly? To even hint at it? Maybe a vague, “the company is in a period of transition, so it’s possible that I may not be your direct supervisor for the time period necessary to get your required experience.” Or is this one of those, “it is what it is” things, and I need to accept any unfortunate results for the person I’m hiring are beyond my control?

Yep, sometimes the timing on this stuff just doesn’t work out. It would be great if you could give your employer a heads-up that you’re planning to leave so that they could tweak the role you’re hiring in light of that knowledge, but they haven’t made it safe for you to do that, so that can’t happen. That’s not the worst thing in the world; sometimes that’s just how this stuff goes. (That said, you could think about whether there’s a way for you to nudge them more toward the profile of candidate you’ll think they’ll want later on, without compromising your own plans.)

But I agree with you that the bigger worry is how it might affect the person you’re hiring, if being supervised by someone with your particular license is a key reason they’d accept the job. I think your proposed language about things being in transition is good, making sure to be really explicit that you not necessarily being their manager for the time needed to get their license requirements in. Alternately, depending on how much you want to put your trust in a stranger, you could level with them about the situation, stressing that it’s confidential for now and you’re sharing it only so they can make the right decision for themselves. There’s obviously some risk to that though (especially if you end up not leaving after all).

Also, if you end up hiring someone and then accepting a job yourself before that person starts, it would be a kindness to contact them right away to let them know, and to use language like, “If this changes your calculus about accepting the job, since my replacement may not have an X license, I’d completely understand that.”

4. Is my boss unethically accepting double reimbursement?

I work as an admin for a C-level executive in a very prominent tech company. Being an assistant is not my long-term goal but this job is cushy, so I am mostly enjoying it despite having to do what I feel is often menial work. One of the tasks I have grown to hate is handling the customer service complaints when my boss’s travel goes awry.

Four months ago, he traveled internationally and when his flight home was cancelled he had to book a new one. Our company immediately reimbursed him for the costs of the second booking but he still had me file a complaint and request for reimbursement with the airline. Given that it’s now four months later, you can assume this ongoing process has been quite tedious, but I achieved getting him a small portion of the requested refund for him; he’s asked me to continue pursuing the rest.

My question comes from the concern he does not intend to give the money the airline reimburses him back to our company. If he did intend to do so I would know, as he would be asking ME to handle it as well. Therefore he’s basically seeking to be reimbursed twice. After yet another fruitless attempt to contact the airline, I phrased to him the question, “Since our company already fully reimbursed you without any trouble, do you need me to continue to pursue this?” He said yes. That was my attempt to point out the potential ethical gray area he’s entered, and I don’t intend to push it further with him since he generally takes “following the rules” very seriously.

My question is whether this is unethical. It seems like stealing money from the company if you asked to be reimbursed from both parties. However since he spent his own money up front (which is not a requirement but his preference, to earn the credit card rewards) I don’t know whether he would be owed more reimbursement based on principal or what. It just SEEMS wrong, based on math.

In most cases, yes, getting reimbursed twice would be unethical. Any reimbursement he gets from the airline would rightfully be your company’s. That said, if he incurred a tremendous amount of personal inconvenience due to the cancelled flight — like if he had to sleep in the airport or missed a personal event of great importance or something like that — your company might be fine with seeing this as a sort of hardship pay for him … but that’s a decision that they should make themselves; he shouldn’t make it for him.

If the airline reimburses any additional money, you could just say to him, “Since the company already reimbursed this, how should I handle the double payment? Should we transfer the airline’s refund over to the company?” In other words, approach it as a given that of course he’s not going to double dip and see what happens.

5. How binding should a contingent job offer be?

It’s not unusual for job offers to be contingent on stuff like background checks. My question is how “binding” acceptance of a contingent offer should be. For example, what if you accept a contingent job offer and another offer comes in while you’re waiting on the background check to clear?

I’d argue that if the company hasn’t fully committed to you, you shouldn’t be bound to fully commit to them. However, most companies assume that someone who accepts a contingent offer has really accepted it and isn’t going to consider other offers, and will be annoyed if you do. In other words, they consider your acceptance binding (or as binding as anything that isn’t a legal contract can be) while theirs isn’t. Their thinking is that they’ve laid out the very limited circumstances under which they’d pull the offer (i.e., if you fail the background check, not just if a better candidate comes along). But I’d argue that if they want full commitment from you while not offering it themselves, they should complete the background check before they make a formal offer — and if they don’t, then they have no ground to stand on if you take something else before they release your contingencies.

The short version: I think you’re fine ethically and morally to accept another offer while the contingencies from your first offer are still pending … but the employer may not see it the same way.

You may also like:

how much should we accommodate employees’ dietary restrictions at work events?

employee keeps asking coworkers for food and money

should our office have a policy on healthy eating at work?

coworker brings food to every meeting, pushing back on daily morning meetings, and more was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager.

from Ask a Manager https://ift.tt/2C3NaNx

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everettwilkinson · 6 years

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TRUMP UNLEASHES to NYT’s Mike Schmidt — DESTEFANO expected to take over WH political operation — IN FLORIDA: DESANTIS gets big-time billionaire backing after TRUMP tweet — B’DAY: Katie Glueck

POLITICO MAGAZINE — “Was 2017 the Craziest Year in U.S. Political History? A dozen historians weigh in.” http://politi.co/2ClgXh4

BULLETIN at 6:32 a.m.: “NEW YORK (AP) – Goldman Sachs, citing recent tax overhaul in U.S., expects to take a $5 billion hit to profits this quarter.”

Story Continued Below

— “The New York bank said Friday that two thirds of the $5 billion are due to changes in repatriation taxes, when funds are returned from overseas. The remainder includes the ‘effects of the implementation of the territorial tax system and the remeasurement of U.S. deferred tax assets at lower enacted corporate tax rates.’” http://bit.ly/2CnlnUR

Happy Friday. TRUMP TALKS TO HIS FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET: THE NEW YORK TIMES … MIKE SCHMIDT in West Palm Beach and MIKE SHEAR in Washington: “Trump Says Russia Inquiry Makes U.S. ‘Look Very Bad’”: “President Trump said Thursday that he believes Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel in the Russia investigation, will treat him fairly, contradicting some members of his party who have waged a weekslong campaign to try to discredit Mr. Mueller and the continuing inquiry.

“During an impromptu 30-minute interview with The New York Times at his golf club in West Palm Beach, the president did not demand an end to the Russia investigations swirling around his administration, but insisted 16 times that there has been ‘no collusion’ discovered by the inquiry. ‘It makes the country look very bad, and it puts the country in a very bad position,’ Mr. Trump said of the investigation. ‘So the sooner it’s worked out, the better it is for the country.’ … ‘I have absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department,’ he said, echoing claims by his supporters that as president he has the power to open or end an investigation. ‘But for purposes of hopefully thinking I’m going to be treated fairly, I’ve stayed uninvolved with this particular matter.’ …

“Mr. Trump gave the interview in the Grill Room at Trump International Golf Club after he ate lunch with his playing partners, including his son Eric and the pro golfer Jim Herman. No aides were present for the interview, and the president sat alone with a New York Times reporter at a large round table as club members chatted and ate lunch nearby. A few times, members and friends — including a longtime supporter, Christopher Ruddy, the president and chief executive of the conservative website and TV company Newsmax — came by to speak with Mr. Trump. …

“Mr. Trump disputed reports that suggested he does not have a detailed understanding of legislation, saying, ‘I know the details of taxes better than anybody. Better than the greatest C.P.A. I know the details of health care better than most, better than most.’ Later, he added that he knows more about ‘the big bills’ debated in the Congress ‘than any president that’s ever been in office.’ … ‘Whatever happened to Podesta?’ Mr. Trump said. ‘They closed their firm, they left in disgrace, the whole thing, and now you never heard of anything.’ …

“‘I don’t want to get into loyalty, but I will tell you that, I will say this: Holder protected President Obama. Totally protected him,’ Mr. Trump said. He added: ‘When you look at the things that they did, and Holder protected the president. And I have great respect for that, I’ll be honest.’ …

“‘Another reason that I’m going to win another four years is because newspapers, television, all forms of media will tank if I’m not there because without me, their ratings are going down the tubes,’ Mr. Trump said, then invoked one of his preferred insults. ‘Without me, The New York Times will indeed be not the failing New York Times, but the failed New York Times.’ He added: ‘So they basically have to let me win. And eventually, probably six months before the election, they’ll be loving me because they’re saying, ‘Please, please, don’t lose Donald Trump.’ O.K.’” http://nyti.ms/2Ea3Tf5

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— CHOICE WORDS FROM TRUMP: SCHMIDT: “Tell me about what you were saying that the Democrats. … [Inaudible.] … Tell me about the Democrats on the tax bill, which you were telling me about. Explain that to me, I thought that was interesting.” TRUMP: “So. … We started taxes. And we don’t hear from the Democrats. You know, we hear bull**** from the Democrats. Like Joe Manchin. Joe’s a nice guy. … But he talks. But he doesn’t do anything. He doesn’t do. ‘Hey, let’s get together, let’s do bipartisan.’ I say, ‘Good, let’s go.’ Then you don’t hear from him again. I like Joe. You know, it’s like he’s the great centrist. But he’s really not a centrist. And I think the people of West Virginia will see that. He not a centrist. … I’m the one that saved coal. I’m the one that created jobs. You know West Virginia is doing fantastically now.” Excerpts from the interview http://nyti.ms/2C7xMiW

— SPOTTED: Mike Schmidt lunching before his presidential interview at Trump’s golf club with Ruddy, former New York City Council President Andrew Stein and Lee Lipton.

WAPO’S JOSH DAWSEY — (@jdawsey1): “Asked fairly senior Trump adviser for thoughts on NYT interview a few minutes ago. Person responded: ‘What interview? Today?’”

THE PRESIDENT, UNFILTERED: @realDonaldTrump at 7:01 p.m. Thursday: “In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year’s Eve on record. Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against. Bundle up!” … at 7:46 a.m.: “While the Fake News loves to talk about my so-called low approval rating, @foxandfriends just showed that my rating on Dec. 28, 2017, was approximately the same as President Obama on Dec. 28, 2009, which was 47%…and this despite massive negative Trump coverage & Russia hoax!” …

… at 8:04 a.m.: “Why is the United States Post Office, which is losing many billions of dollars a year, while charging Amazon and others so little to deliver their packages, making Amazon richer and the Post Office dumber and poorer? Should be charging MUCH MORE!” … at 8:16 a.m.: “The Democrats have been told, and fully understand, that there can be no DACA without the desperately needed WALL at the Southern Border and an END to the horrible Chain Migration & ridiculous Lottery System of Immigration etc. We must protect our Country at all cost!”

TO REVIEW … — “138 things Trump did this year while you weren’t looking,” by Danny Vinik: “Behind the crazy headlines, more conservative priorities got pushed through than most people realize. An exhaustive list of what really happened to the government in 2017.” http://politi.co/2pTwr9I

****** A message from Google Year in Search 2017: In 2017, the world asked “how…?” From “how to move forward” to “how to make a difference,” the questions we asked showed our shared desire to understand our experiences. Watch the film and see top trending lists from around the world at g.co/2017. ******

WAPO’S ASHLEY PARKER and JOSH DAWSEY: “White House looks to make internal changes amid worries of a tough year ahead”: “The plan is to have Johnny DeStefano — a White House aide and Washington insider who worked for John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) when he was House Speaker — temporarily oversee four West Wing operations: the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Presidential Personnel and the Office of Public Liaison, a White House official confirmed Thursday.

“DeStefano is likely to soon get help with this broad portfolio, which was first reported by Axios, with additional staffers coming in to run the offices but still possibly reporting to him, several people with knowledge of the move said. …

“Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said he is concerned about his party’s 2018 prospects. ‘I’m a numbers guy — we could lose as many as 15 to 18 seats in the House. … There are a lot of people who are suggesting a lot more than that.’ But, Meadows added, he believes the president is looking in earnest to improve his political operation. ‘We certainly support the president’s effort to put forth a real political team to make sure the message is out there,’ Meadows said. …

“One challenge is the West Wing does not have a shortlist of candidates to help with the political operation … Marc Short, the director of legislative affairs, had informally suggested Ward Baker for the spot, according to two people with knowledge of the pitch. But Baker, a longtime Republican operative, has his detractors within the White House. He did not respond to requests for comment.” http://wapo.st/2CjJiGU

— QUICK NOTE: DeStefano was a key member of Boehner’s member services and political operation. With the House truly up for grabs, DeStefano could prove to be a very critical link to the House Republicans. He understands the dynamics and has good relationships with most of the players. That being said, no one can do four jobs at once, especially in the White House.

BIG NEWS IN THE SUNSHINE STATE — MARC CAPUTO and ALEXANDRA GLORIOSO: “Billionaire kingmakers swarm Florida governor’s race after Trump endorsement: Not long after an admiring presidential tweet, Congressman Ron DeSantis won the backing of some of the most influential players in GOP politics”: “After Donald Trump appeared to endorse Ron DeSantis’ campaign for Florida governor last week, a handful of the biggest and most influential billionaires in Republican politics threw their support behind the three-term GOP congressman, upending the race in the nation’s biggest swing state.

“The stable of billionaires and millionaires listed on DeSantis’ ‘Finance Leadership Team,’ obtained by POLITICO, include casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, hedge fund heiress Rebekah Mercer, investment tycoon Foster Friess and other donors who have funded the conservative Koch brothers’ network and President Trump’s campaign. Just last week, Trump weighed in on Twitter to say that DeSantis ‘would make a GREAT Governor of Florida.’

“DeSantis has yet to formally announce his 2018 campaign for governor, but his intentions to seek the office became clear in May after he established a state political committee, called the Fund for Florida’s Future, that’s allowed to raise and spend unlimited soft money from corporate contributors.” http://politi.co/2C83Kvt … Finance Leadership Team document http://politi.co/2zKZDiT

FROM 30,000 FEET — NYT A1, “Trump, the Insurgent, Breaks with 70 Years of American Foreign Policy,” by Mark Landler as part of the paper’s “Trump’s Way” series: “Above all, Mr. Trump has transformed the world’s view of the United States from a reliable anchor of the liberal, rules-based international order into something more inward-looking and unpredictable. That is a seminal change from the role the country has played for 70 years, under presidents from both parties, and it has lasting implications for how other countries chart their futures. Mr. Trump’s unorthodox approach ‘has moved a lot of us out of our comfort zone, me included,’ the national security adviser, Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, said in an interview.

“A three-star Army general who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and wrote a well-regarded book about the White House’s strategic failure in Vietnam, General McMaster defined Trump foreign policy as ‘pragmatic realism’ rather than isolationism. ‘The consensus view has been that engagement overseas is an unmitigated good, regardless of the circumstances,’ General McMaster said. ‘But there are problems that are maybe both intractable and of marginal interest to the American people, that do not justify investments of blood and treasure.’” http://nyti.ms/2EaSknO

AROUND THE TAX HORN …

— WSJ: “Tax Law Ushers In Higher Executive Salaries at Netflix: Streaming giant says old rules called for a substantial surcharge,” by Trey Williams: “[C]hief Content Officer Ted Sarandos will earn a $12 million base salary in 2018, after bringing in a salary of $1 million in the past three years, according to a filing with the [SEC].

“The streaming giant cited the recent passage of the U.S. federal tax overhaul as the reason for the change. The company said salaries of more than $1 million for named executives, other than the chief financial officer, were subject to a substantial surcharge. Because of that, Netflix had a performance-based bonus plan for certain executives. In 2017, Mr. Sarandos had a $1 million salary but a bonus target of $9 million.

“‘With the recent passage of federal tax reform, the performance bonus plan will no longer eliminate such surcharges,’ the company said in the filing. ‘As such, the compensation committee of the board of directors has determined that all cash compensation for 2018 will be paid as salary.’” http://on.wsj.com/2CiqzLT

— “Tax law creates confusion and uproar in city halls across America,” by Aaron Lorenzo: “In the Albany suburb of Bethlehem, N.Y., more than 100 people waited in a gym to pay their property tax bills — some of them for over an hour — on Thursday before a new federal $10,000 cap on state and local deductions goes into effect Jan. 1. Municipalities on Long Island were preparing to open over the weekend to give taxpayers more time to pay. But the IRS issued an edict Wednesday night saying the early payments could only be deducted on 2017 taxes if they had already been assessed. That threw residents and local government officials into a new round of confusion as everyone scrambled to determine which payments would qualify.” http://politi.co/2C8DSzq

THE RUSSIANS! — CHARLESTON POST AND COURIER: “Was Nikki Haley pranked by Russians, or are these tricksters fooling us all?” by Caitlin Byrd: “U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley may have been fooled by a pair of Russian pranksters pretending to be the prime minister of Poland. The duo, known as Vovan and Lexus, claims to have arranged a crank phone call Thursday with the former South Carolina governor.

“The pair, whose real names are Alexei Stolyarov and Vladimir Kuznetsov, posted a nearly 22-minute video clip this weekend in which a woman who sounds like Haley speaks to a man who she thinks is the new Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. …

“Between questions about Ukraine and Russia, the fake prime minister asked Haley about Binomo — a fake island that does not exist. ‘You know Binomo?’ the prankster said. ‘Yes, yes,’ Haley responded. ‘They had elections and we suppose Russians had its intervention,’ the joker said.

“‘Yes, of course they did, absolutely,’ Haley said. When asked about America’s plans to do about the situation in Binomo, Haley said, ‘Let me find out exactly what our stance is on that, and what if anything the U.S. is doing or thinks should be done and I will report back to you on that as well.’ …

“‘We have nothing to share on that at this time,’ Haley spokesman John Degory told The Post and Courier on Tuesday. Degory would not confirm or deny the authenticity of the video.” http://bit.ly/2lqUxD5

YEAR IN REVIEW — AP’S ANDY TAYLOR: “Lawmakers struggled to stay on track in Trump’s first year” http://bit.ly/2BUvob1

— VIDEO FROM THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE: This past year in the House. http://bit.ly/2CkHnSI

TRUMP INC. — “Trump Inc. Had a Rough Year, but His D.C. Hotel Is Killing It,” by the Daily Beast’s Betsy Woodruff: “Since his inauguration, he has maintained that he isn’t involved in the management of his businesses. But an email from the director of revenue management for the Trump Hotel in Washington, which The Daily Beast reviewed, indicates that may not be the case. Jeng Chi Hung, who holds that position, sent that email to an acquaintance on Sept. 12 of this year. The email opens with a few pleasantries. Then, Hung writes that he met with Trump, and that the president asked him specific questions about banquet revenues, demographics, and how his presidency impacted the business.

“The email says this: ‘The company is interesting to work for being under the Trump umbrella. DJT is supposed to be out of the business and passed on to his sons, but he’s definitely still involved … so it’s interesting and unique in that way. I had a brief meeting with him a few weeks ago, and he was asking about banquet revenues and demographics. And, he asked if his presidency hurt the businesses. So, he seems self aware about things, at least more than he lets on. I am far left leaning politically, so working here has been somewhat of a challenge for me. But, it’s all business.’” http://thebea.st/2BS6OaR

PHOTO DU JOUR: President Donald Trump waves to supporters Thursday from his motorcade traveling from Trump International Golf Club en route to his Mar-a-Lago estate. | Greg Lovett/Palm Beach Post via AP

DAILY MAIL: “EXCLUSIVE: White power at the White House – Trump intern flashes ‘alt-right’ symbol used by notorious extremists during group photo with the president” http://dailym.ai/2pU91B1

CLICKER – “The Divide Between America’s Prosperous Cities and Struggling Small Towns—in 20 Charts,” by WSJ’s Paul Overberg: http://on.wsj.com/2lhp1bg

YIKES — “Romanian hackers took over D.C. surveillance cameras just before presidential inauguration, federal prosecutors say,” by WaPo’s Rachel Weiner: “Romanian hackers took over two-thirds of the District’s outdoor surveillance cameras just before President Trump’s inauguration, according to a federal criminal complaint unsealed Thursday. The January attack affected 123 of the D.C. police department’s 187 outdoor surveillance cameras, leaving them unable to record for several days. Two Romanians … are being charged in D.C. federal court with fraud and computer crimes. … The city resolved the problem by taking the devices offline, removing all software and restarting the system at each site, a process that took about two days … From Jan. 12 to Jan. 15, none of the cameras were able to record video.” http://wapo.st/2Ea8z4B

— POLITICO SCOOP: “The latest 2018 election-hacking threat: A 9-month wait for government help,” by Tim Starks: “States rushing to guard their 2018 elections against hackers may be on a waiting list for up to nine months for the Department of Homeland Security’s most exhaustive security screening, according to government officials familiar with the situation.

“That means some states might not get the service until weeks before the November midterms and may remain unaware of flaws that could allow homegrown cyber vandals or foreign intelligence agencies to target voter registration databases and election offices’ computer networks, the officials said. Russian hackers targeted election systems in at least 21 states in 2016, according to DHS.” http://politi.co/2zLDZec

INVESTIGATION UPDATE — “There’s still little evidence that Russia’s 2016 social media efforts did much of anything,” by WaPo’s Philip Bump: “A little-noticed statement from Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, detailed how unsophisticated the Russian ad targeting actually was in the context of the election. Among the points he made: Maryland was targeted by nearly five times as many ads as was Wisconsin (262 to 55). … Thirty-five of the 55 ads targeting Wisconsin ran during the primary. … More ads targeted DC than Pennsylvania. … A total of $1,979 was spent in Wisconsin — $1,925 of it in the primary. … The spending in Michigan and Pennsylvania were $823 and $300, respectively. … More of the geographically targeted ads ran in 2015 than in 2016.” http://wapo.st/2zLyyvJ

MEA CULPA — “Apple Apologizes for Handling of iPhone Battery Issue,” by WSJ’s Robert McMillan: “Apple Inc. issued a rare apology for its handling of concerns about performance issues in iPhones with older batteries in the wake of a wave of consumer complaints. ‘We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down,’ Apple said in a note posted to its website on Thursday. ‘We apologize.’ The company said it will slash prices of replacement batteries and add, in the coming year, software that gives insight into the health of an iPhone battery. It also released a detailed support page explaining battery issues.” http://on.wsj.com/2lpGzl4 … Apple’s note to customers http://apple.co/2DtcJUc

****** A message from Google Year in Search 2017: As this year draws to a close, Google analyzed Search Trends data to see what the world was searching for. The data showed that 2017 was the year we asked “how…?” How do wildfires start? How to calm a dog during a storm? How to make a protest sign? These questions show our shared desire to understand our experiences and come to each other’s aid. Watch the Year in Search 2017 and see top trending lists from around the world at g.co/2017. ******

VALLEY TALK – “San Francisco’s Skyline, Now Inexorably Transformed by Tech,” by NYT’s David Streitfeld: “The skyscraper came late to this city, a shipping and manufacturing hub for much of its existence. … Salesforce, a company that did not exist 20 years ago, will take up residence on Jan. 8 in the new Salesforce Tower, which at 1,070 feet is the tallest office building west of the Mississippi. In Silicon Valley, the office parks blend into the landscape. They might have made their workers exceedingly rich, they might have changed the world — whether for better or worse is currently up for debate — but there is nothing about them that says: We are a big deal.” http://nyti.ms/2lrKfT5

FUTURECAST — “Some of the World’s Largest Employers No Longer Sell Things, They Rent Workers,” by WSJ’s Lauren Weber: “The list of the world’s largest employers was once dominated by household names like Ford Motor Co., J.C. Penney Co., and General Electric Co., companies that made and sold things. A new analysis conducted for The Wall Street Journal shows those names are nowhere to be found on that list today. In their place are large outsourcing companies like Compass Group PLC, Accenture PLC and other businesses that essentially lease workers to clients. Of the top 20 global employers in 2017, five are outsourcing and ‘workforce solutions’ companies, according to an analysis by S&P Global Market Intelligence. In 2000, only one employer in the top 20—International Business Machines Corp., which offers outsourced IT services among its many businesses—fell into that bucket.” http://on.wsj.com/2Ea68Pv

DAVID BROOKS, “The 2017 Sidney Awards, Part II”: “I was entranced by an essay in Emergency Physicians Monthly. It’s an oral testimony by Dr. Kevin Menes, who was in charge of the emergency department of Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas the night Stephen Paddock opened fire on a concert. … It’s nearly impossible to write an essay capturing an entire region’s culture and feel, and it’s doubly hard if that region is as sprawling as the Midwest. So Phil Christman gets a Sidney plus for his essay ‘On Being Midwestern’ in the consistently splendid Hedgehog Review. …

“Caitlin Flanagan’s ‘Death at a Penn State Fraternity’ from The Atlantic describes the death of a fraternity pledge during hazing … In ‘The New Class War’ in American Affairs, Michael Lind points out that by the time of the Great Recession, 95 percent of microprocessors were manufactured by just four companies. … To finish on a hopeful note, let’s return to medicine and Atul Gawande’s ‘The Heroism of Incremental Care’ in The New Yorker.” http://nyti.ms/2CkIzoW

ENGAGED – PETE BUTTIGIEG, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, proposed to CHASTEN GLEZMAN, a middle school teacher. “They met through the dating app Hine, struck up a conversation about ‘Game of Thrones,’ and quickly discovered a shared love of travel. The proposal happened at Chicago O’Hare Airport at the spot where Chasten was sitting when they first connected. Pete proposed with a ring at the airport as the two were beginning a vacation.”Pic http://politi.co/2Clb57w

SPOTTED: Jason Chaffetz wearing headphones on Delta flight 832 yesterday from Salt Lake City to DCA. He sat in the exit row although “his name was on the screen for first class upgrade,” per our tipster.

TV TONIGHT – PBS’ “Washington Week” hosted by Bob Costa: Carol Leonnig, Amy Walter, Shawna Thomas, Phil Rucker and Alexis Simendinger

SUNDAY SO FAR – CBS’ “Face the Nation”: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) … J.D. Vance. Political panel: Ed O’Keefe, Julie Pace, David Nakamura and Rachael Bade.

— CNN’s “State of the Union” (guest host: Dana Bash): Anthony Scaramucci … Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Panel: Bill Kristol, Nina Turner, Bakari Sellers and Michael Caputo

— ABC’s “This Week”: Ret. Adm. Mike Mullen. Panel: Matthew Dowd, Joshua Johnson, Mary Jordan, Susan Page

— “Fox News Sunday” (guest host: Dana Perino): Panel: Mike Needham, Marie Harf, Bruce Mehlman and Mo Elleithee

— NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Charlie Cook, Katty Kay, Rich Lowry and Kristen Welker.

TRANSITIONS – OBAMA ALUMNI — Rob Malley has been named the new president and CEO of the International Crisis Group. He most recently has been the VP of policy for the organization and served in the Obama White House.

BIRTHWEEK (was Wednesday): Dale Vieregge, director in APCO’s D.C. office (hat tip: Anthony DeAngelo)

BIRTHDAYS OF THE DAY: Katie Glueck, senior national political correspondent at McClatchy. A fun fact about Katie: “As a fifth grader, I won a Ford F-150 truck at a Kansas City Royals baseball game.” Read her Playbook Plus Q&A: http://politi.co/2ljr8vp … Blair Watters, senior director at InterDigital, celebrating by “seeing a Motown concert with my family—my dad’s idea.” Q&A: http://politi.co/2BSkC5b

BIRTHDAYS: Kate Sherman … Reihan Salam is 38 … Jeremy Waldstreicher is 32 … Erica Kimmel Haffetz … Leah Malone, who runs comms for the Romneys (h/t Ann Romney) … Andrew Malcolm, manager of public advocacy at Exelon and a Greg Walden alum … CNN’s Ashleigh Banfield is 5-0 … retired ABC newscaster Tom Jarriel is 83 … Kevin Griffis, VP of comms at Planned Parenthood and an Obama HHS alum … Politico’s Katie Pudwill, Eric Engleman and Grace Goodman … Caroline Ey … Jordan Langdon, deputy comms director for Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) … Erica Ryan … Scott Keyes … Andy Estrada, proud son of Maine and Colby College alum who was the press secretary for HFA in NC (h/t Andrew Bates) … AEI’s Grant Addison … Leo Wallach, principal at RALLY, is 38 … Edelman’s Renée Revetta and Alexander Romano … Mike Siegel, comms director for Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.) … Shehzad Haider … Tom Dickens is 29 …

… Theo and Paul Epstein are 44 … Kyle Egan, LA for Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) (h/t Sally Fox) … Maria Randazzo of the Council for a Strong America (h/t Rachel Wein) … Boris Medzhibovsky, COS for Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) … Rob Burgess, comms director for Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.) … Kim Snyder … Michael McLaughlin … Dan Syde is 33 … Ian Steyer … Kai Stinchcombe … Kim Barnes Kimball … Didi Cardenas … Renata McGriff … Adam Shoucair … Anny Chen … Estelle Jackson … David Koeppel … Gracie Brandsgard … Kara Kostanich … Laura Clawson … Amata Radewagen, Delegate to the U.S. House from American Samoa, is 7-0 … George Caudill … Marie-Therese Dominguez … Tara Venkatraman (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … IOC president Thomas Bach is 64 (h/t AP)

****** A message from Google Year in Search 2017: As this year draws to a close, Google analyzed Search Trends data to see what the world was searching for. The data showed that 2017 was the year we asked “how…?” How do wildfires start? How to calm a dog during a storm? How to make a protest sign? All of the “how” searches featured in the Year in Search film were searched at least 10 times more this year than ever before. These questions show our shared desire to understand our experiences and come to each other’s aid.

From “how to watch the eclipse” and “how to shoot like Curry,” to “how to move forward” and “how to make a difference,” here’s to this Year in Search. Watch the film and see top trending lists from around the world at g.co/2017. ******

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