welcome back. let's start with our top story. we understand that the senate has begun voting. we think it will take a little bit of time so in the meantime, let's start with fox news on this story. they are saying is $1.5 trillion package will mean a tax cut of families right across the us. it is republican red meat. the a ptly us. it is republican red meat. the aptly trumps us. it is republican red meat. the a ptly tru m ps style title us. it is republican red meat. the aptly trumps style title of the report, as republicans are pointing out, it will offer from report, as republicans are pointing out, it will offerfrom big corporations that tax, very significant top rate earners. again, really significant. then changes on deductions and thresholds. what is interesting about this story which we will cover in a bid is essentially, the period is how confident either party is about the economic loss —— prospects. this particular piece of legislation is good growth. the trump administration —— the trump administration —— the trump administration sees this as a stalking horse going forward.” administration sees this as a stalking horse going forward. ijust heard from reuters that the us senate has approved the tax legislation is the bill will now be sent back to the house for a final vote. as you mention, let's move on to that one. really interesting, totally different angle. the democrats believe it will give them a majority in the midterms and actually return nancy pelosi to be speaker of the house. this is a political football but both sides are using. the democrats have to say this. this story is last —— largely based upon a series of public polls. and nearly all, according to the vice story, show opposition to the tax plan. also, the difference between the corporation tax cuts and tax cuts for individuals. businesses, their tax cuts are permanent where is the individual tax cuts operate under a sunset clause. they phase out in 2026. the democrats mean they can get that message across in the midterms next year and that can damage republicans. it hammers home the message that this is a giveaway to the millionaires and billionaires. it's really ha rd the millionaires and billionaires. it's really hard politically to fight against the tax cut. the republicans have the advantage. any sentence or news story that has the two words trump and win in it will be sour pills for the democrats. just to reiterate, the us senate has approved the republican tax legislation. let's talk about our second story today. we are expecting elections tomorrow in spain. these elections tomorrow in spain. these elections will decide the fate of catalonia. and what the writer ramifications might be for europe. the story talks about external meddling in these elections. as if we can't have an election unless there is some suspicion of an external russian meddling. what this really does expose is how social media and digital news and world news is ensuring we are all meddling to some extent all of the time. take the form of french prime minister who is half catalonian. he is very anti— independence. he was arguing that pro—independence sentiment somehow denigrates the memory of the recent barcelona terrorist attacks. how is that not meddling? the interesting thing is, as this translates, the more savvy and where we become of it, and the more sensitive as well. it's a reminder that none of us operate in a vacuum. the extent to which the echo chamber leads the debate. an important bit is about transparency of source. we know his track record and whether we wa nt to know his track record and whether we want to trust him or not. if we are talking about anonymous twitter accounts, you have no idea who is behind it. this is a really striking story in the arab news. saying that a hoof the missile attack was aimed squarely at the palace. it's sort of called real outrage across the middle east. —— houthi. called real outrage across the middle east. -- houthi. this story is really pa rt middle east. -- houthi. this story is really part of the wider strategic battle. ostensibly, the houthi rebels aiming at the royal palace. and they were only saved by the patriot missile system which got better. the us has already moved to condemn their run. all of this is making a volatile part of the world more tense. we don't have it here but something we should've mentioned why we were going through the news. saudi arabia has unveiled a huge big budget, the first of which is really unprecedented in its history. moving away from oil dependence. there is a lot going on, both politically and economically. andrew cotter bit of time to this story. 0h, economically. andrew cotter bit of time to this story. oh, dear. one would assume that whoever has made this is probably going to be looking for a newjob in the new year. striking similarities between donald trump and hillary clinton. it is not as it gives me and their subsidiaries don't have the ability to make technology like this.|j think it looks a bit likejimmy carter. i agree with the twitter consensus entirely. it looks an awful lot like they have built it before the election result was announced. they thought they would restyle the week. but not much, to be honest. they just restyle the week. but not much, to be honest. theyjust got a little lighter. a bit more saggy. there you go. one of the things i thought, who on earth goes to one of these things? why would you go and do this in the first place, take your kids to have a look at a hall of residence. i can think of a lot of other kid ——a lot of other things my kid would like to be doing. quite scary. if their likenesses are anything like this one, i can't imagine many children finding it entertaining. we are going to leave it there. we have got a few things coming in when it comes to our top story today in business. that is whether or not uber is a tech company or a transport company. do keep them coming in. what do you think? do you think it will make any difference whatsoever. didn't they are going to be turning a corner? do let us know what you think. they keep watching the briefing and from the rest of the team,. see you soon. our quiet spell of weather continues apace across many parts of the british isles at the moment. that's not to say that it's completely dull by any means at all. a glorious end to the day captured by a number of our weather watchers. but elsewhere, well, it was one of those. the cloud sat there, so did the fog in some locations. but there is a sign of a change on the way. already we're seeing the cloud and rain associated with this weather front moving into the northern and western parts of scotland. it will continue its journey a bit further south during the course of the night. first thing on wednesday, quite a variety to the temperatures. where the cloud pops away, two degrees or so in the east. out towards the west, fully exposed to the moist south—westerlies coming in from the atlantic, well, it's nine, ten or 11 degrees. here we are first thing on wednesday. hill fog to be had if the cloud is broken overnight. there is the chance of the odd patch of fog. so bear that in mind. and enough about some of the cloud across the western facing hills and coasts for there to be the odd bit and pieces of rain or drizzle, especially near that weather front. to the north of that, a scattering of showers, not many of them, by any means at all. much of scotland getting away to a dry start. i think it's here, north of the weather front, that you get the best chance of seeing meaningful sunshine, and eventually that prospect extends into northern ireland, too. all the while, anywhere near that frontal system, you've got the prospect of some hill fog and a wee bit of rain and drizzle. and that goes into the north and west of wales. to the south of it, pretty leaden skies, i'm afraid. the odd bit of brightness, perhaps. and here we are on thursday. the orientation of the front has just changed here somewhat. the westerly portion, having come south, is starting to move back north. the best of the brightness, therefore, away from that, where you get the lowest of the temperatures, but the best chance of sunshine. in the south, again, a lot of cloud, some hill fog around. and, do you know what, not a great deal changes as i take you out of thursday, pushing on into friday. we've still got the remnants of a weather front, still clouding things up and producing the odd bit and piece of rain, especially across western and south—western parts. here we are into the weekend before christmas and many will still be stuck with that relatively mild flow coming in from the atlantic. but come christmas eve, we're not a million miles away from seeing quite a dramatic change, with cold and brighter weather coming in. hello, this is breakfast, with charlie stayt and naga munchetty. scotland yard launches a review of all its sex crime investigations after the collapse of two rape prosecutions in one week. the metropolitan police confirms the same detective was involved in both cases and begins re—examining the way it handles evidence. good morning, it's wednesday the 20th of december. also this morning: the start of a 20—yearjail sentence for the man who threw acid across a packed london nightclub injuring 22 people. victims told the court how his actions have changed their lives. it's just very hard to deal with,

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