November 27, 2017: Miss Universe Contestants Take on Sexual Misconduct, Trump Organization Leaves Trump SoHo Hotel, How a Group of Dogs Helped Protect the Thanksgiving Day Parade

1. MISS UNIVERSE CONTESTANTS TAKE ON SEXUAL MISCONDUCT: The Miss Universe competition stayed topical when it asked contestants during and after the event to comment about sexual misconduct. South African Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters was crowned the winner of Sunday night's competition. Associated Press: "The topic arose during Sunday’s competition when a fan-submitted question asked why it’s important for men and women to work together to address the issue of sexual misconduct. Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett said men and women should come together to make sure no form of abuse, including sexual harassment, is tolerated. 'Sexual harassment is a form of abuse, and no abuse should be tolerated whether in the workplace or in society,' Bennett said. Nel-Peters, who recently earned a business management degree, was crowned during the event at The AXIS theater at Planet Hollywood casino-resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The runner-up was Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez, while Bennett finished as the second runner-up. ... Ninety-two women from around the world participated in the decades-old competition. This year’s edition had the most contestants ever, including the first representatives in its history of Cambodia, Laos and Nepal. Steve Harvey returned as the show’s host despite botching the 2015 Miss Universe crowning. On Sunday, he poked fun at his mistake throughout the night. Three days after people in the U.S. celebrated Thanksgiving, Harvey told the audience he is 'grateful for the Oscars,' referring to the best-picture flub at this year’s Academy Awards." http://bit.ly/2hVkYzx

2. TRUMP ORGANIZATION LEAVES TRUMP SOHO HOTEL: The Trump organization is cutting ties with its Trump SoHo hotel property in New York, marking the latest in a number of recent struggles for the president's family business. The New York Times: "The Trump Organization has reached a deal that will allow the company to exit the property by the end of next month, the company said Wednesday. It is the second time this year the Trump name was erased from a hotel development, after a June announcement in Toronto. Located in an upscale neighborhood in a deeply Democratic city, the SoHo hotel has struggled to attract guests at five-star prices and has dropped its rates to keep rooms occupied. The property also includes condominiums that have been slow to sell. And when the building’s main restaurant decided to close in April, a lawyer for the restaurant attributed it to a decline in business 'since the election.' Under the exit deal, the Trump Organization will sever its contract with the building’s owner, an investment firm in California that focuses primarily on real estate. As with many of their properties, the Trumps do not own the SoHo hotel, but instead manage the day-to-day operations. The Trump Organization is entitled to a cut of the hotel’s revenue, although the contract also requires the Trumps to pay the owner, CIM Group, if the property fails to meet certain financial performance standards. ... Despite the challenges, the SoHo hotel is a signature property in the backyard of the Trump family empire, making the Trump Organization’s cutting of ties unexpected. The property also carried emotional significance for the family: Not only did Mr. Trump announce the project on 'The Apprentice,' but his elder children — Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric — were on hand, in 2007, for a glittering launch party." http://nyti.ms/2AnSaLi

3. HOW A GROUP OF DOGS HELPED PROTECT THE THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE: The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade attracts as many as one million attendees each year, which requires New York to take an enormous amount of security measures—including the use of a group of Labrador Retrievers known as "Vapor Wake" dogs. Wired: "Researchers developed Vapor Wake dog training at Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine, in part as a response to Richard Reid's attempted shoe-bombing in 2001. For the last decade or so, Auburn has honed a process to breed and train labs that can detect faint whiffs of explosive particles in the thermal heat plumes humans create as they walk. Combining genetics with rigorous training, the dogs learn to identify different levels of explosive odor, so they can tell the difference between, say, a concealed firearm and multiple pounds of explosives. That level of discernment matters, especially in a situation like the Thanksgiving parade, where the Vapor Wake dogs will need to ignore the weapons law enforcement will be carrying. Vapor Wake dogs are born at Auburn, receive environmental and socialization training for their first year, and then receive specific Vapor Wake training through VWK9 until they're about 18 months old. Then they're paired up with a handler for a seven-week joint behavioral training course. Finally, the dogs are ready to help save the world. Or in this case, one of the world's biggest parades. ... Vapor Wake dogs don't replace traditional bomb-sniffing dogs, which focus on assessing stationary objects like baggage and vehicles. Instead, Vapor Wake pups are trained to have their heads up, sniffing the air. One dog can sniff out someone wearing or carrying a bomb in a sea of tens of thousands of people." http://bit.ly/2BpdH3i

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  Lion's Tail, an urban cocktail bar and restaurant in Ink Block, will host a 1930s Prohibition repeal-theme party on December 5. The event will offer on-theme cocktails and food from executive chef Daniel Pagado. 

CHICAGO:  Winter WonderFest, the annual indoor winter carnival at Navy Pier, will run December 1-January 7. The event will feature a variety of attractions including a toboggan tunnel and a snow tubing hill. 

LOS ANGELES:  The annual Festival of Carols will take place December 2-9 at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The event will feature the Los Angeles Master Chorale performing classic holiday carols. 

For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

NEW YORK:  The Ms. Foundation for Women will host its 22nd annual comedy night, "Laughter is the Best Resistance," on Wednesday at Caroline's. The event will feature standup from comedians including Ashely Nicole Black and Jen Kirkman. 

The Peninsula New York will host a New Year's Eve Rooftop Gala at its 23rd-floor Salon de Ning rooftop bar and terrace. Highlights include entertainment from Jul & Co and Chip Shop Boys, as well as catering including a tequila-pairing bar, an Asian street food station, and a "dessert graffiti station" to open after midnight.

For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

TORONTO:  Hop Chow, a craft beer and food pairing festival, will take place December 2 at 99 Sudbury. Vendors will include Muddy York Brewing Company and Dang Good BBQ, Collective Arts Brewing and Chau, and Cowbell Brewing Co. and Cut the Cheese. 

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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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