It’s a new month and these are the stories making headlines.
Kushner, Russia bombshells rock the White House
First, it emerged Tuesday that chief of staff John Kelly downgraded the top secret security clearance for the President’s son-in-law in a bid to clear up a scandal over whether top administration players are qualified to access the most sensitive intelligence.
Kushner security clearance is downgraded
Jared Kushner, who has worn dueling hats for more than a year as President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law, has been stripped of his access to the nation’s top secrets, officials said Tuesday after his security clearance was downgraded.
UN: NK sending chemical weapon supplies to Syria
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the diplomat said that North Korea had sent acid-resistant tiles, valves and thermometers to Syria. The diplomat was citing a report on North Korea authored by a UN panel of experts.
Apple is under fire for moving iCloud data to China
The U.S. company is moving iCloud accounts registered in mainland China to state-run Chinese servers on Wednesday along with the digital keys needed to unlock them. “The changes being made to iCloud are the latest indication that China’s repressive legal environment is making it difficult for Apple to uphold its commitments to user privacy and security,” Amnesty International warned in a statement Tuesday.
Sky: Why Disney and Comcast both want to buy the UK broadcaster
Why all the excitement over Sky? It comes down to this: Sky is a solid European business, and it boasts a huge library of exclusive, premium television content. Big American media companies are also trying to get bigger to help fend off challenges from tech upstarts such as Amazon and Netflix .
Los Angeles’ traffic problem in graphics
Last November, for example, CNN posted the below video, showing traffic congestion snaking for miles in LA just before Thanksgiving weekend kicked off. Despite the planned expansion of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system, and the popularity of “walkable communities” such as Playa Vista in the Westside and the beachfront neighborhood of Santa Monica, LA’s congestion levels are still among the worst in the world.
Exploding airbag crisis in Australia: 2.3 million vehicles recalled
The Australian government said Wednesday that the cars contain airbags made by Takata , the Japanese company at the heart of a scandal that has led to tens of millions of vehicle recalls around the world in recent years.
‘Bucket list’ killer jailed for 28 years
A woman who had an “obsession” with serial killers and had murder on her “bucket list” has been jailed for killing a teenager. Jemma Lilley, previously of Stamford, Lincolnshire, garrotted, stabbed and buried Aaron Pajich at her home in Perth, Australia. The 26-year-old was convicted alongside housemate Trudi Lenon at the Supreme Court of Western Australia in November.
Lewinsky: Clinton affair an abuse of power
Monica Lewinsky, the former White House intern who had an affair with former president Bill Clinton, has said their relationship constituted a “gross abuse of power” on his part. Ms Lewinsky was 22 when she became romantically involved with the then president, who was 27 years her senior.
How to steal the show during a state visit
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been making headlines with his state visit to India – but has recently been upstaged by a toddler. In between Bollywood dancing, some slightly cringeworthy outfits and an accidental invitation to an alleged Sikh separatist, Trudeau’s had plenty of opportunies to Instagram his trip.
Is North Korea just playing the US?
They were called the “peace Olympics”, but let me tell you, there was no peace in Pyeongchang. There was a constant cacophony from the crowds inside and outside the stadiums. An atmosphere of excitement and wonder at what medals could be won. In contrast, the huge diplomatic efforts surrounding the Winter Games are discussed in uncertain whispers.
Dog catches carjacker after wild chase
Puskas, an eight-year-old police dog, needed jaw surgery after tackling the fugitive.
Father Of Florida Shooting Survivor Admits He Altered Email From CNN
The father of a Florida shooting survivor who accused CNN of wanting him to ask a “scripted” question during a town hall on gun rights last week admitted to altering the contents of an email he received from a producer working on the show.
Russians Reportedly ‘Compromised’ Systems In 7 States Before 2016 Election
Intelligence officials have “substantial evidence” that Russian hackers successfully compromised state websites or voter registration systems in seven states ahead of the 2016 elections, NBC News reported Tuesday. While it had been publicly reported that systems in Illinois and Arizona had been compromised before the 2016 election, the NBC report revealed that Russian hackers had wider reach than was previously known.
U.S. Olympian Deletes Selfie With Ivanka Trump: ‘I Was Tired Of Reading The Hate’
U.S. Olympic bobsledder Lauren Gibbs refuses to give a platform to hate. The 33-year-old athlete won a silver medal with Elana Meyers Taylor in the women’s bobsleigh event at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Wondering What Vero Is? Here’s A Primer.
In Esperanto, the word “vero” means “truth.” In English, vero doesn’t mean anything ― it’s just the name of a photo-sharing Instagram competitor. Until recently, both versions suffered from the same fundamental problem: Nobody was using them.
Jared Kushner Mercilessly Mocked Over Reported Security Clearance Downgrade
Folks online are ribbing Jared Kushner over reports that his security clearance has been downgraded. The 37-year-old White House adviser now only has access to Secret level intelligence rather than Top Secret information, per Politico.
Netflix has 700, yes 700, originals coming out in 2018. What?
Every product here is independently selected by Mashable journalists. If you buy something featured, we may earn an affiliate commission which helps support our work. A running joke throughout the latest season of South Park saw a Netflix representatives continually answering the phone to a call from a bunch of 4th graders with, “Netflix, hello, you’re greenlit.
Bitcoin’s self-proclaimed creator accused of using obscure font to steal billions
If you’re going to defraud someone out of several hundred thousand bitcoin, maybe don’t also draw undue attention to yourself by publicly claiming to have created the cryptocurrency. Oh, and you probably shouldn’t make a shitty computer font the linchpin of your scam, either.
SanDisk’s insane 400GB microSD card is now also the world’s fastest
Six months ago, SanDisk unveiled the world’s first 400GB microSD card and made me feel like god having so much data storage on the tip of my finger. Now, at Mobile World Congress, the storage company’s back to explode heads with a newer version that’s more than 50 percent faster.
Bill Gates trashes hyperloop and cryptocurrencies in AMA
Bill Gates isn’t a fan of tech’s popular buzzwords: cryptocurrency and hyperloop. The Microsoft co-founder hosted his sixth Reddit AMA on Tuesday, and didn’t hold back on his answers. Gates doesn’t like what most people find appealing about cryptocurrencies: anonymity.
