Trump’s alleged Russia ties cast shadow on confirmation hearings

Donald Trump’s picks to lead the CIA and the Department of Defense both sounded warnings over Russia’s growing global ambitions during their confirmation hearings before the Senate on Thursday. Mike Pompeo, Trump’s choice for CIA director, sided with intelligence officials who accuse Moscow of attempting to skew the US election. His comments came amid an increasingly bitter row between Trump and US intelligence agencies. James Mattis, Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, told the Senate armed services committee that Russia had “chosen to be a strategic competitor, an adversary in key areas”. Meanwhile, Eric Swalwell, the ranking member of the CIA subcommittee of the House permanent select committee on intelligence, has called for an independent bipartisan commission to investigate Russian influence on the US election. The commission was needed “to set the record straight on what happened, and to recommend how best to protect ourselves from now on”, Swalwell writes for the Guardian. Trump’s inauguration is next Friday, though some have already begun to wonder what happens now and to speculate as to whether he could be impeached.

Donald Trump’s alleged ties with Russia overshadow confirmation hearings

Justice department to review FBI’s handling of Clinton email inquiry

The justice department’s office of the inspector general announced it would investigate the FBI’s handling of an investigation into Hillary Clinton’s personal email server from her tenure as secretary of state. The review would include an examination of whether FBI director James Comey violated policy or procedure when he sent Congress notification about new evidence his department had discovered, 11 days before the presidential election. Comey later publicly conceded that none of the new material was pertinent to the investigation, which had concluded that Clinton was not criminally responsible for the use of the personal server but had been “extremely careless” in her handling of sensitive information.

Justice department to review FBI’s conduct in Clinton email inquiry

WhatsApp backdoor allows snooping on encrypted messages



Facebook claims no one can intercept WhatsApp messages, not even the company and its staff, ensuring privacy for its billion-plus users. But new research shows that the company could in fact read encrypted messages due to the way WhatsApp has implemented its end-to-end encryption protocol. Privacy campaigners said the vulnerability was a “huge threat to freedom of speech” and warned it could be used by government agencies to snoop on users who believe their messages to be secure. Read our breakdown of how this may affect you: Should I be worried about the WhatsApp encryption backdoor?

WhatsApp backdoor allows snooping on encrypted messages

Trump risks ‘war’ over South China Sea access

The US risks a “large-scale war” with China if it attempts to blockade islands in the South China Sea, Chinese state media has said, adding that if recent statements become policy when Donald Trump takes over as president “the two sides had better prepare for a military clash”. During his confirmation hearing, Rex Tillerson, Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, said China’s “access to those islands … is not going to be allowed”. He did not specify how the US would block access but experts agreed it could only be done by a significant show of military force.

Trump risks ‘war’ with Beijing if US blocks access to South China Sea, state media warns

Obama gives US intelligence greater access to warrantless data on foreigners

In one of his final acts on national security, Barack Obama has permitted US intelligence and law enforcement agencies far greater access to raw communications data warrantlessly collected on foreign targets, alarming privacy advocates. Under an executive order, the CIA, FBI and other security agencies will be able to access unfiltered surveillance aimed at foreigners abroad, before information identifying or revealing Americans they may be in contact with gets censored out.

Obama gives US intelligence greater access to warrantless data on foreigners



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Obama ends longstanding Cuban immigration policy

Obama is ending a longstanding immigration policy that allows any Cuban who makes it to US soil to stay and become a legal resident, a senior administration official said Thursday. The repeal of the “wet foot, dry foot” policy is effective immediately, according the official. The decision follows months of negotiations focused in part on getting Cuba to agree to take back people who had arrived in the US.

Obama ends ‘wet foot, dry foot’ policy for Cuban immigrants

A surprise for Joe Biden

Obama awarded vice-president Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian honor, on Thursday. The president presented a teary-eyed Biden with the award in honor of Biden’s “faith in your fellow Americans, for your love of country and a lifetime of service that will endure through the generations”.

Barack Obama surprises Joe Biden with Presidential Medal of Freedom

Disney reportedly looking to use Carrie Fisher’s digital image

Disney is negotiating with Carrie Fisher’s estate for the rights to use the actor’s digital image in future Star Wars films, according to reports. The actor’s likeness as a young Princess Leia was digitally rendered in the final frames of the film Rogue One – presumably with her permission. Reports have said Fisher, who died last month, was expected to play a significant role in future films.

Disney negotiating with Carrie Fisher’s estate for rights to her digital image

Why are the San Diego Chargers moving to LA?

The San Diego Chargers will be leaving the city where they have played for the last 56 years and heading to Los Angeles. “They are doing this because the politicians and voters in San Diego did not give Chargers owner Dean Spanos the same golden gift Atlanta and Seattle and all the other capitulating municipalities gave their ridiculously wealthy teams’ owners,” Les Carpenter writes.

San Diego refused to be bullied by the NFL and billionaire owners



And finally ... homework criticized for dating instructions

An assignment from a Utah high school directed students to “go on a date” and gave separate instructions for boys and for girls, telling girls to be “feminine and lady-like” and not to “waste” a boy’s money. The assignment has been criticized as promoting gender stereotypes and being noninclusive for LGBT students.

Utah dating homework tells girls: be ‘feminine’ and ‘don’t waste his money’