POLITICS 🏛️

Department of Energy hacked

• On Thursday, a spokesperson revealed the Department of Energy was hacked as part of a months-long breach that targeted a number of federal agencies, which officials believe is the work of Russian intelligence
• Hackers reportedly targeted the DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration, which is responsible for overseeing the nuclear weapons stockpile

WORLD 🌎

Kidnapped Nigerian schoolboys freed

• On Thursday, the Nigerian military rescued 344 schoolboys who were abducted from the Kankara Government Science Secondary School in northwestern Nigeria last week
• While it is unknown whether all the missing boys were recovered, Katsina state Governor Aminu Bello Masari believes “most of the boys” were recovered

BUSINESS 💰

SEC fines Robinhood $65 million for misleading users

• On Thursday, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged the stock trading app Robinhood with deceiving users about how the app makes money and failing to deliver the best deals for trades
• The SEC stated the company benefitted from completing trades at prices that weren’t optimal for clients, leading to a $34.1 million total loss for customers

TECH 📱

Twitter launches new verification policy

• On Thursday, Twitter announced an updated verification policy starting January 20, 2021 that will allow users to request the blue verification checkmark for the first time in more than three years
• Twitter paused their original verification process in 2017 after verifying the account for a white nationalist and subsequently changing their verification policy which required users to have a connection to Twitter employees

US 🦅

Biden selects Rep. Deb Haaland for interior secretary, Michael Regan to run EPA

• President-elect Joe Biden is set to nominate New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland to be his interior secretary and Micheal Regan– who currently runs the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality– to head the Environmental Protection Agency
• If confirmed, both nominations will make history. Haaland would become the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary and Regan would be the first Black man to lead the EPA

Coronavirus 😷

FDA recommends Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency use

• On Thursday, a panel of advisors to the Food and Drug Administration recommended the coronavirus vaccine developed by Moderna for emergency use, bringing the US one step closer to distributing a second coronavirus vaccine  
• The FDA is expected to agree with the committee’s recommendation and an emergency use authorization could come as soon as Friday
• Two additional vaccines– from AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson– are in Phase 3 clinical trials and results are expected in early 2021

EXTRA BLING ✨

• Economy 📈. Study finds tax cuts for the rich fail to ‘trickle down’
• Coronavirus 🦠. French President Emmanuel Macron tests positive for COVID-19
• Tech 🖥. Dozens of states file antitrust lawsuit against Google
• Celebrity ⭐️. Actor Ian McKellan receives coronavirus vaccine
• Heartwarming ❤️. Teacher saves custodian’s life with kidney donation

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