POLITICS 🏛️

Barr and White House advised Trump not to self-pardon

• Former Attorney General William Barr and White House counsel Pat Cipollone reportedly advised the president to avoid a self-pardon
• Barr cited a 1974 Justice Department legal memo that suggests that a president should not pardon himself, although the process has not be tested to date
• According to sources, the White House counsel has not asked the Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel to review the matter

WORLD 🌎

Trump administration designates Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism

• The Trump administration has labelled Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism according to an announcement by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
• The move reverses an Obama-era decision to remove the label and hinders president-elect Joe Biden’s plans to normalize relations with the country
• A high ranking Cuban official responded to the decision by calling it hypocritical and political opportunism

BUSINESS 💰

Boot brand Dr. Martens considers London IPO

• Footwear brand Dr. Martens is looking into an IPO on the London Stock Exchange following a positive outlook for the UK IPO market in 2021
• The company, which sells 11 millions pairs of shoes across 60 countries, said that an IPO would involve the sale of at least 25% of its shares by the current owners
• The Brexit trade deal and rollout of Covid-19 vaccines have boosted interest in UK investments according some analysts

TECH 📱

Messaging apps Signal and Telegram see a surge in downloads

• Privacy-centered messaging apps Signal and Telegram saw a surge in downloads as users have been looking for alternatives to Facebook owned WhatsApp
• The boost comes after WhatsApp updated its terms of service and removing the option to opt out of sharing data with parent company Facebook
• Signal claims to have a state of the art end-to-end encryption system that prevents messages from being read by anyone other than the intended recipient

US 🦅

Bill Belichick rejects Presidential Medal of Freedom

• New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has declined the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which he was scheduled to receive from President Trump
• Belichick stated that the tragic events of late are what lead to his decision to turn down the medal
• Belichick has been the head coach for the Patriots since 2000 and won six Super Bowls, a NFL record for a head coach

CORONAVIRUS ️💉

California Gorillas contract coronavirus

• Two gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park have tested positive for the coronavirus
• Park staff have been taking measures since the beginning of the pandemic to avoid contamination. Despite the precautions, park officials suspect that the transmission occurred from an asymptomatic worker
• This is the first documented natural transmission of the coronavirus to great apes

EXTRA BLING ✨

• Coronavirus 😷. COVID-19 vaccine immunity to last at least a year according to Moderna
• Celebrity ⭐. ‘Jeopardy!’ guest host Ken Jennings gives emotional tribute to Alex Trebek
• Environment 🌍. US Fish and Wildlife launches investigation after Florida manatee found with 'Trump' etched into its back
• Sports 🏈. Alabama defeats Ohio St 52-24 to win national title
• Uplifting 😊. Policeman buys food for family rather than arresting them for shoplifting

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