Top Stories Today – July 13, 2019
Top Stories Today – July 13, 2019
Gunmen storm Somali hotel kill 26 people
At least 26 people, including a prominent journalist and several foreigners, have been killed in an attack on a hotel in the city of Kismayo, southern Somalia. A suicide bomber rammed a car containing explosives into the Asasey hotel in the port of Kismayo, and gunmen then stormed the building. Journalist Hodan Naleyah and her husband are thought to be among the dead.
Islamist group al-Shabab has claimed the attack. A local politician, three Kenyans, three Tanzanians, two Americans and one Briton were also killed, authorities say. Four attackers were also killed in the raid. BBC
Facebook faces $5B FTC fine, largest ever in tech
At $5 billion, the fine the FTC is about to levy on Facebook is by far the largest it’s given to a technology company, easily eclipsing the second largest, $22 million for Google in 2012. The long-expected punishment, which Facebook is well prepared for, is unlikely to make a dent in the social media giant’s deep pockets. But it will also likely saddle the company with additional restrictions and another lengthy stretch of strict scrutiny.
The Wall Street Journal and other news outlets reported Friday that the FTC has voted to fine Facebook for privacy violations and mishandling user data. Most of them cited an unnamed person familiar with the matter. Facebook and the FTC declined to comment. The 3-2 vote broke along party lines, with Republicans in support and Democrats in opposition to the settlement, according to the reports. The case now moves to the Justice Department’s civil division for review. It’s unclear how long the process would take, though it is likely to be approved. A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment on the Facebook matter. The Associated Press
Pence tour of migrant center shows men crowded in cages
Vice President Mike Pence toured two detention facilities on the Texas border Friday, including a Border Patrol station where hundreds of men were crowded in sweltering cages without cots. Some of the men said they were hungry and had been held there for 40 days or longer. “Look, this is tough stuff,” Pence acknowledged at a later news conference. “I knew we’d see a system that is overcrowded,” he added. “It’s overwhelmed and that’s why Congress has to act.”
Pence’s office said the tour was part of an effort to show the Trump administration is providing adequate care for migrants. But the scene the vice president witnessed is sure to spark new criticism of the conditions facing migrants in US government facilities. The Associated Press
US lawmakers delay Mueller testimony
Former special counsel Robert Mueller will testify before two US House of Representatives committees on July 24, one week later than originally scheduled, the chairmen of the panels said in a statement on Friday.
Mueller, who investigated Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, has agreed to appear for “an extended period of time,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said. Mueller had been scheduled to appear for two-hour public hearings before each panel. The Voice of America
Labor Secretary Alex Acosta announces resignation
Labor Secretary Alex Acosta will step down by the end of next week, President Trump announced Friday. Trump said it was Acosta’s decision; Acosta said “I do not think it is right or fair” to draw focus to himself amid the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein. Acosta has faced scrutiny for his handling of Epstein’s plea deal over a decade ago — Epstein was convicted of sexually abusing underage girls, and critics say Acosta played a major role as a Florida prosecutor in giving him a relatively light sentence.
Acosta believes he handled the case appropriately, but Trump was reportedly not convinced he could move past the controversy. Deputy Labor Secretary Patrick Pizzella will step up as acting chief of the department. Bloomberg, CNBC via The Week
House: Trump needs congressional approval for Iran strike
The House passed its defense bill on Friday with an amendment requiring President Trump to receive approval from Congress before launching a military strike against Iran. With a 251-170 vote, the amendment was added onto the House’s successfully passed defense bill; the measure received support from most Democrats as well as 27 Republicans.
The amendment has a self-defense exception. The House’s vote comes weeks after Trump ordered a strike on Iran but called it off with 10 minutes to spare. Trump has asserted he does not need approval from Congress to strike Iran. Senate will reportedly be looking to remove this provision after a similar amendment failed in the Republican-controlled chamber last month. Trump earlier this week threatened to veto the House’s defense bill. The New York Times via The Week
Stocks rise to all-time highs
The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 243 points on Friday, closing at an all-time high after surpassing 27,000 just one day prior for the first time ever. The S&P 500 closed above 3,000 for the first time, a 0.5 percent gain, and the Nasdaq Composite surged 0.6 percent. The surge this week comes after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled that the central bank was likely to cut interest rates soon to boost the economy. “Powell gave us juice this week,” said JJ Kinahan, chief market strategist at TD Ameritrade. But “I think we’re rangebound until tariffs are settled.” Indexes ended the week on a high note after a solid streak of gains, following better-than-expected reports on jobs growth and producer and consumer price indexes. CNBC via The Week