- Three former Trump campaign officials charged by special counsel (WaPo) "Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his former business partner Rick Gates will turn themselves in on charges stemming from Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the 2016 election... The precise charges the men face were not immediately clear."
and
- Former Trump Foreign Policy Adviser Pleads Guilty to Lying to FBI in Russia Probe (WSJ - Paywall) "George Papadopoulos admitted he misled the FBI in a January interview by telling agents that he had interacted with the professor only before joining the Trump campaign. That professor has 'substantial connections to Russian government officials' and was offering 'dirt' on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, the documents say."
BUSINESS/INVESTING:
- Limit on 401(k) Savings? It’s About Paying for Tax Cuts (NYT) "...for all the alarming rhetoric about crushed nest eggs, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, the debate on Capitol Hill is not really about retirement; it’s about lawmakers’ feverish hunt for revenue to finance tax cuts. Second, no matter what happens, it won’t solve the fundamental problem — that many Americans will outlive their savings. 'It’s just an enormous budget gimmick,' said William Gale of the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. It’s raiding future revenues to pay for current tax cuts. This is not a retirement security story.'"
NEWS:
- The Silence of the Democrats (NYT) "The Democratic Party, because it is an amalgam of interest groups in a way the Republican Party is not, has always had a tendency to elevate the candidate who can check the most boxes. The current internal dynamics exacerbate that. So when the party’s leaders tussle over this or that policy, they also need to take a step back, to see the direction the country — the West itself — is heading, and take a stand on it. This isn’t just a matter of high-minded idealism; it’s what separates great politicians from merely good ones. The future of the Western democratic project is the fundamental issue of our era. It’s under attack from Vladimir Putin and Steve Bannon and many people in between... Democrats can’t duck this question and expect the broader electorate to see them as prepared to lead."
- Russian-Backed Facebook Accounts Organized Events on All Sides of Polarizing Issues
(WSJ - Paywall) "At least 60 rallies, protests and marches were publicized or financed by eight Russia-backed Facebook accounts from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C... Much of the scrutiny of the Russian accounts so far has focused on their online activity, but the live events demonstrate how the alleged use of social media by Russian forces served as a launchpad for deeper infiltration into the American democratic process."
- FBI Is Probing Montana Company's Puerto Rico Power Contract (WSJ - Paywall) "FBI agents are looking into circumstances surrounding the disaster-recovery deal the public-power monopoly known as Prepa signed with Whitefish Energy Holdings, according to three people familiar with the matter. Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló canceled the contract Sunday, saying it had become a distraction from efforts to rebuild the electrical grid crippled in September by Hurricane Maria."
- Public Shaming and Even Prison for Plastic Bag Use in Rwanda (NYT) "Here in Rwanda, it is illegal to import, produce, use or sell plastic bags and plastic packaging except within specific industries like hospitals and pharmaceuticals. The nation is one of more than 40 around the world that have banned, restricted or taxed the use of plastic bags... The nation’s zero tolerance policy toward plastic bags appears to be paying off: Streets in the capital, Kigali, and elsewhere across this hilly, densely populated country are virtually spotless. Rwanda is probably Africa’s cleanest nation and among the most pristine in the world."
- Some Black Americans Turn To Informal Economy In The Face Of Discrimination (NPR) "The employment picture overall and for black men has improved greatly since the Great Recession. But while the unemployment rate has plummeted for black men over 20, that number is still almost twice the rate of white men the same age. What's hidden in the numbers is that many black men have fallen out of the workforce, Morial says. There is a menu of problems that lead to this. Race affects networking, education, mobility and access to information about jobs. 'The hustle' — vital to the survival of black men for centuries — is becoming more important to the nation as a whole..."
THE STEELE FILE:
- Meet the reporters behind the Trump dossier (Axios) "In fall 2015, Fusion GPS, an investigative firm run by former senior reporters at the Wall Street Journal, began working on a new assignment — a deep dive into Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump... The Washington Free Beacon, funded by a Republican backer of Trump rival Sen. Marco Rubio, was the client. Quickly, Fusion's researchers understood one big thing about Trump's business empire: It seemed inordinately weighted to Russia..."
TECHNOLOGY:
- Mark Warner: Tech Millionaire Who Became Tech's Critic in Congress (NYT) "Lawmakers are increasingly taking a critical tone with Silicon Valley, with Mr. Warner among the harshest. He has already pushed a bill requiring the companies to disclose who paid for digital political ads, the biggest legislative effort so far to regulate the companies. Mr. Warner’s position is a sharp reversal. Before entering politics, he built a fortune that at one time was estimated at around $200 million as a technology and telecommunications investor and executive. Mr. Warner is emblematic of the shifting politics for technology."
- Forget Washington. Facebook's Problems Abroad Are Far More Disturbing. (NYT) "The information war in Myanmar illuminates a growing problem for Facebook. The company successfully connected the world to a constellation of real-time communication and broadcasting tools, then largely left it to deal with the consequences. Facebook is not directly responsible for violent conflict, of course... But the speed of Facebook’s growth in the developing world has made it an especially potent force among first-time internet users..."
- Best-Ever Algorithm Found for Huge Streams of Data (Wired) "For more than 30 years computer scientists have worked to build a better streaming algorithm. Last fall a team of researchers invented one that is just about perfect. This best-in-class streaming algorithm works by remembering just enough of what it’s seen to tell you what it’s seen most frequently. It suggests that compromises that seemed intrinsic to the analysis of streaming data are not actually necessary. It also points the way forward to a new era of strategic forgetting."
TRUMPTELL:
- Trump's Approval Falls to Lowest Level Since Taking Office: WSJ/NBC News Poll (WSJ - Paywall) "President Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to its lowest level since he took office, with Americans disapproving of his performance as commander in chief and handling of some policy issues while largely favoring his work on the economy, a new Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll finds. Mr. Trump's job approval rating stood at 38%, a five-point drop from September, the poll showed. Overall, 58% said they disapproved of the job Mr. Trump has done. More than 8 in 10 Republicans continue to approve of Mr. Trump's job performance. Still, the survey found a dip in his support among political independents--and signs of erosion among some of the president's core voters."
BOTTOM OF THE NEWS:
- 5 secrets behind the League, the Harvard of dating apps (WaPo) "The app is now live in 30 cities across the country... In an interview this week, Bradford explained what people can do to get off the wait list, and other secrets behind the selective dating app. Hint: Don’t leave your 'About Me' blank."
- Bird-flipping cyclist enters annals of presidential hecklers (WaPo) "A thick column of black SUVs escorted Trump past two pedestrians, a Guardian reporter wrote in a pool report — 'one of whom gave a thumbs down sign. Then it overtook a female cyclist, wearing a white top and cycling helmet, who responded by giving the middle finger.'"
TODAY'S SONG:
- When I'm With You (Walking on Air) (The Rival)
Sign up for email distribution of the Day's Most Compelling News below or by visiting Top of the News
- The Silence of the Democrats (NYT) "The Democratic Party, because it is an amalgam of interest groups in a way the Republican Party is not, has always had a tendency to elevate the candidate who can check the most boxes. The current internal dynamics exacerbate that. So when the party’s leaders tussle over this or that policy, they also need to take a step back, to see the direction the country — the West itself — is heading, and take a stand on it. This isn’t just a matter of high-minded idealism; it’s what separates great politicians from merely good ones. The future of the Western democratic project is the fundamental issue of our era. It’s under attack from Vladimir Putin and Steve Bannon and many people in between... Democrats can’t duck this question and expect the broader electorate to see them as prepared to lead."
- Russian-Backed Facebook Accounts Organized Events on All Sides of Polarizing Issues
(WSJ - Paywall) "At least 60 rallies, protests and marches were publicized or financed by eight Russia-backed Facebook accounts from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C... Much of the scrutiny of the Russian accounts so far has focused on their online activity, but the live events demonstrate how the alleged use of social media by Russian forces served as a launchpad for deeper infiltration into the American democratic process."
- FBI Is Probing Montana Company's Puerto Rico Power Contract (WSJ - Paywall) "FBI agents are looking into circumstances surrounding the disaster-recovery deal the public-power monopoly known as Prepa signed with Whitefish Energy Holdings, according to three people familiar with the matter. Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló canceled the contract Sunday, saying it had become a distraction from efforts to rebuild the electrical grid crippled in September by Hurricane Maria."
- Public Shaming and Even Prison for Plastic Bag Use in Rwanda (NYT) "Here in Rwanda, it is illegal to import, produce, use or sell plastic bags and plastic packaging except within specific industries like hospitals and pharmaceuticals. The nation is one of more than 40 around the world that have banned, restricted or taxed the use of plastic bags... The nation’s zero tolerance policy toward plastic bags appears to be paying off: Streets in the capital, Kigali, and elsewhere across this hilly, densely populated country are virtually spotless. Rwanda is probably Africa’s cleanest nation and among the most pristine in the world."
- Some Black Americans Turn To Informal Economy In The Face Of Discrimination (NPR) "The employment picture overall and for black men has improved greatly since the Great Recession. But while the unemployment rate has plummeted for black men over 20, that number is still almost twice the rate of white men the same age. What's hidden in the numbers is that many black men have fallen out of the workforce, Morial says. There is a menu of problems that lead to this. Race affects networking, education, mobility and access to information about jobs. 'The hustle' — vital to the survival of black men for centuries — is becoming more important to the nation as a whole..."
THE STEELE FILE:
- Meet the reporters behind the Trump dossier (Axios) "In fall 2015, Fusion GPS, an investigative firm run by former senior reporters at the Wall Street Journal, began working on a new assignment — a deep dive into Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump... The Washington Free Beacon, funded by a Republican backer of Trump rival Sen. Marco Rubio, was the client. Quickly, Fusion's researchers understood one big thing about Trump's business empire: It seemed inordinately weighted to Russia..."
TECHNOLOGY:
- Mark Warner: Tech Millionaire Who Became Tech's Critic in Congress (NYT) "Lawmakers are increasingly taking a critical tone with Silicon Valley, with Mr. Warner among the harshest. He has already pushed a bill requiring the companies to disclose who paid for digital political ads, the biggest legislative effort so far to regulate the companies. Mr. Warner’s position is a sharp reversal. Before entering politics, he built a fortune that at one time was estimated at around $200 million as a technology and telecommunications investor and executive. Mr. Warner is emblematic of the shifting politics for technology."
- Forget Washington. Facebook's Problems Abroad Are Far More Disturbing. (NYT) "The information war in Myanmar illuminates a growing problem for Facebook. The company successfully connected the world to a constellation of real-time communication and broadcasting tools, then largely left it to deal with the consequences. Facebook is not directly responsible for violent conflict, of course... But the speed of Facebook’s growth in the developing world has made it an especially potent force among first-time internet users..."
- Best-Ever Algorithm Found for Huge Streams of Data (Wired) "For more than 30 years computer scientists have worked to build a better streaming algorithm. Last fall a team of researchers invented one that is just about perfect. This best-in-class streaming algorithm works by remembering just enough of what it’s seen to tell you what it’s seen most frequently. It suggests that compromises that seemed intrinsic to the analysis of streaming data are not actually necessary. It also points the way forward to a new era of strategic forgetting."
TRUMPTELL:
- Trump's Approval Falls to Lowest Level Since Taking Office: WSJ/NBC News Poll (WSJ - Paywall) "President Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to its lowest level since he took office, with Americans disapproving of his performance as commander in chief and handling of some policy issues while largely favoring his work on the economy, a new Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll finds. Mr. Trump's job approval rating stood at 38%, a five-point drop from September, the poll showed. Overall, 58% said they disapproved of the job Mr. Trump has done. More than 8 in 10 Republicans continue to approve of Mr. Trump's job performance. Still, the survey found a dip in his support among political independents--and signs of erosion among some of the president's core voters."
BOTTOM OF THE NEWS:
- 5 secrets behind the League, the Harvard of dating apps (WaPo) "The app is now live in 30 cities across the country... In an interview this week, Bradford explained what people can do to get off the wait list, and other secrets behind the selective dating app. Hint: Don’t leave your 'About Me' blank."
- Bird-flipping cyclist enters annals of presidential hecklers (WaPo) "A thick column of black SUVs escorted Trump past two pedestrians, a Guardian reporter wrote in a pool report — 'one of whom gave a thumbs down sign. Then it overtook a female cyclist, wearing a white top and cycling helmet, who responded by giving the middle finger.'"
- When I'm With You (Walking on Air) (The Rival)
Sign up for email distribution of the Day's Most Compelling News below or by visiting Top of the News
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