News Roundup 02/16/18
Photo Courtesy: GETTY Images
By: Ayannah Dimas
1. FBI investigators Failed to Act on a Tip That Nikolas Cruz Might Attack a School
On January 5, 2018 the FBI received a tip from “a person close to Nikolas Cruz,” with concerns about Cruz’s “gun ownership, desire to kill people, erratic behavior, and disturbing social media posts, as well as the potential of him conducting a school shooting,” the FBI said in a statement. The statement came two days after police say Cruz gunned down 17 people at his former high school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Governor of Florida, Rick Scott called the FBI’s mistake to investigate the tip “unacceptable” and called for FBI Director Christopher A. Wray's resignation. The FBI has come under criticism for the handling of a message posted on YouTube last fall which indicated a user by the name of “nikolas cruz” that wanted to be a school shooter. They investigated the tip but did not connect it to Cruz until after the massacre.
Source: The Washington Post
2. Olympic Switzerland Skiers Diagnosed with Norovirus
Two Switzerland freestyle skiers have been diagnosed with a norovirus at the Olympic Winter Games. Fabian Boesch and Elias Ambuehl, are the first athletes to be diagnosed with norovirus, which causes extreme vomiting and diarrhea. They have been separated from the rest of the team because the virus is said to be highly contagious. More than 200 people have been confirmed to have contracted the norovirus. Most have been security staff and Games personnel. The Swiss team has stated that because the skiers had contracted the virus several days ago, and have recovered for the most part, that they will still compete in the games.
Source: USA Today Sports
3. 7.2 Earthquake Rocks Buildings in Mexico
A 7.2 magnitude quake shook Mexico Friday afternoon. The prolonged rumble caused minor damage to buildings in the state of Oaxaca, but had no preliminary reports of deaths. Mexico City buildings swayed for more than a minute as seismic alarms sounded. Older buildings in the chic Condesa neighborhood knocked into one another, and some cracks appeared in plaster and paint of the structures. The epicenter was close to a surf resort on the Pacific coast in the southern state and had a depth of 15.3 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The south of Mexico and the capital are still reeling from earthquakes that caused widespread damage in September of 2017.
Source: AOL
4.13 Russians Charged by Special Counsel for Aiding Trump in Winning Election
Thirteen Russians have been charged on Friday in plot to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. It is claimed that they were able to help Republican Donald Trump and harm the Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton through social media propaganda.. It marks the first criminal charges against Russians believed to have secretly worked to influence the outcome that sent Trump into the White House. The criminal case does not allege that any Americans knowingly participated, although it does allege that a vast and wide-ranged Russian effort to sway political views.
Source: The OCR
5. Belgian Court Orders Facebook to Stop Collecting Data
Belgian media stated a Brussels court has ordered the social media company Facebook to stop collecting data about citizens in the country. If they fail to comply they face fines for each day. The daily De Standard reported, "the court upheld a Belgian privacy commission finding that Facebook is collecting data without consent of the users." The court concluded that Facebook does not adequately inform users that it is collecting information, or what kind of details it contains, how long it keeps the information or what it does with it.
Source: ABC News