FF 13: May 17th, 2017 News and Chat About Opinion Polls

In the News

The U.S. National Security Advisor, H.R. McMaster told reporters on Tuesday that it was wholly appropriate that President Trump shared ISIS threat information with Russia and that no sources and methods of intelligence collection were disclosed.  McMaster’s statement came amidst a barrage of questions from reporters about recent news media coverage about the appropriateness of the President sharing threat information with other nations.

President Trump met with Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates at the White House today to discuss steps to deepen our strategic partnership and promote stability and prosperity throughout the Middle East.  The two leaders discussed bilateral defense cooperation, counterterrorism, resolving the conflicts in Yemen and Syria, and the threat to regional stability posed by Iran.  They also explored ways to increase economic cooperation.

A new Pew Research Center survey finds that 83% of Americans say increasing use of renewable energy sources is a top or important priority for the country’s energy policies. This is one of several considerations the American public thinks should be a priority for the country’s energy policies. A majority of U.S. adults (54%) agree that “Government regulations are necessary to encourage businesses and consumers to rely more on renewable energy sources.”

But the public is divided on the core question shaping the debates in the early period of the Trump administration: Is it possible to cut back environmental regulations and still effectively protect water and air quality? Some 49% think it is possible to trim regulations and still protect air and water, while 47% believe it is not possible to protect those resources with fewer regulations. These views differ widely by political party.

Pew Research:  http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/05/16/public-divides-over-environmental-regulation-and-energy-policy/

Chelsea Manning, the U.S. Army soldier convicted in 2013 for several violations of the Espionage Act among other charges, is set to be released from prison after receiving a commuted sentence from President Obama in January.  Manning was originally sentenced to 35 years in prison and provided over 700,000 sensitive military files to WikiLeaks.   

In Business News

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone said that he is returning to Twitter in an effort to help guide the company’s culture which might help boost morale. Stone wrote in a blog post that, “It’s important that everyone understands the whole story of Twitter and each of our roles in that story. I’ll shape the experience internally so it’s also felt outside the company.”

It should be noted that last April, Twitter reported its first revenue decrease since the company went public in 2013.   

In Tech News

Instagram, owned by Facebook, is adding face-tracking filters to its camera capability that is similar to Snap’s features.  The ability to add filters or overlays to photos is popular among teenage and millennial users.  Facebook already added what they call Stories as a feature that makes pictures or video slideshows disappear after 24 hours, a feature similar to Snap and what made it famous.

According to a Korean website called The Investor, Samsung has already sold over 5 million units of the Galaxy S8 released in late April.  The S8 has yet to be released in several countries to include China.  So, stronger sales might be seen in the next month.  Some experts predict that 50 to 60 million units will be sold in the first year.

Be sure to check out our show from May 1st where we talk with Michael Fisher about the S8.  He is MrMobile on YouTube.

FactFruit Episode:  http://www.factfruit.com/may-1st-2017-top-news-headlines-interview-michael-fisher-themrmobile-youtube/

YouTube Review:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3xMRvnQXwk&t=7s

The Investor:  http://www.theinvestor.co.kr/view.php?ud=20170516000315