IN THE NEWS: TRUMP’S FUTURE ON FACEBOOK TO BE DECIDED TODAY
UNDATED (AP) — Will he be back — or won’t he? That’s the question to be answered when it comes to ex-President Donald Trump and Facebook. After the deadly riot on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Facebook booted Trump for inciting the violence against lawmakers preparing to certify his loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Facebook’s quasi-independent Oversight Board will announce today (around 9 a.m. eastern) whether Trump will be let back on the platform. If approved, Facebook has seven days to reinstate his account. If the board upholds Facebook’s decision, Trump will stay “indefinitely” suspended.
IN THE NEWS: FIRM PROVIDING KEY INTERNET SERVICES IN BELGIUM HACKED
BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium is facing a major internet issue. The company that provides internet service for Belgium’s parliament, government agencies, universities and scientific institutions says its network is under attack. Belnet has said service to some of its customers was disrupted — and the attack is still in progress, with outages coming “in successive waves.” Belgian media reports say the outages have even affected people trying to get appointments for coronavirus vaccines.
ON THE WEB: GATES FOUNDATION FUTURE
CYBERSPACE (AP) — Bill and Melinda Gates say they want to keep their divorce private — and that their split won’t affect the work of their foundation. But some in the world of philanthropy are worried about what might happen. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has an endowment of nearly $50 billion — and donates about $5 billion a year to causes around the world. Last year alone, it donated $1 billion to fight COVID-19 by administering of vaccines. And despite the couple’s assurances, some worry that the split may disrupt the foundation’s work.
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Online:
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation site: https://www.gatesfoundation.org
IN STORES: GREAT USEFUL STUFF POWER HUB ULTRA WITH ALARM CLOCK
UNDATED (AP) — These days, most people’s nightstands hold their smartphone, smartwatch, tablet, computer, alarm clock and other stuff that needs to be charged overnight. Here’s a chance to have juice flowing to all those things at once — without using a power strip or a rat’s nest of cords. The Power Hub Ultra with Alarm Clock folds all these functions into a single, compact package. It measures 5“ by 5” by 2” — but there’s a lot packed into the little unit. It has four USB ports and two AC ports — enough to charge up to 6 devices with a single wall outlet. The Power Hub Ultra comes in two finishes: bamboo and black leatherette, giving you some flexibility, depending on your decorating preferences. The alarm clock comes equipped with four dimmer levels — and a built in snooze button.
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Online:
Great Useful Stuff site: https://greatusefulstuff.com/
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