Trump and Kim Compare Their Buttons
On Tuesday, Trump tweeted a taunt to the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un over the relative strengths of the two nation’s nuclear arsenal. Trump, noting Kim’s reference to having a “nuclear button on his desk at all times,” referenced that he too had one but it’s much bigger & more powerful. However, we don’t need to worry about a possible nuclear warfare breaking out as we can view this through the lens of just two men having their “locker room talk.” (Source: NYTimes)
Logan Paul’s Social Media Mistake
Logan Paul faced public backlash after posting a video of an alleged suicide victim hanging in Japan’s Aokigahara forest during New Year’s Eve. Logan, an influential YouTuber, may have inadvertently put his audience at risk. According to Madelyn Gould, an Epidemiology professor at Columbia University, suicide contagion is real. What this means is the increased possibility of at-risk individuals to commit suicide due to the additional YouTube exposure. To help avoid future mistakes like this, Logan Paul should pick up a copy of What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube. (Source: Wired)
U.S. Blocks MoneyGram’s $1.2 Billion Sale to Alibaba
The US government has blocked the $1.2 Billion deal. Ant Financial, Alibaba’s affiliate which control’s China’s top mobile wallet service Alipay, proposed a deal to buy Dallas based MoneyGram… Ant (Alibaba) desires MoneyGram to help get a foothold in the U.S. and stay ahead of its top competitor, WeChat. It’s an epic battle between Shenzhen-based Tencent (WeChat), owner of China’s leading social network (think Facebook), and Hangzhou-based Alibaba (Alipay), China’s dominant online marketplace (think Amazon). China’s financial technology (fintech) revolution may determine how the world spends money for the rest of the century. That battle has now expanded into a world war, and the biggest prize is the U.S. market. This has been the second time a China-led acquisition of a US tech company has failed during President Trump’s tenure. (Source: TechCrunch)
