Trump picks Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State
Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson has been named Secretary of State by President-elect Donald Trump. Tillerson has had a relationship with Russia for two decades and was awarded the Order of Friendship in 2013. Republican and Democratic lawmakers say Tillerson’s close ties with Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, will face intense scrutiny. Exxon Mobil’s business dealings with Moscow will also be examined. Trump has also reportedly selected former Texas Governor and Energy Department opponent Rick Perry as Energy Secretary.
Trump’s sons will run businesses
The President-elect tweeted late Monday night that he is leaving his businesses before January 20, 2017, so he can focus full-time on the presidency. He said that his sons Don and Eric, plus executives, will manage them, and that no new deals will be done while he is in office.
Pinterest debuts 2017 emerging trends
The Pinterest 100 annual list shows the man bun is out, Detroit is usurping Brooklyn as the hip style location, Kyoto is a must-visit, vegans are in and jackfruit is the new meat, navy is the new black, and Tuesdays are all about tacos. Go here to see what the three major takeaways from the list are.
Google steering away from self-driving cars
Later today, Google is announcing news related to its autonomous driving efforts. According to media reports, the tech giant is no longer developing cars without steering wheels and pedals. Instead, it is partnering with automakers on more conventional cars to possibly launch an autonomous ride-sharing service by the end of 2017.
Quest Diagnostics suffers data breach
The health records of 34,000 people were accessed, after one of Quest Diagnostics’ web applications suffered a breach from an unauthorized third party on November 26. Quest is working with a cybersecurity firm to assist in the investigation. Those affected are being notified by mail.
Uber security head warns staffers about customer privacy
After a former Uber employee filed a lawsuit claiming co-workers used the app to track celebrities, politicians, and exes, the company’s chief security officer John Flynn reminded staffers of their obligations when it comes to privacy in an internal memo on Monday. In the memo, he explained Uber’s rules about unauthorized access to user data, and said the company has hired hundreds of staff dedicated to security and privacy.
