State Dept. purge; Leak apps - Feb. 17, 2017
Diplomatic reset
With Rex Tillerson is on his first overseas trip as Secretary of State, his aides have laid off many of the State Department staff who worked ask vital conduits between the nation’s top diplomat and the country bureaus, where regional expertise is centered. Inside the State Department, some officials fear it’s a politically-minded purge to shift control to the White House, and away from professional diplomats.
Leak apps
Apps like Confide are reportedly being used in Washington to leak embarrassing or sensitive information to journalists. Confide’s co-founder shows how the messages self-destructing, leaving virtually no paper trail -- an appealing trait as President Trump vows to crackdown on “illegal” leaks. One former Justice Department lawyer warns, however, that the apps may not totally protect leakers.
Business impact
Although it’s still early days for the Trump administration, America’s 45th president is already having a powerful impact on the business community. His blunt talk, policy proposals and Twitter habit are rattling some companies, but creating opportunities for others. With Mr. Trump nearly a month into his tenure, we look at nine businesses he has helped -- and hurt.
Trump and Cummings
During his hastily arranged news conference, President Trump talked about a meeting with Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings that has yet to take place, accusing the veteran congressman of cancelling under pressure from Democratic leaders. Cummings tells CBS News it surprised him, and he’s “excited” about meeting Mr. Trump.
Snappy IPO
Snapchat, whose parent company is gearing up for what could be the biggest tech IPO in years, has won legions of fans and changed the nature of social networking. But it hasn’t made money. The Internet startup lost more than $900 million in the last two years alone. So, can Snap soar on the public market?
“Homeland”
Critically acclaimed series “Homeland” tackles topical plots lines on national security and terrorism. After spending the last few seasons abroad, the spy thriller is refocusing on -- well, the homeland. We go behind-the-scenes and talk to stars Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin about the show’s sixth season.
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Health
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Science and tech
NASA completes its “space poop” challenge
