Hello! Here’s what’s happening on Friday.
1. Tesla CEO Elon Musk opened up about “the most difficult and painful year” of his career. Musk spoke to the New York Times about his grueling work schedule, his health, and blacklash from declarations about taking Tesla private.
2. The EU fears British spies have bugged Brexit talks to obtain sensitive files. Fears were stoked after the UK reportedly obtained sensitive documents within hours of them being presented at a meeting.
3. A firewall used by the CIA to communicate with its spies in China reportedly compromised their identities. The vulnerability contributed to the deaths of at least 30 spies, sources told Foreign Policy.
4. A former US Navy SEAL who oversaw the raid that took out Osama bin Laden said Trump's policies "humiliated" the US. The harsh rebuke was in response to Trump's decision to revoke former CIA director John Brennan's security clearance.
5. The Pentagon is concerned that Chinese bombers may training for strikes against US targets. Chinese bombers are increasingly active and flying farther from China's shores.
6. Soul music legend Aretha Franklin died at age 76. Franklin, one of the best-selling artists in history, died in her home following a battle with advanced pancreatic cancer.
7. Over 1,400 Google employees signed a letter to top executives demanding a say on ethical issues. The letter follows leaked news that Google planned to build a censored search engine in China.
8. Turks are smashing their iPhones in protest of US sanctions and tariffs. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's called for citizens to boycott US products, specifically iPhones.
9. The Vatican expressed "shame and sorrow" over the hundreds of sex abuse allegations described in a US grand jury report. The Pope has yet to personally respond to the report released on Tuesday.
10. An Australian teen is facing criminal charges after repeatedly breaking into Apple's mainframe. The boy reportedly stored evidence of his work in a folder on a personal device titled "hacky hack hack."
And finally ...
13 of Aretha Franklin's most inspirational quotes on music, respect, and love