The 10 most important things in the world right now
Hello! Here's everything you need to know on Friday.
1. Secretary of Defense James Mattis resigned. In a letter to President Donald Trump, Mattis suggested that their views are not "aligned."
2. Trump has ordered more than 7,000 troops out of Afghanistan, according to reports. This move will cut troop levels in Afghanistan in half.
3. The Dow touched its lowest level in over a year, and the Nasdaq came close bear territory. The Federal Reserve raising interest rates, and a potential government shutdown are worrying investors.
4. Defense Secretary James Mattis' resignation letter is a rebuke of President Donald Trump's "America first" philosophy. Mattis tore into the president's approach to foreign affairs.
5. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had a strong response to Mattis' resignation. The Republican from Kentucky said the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis left him "particularly distressed."
6. Trump's new acting Attorney General Matthew Whittaker won't be recusing himself from the Russia probe. A source told Reuters that Whittaker is not planning on recusing himself from the prove the way his predecessor Jeff Sessions did.
7. Facebook is reportedly trying to build a cryptocurrency for WhatsApp. Bloomberg says the tech-giant is trying to build a "stablecoin," which will be pegged to the US dollar.
8. Chinese authorities have reportedly denied legal access to a Canadian national held in Beijing. Chinese state security agents are not admitting legal representation in to counsel Michael Kovrig, the Canadian who has been detained in Beijing since December 10, a source has told FT.com.
9. The disgraced former Nissan chairman just got re-arrested. Japanese prosecutors say Carlos Ghosn faces fresh allegations of making Nissan shoulder $16.6 million in personal investment losses. He'll be in jail for Christmas.
10. Don't panic! We have a pretty definitive hack for your last-second shopping spree. Not quite gift-wrapped, but this mega-list has options for every budget.