President Donald Trump slammed Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Foreign Minister and the country’s top trade negotiator, during an exclusive dinner just days before the US and Canada reached a new trade agreement.

According to a report from The Washington Post, Trump told a group of Republican donors that Freeland “hates America” during an exclusive dinner on September 27 in Washington, DC.

Three days later Freeland struck a deal with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), now called the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Trump had been critical of Freeland the day before at a post-United Nations press conference, taking a shot at Canada’s top negotiator during a long diatribe about the NAFTA talks.

“We’re very unhappy with the negotiations and the negotiating style of Canada,” Trump said. “We don’t like their representative very much.”

According to multiple reports following the release of the USMCA, Trump wasn’t the only American that Freeland rubbed the long way. Lighthizer’s relationship with Freeland became strained over the course of the relationship as neither side seemed to want to budge over key trade issues.

Despite Trump’s attacks and the acrimony between the top trade negotiators, the two sides were able to reach a trade deal on Sunday. While the deal must still be ratified by the three member’s legislatures and the USMCA is not the total rewrite of NAFTA that Trump promised, the revised deal would make some tweaks to a variety of trade rules among the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Freeland is a former journalist who was banned from Russia due to her critiques of President Vladimir Putin’s regime and has not been shy with her critiques of Trump and the administration’s policies in the past.

Recently, the foreign minister started a fight with Saudi Arabia by criticizing the country’s treatment of activists.

That disagreement led Saudi Arabia to expel the Canadian ambassador from the country and freeze all talks.

Image: brittany herbert / mashable

Less than a week after revealing that 50 million Facebook users may have had their accounts compromised by hackers, the company is trying to allay concerns that the massive hack could get even worse. 

The worry — which has been raised by a number of security professionals in recent days — is that hackers who were able to get into users’ Facebook accounts would also have been able to get into any account that uses Facebook Login.

Think about that for a second: Thousands of apps use Facebook Login, including many containing sensitive personal and financial information, like Tinder, Uber, Venmo, and, yes, Instagram. If hackers were indeed able to access those accounts, it would make an already massive hack exponentially worse.

The good news for now: Facebook says it hasn’t uncovered any evidence “so far” that hackers accessed third-party apps. 

“We have now analyzed our logs for all third-party apps installed or logged during the attack we discovered last week. That investigation has so far found no evidence that the attackers accessed any apps using Facebook Login,” Facebook’s VP of Product Management Guy Rosen wrote in a statement.

Of course, the key phrase there is “so far.” The investigation is still ongoing, and there’s always a chance things could change as the company learns more. 

In any case, the Facebook attack highlights just how serious the consequences could be. For years, the company has touted Facebook Login as an invaluable tool for developers and users alike. Now, developers are scrambling to figure out if their users were impacted by the hack.

Rosen also said Facebook is, “out of an abundance of caution,” also working on a new tool that will allow developers “to manually identify the users of their apps who may have been affected.” Just in case. 

Editors, USA TODAY
Published 3:06 a.m. ET Oct. 3, 2018 | Updated 3:11 a.m. ET Oct. 3, 2018

President Trump is sending you a message

Cellphone users across the nation on Wednesday will receive an alert from President Donald Trump. But don’t worry: It’s just a test. At 2:18 ET, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will conduct a test of its Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) – similar to the ones conducted on radio and television – which warn cellphone users of national emergencies such as dangerous weather. The test was originally planned for Sept. 20 but was postponed due to ongoing response efforts to Hurricane Florence.  Not a fan? Too bad: Users cannot opt out of receiving the WEA test. Cellphones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA, should be capable of receiving the test message.  

Nobel Prize in chemistry on tap

The rollout of the 2018 Nobel Prizes resumes Wednesday with the announcement of the prize in chemistry. On Tuesday, three scientists from the United States, Canada and France won the prize in physics for “revolutionary” developments in lasers. Donna Strickland of the University of Waterloo in Canada became the first woman in 55 years to win a physics Nobel. On Monday, two researchers won top honors in medicine for launching a new way to attack cancer by treating the immune system rather than the tumor. Winners get a medal and $1 million.

Millions still at risk of flooding in the Southwest

Rosa, a hurricane that was downgraded to a tropical storm and then to a tropical depression, is expected to soak the Southwest Wednesday, putting about 10 million people at risk of flooding. But the rain is badly needed in the Four Corners region that has seen extreme drought, according to AccuWeather. More than 2 inches of rain has fallen in Phoenix, triggering a new round of flash-flood warnings late Tuesday. The deluge claimed at least one victim in northwestern Mexico. It will travel next to Utah and Colorado, forecasters say.

Drop the puck! It’s hockey season

The NHL season is back — and it starts with four games. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens kick off the season at 7 p.m. ET, pitting one team with high hopes against one that might be playing for the first overall pick in the next draft. Later, the Washington Capitals, fresh off their Stanley Cup conquest, will finally get to raise their championship banner in style — with glitzy rings no less. Our panel thinks that Erik Karlsson will give the San Jose Sharks an edge in the Western Conference, but is it enough to win a Stanley Cup? USA TODAY Sports expert Kevin Allen has also made his point projections. But today, at least, there’s optimism for all 31 teams. 

Cloud of sex abuse scandal hangs over Vatican youth meeting

Pope Francis opens a monthlong meeting of bishops Wednesday on engaging young Catholics as his church is under fire for the way it covered up for priests who raped and molested young people. The synod is bringing together 266 bishops from five continents for talks on helping young people find their vocations in life at a time when scandals are driving Catholics away from the church and religious vocations are plummeting. An American bishop suggested postponing or canceling the meeting, given the poor optics of assembling the church hierarchy to discuss a demographic harmed by the culture of concealment. Another bishop said he was boycotting the meeting altogether.

Bonus: Will Athletics-Yankees live up to Wrigley Field thriller?

After the Colorado Rockies defeated the Chicago Cubs in an epic National League wild-card duel, the Oakland Athletics will attempt to knock off the mighty New York Yankees in the American League wild-card game Wednesday at Yankee Stadium (8 p.m. ET on TBS). USA TODAY’s Gabe Lacques previews the Bronx showdown in what promises to be a unique pitching show. 

Contributing: Associated Press  

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Let me save you some time: Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 6, Surface Laptop 2, and Surface Studio 2 don’t mess with a good thing. They’re all the same as before, more or less.

Microsoft clearly was reluctant to tinker with the line, design-wise, instead updating some key specs, putting in current silicon (Intel’s 8th Gen Core CPUs), and adding a new color to the Pro and Laptop: matte black, which Panos Panay, the company’s chief product officer, told me was more difficult to create than you’d think.

But the matte black finish for the main Surface PCs is probably the change this iteration of the line will be most known for. And it is gorgeous. Even under the intense studio lighting in the hands-on area after the unveiling event (which tends to bring out flaws), the machines looked great, and this was after being handled by one person after another. The shiny Microsoft logo in back attracted a few fingerprints, but that’s about it.

Image: Pete Pachal/Mashable

At this point, with the Surface Pro 6 starting at $899 (with no keyboard cover) and the Surface Laptop 2 starting at $999, it seems the main thing separating them is personal preference for the form factor. Those who prioritize portability will naturally gravitate to the Pro, while anyone who can’t compromise at all on the keyboard will make a beeline for the laptop.

Image: Pete Pachal/Mashable

Speaking of that keyboard, Microsoft said the keys on the Surface Laptop 2 have just 1.5mm of travel. This isn’t a big re-invention, like the MacBooks’ butterfly keyboard — the Surface keys look and feel much the same as before — although typing did feel a hair smoother than on the gen-1 Laptop.

If using your PC as an actual laptop most of the time is important to you, the Pro still isn’t your ideal choice.

It’s certainly night and day when going from the Surface Pro’s Type Cover, which, although still the best possible approximation of a laptop keyboard, it remains just that: an approximation. If using your PC as an actual laptop most of the time is important to you, the Pro still isn’t your ideal choice.

Not that it’s a slouch. Websites loaded fast, and apps launched in seconds. While inking on a note with the Surface Pen, I didn’t detect any latency, and the pen was incredibly good at pressure sensitivity, thickening the lines appropriately as I wrote. I look forward to seeing if the performance and battery life improvements are really as good as Microsoft says.

Image: Pete Pachal/Mashable

On the Surface Laptop, the matte black finish is arguably even better looking since there’s no crease where the hinge folds out. The gray fabric on the inside complements it nicely. Again, otherwise there’s not much to say other than it performed well with the basic web surfing and inking I did (though it’s impossible to say if it’s truly 85 percent better than the previous version, as Microsoft said).

I would definitely consider the Surface Laptop 2 as an alternative to the MacBook Air.

All the same ports (USB, MiniDisplay, headphone jack) are there, and if you’re not married to Apple, I would definitely consider the Surface Laptop 2 as an alternative to the MacBook Air.

Lest we forget the Surface Studio 2. The upgrade to the screen supposedly made it more contrasty and brighter, although it’s not like the screen was lacking before. As I did some brushstrokes and created a couple of 3D images in Microsoft Paint 3D, the colors looked fantastic, with textures that really made the objects look real. Again, latency on the inking was virtually nonexistent — it really did feel like marking up paper.

Image: Pete Pachal/Mashable

Microsoft says it made all three of the Surfaces better with this iteration, improving things like battery life, performance, and even the camera on the Surface Pro. However, there are no redesigns, radical or otherwise, with any of these products — not even to add the long-demanded USB-C connector.

Image: Pete Pachal/Mashable

That sends a message: Not that Microsoft has perfected PC design, but that Surface is more about iterating on how people actually use computers today, not what anyone wishes they might be tomorrow. With this round of Surface products, Microsoft has fully integrated at least one feature: playing it safe.

US President Donald Trump said close ally Saudi Arabia and its king would not last “for two weeks” without US military support at a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday.

“We protect Saudi Arabia. Would you say they’re rich. And I love the King, King Salman. But I said ‘King – we’re protecting you – you might not be there for two weeks without us – you have to pay for your military,’” the president said to cheers at the rally.

Trump did not say when he made those remarks to the Saudi monarch, but they come amid increasing oil prices in the US.

Saudi Arabia is the world’s top oil exporter and the de facto leader of the oil producing bloc, OPEC, which has been criticised by Trump for high oil prices.

Trump called King Salman on Saturday to discuss efforts to maintain supplies to ensure oil market stability and global economic growth, according to Saudi state news agency SPA.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman traveled to Kuwait last weekend to speak with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, reportedly about increasing oil production.

No further developments have surfaced from the Kuwait meeting but media reports said the Gulf crisis was also on the agenda of the talks.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month, Trump said OPEC members were “as usual ripping off the rest of the world”.

Oil prices are on the rise. A barrel of oil currently costs about $75, continuing a steady increase over the past year. The price per barrel was around $50 in October 2017.

The average cost of a gallon (3.78 litres) of petrol in the US was $3 in May, according to AP. Despite the harsh words, the Trump administration has had a close relationship with Saudi Arabia, which it views as a bulwark against Iran’s ambitions in the region.

Trump made Saudi Arabia his first stop on his maiden international trip as president last year, shortly before Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia imposed a blockade on Qatar, alleging support of terror organisations and decrying what they see as its close relationship with Iran.

Qatar has denied the allegations.

“We defend many of these nations for nothing, and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices. Not good. We want them to stop raising prices, we want them to start lowering prices,” Trump said.

The US military was stationed in Saudi Arabia from the first Gulf War against Iraq in 1990 to 2003, when then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced pullout.

The presence of the US military in Saudi Arabia, home to the two holiest sites in Islam – Mecca and Medina – was strongly objected to by most of the world’s Muslim population, according to opinion polls published by Gallup in 2009.

Qatar hosts the largest US military base in the region.

Trump has also pressed other US allies, such as Japan, South Korea and Germany, to take more of the financial burden of their defence.

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

Bugatti has flaunted its newest supercar at the Paris Motor Show 2018. The Bugatti Divo is the most exclusive car Bugatti has ever made, only 40 are being manufactured.

The Divo isn’t quite as fast as the Chiron but it’s been designed to be more agile. It’s 35 kilos lighter and can do 0-60mph in 2.4 seconds. It also has 90 kilos more downforce than the Chiron, meaning it will handle better around corners.

The focus of the Divo is on aerodynamics, and a range of air intakes, spoilers, and wings give it high manoeuvrability. Due to the pressure of the downforce on the tires, the maximum speed is limited to 236 mph.

Produced by Charlie Floyd