January 1, JOE BIDEN LAUNCHES 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

(AP) – Former Vice President Joe Biden formally joined the crowded Democratic presidential contest on Thursday, betting that his working-class appeal and ties to Barack Obama’s presidency will help him overcome questions about his place in today’s increasingly liberal Democratic Party.

He made his announcement in a video posted on Twitter.

Four years Trump’s senior, Biden would be the oldest person ever elected president should he win. Yet his allies believe the skeptics will ultimately warm to his strong connections to the Obama years.

Hillary: Impeachment Not Only Solution to ’16 Election Attack

America has to fix the attack by Russia on the 2016 election, but it is a “false choice” to conclude impeachment is the only solution, according to Hillary Clinton.

In a commentary posted by The Washington Post, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said “this is bigger than politics.”

According to Clinton, Congress has to “get it right.”

Netflix Fights to Keep Its Most Watched Shows: ‘Friends’ and ‘The Office

(Wall Street Journal) – Netflix Inc. may soon have to contemplate life without its No. 1 show. It’s “The Office.”

NBCUniversal, which owns the show, licensed reruns of the comedy to the streaming-video giant years ago. Now NBCUniversal is launching its own streaming service, and has begun internal discussions about removing “The Office” from Netflix when the contract expires in 2021, according to people familiar with the situation.

This is about to become a recurring headache for Netflix.

U.S. measles cases hit highest level since eradication in 2000

(Reuters) – The United States has confirmed 695 measles cases so far this year, the highest level since the country declared it had eliminated the virus in 2000, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday.

The resurgence, which public health officials blamed in part on the spread of misinformation about the safety of vaccines, has been concentrated mainly in Washington state and New York with outbreaks that began late last year.

Facebook Sets Aside Up to $5 Billion for Potential FTC Fine

(Reuters) – Facebook Inc. beat analysts’ estimates for quarterly revenue on Wednesday, aided by growth in its Instagram business and a surge in advertising sales, while also setting aside up to $5 billion to cover anticipated official U.S. privacy penalties.

Shares of the company (FB), which have surged almost 40 percent this year, were up nearly 5 percent in extended trading after it said ad sales jumped 26 percent to $14.91 billion in the first quarter, beating analysts’ average estimate of $14.77 billion.