White House

Happening Today: Trump, N. Korea, Kabul, Handwashing, Kathy Griffin, Ariana Grande

What to Know

  • President Trump has been handing out his cellphone number to world leaders and urging them to call him directly
  • Don't bother turning on the hot-water tap when washing your hands, scientists say: cool water is just as effective at killing bacteria
  • Kathy Griffin has apologized after receiving backlash about photographs of her holding a bloody decapitated head resembling President Trump

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Trump Urges World Leaders to Call His Cell, Prompting Security Concerns, Officials Say

President Trump has been handing out his cellphone number to world leaders and urging them to call him directly, an unusual invitation that breaks diplomatic protocol and is raising concerns about the security and secrecy of the U.S. commander in chief's communications. Trump has urged leaders of Canada and Mexico to reach him on his cellphone, according to former and current U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the practice. Of the two, only Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has taken advantage of the offer so far, the officials said. Trump also exchanged numbers with French President Emmanuel Macron when the two spoke immediately following Macron's victory earlier this month, according to a French official, who would not comment on whether Macron intended to use the line. All the officials demanded anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal the conversations. Neither the White House nor Trudeau's office responded to requests for comment.

At Least 80 Dead in Explosion Near Afghanistan's Presidential Palace

At least 80 people have died and more than 300 were wounded in an early morning bomb attack in Kabul, NBC News reported. The blast happened during the rush-hour commute in Afghanistan's capital. Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish told NBC News that the bomb exploded close to the presidential palace and the German Embassy. The neighborhood is considered Kabul's safest area, with foreign embassies and government offices protected by various security measures. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

North Korea Creating “Balance of Terror” With Nukes, Analysis Shows

Early one winter morning, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stood at an observation post overlooking a valley of rice paddies near the Chinese border. Minutes later, four projectiles plunged into the sea off the Japanese coast. North Korea had just run its first simulation of a nuclear attack on a U.S. military base. North Korea, which is testing ballistic missiles faster than ever, is rapidly becoming a better equipped and more formidable adversary. Some experts believe it might be able to build missiles advanced enough to reach the United States in two to three years. And that poses a game-changing problem for the U.S., which for its part is also escalating, successfully shooting down a target ICBM launched from a Pacific island with a California-based interceptor missile.

Cool Water Just as Effective at Killing Bacteria When Washing Hands, Study Shows

Don't bother turning on the hot-water tap when washing your hands, scientists say: cool water is just as effective at killing bacteria. A new study from Rutgers University shows the temperature of water doesn't matter when it comes to getting rid of harmful bacteria from people's hands. What does matter, the study found, is timing: even just 10 seconds significantly removes bacteria from the hands. Whether the amount of soap and the type of soap used plays any role in killing microbes on the hands is still being studied. The finding could have implications on water energy, since cold water uses less energy than hot or warm water. Currently, federal guidelines recommend that restaurants and food establishments deliver water at 100 degrees Fahrenheit for handwashing.

Kathy Griffin Apologizes for Bloody Decapitated Trump Image

Comedian Kathy Griffin has apologized in a Twitter video after receiving backlash on social media about photographs of her holding a bloody decapitated head resembling President Trump. "I'm a comic. I crossed the line. I moved the line, then I crossed it. I went way too far," Griffin said. The images will be taken down and she has asked the photographer to take down the images, she continued. Griffin posed for the shot during a photo session with photographer Tyler Shields, known for "edgy, shocking pics," according to TMZ. The image brought a rebuke not only from Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., who said the picture was "disgusting but not surprising," but also from the Secret Service. Without specifically mentioning the Griffin image, the official Twitter account of the agency tweeted they were "on it" in response to calls to investigate the comedian.

Ariana Grande to Play Manchester Charity Concert Sunday for Bomb Victims, Her Publicist Says

Ariana Grande and several other stars including Justin Bieber, Coldplay and Katy Perry will perform in Manchester for a charity concert for bomb victims, according to the singer's publicist. The "One Love Manchester" show will be held at the city's Old Trafford cricket ground just under two weeks after a bomber killed 22 people at a Grande concert in Manchester. Grande had suspended her world tour through June 5 following the bombing. She wrote in a long statement posted to Twitter earlier that details were still being finalized and she will "have details to share ... as soon as everything is confirmed." Proceeds will go to an emergency fund set up by the city of Manchester and the British Red Cross. Others performers will include Take That, One Direction's Niall Horan, Miley Cyrus, Usher and Pharrell.

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