Top Stories this PM: Taliban will bring back executions; Twitter now lets you tip people with bitcoin
Good afternoon. Here are the top stories so far today.
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What happened today:
- Taliban will bring back executions. One of the militant group's founders Mullah Nooruddin Turabi told the Associated Press that death, as well as amputation of hands, will once again be used as forms of punishment. Turabi is an enforcer of the Taliban's brutal interpretation of Islamic law, the report said, and was the militant group's justice minister during their 1996-2001 regime.
- Twitter lets you tip people with bitcoin. The feature, which was made available to select users earlier this year, will first be available to iOS users before launching on Android. CEO and founder of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, is among the biggest advocates of the digital asset.
Elizabeth Holmes' ego. Text messages from Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes give a glimpse into her time at the helm of the now-defunct startup. CNBC reports that in one exchange, Holmes texted ex-COO Ramesh Balwani, "My new life as of this night and forever more: - total confidence in myself best business person of the year ..." After 10 minutes had passed, Holmes asked, "No response?" to which Balwani replied, "Awesome. U r listening and paying attention."
- "Mayhem and madness." That's what Netflix has promised as it announced a second season of "Tiger King," the chaotic documentary about former zoo owner and convicted felon Joseph Maldonado-Passage, better known as Joe Exotic. The first season became one of the streaming giant's most-watched shows, drawing over 34 million viewers within the first 10 days alone, Nielsen reported.
- Brian Williams could depart NBC. NBC News veteran anchorman Brian Williams is holding talks about whether to stay at 30 Rockefeller Center, people familiar with the situation said. It's widely understood that Williams' contract is set to expire at the end of the year. Williams anchors MSNBC's "The 11th Hour with Brian Williams," along with primetime news specials such as election coverage.
That's all for now. See you tomorrow.