FedEx Says NRA Member Discounts Are Here to Stay - TIME Business

FedEx Says NRA Member Discounts Are Here to Stay Posted: 27 Feb 2018 11:29 AM PST FedEx Corp. is maintaining discounts for members of the National Rifle Association, even as calls for a boycott mount on social media after a deadly school shooting in Florida. The courier said it “has never set or changed rates for any of our millions of customers around the world in response to their politics, beliefs or positions on issues.” The NRA is one of hundreds of organizations in its alliance programs, FedEx said Monday in its first public comment on the matter. Since Sunday, the #BoycottFedEx hashtag has been included in more than 700 posts on Twitter, including one by Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school student David Hogg that has been shared more than 13,000 times. Hogg — who now has more than 330,000 followers on Twitter — and peers at Stoneman Douglas have gained national attention as advocates for gun-law reforms since a Feb. 14 attack at the school left 17 students and teachers dead. FedEx said its views on firearms policy differ from the NRA’s. While the company said it supports the constitutional right of U.S. citizens to own firearms, subject to appropriate background checks, it supports keeping assault rifles out of civilian hands. ‘Inherent Danger’ Assault rifles and large capacity magazines are “an inherent danger to schools, workplaces and communities when such weapons are misused,” FedEx said in the statement. “We therefore support restricting them to the military.” Shares of the Memphis, Tennessee-based company rose less than 1 percent to $254.51 at the close in New York. They were unchanged in late trading, following the company’s statement on the NRA. FedEx is part of the NRA Business Alliance and offers discounts through its FedEx Advantage program for shipping by FedEx Ground and FedEx Express and some services at FedEx Office, according to company and NRA websites. NRA officials also didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Delta Air Lines Inc. and United Continental Holdings Inc. are among companies that cut ties with the NRA following online calls to boycott the gun lobbying group. Symantec Corp., owner of Lifelock and Simplisafe Inc.; rental car companies Hertz Global Holdings Inc. and Avis Budget Group Inc. and insurer MetLife Inc. all have cut ties to the NRA. Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. were among companies being pressured Monday on social media to drop the lobbying group’s streaming TV channel. For a look at why Delta, Hertz have more to lose from NRA ties, click here Supporters of the NRA, however, were mounting their own campaigns. Georgia Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle, a Republican who is running for governor, on Monday threatened to kill tax legislation that would benefit Delta unless it reinstates its relationship with the NRA. A bill before the state’s General Assembly would exempt jet fuel from sales tax, benefiting the airline. “Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back,” Cagle wrote on Twitter. Delta said Saturday it would end an NRA contract for discounted rates on flights to the group’s annual meeting. The airline also asked to have its name removed from the NRA’s meeting website.

Amazon Is Expanding Into Home Security by Acquiring Video Doorbell Startup Ring - TIME Business

Amazon Is Expanding Into Home Security by Acquiring Video Doorbell Startup Ring

Posted: 27 Feb 2018 06:08 PM PST

Amazon.com has agreed to buy connected-doorbell startup Ring for about $1 billion, a person familiar with the matter said.
The move helps Amazon expand further into the consumer market, including providing security for package deliveries. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. advised Ring on the sale, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private.
Amazon has been pushing for a bigger presence in homes through connected devices such as its Echo smart speaker with the voice-activated assistant named Alexa. Buying Ring gives the e-commerce giant another touch point with customers, said James Cakmak, an analyst at Monness Crespi Hardt & Co.

“For this specifically it A) builds connection for further strengthening trust between the brand and consumers, B) increases market for delivery, and in turn, frequency, C) moves company along path to same day/same hour efforts while everyone else is battling the two day war,” Cakmak said in an email.
Last year, Amazon introduced Amazon Key, a service that incorporates a smart lock that can open doors for verified delivery drivers to deposit packages directly into a shopper’s home. Package thefts from doorsteps have increased in recent years with the spread of online shopping and deliveries.
Ring makes video doorbells and security cameras that connect to users’ phones or computers, letting them see and speak to anyone on their property from afar. The company, based in Santa Monica, California also sells related products such as security systems and smoke detectors.
“Ring’s home security products and services have delighted customers since day one,” an Amazon representative said Tuesday in a joint statement with Ring. “We’re excited to work with this talented team and help them in their mission to keep homes safe and secure.”
A representative for J.P. Morgan declined to comment.

Nest, Honeywell

The acquisition puts Amazon in more direct competition with security camera makers such as Nest Labs Inc., Honeywell International Inc. and Canary Connect Inc.
“We’ll be able to achieve even more by partnering with an inventive, customer-centric company like Amazon,” a representative for Ring said in the joint statement.
The video surveillance industry is seeing a spell of deals. Motorola Solutions Inc. agreed this month to buy commercial security camera and video analytics maker Avigilon for about $1 billion, including debt.

Australians turn in 57,000 guns in national amnesty - BBC News

1/3/2018

Australians turn in 57,000 guns in national amnesty

A rocket launcher was one of the weapons recovered in Australia's gun amnesty

Australians turned in more than 57,000 firearms to authorities last year during a national gun amnesty.

The three-month amnesty was the first since Australia's landmark response to a mass shooting in 1996.

It aimed to reduce the number of illicit weapons by allowing people to hand them over without fear of prosecution.

The government said the amnesty deal had made the nation safer.

"Taking these unregistered firearms off the streets means they will not fall into the hands of criminals, who might use them to endanger the lives of innocent Australians," Law Enforcement Minister Angus Taylor said on Thursday.

The amnesty was conducted in response to an influx of illegal arms in the country and the threat of terrorism.

It is illegal to own an unregistered firearm in Australia. Offenders face fines of up to A$280,000 (£172,000;$225,000) and up to 14 years in jail.

Would Australia's gun laws help the US?

Australian MP criticised over gun photo

Among the surrendered items were almost 2,500 automatic weapons, 2,900 handguns and a rocket launcher believed to have been found in a rubbish dump.

About a third of the weapons were destroyed, with the others registered or returned for sale.

Police estimate there is a local "grey market" of up to 260,000 illicit guns, some of which have been in organised crime as well as recent terror incidents.

Is it time for US teachers to carry guns?

America's gun culture in 10 charts

Authorities have cited the example of Man Haron Monis, the perpetrator of a Sydney cafe siege in 2014, who used an unregistered shotgun.

Australia last held a gun amnesty in 1996 and 1997, following the killing of 35 people in the Tasmanian town of Port Arthur - the nation's worst mass shooting.

At that time, nearly 650,000 firearms were handed in.

The incident also prompted major reform of gun laws, including a ban on semi-automatic and automatic weapons.

‘Serious violation’: China lashes out at US over bill promoting ties with Taiwan - Hong Kong Free Press

‘Serious violation’: China lashes out at US over bill promoting ties with Taiwan

1 March 2018 15:59 AFP2 min read

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China lodged an official protest with the United States on Thursday, saying it was “strongly dissatisfied” after the US Senate passed a bill promoting relations with self-governing Taiwan.

The US Senate passed the Taiwan Travel Act, intended to encourage visits between the United States and Taiwan “at all levels”, by unanimous consent on Wednesday, following its approval in the House of Representatives in January.

Tsai Ing-wen

Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen. Photo: Tsai Ing-wen Flickr.

The bill adds that it should be US policy for high-level Taiwanese officials to enter the United States, meet with US officials and conduct business in the country.

President Donald Trump’s signature is now all that is needed for the bill to become law — something that is not likely to be an obstacle, given that the bill was passed unanimously.

Washington cut formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979, recognising the Communist mainland rulers in Beijing as the sole government of “One China.”

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that while some of the new bill’s provisions are not legally binding, it “seriously violates” the One China principle.

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. Photo: Wikicommons.

“China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposes it,” Hua told a regular news briefing, adding that Beijing had made “solemn representations” to the US — a diplomatic protest.

The United States, she said, should stop official exchanges with Taiwan and handle Taiwan issues “prudently and properly” to avoid “damaging Sino-US relations”.

Under the terms of the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, Washington maintains an ambiguous approach to the island, maintaining trade relations and selling Taipei weapons.

Trump sparked protest from China shortly after his election in 2016 by accepting a phone call from Taiwan’s leader Tsai Ing-wen, an action seen as breaking the protocol of the One China policy.

He made amends by vowing to uphold the One China policy shortly before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort — but infuriated Beijing again last summer by approving a $1.3 billion arms sale to Taiwan.

Vladimir Putin set for state of the union speech as election looms - NBC News

NEWS WORLD U.S.INVESTIGATIONSCRIME & COURTSASIAN AMERICALATINONBCBLK

NEWS

MAR 1 2018, 4:00 AM ET

Vladimir Putin set for state of the union speech as election looms

by ALASTAIR JAMIESON

Vladimir Putin is expected to outline his plans for a fourth term as Russia’s president Thursday in his annual address to parliament.

Russians will cast their vote in just 17 days, but there has been little campaigning ahead of the election.

Polls suggest Putin, who has dominated Russian politics as president or prime minister for 18 years, is on track to be comfortably secure another six-year term.

He is likely to promise higher welfare and infrastructure spending in the annual address to lawmakers and other members of the political elite, Reuters reported.

He may also celebrate Russia's rising influence in the Middle East as it provides military support to Syria's government in that country's seven-year war.

The speech, which was delayed from the end of last year, is usually held in the Kremlin but has been switched to Moscow’s Manege building — an exhibition space in the city center — to accommodate a large screen for infographics, officials told the Moscow Times.

However, Putin was not expected to give specifics on his spending plans — such as how they might be funded.

"He will speak of the [policy] direction and the government should then propose how it should all work,” an unidentified senior government official told Reuters.

Almost 70 percent of Russians are ready to support Putin in the March 18 election, according to a poll published Thursday by state news agency, TASS.

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been barred from running in the election. He was arrested Jan. 28 moments before a protest march in Moscow.

Navalny wants voters to boycott the election, hoping low turnout will take the shine off Putin’s likely win.

Trump Says U.S. to Use All Tools to Pressure China on Trade - Bloomberg

Trump Says U.S. to Use All Tools to Pressure China on Trade

By

March 1, 2018, 6:57 AM GMT+11 Updated on March 1, 2018, 9:21 AM GMT+11

China undermining growth, Trump says in update to trade agenda

Warning comes as U.S. weighs range of trade measures

Bloomberg’s Tom Mackenzie discusses President Trump’s warning to China on trade and leadership changes at the PBOC.

President Donald Trump is warning the U.S. will use “all available tools” to prevent China’s state-driven economic model from undermining global competition, the latest warning to Beijing as America readies a host of trade actions.

China hasn’t lived up to the promises of economic reforms it made when it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, and actually appears to be moving further away from “market principles” in recent years, according to the president’s annual report to Congress on his trade-policy agenda. China’s “statist” policies are causing a “dramatic misallocation” of global resources that is leaving all countries poorer than they should be, said the report.

Liu HePhotographer: Jason Alden/Bloomberg

Chinese President Xi Jinping has dispatched one of his top economic advisers, Liu He, this week to Washington to meet with senior administration officials amid signs of growing tension between the world’s two biggest economies.

“China is free to pursue whatever trade policy it prefers. But the United States, as a sovereign nation, is free to respond,” according to the report, which is prepared by the U.S. Trade Representative’s office.

Xi has called for countries to avoid protectionism and stick to the current path of globalization. At the same time, Chinese officials are weighing raising tariffs on U.S. soybeans as tensions escalate.

Steel, Aluminum

Trump’s warning comes as his administration considers a range of actions either directly aimed at China, or that could impact the Asian power. The president is weighing several options for curbing imports of steel and aluminum, and Trump has told confidants he’s considering a global tariff on steel of 24 percent, the most punitive alternative recommended by his officials. The administration is ready to act unilaterally if necessary to fight unfair trading practices, according to trade report.

Robert LighthizerPhotographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Meanwhile, Trump’s top trade negotiator, Robert Lighthizer, is investigating whether China is flouting U.S. intellectual-property rights. “If necessary, we will take action under section 301 to prevent China from obtaining the benefit of this type of unfair practice,” the report said Wednesday, referring to the legal section under which Lighthizer is doing the probe.

There will likely be discussions over such trade irritants when Liu, who sits on China’s 25-member Politburo, meets with a group of Trump’s most senior economic advisers on Thursday, including Gary Cohn, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Lighthizer. He’s also expected to talk with Susan Thornton, the State Department’s acting assistant secretary for East Asia and the Pacific.

Foreign Markets

The report boasts that Trump has launched a “new era” of U.S. trade policy focused on ensuring the nation’s “economic independence.” It calls for a return to principles laid out by George Washington, including a focus on the national interest and a view that trade deals should be temporary.

Trump’s trade agenda is “driven by a pragmatic determination to use the leverage available to the world’s largest economy to open foreign markets, obtain more efficient global markets and fairer treatment for American workers,” the report said.

U.S. negotiators are discussing changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement this week with their Mexican and Canadian counterparts. Trump has threatened to withdraw from the trade agreement if America’s partners don’t accept proposals aimed at reducing the U.S. trade deficit.

While acknowledging that Nafta has helped American farmers and ranchers, the report reiterates Trump’s contention that the pact has failed too many Americans, costing jobs in the manufacturing sector. The U.S. remains focused on modernizing the agreement and adding provisions that “rebalance” trade flows with Mexico and Canada, according to the 359-page report.

It says the administration “has not simply sought to eliminate Nafta but has made great efforts to alleviate uncertainty for those Americans who rely on it.”

The report didn’t give a clear hint which way the president is leaning on steel and aluminum restrictions. Last year, Trump ordered the Commerce Department to probe whether imports are harming national security, under the seldom-used Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act. Commerce concluded foreign shipments are harming security, and gave Trump a range of options. The annual trade report notes Trump may also choose to take no action. He has until mid-April to make a decision.

Cyber attack on German government sought more sensitive data than 2015 hack: lawmaker - Reuters

MARCH 1, 2018 / 8:04 PM / UPDATED 10 MINUTES AGO

Cyber attack on German government sought more sensitive data than 2015 hack: lawmaker

Andrea Shalal

BERLIN (Reuters) - The latest hack of German government networks involved complex malicious software and targeted more sensitive data than a 2015 breach of the German parliament, a leading member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives said on Thursday.

Patrick Sensburg, a member of the parliamentary committee that oversees German intelligence agencies, told broadcaster ZDF it would take time to analyze the incident that the German government on Wednesday said had been “isolated” and contained.

He said it was premature to link the cyber attack -- as German media reports have done -- to a Russian hacking group known as APT28, although he said there was sufficient evidence that the group had links to a Russian spy agency.

“One has to carefully examine a software like this one that is extremely complex,” Sensburg told the broadcaster.

Germany on Wednesday said security officials were investigating an isolated attack on its government computer networks, but the incident had been brought under control. It did not confirm that the foreign and defense ministries were affected by the attack.

Sensburg said there had been rumors about a possible breach of government networks, but his high-level committee had not been informed about the attack by government officials.

The panel will receive a closed-door briefing from the government around midday. A separate panel on digital issues also called an extraordinary meeting to discuss the breach.

WAR IN THE INTERNET

“We have a sort of war going on in the Internet,” Sensburg said, adding that it remained unclear whether any data was stolen as a result of the breach, and if so, what sort of data.

At the same time, he said this attack was clearly focused on more sensitive data than the 2015 hack of the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, that resulted in the loss of 16 gigabytes of data, and which German officials have blamed on the APT28 hacking group, also known as Fancy Bear or Sofacy.

Bild newspaper said security officials were struck by the sophistication of the attack, which exceeded levels previously seen, and therefore assumed it was not carried out by the same group that carried out the 2015 hack.

Benjamin Read, head of cyber espionage analysis at FireEye, a U.S.-based cyber security firm, said the German incident could be part of a series of attacks carried out by APT28 against U.S. and European government-related entities in 2016 and 2017.

German intelligence officials have warned about possible meddling by Russia in last year’s federal election.

Western governments and security experts have linked APT28 to a Russian spy agency, and have blamed it for an attack on the Democratic National Committee ahead of the 2016 U.S. elections.

Moscow has previously denied in any way having been involved in cyber attacks on the German political establishment.

Conservative lawmaker Roderich Kiesewetter told Die Welt newspaper the attack showed that government agencies needed more funding and personnel to be able to respond.

Top German intelligence officials have also urged lawmakers to give them greater legal authority to “hack back” in the event of cyber attacks from foreign powers.

Reporting by Andrea Shalal, Editing by William Maclean

Egyptian singer is sentenced to six months in jail for joking that drinking Nile water could make you ill - Daily Mail

Sherine - one of Egypt's most famous singers - is convicted for denigrating the cleanliness of the River Nile which she said can make you ill

She has apologised profusely and remains on bail pending an appeal

She is the third singer in recent months to have been convicted for indecency

By Alastair Tancred For Mailonline

PUBLISHED: 19:51 AEDT, 1 March 2018 | UPDATED: 19:55 AEDT, 1 March 2018

An Egyptian court has sentenced pop star Sherine to six months in prison on Tuesday for suggesting drinking from the Nile River leads to illness.

She was found guilty of spreading 'false news' after a recording emerged of her joking that water from the River Nile could give people parasites.

Sherine is one of Egypt's most famous singers and doubles up as a judge on the Arabic version of The Voice TV show.

Egyptian singer Sherine Abdel Wahab performs on stage during the final show of the pan-Arab song contest "Arab Idol" on February 25, 2017 in Lebanon +5

Egyptian singer Sherine Abdel Wahab performs on stage during the final show of the pan-Arab song contest "Arab Idol" on February 25, 2017 in Lebanon

Sherine was filmed joking during a concert that drinking from the Nile would make her sick - a comment which has caused outrage among officials in her homeland +5

Sherine was filmed joking during a concert that drinking from the Nile would make her sick - a comment which has caused outrage among officials in her homeland

Egyptian singer Sherine Abdel Wahab attends an awards ceremony in Lebanon in 2014 +5

Egyptian singer Sherine Abdel Wahab attends an awards ceremony in Lebanon in 2014

The singer apologised after being caught on tape joking with concert-goers about the cleanliness of Nile water. Judicial officials said she would remain free on bail pending an appeal.

In the recording Sherine is asked by a fan about her popular song 'Have You Ever Drunk from the Nile?'

The star replied that drinking from the river could lead to bilharzia, which once caused widespread contamination of Egypt's rivers.

'Drink Evian instead,' she joked, referring to the French mineral water.

Sherine has apologised for comments and said that she did not intend to cause any offence +5

Sherine has apologised for comments and said that she did not intend to cause any offence

Controversial: Shaimaa Ahmed, 25, was convicted in December for appearing in a video in her underwear, pouring milk over a banana +5

Controversial: Shaimaa Ahmed, 25, was convicted in December for appearing in a video in her underwear, pouring milk over a banana

The Egyptian news outlet Ahram said she was ordered to pay £204 as bail, in addition to a fine of about £400. She remains free until her case is concluded.

When a complaint against her was first filed in November, the musicians' union in Egypt banned her songs from being broadcast - accusing her of causing 'unjustified ridicule and mockery of our dear Egypt'.

The singer said at the time that she made her comment at a concert in the UAE more than a year earlier.

'I apologise from all my heart for any pain I may have caused you... It was a bad joke,' she wrote on her Facebook page at the time.

The population of the vast country of Egypt is mostly centred on the banks of the Nile, which flows from the south to the Mediterranean Sea.

The charismatic 37-year-old topped the charts in the region before announcing her retirement in 2016, but has since gone back on her decision.

Egyptian pop star is charged with 'harming public interest'...

Egyptian singer is arrested for 'inciting debauchery' after...

Belly dancer is arrested in Egypt and accused of 'inciting...

Meanwhile another singer, Laila Amer, was also sentenced on Tuesday to two years in prison for 'inciting debauchery and immorality' in a music video. The director and a male actor in the clip received shorter terms.

In December at third singer, Shaimaa Ahmed - better known as as Shyma - was jailed for two years after she appeared in a music video in her underwear while suggestively eating a banana.

She was too found guilty of inciting debauchery and indecency and was sentenced alongside the video's director.

Commentators say that the convictions may in part be linked to the desire of President Sisi to curry favour with conservative Egyptians ahead of elections next month.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5448811/Egyptian-singer-sentenced-criticising-River-Nile.html#ixzz58UEerIvU

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Hope Hicks: Close Trump aide and White House communications chief resigns - BBC News

1/3/2018

Hope Hicks: Close Trump aide and White House communications chief resigns

Hope Hicks, one of President Trump's longest-serving advisers, is to step down as White House communications director.

The 29-year-old former model has been by Mr Trump's side for years.

The news came a day after she testified in front of the House Intelligence Committee, but White House sources said this was not the reason.

She is the fourth person to serve as communications chief for this administration.

On Tuesday, Ms Hicks gave a nine-hour testimony in front of the panel investigating alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Ms Hicks is reported to have admitted to the panel that she had occasionally told what amounted to "white lies" for President Trump, but she denied lying about anything relevant to the investigation.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders - who described Ms Hicks as "in a league of her own" - said it remained unclear when she would leave the administration.

@PressSec

There is no one that can fill the void Hope Hicks will leave behind. She is in a league of her own and no one can replace her. Far and away one of the most talented and skilled people I’ve ever met and coming to work won’t be the same without her.

12:09 PM - Mar 1, 2018

Ms Hicks is reported to have told colleagues she was leaving because she felt she had accomplished all she could in the White House.

Her departure will come as a major blow to Mr Trump, who said he would miss having her by his side. A former press secretary, she rose through the ranks to occupy the desk closest to the Oval Office.

Ms Hicks kept a low public profile but recently found herself part of a scandal when newspapers exposed that she was in a relationship with White House staff secretary Rob Porter, who had been accused of domestic violence against past partners.

When news of the allegations against Mr Porter broke last month, it was Ms Hicks who helped draft an initial White House statement defending him.

Mr Trump was reportedly not consulted and was unimpressed with her handling of the controversy.

From model to Trump's media director

White House aide 'admits white lies'

Trump 'understood'

Ms Hicks became head of the White House communications team last August, after the abrupt firing of Anthony Scaramucci.

In a statement, Mr Trump said: "Hope is outstanding and has done great work for the last three years. She is as smart and thoughtful as they come, a truly great person.

"I will miss having her by my side but when she approached me about pursuing other opportunities, I totally understood. I am sure we will work together again in the future."

Mr Scaramucci, speaking on Fox News, said: "She's one of the least malicious people I've ever met in my life. She's dedicated, she's charming, she's thoughtful, at the end of the day she's going to have an unbelievable career."

A former campaign official quoted by Politico magazine said Ms Hicks's departure left the White House without an expert "Trump translator".

"She knew what the president wanted and could explain it to the communications [team]," the official said.

Ms Hicks, Mr Scaramucci, Sean Spicer and Mike Dubke have all served in the role since January 2017.

The latest upheaval comes just after Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, had his White House security clearance downgraded.

On Tuesday night, the president also fired off a fierce tweet against Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

@realDonaldTrump

Why is A.G. Jeff Sessions asking the Inspector General to investigate potentially massive FISA abuse. Will take forever, has no prosecutorial power and already late with reports on Comey etc. Isn’t the I.G. an Obama guy? Why not use Justice Department lawyers? DISGRACEFUL!

1:34 AM - Mar 1, 2018

Out of the White House but likely not the spotlight

Analysis by the BBC's Anthony Zurcher in Washington

Hope Hicks had been there since the beginning; since before the beginning. When the Trump campaign was just a ragtag band of political neophytes, she was the one distributing press releases and answering media requests.

Where others had stumbled or been pushed out of Donald Trump's orbit, Hicks quietly persevered - and rode the train all the way to one of the most powerful White House jobs.

Now she too is gone. She lasted nearly as long as the preceding three White House communications directors combined, but the position continues to be cursed.

Administration sources insist that it was a planned exit, that she was simply waiting for the right time. It's hard, however, to imagine timing worse than this. It comes just a day after her eight hours of testimony before a congressional committee investigating possible Trump campaign ties to Russia, where she reportedly admitted to telling "white lies" in defence of the president.

Although she may be exiting the White House, it's unlikely she escapes the spotlight so easily. She had a ringside seat to many of the controversies that have swirled around the Trump campaign and presidency - and subsequent revelations could put her name in the headlines again.

Ms Hicks is seen as a key witness in the ongoing inquiry into whether the Trump team colluded with Russia.

During the nine-hour hearing on Tuesday, she reportedly stonewalled lawmakers about a 2016 meeting between members of the Trump campaign and a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower.

Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, a member of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee investigating alleged Russian meddling, said that she now needed to testify.

"She has no right to claim executive privilege. She has no claim to refuse to come before the judiciary committee now she's stepped down. She should be a witness before the judiciary committee," he said.

Brought up in Greenwich, Connecticut, and was a talented lacrosse player at high school and college

Took up modelling as a teenager and once appeared in an ad for Ralph Lauren

Previously worked for a public relations company that handled Ivanka Trump's fashion business and the Trump Organization's property brand

Joined the Trump Organization in 2014 and Donald Trump brought her on to his campaign team a year later, despite her lack of political experience

Nicknamed "Hopester" by Mr Trump, she is said to be one of his most trusted aides and among the few who could challenge him to change his views