Hundreds Gather to Mourn Rob Ford: Here’s What We’re Reading Today

The Daily 5 is Sharp’s essential reading list for what’s happening in the world today. Make sure to follow us on Twitter or subscribe to the Sharp Insider newsletter to stay up to date.

Here’s what we’re reading today.

1. “He’s the mayor of heaven now.”

Hundreds crammed inside St. James Cathedral for Rob Ford’s funeral today, with hundreds more watching on screens outside the church. In her eulogy, Ford’s daughter Stephanie told the crowd: “I know my dad is in a better place now — and he’s the mayor of heaven now.” The former mayor, whose term was marred by a litany of scandals, died last week of malignant liposarcoma, a rare form of cancer.

2. The Apple-FBI dispute is over, but the ‘Crypto Wars’ have just begun

“Apple’s standoff with the FBI unfolded over the course of several weeks, but ended in a matter of days. That’s how long it took the FBI to find a way into a San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone and successfully exploit it without Apple’s help. So while that particular case appears to be over, the encryption war is not. If anything, it is more urgent than ever.”

3. Clippy’s Back: The Future of Microsoft Is Chatbots

“CEO Satya Nadella bets big on artificial intelligence that will be fast, smart, friendly, helpful, and (fingers crossed) not at all racist.”

+1: It’s your fault Microsoft’s teen chat bot turned into a nazi.

4. (Nuclear) Winter is coming

Japan has approved a giant wall of ice today to contain contamination from the Fukushima nuclear reactor. The structure was completed last month, but was waiting on the go ahead from regulators before being activated.

5. Trump’s war on women

“Donald Trump said today that he thinks if abortion becomes illegal there should be ‘some form of punishment’ for women who undergo the procedure.”

+1: Why Donald Trump’s comments on Michelle Fields are so disturbing.

Photo: Randy Risling