Tim Cook

A controversial app called Absher made the news in February because it lets men monitor and control their female relatives’ travel. People like Senator Ron Wyden and others asked Apple and Google to remove the app. No action was taken by either company, although Tim Cook said he would “take a look at it.” Now two Saudi sisters who fled the country are reminding us that no, this app still exists.

Maha, 28 and Wafa, 25 fled Saudi Arabia to for Tbilisi, Georgia via Tuckey earlier this month. The pair had to steal their father’s phone and log onto his Absher account and give themselves permission to go to Istanbul…The al-Subaie sisters said they knew of dozens of other young women who were looking to escape abusive families.

A new in-depth report on Politico revealed the full extent of Apple’s involvement in the U.S.-China trade dispute, And how it was it was successful. A key factor was that CEO Tim Cook remained one of the few tech-leaders who engaged directly with President Donald Trump after comment’s from the President’s caused others to stop doing so. Mr. Cook was also aided by having strong business connections in China.

In the U.S., Cook has made a point of directly engaging with Trump, even as the president’s immigration policies and remarks about minorities have scared off other executives from liberal-leaning Silicon Valley. And in China, Cook — who knows some Mandarin — has actively cultivated government and business leaders during his frequent visits to a country where Apple’s supply chain supports an estimated 3 million jobs. “Among the tech titans, he’s probably the one who is best placed to deal with both sides at the same time,” said James Lewis, a former State and Commerce department official who dealt with China trade issues and now directs the technology policy program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.