• Chinese spies were able to add small, undocumented chips to motherboards in data servers bought by big US tech companies, according to a blockbuster investigation by Bloomberg published Thursday.
• Apple denies that it has ever found malicious chips in its servers.
• Apple also denies that it is under a national security "gag order," undercutting speculation that it was under pressure from the government to deny the Bloomberg report. 

On Thursday, Bloomberg published a blockbuster investigation that found that Chinese spies were able to plant tiny microchips on motherboards in data servers supplied by SuperMicro to a slew of American tech companies, including Apple.

The goal of the Chinese spies was reportedly to use these microchips to gain access to sensitive corporate data and other secrets through advanced hacking, according to Bloomberg

Apple is denying just about every fact in the Bloomberg report, which says it discovered suspicious chips in its servers in 2015. 

In a statement released on Thursday afternoon Apple says that the company has never found any "malicious chips" or vulnerabilities in "any server" and completely denies having any contact with the "FBI or any other agency about such an incident"— directly refuting several key claims in the report.  

"Despite numerous discussions across multiple teams and organizations, no one at Apple has ever heard of this investigation," according to Apple's updated statement on Thursday, which said it was first contacted by Bloomberg's reporters about the alleged FBI investigation in November 2017. 

It's a pretty unequivocal denial. However, there was speculation after the original report and denial was released on Thursday that Apple could be under a gag order — a possible way to reconcile Bloomberg's reporting with Apple's denial. 

Certain federal investigations dealing with espionage and national security can issue such orders, which preclude  the recipient from even discussing the existence of the order. The most common version is called a "national security letter." 

But Apple is denying that too, in an updated statement issued later on Thursday, that it is under any gag order:

"Finally, in response to questions we have received from other news organizations since Businessweek published its story, we are not under any kind of gag order or other confidentiality obligations."

It's a difficult situation to reconcile. Bloomberg is a reputable news outlet with a history of breaking big stories, and has revealed conspiracies of this size and scope in the past. In a statement to Business Insider earlier on Thursday, Bloomberg said that it stood by its reporting, which cited 18 unnamed sources.

But Apple — and other companies involved, including Amazon — have all made strongly worded statements completely denying the facts reported by Bloomberg. For its part, Amazon said that it's "hard to count" the inaccuracies in the Bloomberg story.

Given that these companies are publicly traded and this kind of information is clearly material to its stock price, any falsehoods in statements like these could land it in trouble with federal authorities. 

Of note: In 2017, Apple acknowledged downloading infected firmware that was related to servers manufactured by SuperMicro.

So it's a difficult situation to clearly parse and understand at the moment — perhaps not surprising, given that the story involves some of the most shadowy realms in the world, touching both American and Chinese spies, high-tech manufacturing, and hacking.

Read the Bloomberg report here>>

Apple's full statement is reproduced below: 

The October 8, 2018 issue of Bloomberg Businessweek incorrectly reports that Apple found “malicious chips” in servers on its network in 2015. As Apple has repeatedly explained to Bloomberg reporters and editors over the past 12 months, there is no truth to these claims.

Apple provided Bloomberg Businessweek with the following statement before their story was published:

Over the course of the past year, Bloomberg has contacted us multiple times with claims, sometimes vague and sometimes elaborate, of an alleged security incident at Apple. Each time, we have conducted rigorous internal investigations based on their inquiries and each time we have found absolutely no evidence to support any of them. We have repeatedly and consistently offered factual responses, on the record, refuting virtually every aspect of Bloomberg’s story relating to Apple.

On this we can be very clear: Apple has never found malicious chips, “hardware manipulations” or vulnerabilities purposely planted in any server. Apple never had any contact with the FBI or any other agency about such an incident. We are not aware of any investigation by the FBI, nor are our contacts in law enforcement.

In response to Bloomberg’s latest version of the narrative, we present the following facts: Siri and Topsy never shared servers; Siri has never been deployed on servers sold to us by Super Micro; and Topsy data was limited to approximately 2,000 Super Micro servers, not 7,000. None of those servers have ever been found to hold malicious chips.

As a matter of practice, before servers are put into production at Apple they are inspected for security vulnerabilities and we update all firmware and software with the latest protections. We did not uncover any unusual vulnerabilities in the servers we purchased from Super Micro when we updated the firmware and software according to our standard procedures.

We are deeply disappointed that in their dealings with us, Bloomberg’s reporters have not been open to the possibility that they or their sources might be wrong or misinformed. Our best guess is that they are confusing their story with a previously-reported 2016 incident in which we discovered an infected driver on a single Super Micro server in one of our labs. That one-time event was determined to be accidental and not a targeted attack against Apple.

While there has been no claim that customer data was involved, we take these allegations seriously and we want users to know that we do everything possible to safeguard the personal information they entrust to us. We also want them to know that what Bloomberg is reporting about Apple is inaccurate.

Apple has always believed in being transparent about the ways we handle and protect data. If there were ever such an event as Bloomberg News has claimed, we would be forthcoming about it and we would work closely with law enforcement. Apple engineers conduct regular and rigorous security screenings to ensure that our systems are safe. We know that security is an endless race and that’s why we constantly fortify our systems against increasingly sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals who want to steal our data.

The published Businessweek story also claims that Apple “reported the incident to the FBI but kept details about what it had detected tightly held, even internally.” In November 2017, after we had first been presented with this allegation, we provided the following information to Bloomberg as part of a lengthy and detailed, on-the-record response. It first addresses their reporters’ unsubstantiated claims about a supposed internal investigation:

Despite numerous discussions across multiple teams and organizations, no one at Apple has ever heard of this investigation. Businessweek has refused to provide us with any information to track down the supposed proceedings or findings. Nor have they demonstrated any understanding of the standard procedures which were supposedly circumvented.

No one from Apple ever reached out to the FBI about anything like this, and we have never heard from the FBI about an investigation of this kind — much less tried to restrict it.

In an appearance this morning on Bloomberg Television, reporter Jordan Robertson made further claims about the supposed discovery of malicious chips, saying, “In Apple’s case, our understanding is it was a random spot check of some problematic servers that led to this detection.”

As we have previously informed Bloomberg, this is completely untrue. Apple has never found malicious chips in our servers.

Finally, in response to questions we have received from other news organizations since Businessweek published its story, we are not under any kind of gag order or other confidentiality obligations.

SEE ALSO: The company accused of selling Apple and Amazon data servers compromised by Chinese spies is getting crushed — it's lost half of its value today

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NOW WATCH: Everything we know about Samsung’s foldable phone

• Helios and Matheson, the owner of MoviePass, raised $65 million in funding in August and September, the company disclosed on Thursday in a regulatory document.
• But unlike company CEO Ted Farnsworth's assertion, the funding wasn't exactly "new."
• Part of it came from debt agreements the company struck months ago. 
• The other part came from selling shares it had already disclosed that it had issued.

The parent company of MoviePass, it turns out, hasn't exactly raised $65 million in "new" funds.

CEO Ted Farnsworth said Tuesday that Helios and Matheson had garnered new funding last month. But the company made clear Thursday his original statement wasn't completely accurate.

The funds were raised between August and September and came in part from notes it issued months earlier, the company, which acquired MoviePass last year, said in a regulatory document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The rest of the funding came from selling additional shares of stock, something it had already indicated it had done in a regulatory filing last week.

"The company wishes to clarify certain information contained in news reports regarding recent funding received by the company," Helios and Matheson said in the new filing, explaining why it spelled out the source of the new funds.

The MoviePass owner's stock was crushed following the filing, falling 1.5 cents, or 42%, to 2.1 cents a share. The stock had quadrupled to 4 cents a share the previous day on news of the alleged new funding.

MoviePass offers a subscription service that allows users to see movies in theaters on the cheap — until recently, it allowed subscribers to see as many as 30 movies a month for just $10. Because many users saw multiple movies each month, the company has lost hundreds of millions of dollars, forcing it to continually raise new funds — and putting it in danger of bankruptcy.

The company may no longer sell shares on the open market

Some of the $65 million came from money raised under debt agreements it struck in November and January, the company said in the new filing. Those agreements called for the company to issue notes that could be converted into stock in exchange for cash. It didn't immediately take possession of all the cash it was entitled to under either agreement.

The other part of the $65 million came from selling shares in August and September, Helios and Matheson said Thursday. The company disclosed last week that it had more than doubled its share count between August 14 and September 14, although it hadn't said previously what it had done with those new shares.

The company has increased its share count by more than 80,000% since it completed a reverse split of its stock at the end of July, largely by selling its shares on the open market. But that tactic may be coming to an end. Canaccord Genuity, the investment bank that was helping Helios and Matheson sell its shares on the open market, notified the company that it planned to cancel their contract as of October 11, according to the regulatory document.

"As a result of the termination of the [agreement], no further offers or sales of the company’s common stock will be made pursuant to the company’s at-the-market offering," Helios and Matheson said in the filing.

A Canaccord representative did not respond to an email seeking comment.

SEE ALSO: MoviePass' parent company has boosted its share count by an unbelievable 80,000% since July — but it's run out of room to issue new stock

SEE ALSO: Even after massively diluting its stock, MoviePass' parent company could issue billions of more shares, and there's little investors can do about it

SEE ALSO: MoviePass' parent company increased its share count by an incredible 9,000% in less than two weeks — and just after reverse splitting its stock to combat dilution

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NOW WATCH: Apple's entire iPhone XS event in 8 minutes

If a company wants to release a smartphone towards the end of the year, it had better have something special to stand out among the slew of new smartphones that are typically announced in October.

This month we're expecting new devices from OnePlus and Google, two phone makers that consistently put out superb devices that are nearly impossible to beat. If the wise are looking for a new smartphone around this time of year, they would usually wait to see what OnePlus and Google have conjured up.

So, what does the new LG V40 "ThinQ" have that could tempt the end-of-year smartphone buyer?

Five cameras. Three in the rear, and two in the front. Normally, phones have two, maybe three cameras total. 

I hope this revelation doesn't come across as anti-climactic. LG has done a great thing with the cameras in the LG V40, and it's a good reason to strongly consider LG's newest smartphone over those from OnePlus and Google, which aren't likely to have the versatility that the LG V40 has, at least with their cameras. 

Check out the LG V40 "ThinQ" and its five cameras:

SEE ALSO: The latest phone from the most popular smartphone maker you've never heard of is coming soon — here are 8 rumors we've heard about the OnePlus 6T

The LG V40 is a beautiful device

The LG V40 is closer than most Android smartphones in achieving the edge-to-edge screen design of the iPhone X. I'm not applauding LG for getting closer to an iPhone design, but I am applauding it for reducing the noticeable size of the bezels surrounding the display.

And it has one the largest and best displays on any smartphone while staying slim and compact for its screen size

The V40's 6.4-inch display is the same size as the Samsung Galaxy Note 9's, and yet it's a noticeably smaller phone. 

It's also an OLED display like the Galaxy Note 9's, which means the best display experience possible at the moment. You get those total blacks, deep and rich colors, and gorgeous contrast that normal LCD displays can't match. 

The glass back of the blue model I've been using is actually nicer than most glass backs on other phones

The glass back on the LG V40 is somehow smoother than most other glass backs on smartphones. The blue model I've been using has a depth and richness that you'd usually only see on phones with ceramic backs, like the Essential Phone. 

But like all phones with glass backs, the fingerprints will ruin everything. And if you plan on using a case, the back of the phone won't matter to you, anyway.

• Democratic activists have zeroed in on Sen. Susan Collins, the moderate Maine Republican, as their battle to defeat Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh closes in on its final days before a scheduled confirmation vote. 
• A coalition of activists from Collins's home state have so far raised over $1.8 million from over 60,000 donors to fund Collins' 2020 opponent if she votes "yes" on Kavanaugh. 
• The effort targeting the centrist lawmaker could be the Democrats' last hope for a Supreme Court without Kavanaugh. 

Democratic activists have zeroed in on Sen. Susan Collins, the moderate Maine Republican, in their battle to defeat Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, which has reached a fever pitch as lawmakers close in on a final confirmation vote as early as Saturday.

A coalition of activists from Collins's home state have joined together with activist Ady Barkan on the political crowdfunding platform Crowdpac to lead a grassroots fundraising campaign that will support Collins's 2020 opponent if the senator votes to confirm Kavanaugh.

The unusual conditional fundraising effort has been quite successful so far — raising over $1.8 million of its $2 million goal from 64,000 donors as of Thursday. If Collins decides not to support Kavanaugh, donors will keep their money.

"Senator Collins votes NO on Kavanaugh and you will not be charged, and no money will go to fund her future opponent," the campaign platform reads. "Senator Collins votes YES on Kavanaugh and your pledge will go to her opponent's campaign, once that opponent has been identified."

One recent donor wrote on the page, "This vote will define her legacy. I hope she can live with that."

One of the few remaining centrist lawmakers in the GOP, Collins has stayed largely mum on the controversial nominee, who has been accused by three women of sexual misconduct — charges he categorically denies. Even before Kavanaugh's accusers came forward last month, Collins's vote was in question after she announced that she would not vote for the judge if he expressed any "hostility" toward Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion. 

'Anybody who thinks these tactics would work on Senator Collins obviously doesn't know her'

Liz Jaff, president of the Be A Hero PAC, which has teamed up with Maine groups, said the effort has focused most intensely on Collins because the two other moveable GOP senators — Jeff Flake of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — appear more set on their votes, for and against Kavanaugh, respectively. The group also launched a more symbolic "rage campaign" against Sen. Chuck Grassley, 70% of the donors to which have been women.  

While some ethics experts say this novel form of fundraising could violate federal bribery laws, others say that while the practice is unusual and possibly distasteful, it can't be considered bribery because it doesn't involve giving anything to Collins in exchange for her "no" vote.

Collins condemned the effort this week, describing it as an attempt to bribe or "bully" her. 

"Anybody who thinks these tactics would work on Senator Collins obviously doesn't know her," Annie Clark, the senator's spokeswoman, said in a statement. "Senator Collins will make up her mind based on the merits of the nomination. Threats or other attempts to bully her will not play a factor in her decision making whatsoever."

Marie Follayttar, the co-director of Mainers for Accountable Leadership, said it's cynical for Collins to criticize a grassroots campaign when she takes millions of dollars in donations from corporations.

"It's politics at its worst," Follayttar told Business Insider. "I think it's going to be more actions and mobilization tactics like this that will take back the country and build it as a representative democracy that truly works for the people and not for corporate donors."  

Activists think their strategy is working

But activists say Collins's pushback is a sign that their strategy has already been effective. 

"The reason we know it's working is she really hates us," Jaff told Business Insider. "She keeps commenting on it and she keeps getting upset about it." 

The campaign is something of a win-win for Democrats. Even if they're not successful in convincing Collins to vote against Kavanaugh, they will have gathered nearly $2 million and a 60,000-person email list for her 2020 challenger — significant firepower in a state as small as Maine. Jaff added that "countless groups" are ready to flood the state "the day after" a "yes" vote to begin voter registration and an effort to unseat the senator. 

On Wednesday, Collins condemned President Donald Trump's mockery of Christine Blasey Ford, one of the three women who has accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, at a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday night, calling the president's comments "just plain wrong." 

But on Thursday, after reading part of the FBI report on its investigation into the misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh, the senator suggested that she was content with the thoroughness of the probe, which Democrats have roundly decried as being overly limited by the White House. 

"It appears to be a very thorough investigation, but I am going back later today to personally read the interviews," Collins said. "That's really all I have to say right now."

SEE ALSO: Key Republican swing votes are condemning Trump's 'appalling' mocking of Christine Blasey Ford

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• Law enforcement officials said Thursday that they have received a tip about a possible sighting of missing woman Kristin Westra.
• The 47-year-old mom was last seen Sunday night around 8 p.m., when she went to bed with her husband. 
• Her husband, Jay, woke up the next morning and Westra was nowhere to be seen. 

A 47-year-old woman who has been missing from North Yarmouth, Maine since Monday may have been sighted. 

On Thursday, Game Wardens and detectives said they received credible information on Wednesday evening of a possible sighting of Kristin Westra. 

Westra, a mother of two and elementary school teacher, was last seen by her husband, Jay, around 8 p.m. on Sunday night when they both went to bed. When he woke up the next morning, she was missing from their home and left her keys, cellphone, wallet, and car behind. 

"Although we've remained positive throughout the entire investigation, we're extremely positive this morning based on this new information we received last evening," Cumberland County Sheriff Cpt. Scott Stewart said Thursday, according to the Portland Press Herald. "I don't want to get into specifics, but it is credible information and we have resources geared in that direction."

Officials didn't release information on when and where Westra may have been seen. They said receiving the information had been a surprise. 

"Certain pieces of information we want to keep close to the chest," Stewart added.

As the search for Westra entered its third day on Wednesday, her husband spoke to NBC News, revealing that his wife had been dealing with anxiety issues that had made it hard to sleep at night. 

He says he first noticed she was missing from their bed at about 3:30 a.m. on Monday morning, but thought she had simply gone to another room to sleep. He became more troubled when he woke up for the day later that morning and she wasn't in the house. 

Jay, who is a pediatric cancer nurse, said the day before his wife went missing he took her to a licensed nurse practitioner friend of his because she had been dealing with anxiety that day. 

"There was a safety assessment and Kristin was not at risk for any harm to herself or anybody else," he said.

In the interview, he also issued a plea for his wife to come back, for the sake of their young daughter and her teen stepson. 

"Kristin, no matter what, come home," he told News Center Maine. "We've always taken care of everything, we've solved every problem, we're a team, we will be a team, your daughter loves you, your friends love you, your parents love you, your brother and sister-in-law love you, aunts and uncles, everybody wants you back. There's nothing — there's no problem, no embarrassment, no obstacle — that can't be overcome when you come back."

Anyone with information on Kristin's whereabouts is being asked to call the Maine State Police at 207-624-7076 or the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office at 207-893-2310.

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• New YorkComic Con kicked off this week at Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.
• Many people dressed up as their favorite characters from comics, movies, TV shows, and video games. 
• We asked 15 people on the first day of the event how much money they spent on their costumes.
• The cosplayers surveyed spent between $20 and $1,000.

Thousands of people converged on a New York City convention center on Thursday for the first day of New York Comic Con — and many of them donned elaborate costumes that they'd spent months and hundreds of dollars creating.

At Comic Con and similar events, these costumes are commonly called cosplays, a contraction of "costume play."

We asked 15 people about their cosplays — who they were portraying, how they put them together, and how much they cost.

Here's what they told us.

SEE ALSO: One chart shows how much New York Comic Con has exploded in 12 years

DON'T MISS: 7 cosplay costumes that look just like the real character

This group of friends traveled to New York Comic Con from Québec.

Mary Chretien, left, cosplayed as Starfire from DC. She said her costume took about eight hours to make and cost $50. Her shoulder and arm pieces are sporting gear, she said. "I just painted it black and put some bling bling on it," she said.

Tommy Bergeron dressed as a character from the Monster Hunter World video game. He made the leather pieces and bought the rest, spending about $1,000 total.

• Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday saved a young woman from getting hit by a car in Washington, DC. 
• Amy Currotto, 26, said she was in "complete awe" to see Sanders shouting at her to get out of the street. 
• Currotto said the senator was "very, very kind" and even obliged her request for a selfie. 

Amy Currotto was deep in thought as she headed to a guitar lesson on Capitol Hill on Wednesday and wasn't paying attention as she started to cross a busy intersection.

She was walking straight into oncoming traffic when Sen. Bernie Sanders stepped in and saved the day. 

"Sen. Sanders was apparently behind me," Currotto told Business Insider. "He didn't grab me or anything," she said, but started shouting, "Ma'am! Ma'am!" 

As she turned around, Currotto was so shocked to see the panicked screams were emanating from the former presidential candidate that she froze like a deer in headlights.

"I did not immediately get off the street, even though there was a ton of oncoming traffic, because I was in awe to see him," she said. "He tried to continue to bring me onto the sidewalk and was like, 'Ma'am, you've got to get off of the street, you've got to get off of the street!'" 

After a few more seconds of being in "complete awe," Currotto said Sanders successfully got her to come back to safety. 

Once she was back on the sidewalk, Currotto asked the Vermont senator if she could take a selfie with him and he obliged. Sanders was quite "concerned" about her standing in the street and "very, very kind," Currotto said. 

"So, that's a bit of an embarrassing story for me because I was being a complete idiot in the middle of oncoming traffic," Currotto said, laughing. 

After they took the photo, Sanders apparently "bolted" toward the Senate as people took notice that he was in the area and a crowd began to gather.

Currotto, originally from Tampa, Florida, and currently a law student at the University of the District of Columbia, said she's a big fan of Sanders.

She worked as an intern on the Hill in the House of Representatives a few summers ago and was disappointed that she never ran into Sanders during that time. On Wednesday, Currotto finally got her chance to meet him. 

If she hadn't been so surprised to see him and had more time, Currotto said she would've asked him if he's going to run for president again in 2020 given the ongoing speculation on this topic. 

"It was crazy cool that I got to meet him because I've always wanted to. But it happened really, really fast. I wish I could've asked more questions," Currotto said. "I would like to know if he's really thinking about running!" 

Sanders reportedly didn't say anything about what happened to his staffers as he returned to his office on Wednesday, but they eventually found out via social media after Currotto posted the selfie she took and it went viral.

The caption of Currotto's viral Facebook post said, "BERNIE SANDERS I KID YOU NOT STOPPED ME FROM GETTING HIT BY A CAR ON MY WAY TO MY GUITAR LESSON SO WE TOOK A SELFIE TOGETHER. (he is also much taller than me so awkward picture)"

The senator's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident.

SEE ALSO: Amazon is raising its minimum wage to $15 following pressure from Bernie Sanders

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NOW WATCH: Inside the Trump 'MAGA' hat factory

• New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood, in a court filing, opposed President Donald Trump's motion to dismiss the state lawsuit against his charity.
• In August, Trump's attorney sought to quash the lawsuit on the grounds of bias.
• Underwood wrote that Trump's side didn't come anywhere close to the necessary burden to prove bias against him.

New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood in a Thursday court filing opposed President Donald Trump's motion to dismiss the state lawsuit against him, his children, and his charity, the Trump Foundation.

Underwood said in the filing that Trump's "arguments for dismissal are based on misstatements of the Attorney General's claims or are otherwise without merit."

Accused of being biased against the president, Underwood wrote that the lawsuit was filed because of alleged "extensive illegal conduct" the office had discovered, not because of any animosity toward Trump.

In August, Alan Futerfas, an attorney representing Trump, wrote in a motion to dismiss that former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman made it "his stated mission to 'lead the resistance' and attack Mr. Trump whenever possible." He added that the attorney general's office "turned a blind eye to serious and significant allegations of misconduct involving the Clinton Foundation."

Futerfas wrote that the then-attorney general "actively stonewalled" Trump's efforts to dissolve the charity.

Schneiderman opened the investigation into the foundation in 2016. After he resigned in May following allegations he physically abused women, Underwood completed the state's investigation, culminating with the June lawsuit.

Futerfas wrote that Underwood continued to use "inflammatory rhetoric, stating publicly that she considers her battles with the President 'the most important work (she) has ever done' and has vowed that such 'work will continue.'"

In her Thursday filing, Underwood wrote that "there can be no prejudice where the grounds for the relief sought are established by the substantial and incontrovertible evidence submitted in support of the Petition."

Underwood wrote that Futerfas had misquoted her, insisted that she was talking about the job itself and not opposing Trump when she said this was "the most important work (she) has ever done."

"In any case, were the Respondents to have adequately proven bias-a burden they have not come close to meeting-the proper remedy for bias is recusal of the biased person, not dismissal of the action," she added.

The June lawsuit against Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, and the Trump Foundation alleges "a pattern of persistent illegal conduct" for more than a decade.

The lawsuit accused the foundation of engaging in illegal political coordination with Trump's campaign, making multiple self-dealing transactions to benefit Trump and his business interests, and violating legal obligations for such nonprofits in New York.

Underwood is seeking $2.8 million in restitution plus additional penalties, as well as the dissolving of the Trump Foundation under court supervision. The suit seeks to bar Trump from running a New York nonprofit for the next decade while instituting a one-year ban for his three eldest children.

Trump has already paid more than $330,000 in reimbursements and penalty taxes, Underwood said in the suit.

Underwood also sent referral letters to the IRS and the Federal Election Commission identifying possible violations of federal law for the agencies to investigate.

When the lawsuit was first filed, Trump tweeted that Democrats were "doing everything they can to sue me on a foundation that took in $18,800,000 and gave out to charity more money than it took in, $19,200,000."

"I won't settle this case!" he said.

The Trump Foundation also attacked the attorney general's office, accusing it of playing "politics at its very worst." As evidence, the foundation cited the fact the lawsuit was made public on the same day as the release of the Department of Justice inspector general's report on the Hillary Clinton email investigation.

Correction: An earlier version of this story referred to Underwood as the acting attorney general. She is the attorney general.

SEE ALSO: Trump's attorney filed a motion to dismiss the New York lawsuit against his charity, but the attorney general says they're not backing down

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NOW WATCH: Inside the Trump 'MAGA' hat factory

• Some Windows 10 users are reporting that they're losing files, and their battery life is lower, after installing the latest update. 
• Some users claimed to have only lost a few files, but others said they've lost hundreds of gigabytes — and there doesn't seem to be any way to get them back. 
• The update also appears to be causing processors to overexert themselves, causing lower battery life. 
• Microsoft told Business Insider that it's investigating the issues. 

If you value the files saved on your computer, you might not want to update to the latest version of Windows 10 just yet.

Some Windows 10 users who installed the Windows 10 October Update — officially released earlier this week — are reporting a myriad of issues, including deleted files that they can't recover and unnecessary processor use that's eating the battery life, Digital Trends reports. 

A spokesperson for Microsoft tells Business Insider that the company is investigating the claims. It also points out that generally speaking, only advanced users will have installed the update — Windows 10 PCs won’t start prompting people to install the update on their PCs until October 9th, meaning that anybody who already has the update has actively sought it out. 

Affected users quickly noticed that files in their user directory — where folders like Documents and Pictures are found – were missing after the update. Even after reverting the update to the previous version of Windows, the files were still gone. One user on the Microsoft support forum said they lost over 200 GB of files after installing the update. Other forum members reported similar issues. 

The issue with missing or deleted files could be linked to OneDrive, Microsoft's cloud service, according to mspoweruser.com and Twitter user @coolKevinator. 

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NOW WATCH: Apple's entire iPhone XS event in 8 minutes

Friends can often turn into the best partners, whether it's because they share similar interests, can finish each other's sentences, or just enjoy a good belly laugh together.

Establishing a romantic relationship based on mutual admiration and trust can help make it easier to deal with the inevitable challenges you will face. Because when you're in love with your best friend, it makes it a lot easier to deal with their dirty socks on the floor.

Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have also found that the longer people in a relationship take to get to know one another, the more likely they are to find things that are appealing about their partners, other than physical attractiveness.

Below, see 10 famous couples who were friends way before they took their relationship to the next level.

Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett were drama school classmates who fell in love.

Award-winning actors, Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett have been married for over 20 years. But before they embarked on their love story, Vance and Bassett spent years as friends.

The actors met when the two were students at Yale Drama School in the '80s. Things never got romantic at the time because Vance had a girlfriend who Bassett described as "beautiful" in an interview with People magazine earlier this year.

The couple reconnected years later in Hollywood, eventually married in 1997, and are now the parents of twins, 12-year-olds Bronwyn and Slater. In 2007, Vance and Bassett co-wrote the book, "Friends: A Love Story," which follows their relationship through the years.

Former Disney kids Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears found romance in the spotlight.

Before they became a pop music power couple, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake worked together on "The Mickey Mouse Club" from 1993 to 1995. The two developed a friendship as they grew up on screen in front of their fans.  

After the show ended, the friendship developed into a romance and the pair started dating in 1999 before splitting in 2002.

Marcus Mumford and Carey Mulligan started as pen pals.

To say that Marcus Mumford and Carey Mulligan took their time getting into a relationship would be an understatement. The Mumford and Sons front-man and "The Great Gatsby" actress' friendship began in their tweens. The two attended the same Christian summer camp and kept in touch by writing letters.

They lost touch after a while but reconnected as adults at a party in Nashville in 2011. At that point, it didn't take long before their friendship turned into a romance. Mumford and Mulligan tied the knot in 2012 and have two kids together.

• Millennials are embracing socialism and have a particularly negative view of President Donald Trump, according to findings from a new BuzzFeed News and Maru/Blue poll.
• The poll indicates nearly half of all American millennial Democrats (48%) identify as democratic socialists or socialists. 
• Additionally, the poll indicates a majority of millennials disapprove of the job Trump is doing as president. 

Millennials are embracing socialism and have a particularly negative view of President Donald Trump, according to a new BuzzFeed News and Maru/Blue poll.

Roughly one out of three millennials (31%) say they are a democratic socialist, a socialist, or would identify as either, the poll showed.

Meanwhile, the poll found nearly half of all millennial Democrats (48%) identify as democratic socialists or socialists. 

The new poll, which ran from September 21 to 24 and questioned people between the ages of 22 to 37, also found millennial men are more likely to identify as democratic socialists or socialists. Overall, 39% of men identified in this way compared to 22% of women. 

Additionally, the poll indicated 28% of millennials would actually be more likely to vote for a candidate running for political office if they were referred to as a "socialist," while 27% said they would be less likely. And 22% of millennials said it would make no difference to them if a candidate was a socialist. 

At the height of the Cold War, it would've been unimaginable for so many young American voters to indentify as socialists or support candidates who indentify in this way, but things have clearly shifted since the fall of the Soviet Union. 

According to the new poll, Trump is also quite unpopular among millennials.

Overall, 52% of those surveyed disapprove of the job Trump is doing as president, compared to 34% who approve, the poll found. 

What's more, the poll indicates 60% of millennials would support an effort to impeach Trump.

SEE ALSO: Here's the difference between a 'socialist' and a 'Democratic socialist'

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NOW WATCH: Inside the Trump 'MAGA' hat factory

• Amy Schumer attended the #StopKavanaugh protest in Washington, DC, on Thursday. 
• A Daily Caller journalist posted a video on Twitter, which shows Schumer being asked if she wanted to get arrested — to which the comedian responded, "Yes."
• Other journalists have since reported that Schumer has been detained or arrested, though the accuracy of these reports is unclear.

Amy Schumer was confronted by a cop as she attended the #StopKavanaugh protest in Washington, DC, on Thursday. 

Benny Johnson, who writes for the conservative website Daily Caller, posted a video on Twitter of a police officer approaching the comedian as she stood in a group of women. The cop asked if Schumer wanted to get arrested, to which she simply responded, "Yes."

Another Twitter user posted a video of Schumer that was apparently sent by the user's mother, who is also protesting in the Hart Senate Office Building.

"Hi Zola. I'm here with your mom, she loves you very much — I think we're gonna get arrested," Schumer says in the video.

Later, Washington Post reporter Marissa Lang wrote on Twitter that Schumer was, in fact, arrested.

Fifteen minutes later, MSNBC reported that Schumer is being "detained with other anti-Kavanaugh protesters," though it's unclear what that means legally.

Earlier, Schumer — along with friend and "I Feel Pretty" co-star Emily Ratajkowski — joined Senator Kirsten Gillibrand onstage outside the Supreme Court to protest the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

"Let's keep showing up," Schumer told the crowd.

The demonstration was organized to protest President Donald Trump's most recent Supreme Court nominee. Brett Kavanaugh was accused of sexual assault or harassment by three different women, most notably Christine Blasey Ford, who testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

Representatives for Schumer didn't immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment.

If you are a victim of sexual assault, you can visit RAINN or call its hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to receive confidential support from a trained staff member.

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• Bloomberg reported Thursday that Chinese officials were able to slip malicious microchips onto motherboards used by the US government and American tech giants, including Apple and Amazon.
• While the companies strongly denied the report, lawmakers in both the House and Senate said that they were looking closely into the allegations.
• Lawmakers also told Business Insider that the report is another example of China's sustained campaign to infiltrate the US and steal industrial and political secrets.

The Chinese government's reported attempts to target major tech companies with malicious hardware drew a sharp rebuke from lawmakers in Washington who said it was the latest example of China's aggression towards the US.

A Bloomberg Businessweek report Thursday alleged that Chinese government officials were able to slip tiny microchips into hardware from Supermicro, a major motherboard supplier, which could then swipe information from affected data centers. According to the report, the tainted Supermicro motherboards were used by the US government and tech giants like Amazon and Apple.

While the companies strongly denied the report, lawmakers said it was another example of China's sustained efforts to gain access to the US's security and technological secrets.

Rep. Adam Schiff, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told Business Insider that the report was "deeply disturbing."

"The report that China sought to infiltrate the computer chip supply chain, if true, is deeply disturbing and the latest example of the lengths that Beijing will go to in order to steal America's official and commercial secrets," Schiff said in a statement. "For many years, the House Intelligence Committee has been deeply concerned about the potential for Chinese intrusion into our supply chain and has been looking at the problem as part of the Committee's ongoing ‘deep dive’ into China."

Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, echoed the sentiment in a statement to Business Insider.

"This report provides more evidence that China’s pattern of behavior is a serious threat to national security and supply chain risk management," Warner said.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been critical of Chinese technology. Earlier in the year, members criticized the Trump administration's deal to ease sanctions imposed on Chinese phone maker ZTE. The company was hit with crippling sanctions after the US determined it did business in Iran and North Korea, a direct violation of US sanctions on those countries.

The Pentagon also banned the sale of ZTE and fellow Chinese phone maker Huawei's devices on military bases, due to concerns that information on their devices could be accessed by Beijing. Likewise, the Democratic National Committee warned candidates running for office in November's midterms not to use ZTE phones on the trail.

While attempts to strengthen sanctions on ZTE in Congress came up short, a handful of bipartisan senators introduced a bill to ensure the company will be whacked with harsh penalties if it violates the terms of the Trump administration's probation.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, one of the cosponsors of the new ZTE bill, said that the report showed that the US should focus on producing more high-tech products in the US rather than relying on Chinese manufacturers.

"China’s repeated attempts to compromise our national security and damage our economy by stealing intellectual property and corrupting the technology supply chain must stop," Warren said. "We should be taking aggressive steps to make this kind of critical hardware here in the United States, rather than importing it from foreign competitors like China."

A spokesperson for Sen. Marco Rubio, another cosponsor of the ZTE bill and a particularly vocal critic of China, told Business Insider that while the senator is still reviewing Bloomberg's story, Rubio is very worried about the Chinese efforts to confront the US.

"Marco has long warned that China is manipulating its entire society, including the Chinese technology sector, in an aggressive and long-term effort to harm our national security and economy," the spokesperson said.

SEE ALSO: Legal experts say the IRS could use the New York Times bombshell report to go after Trump, but it wouldn't be easy

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• Debra Messing opened up about her diet and the positive effects she's noticed on her body since choosing to be more health-conscious.
• "When I turned 40, I just really took a moment to step back and I was teaching my son about making healthy choices, and I thought, 'Well, I can't say that to him if I'm not doing that myself,'" Messing who's promoting her partnership with Colgate Optic White, told INSIDER. 
• The "Will & Grace" star added that after removing sugar, coffee, alcohol, and fried foods from her diet, she felt "so much better."
• "I'm an actress and there is a certain expectation about looking a certain way," Messing told us. "I'm not a gym rat, I'm a single mom. So for me to be able to make choices like that and for it to do half of the work for me, then I figure it's smart."

Debra Messing makes conscious choices to keep her body healthy — and it's something that she prioritized since becoming a parent. 

"When I turned 40, I just really took a moment to step back and I was teaching my son about making healthy choices, and I thought, 'Well, I can't say that to him if I'm not doing that myself,'" Messing told INSIDER while promoting her partnership with Colgate Optic White. The actress previously welcomed son Roman with ex-husband Daniel Zelman in April 2004.

The "Will & Grace" star explained that she cut out sugar, coffee, alcohol, fried foods, gluten, and dairy, which led to positive effects. 

"It was a big, big overhaul of my diet, and I feel so much better," Messing told us. "I have so much more energy and my skin is better, my hair is better, and I just feel like my body heals more quickly. There is a direct correlation between making healthy choices and feeling and looking better."

The 50-year-old added that she doesn't spend a lot of time in the gym, but finds other ways to uphold a healthy physical appearance.

"Let's face it, I'm an actress and there is a certain expectation about looking a certain way," she said. "I'm not a gym rat, I'm a single mom. So for me to be able to make choices like that and for it to do half of the work for me, then I figure it's smart."

Messing went on to say that she often drinks tea and makes smoothies that contain ingredients that lead to stained teeth, which is why she reaches for products like Colgate Optic White.

"It really is a very organic partnership because I've been using Colgate Optic White for years," the actress said. 

Messing added: "I feel like the whiter your teeth, the brighter your face looks. I think it's just nicer on your skin and I have found that Colgate Optic White just helps me maintain a white smile."

"At this point, I'm a single mom, I work full time," Messing continued. "I don't have time for things that don't work. I know it works. It's the only thing on the market that has hydrogen peroxide in it, which gets deeper into the tooth."

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• Heath has been missing from "The Walking Dead" since season six.
• Actor Corey Hawkins became a big actor in Hollywood with roles on both a "24" spin-off and a starring role in 2015's critically acclaimed "Straight Outta Compton."
• At New York Comic Con, "The Walking Dead" creator Robert Kirkman addressed Heath's absence and said he hopes he'll be back.
• "It's just a matter of making sure that everything can line up because it is somewhat complicated," said Kirkman.

While Rick has been building a new world on AMC's "The Walking Dead" with his group of survivors, there's one character who has been missing from the show since season six: Heath. 

"The Walking Dead" creator Robert Kirkman hopes that will change at some point on the show.

"Yeah, Corey Hawkins' star is on the rise. He's a fantastic actor. He ended up on that '24' show. He's been busy," Kirkman said at New York Comic Con Thursday in response to a fan asking whether or not we'll learn what happened to Heath's character on the show. "We are hoping to get him back and tell his story. There are definitely plans in place there. It's just a matter of making sure that everything can line up because it is somewhat complicated."

And if they can't get Hawkins back?

Kirkman joked they have a backup plan. 

"We will eventually show his skeleton or something if we have to," Kirkman said to laughter. "I'm just kidding! I'm just kidding!"

The last time fans saw Heath alive and well was on season six, episode seven of the AMC zombie drama. He was separated from Tara while on a supply run and hasn't been heard from since. His absence was oddly never addressed by any living character — not even the one who was last seen with him on the show. 

Since then, the show seemingly turned a blind eye to the character who has a big role in the comic as it was never revealed what became of his character. Did he join another community? Is he among the people flying the mysterious characters? It's all unclear. 

Read more: "The Walking Dead" has quietly sidelined one of the comic's big characters and no one seems to care.

Executive producer and series director Greg Nicotero recently told INSIDER he hopes to see Hawkins back on the show one day, too. He's currently working on the latter half of season nine in Atlanta, Georgia so the possibility is there.  

"I love Corey. I think he's a great actor, and I think the show would do a lot to be able to see and work with him again," Nicotero told INSIDER. "We're still in it, so who knows?"

Hawkins has spoken about a potential return to the AMC show in the past. In 2017, he sounded positive about possibly coming back one day.

"I will just say there is always a possibility, there is always a way,"Hawkins told Collider.

You can follow along with our "Walking Dead" coverage all season long here. Sign up for our "The Walking Dead" newsletter, which will be sent every Monday morning throughout season nine here.

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Succeeding at school can be tough, but it turns out there can be some tell-tale signs that certain students have a knack for school work. 

Some teachers took to Reddit to share how exactly they knew when kids in their class were particularly talented at academics. 

From instant knowledge of foreign languages to burning interests in school topics, they share the ways that they were able to spot their star pupils. Of course, INSIDER cannot independently authenticate these stories, so it's just for fun.  

"Bright students? They actually figure out what you're talking about and can explain it in their own words. But this girl? She not only understood, but then applied it to other areas."

"I taught a girl who was an absolute genius. She hated it when I or other people called her that because she didn't think she was.

"The main thing that set her apart was her ability to understand a concept as well as the significance that concept had to other areas based on me explaining something orally once. Most students wouldn't realize that class had started yet by the time she already figured out my lesson.

"See, most students, after several attempts at me explaining something, will just memorize my explanation word-for-word and regurgitate that on the test because they still don't understand what on earth you're talking about. Bright students? They actually figure out what you're talking about and can explain it in their own words. But this girl? She not only understood but then applied it to other areas. That's why she was brilliant." - Reddit user CanadianFalcon

"As for what 'makes them so smart,' I would say that their lucky genetics plus an internal motivation to learn is what made them so smart."

"I would estimate that I have taught about five such individuals.

"What these kids all have in common is that everything came naturally to them almost like it was intuition. Tons of smart kids will get bored and actually do poorly in class (they don’t do their 'easy' class work). But usually, the genius kids have a thirst for knowledge. They are inquisitive and motivated to find answers.

"As for what 'makes them so smart,' I would say that their lucky genetics plus an internal motivation to learn is what made them so smart.

"I will end by saying that I think anyone can be 'smart' with enough hard work. Depending on your genetics, your environment, and your determination it may take a little bit of work or a whole bunch of work." - Reddit user Aoxoa

"He didn't real self study. He just knew the subject."

"I think 'M' might be the brightest I've ever had and quite possibly a genius. He took several AP tests without having taken the class and scored 5's. He didn’t really self-study them either. He just knew the subject. The AP Physics C teacher wasn’t happy about it." - Reddit user j_freakin_d

• Amarin and Geron are two of the most popular stocks on the free stock-trading app Robinhood. 
• One stock has quadrupled in value in recent weeks while the other has seen its shares crash. In both cases, millennial investors appear to be hoping more gains are in store. 
• Follow Amarin and Geron in real time here. 

Every week, Business Insider analyzes what investors on the free stock-trading app Robinhood are buying and selling with the hopes of finding something out of the ordinary.

Usually any changes in the app's Top-100 list are reflective of broader market movements — like the recent rally in weed stocks or chasing Nike’s gains after it premiered an ad starring the controversial football player Colin Kaepernick. But this week, two relatively obscure biotech names popped up on the list: Amarin and Geron.

In the case of Amarin, shares of the biopharmaceutical company have quadrupled since its drug made from purified fish oil showed breakthrough results in a clinical trial on September 24. Not only did it reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other catastrophic cardiovascular events by 25% in high-risk patients, it did so without side effects and is relatively cheap to produce.

Amarin first popped up on Robinhood’s Top-100 list last week, with 11,000 of its users holding shares. It has continued to rise in popularity, with more than 17,000 users currently holding the stock. It’s now the 75th most popular.

Geron, on the other hand, wasn’t quite the easy money many of Robinhood’s users may have been hoping for. The stock has cratered nearly 75% in the past week after consumer giant Johnson & Johnson announced it would end a collaboration with the company for its drug Imsetelstat, which is used to treat blood and bone marrow disorders

Still, Robinhood users appear to be hoping there's an upside following the crash. Geron now owns all of the rights for the drug, but won't receive more capital from Johnson & Johnson. Robinhood investors seem to be holding out hope that the drug will be approved. Of course, Geron will likely need the salesforce and expertise of a partner like Johnson & Johnson in order to actually make a profit from selling it.

Before the massive rout, Geron saw an impressive 250% rise in its stock price. That climb helped it amass more than 30,000 investors on Robinhood, making it the 48th most-popular stock on the app.

Now read:

• 'I pray it blows up' — billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller unloads on the unstoppable machines disrupting markets and explains how they've kept him from dominating
• A $150 billion investment chief lays out his 4-part recession checklist — and warns we're approaching dangerous territory

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• A US federal judge has demanded Elon Musk and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) justify their settlement over the Tesla privatisation fiasco.
• Judge Alison Nathan said the court needs to see justification that the settlement is "fair and reasonable."
• Musk and the SEC have been given a week to submit a joint letter to explain why the deal should be cleared.

Elon Musk's settlement with the SEC is not finalised yet.

US District Court Judge Alison Nathan asked on Thursday that both Musk and the SEC supply justification for the settlement reached over the Tesla privatisation fiasco.

Musk did a deal with the SEC on September 29, consisting of a $20 million fine and a ban precluding him from acting as chairman of Tesla for at least three years.

But Judge Nathan said the court needs to see evidence that the deal is "fair and reasonable, with the additional requirement that the public interest not be disserved,"CNBC reports.

Judge Nathan asked that Musk and the SEC submit a joint letter explaining why she should approve the settlement — and set a one-week time limit.

A former federal prosecutor told CNBC that while the request is unusual, it is not unheard of. "It's odd given the nature of this settlement. If there is a class action, it's common. But just for SEC enforcement action, particularly with a big fine, it's unusual," Jay Hulings said.

On the same day, Musk mocked the SEC on Twitter, calling it the "Shortseller Enrichment Commission."

SEE ALSO: A phone call from Mark Cuban convinced Elon Musk to make a deal with the SEC

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