Spy this: CIA is now on Instagram

April 26 (UPI) – After holding out for years, one of the United States' top spy agencies is finally on Instagram. The Central Intelligence Agency launched an account Thursday and immediately attracted tens of thousands of followers. The agency now has a presence on every major social media platform. "Joining Instagram is another way we're sharing CIA's stories and recruiting talented Americans to serve here," CIA press secretary Timothy Barrett told ABC News.

So far, the account has made only one post. "I spy with my little eye …" it said. The photo contains symbolic CIA objects on a desk, including a clock set for 8:46 a.m. – the time the first plane flew into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. A badge of CIA director Gina Haspel reads "09-19-47," which is the CIA's founding date.

"Through the account, we'll give a peek into agency life, but we can't promise any selfies from secret locations," Barrett said. "We're looking to spark the curiosity of Instagram's users about the many ways CIA's global mission has us going where others cannot go and doing what others cannot do."

During a speech at Auburn University last week, Haspel gave a subtle clue about the agency's Instagram launch. The CIA has amassed more than 870,000 followers on Facebook and 2.6 million on Twitter since they launched in 2014.

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2019/04/26/Spy-this-CIA-is-now-on-Instagram/2601556284193/

DOJ opens criminal probe into Ford's emissions process

The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into whether Ford violated the U.S. emissions certification process, the latest in a string of carmakers attempting to skirt pollution tests. Ford is conducting an internal investigation of its own to determine whether its vehicles get worse gas mileage and emit more pollutants than what's advertised on the sticker at dealerships.

In an SEC filing, Ford said it can't predict the outcome of the investigation and "cannot provide assurance that it will not have a material effect on us." "We voluntarily disclosed this matter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board on Feb. 18, 2019, and Feb. 21, 2019, respectively," Ford said in a statement.

The tests were related to road load estimations, analytical modeling and coastdown testing for fuel economy. The matter was initially raised by a whistle blower inside Ford in September. Ford first announced the internal investigation in February. This would be different than the emissions violations committed by Volkswagen, which had devices specifically designed to cheat on diesel emissions tests by providing false data. Volkswagen paid $14.7 billion in civil penalties and $3 billion in criminal fines to settle its cheating scandal with EPA. Some VW executives faced criminal charges in Germany. Fiat Chrysler agreed to pay $800 million in fines and compensation to owners of diesel trucks and jeeps to settle allegations that it installed software on vehicles to cheat emission tests.

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2019/04/26/DOJ-opens-criminal-probe-into-Fords-emissions-process/1901556283448/