--- title: "While you were sleeping: 8 December 2017" description: "School shooting kills two in New Mexico, Senator Franken quits over allegations, and Bitcoin's rise continues unabated." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "South Africa" author: "John Stupart" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/johnstupart/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-12-08-while-you-were-sleeping-8-december-2017/" published: "2017-12-08T05:51:27" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 804 --- # While you were sleeping: 8 December 2017 > School shooting kills two in New Mexico, Senator Franken quits over allegations, and Bitcoin's rise continues unabated. By John Stupart · Published 8 December 2017, 07:51 SAST ## Content **TGIF, 8 December 2017** *“Three o'clock is always too late or too early for anything you want to do.”* **Jean-Paul Sartre** ![Image](https://i2.createsend1.com/ei/d/13/32D/E16/csimport/849x493q70Pauli-Part-3-Makwakwa-bank-statem.050553.jpg) STORY OF THE DAY [Scorpio: The Makwakwa Dossier, Part 3 – Why SARS No 2’s erratic spending pattern raised red flags with Financial Intelligence](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-p/) By PAULI VAN WYK for SCORPIO Jonas Makwakwa – in charge of SARS’ key revenue generating units – seemingly struggles to manage his own finances. We know this because Scorpio has seen the financial statements of Makwakwa’s primary bank account for the years 2014 to 2016. His expenses often outweighed his income – in three months Makwakwa spent about three times more than the salary he gets from SARS, our analysis of his financials show. Reporting a series of suspicious deposits into this account in 2017, the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) found that Makwakwa had grown a dependency on possibly illegal payments to maintain his lifestyle. In Part Three, Scorpio reveals that the FIC had good reason to be worried. WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING [Two killed in school shooting](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-x/) A gunman in New Mexico has been killed after a shooting spree at a high school. The shooting occurred at Aztec High School, with police withholding the attacker's identity for now. Coming just a day after Republicans rammed through relaxed concealed gun control measures, the local community, at least, will have some questions. [Bitcoin's meteoric rise continues](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-m/) If someone had told you on Monday Bitcoin would be smashing past $17,000 with no signs of slowing down, you would have told them to check the meds. And yet, the cryptocurrency has continued its rise, showing ridiculous growth even by its own standards. As much as the traditional investor community considers it a bubble, they appear to be propping up its ongoing rise by buying up BTC as much as possible. [Al Franken quits Senate](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-c/) US Senator Al Franken announced on Thursday that he would be resigning. Franken has been accused of multiple accounts of sexual misconduct. The Democrat insisted he was a "champion" of women. On his way out Franken made a parting shot at Trump, saying: "I, of all people, am aware that there is some irony in the fact I am leaving while a man who bragged on tape about his history of the sexual assault sits in the Oval Office." [GE announces major job cuts](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-q/) Industrial heavyweight General Electric will be shedding 12,000 jobs in its power unit. The announcement was part of a turnaround plan for the US, with the majority of the job cuts affecting its non-American staff. European labour union representatives are furious, calling the decision a short-term money grab by GE's shareholders. — IN NUMBERS $25,000 The figure William Shatner sold his kidney stone for. He used the money to fund a house construction by Habitat for Humanity. FACTS OF THE DAY **Today in 1941****US President Franklin D Roosevelt** declares war on Japan following the Pearl Harbour attack. His "day of infamy" speech still reverberates today. **A charity-run experiment**showed that people were more likely to donate to a sick dog than a sick child. ![Image](https://i5.createsend1.com/ei/d/13/32D/E16/csimport/GleakswN24.190025.jpg) FEATURED ARTICLES ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70thamm-osullivan-sue.jpg) [Paul O’Sullivan vs The State: Forensic investigator demands R199-million for unlawful arrest](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-e/) BY MARIANNE THAMM ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70burger-vanessa-glebelands.jpg) [Op-Ed: The Glebelands killing fields: Dead – 100, Convicted – 1. And no end in sight for hostel violence](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-g/) BY VANESSA BURGER ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70greg-esidimeni-barney-wrong.jpg) [Life Esidimeni: Dr Selebano and the system of death](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-yd/) BY GREG NICOLSON ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70andre-naspers-op-ed.jpg) [Op-Ed: A personal glimpse at how MultiChoice cuts, amends and abandons deals](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-yk/) BY ANDRÉ-PIERRE DU PLESSIS ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70DM-thegathering-feinstein-6.jpg) [The Gathering (Video, Session 6): Andrew Feinstein unravels the web of global corruption](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-jl/) BY DAILY MAVERICK ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70shenilla-jerusalem.jpg) [Op-Ed: Recognition of Jerusalem by the US is reckless and must be sanctioned](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-jy/) BY SHENILLA MOHAMED ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70peter-fab-icc-react.jpg) [‘SA should not withdraw from ICC, needs to project itself as a leader in anti-impunity efforts’ – NGOs](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-jt/) BY PETER FABRICIUS ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Brooks-TrumpDump.jpg) [US: 12/06/2017 – The day Jerusalem gained a US embassy, and Donald Trump threw away US leverage](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-jd/) BY J BROOKS SPECTOR ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70reiersgord-zimbabwe-lessons.jpg) [Op-Ed: Zimbabwe offers South Africa a lesson on change and outcomes](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-jk/) BY DAVID REIERSGORD ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70muller-magnisevens.jpg) [Magnificent Sevens: Seven talking points before the Cape Town Sevens](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-tl/) BY ANTOINETTE MULLER OPINIONISTAS ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q70Siya-Khumalo.jpg) [Why I believe Nomvula Mokonyane](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-ty/) A column by SIYA KHUMALO ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q707fc6b61188b1c5c5e41f8b57f7356f0c.jpg) [The Other News Round-Up: Can we have a word?](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-tt/) A column by MARELISE VAN DER MERWE ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q70Meokgo-Matuba.jpg) [Know your rights – use the law to save a life](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ukkhdjk-l-td/) A column by MEOKGO MATUBA — **Weather** BFN: min: 14° max 28°, rainy CPT: min: 16° max: 28°, sunny DBN: min: 17° max: 24°, cloudy EL: min: 16° max: 28°, cloudy JHB: min: 10° max: 21°, rainy KIM: min: 17° max: 31°, cloudy MHK: min: 14° max: 26°, rainy PMB: min: 13° max: 26°, cloudy PE: min: 16° max: 31°, cloudy PTA: min: 12° max: 24°, cloudy **Financial Data** Oil=$62.11 Gold=$1,245.35 Platinum=$893.68 R/$=13.73 R/€=16.17 R/£=18.48 BTC/$=17,301 JSE All Share=58,013.18 DJIA=24,195.73 FTSE 100=7,320.75