Midday Roundup: FBI hints at hefty bill for iPhone hack

Entry fee. The FBI paid at least $1.3 million to contract hackers for breaking into the iPhone of San Bernardino terrorist Syed Farook, based on a statement made by director James Comey on Thursday. When asked at an event in London how much the FBI paid for the hack, Comey responded, “A lot. More than I will make in the remainder of this job, which is seven years and four months for sure.” Reuters made the $1.3 million estimate based on Comey’s 2015 salary. The FBI had asked a federal judge to order Apple to help it access data on the iPhone, but a third party was able to hack into it before the court battle was resolved. Comey did not say what kind of information the FBI got from the phone, adding, “but it was, in my view, worth it.” The FBI says it can use the software written by the hacker to access data on similar iPhones.

Tax evasion. The U.S. Justice Department is launching a criminal investigation into the so-called Panama Papers, the documents leaked from a Panamanian law firm that revealed secret offshore bank accounts of thousands of wealthy individuals and government officials worldwide. British Prime Minister David Cameron and Russian President Vladimir Putin are among the high-profile leaders linked to the documents. No American officials were caught up in the scandal, so it’s unclear what the Justice Department will investigate. Using offshore accounts to avoid taxes is not necessarily illegal. The journalists who reported the information have said they do not plan to cooperate with the investigation.

McProfits. McDonald’s had a better-than-normal first quarter in sales, a sign some say signals a turnaround for the fast-food chain. Offering all-day breakfast and exchanging the dollar menu for McPick 2, where customers pick two items for $2, have helped bolster same-store sales by 5.4 percent, the company reported. Earnings and sales have both increased, as has the price of McDonald’s stock. Overall, the U.S. fast-food market has slumped in recent years as customers reined in spending on eating out and showed a preference for fresher food.

Unusual prowler. Police in a Houston suburb caught a tiger wandering the streets yesterday in a bizarre after-effect of recent severe flooding in the region. The tiger belonged to an animal sanctuary that was forced to evacuate. A family in Conroe, Texas, agreed to take in the tiger temporarily, but it escaped. It had a collar and a leash on when officials got to it. “I’m thinking it’s going to be a normal house cat. And I get out there and it’s a tiger,” Mindi Mayfield with Conroe Animal Control told CNN. The tiger didn’t hurt anyone, and it’s now being held at the local animal shelter.

WORLD Radio’s Jim Henry contributed to this report.