Politics

What Pizzagate has in common with every conspiracy theory

by @russellbrandom Dec 6, 2016, 10:03am EST

On Sunday afternoon, a man named Edgar Welch walked into the Comet Ping Pong pizzeria with an AR-15 rifle, firing at least one shot and surrendering only when he was satisfied that no children were being held captive on the premises. It was the...

The Green Party has dropped a lawsuit to force a recount in Pennsylvania

by @AndrewLiptak Dec 3, 2016, 8:41pm EST

After raising almost $7 million to fund a recount in three principle battleground states, Green Party-backed voters have dropped a court case that would have forced a state-wide recount in Pennsylvania, citing their inability to pay a...

Donald Trump is skipping intelligence briefings but has time to block people on Twitter

by @Megan_Nicolett Dec 2, 2016, 6:08pm EST

Donald Trump, a man who has tweeted more than 34,000 times, loves making time for Twitter — despite any other obligations he now has as the president-elect. But he's not a fan of everyone he meets on Twitter. As Mashable reported earlier today, it...

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The Hamilton Mixtape is here — your weekend will be fine

by Kaitlyn Tiffany Dec 2, 2016, 10:33am EST

Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony, Grammy, and Pulitzer Prize-winning hip-hop musical about the founding fathers, has a spinoff. So, don’t worry. Your weekend will be okay. The Hamilton Mixtape, released today, includes covers by some of the...

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The White House’s new app builds 1600 Pennsylvania Ave on a real $1 bill

by @thedextriarchy Dec 1, 2016, 8:06am EST

The White House wants kids to learn about the government with a tiny interactive version of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue built on a $1 bill. 1600, an iOS and Android app available today, is the White House’s first foray into augmented reality...

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Will net neutrality survive Donald Trump?

by @russellbrandom Nov 30, 2016, 1:10pm EST

When FCC chairman Tom Wheeler passed the Open Internet Order in February of 2015, it was the culmination of decades of work. After countless advocacy campaigns and legal fights, the order classified internet providers as common carriers — falling...

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Maybe South Park can make America okay again

by @Trixxy Nov 30, 2016, 7:30am EST

South Park's season 20 has been railing against this very likable brand of JJ-Abrams nostalgia for seven episodes already, as the show's creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone try making sense of present-day America. It all started in season 19 when...

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Mark Zuckerberg's posts about fake news and the US election briefly disappeared Tuesday

by Chris Welch Nov 29, 2016, 11:58am EST

Two posts on Facebook’s role in news are no longer visible on his timeline.

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Trump picks Elaine Chao, former labor secretary, to lead Department of Transportation

by @jlgolson Nov 29, 2016, 11:45am EST

President-elect Trump has selected Elaine Chao as secretary of transportation, according to media reports. Chao is an experienced pick, having prior experience as secretary of labor under President George W. Bush for all eight years of his term...

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Backlash against voting audits makes elections less secure

by @russellbrandom Nov 28, 2016, 11:05am EST

Almost three weeks after Election Day, Wisconsin is getting ready to recount its votes, and Pennsylvania and Michigan may soon follow suit. Green Party candidate Jill Stein has raised over $6 million to fund the effort, saying fears of a hacked...

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Trump is turning Twitter into a state disinformation machine

by T.C. Sottek Nov 27, 2016, 4:55pm EST

Donald Trump used Twitter to make outrageous claims throughout his 2016 presidential campaign, and he’s still making them after winning the presidency. If he keeps it up as president, he will turn Twitter into a state-media machine capable of...

The Clinton campaign will participate in the Wisconsin election recount

by @AndrewLiptak Nov 26, 2016, 1:52pm EST

Now that Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein has received over $5 million to fund a recount in Wisconsin, and other battleground states, an official from the Clinton campaign has announced that they would be assisting with the recount...

Wisconsin is preparing to recount election votes after receiving petition from Jill Stein

by @lorengrush Nov 25, 2016, 5:32pm EST

True to her word, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein filed for an election recount in the state of Wisconsin this afternoon, just 90 minutes before the deadline to file, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission. The move comes...

Russian propaganda campaign reportedly helped spread fake US election news

by Lizzie Plaugic Nov 25, 2016, 9:27am EST

A Russian propaganda apparatus was successful in spreading fake or false news stories during the recent US election, Washington Post reports. The findings come from a new, unpublished report provided to the Post that found more than 200 websites...

Germany is worried about fake news and bots ahead of election

by @amartoo Nov 25, 2016, 5:26am EST

Angela Merkel this week warned that fake news and bots may influence Germany’s national elections next year, days after she announced plans to seek a fourth term as the country’s chancellor. In a speech to parliament on Wednesday, Merkel said that...

Advertising company AppNexus bans Breitbart News over hate speech

by @nickstatt Nov 22, 2016, 5:47pm EST

AppNexus, a leading advertising technology company, says it has banned the conservative website Breitbart News from using its ad tools, according to a report from Bloomberg. The reason, according to a company spokesperson, is Breitbart’s violation...

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Did Trump just change his mind on climate change? Who knows

by @lorengrush Nov 22, 2016, 2:36pm EST

President-elect Donald Trump seemed to reverse his feelings about climate change this afternoon during a sit-down meeting with journalists of the New York Times, admitting he thinks there may be a link between humans and warming temperatures. He...

Obama says he can't pardon Snowden, even though he could

by @amartoo Nov 21, 2016, 6:22am EST

President Barack Obama suggested in an interview last week that he won't pardon Edward Snowden because the former NSA contractor "hasn't gone before a court," though Snowden's advocates have disputed his reasoning, pointing to historical...

Mark Zuckerberg outlines how Facebook will tackle its fake news problem

by @AndrewLiptak Nov 19, 2016, 12:15pm EST

The weeks since the 2016 presidential election has put Facebook under the spotlight for its role in the circulation of fake news articles, which included President Barack Obama weighing in during a press conference earlier this week. While CEO...

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Trump demands an apology from the cast of Hamilton after they ask Mike Pence to be more inclusive

by @AndrewLiptak Nov 19, 2016, 9:58am EST

The broadway hit Hamilton has been a magnet for celebrities, and last night, Vice President-elect Mike Pence was the latest to attend. At curtain call, the show’s cast and crew delivered a message to him before a packed house. Aaron Burr actor...

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Want to become politically active? Love to swear? This site can help!

by Kaitlyn Tiffany Nov 18, 2016, 4:23pm EST

If you’re finding yourself with idle hands and a heavy heart today, Clara Beyer’s new website “HOLY FUCK THE ELECTION” may be of some help. You have two choices when you arrive at holyfucktheelection.com. The first is to say that you’re not okay...

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What’s next for Pantsuit Nation, the pro-Clinton Facebook group with over 3 million members?

by Kaitlyn Tiffany Nov 18, 2016, 1:22pm EST

In Hillary Clinton’s concession speech last Wednesday, she thanked supporters, activists, community leaders — and called upon the members of secret Facebook groups to speak out. “I want everybody coming out from behind that,” she said. “And make...

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Trump’s attorney general pick could restart the encryption fight

by @russellbrandom Nov 18, 2016, 1:05pm EST

After weeks of speculation, President-elect Donald Trump today named Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) as his choice for attorney general. The choice has already alarmed Trump critics for a number of reasons — particularly his role in drafting Trump’s...

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Kanye West: America is a racist country and I would have voted Trump

by @jjvincent Nov 18, 2016, 5:53am EST

At a concert in San Jose during his Saint Pablo tour, Kanye West opened up about the 2016 election in typical style. According to videos and tweets from the night, West told fans —in no particular order — that if he'd voted he would have voted for...

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C-SPAN is live-streaming Trump Tower’s golden elevators

by Kaitlyn Tiffany Nov 17, 2016, 12:27pm EST

C-SPAN’s website is currently streaming a live feed of the lobby of Manhattan’s Trump Tower. According to C-SPAN, the feed has been live since 8AM EST. A representative from C-SPAN that we spoke to, as well as the C-SPAN website, indicated that...

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Trump’s chief strategist Steve Bannon suggests having too many Asian tech CEOs undermines ‘civic society’

by @ashleyrcarman Nov 16, 2016, 3:49pm EST

President-elect Donald Trump’s chief strategist seems to think there are too many immigrants leading Silicon Valley. Steve Bannon, who previously served as Breitbart News Network’s executive chairman, hinted at some of his views on foreign workers...

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A White House position could cost Peter Thiel more than he’s willing to give up

by @russellbrandom Nov 16, 2016, 12:26pm EST

One week after the election, President-elect Trump’s White House staff is still being formed, but one familiar name has already surfaced: Peter Thiel. The PayPal co-founder has become one of the most controversial figures in Silicon Valley, thanks...

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Twitter suspends major alt-right accounts

by @amartoo Nov 16, 2016, 4:13am EST

Twitter this week suspended several prominent accounts linked to the alt-right movement, the fringe white nationalist group that helped propel President-elect Donald Trump to the White House. As USA Today reports, the site suspended the accounts...

Facebook, Google, and Twitter urge Trump to support encryption and immigration reform

by @amartoo Nov 15, 2016, 7:18am EST

A group of tech companies including Facebook, Google, and Twitter has called on President-elect Donald Trump to protect encryption, reform immigration policy, and curtail surveillance during his administration. The Internet Association, whose...

Google will soon ban fake news sites from using its ad network

by @nickstatt Nov 14, 2016, 6:58pm EST

Today, Google announced that its advertising tools will soon be closed to websites that promote fake news, a policy that could cut off revenue streams for publications that peddle hoaxes on platforms like Facebook. The decision comes at a critical...

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Joe Biden is the slapstick prankster of the impending Trump presidency

by @Megan_Nicolett Nov 14, 2016, 12:38pm EST

The transition of power between president Barack Obama and president-elect Donald Trump has appeared to be amicable, if not slightly awkward. For many of the people Trump will soon lead, acceptance has been rockier. Those seeking to balance those...

China threatens to cut iPhone sales if Trump declares a trade war

by @amartoo Nov 14, 2016, 1:25am EST

China's state-run newspaper says the government would respond with "countermeasures" if President-elect Donald Trump starts a trade war against the country, warning that the sales of iPhones and US cars would suffer a "setback." In an editorial...