(2019-09-06). US states scrutinize Google & Facebook dominance, privacy abuses in massive antitrust probes. rt.com 
Over 40 state attorneys general have joined forces to investigate whether Big Tech powerhouses Facebook and Google violated antitrust laws with anticompetitive practices, hurting users in the process. | Prosecutors in the first probe will check whether Facebook "stifled competition and put users at risk," New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is leading the investigation, said on Friday. The attorneys general of Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and the District of Columbia are also taking part in the probe. | Even the largest social media platform in the world must fol…
(2019-09-06). Extinction Via Rugged Individualism. counterpunch.org 
I was recently amused by a train of thought on Twitter excoriating Henry David Thoreau for his experiment in self-sufficient living. True, he was on the land of his wealthy neighbor, his mother did his laundry (and brought him old-timey donuts to eat), but it was rugged, dammit. Okay, it was something akin to a More
(2019-09-06). Honest 'government' announcement on climate change, and it's not good news. thecanary.co As we head into the third decade of the 21st century, the 'government' has released a surprisingly honest and informative public service announcement about climate change. | This brilliant piece of serious satire was made by The Juice Media, whose honest government ads shine a light on the absurdities and urgencies of the world we live in. | Featured image via YouTube — thejuicemedia | B…
(2019-09-06). Tension palpable as Ash Sarkar speaks out on Channel 5 Debate show. thecanary.co Tensions ran high on Channel 5's debate show on 2 September. Novara Media senior editor Ash Sarkar took aim at the inherent biases displayed by the show when she appeared on it. | "Snoozing": | Sarkar said: One of the main forces that's supposed to hold our politicians to account is our press and our media… And if I may say so, I'm very, very grateful for being invited here, but this show is the perfect example of it. We're having a discussion about trust in politics where some of the ma…
(2019-09-06). Open Markets Commends State Attorneys General for Launching Bipartisan Antitrust Investigation Into Facebook. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-09-06). Sturgeon: UK election before October 31 'not in wider public interest'. thecanary.co Allowing Boris Johnson to "cut and run" by holding an early general election before the end of October would not be in the public interest, Scotland's First Minister has said.While Nicola Sturgeon had previously said "bring it on" to the prospect of a snap Westminster ballot, she warned the PM could push through a no-deal Brexit if a vote is held before October 31.This is despite the House of Commons having passed legislation aimed at avoiding such an outcome. | 2/ @theSNP relishes prospect of…
(2019-09-06). Denmark passes landmark consent-based rape laws. greenleft.org.au 
sexual consent Lisbeth LathamIssue 1236 Denmark rape lawsSeptember 6, 2019Denmark's Red-Green Alliance or Enhedslisten (United List) announced on July 14 that the g…
(2019-09-06). WATCH: Viral Video Shows British Voter Politely Imploring Johnson to 'Please Leave My Town' Ahead of Potential Election. commondreams.org A polite but direct British man in the town of Morley, Yorkshire kicked off the viral hashtag #PleaseLeaveMyTown after making the request of Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11579457331.jpg …
(2019-09-06). 'A Major Step Forward': Multi-State Probe Targets Facebook's Possible Antitrust Violations. commondreams.org "Even the largest social media platform in the world must follow the law and respect consumers." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/facebook-ags-probe-antitrust.jpg …
(2019-09-06). Chuka Umunna takes desperate measures to avoid facing a by-election. thecanary.co 
On 6 September, serial party-changer Chuka Umunna announced that he would be competing for a different parliamentary seat in the next general election. Since leaving the Labour Party earlier this year, he has refused to give constituents a chance to change their minds too via a by-election. | I'm delighted to have been appointed as the @LibDems candidate for the Cities of London & Westminster. I relish the p…
(2019-09-05). Big Tech & Big Brother meet at Facebook HQ to discuss how to 'secure' US elections. rt.com 
Security teams for Facebook, Google, Twitter and Microsoft met with the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence's office to coordinate a strategy to secure the 2020 elections. | The tech platforms met with government officials at Facebook's Menlo Park headquarters on Wednesday, the company has confirmed, boasting that Big Tech and Big Brother have developed a "comprehensive strategy" to get control of previous election-related "vulnerabilities" while "analyzing and getting ahead of new threats." | Facebook has scrambled to get in front of the 2020 election after being…
(2019-09-05). 'McCarthy style racist': Trump shreds actress Debra Messing over Hollywood donor 'blacklist'. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has fired back at Will & Grace co-star Debra Messing over her call for a Hollywood Trump donor "blacklist," calling the actress a "McCarthy style racist" and suggesting she should lose her job. | Wading into the controversy in a pair of tweets on Thursday morning, the president shredded Messing's demand last week for the de facto blacklist, drawing parallels to the McCarthy era, when suspected communists were blackballed from their professions. | "Bad 'actress' Debra The Mess Messing is in hot water," he said. "She wants to create a 'Blacklist' of Trump supporters, & is being accused…
(2019-09-05). UN health agency welcomes Facebook pledge to stop vaccine misinformation from going viral. un.org The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday welcomed Facebook's pledge to ensure users can separate fact from fiction when it comes to vaccines, across its platforms from Facebook Search, to Groups, Pages and forums.
(2019-09-05). Thursday's Daily Brief: Facebook rallies against vaccination 'fake news', DPR Korea UN staff cuts call, Syria crop report, crisis funding and Dorian latest. un.org A recap of Thursday's stories: Facebook and WHO work together to stem misinformation on vaccines; North Korea tells UN to cut staff; $75 million allocated for eight crises; mixed news on Syria crop production; 'digital divide' sidelines most vulnerable.
(2019-09-05). Johnson accused of 'abusing' police with Trumpian political stunt in Yorkshire. thecanary.co 
On 5 September, Boris Johnson launched a Trumpian political stunt in West Yorkshire. And critics accused him of 'abusing' the position of the police in the process. | "Abuse of power": | About 35 student officers stood in lines behind Johnson as he gave a speech at West Yorkshire Police's operations and training complex in Wakefield. The officers were standing behind his lectern, in front of an old-style police box, for at least 20 minutes before the speech began.
(2019-09-05). As Luciana Berger becomes the latest arrival, the Lib Dems get caught out lying. thecanary.co 
The ranks of the Liberal Democrats have swelled further with the arrival of Luciana Berger. But even as the party celebrated, people were quick to point out that it had overstated its hand. | In February 2019, Berger was one of the founders o…
(2019-09-04). 'Will & Grace' actor says his idea of Hollywood Trump donors blacklist was 'misinterpreted'. rt.com 
Star of American sitcom 'Will & Grace' Eric McCormack is backpedaling on his demand for news outlets to name President Donald Trump's donors, accusing critics of "misinterpreting" his words. | The actor's apparent reversal comes after he penned a tweet last week asking the Hollywood Reporter — which covers entertainment industry news — to "kindly report" the name of every person attending a Trump fundraising event in Beverly Hills, "so the rest of us can be clear about who we don't wanna work with." H…
(2019-09-04). Hong Kong: Google censors China. workers.org 
Google stripped away the illusion that the continuing protests in Hong Kong are about democracy when on Aug. 20 the internet monopoly suspended 936 Twitter accounts and disabled 210 YouTube channels, charging them with seeking to "discredit Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and sow political discord in the city." (theguardian.com, Aug. . . . | Continue reading Hong Kong: Google censors China at Workers.org
(2019-09-03). Anti-Semitism or sarcasm? Labor Department official fired over misunderstood Facebook comments. rt.com 
Less than three weeks into his new job, a Texas conservative has been forced out after Bloomberg dug through his Facebook history and claimed to have detected the whiff of anti-Semitism from three years ago. | Leif Olson clocked in for his first day on the job at the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division on August 12, after being cleared for the position by the White House. Less than three weeks later, Olson handed in his resignation. | The reason? A journalist at Bloomberg Law dug through his Facebook history and unearthed some supposedly anti-Semitic comments he made in 2016. The journalist called his em…
(2019-08-23). Israel's Online Occupation of Palestine. progressive.org How a Facebook post can land you in prison.
(2019-08-16). Marjorie Taylor Greene: How an Outspoken MAGA Fan Built a Following in a World of Extremists. splcenter.org Originally a MAGA supporter but now an emerging MAGA star, Marjorie Taylor Greene has deftly leveraged social media and confrontations in public to increase her visibility. Now she's entering politics as a GOP candidate for Georgia's 6th Congressional District.