NYT columnist faces conflict of interest accusations after singing praise for Facebook 'Groups' feature in tech giant's blog post
rt.com | 2021-02-27
New York Times writer David Brooks has come under fire for a potential conflict of interest after penning a blog post for Facebook's corporate site while a project he helped to found accepted money from the social media giant. | A 900-word post by Brooks appeared on a company blogging platform on Tuesday, stressing the importance of "trust" in online communities in a thinly-veiled promotion of Facebook's "Groups" feature. The piece coincid…
rt.com/usa/516732-david-brooks-facebook-post/
NYT columnist faces conflict of interest accusations after singing praise of Facebook 'Groups' feature in tech giant's blog post
rt.com | 2021-02-27
New York Times writer David Brooks has come under fire for a potential conflict of interest after penning a blog post for Facebook's corporate site while a project he helped to found accepted money from the social media giant. | A 900-word post by Brooks appeared on a company's blogging platform on Tuesday, stressing the importance of "trust" in online communities in a thinly veiled promotion of Facebook's "Groups" feature. The piece coinc…
rt.com/usa/516732-david-brooks-facebook-post/
NYT columnist faces conflict of interest accusations after singing praise of Facebook 'Groups' feature in tech giant's blog post
rt.com | 2021-02-27
New York Times writer David Brooks has come under fire for a potential conflict of interest after penning a blog post for Facebook's corporate site while a project he helped to found accepted money from the social media giant. | A 900-word post by Brooks appeared on a company's blogging platform on Tuesday, stressing the importance of "trust" in online communities in a thinly veiled promotion of Facebook's "Groups" feature. The piece coinc…
rt.com/usa/516732-david-brooks-facebook-post/
One of the Anti-Maskers who Stormed Trader Joe's Said She Carries a Knife
Unmasking the Anti-Maskers | indybay.org | 2021-02-27
Staci Lares, who is one of the anti-mask protesters who stormed Trader Joe's in Santa Cruz on February 13, has stated that she carries a knife. "Mask nazis @ Tar J Know me & my knife now," Lares stated on social media in December, referring to a previous anti-mask protest she helped organize at a Trader Joe's in Santa Clara County. Lares' post about carrying a knife was made to David Rodriguez's Santa Cruz Voluntaryists Facebook group, where the protest at Trader Joe's in Santa Cruz was informally discussed and then organized among members. One of the Santa Cruz Voluntaryists asked on the group post for clarifica…
indybay.org/newsitems/2021/02/25/18840294.php
India Targets Climate Activists With the Help of Big Tech
Naomi Klein | zcomm.org | 2021-02-27
Tech giants like Google and Facebook appear to be aiding and abetting a vicious government campaign against Indian climate activists…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/india-targets-climate-activists-with-the-help-of-big-tech/
James Charles Denies 16-Year-Old's 'Grooming' Allegations, Admits to Receiving 'Lewd' Pics From Teen
sputniknews.com | 2021-02-27
Earlier on Friday, an alleged 16-year-old posted a Twitter thread, entitled "my situation with James Charles," in which the user alleged that the popular social media influencer and beauty blogger, James Charles, had sent unsolicited, lewd photos and requested "hot" photos in return.
sputniknews.com/viral/202102271082202162-james-charles-denies-16-year-olds-grooming-allegations-admits-to-receiving-lewd-pics-from-teen/
[Research Paper] Hydroxychloroquine with or without azithromycin for treatment of early SARS-CoV-2 infection among high-risk outpatient adults: A randomized clinical trial
Christine Johnston, Elizabeth R. Brown, Jenell Stewart, Helen C.Stankiewicz Karita, Patricia J. Kissinger, John Dwyer, Sybil Hosek, Temitope Oyedele, Michael K. Paasche-Orlow, Kristopher Paolino, Kate B. Heller, Hannah Leingang, Harald S. Haugen, Tracy Q. Dong, Anna Bershteyn, Arun R. Sridhar, Jeanne Poole, Peter A. Noseworthy, Michael J. Ackerman, Susan Morrison, Alexander L. Greninger, Meei-Li Huang, Keith R. Jerome, Mark H. Wener, Anna Wald, Joshua T. Schiffer, Connie Celum, Helen Y. Chu, Ruanne V. Barnabas, Jared M. Baeten, for the COVID-19 Early Treatment Study Team | thelancet.com | 2021-02-27
Neither HCQ nor HCQ/AZ shortened the clinical course of outpatients with COVID-19, and HCQ, but not HCQ/AZ, had only a modest effect on SARS-CoV-2 viral shedding. HCQ and HCQ/AZ are not effective therapies for outpatient treatment of SARV-CoV-2 infection.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(21)00053-5/fulltext?rss=yes
Is the world poor, or unjust?
Jason Hickel | mronline.org | 2021-02-27
Social media has been ablaze with this question recently. We know we face a crisis of mass poverty: the global economy is organized in such a way that nearly 60% of humanity is left unable to meet basic needs. But the question at stake this time is different.
mronline.org/2021/02/27/is-the-world-poor-or-unjust/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-the-world-poor-or-unjust
Facebook censors WSWS article exposing Wuhan lab conspiracy theory
wsws.org | 2021-02-26
Facebook has labeled the WSWS Perspective column, "Washington Post's 'Wuhan Lab' conspiracy theory stands exposed," as "misinformation" and blocked users from sharing it.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/02/26/pers-f26.html
Facebook's news blockade in Australia shows how tech giants are swallowing the web
The Conversation | juancole.com | 2021-02-26
By Jennifer Grygiel | — When Facebook disabled Australians' access to news articles on its platform, and blocked sharing of articles from Australian news organizations, the company moved a step closer to killing the World Wide Web — the hyperlink-based system of freely connecting online sites created in 1989 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee. Though the …
juancole.com/2021/02/facebooks-australia-swallowing.html
Facebook's news blockade in Australia shows how tech giants are swallowing the web
The Conversation | juancole.com | 2021-02-26
By Jennifer Grygiel | — When Facebook disabled Australians' access to news articles on its platform, and blocked sharing of articles from Australian news organizations, the company moved a step closer to killing the World Wide Web — the hyperlink-based system of freely connecting online sites created in 1989 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee. Though the …
juancole.com/2021/02/facebooks-australia-swallowing.html
Refriended in Defeat: Australia Strikes a Deal with Facebook
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2021-02-26
The Australian Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, was unconvincing in his efforts to summon up courage. The Australian government had been left reeling in the wake of Facebook's decision to scrap and block Australians from sharing and posting news items on hosted pages. The company's target of opprobrium: the News Media Bargaining Code. The Code's ostensible purpose…
counterpunch.org/2021/02/26/refriended-in-defeat-australia-strikes-a-deal-with-facebook/
Vaccine race: 88-year-old Frenchman caught speeding at 191 km/h says he was late for Covid-19 jab
rt.com | 2021-02-26
An 88-year-old man in France had his license seized for exceeding the speed limit by more than 90 km/h. The veteran driver told the police that he was hitting the gas because he was late for his vaccination appointment. | The man was travelling at 191 km/h when he was pulled over by the officers in the northeastern region of Bas-Rhin on Thursday. The speed limit of the country road he was driving on is 110 km/h. | The driver "gave as a reason for his speeding that he was late for his anti-Covid vaccine," the police said in a Facebook post. | Unsurprisingly, the officers determined that this was no excuse for r…
rt.com/news/516697-france-elderly-speeding-late-vaccine/
One of the Anti-Maskers who Stormed Trader Joe's Said She Carries a Knife
Unmasking the Anti-Maskers | indybay.org | 2021-02-26
Staci Lares, who is one of the anti-mask protesters who stormed Trader Joe's in Santa Cruz on February 13, has stated that she carries a knife. "Mask nazis @ Tar J Know me & my knife now," Lares stated on social media in December, referring to a previous anti-mask protest she helped organize at a Trader Joe's in Santa Clara County. Lares' post about carrying a knife was made to David Rodriguez's Santa Cruz Voluntaryists Facebook group, where the protest at Trader Joe's in Santa Cruz was informally discussed and then organized among members. One of the Santa Cruz Voluntaryists asked on the group post for clarifica…
indybay.org/newsitems/2021/02/25/18840294.php
Facebook lifts ban on news pages in Australia
Online News Editor | laprensalatina.com | 2021-02-26
Sydney, Australia, Feb 26 (efe-epa).- Facebook on Friday lifted the ban it had imposed last week on the publication of news on its platform in Australia. Facebook's decision came a day after the approval by the Australian government of a law that requires technology companies to pay media for the content they publish on their …
laprensalatina.com/facebook-lifts-ban-on-news-pages-in-australia/
Real media diversity won't come when corporations dictate the terms
Pip Hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2021-02-26
Facebook's "Zucker" punch successfully forced the federal government's hand. It is another reason why we need to fight for real public interest journalism, argues Zebedee Parkes.
greenleft.org.au/content/real-media-diversity-wont-come-when-corporations-dictate-terms
Real media diversity won't come when corporations dictate the terms
Pip Hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2021-02-26
Facebook's "Zucker" punch on February 18, disabling large sections of Facebook in protest at the federal government's news media bargaining code (NMBC), which led to amendments and the bill becoming law on February 25, reveals the enormous power of the media corporations.
greenleft.org.au/content/real-media-diversity-wont-come-when-corporations-dictate-terms
Russian Foreign Ministry says Twitter no longer independent social media, but a tool of 'digital diktat' under control of West
rt.com | 2021-02-26
Twitter is rapidly changing from an independent platform into a tool of Western countries to impose a dictatorship over the internet. That's according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, following a recent ban of Russian accounts. | Speaking on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova blasted the US tech giant for removing 100 accounts allegedly linked to the Kremlin. On Tuesday, the site's owners announced that 69 were deleted for "undermining faith in the NATO alliance," with a further 31 banned for "targeting the United States and European Union." | "We once again can't help but notice that Twitte…
rt.com/russia/516694-twitter-tool-digital-diktat/
A "Twitter troll come to life": Meghan McCain slaps down Marjorie Taylor Greene for anti-trans diss
Kaity Assaf | salon.com | 2021-02-26
"We are sitting in a place where people like Marjorie Taylor Greene are just doing it for the clicks"
salon.com/2021/02/26/a-twitter-troll-come-to-life-meghan-mccain-slaps-down-marjorie-taylor-greene-for-anti-trans-diss/
Kaity Assaf | salon.com | 2021-02-26
"We are sitting in a place where people like Marjorie Taylor Greene are just doing it for the clicks"
salon.com/2021/02/26/a-twitter-troll-come-to-life-meghan-mccain-slaps-down-marjorie-taylor-greene-for-anti-trans-diss/
Ecuador's Health Minister Resigns Amid Vaccination Scandal
telesurenglish.net | 2021-02-26
Ecuador's Health Minister Juan Carlos Zevallos Friday resigned from office amid criticism for his mismanagement of the pandemic and the uneven national vaccination campaign. | RELATED: | Ecuador To Allow Private Purchases of COVID-19 Vaccines | "I resigned due to the political situation the country is going through. My decision is irrevocable," Zevallos wrote in a letter that President Lenin Moreno shared on his Twitter account. | "Health policies will allow the vaccination campaign t…
telesurenglish.net/news/Ecuadors-Health-Minister-Juan-Carlos-Zevallos-Resigns-20210226-0013.html
Rep. Mary Miller's Husband Owns Three Percenters Truck Seen at Capitol Breach
Staff | truthout.org | 2021-02-26
A truck seen January 6 on Capitol grounds sporting a far right militia's symbol belongs to the husband of Rep. Mary Miller (R-Illinois), Chris Miller, the Daily Beast has confirmed. | Twitter users were the first to find the truck, which displayed a decal from the Three Percenter militia in footage taken during the breach of the U.S. Capitol. The truck was also identified in earlier photos carrying campaign poste…
truthout.org/articles/rep-mary-millers-husband-owns-three-percenters-truck-seen-at-capitol-breach/
Netizens Spotlight Psaki's Old 'Sovereign Country' Tweet After US Airstrikes in Syria
sputniknews.com | 2021-02-26
Earlier in the day, the Pentagon confirmed that the United States had carried out airstrikes targeting "Iranian-backed" militia assets on Syrian territory, on the order of President Joe Biden, asserting that the purpose of the strikes was to "de-escalate" the situation in Eastern Syria and Iraq.
sputniknews.com/viral/202102261082191545-netizens-spotlight-psakis-old-sovereign-country-tweet-after-us-airstrikes-in-syria/
Mars trip 'can only be understood through Black Americans', NASA tweets, celebrating renaming of HQ building
rt.com | 2021-02-26
The US space agency has renamed its DC headquarters after NASA's first black female engineer Mary Jackson, celebrating with a poem about "going to Mars" even as the agency delayed the planned return to the moon. | Long merely called "NASA Headquarters," the Washington, DC building was officially renamed in honor of Jackson on Friday. She became the space agency's first black female engineer in 1958, seven years after joining its predecessor the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). | "The trip to Mars can only be understood through Black Americans." — Poet and educator Nikki Giovanni reads…
rt.com/usa/516729-nasa-black-engineer-building-woke/
Mars trip 'can only be understood through black Americans,' NASA tweets, celebrating renaming of HQ building
rt.com | 2021-02-26
The US space agency has renamed its DC headquarters after NASA's first black female engineer Mary Jackson, celebrating with a poem about "going to Mars" even as the agency delayed a planned return to the Moon. | Long merely called 'NASA Headquarters', the Washington, DC building was officially renamed in honor of Jackson on Friday. She became the space agency's first black female engineer in 1958, seven years after joining its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). | "The trip to Mars can only be understood through Black Americans." — Poet and educator Nikki Giovanni reads a…
rt.com/usa/516729-nasa-black-engineer-building-woke/
'Stunning and brave?' Oreo Cookie called out for marketing ploy after tweeting 'Trans people EXIST'
rt.com | 2021-02-26
Oreo Cookie may have been trying to signal a boldly virtuous statement for social justice by proclaiming that "Trans people exist," but while the message struck a chord with some, it fell flat with many denouncing it as a PR move. | …
rt.com/usa/516612-oreo-cookies-trans-people/
Dem operative turned Facebook comms director apologizes for 'hate speech' label on congresswoman's video with transgender flag
rt.com | 2021-02-25
Rep. Marie Newman (D-Illinois) was outraged after Facebook briefly flagged a video of her putting a transgender flag outside the office of Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-Georgia) as "hate speech." | "Facebook took down our video of me putting up the Transgender flag outside my office and labeled it as 'hate speech,'" Newman tweeted on Thursday. | She blasted the social media platform for censoring her content — typically a complaint from conservatives — but allowing Taylor-Greene's own "transphobic" fo…
rt.com/usa/516597-marie-newman-transgender-flag-facebook/
Facebook reaches deal with Australian government
wsws.org | 2021-02-25
The deal involved an amendment to government legislation, backed by the opposition Labor party, that requires Facebook to pay news outlets for content under a bargaining code…
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/02/25/aust-f25.html
Australia Forces Tech Giants To Pay News Publishers with Law
telesurenglish.net | 2021-02-25
On Thursday, the Australian parliament passed an unprecedented law that forces tech companies to pay publishers for news content on their platforms. | RELATED: | Australian Forests Will Not Recover From Fires Easily | The legislation "will ensure that news media businesses are fairly remunerated for the content they generate," Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said in a statement. These giants such as Facebook and Google have firmly rejected the initiative. | This is precisely what Facebook was…
telesurenglish.net/news/Australia-Forces-Tech-Giants-To-Pay-To-News-Publishers-by-Law-20210225-0030.html
Australia Passes Law Requiring Google, Facebook Pay For News
sputniknews.com | 2021-02-25
Google Australia Managing Director Melanie Silva told Aussie senators last month that the news media bill, as it stood at the time, would result in a revocation of the country's access to Google Search. In recent weeks, Facebook also responded to the legislation by blocking the sharing of news on Facebook and Instagram in Australia.
sputniknews.com/us/202102251082178604-australia-passes-law-requiring-google-facebook-pay-for-news/
At least 8 killed in Myanmar violence as Facebook bans military accounts
Online News Editor | laprensalatina.com | 2021-02-25
Yangon, Myanmar, Feb 25 (efe-epa).- At least eight people have been killed in Myanmar, including three shot by police, due to violence after the coup on Feb. 1, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners While the official number of deaths stands at three, which includes those protesters that have been shot dead with …
laprensalatina.com/at-least-8-killed-in-myanmar-violence-as-facebook-bans-military-accounts/
Australia passes law for Google and Facebook to pay local media
Online News Editor | laprensalatina.com | 2021-02-25
Sydney, Australia, Feb 25 (efe-epa).- Australia approved Thursday a pioneering law for Google and Facebook to pay local media for the publication of their journalistic content, a week after the platform led by Mark Zuckerberg was banned from publishing news in the country. The law "will ensure media receive fair remuneration for the content they …
laprensalatina.com/australia-passes-law-for-google-and-facebook-to-pay-local-media/
Twitter Testing Paid 'Super Follows' Feature in Bid to Double Profits by 2024
sputniknews.com | 2021-02-25
Twitter users have often joked they "can't believe this website is free," but the tech giant's model of profiting by selling data licenses and targeted advertising services doesn't seem to be capable of delivering the robust cashflow desired by its high-powered investors.
sputniknews.com/science/202102251082190172-twitter-testing-paid-super-follows-feature-in-bid-to-double-profits-by-2024/
As Telegram and Parler gain traction, Twitter tries to keep users by introducing PAID Super Followers
rt.com | 2021-02-25
Twitter has announced upcoming massive changes to their platform, including allowing users to get paid by followers and the ability to create groups based on certain subjects. | Users will soon be able to get paid by what is referred to as Super Followers access to bonus content, such as a newsletter subscription or bonus tweets. Direct paid subscription features have been successful on other social media platforms, though Twitter has not revealed what sort of fee they will be taking once the feature is finally added to their service. | There will also be a new group feature added to the service called Communi…
rt.com/usa/516605-twitter-super-followers/
'Thanks Jack!': Twitter's 'Hacked' Documents Warning Backfires, Leading to Exposé Going Viral
sputniknews.com | 2021-02-25
A few days after a major exposé of a UK government funded influence campaign targeting Russia, which also implicated Reuters, Bellingcat and the BBC, Twitter applied a warning label to any post sharing the article via the social media giant's platform.
sputniknews.com/news/202102251082184874-thanks-jack-twitters-hacked-documents-warning-backfires-leading-to-expos-going-viral/
As leaks expose UK op to 'weaken' Russia, suppression of Grayzone reporting backfires
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2021-02-25
Twitter added an unprecedented "warning" to Max Blumenthal's Grayzone article about explosive leaks revealing a massive UK government anti-Russia propaganda operation involving Reuters, BBC, and Bellingcat. Instead of suppressing the article, it went viral. After The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal reported on newly leaked documents exposing a massive UK government propaganda campaign against Russia, Twitter added an unprecedented warning label that the material "may have been obtained through hacking." Although Twitter may have intended to restrict the article, the warning had …
thegrayzone.com/2021/02/25/as-leaks-expose-uk-op-to-weaken-russia-suppression-of-grayzone-reporting-backfires/
As leaks expose UK op to 'weaken' Russia, suppression of Grayzone reporting backfires
Max Blumenthal | thegrayzone.com | 2021-02-25
Twitter added an unprecedented "warning" to Max Blumenthal's Grayzone article about explosive leaks revealing a massive UK government anti-Russia propaganda operation involving Reuters, BBC, and Bellingcat. Instead of suppressing the article, it went viral. After The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal reported on newly leaked documents exposing a massive UK government propaganda campaign against Russia, Twitter added an unprecedented warning label that the material "may have been obtained through hacking." Although Twitter may have intended to restrict the article, the warning had …
thegrayzone.com/2021/02/25/as-leaks-expose-uk-op-to-weaken-russia-suppression-of-grayzone-reporting-backfires/
US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem banned from reporting by Syrian militants
Simon Hooper | middleeasteye.net | 2021-02-25
US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem banned from reporting by Syrian militants | Idlib-based reporter cannot appear on social media for six months following release by HTS, according to his own news network | Simon Hooper | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 12: 02 | Bilal Abdul Kareem stands in front of a mural in Idlib showing George Floyd, an American man killed by police, in 2020 (Twitter) | An American journalist based in Syria's o…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-journalist-bilal-abdul-kareem-banned-reporting-syrian-militants
300,000+ Demand Biden Stop Line 3 and Dakota Access Pipelines to 'Secure the Livable Future We All Deserve'
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2021-02-25
"If we're going to build back better, as Biden says, we'll need to end dangerous pipeline construction, prevent all new fossil fuel infrastructure, and Build Back Fossil Free." | twitter.com/indivisible_nmh/status/1362241112900071424/photo/1…
commondreams.org/news/2021/02/25/300000-demand-biden-stop-line-3-and-dakota-access-pipelines-secure-livable-future-we?cd-origin=rss
Israel suspends sending its Covid vaccine doses to other countries amid legal scrutiny & defense minister's objections
rt.com | 2021-02-25
The office of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has halted the sending of Covid-19 jabs to other countries after the move sparked questions from the state attorney general and angered Defense Minister Benny Gantz. | The suspension was announced on Thursday, shortly after Israel's attorney general, Avichai Mandelblit, asked National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat for clarification on the program. | Gantz has welcomed the freeze, writing on Twitter that Netanyahu's order to send the surplus of Israeli vaccines to foreig…
rt.com/news/516590-gantz-netanyahu-israel-vaccine/
Republican Hypocrisy is No Reason to Support Neera Tanden
Norman Solomon | counterpunch.org | 2021-02-25
Most corporate media outlets have depicted President Biden's effort to win Senate confirmation of Neera Tanden as a battle to overcome Republican hypocrisy about her "mean tweets," name-calling and nasty partisanship. But there are very important reasons to prevent Tanden from becoming the Office of Management and Budget director. They have nothing to do with…
counterpunch.org/2021/02/25/republican-hypocrisy-is-no-reason-to-support-neera-tanden/
US must NOT ask Iran to stop remedies under Article 36: Zarif
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2021-02-25
TEHRAN, Feb. 25 (MNA) — In a tweet on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif underscored that the US must NOT ask Iran to stop remedies defined under Article 36 of the JCPOA.
en.mehrnews.com/news/170388/US-must-NOT-ask-Iran-to-stop-remedies-under-Article-36-Zarif
Iranian press review: MP's tweet supporting Princess Latifa sparks online backlash
MEE correspondent | middleeasteye.net | 2021-02-25
Iranian press review: MP's tweet supporting Princess Latifa sparks online backlash | Meanwhile, conservatives squeeze Rouhani to prevent breakthrough in talks with UN nuclear watchdog and timber traffickers use cars to avoid police detection | MEE correspondent | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 09: 56 | Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum (L) having a meal with Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland,…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/iran-uae-princess-latifa-support-online-backlash-press-review
Guardian Columnist's Firing Over Israel Joke Highlights Paper's Rightward Drift
Ari Paul | zcomm.org | 2021-02-25
The Guardian has fired one of its columnists for its US edition, Nathan Robinson, because Robinson jokingly tweeted about US military aid to Israel…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/guardian-columnists-firing-over-israel-joke-highlights-papers-rightward-drift/