Facebook hires outside adviser to look for bias against conservatives

Facebook has hired an outside adviser who will look into potential bias against conservative voices, and give advice on how to avoid that bias.

The professional conservative advising partnership with Facebook will be led by former Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and his legal team at Covington and Burling, as well as the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, which will hold meetings with Facebook executives, Axios reported .

“From what I've heard, it sounds encouraging that Facebook is taking steps to evaluate where things stand in the marketplace and hear concerns,” said Rob Bluey, vice president of communication and Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Signal.

Conservatives have accused Facebook of suppressing content for years, and Internet personalities Diamond and Silk have said the tech giant shut them down for a short time after claiming they were dangerous. Changes to the way Facebook allows people to share news have also cut traffic to conservative news sites.

Kyl’s team will examine Facebook's practices, get feedback from conservative groups, and help Facebook work with these groups.

https:// www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/technology/facebook-hires-outside-adviser-to-look-for-bias-against-conservatives

The Navy will no longer announce when commanding officers are fired

The Navy has decided it will no longer post news releases when a commander is terminated for misconduct or poor performance, according to a report.

The shift in practice follows the “Fat Leonard” debacle, the bribery scandal involving a defense contractor that led to guilty pleas from more than a dozen Navy and Pentagon officials.

Under its prior practice, the Navy sporadically announced on websites and through news releases that commanders that had been relieved and notified news outlets via email of those relieved. The Navy would typically say a commander was sacked due to a loss of confidence in the ability to command.

“Navy Public Affairs will continue to respond to every query on reliefs in a timely and thorough manner,” Capt. Greg Hicks, Navy spokesman, said in a statement. “As a practice, we will do so taking the necessary diligence to safeguard security, ensure information accuracy, and stay within the bounds of both policy and privacy.”

Hicks said the new practice will have no impact on how the Navy addresses commanders who fall short of meeting expectations.

“The United States Navy will continue to hold leaders accountable when they fail to meet the high expectations placed upon them in their unique positions of authority and responsibility,” he said. “These accountability actions reflect the seriousness in which the Navy views and holds public trust and confidence in our Commanding Officers, Executive Officers, and Command Master Chiefs.”

According to USA Today, roughly 1.5 percent of the Navy’s commanders have been relieved.

With its new practice, the Navy will be more in line with how other branches of the military deal with high-level reliefs.

https:// www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/the-navy-will-no-longer-announce-when-commanding-officers-are-fired

Iran must pay billions to families of 9/11 victims, federal judge rules

A New York federal judge on Tuesday ordered Iran to pay billions of dollars to family members of 1,008 victims of the 9/11 attacks, according to court documents .

The judge found that the case brought by parents, spouses, siblings, and children who sued the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran had merit, and the three entities were liable for the deaths on Sept. 11, 2001.

Iran has never responded to the case and it is unlikely it will ever pay what the New York federal judge says it owes, especially since, even though the case alleged that Iran provided assistance in the attacks, the 9/11 Commission found no direct evidence of Iranian support.

The court ruled that Iran owed each person who lost a spouse $12.5 million, a parent $8.5 million, a child $8.5 million, and a sibling $4.25 million.

The judge’s ruling is part of a larger case that families of 9/11 victims are pursuing against Saudi Arabia.