Facebook: Russian election meddling limited to 'a few thousand' of some 2 billion posts

Executives from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube told Congress Tuesday that while they had identified accounts and posts linked to Russian internet operatives, their activity during the 2016 election was but a drop in the social media ocean. Twice, Juniper Downs, a YouTube executive, said they had found a mere $5,000 in spending and some 1,000 videos that could be traced to Russian meddling. At another point in the house Judiciary Committee hearing, Facebook’s head of global policy management, Monika Bickert, said that “a few thousand” out of some 2 billion posts were ascribed to Russian sources. ''

'Indeed, the executives spoke only of Russian meddling, and repeatedly dodged questions about whether they had found similar efforts from other countries perceived as hostile to the United States, such as China and North Korea.''' Their testimony seemed to dovetail with the recent indictments of Russian agents brought by special counsel Robert Mueller’s sprawling investigation, given that when announcing them Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said there was no evidence the alleged activity had influenced a single vote.

Nevertheless, despite such disclaimers and the minuscule nature of the Russian-linked work, Democrats labored throughout the day to paint the 2016 election as somehow tainted. Several Democrats spoke of “threats to American democracy,” as they thundered about the underhanded efforts and President Trump’s Monday comments, which one Democrat likened to Pearl Harbor. Tuesday’s hearing was the committee’s second on the topic of social media behemoths’ alleged muzzling of conservative voices, either through “shadowbanning” or outright exile of some viewpoints.

Republican lawmakers planned the hearing as a follow-up to one in April on the same topic at which most social media giants did not participate. It immediately broke down into partisan bickering and theater Tuesday, with minority Democrats highlighting instead President Trump’s Monday press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. Republican Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, the committee chairman, opened the hearing by noting Facebook recently censored a Texas newspaper’s posting of quotes from the Declaration of Independence, which a company algorithm flagged as hate speech. “The online environment is becoming more polarized — not less; and there are concerns that discourse is being squelched — not facilitated,” Mr. Goodlatte read in his opening statement. “Moreover, society as a whole is finding it difficult to define what these social media platforms are and what they do. For example, some would like to think of them as government actors, as public utilities as advertising agencies, or as media publishers — each with its own set of legal implications and potential shortfalls.” It was clear the Republican members hoped to laser in on myriad other examples in which conservative tweeters, video makers or social media posters have been “shadowbanned,” through which their audience has declined, and on reports left-wing outfits like the Southern Poverty Law Center had been hired as a kind of arbiter for Facebook on what constitutes “hate speech” or “fake news.”

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jul/17/russian-election-meddling-limited-few-thousand-som/

Chicago mulls 'universal basic income' testing, 'direct cash transfers to people'

The Windy City may soon experiment with giving its citizens cash windfalls via a universal basic income pilot program. Chicago alderman Ameya Pawar appears to be well on his way to convincing colleagues to test his UBI program for 1,000 families. His goal is to transfer $500 each month in stipends — without conditions — to citizens.“Nearly 70 percent of Americans don’t have $1,000 in the bank for an emergency,” Mr. Pawartold The Intercept for an interview published Monday. “UBI could be an incredible benefit for people who are working and are having a tough time making ends meet or putting food on the table at the end of the month. … It’s time to start thinking about direct cash transfers to people so that they can start making plans about how they’re going to get by.”

Mr. Pawar’s bill would also implement a process known as “smoothing” for families taking part in the Earned Income Tax Credit program; they would be paid monthly instead of annually.“Our hope, that I know will be born out in this pilot, is that it will show that when we smooth out the EITC, and we provide a monthly basic income to 1,000 families, that they will be able to plan for expenses, they can make decisions about savings, they can make decisions about investing, they could make decisions about how they could deal with a financial emergency, just like all families do,” Mr. Pawar said. “And once implemented, we’ll be able to hopefully scale it.”

Not mentioned by the official was how the debt-ridden city would pay for an expansion of such a program.

“Chief Financial Officer Carole Brown said the city’s total pension debt now stands at $28 billion, down from $31 billion a year ago, thanks to the state legislation,” the Chicago Sun-Times reported July 11. “Under repeated questioning, Brown refused to say how [Chicago Mayor Rahm] Emanuel — if he is re-elected, that is — would meet the city’s pension obligation when the five-year ramp to actuarial funding is over.”

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jul/17/chicago-mulls-universal-basic-income-testing-direc/

>>2202106

Those were my thoughts exactly!

Schumer: Kavanaugh should recuse from cases dealing with Mueller probe

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer said Wednesday Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh should recuse himself from any case dealing with the special counsel’s probe involving President Trump if he’s confirmed to the high court. The New York Democrat made his remarks after CNN reported about an interview Judge Kavanaugh, who sits on the federal appeals court in D.C., gave at an American Enterprise Institute event in 2016.

At the event, the judge said he would overturn the 1988 case Morrison v. Olson, where the Supreme Court held the Independent Counsel Act was constitutional. Congress, though, allowed the law to expire in 1999. A Justice Department regulation currently governs special counsel investigations, but Judge Kavanaugh’s comments from two years ago are getting extra attention as Mr. Trump’s campaign remains under investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller for allegedly colluding with Russians during the 2016 election. “Judge Kavanaugh, particularly after this interview, needs to recuse himself from anything having to do with the Mueller probe given his record and the fact that he was nominated by the subject of the investigation, he could very well end up ruling on,” Mr. Schumer said Wednesday on the chamber floor.

Raj Shah, principal deputy press security for the White House, pushed back on Twitter, saying Mr. Schumer’s attack is “laughable.” “There is a clear legal difference between the Independent Counsel statute and the Special Counsel regulation. Let’s not play fast and loose,” Mr. Shah tweeted.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jul/18/schumer-kavanaugh-should-recuse-mueller-cases/

>>2202146

>>2202148

This is definitely a defining moment for Chicagoan's. Let's hope this doesn't spread to far and wide.

>>2202175

I also think this is a message regarding the sanctuary status, "don't worry we will pay you" "you can stay", barf

>>2202322

Yup, and this will go a long way to get the job done. I have a feeling that money wouldn't be spent where it should be by many.