Iyanla Vanzant on Jussie Smollett:

"He told a lie. That's what he did. Now we can make up whatever we want to make up about it, but he told a lie the same way the leader of this country does every day"

https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1098681134836142080

‘Sustained and ongoing’ disinformation assault targets Dem presidential candidates

A wide-ranging disinformation campaign aimed at Democratic 2020 candidates is already underway on social media, with signs that foreign state actors are driving at least some of the activity.

The main targets appear to be Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas), four of the most prominent announced or prospective candidates for president.

An analysis conducted for POLITICO by Guardians.ai found evidence that a relatively small cluster of accounts — and a broader group of accounts that amplify them — drove a disproportionate amount of the Twitter conversation about the four candidates over a recent 30-day period.

Using proprietary tools that measured the discussion surrounding the candidates in the Democratic field, Guardians.ai identified a cohort of roughly 200 accounts — including both unwitting real accounts and other “suspicious” and automated accounts that coordinate to spread their messages — that pumped out negative or extreme themes designed to damage the candidates.

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/20/2020-candidates-social-media-attack-1176018

Denver pair executed robbery witness after court system mistakenly released his identity

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/02/21/robbers-executed-witness-after-court-mistake-life-witness/2945462002/