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☆ Shafiqah Hudson, Who Fought Trolls on Social Media, Dies at 46
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Penelope Green | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Shafiqah Hudson was looking for a job in early June of 2014, toggling between Twitter and email, when she noticed an odd hashtag that was surging on the social media platform: #EndFathersDay. The posters claimed to be Black feminists, but they had laughable handles like @NayNayCan’tStop and @CisHate and @LatrineWatts; they declared they wanted to abolish Father’s Day because it was a symbol of patriarchy and oppression, among other inanities. They didn’t seem like real people, Ms. Hudson thought, but parodies of Black women, spouting ridiculous propositions. As Ms. Hudson told Forbes magazine in 2018, “Anybody with half the sense God gave a cold bowl of oatmeal could see that these weren’t feminist sentiments.”But the hashtag kept trending, roiling the Twitter community, and the conservative news media picked it up, citing it as an example of feminism gone seriously off the rails, and “a neat illustration of the cultural trajectory of progressivism,” as Dan McLaughlin, a senior writer at National Review, tweeted at the time. Tucker Carlson devoted an entire segment of his show to lampooning it.

Persons: Shafiqah Hudson, Hudson, ”, Dan McLaughlin, Tucker Carlson Organizations: Twitter, Forbes, National

☆ Russia's Navalny Says He Is Forced to Listen to Pro-Putin Singer Every Morning
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Andrew Osborn(Reuters) - Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has complained of being poisoned, assaulted and deprived of proper medical care, but on Monday he disclosed he faced a new challenge: being forced to listen to a pro-Putin pop singer at 0500 every morning. In a message on X facilitated by his allies, Navalny described a surreal morning routine. "The singer Shaman came to prominence when I was already in prison so I could neither see him nor listen to his music. "Of course I was curious to hear it, but where could I listen to it in prison. followed by the Russian national anthem and then immediately afterwards, the country's second most important song is played - 'I am Russian' by Shaman."

Persons: Andrew Osborn, Alexei Navalny, Putin, Vladimir Putin's, Navalny, Yaroslav Dronov, Shaman, I'm, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Russian Locations: Russian

☆ From an Arctic Prison, Navalny Says Putin's Russia Will One Day Crumble
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Guy FaulconbridgeMOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's most famous opposition politician, Alexei Navalny, said on Wednesday that President Vladimir Putin's state would one day crumble along with the post-Soviet elite which he cast as venal, power-hungry and duplicitous. Putin's state is not viable. Navalny, who has been sentenced to stay in jail until he is 74, has repeatedly warned that Putin's Russia is a state run by "thieves and criminals" and that one day there will be seismic change via revolt. Navalny is in jail, his movement is outlawed and most of his key supporters have fled abroad. Russia denies Navalny's claims that Russia's secret police poisoned him with Novichok.

Persons: Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW, Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin's, lampooning, Navalny, Putin, Navalny's, Novichok, Guy Faulconbridge, William Maclean Organizations: CPSU, Communist Party of, U.S, CIA Locations: Soviet Union, Russia, Navalny, Germany, Siberia

☆ Factbox-Attacks in France in Recent Years
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

Here are some other attacks that have taken place in France in recent years:- Oct 13, 2023 - One teacher was killed and another wounded in a knife attack at a high school in northern French town of Arras on Friday. - June 9, 2023 - A Syrian national wounded four children and two pensioners in a knife attack in the Alpine town of Annecy. Francois Hollande, president at the time, said the hostage-takers had pledged allegiance to Islamic State. The attacker told police he was answering an appeal by Islamic State. Islamic State said it was responsible.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Samuel Paty, Prophet Mohammad, Charlie Hebdo, Mickael Harpon, Francois Hollande, Frenchman, Charlie Hebdo’s, Michel Rose, Frances Kerry, Nick Zieminski Organizations: PARIS, Syrian, Police, Paris police, Security, Islamic, Islamic State, Belgian Locations: Paris, Afghanistan, France, French, Arras, Alpine, Annecy, Reims, Nord, Kurdish, Nice, Pakistan, Islamic State, Tunisian, State

☆ Javier Milei: from TV pundit to the presidency
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Maximilian Heath | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Argentine presidential candidate Javier Milei reacts during the closing event of his electoral campaign ahead of the November 19 runoff election, in Cordoba, Argentina, November 16, 2023. REUTERS/Matias Baglietto/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsBUENOS AIRES, Nov 19 (Reuters) - When Argentine libertarian Javier Milei announced his entry into politics in 2020 in a bid to "blow up" the system, few predicted that three years later the wild-haired economist and former TV pundit could reach the presidency. Against that backdrop, Milei and his Liberty Advances coalition have seen a dramatic rise in support, especially among the young. "He is the change that Argentina needs," said 28-year-old Milei voter Ayrton Ortiz at a rally in Buenos Aires ahead of the election. "If Javier combed his hair neatly, if Javier didn't get angry, would people ever have invited him to speak?"

Persons: Javier Milei, Matias Baglietto, he's, Milei, Al Capone, Sergio Massa, Massa, Donald Trump, Ayrton Ortiz, THATCHER, Javier, Javier didn't, Diana Mondino, John Oliver, Tucker Carlson, Argentine Pope Francis, Diego Maradona, Margaret Thatcher, Karina, Conan, Murray, Milton, Robert, Lucas, Patricia Bullrich, Juan Gonzalez, El, Maximilian Heath, Anna, Catherine Brigida, Adam Jourdan, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Argentine, REUTERS, Peronist, Liberty, Fox News, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Cordoba, Argentina, BUENOS AIRES, Argentine, United States, Brazil, Buenos Aires, U.S

☆ Attacks in France in recent years
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Here are some other attacks that have taken place in France in recent years:- June 9, 2023 - A Syrian national wounded four children and two pensioners in a knife attack in the Alpine town of Annecy. - Oct. 29, 2020 - An attacker with a knife killed three people and wounded several others at a church in the southern city of Nice. - March 23, 2018 - A gunman killed three people in southwestern France after holding up a car, firing on police and taking hostages in a supermarket. - July 26, 2016 - Two attackers killed a priest and seriously wounded another hostage in a church in northern France before being shot dead by police. - Nov. 13, 2015 - Paris was rocked by multiple gun and bomb attacks on entertainment sites around the city, in which 130 people were killed and 368 wounded.

Persons: Lycee Gambetta, Carnot, Pascal Rossignol, Emmanuel Macron, Samuel Paty, Prophet Mohammad, Charlie Hebdo, Mickael Harpon, Francois Hollande, Frenchman, Charlie Hebdo’s, Michel Rose, Frances Kerry Organizations: Lycee, REUTERS, Rights, Syrian, Police, Paris police, Security, Islamic, Islamic State, Belgian, Thomson Locations: Arras, France, Alpine, Annecy, Reims, Nord, Paris, Kurdish, Nice, Pakistan, Islamic State, Tunisian, State

"Social media is the new way of doing politics," said Eugenia Rolon, an 21-year-old influencer who describes herself as anti-feminist and fighter of a "cultural battle" against progressive ideas. Cerimedo said social media support for Milei was organic, and played down previous comments he made to local media that he had used AI-powered trolls. "Many people said Javier was going to do poorly because what happened on social media was my trolls," Cerimedo said. Agustin Romo, 27, a legislative candidate for Buenos Aires province with Milei's Libertad Avanza party, informally coordinates the social media team. "These are people who are contributing their grain of sand where they can, so that Argentina changes and Javier Milei becomes president," Romo said.

Persons: Javier Milei, Karina Milei, Agustin Marcarian, Elon Musk, Eugenia Rolon, Donald Trump, Jair, Milei, That's, Sergio Massa, Patricia Bullrich, Tucker Carlson, Bolsonaro, Diego Corbalan, Bullrich, Jeremias Madrazo, Madrazo, Massa, Inaki Gutierrez, Argentine, Fernando Cerimedo, Cerimedo, Javier, Carlson, Musk, overspending, Agustin Romo, Romo, Anna, Catherine Brigida, Adam Jourdan, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Argentine, La Libertad, REUTERS, Elon, YouTube, Reuters, Peronist, Buenos, Milei's Libertad, Thomson Locations: La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, BUENOS AIRES, Massa, Milei's Libertad Avanza, Candelaria

☆ Ken Paxton Impeachment Trial for Texas’ Attorney General to Begin With Motions to Dismiss
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( J. David Goodman | David Montgomery | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

“We want the entire MAGA movement to understand that what’s going on in Texas is not just about Texas,” Mr. Bannon told his podcast audience this month. Yet those conservative credentials may not be enough to help Mr. Paxton survive what promises to be the most significant test he has faced. A well-funded political action committee, Defend Texas Liberty, has begun targeting some Republican members of the Texas House who voted to impeach Mr. Paxton. Mr. Abbott has not commented on Mr. Paxton’s impeachment. Mr. Paxton won handily and went on to easily win a third term in the November election.

Persons: Ken Paxton, Paxton, Rick Perry, Karl Rove, George W, Bush, Steve Bannon, Trump, MAGA, ” Mr, Bannon, Donald J, Biden, Obama, Mr, Mike Osborne, they’ve, ”, David Simpson, “, ” Jonathan Stickland, Stickland, “ Glenn Rogers, Rogers, Nate Paul, Paul, general’s, Perry, Dave P, Paxton’s, Bryan Hughes, Eric Gay, ” Lauren Davis, Bannon’s, —, Texas —, Tim Dunn, Farris Wilks, Dunn, Wilks, Dan Patrick, Patrick, Greg Abbott, Abbott Organizations: Republican, State Senate, Democrat, Trump, Affordable, Mr, Jan, Republicans, Texas Legislature, Texas Capitol, ., The New York Times, Texas House, Defend Texas Liberty, Fort Worth, CBS, “, Senate, May ., Dallas County Republican Party, Fox News, West, Gov, Texans Locations: Texas, Austin, Georgia, United States, Paxton, Fort, May, West Texas

☆ A Conservative Push to Save Ken Paxton
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( J. David Goodman | More About J. David Goodman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

With television ads and text messages, direct mail and billboards, supporters of the embattled Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, have embarked on an escalating campaign of political pressure, backed by hard-right billionaires, aimed at trying to sway the outcome of Mr. Paxton’s upcoming impeachment trial. The targets of their efforts are narrow: the 19 Republican members of the State Senate who will act as jurors in the trial, set to begin on Tuesday, and decide whether allegations of corruption and abuse of power are serious enough to warrant permanently removing and barring Mr. Paxton from office. But the effort to save Mr. Paxton, who is seen by many hard-core conservatives as their legal standard-bearer, is also the latest proxy in the broader fight over the future direction of the party, both in Texas and nationally. It has drawn in a range of conservative figures on both sides, with Rick Perry, the former Texas governor, and Karl Rove, the political consultant to former President George W. Bush, arguing in support of the impeachment process, and Steve Bannon, the former Trump political adviser, lampooning it as a Democrat-inspired witch hunt.

Persons: Ken Paxton, Paxton, Rick Perry, Karl Rove, George W, Bush, Steve Bannon, Trump Organizations: Republican, State Senate, Democrat Locations: Texas

☆ After Wagner mutiny, jailed Kremlin critic Navalny asks who is the real extremist?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In tweets posted by his aides, Navalny said he had been allowed no radio or conversations in his penal colony since June 1. "Instead the prosecutor came in and we continued the trial in which I stand accused of forming an organization to overthrow President (Vladimir) Putin by violent means," Navalny said. He blamed Putin squarely for the mutiny by the Wagner mercenary force that was allowed to recruit hardened convicts in exchange for promises of pardon and that the president allowed to become powerful. Navalny is serving 11-1/2 years for fraud and contempt of court on charges that he says were trumped up to silence him. He is now on trial on charges including creation of an extremist organisation and making public appeals to commit extremist activity.

Persons: Alexei Navalny, Navalny, Read, Alexey Navalny, Wagner, Vladimir, Putin, Vladimir Putin's, Sergei, Shoigu, Kevin Liffey, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Court, ACF, Corruption, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia

☆ Farhad Manjoo on ‘South Park’ - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Farhad Manjoo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

But it isn’t the topicality of “South Park” that best explains America. In “South Park,” correctness of any sort — religious, scientific, pedagogical, geopolitical or whatever else — is sus. For Donald Trump Jr., “South Park” memes are the height of wit. In 2018 “South Park” even acknowledged that Al Gore was right: ManBearPig turned out to be real. But the damage was done; the monster had already begun to eat the people of South Park.

Persons: topick, ”, Trey Parker, Matt Stone’s, Parker, Stone, Donald Trump’s, Vladimir Putin’s thuggery, Ron DeSantis, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Stone’s, they’ve, Eric Cartman’s —, Andrew Sullivan, “, Donald Trump Jr, Ben Shapiro, Steven Crowder, Cartman, Bob White, Al Gore, ManBearPig Organizations: Trump Locations: America, Colorado, South Park

☆ Opinion: Apple Vision Pro augmented reality could change the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Opinion Rizwan Virk | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —It’s not surprising that Apple’s debut Monday of its $3,499 Vision Pro headset integrating virtual and augmented reality was greeted with mixed reactions, including skepticism, criticism and even lampooning. Each previous incarnation of a headset that immerses the wearer in a virtual world (called virtual reality, or VR) or lets wearers see their surroundings with virtual objects overlaid on them (augmented reality, or AR) started with overhyped expectations only to flame out. I am also doing my doctoral research on the history of virtual and augmented reality (known together as “extended reality”). These apps will be available to Vision Pro users as well. It’ll do anything your Mac or iPhone can do — and more.”And that’s why I believe that over time Apple’s Vision Pro will actually make science fiction scenarios of ubiquitous computing a reality.

Persons: Rizwan Virk, CNN — It’s, Rizwan, Tom Cruise’s, ’, Mark Zuckerberg’s, Tiago Amorim, Adrees Latif, I’m, Cathy Hackl, Samantha Kelly, I’d, Bob Iger, Tim Cook, CNN’s Kelly, Ivan Sutherland, Apple, ”, Cook, “, you’ll, Tom Cruise Organizations: Labs, MIT, Physics, Eastern, Arizona State University’s College of Global Futures, Twitter, CNN, Meta, Google, Microsoft, HTC, Samsung, Sony, Reuters, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Apple, VR, Vision, Disney, Facebook Locations: Brazil, Manhattan , New York

☆ Russian police arrest more than 100 Navalny supporters, group says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 4 (Reuters) - Russian police on Sunday arrested more than 100 people who had taken to the streets to mark the 47th birthday of Alexei Navalny, Russia's most prominent opposition leader, a protest monitoring group said. OVD-Info said in a statement that 109 people had been detained in 23 cities as of 10:42 p.m. Moscow time (1942 GMT). Footage from Moscow and St Petersburg, Russia's two largest cities, showed police arresting individual demonstrators. Another man, who held up a sign in English that read "Free Navalny", was also arrested in Moscow. In St Petersburg, a woman accompanied by a child told reporters that "I'm against the war, that's why they detained me with my underage kid".

Persons: Alexei Navalny, Navalny, Vladimir Putin's, David Ljunggren, Grant McCool Organizations: Sunday, Authorities, St, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, St Petersburg, Russia's

☆ Googlers are poking fun at the company's I/O conference with memes about expensive phones, layoffs, and a new mascot named 'Lip Duck'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Hugh Langley | Rosalie Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Google held its annual I/O conference last week, and employees are celebrating and lampooning the event via the time-honored tradition of memes. Google announced a series of updates to Bard at the event, including integrations with Google products and the ability to analyze images. Anonymous Google sourceAnonymous Google sourceAnonymous Google sourceOf course, Google focused this year's I/O almost entirely on new generative AI products. Anonymous Google sourceAnonymous Google sourceAnonymous Google sourceAnonymous Google sourceAnonymous Google sourceWe also regret to inform you that Google has a new mascot. Anonymous Google sourceAnonymous Google sourceAnonymous Google sourceOf course, it wasn't all snark.

☆ 'Bupkis' review: Pete Davidson is the worst part of a Peacock series about being Pete Davidson
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Give Pete Davidson a bit of credit for making himself the least interesting part of a series about being Pete Davidson. Having already played a version of himself in the Peacock movie “The King of Staten Island,” Davidson certainly doesn’t seem overly concerned about stretching his acting chops. Davidson is introduced Google-ing himself, chafing at living in the public eye while residing (uncomfortably at times, as an early sequence demonstrates) with his mom. “Bupkis” is at times very funny, but when it comes to getting to know more about Pete Davidson, the show’s admirable qualities are more in spite of that than because of it. “Bupkis” premieres May 4 on Peacock.

☆ Scores of world figures urge Putin to free Navalny in open letter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 28 (Reuters) - Scores of famous figures, including writers and actors, have signed an open letter urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to free opposition politician Alexei Navalny and to end what they called his torture in prison. Russian authorities say Navalny and his supporters are extremists with links to the U.S. CIA intelligence agency intent on trying to destabilise Russia. They have outlawed his movement and Navalny himself is facing new charges that could add years to his prison sentence. Navalny's supporters have grown increasingly worried about his health in recent weeks, saying they fear he could die in jail. The Kremlin denied trying to kill him and said there was no evidence he was poisoned with a nerve agent.

☆ Navalny says he faces 30 more years in Russian jail after terrorism case opened
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Yulia MorozovaSummary Navalny says he faces 30 more years in jailNavalny says Russia opens terrorism caseHe is now serving sentence for fraud, contempt of courtApril 26 (Reuters) - Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said on Wednesday that investigators had opened what he called an "absurd" terrorism case against him that could see him sentenced to an additional 30 years in jail. Navalny said it was absurd to argue he had committed terrorism while in prison. He said the case would be tried by a military court. His supporters cast him as a Russian version of South Africa's Nelson Mandela who will one day walk free from jail to lead his country. Separately on Wednesday, Russian investigators said that 11 people had been put on an "international wanted list" in a case linked to Navalny, state-owned news agency TASS reported.

Kira Yarmysh, his spokeswoman, said in a video clip on Twitter accompanied by disturbing background music. Navalny's supporters cast him as a Russian version of South Africa's Nelson Mandela who will one day be freed from jail to lead the country. Navalny accused the Russian state of trying to kill him, something it denied. Yarmysh said medicine sent to Navalny's prison by his mother was not collected by prison officials from the post office and was returned. Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Andrew Osborn Editing by Peter Graff and Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysis: Will Netanyahu clip the wings of his new cabinet hawks?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Both are West Bank settlers averse to Palestinians' self-rule - let alone their hopes of statehood. Netanyahu's previous 15 years as premier saw him feathering the nests of the hawks in his cabinet - or clipping their wings - as he deemed necessary. But that may have to wait, as Ben-Gvir's portfolio does not grant major powers in the West Bank, which is under the overall control of the military. Arguably, Ben-Gvir, 46, and Smotrich, 42, can afford to shelve some of their agendas for this round with Netanyahu, 73. Smotrich's advocacy of Jewish claims on the West Bank is informed by a doctrinaire faith in Bible prophesy.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried gave $2.5 million to a leading political ethics watchdog. The group says it can't give the money back because officials already spent it.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The Campaign Legal Center fights against lawlessness and unethical behavior in politics. Brendan Quinn, a spokesperson for the Campaign Legal Center, says the nonprofit organization cannot return or give away Bankman-Fried's money because the money is already spent. Asked whether the Campaign Legal Center would consider disgorging an amount of money equivalent to what Bankman-Fried contributed, Quinn noted that the Campaign Legal Center is not a political candidate or committee. The Campaign Legal Center has not yet provided Insider a copy, first requested December 2, of the most recent IRS 990 tax document filed by Campaign Legal Center Action, its advocacy arm. Former President Donald Trump has been a frequent target of the Campaign Legal Center's legal and ethics efforts.

☆ Twitter staff react to Elon Musk's takeover: 'I am fully expecting him to fire 69% of us on Friday at 4:20 p.m.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Twitter employees have expressed fear about their jobs after Elon Musk sealed his takeover deal. Musk has reportedly sacked CEO Parag Agrawal and three other top Twitter executives. The billionaire, who's the world's richest person, has fired at least four top executives including CEO Parag Agrawal, Insider and others reported Thursday. It was during this hour-long coffee meeting with about 40 Twitter employees that Musk denied the 75% layoffs figure, according to Bloomberg. Other Twitter employees used the #OneTeam hashtag to express solidarity.

☆ The young lawyer who became the 'Don Quixote' of canceling student debt
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-29 | by ( Cezary Podkul | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +24 min

The victory marked the starting point for what's become Smith's raison d'être to help as many student loan borrowers as possible. But of those who did, around 60% managed to get a discharge of some portion of their student debt, Iuliano found. And thanks to a widely-held belief that student debt is categorically exempt from discharge, few are willing to take that chance. "I have $50k student debt, no degree, was a victim of attempted murder, out of work, and homeless," reads another. Austin SmithEventually, he says, he vowed to make it his life's cause to help the student loan borrowers.

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