Facebook’s terrible year keeps getting worse. On Wednesday, the New York Times published an investigation into the way Facebook handled the discovery of Russian disinformation campaigns on its platform ahead of the 2016 presidential election. What the investigation revealed can only be described as rot at the top. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg — once considered a possible Democratic presidential candidate — and the company’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg — once considered a potential Cabinet appointee for a Hillary Clinton administration and a very public champion for women’s empowerment — come off especially badly. Instead of aggressively fighting Russian disinformation on their platform, they allegedly downplayed the seriousness of reports from their own executives. They tried to deflect blame onto their rivals. When that failed, they sought special favors from politicians — and hired consultants to discredit anti-Facebook … [Read more...] about Editorial: Fix it, Facebook
Opinion
The Evergreen State rejected the Green Wave
The Evergreen State rejected the Green Wave last week. But there may yet be hope for it to one day wash ashore. This past summer, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) pitched his state to me as a model for the country, one that illustrated how Democrats could push through a popular, progressive and ecofriendly agenda that was good for the economy. Inslee highlighted a state ballot initiative he was backing, one to create the country’s very first carbon tax. Over subsequent months, other Democrats told me they held hopes that Washington state’s proposal might offer a template for the party to run on in 2020. A carbon tax, after all, offers a market-based approach for curbing the emissions that cause climate change. It can incentivize innovation for cleaner technologies and raise revenue in less distortionary ways than, say, income taxes. The idea is embraced almost universally by economists and has been endorsed by prominent Republicans. Alas, Washington’s ballot measure … [Read more...] about The Evergreen State rejected the Green Wave
My View: End-of-life lessons in tolerance and peace
By Khimm Graham In 2006, I completed several weeks of end-of-life doula classes at the Mercy Center in Buffalo. I was the youngest of the group in a class of retirees, a benevolent clan of caregivers. We all had a mutual story of love and dedication to our loved ones who died. Sister O’Donnell, the program director, advertised lessons for nondenominational students, but that wasn’t entirely true. I was the only heretic, a spiritualist – and all Catholics surrounded me in prayer and song studying a Jewish curriculum used in a New York City hospital. Since I am a clairvoyant and clairaudient medium, I informed Sister of my beliefs immediately for I am not a profit-driven charlatan or a mistress of dark arts. I simply am as I was born. Respectfully, I drew upon my childhood catechism – an obedient study that straightened my spine through the stern discipline from a stern, old nun at St. Josaphat Church. Our first holy communion lessons were a silent teaching … [Read more...] about My View: End-of-life lessons in tolerance and peace
Another Voice: Civility and bipartisanship need to make a comeback
By Anthony H. Gioia Any follower of the national political scene has to be aware of the increase in partisanship that has infected our country on both sides of the aisle. While I can understand that well-intentioned individuals can have legitimate differences of opinion, it seems that scoring points on the opponent is more important than doing the right thing for America in far too many instances. Given the serious challenges we as a community and nation are facing, this has to change, or our adversaries will exploit these differences to the detriment of our entire country. It wasn’t always this way. I was a major supporter of Sen. Alfonse D’Amato in upstate New York. Shortly after D’Amato lost his re-election bid in 1999 I received a call from Sen. Charles E. Schumer’s office requesting a meeting with me when the senator was planning to be in Buffalo on his first trip after the election. I explained that I was a big supporter of Sen. Schumer’s opponent so … [Read more...] about Another Voice: Civility and bipartisanship need to make a comeback
Charlie Kirk: Democrats come out the big losers in Florida’s election mess
close Video Will the Florida recount affect the GOP? Sen. Joni Ernst weighs in on the Florida recount. Despite desperate efforts by Democrats to overturn the decision of Florida’s voters – and despite the state’s deeply flawed, mismanaged and corrupt election system – it’s now clear that Republican Ron DeSantis will be the state’s next governor and Republican Gov. Rick Scott will be its next U.S. senator. While a hand recount is still underway in Scott’s race against incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, “Nelson was left with almost no chance of pulling off a comeback to retain his seat” because Scott was leading by more than 12,000 votes, the Washington Post reported. And Florida’s machine recount of votes showed DeSantis more than 33,000 votes ahead of Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum – a margin too large to mandate a hand recount. Democrats who refuse to accept that DeSantis will be governor … [Read more...] about Charlie Kirk: Democrats come out the big losers in Florida’s election mess