politicians

Photo: Swedish Coast Guard (Getty Images)Several weeks after a journalist accused the U.S. government of being behind the Nord Stream pipeline’s destruction, sources within the government are telling the New York Times that a “pro-Ukrainian group” is actually responsible for the brazen act of international sabotage. To review—large stretches of the natural gas pipeline known as the Nord Stream unexpectedly exploded last September, in what some speculated was the “single largest release of methane in history.” A conduit…

This misleading ad was sent to people who were in the area of a Haley campaign event MondayScreenshot: Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee / GoogleAn organization supporting Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign used location data to send misleading ads to people who attended campaign events for Nikki Haley’s nascent presidential run.The ads, spotted by FWIW News, falsely stated that Haley is supporting Trump’s campaign for reelection. One example featured a photoshopped image of Haley wearing a Make America Great…

Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan has taken the lead in attacking big tech over supposed “collusion” with the government.Photo: Drew Angerer (Getty Images)The House Judiciary Committee announced Wednesday that it had subpoenaed several of the biggest tech CEOs in the U.S., from Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Meta, for documents and communications related to more vague and so-far unfounded hints of government “collusion.”According to a release, Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, the House Judiciary Chairman, said they called on…

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act has helped determine the way companies operate on the internet. Without it, the entire model of most websites and platforms could face upheaval.Photo: Vaillery (Shutterstock)One single case coming up in front of the highest court in the U.S. could singularly determine how the internet can operate going forward, and you can bet your bottom dollar there’s a few tech companies, civil liberties groups, and politicians on both sides of the aisle willing to offer an opinion on the…

Proportion of Women MPs in Party Parliamentary Delegations across 20 Western Democracies, 1996–2017. Note: Data collected by the authors. Credit: American Political Science Review (2022). DOI: 10.1017/S0003055422000491 Nominating and electing more female politicians can help to diffuse polarization and reduce levels of hostility and distrust across party lines, a study shows. …

Supporters of President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva display a Brazilian flag during the presidential inauguration ceremony at Planalto Palace on January 1, 2023 in Brasilia, Brazil.Photo: Myke Sena (Getty Images)This story was originally published by Grist. You can subscribe to its weekly newsletter here.It is the tradition of inaugurations in Brazil for the incoming president to ascend the ramp of the Planalto Palace, the country’s equivalent to the West Wing of the White House, and receive the presidential sash from the…

Photo: Handout (Getty Images)Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko legalized piracy in the country without requiring the consent of the rights holder last week. The law states it will include computer programs, audiovisual work, musical works, and film, cinema, and entertainment organizations.The law cited that this decision is the result of “unfriendly” relations between Belarus and other countries including the U.S., EU, and the UK, amongst others, which imposed sanctions on the country amidst its support of the…

Photo: Pool (Getty Images)House Republicans, as early as this week, could have a powerful new panel at their disposal to grill Big Tech companies over long-alleged, but largely unproven accusations of conservative censorship and government collusion. Though Democrats and tech industry experts refute the committee’s premise, the panel could nonetheless force tech companies and their executives directly into the center of a meandering GOP spotlight seeking to reveal even the tiniest modicum of evidence thattech companies…

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain US president Joe Biden is clearly frustrated about the focus on his age. In mid-December last year he reportedly vented to allies, saying: "You think I don't know how fucking old I am?" But, as attention turns to the 2024 election, the prospect of Biden—now 80 years old—running for another term which would last until he is 86, means that this is an issue that is unlikely to go away.…

To the editor: We often indulge in a scurrilous generalization that “all politicians are scoundrels.” But there is one party with an abundance of members who have earned that label. (“New York Rep.-elect George Santos admits lying about his career and college education,” Dec. 27)From President Richard Nixon’s “I am not a crook” to New York’s Rep.-elect George Santos’ “I am not a criminal,” there is a string of GOP officials who are well deserving of being called liars and cheats.Santos’ flagrant fabrication of his…