May 25, 2017

Apple News hires an editor in chief

Eric Risberg / AP

Apple News has hired New York Magazine editor Lauren Kern as editor-in-chief of Apple's mobile-based news distribution app, Politico reports. Apple News replaced Apple's previous news app, the "Newsstand," in 2015, and has become a more user friendly and customized experience that's focused on design.

Why it matters: This is another example of the latest tech platform trend: Hire a veteran journalist to weed out bad content, and elevate news important to users. Examples:

Google hired Salon's Richard Gingras to lead its News products division in 2011.
Snapchat hired CNN's Peter Hamby as "Head of News" in 2015.
Facebook hired veteran anchor Campbell Brown to lead its Facebook Journalism Project in 2017.

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Rebecca Falconer, Orion Rummler

Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Updates: George Floyd protests continue past curfews

Protesters on Tuesday evening by the metal fence recently erected outside the White House. Photo: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Protests over the death of George Floyd and other police-related killings of black people continued Tuesday night across the U.S. for the eighth consecutive day — prompting a federal response from the National Guard, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

The latest: Protesters were still out en masse for mostly after curfews were in force in cities including Washington, D.C., New York City, Los Angeles and Portland — where police used pepper spray and flash bangs on a group throwing projectiles at them during an "unlawful assembly," per KATU. Portland police said this group was separate to the thousands of demonstrators who protested peacefully elsewhere in the city.

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Ursula Perano, Zachary Basu

Updated 4 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Primary elections test impact of protests, coronavirus on voting

Election official at a polling place at McKinley Technology High School in Washington, D.C. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In the midst of a global pandemic and national protests over the death of George Floyd, eight states and the District of Columbia held primary elections on Tuesday.

Why it matters: Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, needs to win 425 of the 479 delegates up for grabs in order to officially clinch the nomination. There are a number of key down-ballot races throughout the country as well, including a primary in Iowa that could determine the fate of Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa).

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Zachary Basu

4 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Iowa Rep. Steve King defeated in GOP primary

Rep. Steve King. Photo: Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images

State Sen. Randy Feenstra defeated incumbent Rep. Steve King in Tuesday's Republican primary for Iowa's 4th congressional district, according to the Cook Political Report.

Why it matters: King's history of racist remarks has made him one of the most controversial politicians in the country and a pariah within the Republican Party.

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