Jul 8, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Facebook bans accounts linked to Roger Stone and far-right Proud Boys

Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Facebook announced Wednesday it removed nearly 100 social media accounts and pages with links to Trump associate Roger Stone and the Proud Boys, a far-right group, for posting misinformation.

Why it matters: Facebook began looking into the accounts as part of an investigation into the Proud Boys' attempt to return to Facebook following a 2018 ban. The accounts posed as Florida residents and shared misinformation about local politics, land and water resource bills as well as misinformation about Stone's trial, books and media appearances.

The network of accounts consisted of 50 Facebook pages, 54 Facebook accounts and four Instagram accounts.
Nearly 260,000 people followed more than one of the removed Facebook pages, and 61,500 people followed one or more of the Instagram accounts.
The groups and individuals behind the accounts spent about $308,000 on advertising.

Context: Stone was sentenced to prison for three years for crimes uncovered by the Mueller investigation that include obstruction of justice, lying to Congress and witness tampering. He is due to report this month.

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Jacob Knutson

Jul 17, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Nadler to present bills limiting presidential pardon powers

Rep. Jerrold Nadler on July 9. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nader (D-N.Y.) announced in a statement on Friday that the committee will consider two bills next week that would curtail presidential pardon and commutation powers.

Why it matters: The bills come just one week after President Trump commuted the sentence of his longtime associate Roger Stone, who faced 40 months in prison for crimes including obstruction, witness tampering and making false statements to Congress.

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Axios

Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 12:30 a.m. ET: 18,288,573 — Total deaths: 693,805 — Total recoveries — 10,916,907 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 12:30 a.m. ET: 4,713,562 — Total deaths: 155,469 — Total recoveries: 1,513,446 — Total tests: 57,543,852 — Map.
Education — Fauci: Schools can reopen with safeguards, but those in virus hot spots should remain closed
Politics: White House will require staff to undergo randomized coronavirus testing — Pelosi says Birx "enabled" Trump on misinformation.
Sports: 13 members of St. Louis Cardinals test positive, prompting MLB to cancel Tigers series — Former FDA chief says MLB outbreaks should be warning sign for schools.
1 🎥 thing: "Tenet" may be the first major film to get a global pandemic release.

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Rebecca Falconer

Updated 3 hours ago - Science

Hurricane Isaias lashes the Carolinas

People walk through floodwaters on Ocean Blvd. in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Monday. Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Hurricane Isaias made landfall as a Category 1 storm near Ocean Isle Beach in southern North Carolina at 11:10 p.m. ET Monday, packing maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, per the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

What's happening: Hurricane conditions were spreading onto the coast of eastern South Carolina and southeastern N.C., the NHC said in an 11 p.m. update. Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Debbie Smith told WECT News the eye of the storm triggered "a series of fires at homes" and "a lot of flooding." Fire authorities said they were responding to "multiple structure fires in the area."