Jul 18, 2017 - Technology

Instagram COO explains why its "Stories" clone is unique

Instagram borrowed Snapchat's "Stories" format, but what makes it unique is how it works in concert with the rest of the photo-sharing app's features, Instagram COO Marne Levine explained at Fortune's Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen.

"We've acknowledged over and over again that we did not invent the Stories format," said Levine. "It's a great format and it works well in our community," adding that Stories lets users post photos they often wouldn't post as traditional Instagram photos.

Why it matters: Instagram's decision to launch a feature identical to Snapchat's Stories last August has been met with both criticism and praise for getting its users to adopt it so quickly (currently 250 million people are using Instagram's Stories every day). The competition between the two apps is well known, and Stories has become the new battleground.

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Fadel Allassan
7 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Americans reflect on Independence Day amid racism reckoning

A Black Lives Matter banner and a United States flag on the facade of the U.S. embassy building in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: Simon Shin/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

America's leaders are rethinking how they view Independence Day, as the country reckons with the historic, unequal treatment of people of color during a pandemic which has disproportionately affected nonwhite Americans.

Why it matters: The country’s legacy of racism has come into sharp focus in the weeks of protests following the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. From Confederate statues to Mount Rushmore, Americans are reexamining the symbols and traditions they elevate and the history behind them.

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Axios
Updated 9 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 11,031,905 — Total deaths: 523,777 — Total recoveries — 5,834,337 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 2,788,395 — Total deaths: 129,306 — Total recoveries: 790,404 — Total tested: 34,213,497 — Map.
  3. States: ICU beds in Arizona's hot spot reach near capacity.
  4. Public health: The states where face coverings are mandatory — Fauci says it has been a "very disturbing week" for the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S.
  5. Economy: The economy may recover just quickly enough to kill political interest in more stimulus.
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Rashaan Ayesh
12 hours ago - Sports

Washington Redskins to review team name amid public pressure

Photo: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

The Washington Redskins have announced they will be conducting a review of the team's name after mounting pressure from the public and corporate sponsors.

Why it matters: This review is the first formal step the Redskins are taking since the debate surrounding the name first began. It comes after weeks of discussions between the team and the NFL, the team said.

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