Sep 20, 2017

Republican Governors Association launches news website

Screengrab: Free Telegraph / Facebook

"The Republican Governors Association has quietly launched an online publication that looks like a media outlet and is branded as such on social media," AP's Bill Barrow reports.

Why it matters: This is an awesome example of the reason that people rightly distrust so much of what they read online — and should trust even less.

  • "The Free Telegraph blares headlines about the virtues of GOP governors, while framing Democrats negatively. It asks readers to sign up for breaking news alerts."
  • "It launched in the summer bearing no acknowledgement that it was a product of an official party committee."
  • "Only after [AP] inquired about the site last week was a disclosure added to The Free Telegraph's pages identifying the publication's partisan source."

Be smart: We used to make fun of a kid on our street who was so dopey that he didn't know milk came from a cow — he thought it came from the market.

News doesn't come from Facebook, folks. We need to be discerning readers, and do more to help the young people in our lives sort out all the pixels coming at them.

Go deeper

Rebecca Falconer
16 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Dozens of Confederate symbols removed in wake of George Floyd's death

A statue of Confederate States President Jefferson Davis lies on the street after protesters pulled it down in Richmond, Virginia, in June. Photo: Parker Michels-Boyce/AFP via Getty Images

59 Confederate symbols have been removed, relocated or renamed since anti-racism protests began over George Floyd's death, a new Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) report finds.

Why it matters: That's a marked increase on previous years, per the report, which points out just 16 Confederate monuments were affected in 2019.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10:30 p.m. ET: 20,532,835 — Total deaths: 747,845— Total recoveries: 12,743,275 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10:30 p.m. ET: 5,193,266 — Total deaths: 165,934 — Total recoveries: 1,714,960 — Total tests: 63,252,257 — Map.
  3. Politics: Pelosi says Mnuchin told her White House is "not budging" on stimulus position.
  4. Business: U.S. already feeling effects of ending unemployment benefits.
  5. Public health: America's two-sided COVID-19 response — America is flying blind on its coronavirus response.
  6. Education: New Jersey governor allows schools to reopen — Gallup: America's confidence in public school system jumps to highest level since 2004.
Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
Updated 1 hour ago - Health

World coronavirus updates

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Axios Visuals

France reported more than 2,500 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours — the largest single-day number since May. French officials said the situation was "clearly worsening," per France 24.

By the numbers: Over 745,600 people have died of the novel coronavirus globally and over 20.4 million have tested positive, per Johns Hopkins. Almost 12.7 million have recovered from the virus.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow