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Wired reports that following the tragic shooting in South Florida on Wednesday, Russian bots "flooded Twitter" to spread pro-gun messaging and sow discord.
Why it matters: Bots were being used to spread misinformation about who the shooter was and what groups he belonged to. Per Wired, the goal is "to amplify the loudest voices in that fight, deepening the divisions between us."
Go deeper with the full Wired report.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
President Trump's call to treat antifa supporters like terrorists could be a green light for high-tech surveillance of dissidents.
Why it matters: It's unlikely the Trump administration can designate antifa as a terrorist group in any legally meaningful way, but the declaration gives law enforcement tacit approval to use a plethora of tech tools to monitor protesters and left-leaning activists.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Bettmann/Contributor
The year 1968 has been on a lot of people’s minds lately — another year of protests, violence and upheaval that seemed to be tearing the nation apart.
Yes, but: This crisis also has moments we’ve never seen before — and some historians and experts say the differences suggest that 2020 doesn't compare well at all.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
SoftBank COO Marcelo Claure said in a letter to employees early Wednesday that the firm will create a $100 million fund that "will only invest in companies led by founders and entrepreneurs of color."
Why it matters: The Opportunity Growth Fund is one of the first to put significant capital behind companies' statements of empathy and outrage in response to protests over systemic racism in the U.S. typified by the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other African Americans by police.