Jan 2, 2018

Trump admin urges Iran to lift restrictions on social media

Protestors in Tehran, Iran on Dec. 30. Photo: Anadolu Agency / Getty Images

The Trump administration has called on the Iranian government to lift restrictions on social media apps including Instagram and Telegram, AP reports. The restrictions were temporarily imposed to "maintain tranquillity” during the anti-government protests in the country, per Iran's state-sponsored news agency. Iran's government blocked access to social media as part of its "iron fist" response to the pro-reform protests.

Why it matters: Tech platforms have allowed groups to organize around ideas in ways that they could not before. Many argued that access to social media helped facilitate protests that led to democratic revolution during the Arab Spring in 2012.

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David Nather

9 mins ago - Politics & Policy

The cracks in Trump’s GOP shield

Photo Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images

President Trump’s mockery of coronavirus masks, his false claims about the dangers of voting by mail and his insinuations that a cable TV nemesis was involved in a murder are testing more high-profile Republicans' willingness to look the other way.

The big picture: Republicans learned a long time ago how dangerous it is to alienate Trump’s base — which is why any hint of disagreement, even a whisper, is so remarkable when it happens.

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Axios

Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

U.S. cities crack down on protesters

The scene near the 5th police precinct during a demonstration calling for justice for George Floyd in Minneapolis on Saturday. Photo: Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images

Major U.S. cities have implemented curfews and called on National Guard to mobilize as thousands of demonstrators gather across the nation to continue protesting the death of George Floyd.

The state of play: Hundreds have already been arrested as tensions continue to rise between protesters and local governments. Protesters are setting police cars on fire as freeways remain blocked and windows are shattered, per the Washington Post. Law enforcement officials are using tear gas and rubber bullets to try to disperse crowds and send protesters home.

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Axios

Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

George Floyd protests: What you need to know

Photo: David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

Clashes erupted between law enforcement and protesters in several major U.S. cities Saturday night as demonstrations over the death of George Floyd and other police-related killings of black men spread across the country.

The big picture: Floyd's death in Minneapolis police custody is the latest reminder of the disparities between black and white communities in the U.S. and comes as African Americans grapple with higher death rates from the coronavirus and higher unemployment from trying to stem its spread.

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