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Researchers find Twitter is good for amplifying lies
When it comes to spreading President Trump's false and misleading remarks, Twitter is a perfect storm. A study by Media Matters found that when tweeting about Trump's statements, major news outlets include false information 30 percent of the time. And 65 percent of the time, news outlets fail to provide corrections or context in the body of those tweets. That's especially troublesome given that so many people get their news via tweets and headlines and do not fully read most stories, where they might find more context.
DOJ report finds foreign meddling had no impact on midterm elections
If attempts at election meddling had any tangible effect on the US midterms, you won't hear about it from some officials. The Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have submitted a joint report to President Trump saying there was no evidence a foreign government or agency had a "material impact" on the infrastructures of the 2018 vote, including campaigns and political bodies. The actual conclusions are classified, but they're consistent with what the government said after the elections, the Justice Department said.
Foxconn pledges to still build Wisconsin factory after Trump talks
Following talks with President Trump, Foxconn says it is indeed building a factory at its Wisconsin campus. Earlier this week, the company caused a furor when it said it's shifting plans away from manufacturing to focus on a research and engineering center. Now it seems it's doing both.
US signs act that opens government data to the public into law
POTUS has signed a bill into law that includes the OPEN Government Data Act, following approvals (and amendments) from the Senate and then by the House of Representatives. The sweeping legislation is aimed at making public data released by the government easier to access via smartphones and other electronic devices. It essentially requires that federal agencies publish any "non-sensitive" info in a "machine-readable" format (meaning in a file type that a phone or laptop can process, rather than a raw data dump).
President poised to sign bill creating quantum computing initiative
Visions of an American quantum computing initiative are close to becoming a practical reality. The House of Representatives has passed its version of a bill that would establish a National Quantum Initiative Program and speed up the development of next-generation computing technology. Provided the President signs it into law (it cleared the Senate last week), the bill would set out a 10-year plan and launch several initiatives. These would include a presidential advisory committee, a National Science and Technology Council subcommittee, grants from the National Science Foundation and research at organizations ranging from the Energy Department to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Facebook pulls Trump ad TV networks took off the air
Facebook confirmed that it has followed in the footsteps of most major media outlets and pulled a controversial advertisement released by the Donald Trump campaign. The social media giant, which allowed the video to run for several days on its platform, said the advertisement violates its policy against sensational content, according to the Daily Beast.
China suggests Trump should ditch ‘tapped’ iPhones for Huawei
China is trolling Trump. In an official response to the allegations that it and Russia are spying on the President's trio of iPhones, a top-ranking Chinese official said: "If they are very worried about iPhones being tapped, they can use Huawei."
China and Russia reportedly eavesdrop on Trump's cellphone calls
President Trump's reported decision to ignore phone security advice may have had serious consequences. Current and former officials talking to the New York Times said that Trump has refused to stop making calls on his iPhones (two official ones, one personal) despite intelligence officials warning that China and Russia are eavesdropping on his conversations. Officials have succeeded in pushing Trump to use the White House's secure landline more often, but they've allegedly resigned themselves to hoping that he won't discuss classified material when chatting with friends on his smartphones.
White House downplays talk of executive order targeting internet bias
Is President Trump looking at an executive order that would investigate internet companies over his accusations of political bias? Not officially... although the government isn't strictly denying the claims, either. After Bloomberg reported the existence of a draft order, deputy White House press secretary Lindsey Walters issued a statement that the document was "not the result of an official policymaking process." It's not saying the story is wrong, as such -- it is, however, downplaying the prospect of such an order becoming a reality.
Trump will reportedly spare Apple products from latest China tariffs (updated)
If you were scrambling to buy the latest Apple Watch out of concern that Trump's next round of tariffs could lead to price hikes, you can likely relax. Bloomberg sources have claimed that the new tariffs don't affect a technology category that covers many of Apple's products, including the Watch, AirPods, the HomePod and Beats headphones. This is also likely to exempt comparable products from other companies, such as Fitbit's activity trackers and Sonos' speakers, but the scoop only mentioned Apple's by name.
Trump expected to announce more China tech tariffs within days
The White House isn't just dismissing technology companies' concerns about tariffs on China, it's picking up the pace. Both Reuters and the Wall Street Journal have learned that the Trump administration is likely to formally announce its latest tariffs on Chinese goods within the next few days (possibly as soon as September 17th). Imports for "internet technology products," circuit boards and other electronics are still likely to become more expensive, although the tariff level is reportedly set at 10 percent, not the originally proposed 25 percent also used for earlier tariffs. The administration may have lowered the tariffs to reduce the chances that companies would instantly raise prices to make up for the higher costs.
Trump proposal would end California's tougher car emission standards
It's no secret that the Trump administration is bristling at the Clean Air Act waiver that lets California apply stricter car emissions standards -- the state effectively determines the standards for the rest of the country, negating any federal attempts at rolling back anti-pollution efforts. And the administration has apparently had enough. Bloomberg sources have learned of an imminent proposed standards revision that would strip California of its extra authority. The EPA would suggest revoking California's waiver, while the NHTSA would maintain that California isn't allowed to regulate emissions under the law that established federal-level fuel efficiency requirements.
Trump claims Russia has stopped its cyberattacks against the US
President Trump is still dealing with the repercussions of appearing to agree with Vladimir Putin that Russia didn't interfere with the 2016 US election (and the subsequent attempted walk back of this statement), but that isn't stopping him from further controversial statements on cybersecurity. In a cabinet meeting, Trump told a reporter that Russia was no longer "targeting" the US with cyberattacks. The claim strains credulity, to put it mildly -- it contradicts both his previous remarks and the findings of intelligence agencies.
US walks back China tech investment restrictions
Earlier this month, President Trump announced that the US would impose a 25 percent tariff on imported Chinese goods from certain industries. There was significant worry that the president would also limit or block investment in US based tech firms if the company had 25 percent or more Chinese ownership. Now, according to Axios, it appears that these additional restrictions won't materialize; the president will limit himself to what Congress already has planned.
Let's hope Trump didn't give Kim Jong Un the wrong ‘direct number’
President Trump's historic meeting with Kim Jong-Un may not have resulted in the complete de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, but it did lead to a fascinating exchange in which the President claims to have given Kim a "very direct number" if the North Korean leader "has any difficulty." Wired raises an interesting point about the situation, though: given President Trump's attempts to keep his own smartphones away from security-minded staffers, is it possible he inadvertently created a potential security nightmare by giving Kim his personal phone number?
Trump nominates Geoffrey Starks as FCC Commissioner
It's now clear who will (likely) take FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn's seat now that she's stepping down. President Trump has signaled his intent to nominate Geoffrey Starks to fulfill the remainder of a five-year Commissioner term that began on June 30th, 2017, when Clyburn's stint officially ended. The transition will take place if and when the Senate confirms his appointment, although there's a good chance of that happening when Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has backed the nomination. Just how this will shape the FCC's decisions remains murky, though.
Whistleblower: Cambridge Analytica couldn’t work with Democrats
Although Cambridge Analytica (CA) is preparing to shut down, US Congress isn't done trying to get answers about the firm's tactics to harvest online user data for political research. Today, in the latest chapter of a matter that has affected up to 87 million Facebook users, the Senate Judiciary Committee is holding another hearing, titled "Cambridge Analytica and the Future of Data Privacy." One of the people testifying before the panel of senators is none other than whistleblower Christopher Wylie, the former director of research at CA who helped break the story earlier this year. In written testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Wylie said that what he bore witness to during his time at CA, between 2013 and 2014, should alarm everyone.
White House dumps 'cyber czar' advisory position
Today the White House confirmed there will be no replacement for Rob Joyce as cybersecurity coordinator. Joyce was Trump's first pick for this position created by the Obama Administration and spent 13 months as the "cyber czar" coordinating security efforts across government. Now the new national security advisor John Bolton is eliminating the position, as Politico reports that an email sent to staffers said the intent is to "streamline authority" within the National Security Council, which has two senior cyber policy directors. Not everyone agrees, however, as Senate Intelligence ranking member Mark Warner (D-VA) tweeted "We also need to articulate a clear cyber doctrine. I don't see how getting rid of the top cyber official in the White House does anything to make our country safer from cyber threats." Representative Jim Langevin (D-RI), said: "It is an enormous step backwards to deemphasize this growing challenge." Joyce will return to his post at the NSA. Meanwhile, Trump signed an executive order intended to give CIOs at federal agencies more hiring authority and control over budgets. Without the "cyber czar" agencies will have to find ways to coordinate with each other and foreign governments on matters like election security and data breaches without a single person managing the efforts. This should work out just fine.
Consumer tech lobbyist calls China tariffs a 'poison pill'
The White House might argue that its proposed tariffs on Chinese tech would punish the harvesting of American intellectual property while preserving the US economy, but don't tell that to the Consumer Technology Association's Gary Shapiro. The industry lobbying group CEO has issued a statement describing the tariffs and the likely Chinese response as a "poison pill" to production, the "innovation economy" and customers' wallets. Instead, he suggested that the US slap China-style requirements (not necessarily joint ventures) on foreign companies while pushing for greater transparency, competition and respect for patents.
