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Inside the Beltway: Media offers 'crickets' on Joe Biden misconduct charges – Washington Times

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Observers continue to ponder the situation of Tara Reade, a former Senate aide to then-Sen. Joseph R. Biden of Delaware. She has accused him of sexual misconduct in a 1993 encounter, complaints about which now seem to have been verified by a video clip from “Larry King Live” which aired on CNN on Aug. 11, 1993.

A female caller asked the prime-time host for advice in handling certain “problems” with a prominent senator; Ms. Reade confirmed to CNN just 48 hours ago that she was certain that the woman was her late mother.

Such goings would make ideal fodder for the great Sunday talk fest on the networks, right? Uh, no.

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“Crickets on the Sunday talk shows. After corroborating evidence of Tara Reade’s sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden emerged from an episode of “Larry King Live” from 1993, one would think that would merit a mention on Sunday shows,” says Steve Guest, rapid response director for the Republican National Committee.

He cited “zero mentions on all five Sunday broadcasts, including CNN’s “State Of The Union” and NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“That’s five hours of coverage and not one single mention,” Mr. Guest said.

“The mainstream media’s coverage of the Reade allegations has made it very clear: sexual assault allegations will be given wall to wall coverage if they are made against a prominent Republican, whether corroborating evidence exists or not. But allegations against Democrats will be swept aside, even if corroborating evidence to support the allegation exists. The word ‘shameful’ doesn’t even begin to describe this incredible pattern by our media,” he observed.

Ms. Reade herself went on Fox News over the weekend to note the double standard.

“I think it’s shocking that this much time has passed and that he is an actual nominee for president and they’re not asking the questions. He’s been on ‘Anderson Cooper’ at least twice where he was not asked,” she said in an interview.

“I guess my question is, if this were Donald Trump, would they treat it the same way? If this were Brett Kavanaugh, did they treat it the same way?” Ms. Reade said. “In other words, it’s politics and political agenda playing a role in objective reporting and asking the question.”

VOTERS DOUBT BIDEN CAN WIN

Despite endless press attacks on President Trump, he still holds a unique advantage in the presidential election. His main rival in the race does not appear to be instilling much voter confidence.

Joe Biden may be the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, but the former vice president has a unique problem among registered voters: a lot of people who prefer him don’t think he’ll win,” writes Kathy Frankovic, a senior analyst with YouGov polls.

“Registered voters favor Joe Biden but are skeptical he can beat” Mr. Trump, she says.

Here are the telling numbers: The poll found that among all voters, 48% favor Mr. Biden, 42% favor Mr. Trump. Yet when asked who will actually win the election, 57% of the respondents said Mr. Trump would emerge the victor, while 43% cited Mr. Biden as the top dog.

“Biden holds his six-point lead over President Donald Trump when registered voters are asked how they will vote. But when those voters are asked who will win the election, confidence in a Biden win is just 43 percent,” summarizes Ms. Frankovic. “Not only do a majority of registered voters not think Biden will win the November election, neither do almost one in five of his own anticipated voters.”

THE TRUE COST OF ELECTION

A few stark numbers say much about the real cost of the election for President Trump.

These numbers have been compiled by Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and author of “The MAGA Doctrine: The Only Ideas that will Win the Future.”

He points out that Mr. Trump’s net worth before running for president in 2016 was $4.5 billion. When then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama ran in 2008, his net worth was $3 million, while Bill Clinton was worth $400,000 when he first ran in 1992.

And today?

The Trump fortune now stands at $3 billion, while the Obamas are worth $135 million and the Clinton’s $100 million, Mr. Kirk reports.

“Trump lost money running for public office So why is he the only one donating his salary?” the analyst asked in a tweet Sunday.

STEPPING UP TO HELP

He was the heartthrob singer of another era, his trademark voice selling some 45 million records during the 1950s and ‘60s. Pat Boone has stepped forward to record once again — this time to support first responders in need of personal protection equipment during the coronavirus pandemic.

He joins the growing population of celebrities, actors and entertainers who have used their fame or talent to draw attention to the same cause.

Mr. Boone has recorded a 60-second public service announcement on behalf of the National Sheriffs’ Association, which is raising money to obtain masks, gloves, face visors, disposable gowns, hand sanitizer and disinfectant. The intended recipients are sheriff deputies, police, firefighters and EMTs.

His announcement is now in the hands of 800 radio stations nationwide. The funds are being raised through the National Sheriffs’ Educational Foundation, which says that donations of equipment from businesses are also welcome.

Country music duo Wynonna and Naomi Judd also recorded a video from their kitchen in Tennessee on behalf of the organization, the spot now circulating through social media and via YouTube.

“The first responders keep us safe. Let’s do our part to keep them safe too,” Wynonna Judd advises in their message.

POLL DU JOUR

46% of Americans plan to travel once the coronavirus lockdown ends.

52% of this group will travel within the U.S., 23% are unsure of their destination, 10% will make an international trip.

42% of this group will visit family and friends, 40% will go on a leisure trip, 10% are unsure of their plans.

85% of this group will travel for business.

42% overall did not have to cancel travel plans because of the coronavirus because they had no travel or vacation plans.

34% had to cancel or delay their plans, 24% had to cancel a trip which was already booked.

Source: A Piplsay/Market Cube online survey of 30,587 U.S. adults conducted April 1-21.

• Kindly follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.

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Social media lawsuit launched by Ontario school boards

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Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against multiple social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.

The school boards, including three in the Greater Toronto Area, have launched lawsuits seeking $4.5 billion in damages against Snapchat, TikTok, and Meta, the owner of both Facebook and Instagram, for creating products that they allege negligently interfere with student learning and have caused “widespread disruption to the education system.”

But at an unrelated news conference in Ottawa on Friday, Ford said that he “disagrees” with the legal action and worries it could take the focus away from “the core values of education.”

“Let’s focus on math, reading and writing. That is what we need to do, put all the resources into the kids,” he said. “What are they spending lawyers fees to go after these massive companies that have endless cash to fight this? Let’s focus on the kids, not this other nonsense that they are looking to fight in court.”

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Four separate but similar statements of claim were filed in Ontario’s Superior Court of JusticSocial media lawsuit launched by Ontario school boards pervasive problems such as distraction, social withdrawal, cyberbullying, a rapid escalation of aggression, and mental health challenges,” Colleen Russell-Rawlins, the director of education with the Toronto District School Board, said in a news release issued Thursday.

“It is imperative that we take steps to ensure the well-being of our youth. We are calling for measures to be implemented to mitigate these harms and prioritize the mental health and academic success of our future generation.”

The school boards are represented by Toronto-based law firm Neinstein LLP and the news release states that school boards “will not be responsible for any costs related to the lawsuit unless a successful outcome is reached.”

These lawsuits come as hundreds of school districts in the United States file similar suits.

“A strong education system is the foundation of our society and our community. Social media products and the changes in behaviour, judgement and attention that they cause pose a threat to that system and to the student population our schools serve,” Duncan Embury, the head of litigation at Neinstein LLP, said in the new release.

“We are proud to support our schools and students in this litigation with the goal of holding social media giants accountable and creating meaningful change.”

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Ontario school boards sue social media giants for $4.5B

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Four major Ontario school boards are taking some of the largest social media companies to court over their products, alleging the way they’re designed has negatively rewired the way children think, behave and learn and disrupted the way schools operate.

The public district school boards of Toronto, Peel and Ottawa-Carleton, along with Toronto’s Catholic counterpart, are looking for about $4.5 billion in total damages from Meta Platforms Inc., Snap Inc. and ByteDance Ltd., which operate the platforms Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok respectively, according to separate but similar statements of claim filed Wednesday.

“These social media companies … have knowingly created a product that is addictive and marketed to kids,” said Rachel Chernos Lin, the chair of the Toronto District School Board, on CBC Radio’s Metro Morning on Thursday.

“We need them to be held accountable and we need them to create safer products.”

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Social media giants ‘knowingly’ harming children, TDSB chair says in wake of lawsuit

3 hours ago

Duration 5:53

Four of Ontario’s largest school boards, including the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), have launched lawsuits against social media giants behind Meta, Snapchat and TikTok for allegedly causing harm to students. Metro Morning host David Common spoke with TDSB chair Rachel Chernos Lin about the action.

The allegations have yet to be proven in court, and there is no set date for when they will be heard. CBC Toronto has reached out to the companies named for comment.

The school boards, speaking under a new coalition called Schools for Social Media Change, allege students are experiencing an “attention, learning, and mental health crisis” because of “prolific and compulsive use of social media products,” in a news release.

They allege the platforms facilitate and promote cyberbullying, harassment, hate speech and misinformation, and have a part in escalating physical violence and conflicts in schools, according to the statements of claim.

They also argue these apps are “purposefully designed” to deliver harmful content to students dealing with topics such as suicidal ideation, drugs, self-harm, alcohol, eating disorders, hate speech and sex — particularly content encouraging “non-consensual” sexual activity.

Trying to respond to those problems has caused “massive strains” on the boards’ funds, including in additional mental health programming and staff, IT costs and administrative resources, the release says. The boards call on the social media giants to “remediate” the costs to the larger education system and redesign their products to keep students safe.

Lawsuit may be first of its kind in Canada

Hundreds of school boards in the United States, along with some states, have launched similar lawsuits against social media companies.

Last fall, over 30 states accused Meta Platforms Inc. of harming young people’s mental health and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly designing features on Instagram and Facebook that cause children to be addicted to its platforms.

In an email, a spokesperson for Snap said Snapchat was “intentionally designed to be different from traditional social media.”

“Snapchat opens directly to a camera — rather than a feed of content — and has no traditional public likes or comments. While we will always have more work to do, we feel good about the role Snapchat plays in helping close friends feel connected, happy and prepared as they face the many challenges of adolescence.”

What social media scrolling is doing to kids’ brains

5 months ago

Duration 7:52

With most children and teenagers spending hours a day on a smartphone, CBC’s Christine Birak breaks down what research shows about how using social media is changing kids’ behaviour, if it’s rewiring their brains and what can be done about it.

Neinstein LLP, a Toronto-based firm, is representing the school boards. The boards will not be responsible for any costs related to the suit unless a successful outcome is reached, the release says.

Duncan Embury, a partner and head of litigation at Neinstein, told CBC News the named companies are “mainly responsible” for the social media products that kids use, and share “common” designs or algorithms that lead to “problematic use.”

To his knowledge, this is the first case of its kind in Canada.

“Based on what we’re seeing and what we’re hearing from our educators, I think this is a problem that is pervasive across our system and I wouldn’t be surprised if there [were] more boards that took this step,” said Embury.

Ford ‘disagrees’ with move

At an unrelated news conference on Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he “disagrees” with the schools boards’ lawsuits.

“What are they spending on lawyer fees to go after these massive companies that have endless cash to fight this? Let’s focus on the kids, not about this other nonsense that they’re looking to fight in court,” he said.

WATCH | Ford disagrees with school board lawsuits against social media companies:

Ford disagrees with school board lawsuits against social media companies

2 hours ago

Duration 0:41

Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded to news Thursday that four major school boards in the province are suing some of the largest social media companies over alleged harm to young people, saying he disagrees with the boards’ action. “Let’s focus on the kids, not about this other nonsense,” he told reporters.

CBC News spoke to parents with children who attend schools in the Toronto District School Board. While they all agree social media apps are a problem, they differ in what approach they think should be used to regulate them.

“Just take the phones away,” said Gillian Henderson.

“I don’t think we need to sue anybody, that seems like a long, expensive process. Just take away their phones in class and give them back to them when they need them.”

The board has recently moved to develop a policy to limit cellphone use in classrooms, which includes potential phone bans and social media restrictions. It previously said staff had problems enforcing policies stating students should only use phones for educational purposes only.

Two separate pictures of a woman and a man shown together.
Gillian Henderson and Shyon Baumann have children who attend schools in the Toronto District School Board. Henderson thinks schools should take students’ phones away in class, while Baumann says it may be helpful to force tech giants to decrease harm from their apps through the court system. (Paul Smith/CBC)

Shyon Baumann said school boards could use some help in reducing screen time.

“If the school boards can do what they can trying to police it, that would be great. But it would be also great if the app creators did what they could to make the harms decrease,” he said.

“If they’re not going to make voluntary changes, then maybe doing it through the courts is the most effective way.”

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Five of the best books about social media – The Guardian

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From Covid conspiracy theories to recent speculations about Catherine, Princess of Wales, social media is at the heart of how we share information, and misinformation, with one another in the 21st century. For those who want to have a better understanding of social media and how it affects us, here are a selection of titles that explore how we consume, share, and manipulate information on social media platforms.


So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson

Journalist and author Jon Ronson argues we live in “a great renaissance of public shaming”, and this book tracks down some of the many victims of online shaming to understand what happened to them as a result. In the process, we learn about Ronson’s own values, question our own, and figure out how we’ve reached a time where an online feed can become a social courtroom.


Doppelganger by Naomi Klein

After getting repeatedly mistaken for feminist-turned-conspiracy-theorist Naomi Wolf online, and then in real life, Naomi Klein penned Doppelganger as an earnest and introspective look at herself. The book explores how conspiracy theories and lies spread quickly through the internet, and how the social and political climate of the physical world manipulates the way we experience online platforms. While not exclusively about social media, the story behind Doppelganger is a perfect case of the ways our digital lives and identities intersect with what we experience in reality – and how dangerous the repercussions of spreading online lies can be.

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Irresistible by Adam Alter

Have you ever wondered why you can’t stop scrolling on your TikTok “for you” page, or obsessing over how many likes you got on a recent Facebook post? You’re not alone, and Adam Alter’s book explores why we get sucked into the digital world. He answers what makes an online addiction, whether it be to emails, Instagram, or Netflix, different to other forms of addiction – and warns us of the dangers this could cause long-term. As well as introspection, he gives practical solutions to how digital addiction can be controlled for good.


Extremely Online by Taylor Lorenz

Journalist Taylor Lorenz calls this book “a social history of social media”; she uses real-life case studies of mothers, teenagers, politicians and influencers to assess how social media touches all demographics. Extremely Online explores topics from the digital economy and influencer culture, to what makes moments go viral on Twitter and how this is all influencing the way we socialise and understand the world. At its core, this book explores the idea of what it means to connect – and how social media as an innovation has warped communication.


TikTok Boom by Chris Stokel-Walker

TikTok is arguably one of the most significant advancements in social media in the past two decades. This book by journalist and writer Chris Stokel-Walker explores how the app is changing the way users interact with content. It moves away from the social-commentary style of the other books mentioned here, instead using business and technology analysis as a means to describe wider socio-political repercussions of the app. Stokel-Walker bridges the gap between the digital and the physical, showing the feedback loop that exists between what happens online on platforms such as TikTok and the real world.

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