Good Wednesday morning.
Here’s what is on the president’s agenda today:
- The president signs H.R. 1865, the “Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017”
- President Trump has lunch with Vice President Mike Pence
- The president has dinner with Republican congressional Leadership
Zuckerberg testimony
Yesterday, Mark Zuckerberg (and his booster seat) appeared before the Senate for a rather non-menacing session of Q & A. He was not put under oath. You can read his complete testimony here. An army of Zuckerbergs flooded the Capitol lawn. If you are worried Cambridge Analytica acquired your Facebook data, here’s how you can find out.
The media has been slobbering all over Zuck. Why? Because Zuck has the power to hide their content from Facebook readers. Eighty percent of people use Facebook to curate their news, so the media have to give Zuck the “hero edit.”
I watched some of the hearing and was not impressed. It’s clear that Zuckerberg wants to build a “community” filled with appropriate content. Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) asked Zuckerberg to elaborate on how he determines what’s inappropriate:
“I worry about a world where when you go from violent groups to hate speech in a hurry,” Sasse told Zuckerberg. “Facebook may decide it needs to police a whole bunch of speech that I think America may be better off not having policed by one company that has a really big and powerful platform.”
“Can you define hate speech?” he asked.
“I’m worried about the psychological categories around speech,” Sasse interjected. “We see this happening on college campuses all across the country. It’s dangerous.”
“There are some really passionately held views about the abortion issue on this panel today,” the senator went on. “Can you imagine a world where you might decide that pro-lifers are prohibited from speaking about their abortion view on your platform?”
“I certainly would not want that to be the case,” Zuckerberg responded.
“But might really be unsettling to people who’ve have had an abortion to have an open debate about that wouldn’t it?” Sasse said.
Zuckerberg said he did not think pro-life speech would fit any of Facebook’s definitions for hate speech, adding that he “generally agrees” with Sasse’s point.
I call BS on that. Facebook punished Trump supporters Diamond and Silk for being dangerous to the “community.” The company won’t even talk to the ladies and tell them what they do that’s problematic. Facebook absolutely curates their content and that makes them a media outlet and not merely a platform. FUN FLASHBACK: Facebook refused to remove a Palestinian-run page about stabbing Jews.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) also lit into Zuckerberg about bias against conservatives.
The Zuck will appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee today. Here are the congresspeople that sit on that committee.
Related:
Senator to Zuckerberg: ‘Your user agreement sucks’
470 fake news Facebook pages linked to Russia
Zuckerberg’s notes show he was prepared for senators to ask about resigning
Senator Demands Zuckerberg Fire Staffer Who Let Obama Campaign Steal User Data
The Senate is filled with crusty tech-ignorant old people
“Is Twitter Facebook?” This compilation of the World’s Greatest Deliberative Body asking Zuckerberg questions is absolutely hilarious and horrifying. Sean Davis nails it:
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/983844638447538176
Nunes is not messing around
House Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes is not suffering the deep state fools. The deadline to turn over requested documents is today.
“We’re not going to just hold in contempt, we will have a plan to hold in contempt and to impeach,” Nunes said to Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Tuesday evening.
“We’re not messing around here,” Nunes continued.
“We’re at a boiling point where we need this,” Nunes said.
“I can tell you this. We are going to get the document,” Nunes said. “We’re going to get the two pages. So they can either cough them up now, or it will get really complicated starting tomorrow night.”
“And so, it seems like the special counsel is good at leaking, but not so good at finding major felony leakers,” Nunes said.
Rep. Mark Meadows joins in.
I love it. It’s about time Congress starts fighting back against the DOJ’s stall tactics. Let’s go.
!MUELLER MANIA!
It’s that time again…time for the media and the left to gin themselves up with hysteria that President Trump is going to fire Mueller. With the jackboot raid of Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, the perfect opportunity presented itself for the media and the #resistance to kick into Mueller Mania gear. Here’s just a tiny fraction of what littered the media landscape yesterday:
Fears rise of Trump move against Mueller
Trump at crisis point on Mueller
Official: President Trump re-evaluating interview with Mueller after Cohen raid
GOP senator wants committee vote on bill protecting Mueller
Trump tried to fire Mueller in December: report
The White House just signaled which way Trump is leaning on firing Mueller
Historical picture of the day:
Smiling Tory leader Mrs. Margaret Thatcher as she launched her General Election manifesto at a press conference at Conservation Central Office in London on Wednesday, April 11, 1979. The manifesto- a “distinctive, but realistic” approach to the nation’s problems, claimed Mrs. Thatcher- includes proposals for a gradual cutback in State spending, cuts in income tax and winder use of secret ballots on strike calls. Sitting to the right of Thatcher is Lord Thorneycroft, Chairman of the Conservative Party. (AP Photo)
Other morsels:
Poll: Public Doesn’t Care About Stormy Daniels
Stormy Daniels cooperating with federal investigators
Arizona Republicans block vote on Equal Rights Amendment — on Equal Pay Day
Trump signs order calling for work requirements in welfare programs
Bank of America to stop financing manufacturers of ‘military-style’ guns, exec says
Sarah Huckabee Sanders Slaps Down April Ryan For Asking Whether Trump Will Resign
Sinclair CEO says ‘extremists’ trying to bully company
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper Creating Two North Carolinas
Disturbing messages found in diapers from Target
Former top aide to Pruitt being investigated over ‘no-show job’
Jesse Jackson calls to expand Kroger boycott over its shuttering of stores in minority neighborhoods
Los Angeles painting city streets white in bid to combat climate change
Dreamers in Arizona are no longer eligible for cheaper in-state tuition, court rules
Trump cancels South America trip because of Syria, White House says
And that’s all I’ve got, now go beat back the angry mob!
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