New America: “The January 6, 2021 mob assault on the U.S. Capitol exposed deep fissures between Americans and shook the very foundations of the country. The violence that day and the tech industry’s response to the tsunami of polarizing content triggered a major public debate over how social media and tech companies manage their platforms… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Congress
A Year After Capitol Riot, Facebook Remains an Extremist Breeding Ground
Technology Transparency Project: “A year ago, Facebook tried to wash its hands of responsibility for the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, despite the fact that, as the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) documented, its platform was a prime tool for organizing the rally and spreading the conspiracy theories and militant extremism that drove the rioters. Now, as… Continue Reading
After the Riot – It’s been 100 days since the attack on the Capitol, and those who were inside still struggle with their memories
NBC News: “Frank Thorp V, April 16, 2021 – “When a mob attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, the world watched as the rioters entered the building, breaking windows and pushing through barriers. But it was more than just physical space that was violated. The seat of government was occupied by hundreds of lawmakers… Continue Reading
AG Garland – Remarks on Jan 6 Capitol Riot and Investigation
Axios: “Acknowledging frustration with the pace of the federal investigation of the attack on the Capitol, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a major speech this afternoon: “The actions we have taken thus far will not be our last.” Garland said the Justice Department “remains committed to holding all January 6 perpetrators, at any level,… Continue Reading
What is Uncivil Religion?
Uncivil Religion: January 6, 2021 – “A Collaborative Digital Project Between the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Religious symbols, rituals, identities, banners, signs, and sounds suffused the events surrounding the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. This project begins to trace the thread… Continue Reading
Facebook Hosted Surge of Misinformation and Insurrection Threats in Months Leading Up to Jan. 6 Attack
“A ProPublica/Washington Post analysis of Facebook posts, internal company documents and interviews, provides the clearest evidence yet that the social media giant played a critical role in spreading lies that fomented the violence of Jan. 6… Facebook groups swelled with at least 650,000 posts attacking the legitimacy of Joe Biden’s victory between Election Day and… Continue Reading
Researchers Find Election Falsehoods Surged on Podcasts Before Capitol Riots
The New York Times: “A new study analyzed nearly 1,500 episodes, showing the extent to which podcasts pushed misinformation about voter fraud….Researchers at the Brookings Institution reviewed transcripts of nearly 1,500 episodes from 20 of the most popular political podcasts. Among episodes released between the election and the Jan. 6 riot, about half contained election… Continue Reading
Hundreds of crimes, little punishment: Inside the sentences since the Capitol attack
Politico: “This is a living database that will be updated weekly with new sentencing information, analysis and data throughout 2022. More than 150 people have pleaded guilty to storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, but relatively few defendants have received prison time for their role in the insurrection. A POLITICO analysis of every sentence to… Continue Reading
States are redrawing every congressional district in the U.S. Here is where we stand.
Politico: “What is redistricting, and why does it matter? Every 10 years, each state redraws its political lines. These processes take months to unfold in state capitals all around the country — and their results mold the balance of power in Congress for a decade. Our analysis uses local voting tallies and Census data to… Continue Reading
New Series of CRS Reports on Constitutional Analysis
LSB10675| The Modes of Constitutional Analysis: An Introduction (Part 1) Brandon J. Murrill Dec 29, 2021: “This Legal Sidebar Post is the first in a nine-part series that discusses certain “methods” or “modes” of analysis that the Supreme Court has employed to determine the meaning of a provision within the Constitution. (For additional background on… Continue Reading
1 in 3 Americans say violence against government can be justified, citing fears of political schism, pandemic
“The Post-UMD poll, coming a year after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, marks the largest share of Americans to hold that view since the question was first asked more than two decades ago. The findings represent the largest share to feel that way since the question has been asked in various polls in… Continue Reading
Dave Barry’s 2021 Year in Review
Washington Post – Vaccines, variants and supply chain woes: A look back at the past 12 months….our point is not that 2021 was massively better than 2020. Our point is that at least it was different. A variant, so to speak. And like any year, it had both highs and lows. No, we take that… Continue Reading
