TFW Facebook and Twitter are 'too slow' compared to Russia

with Editors

9/5/18 9:38:38 AM -- Washington, DC, U.S.A -- Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook Inc., and Jack Dorsey, chief executive officer of Twitter Inc., testify before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence during a hearing on Foreign Influence Operations' Use of Social Media Platforms on Sept. 5, 2018 in Washington. -- Photo by Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Staff ORG XMIT: JG 137441 Social Media Hea 9/5/ (Via OlyDrop)

Facebook and Twitter say 'oops,' Marco Rubio and Alex Jones say...

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg told the Senate Intelligence Committee that Facebook was "too slow to act" on Russian meddling, and Twitter was also ill-equipped for the challenge, CEO Jack Dorsey said. But it was outside the hearing on foreign influence on social media that tempers flared: When conspiracy theorist-radio host Alex Jones repeatedly touched and interrupted Sen. Marco Rubio, the Florida Republican told him "I'll take care of you myself." Jones claims tech companies are biased against conservatives. President Trump also recently accused Google's algorithm of bias, which Google denies. Last month Facebook announced it had foiled a campaign originating in Russia and Iran attempting to influence voters ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. The previous month, Trump had accused Twitter of "shadow banning" Republicans. When Congress in May released 3,517 Facebook ads bought by Russians , we read every single one (you can, too!) and found that the majority focused on race. Needless to say, American political discord sown via social media is not a new issue – and won't become an old one any time soon.

There's a midterm election fire – Planned Parenthood is providing the fuel

Democrats and women in particular have the edge this midterm election, polls show. They'll get a boost from Planned Parenthood and its partners, who will double their voter contact efforts in an election in which health care is among the chief issues for women. The organization aims to reach about 4.5 million voters before Election Day. Planned Parenthood officials say they have particular pull because 1 in 3 women have visited a Planned Parenthood clinic for health care services. The campaign, which kicks off Saturday, will focus on legal challenges to Obamacare, a proposed change from the Trump administration to block Planned Parenthood funding and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who Democrats fear could threaten abortion rights if admitted to the court.

America is breaking up with the manual transmission

Learning to work the clutch with one hand on the stick used to be a rite of passage for beginning drivers. But let's face it, manual transmissions are shifting into history. It's estimated 3.5% of cars bought in 2018 will be stick shifts , a number expected to fall to 2.6% by 2023. Car makers definitely received the message. German brand Audi announced it will no longer offer manual-transmission vehicles in the U.S. starting with its 2019s. So why have we turned our backs on the beloved stick shift? A) Fewer of us know how to drive them ; and B) automatic transmissions improved so much that the practical reasons for driving stick – more fuel efficient and cheaper cost – are sometimes no longer true. This doesn't necessarily mean we'll see an automatic transmission takeover because electric cars don't have transmissions at all.

From 'Rigged' to regulation?

Last year, the USA TODAY Network's Brett Murphy uncovered modern-day indentured servitude in the trucking industry, resulting not only in the abuse of the workers but in more dangerous roads for everyone because of truckers' sleep deprivation. Now, California lawmakers passed a bill that aims to protect truckers from labor violations by shifting part of the financial liability to big retailers, such as Target and Costco, if they do choose to do business with trucking companies on a public "blacklist." The Teamsters union is among the bill's sponsors and retailers haven't launched strong opposition. It's up to Gov. Jerry Brown to sign or veto it.

Trump continues attack on Woodward book

Journalist and author Bob Woodward of Watergate fame wrote a book Fear: Trump in the White House in which many of President Trump's aides and White House officials paint an unflattering picture of the president. In attacking the book Wednesday, Trump suggested the government should tighten libel laws. The 448-page book drew a number of denials from the president and his team. Adding to the Trump tell-all is sports columnist Rick Reilly's new book Commander in Cheat : How Golf Explains Trump, which focuses on Trump's golf game.

This compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network was brought to you by Anne Godlasky and Sean Rossman.

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