Embed from Getty Images Facebook is optimizing “content that gets engagement, a reaction, but its own research is showing that content that is hateful, that is divisive, that is polarizing, it’s easier to inspire people to anger than it is to other emotions.” Haugen, a former data scientist who worked for Facebook, came forward with thousands of documents that show...

Doomsurfing and doomscrolling . . .  [refer] to the tendency to continue to surf or scroll through bad news . . . without the ability to stop or step back. — Merriam Webster Covid, political tribalism, uncertainty, distrust. Up late at night doomsurfing? The new obsession has become a default mechanism used by many to addictively scroll or surf through...

The last four years has seen a dramatic erosion of facts and truth, one of the essentials of our democracy. In its place are conspiracy theories, misinformation and blatant lies....

“It’s good to be the King!”  – Mel Brooks, “History of the World Part I” It’s fifty days before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. While the Covid-19 virus remains the top priority for both the incoming president and Congress, there are steps that both can take to begin to restore trust in government, protect the interests of Americans, and...

In 2006, I completed a survey entitled, Honesty and Trust in America. While the study took place 14 years ago, the solutions from more than 8,000 Americans are more relevant than ever. “When it comes to grading the level of trustworthiness of various groups that determine the course of the nation,” I began, “congress received the lowest levels of trustworthiness...

A recent story in Forbes magazine reports, “Some 56% of Republicans believe that QAnon, a far-right conspiracy theory, is mostly or partly true, according to a new Daily Kos/Civiqs poll released Wednesday…” Early in his campaign, Trump suggested that Ted Cruz’s father may be linked to the Kennedy assassination. How did he know? He read it in the “well respected”...

He is an angry, arrogant, bigoted, unprincipled narcissist who was elected to the U.S. presidency by the slimmest of margins. He is the most illiterate, contradictory, and inarticulate individual who has ever held the highest office in the land. According to the watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), he has more than 3,000 conflicts of interest....

“a person who forsakes his religion, cause, party, etc.” — e.g. Neil Cavuto Neil Cavuto is the Fox News anchor/commentator who talks about all things business. However, following President Trump’s press conference on Monday, Cavuto abruptly switched gears to address a continuing controversy in the president’s remarks. “A lot of good things have come out about the Hydroxy, things have...

Let’s begin with the president’s go-to guy and maestro of misinformation, Sean Hannity. “Wow, huge massive developments in the biggest abuse-of-power, corruption scandal in American history. Dozens of top Obama officials have unmasked, surveilled Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn… all roads lead directly to Barack… we’ll call out the liars.” Well, not all the liars, Sean. What is “Obamagate“? “What is...

When it comes to honestly reporting the facts to the American public, I’ve given up expecting Trump to deviate from his past behavior. While the President continues to walk on water to his base, the rest of us know that he continues to contradict and flat-out lie about his own statements. Washington Post reporter JM Rieger put together a video...