Navy Secretary’s letter spits in Trump’s eye on the way out the door

Navy Secretary’s letter spits in Trump’s eye on the way out the door

Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer resigned this weekend in a dispute over military justice for Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher. His letter is a not-so-veiled dig at President Trump’s respect for the rule of law. Here’s what happened: Gallagher was accused of crimes including the murder of a wounded Islamic State prisoner. He was convicted of…

It’s time to ban all political ad targeting . . . everywhere
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It’s time to ban all political ad targeting . . . everywhere

Google will stop targeting political ads based on behavior. That’s a start. I call on every platform to end all targeted political ads (except by geography) — and for Congress to make this the law. Here’s what happened with political ads so far in 2019: Twitter banned all political ads. Google just announced that for…

Think South Dakota’s “Meth. We’re on it.” is a dumb slogan? You’re not in the target market
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Think South Dakota’s “Meth. We’re on it.” is a dumb slogan? You’re not in the target market

South Dakota spent nearly half a million dollars on its anti-drug campaign slogan “Meth. We’re on it.” The ridicule spread far and wide. Ha, ha! We’re from South Dakota and we’re telling everyone we’re on meth! Those stupid hicks. Yeah, it looked pretty silly to me, too. Because I’m not on meth. No one I…

How should the president tweet?
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How should the president tweet?

Sunday’s New York Times included a fascinating print and interactive section on the president’s Twitter Feed. However you feel about this president, you must agree that his tweets have been an effective if incendiary communications tool. The next president will use Twitter, but how? Based on observing not just Trump but other politicians and authority…

Facebook ads are targeted lies. Should it ban political ads as Twitter did?
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Facebook ads are targeted lies. Should it ban political ads as Twitter did?

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey just banned all political and issue advertising. Facebook currently accepts all political ads, even if they include false content. But rather than blindly follow Twitter’s lead, I think Facebook has to think a little harder. The current situation regarding Facebook advertising for candidates is unacceptable. Mark Zuckerberg says it’s a free-speech…

Facebook, false advertising, and the cost of doing business
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Facebook, false advertising, and the cost of doing business

Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook won’t block political ads with lies in them. Facebook has changed its policy on — lets call it what is — false advertising. Zuckerberg characterizes this as a “free speech” issue. This is misdirection, a smokescreen. It’s utter bullshit. I refer you to what I wrote earlier this year, after another trust…

Why does Trump’s letter to Erdogan seem so odd?

Why does Trump’s letter to Erdogan seem so odd?

Last week, Donald Trump sent a letter to Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Starting with “Let’s work out a good deal!”, it’s the strangest communication between national leaders ever revealed. Ridicule from both liberals and never-Trump Republicans has spread rapidly. But even as we point and snigger, nobody has really asked, “Why does this letter…

Newly discovered video reveals behind-the-scenes view of the WeWork IPO, in progress.
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Newly discovered video reveals behind-the-scenes view of the WeWork IPO, in progress.

Captions are so much fun. Why stop with one? “Dervish Airlines. How may I help you?” “I’m so sorry, Mr. Bond, but we’ve had some difficulty preparing the martini in the fashion that you requested.” “To get this claim started properly, could you please describe for me exactly how the accident occurred?” “The UK Brexiting:…