1 in 5 Americans get their news from social media influencers
While it’s no secret more and more people have been getting their news from social media in recent years, a new study shows just how many people regularly forgo traditional journalism. According to the Pew Research Center, 21% of American adults say they prefer to get their news from social media “news influencers” first.
That’s especially true for people 18 to 29 years old; 37% of them said they do.
Pew classifies news influencers as people who regularly post about current events and civic issues on social media and have at least 100,000 followers.
The study found when it comes to their followers, there’s no real distinction between Democrats and Republicans, with 22% of Democrats and 21% of Republicans favoring news influencers.
When it comes to who Americans choose to get their news from, about two out of three news influencers are male. And about half of all influencers don’t express any clear political orientation.
The Guardian leaves X citing ‘conspiracies and racism’
Social media platform X is seeing record traffic since the election, but it’s also seeing some high-profile deactivations in a statement against the politics of owner Elon Musk. The Guardian, a left-leaning British newspaper, is no longer posting on X, saying the social media platform is “toxic” and home to “far-right conspiracies and racism.”
Its X profile, with nearly 11 million followers, states the account “has been archived.”
In its announcement, The Guardian said, “We think that the benefits of being on x are now outweighed by the negatives and that resources could be better used promoting our journalism elsewhere.”
Among other high-profile post-election exits, actress Jamie Lee Curtis posted to Instagram a screenshot of her X account being deactivated. She included the caption, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Courage to change the things I can. And the wisdom to know the difference.”
CNN host, Don Lemon made a departure announcement, as well.
“I once believed that it was a place for honest debate and discussion, transparency and free speech, but I now feel it does not serve that purpose,” Lemon said.
Jay Rosen, who’s a New York University professor, is also capturing attention over his departure from X.
In his sign-off from posting on the app, he told users to find him on Bluesky instead.
I will keep my X account open. It's a surprisingly good way to reach academics when I have a question. But I will not be participating in the discourse.
You can follow me at Bluesky: @jayrosen.bsky.social
Don't expect the press criticism I had been doing. I'm done with that. 2/
That’s a common theme from some of the X users leaving the app and migrating over to Bluesky.
According to digital marketing company Similarweb, 115,000 users deactivated their X accounts on the day after the election. That’s the largest single-day exit from the app since Musk took over X.
Meanwhile, Bluesky is gaining traction in a post election world, adding 1 million users since Election Day, according to the company.
That’s a significant bump given it has a total of 15 million users.
In September, Bluesky had 9 million users.
And as of Wednesday, Nov. 13, Bluesky is sitting at No. 1 in social networking apps in the App Store.
While it is seen as a competitor app to X, it still has a ways to go to catch up to X’s traction and base of 600 million monthly users.
Despite 100,000 accounts deactivating the day after the election, X had many successes coming off of the night too.
There were 42.3 million visits from within the U.S. and 46 million visits the day after – the most traffic the site has seen all year.
X also saw more posts on its site than ever before, posting a record-high usage with 942 million posts on the platform on Election Day.
X’s community notes failing to fact-check posts: Report
X’s Community Notes is failing to fact-check posts containing inaccurate information, according to a new report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate. According to X, “Community Notes aims to create a better-informed world, by empowering people on X to collaboratively add helpful notes to posts that might be misleading.”
The Center for Countering Digital Hate conducted an analysis of election posts on the social media platform. It found 209 out of 283 misleading posts in their sample had accurate Community Notes that aren’t shown to all X users. This equates to about 74%.
The report states some of the inaccurate claims include allegations Democrats are importing illegal voters and false claims about former President Donald Trump. Other claims assert voting systems are unreliable and claim the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
Misleading posts about election information have garnered 2.2 billion views. That’s 13 times more views than their Community Notes, the report states.
X’s owner, Elon Musk, hasn’t yet publicly commented on the report. In the past, he has said X’s Community Notes feature isn’t perfect. However he claims it’s the best fact-checking he’s seen on the internet.
Musk describes himself as a free-speech absolutist. He has stated several times that free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy.
Transatlantic election friction: Trump, Musk versus UK Labour Party
Former President Trump has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against the Harris-Walz campaign and the Labour Party of the United Kingdom. Trump alleges that the U.K. is interfering in the election by recruiting party members to campaign for Harris in swing states. He claims that the British group made illegal foreign national contributions and has significant influence over the Harris campaign’s messaging.
In the FEC complaint, Trump’s lawyer stated, “When representatives of the British government previously sought to go door-to-door in America, it did not end well for them. This past week marked the 243 anniversary of the surrender of British forces at the Battle of Yorktown, a military victory that ensured that the United States would be politically independent of Great Britain. It appears that the Labour Party and the Harris for President campaign have forgotten the message.”
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said party members have traveled to the U.S. “pretty much every election,” and they do so in their spare time as volunteers. The BBC reported that Labour staffers campaigning in the U.S. have taken leave from their roles and are funding their own trips.
The Trump campaign is questioning this activity, pointing to a now-deleted post on LinkedIn by Labour Party leader Sofia Patel. The campaign claims the post was recruiting current and former members to campaign for Harris in North Carolina, with 100 members signing up, and that Patel would help “sort out their housing.”
The filing suggests the language of the post implied that travel costs would be covered for those who signed up.
Starmer maintains that the party has done nothing illegal and stated that he will work with whoever becomes president, regardless of the outcome in November.
This dispute between Trump and the Labour Party comes as Trump ally Elon Musk is engaged in his own feud with the group.
The “Center for Countering Digital Hate,” which is linked to the Labour Party and aims to stop the spread of misinformation online, had internal documents leaked by a whistleblower, according to journalist Matt Taibbi’s report.
The documents revealed the group’s agenda, with the top item stating, “Kill Musk’s Twitter.”
The group reportedly planned to achieve this by targeting and harassing X advertisers, using EU regulations as leverage to persuade them to withdraw their financial support from the platform.
Musk reposted the Taibbi report on X with the caption, “This is war.” The Labour Party has not commented on the claims contained in the report.
A few prominent political figures across the pond have also campaigned directly for Trump. Included is former MEP and current Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage, who has appeared at multiple Trump campaign events in the past, this year visiting the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
New X terms will allow all user data to train AI services
X, formerly known as Twitter, has updated its terms of service, allowing the platform to use user posts for artificial intelligence training. The changes, effective Nov. 15, have sparked concerns over data privacy and content ownership.
The new terms grant X a worldwide, nonexclusive license to analyze and use all content shared on the platform. That includes personal posts and artwork, and the data will be used to further train its AI models.
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Users and creators are worried their work may be used to fuel AI systems that could eventually replace human creators, while others are concerned about personal data being included in the training process.
While users could previously opt out of sharing data for AI purposes, the updated terms no longer make it clear whether that option will remain available, leaving some unsure if their private posts will still be protected.
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X’s AI chatbot, Grok, has already faced controversy for spreading misinformation and generating fake images, raising further concerns about how the platform’s AI models are being developed.
Despite the backlash, users who continue to use X after Nov. 15 will automatically agree to the updated terms.
16-year-old gamer becomes first person to defeat highest level on Tetris
A 16-year-old gamer has just made history by doing something never seen before in the history of video games. Michael Artiaga became the first person to beat level 255 of the classic game Tetris, causing the game to reset to level 0, a moment known as “rebirth.”
And it happened to a live audience. It took Artiaga, who goes by the username “dogplayingtetris” on Twitch, 82 minutes to clear level 255. After reaching this massive milestone, Artiaga was ready to call it quits, saying he never wants to play the game again.
He was using a special version of the game designed to prevent the game from crashing after level 155, a point where other players have faced the “kill screen” or other game-ending glitches. Last year, another teen gamer managed to reach level 157 before the game crashed on him.
Artiaga is no stranger to breaking records. He became the world’s youngest Tetris champion at just 13 when he beat his older brother in the Classic Tetris World Championship final in 2020.
First created in 1984, Tetris remains a global favorite for its simple yet challenging gameplay.
The company also appointed a local representative, a requirement under Brazilian law.
The ban was initially imposed after X, owned by Elon Musk, defied multiple court orders to remove several profiles spreading misinformation. The move led to what the Brazilian government described as a violation of its electoral laws.
In response to these actions, Musk, a self-described “free speech absolutist,” fired X’s Brazilian staff in August 2024 and closed the company’s office in the country. He publicly criticized de Moraes’ decision, calling it an abuse of power and a violation of free speech.
Following continued defiance, the court extended its actions by ordering the entire platform to be blocked across Brazil. Many users migrated to alternative platforms such as Bluesky, while the demand for virtual private networks (VPNs) surged in the country.
However, in September 2024, X reversed its stance and began complying with the court’s orders, leading to the current decision to lift the ban. Anatel, Brazil’s telecom watchdog, was instructed to ensure that service to the platform’s more than 22 million Brazilian users was restored within 24 hours.
In a statement, X said it was “proud to return to Brazil,” emphasizing the importance of giving access to millions of Brazilians who use the platform. Brazil is one of X’s largest markets globally and the biggest in Latin America.
Hurricane Milton delays 4 astronauts’ return home as crew member shares pics
Hurricane Milton isn’t just disrupting plans on Earth but in space as well. NASA has revealed that four astronauts will have to wait a few days longer than expected to return home because of the hurricane. NASA and SpaceX originally scheduled departure for Monday, Oct. 7, for the Crew-8 Mission from the International Space Station (ISS).
However, Hurricane Milton is on a direct path for Florida’s coast, where the crew planned on splashing down. Now, the astronauts won’t be able to depart from the ISS until at least Sunday, Oct. 13.
In the meantime, crew member Matthew Dominick posted an incredible picture and timelapse video from space on the social media platform X on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Dominick promised to provide more pictures and video outside the Dragon Endeavour’s window as the crew waits to undock and return home.
NASA and SpaceX said that they are continuing to monitor conditions to see when a safe return is possible and they will provide an update on Friday, Oct. 11.
Crew-8’s departure plans went into effect with the arrival of SpaceX’s Crew-9 Mission late last month, which was delayed two days because of Hurricane Helene.
Japanese government admits to editing ‘sloppy’ cabinet photo
Japan’s government confirmed Monday, Oct. 7, that it made minor edits to an official photo of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s newly announced cabinet after online criticism of the group’s appearance. The alterations, which were made to address visible shirt creases and untidy suits, sparked a wave of mockery on social media.
Eagle-eyed users were quick to point out discrepancies between the unedited images released by local media and the final version posted on the prime minister’s official website.
One user commented that the photo looked more like “a seniors’ club on a trip to a hot spring,” while others humorously suggested further edits to improve the cabinet’s appearance.
“Group photos during official events of the prime minister’s office, such as the cabinet reshuffle, will be preserved forever as memorabilia, so minor editing is customarily performed on these photos,” Hayashi said.
The controversy comes as Ishiba’s cabinet has faced additional scrutiny for its gender imbalance, with only two women in minor roles among the 19 members. Ishiba, a former defense minister, was elected prime minister last week by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
The edits to the cabinet photo have drawn comparisons to similar controversies in other countries, including Britain, where a doctored portrait of the Princess of Wales caused public debate earlier this year.
Despite the backlash, some social media users were more forgiving, calling the edits minor and urging the public to move on.
New details in special counsel’s 2020 election case against Trump
We’re getting our most in-depth look so far at Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into former President Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election. And there’s new skin in the game in the battle over who actually caught Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.
New details in special counsel’s 2020 election case against Trump
The new filing, revealed Wednesday, Oct. 2, also claims Trump was “fundamentally” acting as a private candidate and not the President of the United States when he sought to overturn his loss.
The latest court filing comes in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling this past summer that said Trump had immunity for official actions taken while still in office. The filing also alleges the former president knew his claims about the 2020 election being stolen were lies, but he spread them anyways as a ploy to stay in power.
It also includes evidence of Trump’s phone usage during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021 — when, it claims, the former president was scrolling Twitter. The filing also claims Trump pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject Electoral College votes.
“This was a weaponization of government and that’s why it was released 30 days before the election,” he said. “And it’s nothing new in there, by the way, nothing new. They rigged the election. I didn’t rig the election. They rigged the election.”
The new filing was unsealed just 33 days before the election coming up on Nov. 5.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to four criminal charges, accusing him of a conspiracy to obstruct the congressional certification of the election, attempting to defraud the U.S. out of accurate results and interfering with Americans’ voting rights.
At least 6 killed in Israeli strike on central Beirut
It comes after Israeli forces suffered their deadliest day on the Lebanese front since clashes with the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah started almost a year ago. At least seven Israeli soldiers died in Israel’s recent offensive.
Lebanese health officials say in addition to those killed, at least seven more people were wounded in what Israel says was a precise strike on Lebanon’s capitol, which happened not far from the Lebanese prime minister’s office.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army says it downed at least two drones and more than two dozen rockets fired from Lebanon Thursday.
FEMA warns of funding shortages for Hurricane Helene relief efforts
The death toll from Hurricane Helene has risen to at least 191 across six states, making it the second-deadliest U.S. Hurricane in the past 50 years, behind Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The storm hit Florida last week before sweeping through the southeast, causing widespread flooding and devastation, especially in North Carolina, where at least 95 people have died.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing critical supplies like meals, water, and generators, but Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has warned FEMA lacks sufficient funding to sustain relief efforts throughout the entire hurricane season. He stressed the need for additional funding, noting FEMA is meeting immediate needs but might not have the resources to continue if another storm hits.
Hurricane season runs from June through November, with most storms occurring in September and October.
Congress recently replenished $20 billion for FEMA’s disaster relief fund, but lawmakers may need to reconvene before the election to approve more money if necessary.
Since Helene hit, more than 150,000 households have registered for FEMA assistance and that number is expected to grow as damage assessments continue.
Prosecutors ask for indefinite delay in would-be Trump assassin’s trial
Federal prosecutors have asked for an indefinite delay in scheduling the trial for the man charged in an apparent assassination attempt on former President Trump. They say they’ve collected a “massive” amount of evidence since the Secret Service, with the help of local police in Florida, arrested Ryan Routh last month after authorities say an agent spotted him with a gun outside the Mar-a-Lago golf course where the former president was playing.
Prosecutors have asked the judge in the case to officially designate the case as “complex,” saying they’ve interviewed hundreds of witnesses across various states and have thousands of videos to review from electronic devices they’ve seized. They also say more than 100 outstanding subpoena returns are still pending.
According to the filing, Routh’s defense attorneys did not oppose the prosecutors’ request to delay the trial date. Routh’s lawyers have entered a not guilty plea on his behalf, on the attempted assassination charges.
ATF says broken power line caused deadly Maui wildfire
We now know what caused the massive and deadly wildfire in Maui, Hawaii that claimed 102 lives and caused more than $5 billion in damage. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives has classified the fire as accidental, saying it started when a re-energized broken power line sparked, igniting the fire in an unmaintained vegetation area.
ATF also ruled out the possibility there had been two separate fires saying definitively, “This, in fact, was one fire.”
More than 100 people died and flames destroyed much of the historic city of Lahaina. The fire also sparked other investigations centered on police response and the response from state and Maui county agencies.
Second fan files lawsuit over Ohtani’s historic home run ball
The battle over Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball has intensified. A second fan filed a lawsuit claiming ownership of the valuable souvenir.
The ball, hit during Ohtani’s historic Sept. 19 game for the L.A. Dodgers against the Miami Marlins, has reached about $1.5 million in auction bids.
Joseph Davidov, who filed the latest lawsuit in Florida, claims he had possession of the ball before another fan jumped on him, causing it to roll into the hands of Chris Belanski, who later auctioned it. Davidov is seeking more than $50,000 in damages.
This follows 18-year-old Max Matus’ earlier lawsuit, alleging Belanski forcibly took the ball from him during a scramble in the stands. Both fans are pursuing rightful ownership of the ball, which celebrates Ohtani’s achievement as the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.
The ongoing legal disputes have delayed the auction, with a court hearing scheduled for Oct. 10. The ball’s rising value has garnered widespread attention, rivaling the $1.5 million sale of Aaron Judge’s American League record-breaking 62nd home run ball in 2022.
