Posted inPolitics

Internet giants say they are open to new political-ad rules

WASHINGTON — When it comes to disclosures about political ads, the Internet was like the Wild West, with few regulations that required them to lift the veil on those using social media to influence voters, a situation that allowed Russian operatives to meddle in U.S. elections last year. But that may be changing thanks to political pressure from lawmakers, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

Posted inPolitics

Tweet, Facebook post generate blowback at GOP

President Trump retweeted a cartoon image of a train running over a CNN reporter to his 35.9 million Twitter followers. Kyle Reyes, owner of a self-described “outrageous” Manchester marketing company, questioned in a Facebook video seen 36,000 times if the white supremacists in Charlottesville, Va., actually were actors hired by the political left. Both caused problems for the GOP.

Posted inPolitics

Is the F-35 stealth fighter vulnerable to a Trump tweet?

One of Connecticut’s U.S. senators insists he won’t jump at every tweet by President-elect Donald J. Trump. But the other says he could not ignore what he took as Trump’s suggestion Monday that production of the F-35 fighter, the source of thousands of job in Connecticut and air superiority for the U.S. and its allies, might be reduced or abandoned.