Manipulative robots are spreading fake news online that could be exacerbating volatility in financial markets. A major study of tens of millions of tweets over two years found that the sheer volume sent by “bots” helped to drive shares in FTSE 100 companies up or down for short periods, effectively moving markets. Tweets sent by humans […]

Almost everyone applying for a US visa will be asked to list their social media accounts before being granted entry, under proposals put forward by Donald Trump’s administration. Applicants will be required to submit details of any accounts held in the preceding five years on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn. An estimated 14.7 […]

    Former Disney Channel and Step Up actress Alyson Stoner shared her struggle to embrace her sexuality in a powerful and moving essay about how she fell in love with a woman for the first time in her life. The actress, 24, who has appeared in films such as Cheaper by the Dozen and on Disney shows like The Suite Life […]

When you’ve got leverage, don’t be afraid to use it. That’s been Google’s modus operandi in the news and publishing world over the last year or so as it has pushed its AMP platform, funding various news-related ventures that may put it ahead, and nourished its personalized Chrome tabs on mobile. The latter, as Nieman Labs notes, grew […]

Blue moons, strawberry moons, supermoons. For some reason your news aggregation algorithm of choice thinks you really really really want to know all about these moons. “Catch This Weekend’s AMAZING SUPERMOON,” one headline (or, like, 500 of them) will announce. “The Supermoon Isn’t Actually A Big Deal And You’re All Ruining Astronomy,” another will grouse. On March 31—that’s […]

Amazon rolled out Connections, a daily Q&A feedback program, company-wide last April. Some employees who spoke to CNBC expressed concerns about the program’s confidentiality and the usefulness of the data. Programs like Connections and a revamped reviews process called Forte are important because Amazon wants to better understand its workforce, now estimated to be the […]

A patent application filed by Ford describes a Cooperatively Managed Merge and Pass (CMMP) system that would allow drivers needing to travel quickly to use less congested lanes, and travel more freely, by paying other drivers in cryptocurrency. Other road users would move to slower moving lanes and allow a paying driver to merge or […]

First Read is your briefing from Meet the Press and the NBC Political Unit on the day’s most important political stories and why they matter WASHINGTON — America has always had its culture wars, and they’re only intensified when news events big and small are filtered through the prism of Donald Trump. (The latest debates […]

Spring is the time for fresh starts and new beginnings — a time to look, once again, at priorities and motivations. As National Nutrition Month comes to a close, the attention brings the importance of dietary choices into sharper focus. Recharging your diet doesn’t have to be like climbing Mount Rainier. Eating a healthy diet, […]

The Meghan Markle Effect is real, and it’s not just about her fashion. While everything she wears flies off the virtual shelves, people are dying to know all about her beauty routine as well. Unlike other royals, some of Meghan Markle’s favorite beauty items are already floating around, thanks to her past professions. If you want to […]