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Northern Star

Northern Illinois University’s student news organization since 1899

 

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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

Online conspiracy theories flourish after Iowa caucus fiasco

By AMANDA SEITZ and DAVID KLEPPER | February 5, 2020

CHICAGO (AP) — Monday night could not have gone better for online troublemakers who have spent years propagating false or misleading conspiracy theories on the internet that the U.S. election is rigged or vulnerable to tampering.The delayed election...

Mfume, Klacik win party primaries for Elijah Cummings’ seat

By BRIAN WITTE and REGINA GARCIA CANO | February 4, 2020

BALTIMORE (AP) — Democrat Kweisi Mfume and Republican Kimberly Klacik won special primaries Tuesday for the Maryland congressional seat that was held by the late Elijah Cummings.In a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 4 to 1,...

Twitter to label altered media, remove if it may cause harm

By BARBARA ORTUTAY | February 4, 2020

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Twitter will begin to label and in some cases remove doctored or manipulated photos, audio and videos that are designed to mislead people.The company said Tuesday that the new rules prohibit sharing synthetic or manipulated material...

Meeting between Sudan leader, Netanyahu debated in Sudan

By SAMY MAGDY | February 4, 2020

CAIRO (AP) — A surprise meeting between Sudan's leader and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stirred controversy in Sudan on Tuesday, with the government saying it wasn't notified ahead of time and critics lambasting the talks on social media.Others...

Super Bowl halftime show draws praise, tears from US Latinos

By RUSSELL CONTRERAS | February 4, 2020

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — When the Super Bowl halftime show began, Yol-Itzma Aguirre and her relatives watched with anticipation. The El Paso, Texas, family was curious how Colombian-born Shakira and New York-raised Jennifer Lopez, two of the world's...

Online misinformation fuels doubt as 2020 vote kicks off

By DAVID KLEPPER and AMANDA SEITZ | February 3, 2020

Well before Iowans cast the first ballots of the 2020 presidential race, an insidious campaign to seed distrust in the election process was already underway.Conservative and liberal activists took to social media to push outright false or unproven claims...

UN health agency tackles misinformation over virus outbreak

By JAMEY KEATEN | February 3, 2020

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization chief has traveled a dozen times to monitor the Ebola response in Congo . But when he planned to visit China's capital last week over a new viral outbreak emerging from central Hubei province, his daughter...

Man wearing fake bomb stabs 2 in London and is shot to death

By GREGORY KATZ and DANICA KIRKA | February 2, 2020

LONDON (AP) — A man recently released from prison after serving time for terrorism-related offenses strapped on a fake bomb and stabbed two people on a busy London street Sunday before being shot to death by police, officials said.Deputy Assistant Commissioner...

Digital footprints lead cops to Arizona fugitive in Canada

By PAUL DAVENPORT | February 1, 2020

PHOENIX (AP) — A man who pleaded guilty to murder before fleeing Arizona over 16 years ago to avoid being sentenced has been arrested in Canada after police followed digital footprints provided by social media posts of his family and friends, authorities...

Mauritania arrests 10 gay men after purported gay wedding

January 31, 2020

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (AP) — Authorities in Mauritania have arrested 10 men after a video appeared on social media of a gay couple appearing to take part in a traditional wedding ceremony, human rights groups said.Police later determined the gathering...

Twitter, Pinterest crack down on voter misinformation

By DAVID KLEPPER | January 30, 2020

Twitter and Pinterest are taking new steps to root out voting misinformation designed to suppress participation in the November elections.Twitter unveiled a new tool Wednesday that will make it easier for users in the U.S. to report tweets containing...

Census relying on social media, advocates to stop bad info

By MIKE SCHNEIDER | January 30, 2020

The U.S. Census Bureau is relying on outside help from social media companies, advocacy groups and other government agencies to halt campaigns that try to discourage people from participating in the once-a-decade head count through the spread of false...