Mark Zuckerberg is scrapping independent fact-checkers on Facebook and Instagram.
The 40-year-old Meta CEO believes the current process is “too politically biased”, arguing that fact-checkers have “destroyed more trust than they have created”, and Zuckerberg is now set to introduce “community notes” instead.
In a video accompanying a blog post, he said: “We’re going to get rid of fact-checkers and replace them with community notes similar to X, starting in the US…
“The fact-checkers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they have created – especially in the US.
“Over the next couple of months, we’re going to phase in a more comprehensive community notes system.”
The billionaire businessman intends to work more closely with the US government in a bid to protect freedom of expression.
Mr. Zuckerberg added: “The US has the strongest constitutional protections for free expression in the world.
“Europe has an ever-increasing number of laws institutionalising censorship and making it difficult to build anything innovative there.
"Latin American countries have secret courts that can order companies to quietly take things down.
"China has censored our apps from even working in the country.
"The only way we can push back on this global trend is with the support of the US Government. And that’s why it’s been so difficult over the past four years when even the US Government has pushed for censorship.
"By going after us and other American companies, it has emboldened other governments to go even further.
"But now, we have the opportunity to resort to free expression, and I am excited to take it."
The Meta boss has also announced plans to “simplify” content policies and to “get rid of a bunch of restrictions on topics, like immigration and gender that are just out of touch with mainstream discourse”.
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Terry Bollea, known for decades as Hulk Hogan, has died at the age of 71. It was the kind of celebrity death that you didn't need to be reading the internet or on social media or getting the breaking news email from the New York Times to find out about. It was the kind of celebrity death where out in the world you hear people talking about the fact Hulk Hogan died. As a figure of pop culture, Hulk Hogan is truly significant. More than anybody else, he paved the way for professional wrestling, and professional wrestlers, into the mainstream. Notably, Hogan actually played the totally-normally-named Thunderlips in "Rocky III" prior to signing with WWF (now, of course, WWE) in 1983. Professional wrestling used to be regional in scope, and a niche interest in general. Hogan hitting the WWF helped change that, as did the introduction of WrestleMania as an event. Of course, the Hulkster and WrestleMania go hand-in-hand. He became a true blue celebrity, a crossover star. People who didn't watch wrestling knew Hulk Hogan. You'd find him in TV ads and participating in other cameos. Later, Hogan joining WCW, the WWF's rival company, helped validate that organization and the birth of the so-called Monday Night Wars. Such was Hogan's fame he could, say, have a pasta restaurant in the Mall of America. Hogan's fame was so great, and his popularity so vast, he got acting roles. Lead acting roles. Sure, it started with "No Holds Barred," a movie about wrestling. Hogan wasn't asked to stretch his chops out of the gate. However, there was also "Suburban Commando" and "Mr. Nanny" and "Santa with Muscles." Plus, his TV show "Thunder in Paradise." Now, we will note these projects were uniformly bad. Hogan, unsurprisingly was not a natural thespian. He also wasn't particularly good on the mic as a wrestler and, to many, also wasn't even that good at wrestling. None of that changes the fact that he remains one of the biggest wrestlers in the history of wrestling and became a movie star based on his popularity as a pro wrestler. Hogan, in that sense, walked so Dwayne Johnson or John Cena could run. Both of those guys actually can act, of course. Other wrestlers have gotten opportunities in the wake of Hogan's acting career and, while most failed, they got a chance. Hogan and his family even got a reality show, one clearly drafting off the success of "The Osbournes." Say what you will about Hulk Hogan, he was the blueprint for the path from pro wrestler to celebrity. Important, significant cultural figures need not be saints. Hogan's legacy on that front is remarkable.
Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Shake Milton has found a new home. More news: Lakers’ Luka Doncic Has Reportedly Already Agreed to Massive Contract Extension With LA Days after the Lakers waived him, Milton will take his talents overseas. The 28-year-old is signing a two-year deal with Partizan Belgrade in Serbia. Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews shared the news via X. More news: Lakers Insider Urges Team to Make Major Change to Starting Five Milton spent most of the 2024-25 season with the Lakers after being acquired in a trade in late December from the Brooklyn Nets. Milton was reportedly in advanced talks to sign with the team as early as Thursday morning. The two sides were discussing a possible deal, and both parties came away satisfied with the talks. The former 2018 second-round pick will take his talents overseas for the first time in his professional career. Milton started his career with the Philadelphia 76ers after he was drafted and traded by the Dallas Mavericks. He has played for five other NBA teams, including the Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Nets, and the Lakers. In 30 games for the purple and gold this past season, Milton averaged 3.9 points per game, 1.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.3 steals per game while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from beyond the arc in 11.5 minutes of action. He started in one game for the Lakers. Overall, in his NBA career, Milton has played in 359 games, averaging 8.1 points per game, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from 3-point range. The Lakers waived Milton in order to make room for former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart. More news: Lakers Confident in Luka Doncic Signing Massive Long-Term Extension: Report For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb reminded teammates to keep their cool after the team had multiple skirmishes during the first two days of training camp. Rookie defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku and tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford got involved in a brief scuffle on Tuesday. At the following practice on Wednesday, a fight broke out between safety Markquese Bell and TE Tyler Neville. New head coach Brian Schottenheimer then stopped practice and pulled the whole team together. He said the next player who threw a punch would be kicked out of practice (via Joseph Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News). "We've got to be professional," Lamb said of the incident after practice, per ESPN's Todd Archer. "I get it that we have a lot of animosity and tension between us and understanding that we want to proclaim our dominance and show like aggressiveness on both sides of the ball, but then again, to what extent?" Fighting in training camp isn't uncommon. It's an intense environment. Many are trying to prove themselves before teams trim their rosters to 53 players. However, too much brawling can threaten to tear a locker room apart. A lack of discipline was also one reason the Cowboys replaced Mike McCarthy with Schottenheimer this offseason. According to NFLPenalties.com, Dallas drew the league's sixth-most flags (128) last season. Per Archer, there were no more fights after Schottenheimer pulled the team aside. Still, the incidents raise questions about his ability to maintain control. The coach spent Wednesday morning's meeting discussing two plays where DE Sam Williams was too physical and sent to the sideline. His players must not have received the message. It's good for Dallas that Lamb seems to be echoing Schottenheimer's sentiments, but the rookie HC still must get through to his team. Rebounding from a 7-10 season could already prove challenging for the Cowboys. As of Wednesday, ESPN's Football Power Index gives Dallas a 34.5% chance to make the playoffs. Infighting will make that even more difficult.
The Milwaukee Bucks' decision to waive-and-stretch Damian Lillard sparked even more Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors on social media. There were already reports that Antetokounmpo was considering his options and potentially forcing his way out of Milwaukee, and the Lillard move did little to alleviate the situation. Nevertheless, the weeks have gone by, and Antetokounmpo is still a Buck. More importantly, the team believes that's not going to change any time soon. "We have no indication that anything is really changing as far as our relationship with the player we think is the best in the world," a Bucks front office executive told Spotrac's Keith Smith. "We rebuilt on the fly, in a really challenging situation, but we think we did it as well as it could be done." Antetokounmpo trade rumors have cooled off around the league, and while anything can happen in the NBA, that doesn't seem likely at this point. "Do I think the star guys like Giannis (Antetokounmpo) or LeBron (James) are going to go anywhere? Nope. Is it possible? Sure is," said a Western Conference executive. Giannis chose to stay in Milwaukee with one of the most lucrative contract extensions in NBA history. He was overly critical of the team's effort last season, and another early playoff exit may have driven him to the edge. Even so, he's talked about how he wants to win "the right way," as opposed to chasing rings. That said, with head coach Doc Rivers' long list of questionable postseason performances and a championship window that could be closing right before their eyes, Giannis trade rumors will flood social media again if the Bucks get off to a slow start during the 2026-26 campaign.
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