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Sections SEARCH Skip to content Skip to site index Politics Subscribe Log In Log In Today’s Paper Advertisement Supported by ByKatie Benner, Mark Mazzetti, Ben Hubbard and Mike Isaac Oct. 20, 2018 Each morning, Jamal Khashoggi would check his phone to discover what fresh hell had been unleashed while he was sleeping. He would see the work of an army of Twitter trolls, ordered to attack him and other influential Saudis who had criticized the kingdom’s leaders. He sometimes took the attacks personally, so friends made a point of calling frequently to check on his mental state. “The mornings were the worst for him because he would wake up to the equivalent of sustained gunfire online,” said Maggie Mitchell Salem, a friend of Mr. Khashoggi’s for more than 15 years. Mr. Khashoggi’s online attackers were part of a broad effort dictated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his close advisers to … [Read more...] about Saudis’ Image Makers: A Troll Army and a Twitter Insider

Sections SEARCH Skip to content Skip to site index Politics Subscribe Log In Log In Today’s Paper Advertisement Supported by ByRobert Pear Oct. 20, 2018 WASHINGTON — The pharmaceutical industry, pilloried by President Trump for the last two years, is war-gaming for the possibility that its worst fear is realized: that Democrats, if they flip control of the House, find common ground with the president to rein in drug prices. Democrats say they are determined to squeeze the industry’s prices and profits, and they have a stack of legislative proposals that could do so. Drug makers are quietly making contingency plans. “As the midterm elections approach, a feeling of foreboding has settled over the pharmaceutical industry,” said John E. McManus, a Republican health care lobbyist whose clients include major drug companies, as well as their trade association, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers … [Read more...] about What Big Pharma Fears Most: A Trump Alliance With Democrats to Cut Drug Prices

Sections SEARCH Skip to content Skip to site index Politics Subscribe Log In Log In Today’s Paper Advertisement Supported by Oct. 20, 2018 From the killing of a Washington Post columnist to developments in the midterm elections, it’s been a busy week in American politics. Here are some of the biggest stories you might have missed (and some links if you want to read further). _____________________ Jamal Khashoggi is dead, said Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s government said on Friday that Jamal Khashoggi, the missing Saudi dissident who was a columnist for the Washington Post, was strangled during a fistfight with its agents inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. [Read the story] The claim was the latest in two weeks of shifting, contradicting stories from the Saudi government, which initially said Mr. Khashoggi had left the consulate alive on Oct. 2. President Trump appeared to accept Saudi Arabia’s explanation … [Read more...] about On Politics: The Biggest Stories of the Week

Sections SEARCH Skip to content Skip to site index Politics Subscribe Log In Log In Today’s Paper Advertisement Supported by The midterm elections are 17 days away. Here is a collection of coverage from The New York Times and elsewhere on efforts to mislead voters on social media and the wider internet. ByJustin Bank Oct. 20, 2018 As Election Day draws near, a growing amount of disinformation is getting published online to confuse, inflame or distract potential voters. To help readers better understand the information landscape, journalists at The Times have collected five examples of active disinformation campaigns that were reported on or took place this week. [If you see a suspicious post or text, please take a screenshot and share it with us.] 1) Twitter took down a bot network supporting the Saudi Arabian government. On Thursday, Twitter suspended a network of suspected Twitter bots that were sending pro-Saudi … [Read more...] about 2018 Digital Misinformation Roundup

Sections SEARCH Skip to content Skip to site index Politics Subscribe Log In Log In Today’s Paper Advertisement Supported by ByEmily Cochrane Oct. 20, 2018 MESA, Ariz. — President Trump blasted immigration laws and border security at a boisterous rally here on Friday, all while playing up his support among Hispanic voters. He distorted the current immigration system and the migrant caravan nearing the United States and deployed the inflammatory language of his 2016 campaign, even resurrecting the phrase “bad hombre,” a term he coined as a presidential candidate. “You’ve got some bad people in those groups,” he said. “I’ll tell you what, this country doesn’t want them.” But even as chants of “build the wall” erupted repeatedly throughout the night, Mr. Trump described his prevailing popularity with Hispanic voters, polling the crowd to see how many … [Read more...] about Playing Up Support Among Hispanic Voters, Trump Takes Aim at Immigration Laws