By Lindsay Street | Two Clemson University professors want to fight online misinformation by giving everyone a pop quiz. But don’t worry, it’s only eight questions. Darren Linvill and Patrick Warren have debuted this week “Spot the Troll,” an educational tool to guide users toward being better informed on social media while asking participants to divine the legitimate profiles from those linked to foreign governments.
By Andy Brack, editor an publisher | Don’t let yourself be conned by the Con Man in Chief: Postal workers will deliver your mailed-in ballot just fine, thank you very much.
In fact, President Donald Trump, who unpatriotically has been denigrating the U.S. Postal Service, believes in mail-in voting so much that he’s going to vote (wait for it) by mail.
By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | Blustery Donald Trump is scared he’ll lose the November presidential election. He’s mortified of being called the worst thing in the book: The biggest loser.
On Thursday as three presidents and the nation remembered the consequential life of U.S. Rep. John Lewis at an Atlanta funeral, the current president of the United States schemed to get into headlines by actually suggesting something expected in banana republics — not our democracy. He had the gall to float the idea that the November election should be postponed.
Staff reports | Voters who haven’t already cast absentee ballots to avoid the coronavirus and potentially long lines will head to the polls Tuesday for the state Democratic and Republican primaries.
Polls open at 7 a.m. and close 12 hours later. While it’s not clear how busy polls will be, poll managers have received public health training for the pandemic to protect people’s health, according to the state election commission. Social distancing policies will be in place and managers are expected to clean common surfaces.
Voters are advised to bring photo identification. Several voting locations also have changed in recent days in Charleston County.
Also in this post: A list of recent endorsements by sister publication, Charleston City Paper.
IN THIS EDITION
TODAY’S FOCUS: Primary voting opens 7 a.m. Tuesday
COMMENTARY, Brack: Don’t be timid about reform; Ask for more
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: South Carolina Ports Authority
PALMETTO POEM: Praise, by Angelo Geter
NEWS BRIEFS: Lawmakers urged to address hate crimes, gun safety bills
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
MYSTERY PHOTO: Beautiful sunset
CALENDAR: Tickets on sale for new local, social-distanced concert series
S.C. ENCYCLOPEDIA: Charleston riot of 1876
By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | In these pandemic times, the state doesn’t want large groups of people to congregate. Yet it hasn’t expanded rules to allow people who want to shelter in place to vote by absentee ballot on June 9.
This makes absolutely no sense for anyone who has stood in long lines on election day, particularly now that there are more barriers to voting with identification requirements and new electronic machines still unfamiliar to many voters. More absentee voting would limit human contact — and potentially thwart the spread of coronavirus.
By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | State legislators might have a little extra incentive to do something about nameless groups that pour dark money into elections to affect their outcomes: their own political hides.
If elections set for Tuesday in the Charleston area are a hint of the political future, state House and Senate candidates in 2020 should get ready to be hammered by nasty direct mail pieces. The way out? Rein in dark money.
IN THIS EDITION
FOCUS: Citadel military band to represent U.S. at Edinburgh Tattoo
BRACK: Dark money pours malice, nastiness into elections
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Charleston RiverDogs
GOOD NEWS: Home improvement spending is up, New local social network
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
MYSTERY PHOTO: Under construction
S.C. ENCYCLOPEDIA: Barbecue
CALENDAR: Holiday Festival of Lights to start Nov. 15
EDITOR’S NOTE: Today’s issue starts our 12th year of publication. Happy birthday to us (although we’re still a pre-teen)!
IN THIS EDITION OF CHARLESTON CURRENTS
FOCUS, Palm: Much more work needed on flood-prone areas
COMMENTARY, Brack: February primary is still a long way away
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Morris Financial Concepts, Inc.
PALMETTO POEM: Lady in White, by John L. Byrne
GOOD NEWS: 500 years of Chicora Cherokee history in 50 feet
FEEDBACK: Send us your letters
MYSTERY PHOTO: Big old pot
S.C. ENCYCLOPEDIA: Mexican War and South Carolina
CALENDAR: Podcasters to offer live show at Gaillard Center
IN THIS ISSUE:
FOCUS, Morris: Let’s work proactively to build a brighter Charleston future
COMMENTARY, Brack: Dealing with Southern ghosts of the past
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
ANOTHER VIEW, McCoy-Lawrence: Voters aren’t getting voting system they deserve
GOOD NEWS: Remembering a Revolutionary victory, more
FEEDBACK: On a liberal arts education
MYSTERY PHOTO: Mystery box building
S.C. ENCYCLOPEDIA: Slavery in South Carolina
CALENDAR: Charleston Carifest to start June 20
We Can Do Better, South Carolina! (2019) by editor and publisher Andy Brack offers incisive commentaries on the American South, politics, the common good and interesting South Carolina leaders. Available exclusively for Kindle for $7.99. A paperback version will be ready soon. Learn more.
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