*By Carlo Versano*
Google is "missing an opportunity" by not sending a top official to Capitol Hill next week to testify on election interference and censorship, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) told Cheddar's J.D. Durkin on Wednesday.
Facebook and Twitter are both sending C-Suite executives ー COO Sheryl Sandberg and CEO Jack Dorsey, respectively ー to testify in front of both chambers on Sept. 5.
So far, Google has said it will only dispatch its general counsel, Kent Walker.
"We need policy makers, not simply their lawyers," Warner said.
The heads of the top social and web platforms will head to the Hill to answer questions about how they are combating misinformation campaigns from state actors like Russia and Iran ahead of the midterm elections. Additionally, they are expected to face pointed questions about censorship ー a topic that President Trump has been pushing, most recently on Wednesday afternoon when he told reporters, "I think they treat Republicans and conservatives very unfairly" and such handling "may not be legal."
That echoes the sentiment of several Trump tweets Tuesday which suggested that Google News technology suppressed conservative views. Economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the White House would look into the matter, but many questioned Trump's statements on their face.
"The president doesn't really understand how search algorithms work," Warner said, noting that content is ranked in searches as a result of computer calculations, not human action.
The last time officials from Facebook, Twitter, and Google testified together ー last November on the topic of Russian hacking ー the reaction from lawmakers was largely negative. Since then, each company has shown a more proactive approach to the policing of their platforms.
Warner said he hopes next week's hearings will be forward-looking. "We want to look at solution sets" for these complex problems, he said.
Washington Post journalist Nicole Ellis has a new documentary series that follows millennial women, including herself, who are weighing whether or not to freeze their eggs. It's an emotional and expensive discussion that should be had out in the open and with the support of friends and family, Ellis said.
President Trump has lashed out at many a journalist, and Mika Brzezinski knows personally what it's like to be on the receiving end. The co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" told Hope King that "in the grand scheme of things, it's not really a big deal."
It is still up in the air if Christine Blasey Ford will testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Ford is accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault when they were both in high school. Daniel Lippman, co-author of "Politico Playbook," explained the high-wire act Republicans are trying to walk with a crucial midterm election around the corner.
Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," spoke with Cheddar about the role of media in the age of Donald Trump. "Keep it cool and stick to the facts," she said.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Twilio, a cloud-focused tech company based in San Francisco, is doubling down on its commitment to diversity. The company has a goal for at least 50 percent of its staff to be female and 30 percent to be from underrepresented groups by 2023. Lafawn Davis, global head of culture and inclusion at Twilio, said that there are more than enough women in tech to be able to fill the roles.
One year after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico is still recovering from the devastation. Luis Soto of "Save the Children" said a staggering 84 percent of the island's kids are living in poverty.
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Jose Antonio Vargas rose to prominence when he wrote an essay for the New York Times in 2011 essentially outing himself as an undocumented immigrant. Since then, he's crisscrossed the country, advocating on behalf of immigrants. With a new memoir, "Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen," Vargas points out immigration is a "humanitarian crisis" that long predates Donald Trump.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
