In Other News: Democrats cautiously campaign on Jan. 6, democracy threats; BBC tries to understand politics by creating fake Americans

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Democrats cautiously campaign on Jan. 6, democracy threats

Democrats running for office this year in Republican-leaning areas or swing states are grappling with how much they should talk about the Jan. 6 insurrection, if at all. The Democrats’ cautiousness is a reflection of the political divide that remains nearly two years after the violent Capitol insurrection spurred by then-President Donald Trump’s lies of a stolen 2020 election. Many Republicans still falsely believe the vote count was rigged against Trump. GOP lawmakers have repeatedly downplayed the deadly attack. But some Democrats’ reluctance to talk about Jan. 6 on the campaign trail is an acknowledgement that voters’ concerns lie with other issues, like gas prices and rising inflation.

BBC tries to understand politics by creating fake AmericansLarry, a 71-year-old retired insurance broker and Donald Trump fan from Alabama, wouldn’t be likely to run into the liberal Emma, a 25-year-old graphic designer from New York City, on social media — even if they were both real. Each is a figment of BBC reporter Marianna Spring’s imagination. She created five fake Americans and opened social media accounts for them, part of an attempt to illustrate how disinformation spreads on sites like Facebook, Twitter and TikTok despite efforts to stop it, and how that impacts American politics. That’s also left Spring and the BBC vulnerable to charges that the project is ethically suspect in using false information to uncover false information. “We’re doing it with very good intentions because it’s important to understand what is going on,” Spring said. In the world of disinformation, “the U.S. is the key battleground,” she said. Spring’s reporting has appeared on BBC’s newscasts and website, as well as the weekly podcast “Americast,” the British view of news from the United States. She began the project in August with the midterm election campaign in mind but hopes to keep it going through 2024.

Pumpkins can be composted, donated to farms, fed to wildlifeHalloween pumpkins don’t have to end up in the landfill. Before throwing that jack-o’-lantern into the trash, consider ways to make them even more useful. Adding pumpkins to a compost pile can be beneficial to next year’s garden. First, any remaining seeds have to be removed, and decorative material such as glitter, paint, stickers and candle wax must be cut off. Pumpkins also can be donated to community gardens’ compost piles. Farms, animal sanctuaries and even zoos also accept pumpkins to feed their animals. Backyard wildlife enjoy pumpkins as well. Leftover pumpkin seeds also are a tasty treat for a host of birds.