Utah's "DataRepublican" launches socialist tracker

A Utah software engineer who was recently hired by the Pentagon is under fire after unveiling a database she built to track people with ties to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Why it matters: Critics say the "DSA Explorer" is an inappropriate use of sensitive political information by a federal employee at best — and amounts to government spying on U.S. citizens at worst. The other side: Jennica Pounds, the rightwing Utah influencer and data analyst known as DataRepublican, tells Newsweek she created the website as a "personal project" and that it doesn't involve government money or input. Neither...