What is Sidechat? The controversial app students have used amid campus protests, explained
CBSN
When Los Angeles Police Department officers in riot gear arrived at the University of California, Los Angeles early Thursday, the anonymous messaging app Sidechat filled with posts trying to piece together what was happening: "Is everyone ok? I just heard like 8 cop cars go by," one post read. Others shared rumors about police action and outside agitators and pointed students to live streams to watch the events unfold.
Sidechat has taken on a new role on college campuses as pro-Palestinian demonstrations and law enforcement's response to them have escalated in recent weeks. Posts on the app are anonymous, allowing students to share opinions and updates freely in a way they often can't on other platforms. But Sidechat's anonymous nature has also fueled hateful rhetoric, college administrators say, raising questions about its role in spreading division on campuses.

Another winter storm may be headed toward the East Coast of the United States this weekend, on the heels of a powerful and deadly system that blanketed huge swaths of the country in snow and ice. The effects of that original storm have lingered for many areas in its path, and will likely remain as repeated bouts of Arctic air plunge downward from Canada and drive temperatures below freezing. Nikki Nolan contributed to this report. In:

Washington — The Senate is set to take a procedural vote Thursday morning on a package to fund the remaining government agencies and programs, with less than two days to avoid a partial government shutdown. But Democrats say they won't allow the package to move forward without reforms to immigration enforcement. Caitlin Huey-Burns contributed to this report.











