Twitter users question Ben Carson as Trump cabinet pick
Social Cues: Also trending on social media are Pearl Harbor and Time magazine's person of the year.
Ben Carson has been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to become the secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
Once again, a Donald Trump cabinet pick has many Twitter users scratching their heads.
This time, what's got them perplexed is Ben Carson, a Trump rival during the Republican primary who is now an ally and possibly the next Housing and Urban Development secretary.
On Facebook, meanwhile, people are chatting about a shooting tied to the "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory.
Social Cues is our guide on what's trending across social media. Here's what people are talking about on Twitter and Facebook this Monday:
Ben Carson: The neurosurgeon turned politician is President-elect Donald Trump's pick as the next secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The decision left many Twitter users wondering in what universe a doctor with no public service experience is qualified to oversee federal housing. Carson lived in public housing in Detroit during part of his childhood but had been hesitant about accepting a cabinet post due to that lack of government experience.
Pearl Harbor: Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, will be the country's first leader to visit Pearl Harbor since the Japanese attack 75 years ago. The announcement comes just two days before the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack in Hawaii, which pushed the United States into World War II. Six months ago, Barack Obama was the first sitting US president to visit the atomic bomb memorial site in Hiroshima, Japan. The Pearl Harbor news was trending on Twitter as users look ahead to the historic visit, scheduled for December 27.
Cam Newton: The Carolina Panthers quarterback was benched at the start of Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks for violating dress code. Newton supposedly didn't wear a tie when he was supposed to be wearing one. His faux pas led to a costly interception on the field, putting the Seahawks on route to a 40-7 win.
Time Person of the Year: Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, is the Time magazine readers' choice for 2016's person of the year. He won with 18 percent of the vote, ahead of Mark Zuckerberg, Julian Assange, Donald Trump and Barack Obama. The Indian leader made international headlines last month by banning the largest bills in the nation's currency, though the Times of India speculated that Modi likely won the title for his suggestion that Pakistan was the "mothership" of terrorism. His victory was trending on Facebook.
Comet Ping Pong: A fake-news-fueled conspiracy theory led to real-life danger after a North Carolina man opened fire on a pizzeria Sunday in Washington, DC. No one was injured in the shooting. The man, identified as Edgar Maddison Welch, reportedly told police he was investigating a conspiracy theory, dubbed "Pizzagate," about Hillary Clinton allegedly helping run a child sex ring out of the Comet Ping Pong pizza parlor. The conspiracy theory, which has no basis in facts, started on Reddit as the site's wannabe web sleuths tried unraveling WikiLeaks emails in which "pizza" had been mentioned. The pizzeria was trending on Facebook on Monday as people continue to fight fake news, which Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants to crack down on, too.
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