MOSCOW (AP) — Need some election interference? The Russian Foreign Ministry is ready to help — or so it says on April Fools' Day. 
 
 On Saturday, the ministry posted on its Facebook page an audio file of the purported new automated telephone switchboard message for Russian embassies. 
 
 "To arrange a call from a Russian diplomat to your political opponent, press 1," the recording begins, in Russian and English. Press 2 "to use the services of Russian hackers," and 3 "to request election interference." 
 
 A ministry duty officer, who did not give his name in line with official practice, confirmed to The Associated Press that the post was an official joke. 
 
 Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday emphatically denied allegations of Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election. ||||| Virgin Australia 
 
 
 
 Today is the day you really can’t trust anything you read online as celebrities, news outlets, and companies get in on the game of trying to mark April Fools’ Day. Here are some of the best pranks this year: 
 
 Trump’s new Irish tower. The Irish Times has a blockbuster scoop: Dublin will have its own Trump Tower after the commander in chief bought a 16-story downtown building. Why would Trump be interested in Dublin? He “is known to want a stronger foothold in an English-speaking country in the European Union as Britain begins the process of leaving the Union,” notes the Irish Times. The story could almost be believable if it weren’t for the accompanying tweets reportedly from Trump: “Bought a small tower in Dublin, Ireland. We are going to build an awesome hotel in Dublin. It will be totally great. Love Ireland! Great country! #trumpdublin.” 
 
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 George Takei’s political ambitions. In what may have been the most believable joke of the day, actor and Internet star George Takei announced he was going to run against Rep. Devin Nunes in California’s 22nd congressional district. Many fell for the well-thought-out prank that included a story with the Daily Buzz. But it didn’t take long for Takei to fess up. 
 
 No, I'm not running for Congress. Happy 4/1! 
 
 
 
 But Jon Ossoff is on 4/18. Help him win at https://t.co/ctCcRiYcdL. Let's flip Congress in '18 pic.twitter.com/41uj6l3yt7 — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) April 1, 2017 
 
 Alexa goes to the dogs. The Amazon Echo will be able to communicate with your pets thanks to Petlexa. “Now your dog, cat or favorite pet can communicate with Alexa just like you do,” says the company’s ad that is actually clever but not believable in the slightest. 
 
 Imagine the lines in Customs. Emirates airline took to Twitter to unveil a “triple-decker” plane that includes a swimming pool, a gym, and even a park. Sure it’s outlandish but a lot of people bought it, perhaps because it was still March 31 for much of the western world when the company sent out the tweet. 
 
 Emirates unveils plans for world’s largest commercial aircraft. The triple-decker APR001 includes a swimming pool, games room, gym & park. pic.twitter.com/VEvTRkXT9O — Emirates airline (@emirates) March 31, 2017 
 
 Friendly skies. In what may be the most clear example of an absolutely amazing idea that should become a reality, Virgin Australia announced it would soon launch the “first team of canine in-flight crew members.” 
 
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 The emoji horns. Honda had a bit of fun with its April Fools’ Day prank, releasing an ad detailing how the company has tried to bring some range to the good old fashioned car horn. 
 
 An outdoor assistant. Google unveiled Google Gnome, an assistant for all your outdoor needs. “Google Gnome is like having a tiny, little meteorologist at your beck and call,” notes the description in the Google store. The little device can also “take charge of your backyard tools” and comes with all sorts of add-ons, including a bird bath attachment. 
 
 Invisible box. Zappos also had fun with a bit of a ridiculous idea tackling a very real problem, thieves who steal boxes from your front door. The company’s solution? Create a box that becomes invisible. The problem is that even the customer might miss it, but, hey, it’s certainly safer. 
 
 For all those Ghostbusters haters. Men who are still getting over their PTSD after seeing women cast as the leads in Ghostbusters surely started hyperventilating when the director of that movie, Paul Feig, sent out a tweet this morning announcing a reboot of Back to the Future with an all-female cast. 
 
 It's OFFICIAL! I'm rebooting Back to the Future with an amazing all-female cast! #MarieMcFly #BTTF18! Thanks, Bob Z., for believing in me. — Paul Feig (@paulfeig) April 1, 2017 
 
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 Retirement fake-out. Michael Phelps sent out a tweet this morning saying he was ready for a comeback to participate in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. 
 
 Some dreams/goals you just can't get rid of...been doing a lot of thinking n I've decided that I'm going 2 make another comeback! #tokyo2020 — Michael Phelps (@MichaelPhelps) April 1, 2017 
 
 Burger breath. For all those who love Burger King’s Whopper, the company claimed to have gotten into the toothpaste market to create a Whopper-flavored toothpaste. 
 
 Honoring Biden. The Washington City Paper claimed Washington would soon see a Joe Biden-themed pop up bar with a drinks menu that would include, “A Bunch of Malarkey” and “Delaware Crush.” 
 
 Trolling where it hurts. In what may just be the best April Fools’ Day prank, Snapchat has a filter that makes snaps look like an Instagram post. That is, of course, a dig at Facebook and how it has been trying to desperately copy several Snapchat features. It even comes with a like from “my_mom,” in what looks to be a dig at how Facebook is becoming increasingly popular with older users. ||||| Live long and prank them. 
 
 "Star Trek" star George Takei had everyone fooled early Saturday morning when he tweeted that he was running for Congress in California against Devin Nunes in 2018. 
 
 "Well, the cat's out of the bag it seems. Let's do this! #Takei2018," the actor wrote, along with a link to a Daily Buzz article announcing his run. 
 
 Hours later, he retweeted a post about April Fools posts before revealing it was in fact all part of an April Fools prank. 
 
 George Takei: Terrorist Trump must resign now 
 
 Celebrities who beamed aboard the 'Star Trek' franchise 
 
 "No, I'm not running for Congress. Happy 4/1! But Jon Ossoff is on 4/18. Help him win ... Let's flip Congress in '18," he wrote Saturday morning. 
 
 Takei, 79, — an outspoken critic of President Trump — had many people fooled and also left a lot of people feeling disappointed. 
 
 California environmental attorney Mike Levin tweeted that he was hopeful when he heard Takei was running for office. 
 
 No, I'm not running for Congress. Happy 4/1! 
 
 
 
 But Jon Ossoff is on 4/18. Help him win at https://t.co/ctCcRiYcdL. Let's flip Congress in '18 pic.twitter.com/41uj6l3yt7 — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) April 1, 2017 
 
 "I was hoping @GeorgeTakei running against Devin Nunes wasn't an April Fools' joke. It would have been amazing! #Takei2018," he wrote. 
 
 Takei: Muslim registry brings up thoughts of Japanese internment 
 
 "I went to bed realizing I'd been April fooled by George Takei. Because I really wanted him to run for congress. We live in strange times," wrote TV producer and "Lucifer" showrunner Joe Henderson. 
 
 Actress and writer Deanna Russo compared the joke to a cruel parenting tactic. 
 
 "George Takei April-fooling us that he's running 4 congress is like ur parents saying ur going to DisneyWorld but then take u 2 the dentist," Russo tweeted. 
 
 Nunes represents California's 22nd congressional district, which is located in the San Joaquin Valley and includes portions of Tulare and Fresno counties. 
 
 The congressman, who serves as House Intelligence Committee chairman, has made headlines recently for his handling of the investigation into Russia's involvement in the presidential election. 
 
 Many hoped that the "Star Trek" actor would take on Rep. Devin Nunes. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) 
 
 Nunes was met by nearly 300 angry protesters on Friday when he arrived back in California from Washington, D.C. 
 
 Takei added on Saturday, "We're living in a world where every piece of news about the White House could have qualified as an April Fool's headline in years past." ||||| The "fake news" phenomenon grew when Donald Trump accused CNN of pushing "fake news" during a heated press conference in New York, on January 11 (AFP Photo/DON EMMERT) 
 
 Stockholm (AFP) - Swedish and Norwegian newspapers on Friday said they would refrain from the tradition of publishing April Fools' Day jokes this year over fears that it might spread "fake news". 
 
 Magnus Karlsson, editor-in-chief at the daily Smalandsposten said on its website that he doesn't want the newspaper's brand "to be spread with a potentially viral and erroneous story". 
 
 "We work with real news. Even on April 1st," he said. 
 
 The "fake news" phenomenon broke out amid the 2016 US presidential election and grew even further when Donald Trump, during his first press conference on January 11 as then president-elect, shouted at a CNN reporter: "You are fake news!" 
 
 Sweden was a victim of "fake news" when Fox News in February interviewed a "security and defence expert" who turned out to have criminal convictions in the US and no connections to the Scandinavian nation's security services, Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter reported. 
 
 Now, several local daily Swedish newspapers including Dalarnas Tidningar, Hallpressen and Vasterbottens-Kuriren have refrained from publishing April Fools' Day jokes. 
 
 "Historically, we've had super successful April Fools jokes. But because of debates and discussions about the media's credibility being connected to fake news, we didn't want to do it this year," Ingvar Naslund, editor-in-chief at Vasterbottens-Kuriren told TT. 
 
 Erik Berger, editor-in-chief at the daily Jonkopings-Posten told AFP that his newspaper would "write in (Saturday's) edition" about why they won't publish such jokes. 
 
 In neighbouring Norway, the largest media organisations such as public broadcaster NRK, newspaper Aftenposten, VG and Dagbladet have also abandoned this old tradition. 
 
 NRK said local newspapers would follow suit. 
 
 Oyulf Hjertenes, editor at the local daily Bergens Tidende, told NRK that in a climate where "false news is spreading, it would be a mistake on our part" to publish jokes on April 1. 
 
 Kristin Monstad, publishing editor at Drammens Tidende, added: "What is written in Drammens Tidende must be true." ||||| In a year when every day feels like a cruel joke, it isn't really the time for April Fools' Day. 
 
 Maybe brands subconsciously realize that, because their April Fools' Day pranks this year are pretty tame. At least they're amusing themselves with fake ways to watch TV and hail cars. 
 
 Here are the notable ones so far: 
 
 Amazon Petlexa 
 
 Petlexa: Alexa, for your cat. Petlexa, "allows dogs, cats, and other animals to communicate with Alexa just like you do." Great! 
 
 Netflix Live 
 
 Image: screenshot/netflix 
 
 Netflix uploaded its April Fools' Day prank a day early and then canceled it the day of. 
 
 Netflix Live starred Will Arnett narrating footage of microwaves and copiers. Even though the joke is under the category "Recently Canceled by Netflix," you can still watch it. 
 
 Hulu's Hu 
 
 Hulu went with a commentary on patience this April Fools' Day. Hu: TV Abbreviated shows you "your favorite shows, all in eight seconds or less." 
 
 Click on the banner introducing the service to watch condensed clips of The Mindy Project, Seinfeld, Empire and other shows Hulu has streaming rights to. 
 
 Lyft's Mono 
 
 A few days early, Lyft rolled out Mono — a wearable that hails a Lyft for you when you raise your hand in the air (like raising your hand would do if you were hailing an actual taxi). 
 
 Lyft quickly admitted the wearable was a prank, but the company did get Bella Hadid to try one out. #GetMono 
 
 Learn Emoji with Duolingo 
 
 Duolingo, the app that promises to teach you a language in five minutes a day, has a pretty fun proposition for April Fools. Today, the app will teach you how to speak emoji. 
 
 If you have family members who are all over the place with their emoji usage (or don't use them at all), maybe they should check it out. Take a break from the Japanese lessons! 
 
 Google 
 
 Google has so many April Fools' Day jokes it needs its own list. 
 
 So far, you can play Ms. Pac-Man on Google Maps, get a "Google Gnome" instead of a Google Home, and control the weather with windmills if you're using Google Netherlands. ||||| Did you hear the news about the Dalai Lama writing his own sitcom? How about the rogue planet Nibiru being on a collision course with Earth? Or the woman arrested for defecating on her boss’s desk after winning the lottery? 
 
 These stories have all been published on apparently legitimate news sites and spread by our favourite social networks over the last year. And they share one other thing in common too: they were all, of course, absolutely fictional. 
 
 Fake news is everywhere you look, from Miami reportedly introducing texting lanes on its motorways to the Pope purportedly endorsing Donald Trump for president. For the leader of the free world, “fake news” has even become a daily catchphrase. 
 
 With so much phony news kicking around, it can be hard to know what to believe these days. But if you’re worried about how to distinguish the real reporters from the bogus bylines, the true tales from the spurious stories, then fear no more. The Drum believes it’s time for an International Fake News Day to shine a spotlight on the web’s most cock-and-bull content. And we’re going to host it this Saturday – 1 April. 
 
 As part of the day’s activities, which you can join in with using the hashtag #FakeNewsDay, the most prominent and proficient proponents of fake news will be garlanded with their very own awards – The Fakers – to recognise their accomplishments in spreading alternative facts. 
 
 Donald Trump will no doubt be the bookies’ favourite to take home the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award, but other categories including Best State-Sponsored Story, Best Conspiracy Theory Reported as Fact and Most Outlandish Claim of the Year are bursting at the seams with potential victors. 
 
 Gordon Young, editor-in-chief of The Drum and founder of The Fakers, said: “Fake news has become one of the biggest talking points in media, politics and even down the pub. It is now so pervasive that it's become a real problem for readers, who are struggling to distinguish between fact and fiction, and mainstream news outlets whose credibility is being eroded by the mischief makers. 
 
 “The best defence against fake news is to make readers question everything they read, and that’s exactly what we’ll do on International Fake News Day, which happens to coincide with April Fool’s Day this Saturday. 
 
 “We also have to acknowledge that there is an undoubted talent required to craft compelling content – even when it’s fake. Stories like the one about the disgruntled ex-employee were shared millions of times online, demonstrating a remarkable skill for social media. By celebrating the fakers’ ingenuity, we will also be able to warn the public from ever believing a word they say again.” 
 
 In keeping with the spirit of International Fake News Day, we would like to invite you to make up your own categories and share with us who you believe the most deserving winners ought to be. You can do this by tweeting your suggestions to @thedrum with the hashtag #fakenewsday. 
 
 The winners will be announced by The Drum on Saturday. And that’s a fact. ||||| On 'SNL,' Aziz Ansari Aims To Quell Some American Angst That Shirtless Putin Can't 
 
 YouTube 
 
 With no shortage of material to work with, Saturday Night Live satirized a packed week in American politics, reiterating themes imparted by critics for months. 
 
 The episode kicked off by lampooning Russia's role in influencing the U.S. election. 
 
 Cast member Beck Bennett brought back smug shirtless Vladimir Putin, the star of Saturday's cold open, to assuage America's fears about their new president, in a speech carried by RT, the Russian government-funded outlet. 
 
 "You are worried that your country is in the hands of this unpredictable man. But don't worry, it's not," he smirks. 
 
 Just look at Russia, suggests SNL's Putin, whose administration also started out on a road of skepticism. 
 
 "Many Russians were skeptical of me at first too, but today, no one seems to hear from any of them," he says. "It's like they're gone." 
 
 The same day millions of American women marched to protest an administration they believe threatens their rights, Bennett's Putin says that we must simply look to the satisfaction of Russian women to ease our fears. 
 
 Enter Olya, Kate McKinnon's subservient Russian character, reading from a scripted statement detailing her contentment under Putin's leadership. Olya returns, from outside the window behind him, wearing a pink 'pussyhat,' gesturing "I'm watching you," at her leader. 
 
 SNL made fun of the low attendance of Friday's inauguration, the central topic of discussion at the White House Briefing Room earlier Saturday evening, when White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer accused media outlets of downplaying crowd sizes. 
 
 But what may have genuinely quelled American viewers more were diplomatic words from the week's host, comedian Aziz Ansari. Ansari's monologue fell in line with a larger trend among soapbox comedians, who aim to argue a broader social message first — to what's often their already solid fan base — and to elicit laughter second. 
 
 As NPR Politics reporter Jessica Taylor notes, "The most nuanced takes on the election have come from stand-up comedians," like Dave Chappelle's hosting stint the weekend after the election and now, Aziz Ansari the day after the inauguration. 
 
 "We've always been divided by some of these big political issues. It's fine," the comedian said. "As long as we treat each other with respect and remember that ultimately, we're all Americans, we'll be fine." 
 
 Dubbing him the "Chris Brown of politics," Ansari said we shouldn't demonize all of Trump's supporters. Like the fans of the pop star who beat former girlfriend Rihanna, some supporters rallied behind Trump for his ideology (in Brown's case, the tunes), not his character. 
 
 Laying out the day's events as a reason to stay hopeful, Ansari continued, "Change doesn't come from presidents, change comes from large groups of angry people. And if day one [of Trump's presidency] is any indication, you are part of the largest group of angry people I've ever seen," he cracked. "Yesterday, Trump was inaugurated — today, an entire gender protested against him." 
 
 The next political-themed sketch of the night featured Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway (McKinnon, again) in a Chicago-esque parody. Dodging questions in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper (Bennett), McKinnon's Conway pivots instead to perform a musical number about her newfound celebrity in the political world. 
 
 Next up, the show's "Weekend Update" segment took on the week's leftover news headlines. In exchange for the "Update" anchor's usual humorous twist to cap off each news item, Michael Che frequently leaned on a reaction image of Michelle Obama depicted with a side-eye glance, adding a curt "Hmph." The many faces of the former first lady on Inaguration Day, which suggest she broke her poker face, have been circulating social media. 
 
 The post-inauguration show closed with a sentimental tribute to the 44th president. Cecily Strong, joined a couple verses later by Sasheer Zamata, sang "To Sir, With Love," in front of a backdrop of a black-and-white photo of Barack Obama. The scene echoed the show's post-election episode, featuring Kate McKinnon's solemn double tribute to a freshly defeated Hillary Clinton and the late singer Leonard Cohen. 
 
 The screen faded to black with the message, "Thank You President Obama." 
 
 Viewers on Twitter lamented the absence of resident Trump impersonator Alec Baldwin, who has previously said he's "trying to shed the Donald Trump cloak." 
 
 Hopefully Baldwin's no-show will give some solace to the new president, who has criticized SNL as "Unwatchable! Totally biased, not funny and the Baldwin impersonation just can't get any worse. Sad." ||||| Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE TODAY'S TOP STORIES Workers at an Ohio auto supplier factory have robot colleagues | 1:03 The Universal UR10 robots' task is both simple and repetitive: pick up flimsy insulation pads known as shoddy; transfer them to a machine to be inserted into a door panel; then move the panel to a human worker for inspection. Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press 1 of 12 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE TODAY'S TOP STORIES State senator accused of buying clothes, fast food with campaign funds | 0:58 State Sen. Jim Marleau has been under scrutiny by state election officials for charging large credit cards bills to his campaign fund, without itemizing the charges. Wochit 2 of 12 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE TODAY'S TOP STORIES Death Toll Rises in Mogadishu Blasts | 1:01 Police say the death toll is now 18 in an attack on a hotel in Somalia's capital, with a running gunbattle between security forces and a small number of remaining extremists holed up inside. (Oct. 28) AP 3 of 12 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE TODAY'S TOP STORIES Maxine Waters leads chant, "Impeach 45" | 1:09 Congresswoman Maxine Waters chants "Impeach 45" at the end of her speech Junfu Han/Detroit Free Press 4 of 12 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE TODAY'S TOP STORIES Red Berenson's meeting with Vladimir Putin 'memorable' | 2:05 Former Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson talks about his meeting with Vladimir Putin as part of a trip to Russia to celebrate the 1972 Summit Series. Video by George Sipple/DFP 5 of 12 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE TODAY'S TOP STORIES Talkin' Spartans: Weird middle part of game costs 'em | 7:44 Free Press sports writers Chris Solari and Shawn Windsor and Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch break down Michigan State's 39-31 triple-overtime loss at Northwestern on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017. 6 of 12 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE TODAY'S TOP STORIES Michigan gets much-needed spark from QB Brandon Peters | 8:49 Free Press sports writers George Sipple, Nick Baumgardner and Jeff Seidel break down the big news items from Michigan's 35-14 win over Rutgers on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, in Ann Arbor. 7 of 12 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE TODAY'S TOP STORIES How Trick or Treat beer is made | 1:09 Black Lotus Brewing Co. in Clawson infused its export stout with toffee for 2017 Detroit Fall Beer Festival. Wochit 8 of 12 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE TODAY'S TOP STORIES JFK files: 4 big findings | 1:34 The National Archives released over 2,800 records on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The once-classified records have fascinated researchers and fueled conspiracy theorists for decades. USA TODAY 9 of 12 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE TODAY'S TOP STORIES Magic Johnson: A look back at greatness | 1:18 Remembering Magic Johnson's career in college and the pros. Video by Ryan Ford/DFP Wochit 10 of 12 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE TODAY'S TOP STORIES Rose McGowan snaps at reporter that asked about Weinstein: 'Who's your rapist?' | 0:56 Actress Rose McGowan snapped back at a Detroit Free Press reporter when she asked her why she didn't mention Weinstein's name during her speech at the Women's Convention in Detroit. Wochit 11 of 12 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE TODAY'S TOP STORIES Carve a Halloween Trumpkin | 1:20 Impress your neighbors bigly! Use our stencil and follow our instructions to carve your very own Halloween Trumpkin! Wochit 12 of 12 Last VideoNext Video Workers at an Ohio auto supplier factory have robot colleagues 
 
 State senator accused of buying clothes, fast food with campaign funds 
 
 Death Toll Rises in Mogadishu Blasts 
 
 Maxine Waters leads chant, "Impeach 45" 
 
 Red Berenson's meeting with Vladimir Putin 'memorable' 
 
 Talkin' Spartans: Weird middle part of game costs 'em 
 
 Michigan gets much-needed spark from QB Brandon Peters 
 
 How Trick or Treat beer is made 
 
 JFK files: 4 big findings 
 
 Magic Johnson: A look back at greatness 
 
 Rose McGowan snaps at reporter that asked about Weinstein: 'Who's your rapist?' 
 
 Carve a Halloween Trumpkin 
 
 Jonathan Schmitz was convicted in the 1995 murder of Scott Amedure and he was granted parole after a March 2017 hearing and is scheduled to be released from Parnall Correctional Institution in late August 2017. (Photo: Michigan Department of Corrections) 
 
 A man convicted of murdering another man days after they appeared on a taping of the "Jenny Jones" show about same-sex crushes is scheduled to get out of prison next week. 
 
 Jonathan Schmitz, now 47, was convicted in the 1995 killing of Scott Amedure. A judge sentenced Schmitz to 25-50 years in prison for second-degree murder. 
 
 The case in Oakland County Circuit Court garnered national attention and put a spotlight on the tactics and motives of television talk shows. 
 
 Michigan Department of Corrections spokeswoman Holly Kramer said Schmitz is expected to be released from the Parnall Correctional Facility in Jackson next week, but she didn’t give the exact date. 
 
 Read more: 
 
 Schmitz interviewed with a member of the Michigan Parole Board in March and a three-member panel made the decision to parole him in April, she said. 
 
 Frank Amedure Jr., Scott’s older brother, recently spoke to the Oakland Press and said he’d like to know how Schmitz feels about what he did. 
 
 “This was hard on the whole family,” he told the Oakland Press. “This practically ruined my life and my family’s life.” 
 
 A relative of Schmitz declined to comment when reached by the Free Press today. 
 
 Shortly after jurors returned a verdict in 1996, they said the talk show was a catalyst for the murder. The show — and Amedure — deceived Schmitz into thinking his admirer was a woman, the jurors said. 
 
 Schmitz, a heterosexual, shot Amedure, who was gay, three days after Amedure revealed his crush. 
 
 Schmitz called 911 after the murder and told an operator he did it because Amedure put him on the show. 
 
 Schmitz’s attorneys have said their client was fighting alcoholism and depression and the show ambushed him. Prosecutors and gay rights activists contended the killing was motivated by Schmitz’s hostility toward gays. 
 
 After the criminal trial, a jury awarded Amedure’s family a $25-million judgment against the "Jenny Jones" talk show and Warner Bros., but the award was overturned by the Michigan Court of Appeals. 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://on.freep.com/2wf1Q8D ||||| The Russians who worked for a notorious St. Petersburg “troll factory” that was part of Vladimir Putin’s campaign to influence the 2016 presidential election were required to watch the “House of Cards” television series to help them craft messages to “set up the Americans against their own government,” according to an interview broadcast Sunday (in Russian) with a former member of the troll factory’s elite English language department. 
 
 The interview, broadcast by the independent Russian TV station Rain, provides new insight into how the troll factory formerly known as the Internet Research Agency targeted U.S. audiences in part by posting provocative “comments” pretending to be from Americans on newspaper articles that appeared on the websites of the New York Times and Washington Post. 
 
 A central theme of this messaging was demonizing Hillary Clinton by playing up the past scandals of her husband’s administration, her wealth and her use of a private email server, according to the interview with the agency worker, identified only as “Maksim,” with his face concealed. 
 
 “Maksim” says he worked for the agency during 2015, the year before the election, when it was already focusing its attention on Clinton. 
 
 “The main message is: Are not you, my American brothers, tired of the Clintons? How many have they already been?” Maksim says, adding that he and his colleagues were told to emphasize the Clintons’ past “corruption scandals.” 
 
 Screen grab of “Maksim” with his face concealed, a former member of the Internet Research Agency troll factory’s elite English language department. (Video still: TV Rain) More 
 
 But more broadly, the instructions given to employees of the English language department were to stoke discontent about the U.S. government and the Obama administration in particular. “We had a goal to set up the Americans against their own government,” he says. “To cause unrest, cause discontent [and] lower [President] Obama’s rating.” 
 
 Just how effective “comments” placed on the websites of American news organizations are in influencing public opinion, if they do anything at all, is far from clear. Still, the interview is potentially significant. Although other Russian language trolls who worked in the agency’s domestic departments have spoken out in the past, Maksim appears to be the first member of the highly selective English language section to describe the agency’s meticulous methods. This is the same department that Facebook has said covertly placed over 3,000 messages on its platform — one component in the Russian “influence campaign” during last year’s election that is getting increased attention from the House and Senate intelligence committees. 
 
 The Rain broadcast says the station’s journalists verified Maksim’s bona fides because he was able to produce documents showing that he worked for about a year at the Internet Research Agency, the former name of a media conglomerate that is believed to be owned by Evgeny Progozhin, a wealthy oligarch and restaurateur who is widely known as “Putin’s chef.” 
 
 While the anti-Clinton messaging Maksim describes is consistent with the longstanding conclusions reached by the U.S. intelligence community about the Russian influence campaign, Maksim’s account adds some colorful new details — especially the requirement that the agency’s English language trolls study “House of Cards” to better understand American politics. 
 
 Hillary Clinton with Michelle Obama, then-President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton in Philadelphia on Nov. 7, 2016. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP) More
– Need some election interference? The Russian Foreign Ministry is ready to help—or so it says on April Fools' Day. On Saturday, the ministry posted on its Facebook page an audio file of the purported new automated telephone switchboard message for Russian embassies. "To arrange a call from a Russian diplomat to your political opponent, press 1," the recording begins, in Russian and English. Press 2 "to use the services of Russian hackers," and 3 "to request election interference." A ministry duty officer, who did not give his name in line with official practice, confirmed to the AP that the post was an official joke. More coverage of April Fools' Day gags: Slate lists some of the best pranks of 2017, including the Irish Times claiming President Trump would be building a new Trump Tower in the country. Adweek and Mashable round up hoaxes from brands, including "Whopper cologne" from Burger King and "Petlexa" from Amazon. Mashable has a separate article dedicated to just the pranks from Google. The New York Daily News reports that George Takei fooled a bunch of people when he claimed he would be running for Congress in an attempt to unseat Devin Nunes. E! Online rounds up April Fools' Day pranks from other celebrities. A Democratic representative marked April 1 with a fake bill proposal calling for Trump to be banned from "unsupervised tweeting," Mediaite reports. Rolling Stone declares that the best April Fools' Day prank award goes to College Humor, which teamed up with Sinbad to create fake footage from Shazaam, a 1990s movie in which Sinbad supposedly played a genie that tons of people remember seeing. Trouble is, the movie never actually existed. Until now, kinda. The footage is here. New England got a very real April Fools' Day snowstorm, the AP reports.