Storyline · general · 2 reports from 2 newsrooms

Past moments that still haunt the internet

First reported Oct 31, 5:00 AM ET · Latest Nov 3, 2:04 PM ET · Explainer updated Nov 3, 2:37 PM ET

Where things stand

Online discussions continue to reference a 2016 political misstep involving a Pokémon Go comment by Hillary Clinton and the 100‑year anniversary of magician Harry Houdini’s death in Detroit, according to TechCrunch and NPR.

Continuum

Facts

Facts appear here as Relay matches them to the reports.

Timeline

What changed: TechCrunch reports that the “Pokémon Go to the polls” gaffe remains an ironic rallying cry for disillusioned young voters.

Every report, newest first

  1. Ten years later, ‘Pokémon Go to the polls’ still haunts the internet — TechCrunch

    Hillary Clinton's 2016 political gaffe has become an irony-shrouded rallying cry for jaded young voters who still dare to hope for change.

  2. 100 years later, Harry Houdini's death still haunts Detroit — NPR

    The legacy of magician Harry Houdini still looms large in Detroit 100 years after his death there. Some mark the anniversary of Houdini's death by trying to make contact with his spirit.

Questions

  • It is unclear why these particular historical references endure online or what measurable effect they have on voter attitudes or paranormal interest. Open

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More: background

Clinton’s 2016 remark about Pokémon Go was widely mocked and has become a meme for youthful political frustration. Houdini, the famed escape artist, died in Detroit a century ago; some people mark the date by attempting séances to contact his spirit.

How this works: stories from different newsrooms are grouped by topic, then AI writes the explainer using only those reports. It may miss context the reports don't include.