Maricopa election officials work to restore belief in the ballot as some continue to sow doubt in elections; 60 Minutes, October 7, 2024

Scott Pelley , 60 Minutes; Maricopa election officials work to restore belief in the ballot as some continue to sow doubt in elections

"Shelby Busch started a political action committee which investigates what she calls widespread fraud in Maricopa County—fraud no credible investigation has found. She's taken in nearly a million dollars in donations for the work of her PAC. And the Arizona Republican Party awarded her the leadership of its delegation at last summer's national convention...

Busch still questions whether signature verification was proper and whether some ballots were collected illegally. She's an administrator in a medical practice.

Scott Pelley: You're self-educated--

Shelby Busch: That's correct--

Scott Pelley: --when it comes to elections.

Shelby Busch: That's correct.

Scott Pelley: In a recent case a judge disqualified you from testifying in the case because he said you were, quote, "Obviously unqualified... not even in the ballpark."

Shelby Busch: That's one judge's opinion. who is a radical leftist who is legislating from the bench and I don't believe that it had any merit in my credibility whatsoever.

Scott Pelley: Is there a danger in undermining people's faith in the election system by persisting with these conspiracy theories that no one has been able to validate?

Shelby Busch: Again, I'm going to disagree with you, sir, respectfully-- it has been validated. And because--

Scott Pelley: Where? By whom?

Shelby Busch: The election officials--

Scott Pelley: Give me-- give me a court case. Give me something.

Shelby Busch: I don't need a government official with a vested interest in disproving information to tell me whether what I have is valid. It's up to each individual citizen, as a member of this society, to review the evidence, to think for themselves and make those decisions.

Scott Pelley: It's valid 'cause you say it is.

Shelby Busch: I say it's valid because I say it is. And if somebody looks at it, they can determine whether it's valid. The evidence speaks for itself. Data does not lie. Data doesn't lie. Election officials do."

Authors Guild to offer “Human Authored” label on books to compete with AI; Marketplace.org, October 7, 2024

 Matt Levin, Marketplace.org ; Authors Guild to offer “Human Authored” label on books to compete with AI

"The Authors Guild, the professional association representing published novelists and nonfiction writers, is set to offer to its 15,000 members a new certificate they can place directly on their book covers.

About the size of literary award stickers or celebrity book club endorsements adorning the cover art of the latest bestseller, the certificate is a simple, round logo with two boldfaced words inside: “Human Authored.”

As in, written by a human — and not artificial intelligence.

(Courtesy The Authors Guild)

“It isn’t just to prevent fraud and deception,” said Douglas Preston, a bestselling novelist and nonfiction writer and member of the Authors Guild Council. “It’s also a declaration of how important storytelling is to who we are as a species. And we’re not going to let machines elbow us aside and pretend to be telling us stories, when it’s just regurgitating literary vomitus.”

How to Effectively Message Against Book Bans | Back Talk; Library Journal, September 24, 2024

P.C. Sweeney , Library Journal; How to Effectively Message Against Book Bans | Back Talk

"WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE

How do we effectively message in this environment? In 2022, EveryLibrary conducted political polls with the national firm Embold Research. This research included focus groups with message testing and message testing within the polling itself. Throughout the previous four years, we also conducted internal A/B testing of various messages for virality, engagement, and persuasion. Through this internal and external research, we were able to identify a number of highly effective messages against book bans.

One of the things we found throughout this testing is that the most effective messages are ones that use the fewest words or need the least amount of explanation. The reason that book banners are gaining traction is because “protecting children from porn” (even though that’s not what they’re doing) is an effective message that doesn’t require explanation. Understandably, the majority of the public is against exposing children to porn and immediately understands that message without explanation. However, our response has often been to explain the Miller Test in detail, long discussions about how it’s not pornography, the Pico ruling , how collection development policies work, and academic writings on the benefits of comprehensive sexual education. These messages are far too long, complex, and academic to be effective with the general public.

We also found that messages that reinforce the language of the book challengers allow them to control the message. The more often we repeat their language and messages, the more we solidify their messages in the minds of the public. Messages that don’t repeat the false narrative about pornography in libraries are the most effective ones.

The messages I present below are clear and concise and, according to our data, are effective at engaging 70 to 80 percent of the public and moving them into favorable action for libraries...

FIGHTING BACK

Messaging is great, but it’s nothing unless we can use it to identify our supporters and call them into action. Simply putting these messages into the world will not ensure that we triumph over book bans. Winning against censorship means sophisticated community organizing, building relationships of power with organizations, identifying supporters and cultivating them into action, and ultimately electing leaders who support libraries and the freedom to read.

Unfortunately, most libraries, as government organizations, don’t have the tools, resources, or legal authority to build the movement they need to fight off the activists attacking them. The most effective defense against book banners comes from members of the local community who are willing to fight back. Platforms such as fightforthefirst.org allow community members to launch petitions and communicate with supporters to help them organize the community against groups who are seeking to censor the library and eliminate the community’s right to read.

If your library is facing book bans, you can fight back."

Helene recovery is more political online than on the ground; NPR, October 7, 2024

Jeff Brady, Liz Baker , NPR; Helene recovery is more political online than on the ground

"Elon Musk’s social media platform X has been an especially fertile place for politically charged rumors and conspiracies. Sometimes they have been fueled by the billionaire himself.

On Friday Musk fed into a common complaint online that governments are preventing private citizens from offering help to people in need. Musk wrotethat his “blood is boiling” after engineers from his company SpaceX tried to offer help via helicopter but “@FEMA wouldn’t let them land to deliver critical supplies.”

Actually the Federal Aviation Administration regulates airspace and the FAA said in a statement that following Helene the skies have been crowded and it's trying to maintain safety. A federal official confirmed to NPR that there have been more than 30 cases where two aircraft almost collided, as air traffic in the region increased 300% after the storm. There are no restrictions to aerial recovery operations.

Perhaps no area in North Carolina has been the subject of more blatant false online rumors than Chimney Rock — including the persistent untrue claim that FEMA abandoned the village so that the Biden administration can mine lithium there.

“Anything that you see, that you hear that sounds like that is not true,” says village mayor Peter O’Leary."

“We Are a Relatively Easy Punching Bag”; Slate, October 3, 2024

LAURA MILLER , Slate; “We Are a Relatively Easy Punching Bag”

"While it’s not unusual for other industries to dedicate staff to influencing or changing public policy, it’s virtually unheard of in the relatively sleepy world of book publishing. Rosalie Stewart, however, has just been hired as Penguin Random House’s senior public policy manager, a new position that will fight the recent explosion in book-banning campaigns at schools and public libraries. At present, for example, officials in Texas and Iowa have attempted to argue that the book collections held by schools and libraries constitute “government speech” and are therefore not protected by the First Amendment. This bid to redefine the nature of public libraries was rejected by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Iowa, but for Texas, the matter is being weighed by the notorious extremists on the “rogue” 5th Circuit. I spoke with Stewart recently about the battle before her. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity....

There have been two book-banning reports recently from the ALA and PEN America. The first said that book challenges are slowing down, and the second said that banning attempts have ramped up. Could you explain why there would be that difference?

My colleagues—my former colleagues, I should say—at ALA are very good at what they do, and they’re very smart. As a professional association, they just have a different focus in terms of what they’re counting. They’re focused on a very specific definition of a “book ban.” They only count book removals. But we know that this censorship is playing itself out in different ways. Not only are books being challenged, removed, and then put back on the shelf, but there is soft censorship. There’s a chilling effect in terms of the books that people are buying and teaching. I think that PEN America’s definition is a little more expansive and draws on a wider variety of sources. Censorship is not going down. Book banning is not fading away. That’s not what we’re hearing from people out there. That’s a major challenge: How do we fight back against this on such a diffuse battlefield? It’s happening at the state legislatures; it’s happening at the school boards; and it’s happening at the agency level."

Folks Are Uniting Against Book Bans; Word In Black via Michigan Chronicle, October 7, 2024

Word In Black via Michigan Chronicle, Aziah Siid; Folks Are Uniting Against Book Bans

"Mychal Threets, a Black librarian and literary activist with a social media following rivaling that of any influencer, has a message for readers struggling to find themselves on shelves due to conservative-led book bans in public schools and libraries: You have the power to fight back.

“You belong in books, in libraries, in the world, just as you are. You have the freedom to read, to be in books, to see yourselves,” Threets says in a recent Instagram post about why he’s supporting the Freedom to Read Community Day of Action on October 19.

Threets created the post to announce his partnership with the New York Public Library on the Freedom to Read Community Day of Action campaign, an effort to encourage collective action and civic pushback against banning or restricting access to books written by, for, or about people from diverse communities.

The day is a national initiative from the American Library Association and its Unite Against Book Bans campaign, in partnership with Brooklyn, Queens and New York Public Libraries, and the Association for Rural and Small Libraries. The joint effort was started “in response to the wave of book banning and censorship that started gathering momentum in 2020,” according to a press release from the ALA...

Host Your Own Day of Action, But Be Careful

A free event guide and promotion kit walks folks who cares about the issue through how to host their own local Freedom to Read Community Day of Action on Oct. 19. It suggests everything from being ready to answer common questions about book banning to “inviting local community leaders, authors, librarians, or educators who want to share personal stories,” about what books mean to them.

However, given the vitriol against books by Black and other racially or ethnically diverse authors — and against books about Black history — it’s also suggested that folks take some safety precautions ahead of any scheduled events.

Precautions include monitoring social media and emails for threats or protests and inspecting areas around event venues for suspicious people or items. Restricting access to only those authorized to attend or celebrate the event is also recommended.

But if Mychal the Librarian can get the courage to show up to the day of action at the New York Public Library, the rest of us can, too. As Threets says in his Instagram video, “It is all about the freedom to read.”"

‘We Have to Work Together’: Action Beyond Banned Books Week; American Libraries, October 2, 2024

 Paula Mauro, American Libraries; ‘We Have to Work Together’: Action Beyond Banned Books Week

"While Banned Books Week ended on September 28, writer, director, producer—and Banned Books Week honorary chair—Ava DuVernay stresses the importance of continuing the work of amplifying marginalized voices...

“This banned book effort is an agenda by people who want to make some of us less free, to silence the voices of some of us,” DuVernay tells American Libraries. “We can overcome this, but we have to work together.”

DuVernay recorded a video conversation with Banned Books Week Youth Honorary Chair Julia Garnett, a student activist who fought book bans in her home state of Tennessee and now attends Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. In the video, the two discuss DuVernay’s approach to championing diverse viewpoints as a filmmaker and ways the rest of us can join and stay in the fight.

The video is available here, as well as on the Banned Books Week YouTube channel. Highlights from the video are also excerpted below...

How student activists can cope with feeling lonely in their anticensorship fights—often as the youngest person in the room:

First of all, I commend you. I take my hat off to you. I bow to all activists who are doing that hard work. I think the one thing to remember is, it’s lonely because that’s what leadership is. There’s someone who’s leading, and that is who we’re following. And it’s lonely at the front. It’s about building coalition and making sure that the folks around you are aware, are educated, are interested, and are leaning in.

People have different levels of engagement, and that’s okay. But even one person can have an impact…. And if I feel that kind of loneliness—that, “Gosh, I’m the only one out here doing it, and everyone else is doing this”—if you feel it and you still want to do it, you’re on the right track. And there’s nothing better than feeling like you’re on the right track. So, not easy. But glorious, you know?"

Who uses libraries? Even in the stacks, there’s a political divide.; The Washington Post, October 4, 2024

Andrew Van Dam, The Washington Post; Who uses libraries? Even in the stacks, there’s a political divide.

"When we took a look at the nation’s declining reading habits, our struggling bookstores and the prodigious number of books consumed by America’s top 1 percent of readers, scores of you wrote in with a singular question: What about the libraries?!

You people sure do love libraries! You wanted to know everything. Who are the biggest library users? How many of our books do we get from libraries? What else do we use libraries for?

We scoured all the government sources we could think of before turning to the cabal of polling prodigies over at YouGov to see what they could gin up.

As usual, YouGov exceeded our expectations, asking at least 50 library-related questions of 2,429 U.S. adults in April. They touched on just about everything: librarian approval ratings, restrictions on drag queen story times, number of books read. They also asked about the library services we actually use, up to and including how many of us avail ourselves of the library restrooms."

Book banning activists target Little Free Libraries in Utah; Axios, October 4, 2024

Erin Alberty, Axios; Book banning activists target Little Free Libraries in Utah

"Advocates of school book bans have shifted their sights toward Utah's Little Free Libraries after a Democratic lawmaker planned to add banned books to the volunteer-run curbside collections in her district.

Driving the news: State Rep. Sahara Hayes (D-Salt Lake City) recently announced on Instagram that she planned to celebrate national Banned Books Week by placing titles that are banned in a Utah school inside Little Free Libraries.

• That led to accusations that she was distributing "explicit content" to children in violation of Utah laws.
• Some of the activists have previously filed police reports accusing schools of distributing pornography because they carried books by acclaimed authors like Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood and Sherman Alexie.

Zoom out: Brooke Stephens — a leader with Utah Parents United who called for Hayes' prosecution and has previously mobilized parents to report librarians to police — argued last week that owners of Little Free Libraries should face prosecution if they make "obscene" material available.

The other side: Book ban opponents say threats to prosecute people for simply having or putting books in reach of children likely will have a chilling effect on authors, parents and owners of Little Free Libraries.

What they're saying: "If you're someone who runs a Little Free Library, you have to make the choice: 'Am I going to put these things in there and take the chance' [of a pornography charge]," Peter Bromberg, a policy advocate for the Utah Library Association, told Axios.

• "Even having that levied against you as an accusation — forget if you can actually defend yourself in court. … Are you going to be targeted?" Bromberg asked. "Your address is public, your Little Free Library is public. Are you going to be vandalized? Are you going to be threatened?"

Reality check: Salt Lake City police said they had not received complaints of Hayes' book-sharing as of Thursday."

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What Springfield, Ohio, can teach Canadians about digital mis- and disinformation; Toronto Star, October 5, 2024

Bessma Momani and Shelly Ghai Bajaj , Toronto Star; What Springfield, Ohio, can teach Canadians about digital mis- and disinformation

"Digital disinformation can be dangerous and too often, racialized ethnocultural communities bear the brunt of it.

Disinformation during election time certainly gets media attention, but it is the everyday disinformation that we need to pay attention to. We need to wake up to see how this near constant flow — the ‘slow drip of polarizing and illiberal narratives’ — erodes Canadian values and social cohesion...

In fact, foreign interference in Canada’s democratic and electoral processes, including the use of disinformation, is expected to play an even larger role in future election cycles.

Thankfully there is growing awareness to this problem; one poll estimates that 84 per cent of Canadians are concerned about disinformation and potential impact on democracy. Canadians are also aware of the potential weaponization of emergent technologies and capabilities with 80 per cent of Canadians indicating concern about the abuse of AI and the spread of AI-generated disinformation in the lead-up to the 2025 federal election.

But, while this growing awareness and attention is positive, we need to pay attention to disinformation in everyday contexts, to help build societal resilience and prevent social polarization."

Gov. Lee says untruths are being spread about relief efforts; Johnson City Press, October 3, 2024

 Robert Hook, Johnson City Press; Gov. Lee says untruths are being spread about relief efforts

"Gov. Bill Lee said Thursday he is “inspired” by the work of volunteers and first responders in addressing flood relief needs in East Tennessee and “disheartened” to hear misinformation is being spread about that relief getting to flood victims.

He was referring to reports being posted on social media and elsewhere falsely claiming that food, water and other supplies for flood victims are being intercepted or diverted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and related agencies.

“It’s sad that would happen ... that people would push out that misinformation when aid is so badly needed,” Lee told Six Rivers Media by phone while touring recovery efforts in Greene and Cocke counties. “It’s ridiculous and disheartening. We don’t need this kind of distraction now.”"

'Disinformation laundering': Experts slam Lara Trump’s reply to GOP senator’s disaster relief statement; AlterNet, October 6, 2024

 Maya Boddie, AlterNet; 'Disinformation laundering': Experts slam Lara Trump’s reply to GOP senator’s disaster relief statement

"Donald Trump's daughter-in-law and Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump on Sunday morning claimed that western North Carolinians are not receiving a sufficient federal disaster response. 

CNN's Dana Bash pushed back on he Republican National Committee co-chair's comments by playing a clip of US Senator Thom Tillis' (R-NC) Saturday comments during a press conference, in which the Republican leader praised the response from the Biden-Harris administration thus far.

"I'm actually impressed with how much attention was paid to a region that wasn't likely to have experienced the impact that they did," Tillis said. "For anybody that think that any level of government could have been prepared precisely for what we're dealing with, clearly are clueless. But right now, I'm out here to say, we're doing a good job."

Bash then emphasized that Tillis "and others are saying please to the former president and others, stop spreading misinformation, because it's hurting people in North Carolina."

Lara Trump replied, "I'm so glad to hear he feels that way, but it's coming directly from people there. You can go online and you can look at people recording videos of themselves and posting online saying, 'We need help. No one has come here.'"

WLRN reporter Danny Rivero replied to Lara Trump's interview clip posted to X, writing: "Disinformation laundering is a term and concept more people in media should be aware of. Politician spreads disinformation > gullible people start repeating it > politician cites the people repeating it as proof of step one. This is disinformation laundering"

Michigan GOP Watch commented: "Get this. Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of Donald Trump, knows more about the situation on the ground than the Republican senator of North Carolina.""

Elon Musk makes his first appearance at a Trump rally and casts the election in dire terms; AP, October 6, 2024

MEG KINNARD, AP;  Elon Musk makes his first appearance at a Trump rally and casts the election in dire terms

"Billionaire tech executive Elon Musk cast the upcoming presidential election in dire terms during an appearance with Donald Trump, calling the Republican presidential nominee the only candidate “to preserve democracy in America.” 

The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla who also purchased X, Musk joined Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday at the site where the former president survived an assassination attempt in July. Musk said “this will be the last election” if Trump doesn’t win. Wearing a cap with the “Make America Great Again” slogan of Trump’s campaign, Musk appeared to acknowledge the foreboding nature of his remarks. 

“As you can see I am not just MAGA — I am Dark MAGA,” he said. 

It was the first time that Musk joined one of Trump’s rallies and was evidence of their growing alliance in the final stretch of the presidential election. Musk created a super political action committee supporting the Republican nominee and it has been spending heavily on get-out-the-vote efforts. Trump has said he would tap Musk to lead a government efficiency commission if he regains the White House."

Mike Johnson Won’t Condemn Eric Trump’s Bogus Allegations That Dems ‘Tried to Kill’ His Dad; Rolling Stone, October 6, 2024

Peter Wade, Rolling Stone; Mike Johnson Won’t Condemn Eric Trump’s Bogus Allegations That Dems ‘Tried to Kill’ His Dad

"

House Speaker Mike Johnson refused to condemn recent comments by Eric Trump trying to paint the Democratic Party as responsible for assassination attempts on his father. Instead, Johnson essentially repeated the claims by attacking Democrats’ “rhetoric.”

 

“I don’t think they’re saying that the Democratic Party tried an assassination attempt. I think what they’re alluding to is what they’ve all been saying. They have got to turn the rhetoric down,” the Republican speaker told host George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s This Week. “For years now, the leading Democrats in this country, the highest elected officials and the current nominee for president have gone out and said that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy, that the republic will end if he’s reelected.”

Here’s exactly what Eric Trump said: “They tried to smear us. They came after us. They impeached him twice, and then, guys, they tried to kill him. They tried to kill him, and it’s because of the Democratic Party. They can’t do anything right.” 

Johnson tried to weasel out of condemning Eric Trump’s remarks by claiming he hadn’t seen the full speech and then praising the “massive crowd” at the event: “I just saw the clip. I was at an event in Texas last night, so I didn’t watch all the remarks from Pennsylvania. I will tell you, I talked to President Trump right after it, and he was pleased. They had a massive crowd there and a lot of enthusiasm and energy. But I didn’t hear all the comments. I don’t know the context. The clip that I just heard that you just played there, George, I don’t think they’re saying that the Democratic Party tried an assassination attempt.” 

Stephanopoulos pushed back. “But Mr. Speaker, you just said Democrats are. You said their – you said their rhetoric is inciting. We all just saw what both former President Trump and his son Eric said. Eric actually did specifically reference Democrats. He said, ‘They tried to kill him. They tried to kill him and it’s because of the Democratic Party, they can’t do anything right.’ Do you support those comments or not?” 

Again, Johnson refused to say whether he supports the comments: “I don’t know what Eric was saying because I only heard just a snippet there. I don’t know the context. I do know that Eric is very level-headed and a very intelligent person.”

 

“You just saw it, sir,” Stephanopoulos retorted.

 

“I saw your clip of it, George,” Johnson said. “I didn’t see the full speech. We need to all look at these things in full context. What they’re referring to, though, is the absolute open attacks that have been engaged by Democrats against President Trump since the day he came down that golden escalator in 2016.”

 

“We need everybody on all sides to turn the rhetoric down and let’s have a debate about the records of these candidates, not the rhetoric,” Johnson added.

 

“So, you’re actually repeating the charge. And I don’t know what more context you need,” Stephanopoulos said before again repeating Eric Trump’s exact remarks. “What more context do you need? Do you support that statement or not?”

 

“George, I’m not going to parse the language what people say at rallies,” Johnson said. “I could give you pages and pages of crazy comments by the leading Democrats in this country.” 

The Republican speaker then stonewalled some more, prompting Stephanopoulos to say, “So, it’s very clear you’re not going to condemn the base’s suggestion the Democrats are behind the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.” 

The host moved on to another issue, the 2020 election, and asked Johnson, “Can you say unequivocally that Joe Biden won the 2020 election and Donald Trump lost?” Stephanopoulos pointed out that Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance refused to answer this question at the recent vice presidential debate.

 

Yet again, Johnson ducked the question, claiming it’s part of a “gotcha game” from the “mainstream media with leading Republicans.” 

“We’re not going to talk about what happened in 2020. We’re going to talk about 2024 and how we’re going to solve the problems for the American people,” the speaker said, adding that we need to focus on the upcoming election in November.

 

But by dodging the question about 2020, Johnson provides absolutely no reassurance that the lies about non-existent widespread voter fraud will not be repeated by Trump and members of the party he leads. And by refusing to condemn Eric Trump’s remarks and instead blaming Democrats’ “rhetoric” when they have not called for violence against the former president, Johnson is engaging in the same dangerous language he claims to abhor.

“Elon Musk’s Mother Under Fire For Urging Trump Supporters to Vote Illegally En Masse: ‘We Should Work The System’”; Election Law Blog, October 6, 2024

RICK HASEN , Election Law Blog; “Elon Musk’s Mother Under Fire For Urging Trump Supporters to Vote Illegally En Masse: ‘We Should Work The System’”

"About Election Law Blog

Professor Richard L. Hasen is an internationally recognized expert in election law and campaign finance regulation, writing as well in the areas of legislation and statutory interpretation, remedies, and torts. He is co-author of leading casebooks in election law and remedies. Hasen served in 2020 as a CNN Election Law Analyst. He directs UCLA Law’s Safeguarding Democracy Project…. Read full bio on the UCLA Law website."

Interested Parties Memo: Fighting Hurricane Helene Falsehoods with Facts; The White House, October 5, 2024

 The White House; Interested Parties Memo: Fighting Hurricane Helene Falsehoods with Facts

""Senior Advisor to the President and Communications Director Ben LaBolt, and Director of Digital Strategy Christian Tom

Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s direction, the Administration has mobilized a robust, intensive, and whole-of-government effort to respond to the impacts of Hurricane Helene. This includes extensive pre-landfall preparations, as well as an immediate surge of additional resources and personnel to impacted communities. More than 6,400 Federal personnel are on the ground, and more than $110 million in Federal assistance has been given to survivors, with more to come. We are sparing no resource as we work to ensure communities across the Southeast have prompt access to Federal resources that will enable them to both purchase essential items and begin their road to recovery and rebuilding.

Unfortunately, as our response and recovery efforts continue, we have seen a large increase in false information circulating online related to the federal response to Hurricane Helene. A number of scam artists, bad-faith actors, and others who want to sow chaos because they think it helps their political interests are promoting disinformation about the recovery effort, including ways to access critical and live-saving resources. This is wrong, dangerous, and it must stop immediately.

Combatting misinformation and disinformation is always important – but it is especially important when responding to disasters like Hurricane Helene. In fact, disinformation after a hurricane or other natural disaster can discourage people from seeking critical assistance when they need it most. It is imperative that we encourage impacted residents to register for FEMA assistance, not discourage it, by allowing falsehoods to spread.

Leaders from across the country, including local, state, and federal elected officials in both parties, are pleading with people to stop sharing “this junk.”

1. CNN: With misinformation swirling in Hurricane Helene’s wake, officials urge residents to ‘stop this conspiracy theory junk’
2. HuffPost: North Carolina Republican Pleads To End Right-Wing Conspiracy Theories About Helene Disaster Recovery
3. The Hill: Tennessee mayor on FEMA attacks post-Helene: ‘Quit spreading those rumors’
4. WVLT: ‘A lot of misinformation’ | Gov. Lee, FEMA address donation rumors

Here are some of the falsehoods being spread online – and the facts we are fighting back with:"

Elon Musk Costarred in Trump’s Disinformation Fest in Butler; Mother Jones, October 6, 2024

Julianne McShane, Mother Jones; Elon Musk Costarred in Trump’s Disinformation Fest in Butler

"On Saturday, Elon Musk furthered an ongoing effort in support of Donald Trump: He went onstage to sow misinformation about the integrity of American elections...

Musk’s stated concerns about free speech and truth seem especially strange given that the CCDH report found that Musk’s own social media platform is an engine of disinformation. In August, five secretaries of state warned Musk about Grok, the AI-powered search assistant available to premium X subscribers, after it disseminated false information about Harris being ineligible to appear on the ballots in multiple states."