Will Russia use nuclear weapons?
Russia’s nuclear test chief said the test site was ready to resume nuclear tests “at any time.” LiveNOW’s Austin Westfall joins natural security analyst Hal Kaempfer to break down what this means.
Russia is once again working overtime to interfere in the U.S. presidential election, this time spreading lies about recent hurricanes and the federal government’s response, researchers say. The disinformation appears to be aimed at helping Donald Trump.
Much of the online content spreading lies about the federal government’s response to recent hurricanes was fueled by Russia, a new study finds.
According to the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue, Russian state media and a network of social media accounts and websites are using legitimate concerns about hurricane recovery efforts to portray U.S. leaders as corrupt and incompetent. I’m trying to portray him as a person.
In some cases, fake images created by artificial intelligence have circulated, such as a photo showing a catastrophic flood at Disney World that never actually happened.
FEMA restarts North Carolina recovery after threats
Washington Post reporter Brianna Sachs joins LiveNOW’s Austin Westfall to learn more about North Carolina’s hurricane recovery efforts. Federal agents have resumed door-to-door canvassing after efforts were briefly halted following threats from authorities who accused them of spreading disinformation.
Most of the lies were aimed at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Democratic administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running against former President Donald Trump in the White House race. Intelligence officials acknowledged Tuesday that Russia produced a manipulated video to smear Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate.
RELATED: Trump sent coronavirus test to Putin for personal use in early 2020, book says
The disinformation appears to be aimed at supporting President Trump, who has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and disparaged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance, which supports Ukraine against Russian aggression.
FILE – Widespread destruction of Lake Lure, North Carolina by Tropical Storm Helen (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
This is part of a broader effort by the Kremlin to manipulate political discourse in the United States ahead of the presidential election. This approach is consistent with the Kremlin’s long-standing practice of identifying and capitalizing on legitimate debates and controversial issues in the United States. Previous disinformation campaigns have used arguments about immigration, racism, crime, and the economy to portray the United States as corrupt, violent, and unjust.
Read more: War-torn Ukrainian family finds peace in North Carolina, only to drown in Helen’s floodwaters
This activity is ramping up in the run-up to the Nov. 5 election, and uses hot-button issues to undermine Americans’ trust in their government and people.
RELATED: Liz Cheney predicts ‘millions of Republicans’ will vote for Harris: ‘Vote your conscience’
“These situations are not created by foreign actors,” said ISD research director Melanie Smith. “They’re just pouring gasoline on a fire that’s already there.”
In July, U.S. intelligence officials warned that “unwitting Americans” were aiding the Russian operation.
“From false claims of diverting FEMA funds to aid immigrants to conspiracy theories about weather manipulation, public trust in government is being eroded as Election Day approaches, and could seriously impact voter confidence.” “Cyabra researchers said in their report.
Russia denies allegations that it is trying to interfere in the US presidential election.
sauce
This report includes information from The Associated Press.
