Deception

NYT. Trump officials try to fight foreign disinformation they once dismissed

The war in Iran has exposed the need to mount a defense against foreign influence campaigns, officials and experts say. – PL

Chron. Gov. Abbott sparks outrage by sharing AI-generated Iran rescue photo

Abbott reposted the image Sunday morning with the caption "This is so awesome." – PL

Altitudes. Breaking news misinformation: A step-by-step guide to verifying stories before you share

False news stories spread approximately six times faster than accurate ones on social platforms, and the average person encounters up to 74 misleading headlines per month during high-news periods, according to MIT Media Lab research. – PL

The Badge Herald. Disinformation disproportionately harms nonwhite groups online through voter suppression

A University of Wisconsin (UW) study on voter suppression revealed that disinformation organizations used social media ads to suppress voting in nonwhite communities primarily in battleground states like Wisconsin, according to UW News. – PL

Fortune. “There are a lot more attacks happening that aren’t being reported”: Iran’s cyber response creeps across the globe

As they fled an Iranian missile strike, some Israelis with Android phones received a text offering a link to real-time information about bomb shelters. But instead of a helpful app, the link downloaded spyware giving hackers access to the device’s camera, location and all its data. – PL

Global Investigative Journalism Network. Investigating disinformation in the age of AI

The scale of misleading and manipulative content has fundamentally altered the conditions under which journalists operate. – PL

Geopolitical Futures. Disinformation: A new battlespace for democracy

Democratic systems are particularly susceptible to information warfare. – PL

Horizon. An arms race over disinformation: using AI to detect AI

In a world full of deepfakes and fake news, EU-funded researchers are building tools to help journalists tell what’s real and what’s not. – PL

Northeast Valley News. Misinformation and OPSEC (Operational Security) risks rise as the war in Iran plays out—online

Advances in artificial intelligence and the speed of online platforms have made misinformation and disinformation easier to create and spread during the war. – PL

The Times. Putin’s propaganda machine joins Kim’s circus of spin

The Russian and North Korean state news agencies Tass and KCNA have signed an agreement to counter “disinformation” by their “many enemies.” – PL

CBC. Netanyahu posts video to dispel rumours of his death after disinformation spreads online

Claims that an earlier video of the Israeli PM showed him with 6 fingers led to speculation about his health. – PL

Texas Public Radio. Why don't Americans trust the government?

Princeton University historian Julian Zelizer speculates that the current distrust, which has grown by the decade, is a result of the misinformation and disinformation that successive governments have issued during wartime. – PL

Independent. Pete Hegseth again uses Iran war update to tear into media and assures Americans “we’re winning, decisively”

Hegseth berated the press for “calling into question every step” of the conflict and attempted to reassure the American people that it was not “a forever war” – PL

MS Now. Alex Jones’ Infowars is shutting down, but his disinformation legacy lives on

Only after Trump leaves the stage, and the MAGA movement fades with him, will Infowars truly be gone. – PL

Euro News. Impersonating Euronews: Pro-Kremlin disinformation network takes aim at Hungary's elections

A network linked to pro-Kremlin actors is impersonating major media outlets to spread false claims about Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar ahead of parliamentary elections. – PL

The Verge. Meta’s deepfake moderation isn’t good enough, says Oversight Board

Meta’s methods for identifying deepfakes are “not robust or comprehensive enough” to handle how quickly misinformation spreads during armed conflicts like the Iran war. That’s according to the Meta Oversight Board — a semi-independent body that guides the company’s content moderation practices — which is now calling on Meta to overhaul how it surfaces and labels AI-generated content across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. – PL

CNN. Fake explosions, fake missiles, fake troops: AI videos and images of Iran war spread widely on social media

Despite daily debunking efforts, new fakes are popping up far faster than they can be swatted down. They’re often lifelike enough that the average person scrolling through their feed can’t quickly spot that they’re phony. – PL

New Republic. The decay of American journalism in a disinformation age

The media industry is just one of many American institution that’s been badly shaken. Its revival may be crucial to putting the world back together. – PL

NYT. Iranian TV and social media project defiant and distorted view of the war

State media and online propagandists are striking a confident posture, despite heavy losses. Some of the content was generated by artificial intelligence. – PL

Reuters. Indonesia gives Meta “stern warning” over disinformation

Meta was warned over its low level ​of compliance with Indonesia's regulation regarding the ​spread of content that involved disinformation, online gambling, defamation, and hate speech across its platforms. – PL

The Japan Times. Nearly 70% of Japanese suspect disinformation is spreading online

When asked how they confirm the authenticity of information, with multiple answers allowed, 87.8% of those who detected disinformation online said that they relied on Japanese news organizations. – PL

Wired. X is drowning in disinformation following US and Israeli attack on Iran

Wired has reviewed hundreds of posts on X that promote misleading claims about the locations and scale of the attack. – PL

BBC. Debunking AI fake images and disinformation about US-Israel war with Iran

The current crisis in the Middle East has seen a surge in fake AI-generated content. – PL

WLRN. Watchdogs sound alarm over disinformation on Spanish-language radio ahead of midterms

Monitors say they are seeing an uptick in claims questioning US election integrity, vilifying election workers and reviving the repeatedly debunked narrative that the 2020 election was stolen. – PL

Yahoo! News. A CBS Austin reporter was told not to cover a pro-Trump Iran rally. He did anyway. Then viral posts on X rewrote what happened.

The viral clip of the reporter's defiance highlights the complexity of media narratives, as it was shared as evidence of liberal media censorship despite being from a conservative-owned station. – PL

CJR. Blackout Iran

When the Trump administration launched a major attack on Iran, news organizations had to navigate a shaky environment for communications—and moral clarity. – PL

Barrons. TikTok disinformation: The other weapon in Mexico violence

The death of Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in a military operation unleashed a wave of criminal violence. The fact-checking team for the French international news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) in Mexico analyzed a dozen of the fake images and videos linked to the operation and its fallout that were shared over 38,500 times on social media. – PL

Poynter. A viral audio clip accusing the Clintons in the Epstein case was created with AI

Experts and detection tools say the supposed “leaked” testimony from an Epstein victim shows clear signs of AI generation. – PL

BBC. Russian fake news network targets Ukraine at Winter Olympics

The operation has been spreading fake versions of news reports to discredit Ukrainian athletes and fans, including using AI voiceovers to impersonate trusted figures. – PL

The Guardian. Disinformation was ‘central accelerant’ in Leicester Hindu-Muslim clashes, inquiry finds

Report into ‘unprecedented’ violence between members of two communities in 2022 calls for action on communalism. – PL

Evangelical Focus. 7 in 10 Europeans ‘highly worried’ about disinformation and fake AI-created content

A major survey shows that hate speech online, personal privacy and societal polarization also concern a vast majority of citizens in EU countries. — PL

France 24. Ukraine says Russia behind fake posts targeting Winter Olympics team

Ukraine blamed a Russian disinformation campaign after fake news posted online about its Winter Olympics team, including a story criticising an athlete disqualified for trying to highlight war deaths. – PL

Courthouse News Service. In bid to revive defamation suit, Satanic Temple accuses Newsweek of actual malice

A federal appeals court will decide whether the group has standing to sue over a 2021 story detailing claims of sexual abuse and cover-up. – PL

Irish Legal News. European governments ‘spreading disinformation’ on Francesca Albanese

Human rights campaigners have rallied behind the UN’s top expert on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, following calls for her resignation based on a misreported speech. – PL

Polskie Radio. Many young Poles struggle to spot fake news online: survey

Many Poles overestimate their ability to detect disinformation online, with Generation Z reporting the most difficulty and uncertainty on social media, according to a recent survey. – PL

Euronews. France’s ‘French Response’ uses memes and sarcasm to fight disinformation on X

Through posts combining provocation, humor, and irony, the ‘French Response’ account has taken potshots at trolls, but also top-level politicians. It is part of a wider strategy led by Paris to combat disinformation. – PL

NY Times. Conspiracy theories only flourish with more Epstein evidence

The dump of millions of documents has fueled a new wave of speculation, AI-generated hoaxes and foreign disinformation. – PL

Forbidden Stories. Secret documents reveal Russia’s foreign influence strategy across three continents

The Company is a network of experts tasked with orchestrating disinformation campaigns around the world on Russia’s behalf. Backed by significant financial resources and directed by Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, the SVR, these operations extend from Mali to Bolivia, via South Africa. Each of them aims to shape public opinion and consolidate Moscow’s interests abroad. – PL

CBS News. Belgium accuses U.S. ambassador of disinformation for claims of antisemitism over circumcision case 

Belgium's government summoned U.S. Ambassador Bill White for consultations on Tuesday after he accused the country of antisemitism, intervening in a case involving three Jewish religious figures suspected of carrying out traditional circumcisions without the medical training required in the country. – PL

Deutsche Welle. How videos are recycled for political purposes

Learn how recycling old content works, and how viewers can quickly recognize disinformation and build media literacy. – PL

Reuters. Pro-Russia disinformation falsely links Macron to Epstein, French government source says

The content included screenshots of fake emails, which were made to appear to have come from a new U.S. Justice Department dump of Epstein files and to implicate Macron. – PL

Reporters Without Borders. Press freedom under pressure in Germany due to disinformation, political polarisation and attacks on journalism

The report “Focus 2026” by Reporters Without Borders Germany (RSF) shines a light on the country’s increasingly fragile press freedom landscape, marked by physical attacks, online harassment, political pressure, and insufficient policy responses at both national and European levels. – PL

NPR. How do the false statements made by U.S. officials fit into news reports?

NPR Public Editor Kelly McBride examines why NPR aired false statements from U.S. officials after federal agents killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, arguing that journalists must show the public how government narratives form while carefully verifying evidence before making definitive claims. She concludes that NPR initially used cautious language to avoid premature conclusions, then appropriately strengthened its reporting once video analysis and corroboration clearly refuted officials’ accounts. – PL

Huff Post. JD Vance unleashed his latest attack on journalists — and it's concerning

During a sit-down interview with right-wing pundit Megyn Kelly this week, Vance slammed the media, and particularly the White House press corps, charging that journalists have a “political bias” and are not trusted by the public because they’re “angry all the time” and “fake.” – PL

The Japan Times. ‘Flood’ of disinformation ahead of Bangladesh election

Authorities say the scale of online manipulation — including sophisticated AI-generated images — has become so severe that a special unit has been created to curb false content. – PL

Chron. Conservatives come after Texas Democrat despite now-debunked remarks

State Rep. Gene Wu went viral over remarks he never said. A resurfaced 2024 clip  of Wu shared on the X account, End Wokeness, in which the conservative social media page claimed the Texas House Democratic Caucus leader said, "Non-whites share the same oppressor, and we are the majority now. We can take over the country." In actuality, in the nearly 30-second clip, he never says the phrase "non-whites," nor does he use the word "white." – PL

Reuters Institute. Speed, hoaxes and mistrust: How AI is transforming freelance journalism

Reporters and commissioning editors from around the world share how the GenAI revolution is reshaping the way they work. – PL

NY Times. Georgia ballot inquiry originated with election denier in Trump White House

A newly unsealed affidavit showed that a criminal investigation into the 2020 election in Fulton County, Ga., relied heavily on claims about ballots that have been widely debunked. – PL

France 24. AI and manipulated images falsely link some US politicians with Epstein

Using AI-created or manipulated images, social media users have sought to falsely associate prominent US politicians such as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, researchers said. — PL

NY Times. Chaos in Minneapolis exposes an internet at war with truth

Technological advances and an erosion of trust have transformed the way news unfolds online, distorting shared reality. – PL

Poynter. How exhausted Minneapolis journalists are covering a prolonged federal crackdown

Journalists are drawing on lessons from 2020 as they navigate safety concerns, misinformation and a sustained federal presence. – PL

Union of Concerned Scientists. How disinformation is being used to block and distort offshore wind

A well-worn disinformation playbook, one the fossil fuel industry has refined over decades, being redeployed to slow the clean energy transition at precisely the moment it threatens entrenched power. — PL

Forbes. Sudan’s war of information

“Sudan’s information ecosystem has become a battlefield as brutal as the physical conflict itself,” according to a recent report on information manipulation in Sudan, whose authors include Aida Al-Kaisy and Amal Hamdan. Published by Thomson Foundation, a nonprofit supporting the media, the report tracks who is behind online disinformation about Sudan, what methods they use, and how this links to violence on the ground. – PL

The Bulletin. Disinformation and deepfakes: Improving crisis communications in India and Pakistan

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists note that during the May 2025 India–Pakistan crisis, AI-driven disinformation and deepfakes dangerously intensified confusion and escalation risk, and it calls for stronger crisis-communication policies to prevent fabricated content from pushing two nuclear-armed states toward catastrophe. – PL

WJLA. 'The new weapon of mass destruction': JJ Green combats disinformation at the source

Journalist J.J. Green is the national security correspondent at WTOP-FM and a frequent contributor to WJLA ABC7 News. His new book, "The Noise War," aims to fight disinformation before it starts by teaching the skills he's learned to "everybody from age 12 to retirement." – PL

Euro News. Perceived exposure to disinformation and fake news rising in Europe: Which countries suffer most?

Perceived exposure to disinformation and fake news in the EU has jumped eight percentage points since 2022. Experts say media literacy and fact-checking are crucial to countering the trend. – PL

Le Monde. France faces a crossfire of Russian and American disinformation

Since the start of the year, pro-Russian networks and Trump-aligned accounts have increasingly targeted France. While their methods differ, they pose an unprecedented challenge. – PL

Guardian. Trump officials continue to push lies after fatal shooting of Alex Pretti

Trump and team seem to prioritize vilifying victims of their immigration operations, regardless of conflicting evidence. – PL

E&P. Arming news creators to battle misinformation

The News Creator Corps nonprofit bridges trust gaps. – PL

Guardian. White House posts digitally altered image of woman arrested after ICE protest

Guardian analysis shows images are the same, with Nekima Levy Armstrong looking composed in original but crying after alteration. – PL

E&P. New ways Minnesotans can help spread and support fact-based journalism from the Strib

A free live blog, unlimited gift articles for subscribers, and a new family plan help Minnesotans stay informed and share the truth. – PL

The Dispatch. The Memes Will Continue

The White House is more interested in going viral than the truth. – PL

Eurasia Review. Malicious AI swarms pose emergent threats to democracy

In a Policy Forum, Daniel Schroeder and colleagues discuss the risks of malicious “Artificial Intelligence (AI) swarms,” which enable a new class of large-scale, coordinated disinformation campaigns that pose significant risks to democracy. – PL

United Nations Relief and Works Agency. UNRWA Commissioner-General: Gaza’s ban on international journalists fuels disinformation—lifting it is a necessity

“The ban on international journalists has lasted too long, lifting it is overdue,” noted the agency. – PL

Unesco. UNESCO trains judicial professionals on fact-checking and countering disinformation

UNESCO, in partnership with the National Center for International Judicial Cooperation, conducted a specialized workshop on fact-checking and countering disinformation, in coordination with the Security Media Cell. The workshop is part of the EU-funded “Social Media for Peace” project. – PL

Asahi Simbum. Analyst warns of social media bot, spam narratives as election nears

Japan Nexus Intelligence Inc. (JNI) and the internal affairs ministry have raised alarms over an uptick in posts pushing misinformation across social media platforms. – PL

The Hindu. Scientific, data-driven journalism key to fight disinformation, says N. Ram

“India still has diversity in media ownership, but we also fare poorly in the World Press Freedom Index” says veteran journalist and Director of The Hindu Group. – PL

MIT Technology Review. What it’s like to be banned from the US for fighting online hate

How did the two directors of the German digital rights nonprofit HateAid become targets of the Trump administration? Here’s how they’re continuing their mission. – PL 

PolitiFact. A document shows Minnesota shooting victim Renee Good had a record of child abuse

PolitiFact did not find any court records, news reports or statements from friends and family showing she was accused of child abuse or endangerment, or that she was ever arrested. – PL

Guardian. Trump administration unleashes torrent of untruths after woman shot dead by ICE

Victim-blaming began almost as soon as Renee Nicole Good was killed. – PL

Poynter. Opinion | Citizen video challenges the administration’s account of a fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis

The footage complicated the government’s claim that the woman used her car as a weapon and shaped journalists’ coverage of the shooting. – PL

PolitiFact. Trump claims that Maduro was “flooding America with deadly fentanyl” debunked

Experts on Venezuela and drug policy agree that Venezuela and its deposed leader Nicolás Maduro do not play a role in trafficking fentanyl to the U.S. – PL

Poynter. Alex Jones misrepresented old protest video as ‘celebration’ of Nicolás Maduro’s arrest

The clip Jones shared was filmed months earlier during protests against Maduro’s claimed election victory. – PL

Barron’s. Bangladesh warns of disinformation 'flood' ahead of vote

Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said he had called on the United Nations human rights team to "counter a surge of misinformation targeting the February 12 elections," his office said in a statement. – PL

MSN. US anti-disinformation guardrails fall in Trump's first 100 days

From slashed federal funding for disinformation research to the closure of a key agency combating foreign influence operations, the United States has dismantled vital guardrails against falsehoods within President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office. – PL

BBC. Debunking false claims about Minneapolis ICE shooting

There have been manipulated AI images “unmasking” the officer involved, a fake AI-image purporting to be the killed woman in her car speaking to an ICE officer and a viral photo claiming to be of the woman killed is actually of an unrelated individual. — PL

News Decoder. The political weaponry of disinformation

With corruption scandals rife in Spain, the spread of false rumors is eroding people’s trust in their government. Can anything be done to restore la confianza? – PL

Wired. Disinformation floods social media after Nicolás Maduro’s capture

From seemingly AI-generated videos to repurposed old footage, TikTok, Instagram, and X did little to stop the onslaught of misleading posts in the wake of the US invasion of Venezuela. – PL

NYT. AI images of Maduro spread rapidly, despite safeguards

Deepfakes of Venezuela’s ousted president, Nicolás Maduro, flooded the internet after his capture, in a new collision of breaking news and artificial intelligence. – PL

NPR. Happy Insurrection Day: NPR's archive preserves the facts of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot

As the Trump administration tries to rewrite the history of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, a new NPR investigative project is preserving evidence of the crimes committed that day. – PL

ABC News. South Korean lawmakers pass bill targeting false information despite warnings on censorship

South Korea’s liberal-led legislature has passed a bill allowing heavy punitive damages against traditional news and internet media for publishing false or fabricated information. – PL

NYT. Government Officials Once Stopped False Accusations After Violence. Now, Some Join In.

Prominent business and government figures spread rumors about the attack on Brown University’s campus this month, reigniting questions about accountability in online discourse. – PL

United Nations. Fight against disinformation: in Beni, a the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) project relaunches the FARDC Radio

Silenced for more than three years due to technical failures and lack of resources, the Radio of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), a strategic communication tool in the Greater North of North Kivu, is being restored to service. — PL

Global Witness. AI chatbots share climate conspiracies, denial and disinformation

Investigators tested popular AI chatbots – ChatGPT, MetaAI and Grok – to see whether they provided climate disinformation, and whether they were more inclined to provide climate disinfo to users with conspiratorial beliefs than those without. – PL

Columbia Magazine. Spanish-language radio has a disinformation problem

Verdad (truth in Spanish), an app founded by Martina Guzmán, 2008 Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, uses AI to find conspiracy theories broadcasted on the air. – PL

Semafor. ‘Iterate through’: Why The Washington Post launched an error-ridden AI product

The Washington Post began putting out AI-generated podcasts even after internal tests found that the AI tech introduced errors and bias into the publication’s reporting. – PL

Al Jazeera. Inside Vietnam’s disinformation machine and the journalists exposing it from exile

Vietnam’s tightly controlled media environment relies on narrative distortion, selective omission, and propaganda to manage politically sensitive news. Exiled journalists and overseas outlets have become essential in exposing these practices, documenting forced confessions, and smear campaigns, and preserving access to information that would otherwise remain hidden. – PL

The Bulletin. A decade of chemical and biological disinformation, mapped

Stories have been seeded years earlier, refined through earlier propaganda campaigns, and systematically pushed through a multilayered Russian state-backed disinformation ecosystem before entering mainstream Western discourse. – PL

The Guardian. Fact check: Trump’s racist and false claims on immigration and cost of living

Trump made a series of false and baseless claims in Pennsylvania during a speech that was billed as an address on affordability, but quickly became a meandering, campaign-style rally. – PL

FactCheck. Vance’s misleading claims on housing prices and illegal immigration

VP exaggerates the increase in home prices during President Joe Biden’s time in office and has misleadingly pointed to illegal immigration as a primary cause of a rise in prices. – PL
PolitiFact. Don’t fall for video of priest turning away ICE agents from his church, it isn’t legit

Social media videos of a Catholic priest turning away Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from his church are garnering support and thousands of shares, but they were generated with artificial intelligence tools. – PL

The Guardian. ‘It was extremely pornographic’: Cara Hunter on the deepfake video that nearly ended her political career

The Irish politician was targeted in 2022, in the final weeks of her run for office. She has never found out who made the malicious deepfake. – PL

DW. White House launches media bias tracker, exposing "media offenders"

The whitehouse.gov page is described as a platform for the White House to classify misleading and biased stories and outlets that about cover the Trump administration. Story categories include "lie," "omission of context," or "left-wing lunacy." All outlets on the leaderboard turned in their Pentagon press badges last month after the Dept of Defense imposed new rules.

See also: https://www.whitehouse.gov/mediabias/ -acs

The Intercept. Grokipedia wants to rewrite history

Using his AI chatbot Grok, Musk aims to remove what he considers "woke" content from Wikipedia. For example, Grok's description of Adolf Hitler minimizes his role in the Holocaust.-acs

NYT. Homeland Security agents are now in charge of preserving their own messages

The Department of Homeland Security has discontinued software that automatically archived officials’ text messages and now requires employees to manually capture screenshots of their conversations to preserve records, citing cybersecurity concerns. Experts warn this shift dramatically weakens oversight undermining Freedom of Information Act and federal records obligations. -acs

PBS. CDC vaccine webpage changed to denounce safety

The CDC quietly revised its “vaccine safety” webpage, stating that “the claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim,” a move that directly undermines decades of scientific consensus and promotes conspiracy. -acs

NPR. White House downplays new Epstein evidence against Trump

House Democrats released three emails from the late Jeffrey Epstein showing that he claimed former President Donald Trump “spent hours” at his home with a victim and “knew about the girls” in the abuse network. Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of House members led by Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna is pushing a discharge petition to force U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all unclassified files related to Epstein’s investigations. -acs

CJR. Viktor Orban's grip on Hungarian media

Hungary’s independent press is under mounting pressure as the pro-government media conglomerate controlled by allies of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has acquired the country’s most-read tabloid, effectively silencing a major voice of the people and consolidating control over hundreds of outlets. -acs

ProPublica. DHS requesting states hand over driver's license data for immigration stops

The Department of Homeland Security says it plans to incorporate state driver’s license data into a rapidly expanding federal system designed as a one-stop platform for verifying citizenship. The move has raised concerns among advocacy groups, who warn that consolidating such information could undermine public trust, restrict voter access, and potentially violate the Privacy Act. -acs

Dropsite News. Germany plotted its ICJ testimony with Israel before Hague hearing

Germany, one of Israel’s closest allies and its second-largest supplier of arms after the United States, submitted incomplete documentation regarding weapons deliveries to Israel. Records obtained by Drop Site and Stern suggest that Germany’s disclosures to the court were selective and made “in agreement” with Israel, raising questions about the completeness of its account. -acs

USDA. Trump's government puts SNAP blame on democrats via USDA site

As the government shutdown continues, the federal food stamp program is set to run out of funds on November 1. The government is using time and resources to blame the lack of funds and the shutdown on Democrats' desire to fund "healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures.” -acs

Dropsite News. Marco Rubio and the US government want regime change in Venezuela

The US has been attacking Venezuelan ships, claiming to block fentanyl trafficking to the US. However, several US intelligence officials state that Venezuela doesn't produce fentanyl, and the attacked ships didn't have the fuel capacity to reach the US before being attacked, raising concerns about ulterior motives. -acs

Nieman Lab. Russia is assembling its own army of propaganda journalists

After invading Ukraine in 2022, Russia set up a War Correspondents’ School in occupied territory to train journalists in pro-Russia reporting. The move is part of a broader effort by Moscow to exploit growing distrust in the media, taking advantage of U.S. restrictions and funding cuts that have weakened independent news outlets. -acs

Brennan Center for Justice. 14th Amendment under threat in the Supreme Court

An analysis by the Brennan Center for Justice warns that the Voting Rights Act’s key anti-discrimination enforcement tool (Section 2) is under threat in the Supreme Court of the United States, where a case from Louisiana challenges the constitutionality of race-based protections under the Fourteenth Amendment and could lead to major rollback of minority voting rights. -acs

AP. Indiana University fires newspaper adviser who refused censorship

Earlier this month, Indiana University simultaneously ended its print publication and fired a faculty advisor who had resisted censorship requests during homecoming weekend. The university's football team was having its best season in years, prompting administrators to try to stifle any distractions. Instead, IU has raised concerns about First Amendment rights and censorship. -acs

NPR. Gaza ceasefire under constant violation

Despite signing a ceasefire resolution earlier this month, the deal has been broken dozens of times leaving Gaza ravaged and with limited aid. -acs

Brennan Center for Justice. Cities are not burning, and there is no insurrection

According to President Trump, insurrectionists and “antifa” are running loose in American cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland. The strategy behind this declaration? Build up enough evidence to invoke the Insurrection Act, something the president has explicitly nodded several times. -acs

The Economist. "Narco-terrorism" and the new War on Drugs

Roosevelt Roads Naval base in Puerto Rico is picking up traffic after a near 20-year abandonment. The reason? A new war on drugs, or maybe, the awakening of war that never really ended. -acs

Newsweek. Supreme court on a pro-President track

Who can fire federal officials, and under what circumstances? Where do typical laws apply, and when can they be overruled? Trump's cabinet is determined to examine the extent of the President's executive power, but experts say they shouldn't pretend their hands are tied on important issues. -acs

NBC. DOE alters out of office statements to reflect partisan positioning against democrats

During the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, some Department of Education employees found that their out-of-office email messages had been altered, without their consent, to overtly blame Senate Democrats for the shutdown. Some employees even took it upon themselves to reset the message, only to find it switched back to its altered state. -acs

Axios. Trump's gov shutdown provides a preview of what's to come

Amid the current government shutdown, Trump is leveraging his power to reshape federal policy and purge dissenting agencies, accelerating efforts to centralize executive control. -acs

Capital & Main. Despite its mega-Blue status, California is the leader in def-facto school segregation

California essentially gave up formal desegregation efforts in the 1980s, following the passage in 1979 of Proposition 1, which barred the use of busing to integrate classrooms. According to UCLA’s Civil Rights Project, the amount of intensely segregated schools has quadrupled to 44.5% in the last thirty years. -acs

RSF. Nicaragua working with Russia to spread Kremlin propaganda on national outlets

Beginning in 2022, Nicaragua’s RT and Sputnik outlets implemented a structured propaganda network with the Russian government, spreading propaganda about both regimes to unsuspecting citizens. This operates in tandem with the government’s shutdown of independent outlets, leaving Nicaraguans without a reliable news source. -acs

The White House. The White House pins government shutdown on the "radical left"

The United States government is shut down due to budget disagreements. 750,000 government workers are facing a furlough, with many being forced to work without pay. The White House is blaming the shutdown on the Democrats despite the GOP’s lack of attendance at yesterday’s a pro forma session to discuss the budget. See also: Housing and Urban Development website and Health provision excerpt -acs

WIRED. Why villainizing Tylenol could actually lead to increased autism rates

Tylenol is one of the few approved fever-reducing medications for use during pregnancy. Many researchers argue that studies linking Tylenol to autism fail to account for confounding factors. Conversely, high fevers during pregnancy have been associated with an increased risk of autism in children. -acs

Reuters. US concerned about Europe's censorship despite its own violations

“As the President and Vice President have noted, we have seen a concerning trend in Europe—with American digital platforms, independent journalists, and private citizens in Europe all being subject to arrest and punitive regulatory fines for basic exercises of free expression.” The US feels it has the authority to call out censorship of reporters when actions by US governing bodies reflect the same practices. The president’s office has directly called for the firing of reporters who disagree with their policies. -acs

The Intercept. Canada, France, and the United Kingdom recognized Palestine as a state but continue to send weapons to Israel

Last week, the governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia joined dozens of the world’s nations in recognizing Palestine as a state, with France and Luxembourg to follow. Despite this recognition, major Western states continue to provide arms and financial support to the Israeli military, enabling the continuation of a large-scale massacre of Palestinian civilians. -acs

US Department of Education. DOE announces new American civics lessons crafted by over 40 groups, including Hillsdale College and Turning Point USA

The America 250 Civics Education Coalition was formed to promote patriotism, civic knowledge, and understanding of America’s founding principles in schools nationwide. Critics are quick to call out historic hypocrisies and systematic erasures of key information by several involved parties. -acs

TechPolicy.press AI generated falsities highlighted by major platforms

Blindly trusting AI overviews promotes the spread of unverified information, particularly regarding breaking news. Examples of this include Grok and Google’s AI overview, which spread misinformation after the murder of Charlie Kirk. -acs

The New Republic. Why won't Trump and Kash Patel release the Epstein files?

Donald Trump claims they are a liberal hoax and Kash Patel says he can’t legally release them. Now, Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie is accusing the president and Patel of protecting Trump’s friends and hiding the names of the 20 men involved in Epstein’s trafficking operation. -acs

The New Republic. DOJ deletes study on politics of domestic terrorists

The Justice Department removed a 2024 study by the National Institute of Justice that found right‑wing violence “continues to outpace all other types of terrorism and domestic violent extremism” in the U.S., including far more far‑right attacks since 1990 than from far‑left or radical Islamist extremists. Critics argue the removal reflects a political motive to reshape the narrative around which side is responsible for political violence. -acs

Dropsite News. Israel paid Google $45 million in effort to hide famine in Gaza

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has initiated a six-month, $45 million advertising campaign with Google to promote the message that there is no hunger in Gaza, despite the United Nations declaring a famine in the region. The campaign, which includes ads on YouTube and other platforms, is part of a broader effort to counter international criticism and portray the humanitarian crisis as exaggerated. -acs

Columbia Journalism Review. CBS ownership pressure on editors shows censorship on the network is not new CBS News has faced internal and external pressures over its coverage of the Gaza conflict, culminating in the resignation of longtime 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens after a segment on U.S. complicity in Gaza airstrikes prompted criticism from pro-Israel groups. The controversy intensified following a $16 million settlement with Donald Trump over a lawsuit alleging deceptive editing of a 2024 interview with Kamala Harris, leading to heightened corporate oversight and the appointment of a new ombudsman, Kenneth Weinstein, sparking concerns about editorial independence. -acs

The Guardian. CBS installs conservative thought leader as "bias ombudsman"

CBS’s installs new “bias ombudsman,” Kenneth Weinstein under contract pressure from the Trump administration. Critics worry that this undermines the network’s editorial independence by giving direct control over messaging to the White House. -acs

EPA. EPA ending Greenhouse Gas reporting program

The EPA is being very particular with its choice of words in its newest press release, declaring an emissions tracking program “burdensome”. Administrator Lee Zeldin argued that the program imposes unnecessary burdens without directly contributing to environmental or health improvements, as it does not support specific regulations or Clean Air Act obligations. -acs

NPR. US DOE report authored by climate change deniers

Over 85 climate scientists have issued complaints against a recent report released by the Department of Energy. The report was intended to cover climate change, but experts are saying the report is severely misdirected and littered with falsehoods. The report was authored by four experts who do not view climate change as a legitimate threat, and the report itself contains numerous instances where DOE authors cherry-picked or misrepresented climate science, calling the endeavor's legitimacy into question. -acs

The Intercept. New US report on human rights abuses in Israel is significantly shorter than any other year, coming in at only 9 pages

Every year, the US publishes a global, country-specific report on human rights abuses. Last year, Israel, which is currently in several active and deadly armed conflicts, had a report over 100 pages long. This year, the report was only 9 pages despite no significant policy or human rights changes to explain the shortening. These congressionally mandated reports, used "to guide U.S. decisions on diplomacy and aid," are extremely important in dictating our political relationships. Despite the International Criminal Court having actively imposed sanctions on Israel, the US’s report appears sparse and raises bigger concerns about its relationship with the country. -acs

Louisiana Illuminator. Trump appoints 2020 election conspiracy-theorist as senior position at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

New DHS appointee, Heather Honey, previously called for overturning the 2020 election results. In her new post, Honey will be partially in charge of determining election infrastructure and security. While elections are mostly dealt with on a state level, the DHS has authority when it comes to protecting voter information from foreign intrusions. According to Adrian Fontes, Arizona’s Democratic secretary of state, “when the agency gives a platform to individuals who have actively worked to erode public trust, it becomes harder to view DHS as a reliable partner in election security.” -acs

Poynter. Misinformation and conspiracy growing in Iceland

Iceland's isolation, wealth, rich culture, and high education levels have shielded it from conspiracy-mongering, but this safeguard is eroding. Increased social media use has opened the door to conspiracy theories and AI nonsense, negatively impacting mental health, according to concerned scholars. -acs

Columbia Journalism Review. Whitehouse.gov is more prevalent than ever in Google search results, questioning its reliability is only natural

Presenting themselves as credible news, several White House-affiliated outlets have surfaced prominently in Google News search results, raising concerns about information transparency. According to the Columbia Journalism Review, these partisan sources, many of which are not widely recognized as independent news organizations, frequently appear among the top results for queries such as “Is DC safe?” For international visitors seeking reliable information, the prominence of government-aligned messaging raises questions about the role of federal agencies, including articles by the Department of Defense, which has previously overseen the deployment of troops in American cities. -acs

Harvard Law Today. You are not required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and religious minorities are the reason

From executive orders calling to jail those who burn the US flag, to students who refuse to stand or recite the pledge of allegiance, our freedom is secured by the First Amendment and strengthened in the courts. An underlying truth? Religious minority groups are a large part of solidifying these rights. -acs

The Week August 25, 2025

NBC. The fight against digital misinformation and AI identity theft for Latino journalists

Fake AI news videos are rapidly spreading on TikTok, outpacing efforts to remove them, and are now used to spread misinformation and impersonate journalists. NBC reports that "a network of nearly 90 TikTok accounts has been using artificial intelligence to create fake versions of high-profile Spanish-language journalists and spread falsehoods online for potential financial gain." The increasing difficulty in regulating AI, especially within the vast digital landscape, raises important questions about the safety of social media users, where simply posting online can lead to unforeseen dangers and misrepresentation. -acs

DW. Over 750 health professionals call on RFK Jr. to stop spreading medical misinformation

US healthcare professionals are concerned that RFK Jr.'s remarks on vaccines and infectious diseases are putting them in danger. More than 750 experts (many of them anonymous) have sent a collective letter to the US Secretary of Health, asking him to ensure the safety of medical staff. This follows a deadly shooting at the CDC the earlier this month, where the attacker, reportedly motivated by alleged COVID-19 vaccine side effects, specifically targeted the building. -acs

Nieman Lab. How Mississippi's new social platform law isolates its residents, with Bluesky the first to fall

Bluesky became the first social media platform to block users in Mississippi due to new laws regulating online activity for minors. Though designed to protect children, the law actually restricts residents' access to outside news and information. Scholars and lawyers, including Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, believe the law is unconstitutional because it limits First Amendment rights for minors and adults. Requiring users to prove their age to access information limits freedom of information. Non-compliance results in a $10,000 fine per user, a significant burden for a small company like Bluesky. -acs

Factcheck.org. Trump’s DC crime report is riddled with error

According to the Council on Criminal Justice, '"The homicide rate in DC fell 19% in the first half of this year (January-June 2025) compared to the same period last year.'" Additionally, with crime at its lowest point in decades, using comparisons to much larger international cities to justify the militarization of the capital is a gross overstep of power. -acs

Politico. Inside the not-so-super savings of DOGE

Receipts apprehended Politico by tell a very different story of DOGE’s cuts than previously believed. Per a POLITICO report, “analysis of DOGE data reveals the organization saved less than 5 percent of its claimed savings from nearly 10,100 contract terminations.” -acs

NYT. Trump-Putin summit opened the door for a myriad of misinformation

In the days before and after US leader Donald Trump met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, official Russian media accounts wasted no time spreading fake or false information online. It all started with a post on X, written in English, from the country’s Defense Ministry stating, “Ukraine was planning to stage a false attack on its own soil for the benefit of “Western reporters” and blame it on the Russians in an effort to disrupt the talks.” This was followed by a second claim that an assassin, who had the intent of killing both leaders, was apprehended by United States Army’s 10th Special Forces Group. Both stories were deemed false by NewsGuard, a company that tracks disinformation online. -acs

E&E News. Understanding the team behind Energy Secretary Chris Wright

The EPA recently announced that would be lessening its regulations on greenhouse gasses and the Department of Energy published a report stating that global warming was not as big of an issue as we had previously thought. What got us to this point? In this case, it started in late March, when Secretary Wright began making calls to scientists that would support his mission. The result? A conservative science superteam. -acs

The Hill. Trump’s battle against free speech: DEI and ESG

Trump has paved his way in the US by brandishing big promises for freedom of speech, or just freedom in general. He has, however, made it abundantly clear that this free speech is selective, hinging on what is agreeable for him. Since he took office in January, we have seen him wage battles against the cultural and educational backbones of the country from law-firms, to universities, to legacy media corporations, often citing concerns about DEI or liberal bias. -acs

Politico. Investigating the uncertain fate of the Voting Rights act

In 2013, the Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder struck down the “preclearance” requirement, which had forced certain states to get federal approval before changing voting rules. Since then, the Voting Rights Act has been on shaky ground, as states threaten to gerrymander their districts to favor their political missions, and the Supreme Court takes on cases that have acted to uphold voter protections for minority groups in states like Louisiana. -acs

France 24. Inside the Global Fact-Checking Network, Russia’s verification organization

France 24 reports that "a number of the experts on GFCN's website frequently disseminate false information online, relying on unverified, untrustworthy sources." Additionally, multiple GFCN members have ties to the Kremlin, and the organization's president, Vladimir Tabak, has faced sanctions from numerous Western nations. -acs

Mother Jones. MAHA and Trump’s EPA are at odds

After Lee Zeldin announced major changes to the EPA’s relationship with greenhouse gases and its intent to lay off all of health research scientists, it became clear the agenda was not focused on human health, but rather, the economic health of the nation. Critics are now calling out RFK Jr.’s lack of commentary on the changes being made, stating they do more to harm Americans, than help. What are the true goals of these two departments? It remains unclear, and supporters aren’t having it. -acs

Politico. Democrats and Republicans fight for control over the narrative surrounding the Big Beautiful Bill

With Congress out for August recess, representatives will soon be returning home to answer to their constituents. The highly contested Big Beautiful Bill is facing significant backlash in the press, prompting questions and concerns from citizens who want to know how this bill, framed as a huge tax break for the wealthy, will affect them. -acs

Axios. EPA to change messaging on climate change, abandoning greenhouse gas theory

The EPA's Lee Zeldin announced plans to roll back the 2009 finding linking greenhouse gases to deteriorating human health. This coincides with a new goal to lessen carbon emission rules for cars and trucks. Zeldin made the announcement on the Fox affiliated podcast, “Ruthless,” and also posted an article on the EPA’s website.

Also:

NYT. In Game-Changing Climate Rollback, E.P.A. Aims to Kill a Bedrock Scientific Finding

Washington Post. EPA moves to end climate regulation under Clean Air Act

-acs

CNBC. YouTube takes down over 11,000 Russian, Chinese propaganda videos

The company has been making an effort to take down propaganda and “spammy” content from its platform. In the second quarter alone, YouTube took down tens of thousands of “state-linked propaganda campaigns from China, Russia and more.” -acs

National Observer. The Canadian far-right is taking pages out of Trump's climate playbook

Over the past few months, the northern Prairie provinces and Ontario have been consumed by wildfires, causing deteriorated air quality and even death. While this would normally cause a heightened concern over environmental policy going forward, a different tone is appearing amongst Canada's far-right. There has been a significant rise in co-option of far-right conspiracy theories taking off from media sources like "Rebel News, The Daily Skeptic, Bjorn Lomberg, Jasmin Laine, Marc Nixon, The Fraser Institute and the Heritage Foundation" sparking concern amongst Canadian citizens and policymakers. -acs

PressGazette. French journalist claims 4,000 fake AI news websites have been generated to trick Google algorithms

Google has become AI’s toy. Generative AI programs are being used to create a slew of fake websites populated with plagiarized iterations of other articles in order to influence SEO. -acb

The Guardian. X lets bots edit posts, creating concern for disinformation

X declared that large language models are now capable of drafting community notes to address or rectify problematic posts, before they are released by users. This move has raised questions about the validity of their research methods and their effectiveness in identifying content that violates rules. -acs

FPRI. Burkina Faso: Powerful disinformation lab is an international security disaster

Report by Raphael Parens: Burkina Faso government is struggling to deliver basic services, the country’s literacy rate is low--both the quality of education and the number of students enrolled in primary and secondary schools are low. The lack of education is problematic on its own, but when combined with the junta government’s approach to propaganda and controlling the flow of information, it is a fiasco. Echo chambers exist across the world, but in Burkina Faso they are heavily enforced by the government and fostered by an education system that does not prioritize critical thinking. -gjw

MSNBC. Disinformation' from the top down is being used against judges

Podcast: U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey, Esther Salas, discusses Speak Up for Justice, a forum of legal voices aimed at warning against the dangers of politicizing and intimidating legal figures. -gjw

BBC. Israel-Iran conflict unleashes wave of AI disinformation

Videos created using artificial intelligence boast of Iran's military capabilities, alongside fake clips showing the aftermath of strikes on Israeli targets. -gjw

The Intercept. Politically-spun disinformation colors murder before facts known

Bots and influencers distort real-world violence before leads can be investigated and facts determined. -gjw

Guardian. Oklahoma schools teach 2020 election conspiracy theories as fact

Oklahoma state superintendent Ryan Walters installed Heritage Foundation chief, key behind Project 2025, for curriculum guidance. -gjw

BBC. India strike on Pakistan: ‘Operation Sindoor’ unleash wave of misinformation online

One video, which had more than 400,000 views on X at the time of writing, claiming to show an explosion caused by a Pakistani response was actually from the 2020 Beirut Port explosion in Lebanon. -acb

Science/AAAS. Vaccine experts rally together to counter US administration misinformation

The Vaccine Integrity Project is being spearheaded by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota and funded by Christy Walton, an heir to the Walmart fortune. -acb

Politico. State Department eliminates office fighting foreign disinformation

Secretary of State Rubio claimed the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference office at the State Department, formerly known as the Global Engagement Center, had “spent millions of dollars to actively silence and censor the voices of Americans they were supposed to be serving.” -gjw

NYT. Trump fuels a “machinery of misinformation”

Government watchdog Common Cause said the administration had pursued a strategy of “disinformation overload” that was overwhelming not only its opponents but also the judicial system. - gjw

EHN. EPA staff letter accuses Trump of deception to support fringe ideology

Trump is making accusations of fraud, waste, and abuse as justification for firing federal workers and defunding critical environmental programs. But the real waste, fraud, and abuse would be to strip away these funds from the American people. - gjw

NYT. Vast quantities of climate and environmental information have been removed from official websites

Hundreds of volunteers, including EOT Harvest members Internet Archive and EDGI, are working to download government data recreate the digital tools that allow the public to access that information. - gjw

PBS. First-hand stories of digital misinformation boosting paranoid thinking

Zach Mack and David Robert Grimes wanted to find out why people we think we know, in this case Mack’s father, turn to conspiracy thinking. Truncated, flawed, simplistic report, yet with some valid analysis. - gjw

Guardian. More US states report measles cases amid vaccine misinformation

RFK jr has shied away from directly recommending vaccinations during the recent outbreak while also promoting alternative treatments. He has also suggested the Texas child who died of measles last week was unhealthy or malnourished, despite medical reports that she was healthy and had no underlying conditions. - gjw

CAAD. German elections: AfD-led disinformation puts climate action at stake

Climate misinformation spread during the German election period primarily on X, Telegram and TikTok. This was supported by platform and media amplification, and was part of a wider trend of climate denial worldwide. - gjw

The Free Press. How the U.S. Government Controls Ukrainian Media
USAID funded the vast majority of 'independent' media in Ukraine. What American taxpayers don't realize is that their money went to suppressing the truth. - ab

Times of Israel. Gaza documentary translates ‘Jihad’ to ‘resistance,’ ‘Jews’ to ‘Israeli army’
In fresh scrutiny of controversial film, report accuses broadcaster of ‘whitewashing’ terror support with what an Israeli diplomat calls ‘intentional mistranslations’. “Gaza: How To Survive a War Zone” was deleted from the news agency’s streaming service when mentions of ‘Jihad’ and ‘Jews’ had been mistranslated, the Telegraph newspaper reported. The Telegraph also reported the narrator was the son of a Hamas leader. - dg

France 24. US propagandist paid by Kremlin targets German election with network of fake news sites
A US fugitive linked to the Kremlin runs AI-generated fake news sites to boost Germany's far-right AfD. - jy
Newsweek+Newsguard. Russia's War on Ukraine: Three Years, Three Hundred and Two False Claims
NewsGuard debunked 302 Russian propaganda claims on Ukraine, increasingly driven by AI and false corruption narratives. - jy

BBC. Kari Lake to lead Voice of America
Election loss-denier nominated to lead America’s voice to the world. - gw

AP. FACT FOCUS: A look at false and misleading claims Trump made at inaugural events
The AP fact-checked statements made during Trump's inaugural events, including false claims about the 2020 election, inflation rates under the Biden administration, and the impact of tariffs.  - jy

Guardian. ChatGPT search tool vulnerable to manipulation and deception, tests show

Medium. Does CNN’s Embrace of Fake News Point To a Massive Crises Of Western Credibility?

The Independent. An Everett newspaper is shutting down after the mayor sued for defamation

CWU. Misinformation & Fake News Case Studies

The Bulwark. The Real Scandal of Our Media Tycoons

Indiana University Bloomington. White lies

GIJN. Is it Ever Okay for Journalists to Lie to Get a Story?

FTC. Final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials

Newsweek. The Right is more willing to spread fake news, study says

Inside Climate News. Social media is growing vehicle for climate misinformation

The Conversation. Disinformation campaigns are a are a public health risk but NZ has no effective strategy to deal with them

NATO. NATO’s approach to countering disinformation

BBC. The 'Sift' strategy: A four-step method for spotting misinformation

U.S. Cyber Command. Russian Disinformation Campaign “DoppelGänger” Unmasked: A Web of Deception

U.S. Senate Committee. New Joint Bicameral Staff Report Reveals Big Oil’s Campaign of Climate Denial, Disinformation, and Doublespeak

LA Times. Dubious history of the Santa Monica Observer, the outlet behind that false Paul Pelosi story

Newsjunkie. Santa Monica Observer: Disinformation site masquerading as friendly local news

CNN. Black lawmakers call for probe of GOP House candidate over campaign ad with wrong election date

Guardian. Far-right website admits there was no fraud at 2020 vote count in Atlanta

Guardian. What price are US media outlets paying for spreading election lies? (Analysis)

Guardian. Far-right site Gateway Pundit settles defamation suit with election workers

AP. Hungarians protest state media ‘propaganda factory’ and demand unbiased press

NPR. How Russia’s RT went from a cable news clone to covert operator

NPR. Voting-tech company settles with right-wing network over false election claims

NBC. Smartmatic and Newsmax reach settlement in election defamation case

The Guardian. TV giant known for rightwing disinformation doubles down on its national news agenda

The Nation. Misinformation Is Destroying Our Country. Can Anything Rein It In?

AP. Right-wing influencers were duped to work for covert Russian operation, US DOJ says

PBS. How right-wing disinformation is fueling conspiracy theories about the 2024 election

TIME. Disinformation is tearing America apart