Disinformation experts blast Trump’s executive order on government censorship as ‘direct assault on reality’
CNN
One of President Donald Trump’s first actions as he returned to the Oval Office on Monday was signing an executive order aimed at “restoring freedom of speech and ending federal censorship” of US citizens.
One of President Donald Trump’s first actions as he returned to the Oval Office on Monday was signing an executive order aimed at “restoring freedom of speech and ending federal censorship” of US citizens. The order bans federal officials from any conduct that “would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen” and instructs the attorney general to investigate if the Biden administration engaged in efforts to censor Americans. “Under the guise of combatting ‘misinformation,’ ‘disinformation,’ and ‘malinformation,’ the Federal Government infringed on the constitutionally protected speech rights of American citizens across the United States in a manner that advanced the Government’s preferred narrative about significant matters of public debate,” the order states. Right-wing media figures and some Republicans in Congress have for years decried what they claim are efforts by Democrats and technology platforms to censor their speech online, especially around the Covid-19 pandemic and elections. The Supreme Court ruled last year the US government can contact social media companies about mis- and disinformation swirling on their platforms, handing the Biden administration a major victory. While conservatives viewed Trump’s order as the fulfillment of his promise to end government collusion with Big Tech platforms to censor their voices, some disinformation experts warned the move will only further the spread of false information on social media, which can become dangerous in times of crises. Nina Jankowicz, who briefly led the Biden administration’s disinformation board and is now CEO of the American Sunlight Project, said Trump’s order “has canonized lies and conspiracy theories about those responding to disinformation,” calling it “a direct assault on reality” that “emboldens both foreign actors and disinformation profiteers.”
The war with Iran is disrupting global oil flows, damaging energy infrastructure and raising fears of prolonged conflict. But gold, usually considered a safe haven during periods of economic uncertainty, has slumped.
US stocks and bonds fell, oil prices rose and gold had its worst week in four decades as the Iran war continues to ripple through financial markets.
The White House on Friday released its long-awaited national artificial intelligence legislative framework, a move to prevent states from enacting their own laws and enforce the Trump administration’s light-touch approach to AI regulation.
“Today is a difficult day,” CBS executives wrote to staff, explaining the cuts as a tough but necessary reallocation of newsroom resources.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly promised that Americans will get larger tax refunds this year thanks to his “big, beautiful bill.”
President Donald Trump has repeatedly promised that Americans will get larger tax refunds this year thanks to his “big, beautiful bill.”
Oil prices edged lower on Friday after a tumultuous day that saw the international benchmark surge above $119 a barrel as the Middle East conflict deepened energy supply fears.
The war in Iran has delivered what economists call a “black swan” event — an unforeseen shock so destructive, no one is immune to it.
The war in Iran is driving up the cost of buying a home in America.
Eight state attorneys general have filed an antitrust lawsuit to block Nexstar’s pending acquisition of Tegna, which would strengthen the right-leaning Nexstar and shrink the number of station owners in the US.
The Iran war has driven oil prices to their highest levels in years. Now, a wave of attacks in the past 24 hours on energy production sites across the Middle East have turned the spotlight on another crucial fossil fuel: liquefied natural gas, or LNG.
Oil and natural gas prices spiked Thursday, as Iran ramped up strikes on energy infrastructure across the Middle East and attacked one of the world’s most important liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Qatar.
In normal times, the Federal Reserve would more or less ignore an oil price shock like the one we’re in now.