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Tag: General News

  • Civil Society Kicks Against Suspension Of Expatriates Employment Levy

    President Bola Tinubu

    A Labour & Civil Society Coalition (LASCO), has kicked against the suspension of Expatriates Employment Levy [EEL] by President Bola Tinubu on Thursday.

    The National Convener LASCO, Comrade Tony Erha said the EEL was supposed to be a strategic move aimed at bolstering national security and protecting Nigeria’s pride and progress.

    THE WHISTLER earlier reported that the federal government suspended the $10,000 and $15,000 expatriate levy imposed on employers after stakeholders criticized the development noting that it could lead to mass exit of foreign investors from the country.

    However, the 66-year-old activist in Abuja, queried the suspension, according to Erha the initiative was empowered to enhance data collection capabilities by effectively strengthening the nation’s security architecture, identifying and apprehending people operating outside the law.

    He said, “Keeping meticulous tabs on every expatriate entering the country, the government can swiftly identify and address illegal activities, as well as ensure the safety and prosperity of Nigeria and its citizens.

    “In Oyo State, where illegal gold mining operations have posed significant challenges, the implementation of this levy enables authorities to track down and dismantle illicit operations, and safeguard the state’s resources and economic stability.

    “The EEL plays a pivotal role in combating threats posed by foreign entities prospecting lithium in sensitive areas like the Sambisa Forest because by closely monitoring expatriate activity, the government can swiftly detect and neutralize any attempts to exploit Nigeria’s resources for nefarious purposes.

    “By prioritizing security through the Expatriates Employment Levy, the federal government demonstrates its unwavering commitment to protect Nigeria’s sovereignty and promote sustainable development.

    “This proactive approach not only safeguards the nation’s resources but also ensures a safer, more prosperous future for all Nigerians.”

    Erha added that while the monetary benefits of the EEL were undeniable, its true value lies in its ability to fortify Nigeria’s security infrastructure and preserve the nation’s pride and progress.

    Reiterating the importance of EEL in the economy, the LASCO boss said through a social audit system that captures the identities of immigrants into the country through data collection the federal government can safeguard Nigeria’s future for this generation and future generations.

    Civil Society Kicks Against Suspension Of Expatriates Employment Levy is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

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  • Fact Check: MAGA Inc. ad cuts off Biden’s criticism of Trump’s Russia, NATO remarks, making him appear lost

    A political ad mocking President Joe Biden uses a partial clip from a press conference to create the impression that Biden froze in silence.

    Biden did pause — right before ripping into his rival, former President Donald Trump. The ad by MAGA Inc., which supports Trump, left that part out.

    The March 7 ad aired before Biden’s State of the Union address and began by showing Biden saying, “Do whatever the hell they want.” 

    It then shows Biden pausing, with a few blinks and mumbles, for about eight seconds. “I guess I should clear my mind here a little bit,” he says after the silence. 

    The ad’s narrator cuts in, over images of Biden stumbling up stairs to a stage: “We can all see Joe Biden’s weakness. If Biden wins, can he even survive till 2029? The real question is, can we?” 

    The ad ends with a split screen video of Biden stumbling up Air Force One’s stairs and Vice President Kamala Harris laughing. (Harris was speaking at a 2023 Juneteenth event, not at the president’s stumble, which came in March 2021.)

    The ad sends a message: Biden, 81, is old. He is stumbling, verbally and physically, and can’t find his words to deliver a coherent sentence. 

    Polls show widespread concern among voters about Biden’s age. A February New York Times/Siena poll showed that 73% of all registered voters said Biden was too old to be effective while 42% said the same for Trump

    But the ad misleads by stripping these remarks of context, leaving voters with a different impression.

    Biden spoke Feb. 16 in the White House’s Roosevelt Room about the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei A. Navalny. 

    Biden praised Navalny as a “powerful voice of the truth” and said Russian President Vladimir Putin was “responsible for his death.”

    Biden also discussed Trump’s comments at a rally days earlier, when Trump said he told an unnamed North Atlantic Treaty Organization country leader that Russia could “do whatever the hell they want” to an ally that didn’t pay for collective defense.

    Biden took a long pause before criticizing Trump at length. Here’s what he said in the unedited video (minute 4):

    “All of us should reject the dangerous statements made by the previous president that invited Russia to invade our NATO allies if they weren’t paying up. He said if an ally did not pay their dues, he’d encourage Russia to, quote, ‘do whatever the hell they want.’”

    He paused.

    “I guess I should clear my mind here a little bit and not say what I’m really thinking. But let me be clear: This is an outrageous thing for a president to say. I can’t fathom. I can’t fathom. From (Harry) Truman on, they’re rolling over in their graves hearing this.

    “As long as I’m president, America stands by our sacred commitment to our NATO allies as they have stood by their commitments to us repeatedly. 

    “Putin and the whole world should know: If any adversary were to attack us, our NATO allies would back us. And if Putin were to attack a NATO ally, the United States will defend every inch of NATO territory. Now is the time for even greater unity among our NATO allies to stand up to the threat that Putin’s Russia poses.”

    NBC described the pause as a “dramatic effect, expressing exasperation with Trump.” It’s up to listeners to decide whether they viewed that as a rhetorical tool. But the full comments show Biden was delivering a clear message about his view on Trump, NATO and Russia.

    We have seen this tactic before. In 2020, for example, Trump’s campaign presented a clip of Biden saying “Why am I doing this? Why? What is my real aim?” without disclosing that Biden was quoting the pope.

    Our ruling

    The ad from MAGA Inc. portrayed Biden as saying “do whatever the hell they want,” pausing, and saying he needed to “clear my mind here a little bit.”

    The ad used a partial moment from a press conference to show Biden as addled. But there are issues with this example.

    Biden was quoting Trump saying Russia can “do whatever the hell they want” with regard to invading NATO countries that don’t pay for collective defense. Biden’s pause could be deemed artful or awkward, but he said he needed to clear his mind and “not say what I’m really thinking.” He launched into a pointed critique, calling Trump’s rhetoric “an outrageous thing for a president to say,” and that past presidents were “rolling over in their graves hearing” Trump.

    None of that appears in the deceptively edited ad.

    The statement contains an element of truth about the pause and some of his words but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression. We rate the ad Mostly False.

    RELATED: Is Donald Trump’s NATO talk a warning or a negotiating tactic? Here’s what he has said

    RELATED: Fact-checking Joe Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address



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  • Bullpen competition takes center stage

    SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — This time last year, Juan Sánchez wasn’t on anybody’s radar.

    Five years since signing as a relatively unknown prospect out of Venezuela, Sánchez hadn’t pitched above Single-A. The few major-league spring training games he appeared in, it was in relative anonymity, one of the many players sent over from minor-league camp to play out the final innings once the big leaguers had subbed out.

    That is no longer the case.

    Sánchez’s place squarely in the battle for one of the final spots in the San Francisco Giants’ bullpen was only solidified Wednesday, appearing alongside the only two left-handed relievers remaining in camp — besides Taylor Rogers — and putting up the only scoreless frame among them in a slugfest of a loss, 19-11, to the Reds.

    “With the conditions today, that’s something,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Typically in spring training you get games like this. It’s tough to evaluate, but obviously he had the best day of the guys.”

    Using a crossfire motion from the left side, not unlike Ryan Walker from the opposite angle, Sánchez sat in the mid-90s with his fastball, landed his slurvy breaking ball for strikes and recorded all three of his outs, including a swinging strikeout, with his changeup, which he called his best pitch.

    Sánchez’s scoreless ninth lowered his ERA in five spring appearances to 1.50, with eight strikeouts to no walks, and came after his primary competitors, lefties Ethan Small and Amir Garrett, combined to allow six runs on seven hits in the previous three innings.

    Garrett, the most experienced of the bunch, has a 14.73 ERA in four appearances this spring, allowing runs in all but one of his outings. Small, 27, had allowed one run and struck out six batters over his first two outings but was tagged for five runs and a pair of homers.

    “I like all of them,” Melvin said before the game. “And all of them kind of do a little bit different things.

    “Ethan can get righties out and can give you length. Garrett’s probably more of a matchup lefty-type guy. And Sánchez has just pitched really well and probably come out of the pack to where maybe he originally wasn’t looked at like the other two guys are. It’s nice to see them all pitch on the same day in the same conditions.”

    Although still only 23 years old, Sánchez has taken the long road since he was discovered by longtime Giants scout Edgar Fernández.

    Other members of his signing class include Julio Rodriguez, Wander Franco and Ezequiel Tovar, of the Dominican Republic, and Osleivis Basabe, of Venezuela.

    While they were making names for themselves in the show, Sánchez was grinding his way through every level of the minor leagues, finding consistent success at each stop. He started at the lowest rung of the minor leagues, the Dominican Summer League, and only reached Triple-A for the first time in the second half of last season.

    The only levels he has posted ERAs above 4.00 have been Single-A San Jose, where he also had a 30% strikeout rate to only a 6% walk rate, and his introduction last season to Triple-A Sacramento, where he still performed above average for the hitter-friendly league despite being five years younger than his average competition.

    “The process has been really hard,” he said through Spanish-language interpreter Erwin Higueros, crediting his parents, Jose Sanchez and Yolany Garcia, for supporting him throughout despite separating when he was young. “My mom and my dad, they always sacrificed a lot for me. The main motivation is my mom and my dad.”

    Now on the cusp of the major leagues, a snapshot exists of just how far Sánchez has come.

    The measurements on his biography page list him at 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds. Informed of this, Sánchez laughed and held up his pinkie.

    “That was when I was in the Dominican, I was like this,” he said, gesturing to his smallest finger. “Skinny.”

    Now, Sánchez stands 6-foot-1 and weighs in at 210 pounds. His fastball has taken a corresponding jump, from 91-92 to 94-95. It’s a little easier for him to catch the manager’s eye.

    “He’s pitched really well,” Melvin said. “He’s been really impressive.”

    Bailey’s X-rays a ‘relief’

    After being forced from Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers by a foul ball that struck him in his throwing hand, Patrick Bailey isn’t expected to be out of action long.

    “Which is a relief,” Melvin said.

    Bailey was still unable to make a fist Wednesday morning, according to Melvin, but the swelling and discoloration had subsided. Bailey underwent X-rays, which showed there was no fracture. It will be “a few days” before he gets into a game again, Melvin said, but he should still be on track for Opening Day.

    “Hopefully we caught a break there,” Melvin said. “We’re just glad it wasn’t worse.”

    Harrison goes five

    Throwing 70 pitches Tuesday at the Giants’ minor-league complex, Kyle Harrison became their first pitcher this spring to complete five innings. Perhaps to spare his victims, Harrison said he couldn’t recall the number of minor leaguers he struck out but said Will Wilson got him on a first-pitch fastball in his final frame for a home run.

    Harrison focused on his secondary offerings — primarily his changeup — which he said has been the biggest positive so far this spring.

    “It’s been feeling great,” Harrison said. “I’ve been able to keep it down over the plate. That’s something I worked so hard on this offseason, something I’ve tried my whole career to throw.”

    Getting his work in at Papago Park prevented him from facing the Dodgers’ ‘A’ lineup featuring a top three of Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman. Harrison faced the Dodgers, though few of their regulars, in his previous start and could face them again in the first week of the regular season.

    “I’m gonna see them enough,” Harrison said. “I think it was the smart decision. That way I can come out throwing bullets at them. Who knows, they might not know what’s coming.”

    More cuts

    Six more players were optioned or reassigned to the minor leagues, bringing the total number left in big-league camp to 47.

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  • Mount Zion Baptist Church Celebration Worship Service

    The Reverend Dr. Jacqueline A. Thompson, Pastor of The Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, California, will preach at Mount Zion Baptist Church, Seattle, Washington, on Sunday, March 17, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. culminating the Women Ministry’s 82th Celebration events. 

    Dr. Thompson, the 2nd Vice-President of the Progressive Baptist Convention, Inc., is a dynamic woman of God, who will bring both inspiration and joy as she preaches from Psalms 145: 5-7. Felicia Curry will also praise God in song as our guest soloist.  Everyone is invited to join us to praise and worship God as we celebrate and reflect on our Anniversary Theme, The Goodness of God.

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  • RNC files lawsuit against Michigan Secretary of State over state’s voter rolls

    The Republican National Committee (RNC) filed a lawsuit against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on Wednesday to get the state to review its voter registration rolls.

    The committee alleges the state has “failed to live up” to the National Voter Registration Act’s (NVRA) requirement that voter registration rolls must be clean.

    The lawsuit, filed in federal court, argues that of Michigan’s 83 counties, at least 53 have more registered voters than adults of legal voting age. An additional 23 counties have active voter registration rates that “exceed 90 percent of adult citizens over the age of 18,” the lawsuit said.

    “This is not the first time Michigan has failed to abide by the NVRA’s requirements,” the lawsuit said, citing a 2020 lawsuit against Michigan election officials who violated the act’s requirements, which was later dismissed.

    The RNC’s lawsuit comes just days after allies of former President Trump took leadership positions and hours after the party confirmed that Trump was the GOP nominee for the 2024 election.  

    Michigan, a key swing state, voted for President Biden in the 2020 election. Biden won by 154,000 votes despite Trump’s attempt to urge officials not to certify the results.  

    Under the NVRA, states are required to conduct “a general voter registration list maintenance program” that makes a “reasonable effort” to remove people who are ineligible from voter rolls, by death or a move out of state or jurisdiction. It also protects voters from being removed if they may not have voted in years.

    The maintenance program must be “uniform, nondiscriminatory and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act,” the Department of Justice said.

    The Hill has reached out to Benson for comment, but the Secretary of State said in a statement to NBC News that Michigan has done more in the last five years than in the previous two decades to accurately remove people from the list.

    More than 700,000 people have been removed since she took office and more will be if they don’t vote in the general election this fall, the outlet reported.

    “Let’s call this what it is: a PR campaign masquerading as a meritless lawsuit filled with baseless accusations that seek to diminish people’s faith in the security of our elections,” Benson’s statement to NBC News said. “Shame on anyone who abuses the legal process to sow seeds of doubt in our democracy.”

    Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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  • America’s Irish helped shape the nation

    Americans of every background celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the feast day for Ireland’s patron saint. They dress in green, attend parties or parades, and eat corned beef and cabbage, whether they claim Irish heritage or not.

    Americans’ enthusiasm for the Irish holiday reflects the vast influence of Irish immigrants and their descendants, including President Biden, on the United States, from the time of its founding to the present day.

    Many of those who fought in the American Revolution were Irish, and nine signers of the 1776 Declaration of Independence were either Irish immigrants or descended from Irish immigrants. Others, including Biden’s great-great-great-grandfather, came to escape famine in the 19th century.

    Today more than 30 million Americans claim Irish heritage, including former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Here are several of the many Irish Americans who have made significant contributions to the United States.

    Eileen Collins

    Eileen Collins waving while floating in space station (NASA)
    Astronaut Eileen Collins, seen floating in the international space station in August 2005, is a veteran of four space missions. (NASA)

    Born in Elmira, New York, to an Irish immigrant family, NASA astronaut Eileen Collins traveled into space four times and is the first woman to pilot the space shuttle and command a shuttle mission. Before going to work for NASA in 1990, Collins was a pilot and flight instructor in the U.S. Air Force.

    Mary Harris Jones

     

    Mary Harris Jones sitting at desk with open book, looking at the camera (© Donaldson Collection/Getty Images)
    Mary Harris Jones, seen in 1912, earned the nickname “Mother Jones” through her support for workers. (© Donaldson Collection/Getty Images)

    After fleeing Ireland’s Great Famine with her family, Mary Harris Jones arrived in the United States at 23. She married an ironworker and worked as a teacher and seamstress before the death of her husband and four children in an 1867 yellow fever epidemic.

    She began advocating for the rights of workers during the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 in Pittsburgh and gained a reputation for her public speaking. Jones supported workers in industries including mining, textile and steel and continued her advocacy into her 80s, earning the nickname “Mother Jones.”

    John F. Kennedy

    John F. Kennedy standing and waving in open car as it drives in procession through large crowds spilling into street (© AP)
    President John F. Kennedy, born to an Irish American family, receives a warm welcome in Cork, Ireland, on June 28, 1963. (© AP)

    Elected in 1960, during the Civil Rights Movement, President John F. Kennedy urged Americans to live up to the nation’s founding ideals.

    Born in 1917 to an Irish American family in Brookline, Massachusetts, Kennedy graduated from Harvard and served in World War II. As president, he planned to advance legislation guaranteeing equal rights for everyone and called for a mission to the moon.

    The country achieved both milestones before the end of the 1960s, but after Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas.

    Illustration of Kay McNulty with inset illustration of two women working with computers (© Szabolcs Kariko/EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum)
    Kathleen McNulty (© Szabolcs Kariko/EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum)

    Kathleen McNulty

    An early computer programmer, Kathleen McNulty supported the U.S. government’s development of the world’s first computer, called ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), which debuted in 1946.

    Born in Ireland in 1921, McNulty immigrated to the United States with her family at age 4. She excelled at math and was recruited to support the U.S. military in World War II by calculating trajectories for artillery.

    She later was one of a handful of women mathematicians whose calculations enabled the development of ENIAC.

    Ronald Reagan

    Ronald Reagan raising glass of ale in pub (© Ron Edmonds/AP)
    President Ronald Reagan raises a glass in Ballyporeen, Ireland, in 1984. (© Ron Edmonds/AP)

    The great-grandson of an Irish immigrant, President Ronald Reagan sought to spur economic recovery at home and ensure “peace through strength” in global affairs.

    America’s 40th president — and one of 23 U.S. presidents with Irish roots — Reagan worked as a radio sportscaster, a movie and television actor, and a two-time California governor before his presidential election in 1980.

    During his tenure Reagan visited his ancestral home of Ballyporeen, Ireland, in 1984. He told a crowd that for much of his life he didn’t know his heritage because his father was orphaned at a young age.

    Learning of his Irish roots and getting to visit his ancestral hometown was both unexpected and satisfying.

    “I know at last whence I came,” Reagan said. “And this has given my soul a new contentment. And it is a joyous feeling. It is like coming home after a long journey.”



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  • Top Pentagon Insider: Abolish Second Amendment, Deploy National Guard For Mass Gun Confiscation Effort


    DoD official from Secretary of Defense’s office admits desire to impose authoritarian dictatorship in undercover video.

    A Defense Department official was caught in undercover video discussing how the federal government should ban the Second Amendment and begin seizing the firearms of American citizens.

    Jason Beck, who works in Total Force Requirements & Sourcing Policy for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s office, described his extremist policies during what he thought was a date with journalist James O’Keefe, who was in disguise.

    Using the fake name Aiden Gray during the date “sting”, Beck talked of “mobilizing the national guard” to confiscate guns from people’s homes.

    “I think we should repeal the Second Amendment and take the guns all away!” Beck told O’Keefe. “Whatever, just take them all.”

    Beck went on to say he wants a “monopoly on state violence,” a concept he describes as “‘We [the government], are the only ones with guns.”

    Beck also expressed his desire to “pack the Supreme Court” and “abolish the Senate” to pave the way for repealing the Second Amendment.

    “We need the majority in the court so they can’t stop the legislation [to ban guns],” he said.

    Beck also called for the U.S. to have an open border.

    “Like, why do we need quotas? Why not just have an open border?” he asked. “There’s no Taliban coming in through Mexico. When has a terrorist ever come in?”

    Beck’s remarks are clearly at odds with the his own government’s statements, including that of FBI Director Christopher Wray who confessed on Monday that “dangerous individuals” were exploiting the open border to illegally enter the United States.

    Authoritarian unelected bureaucrats like Beck should be nowhere near the levers of power.

    Follow Jamie White on X | Truth | Gab | Gettr | Minds



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  • Students Loan Not Forgotten, New Launch Date To Be Announced Soon-Presidency

    The Presidency has explained that the Students Loan Scheme has not been forgotten by the government and the new date of the launch will be announced soon.

    The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this while fielding questions from State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Tinubu at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Recall that the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Akintunde Sawyer, had announced the indefinite postponement of the scheme during an interview with ARISE News on Tuesday.

    This was after the Special Adviser to the President on Media and The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Ajuri Ngelale disclosed that President Bola Tinubu will launch the Student Loan Scheme on Thursday, March 14, 2024.

    Onanuga, however, assured that President Bola Tinubu is fully committed to the loan scheme as it would guarantee that indigent students did not drop out of school due to lack of money.

    He stated that final touches are being put in place to enable proper launch of the scheme, which he described as the President’s flagship programme.

    “There’ll be a new date to launch the student loan scheme. It’s not forgotten. There are some things that need to be rearranged so that it can be launched properly. I think that’s what’s happening.

    “So the President is committed to it, you know it’s one of his flagship programmes, and he wants to get it done as quickly as possible,” he said.

    The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris on his part, said: “In addition to that, you know that the President has also introduced the issue of social security and consumer credit. We mentioned that in the last press briefing we had.

    “So all these are being taken together, and Mr. President is not stopping or suspending the students’ loan. Indeed, he’s ensuring that it comes about strongly so that Nigerians and especially the families of the less privileged, take advantage of that so that they can get education.”

    President Bola Tinubu, on June 12, 2023, signed the Access to Higher Education Act, 2023, into law to enable indigent students to access interest-free loans for their educational pursuits in any Nigerian tertiary institution.

    Students Loan Not Forgotten, New Launch Date To Be Announced Soon-Presidency is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

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  • Fact Check: Social media accounts use AI-generated audio to push 2024 election misinformation

    A recent social media post made what appeared to be a surprising announcement about the 2024 presidential race.

    “Breaking news: Donald Trump has declared that he is pulling out of the run for president,” the narrator said in a Feb. 22 TikTok video, which was viewed more than 161,000 times before TikTok removed it from the platform.

    Of course, Trump hasn’t dropped out of the 2024 race. As of March 12, he’d secured enough delegates to clinch the Republican presidential nomination.

    Besides the false claim, the video had another distinctive element: The audio appeared to be made with artificial intelligence.

    PolitiFact identified several TikTok accounts spreading false narratives about the 2024 election and Trump through its partnership with TikTok to counter inauthentic, misleading or false content. (Read more about PolitiFact’s partnership with TikTok.)

    Videos on YouTube made similar false claims. These videos, which also appeared to have AI-generated audio, were reshared with lower engagement on Facebook and X.

    Generative AI is a broad term that describes when computers create new content, such as text, photos, videos and audio, by identifying patterns in existing data. This year, the United States and more than 50 other countries are holding national elections, and generative AI is likely to play an outsized role. In February in Indonesia, AI-generated cartoons helped rehabilitate the image of a former military general linked to human rights abuses, who won the country’s presidential election.

    Recent advances in generative AI have made it harder to determine whether online content is real or fake. We talked to experts about how this technology is changing the information landscape and how to spot AI-generated audio. Unlike video, there aren’t visual abnormalities that can hint at manipulation.

    When contacted for comment, a TikTok spokesperson said, “To apply our harmful misinformation policies, we detect misleading content and send it to fact-checking partners for factual assessment.” Once alerted to the content highlighted in this story, TikTok removed it from the platform.

    Experts analyze videos’ use of AI-generated audio

    We asked generative AI experts to analyze five TikTok videos that made false and misleading claims across multiple accounts to determine whether we’d accurately surmised that the audio was AI-generated.

    Hafiz Malik, a University of Michigan electrical and computer engineering professor who studies deepfakes, said his AI detection tool classified four of the videos as “synthetic,” or AI-generated, audio. The fifth was flagged as “low confidence,” which Malik said means some parts were labeled as “deepfake,” while others weren’t.

    Siwei Lyu, a University at Buffalo computer science and engineering professor who specializes in digital media forensics, said his AI detection algorithms also classified a majority of the five videos as using AI-generated audio.

    TikTok videos make outrageous, false claims

    Trump was a focus of these TikTok accounts; several of the accounts used photos of the former president as their profile photos.

    (Screengrabs from TikTok)

    These accounts followed a similar playbook: eye-catching headlines often displayed against red backgrounds; videos containing clips or still photos of famous figures, including Trump and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas; and a disembodied narrator.

    Some videos made false claims about the well-being of high-profile people — that Trump had a heart attack and New York Attorney General Letitia James was hospitalized for gunshot wounds. James sued Trump in 2022 accusing him of fraudulently inflating his net worth; a judge ruled in February that Trump must pay a $454 million penalty.

    Another video displayed text reading, “Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas joins other justices to remove 2024 race candidate.” This appears to misleadingly refer to the Supreme Court’s case on Trump’s ballot eligibility, in which Thomas and the other justices unanimously ruled that individual states cannot bar presidential candidates, including Trump, from the ballot.

    (Screengrabs from TikTok)

    All of these TikTok accounts were created within the past few months. The one that appeared the oldest had videos dating to November 2023; the newest began posting content March 1. Three of the accounts had TikTok’s default username of “user” followed by 13 numbers.

    These accounts collectively posted hundreds of videos and garnered hundreds of thousands of views, likes and followers before TikTok removed the accounts and videos.

    We also found videos making the same false claims as the Tikok videos on YouTube. These videos mimicked the TikTok videos’ format: sensational headlines, Trump photos, audio that sounded AI-generated.

    (Screengrabs from YouTube)

    Most of the YouTube videos were viewed hundreds or thousands of times. The two YouTube accounts that posted the videos were created in 2021 and 2022 and amassed tens of thousands of followers before we contacted YouTube for comment and the company removed the accounts from the platform.

    Before YouTube removed the videos, they were reshared on other social media platforms, including Facebook and X, where very small numbers of people liked or viewed them. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

    A YouTube spokesperson did not provide comment for this story by our deadline.

    How generative AI is contributing to more misinformation online

    Misinformation experts say the newest generations of generative AI are making it easier for people to create and share misleading social media content. And AI-generated audio tends to be cheaper than its video counterparts.

    “Now, anyone with access to the internet can have the power of thousands of writers, audio technicians and video producers, for free, and at the push of a button,” said Jack Brewster, enterprise editor at Newsguard, a company tracking online misinformation.

    “In the right hands, that power can be used for good,” Brewster said. “In the wrong hands, that power can be used to pollute our information ecosystem, destabilize democracies and undermine public trust in institutions.”

    NewsGuard reported in September 2023 that AI voice technology was being used to spread conspiracy theories en masse across TikTok. The report said Newsguard “identified a network of 17 TikTok accounts using AI text-to-speech software to generate videos advancing false and unsubstantiated claims, with hundreds of millions of views.”

    A 2023 University of British Columbia study that used a dataset from TikTok found that AI text-to-speech technology simplified content creation, motivating content creators to produce more videos.

    Study authors Xiaoke Zhang and Mi Zhou told PolitiFact that increased productivity means generative AI “can be deliberately exploited to generate misinformation at a low cost.”

    The technology can also help users conceal their identities, which can “diminish their sense of responsibility towards ensuring information accuracy,” Zhang and Zhou said.

    TikTok requires users to label content that contains AI-generated images, videos or audio “to help viewers contextualize the video and prevent the potential spread of misleading content.” TikTok’s community guidelines bar “inaccurate, misleading, or false content that may cause significant harm to individuals or society.”

    No TikTok videos we reviewed had this generative AI label, although some included labels to learn more about U.S. elections. Brewster said NewsGuard also observed many TikTok users bypassing this policy about identifying AI-generated content.

    YouTube’s community guidelines don’t allow “misleading or deceptive content that poses a serious risk of egregious harm.” YouTube requires disclosure for election advertising containing “digitally altered or generated materials.” The company said in December that it plans to expand this generative AI disclosure to other content.

    How to detect AI-generated audio

    Experts say existing AI detection tools are imperfect. They add that as detection tools improve, so does generative AI technology.

    AI-generated audio lacks the more obvious visual cues of AI-generated images or videos, such as mouth movements that aren’t synced to audio or distorted physical features.

    However, there are ways people can identify AI-generated audio.

    Malik, the University of Michigan professor, said to listen for abnormalities in vocal tone, articulation or pacing.

    “(AI-generated voices) lack emotions. They lack the rise and fall in the audio that you typically have when you talk,” Malik said. “They are pretty monotonic.”

    Brewster also advised that the “old tactics” are still the best way to avoid AI-generated misinformation. Those include cross-checking information with other sites; being attuned to grammatical errors and odd phrasing; and searching for the names of those who posted to see if they have shared false information in the past.

    RELATED: What is generative AI and why is it suddenly everywhere? Here’s how it works

    RELATED: How generative AI could help foreign adversaries influence U.S. elections



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  • Warriors overpowered by Mavericks

    DALLAS — The Warriors cooled off a red-hot Luka Doncic and enjoyed a horrendous Mavericks 3-point shooting night, but didn’t have enough firepower to keep up with the formidable Mavs in the American Airlines Center.

    Doncic, who entered the game averaging 35.8 points, 11.2 assists and 11.0 rebounds in March, registered 21 points and nine rebounds. Dallas shot 6-for-27 (22.2%) from 3, but made up for it by racking up 68 points in the paint.

    Golden State was without Steph Curry (ankle sprain) and Draymond Green, who was a late scratch with low back soreness. Their absences left the scoring burden on Jonathan Kuminga (game-high 27 points) and a void of physicality on both ends that Dallas took full advantage of. Center Daniel Gafford tallied seven of Dallas’ 13 blocks, looming as a constant deterrent at the rim.

    “Our defense was not the problem,” Steve Kerr said postgame. “It was much more our offense. They had 13 blocked shots, a lot of that was just us wildly driving in at Gafford without getting a body into him first to take him out of his shot-blocking position. And then just a lot of stagnant possessions. Not enough flow, not enough movement.”

    The 109-99 loss could have big implications down the road for the Warriors (34-31), who trail Dallas in the Western Conference play-in standings. The two teams have two more matchups remaining this season, games that could end up determining crucial seeding.

    The Warriors played Dallas tough early, unexpectedly drawing the first quarter. Without Curry and Green, Golden State was a heavy underdog. But Kuminga was decisive offensively, dropping 10 in the first frame by consistently attacking. The wing needed only nine minutes to reach double figures for the 43rd time in his past 45 games.

    In the first half, Kuminga went 6-for-10. His teammates shot 10-for-33.

    The biggest reason Golden State was able to hang in the low-scoring game, though, was Dallas’ shooting struggles. The Mavericks hit only one of their first 17 attempts from behind the arc.

    As the Mavericks struggled from the outside, both they and the Warriors traded dueling 13-2 runs in the second quarter. When Dallas threatened to run away with it, Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis made key plays.

    Dallas’ size at every position gave Golden State issues all night. The Mavericks scored 40 of their first 54 points in the paint. Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively each swatted several shots at the rim into the stands.

    Golden State kept Luka Doncic in check for the first half, a nearly impossible feat. By throwing a variety of on-ball defenders at him, staying disciplined on his pump fakes and loading up on the weak side for help in the lane, the Warriors forced Doncic to start 5-for-15.

    The Warriors ended Doncic’s streak of seven straight triple-doubles, six of which he’d scored at least 30 points in.

    In the third, Doncic started figuring the Warriors out. He scored an and-1 in the post through Brandin Podziemski, then drilled a step-back 3. Yet Golden State withstood, entering the fourth facing a six-point deficit.

    Doncic started the fourth quarter on the bench, giving the Warriors an opportunity to make a run. Instead, Dallas shut Golden State down, blitzing them for a 16-4 haymaker.

    “We just didn’t cut the water off,” Kuminga said. “I feel like that’s where we lost the game, they just came out hot.”

    Like it did all game for Dallas, just about everything came inside — both from their bigs and a slashing Kyrie Irving (23 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds). Dallas shot 34-for-45 in the paint and limited Golden State to 24-of-50 from the same range, exhibiting force inside.

    “Just kind of got away from us,” Podziemski said. “Just not getting back in transition, a lot of their buckets were in transition. Whether it was hitting 3s or throwing the ball to Lively or Gafford at the rim and dunking it.”

    The Mavericks built such a comfortable lead, they didn’t even need Doncic in the fourth quarter. At one point, he walked towards the scorer’s table to check in, but the team later said he was experiencing hamstring soreness.

    They still got 29 minutes from their superstar, compared to Golden State’s zero.

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