{"id":112330,"date":"2024-10-10T00:14:47","date_gmt":"2024-10-09T17:14:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=112330"},"modified":"2024-10-10T00:14:47","modified_gmt":"2024-10-09T17:14:47","slug":"republican-congressman-issues-rebuke-over-outrageous-helene-disinformation-hurricane-helene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=112330","title":{"rendered":"Republican congressman issues rebuke over \u2018outrageous\u2019 Helene disinformation | Hurricane Helene"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"dcr-1eu361v\">A Republican congressman representing areas devastated by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/hurricane-helene\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Hurricane Helene <\/a>has implicitly rebuked members of his own party, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Donald Trump<\/a>, by issuing a scorching rebuttal of misinformation and conspiracy theories spread by the former US president and his supporters about the storm and the government\u2019s response.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1eu361v\">Chuck Edwards, the member for North Carolina\u2019s 11th district, contradicted criticism from Trump and others of the Biden administration\u2019s handling of the disaster by voicing praise for \u201ca level of support that is unmatched by most any other disaster nationwide\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1eu361v\">He also condemned \u201coutrageous rumors\u201d, which he said were hampering attempts to aid badly affected communities in his constituency.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"2cdbb76e-24e5-4a6b-94e6-7f6b4459036e\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\" dcr-1your1i\"><gu-island name=\"RichLinkComponent\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"idle\" props=\"{&quot;richLinkIndex&quot;:3,&quot;element&quot;:{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Hurricane Helene conspiracy theories collide with election misinformation&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;2cdbb76e-24e5-4a6b-94e6-7f6b4459036e&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;richLink&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2024\/oct\/04\/hurricane-helene-conspiracy-theories-election-misinformation&quot;},&quot;ajaxUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0,&quot;design&quot;:0}}\"\/><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1eu361v\">The missive, in the form of a <a href=\"https:\/\/edwards.house.gov\/media\/press-releases\/debunking-helene-response-myths?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=10\/9\/24%20%20AM:&amp;utm_term=Punchbowl%20AM%20and%20Active%20Subscribers%20from%20Memberful%20Combined\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">press release<\/a> headlined \u201cDebunking Helene Response Myths\u201d and posted on Edwards\u2019s official congressional website, followed warnings from Deanne Criswell, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) that the glut of misinformation surrounding the relief operation was the worst she had ever seen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1eu361v\">\u201cHurricane Helene was NOT geo-engineered by the government to seize and access lithium deposits in Chimney Rock,\u201d Edwards wrote at the top of a list of eight rebuttals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1eu361v\">\u201cNobody can control the weather,\u201d he added, citing the director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration\u2019s Southeast Regional Climate Center as an authority.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1eu361v\">Edwards did not identify the source of that or other rumors mentioned, merely referring to disinformation that had spread \u201conline\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1eu361v\">But it flatly contradicted recent comments by the far-right Georgia member of Congress <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2024\/oct\/07\/marjorie-taylor-greene-hurricane-helene\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Marjorie Taylor Greene, who told<\/a> her 1.2 million followers on X last week: \u201cYes they can control the weather. It\u2019s ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can\u2019t be done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1eu361v\">In further rebuttals, Edwards wrote: \u201cFEMA has NOT diverted disaster response funding to the border or foreign aid.\u201d He added that the agency was \u201cNOT only providing $750 to disaster survivors to support their recovery\u201d, clarifying that the sum was merely an immediate \u201cfirst step\u201d of a longer process of assistance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1eu361v\">The rumors have been repeated by Trump, who has also falsely accused Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the vice-president and his Democratic opponent in next month\u2019s presidential election, of <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/113227266617485932\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">deliberately diverting assistance away from Republican areas<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1eu361v\">Fingers have also been pointed at Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and committed Trump backer and donor, who has spread disinformation to his 200 million followers on X, the social media platform he owns.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1eu361v\">\u201cFEMA used up its budget ferrying illegals into the country instead of saving American lives. Treason,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1842121187461042217\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Musk posted<\/a> on 4 October.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1eu361v\">In another post, he wrote: \u201cThe level of belligerent government incompetence is staggering!!\u201d The SpaceX owner \u2013 whose <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxbusiness.com\/media\/musk-accelerates-starlink-hurricane-milton-victims-free-charge-for-those-need\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Starlink technology has provided<\/a> mobile phone access to those cut off by the storm \u2013 has also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/10\/08\/elon-musk-hurricane-disinformation-trump-00182769?nname=playbook&amp;nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&amp;nrid=45328866-b47e-4c47-aad0-a1e1a250dfa3&amp;nlid=630318\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">disseminated accusations that Fema has \u201cactively blocked\u201d<\/a> donations to the hurricane\u2019s victims.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1eu361v\">Referring to social media, Edwards wrote: \u201cI encourage you to remember that everything you see on Facebook, X, or any other social media platform is not always fact. Please make sure you are fact checking what you read online with a reputable source.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1eu361v\">He is not the first Republican politician to call for a halt to online disinformation surrounding the storm and the effort to bring relief to its effects.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1eu361v\">Citing some of the same rumors, Kevin Corbin, a Republican <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/northcarolina\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">North Carolina<\/a> state senator, pleaded with his Facebook followers last week: \u201cPLEASE help stop this junk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1eu361v\">\u201cThe misinformation is extremely damaging to the response efforts from Helene and from any disaster,\u201d Keith Turi, Fema\u2019s acting associate administrator for response and recovery, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/10\/08\/elon-musk-hurricane-disinformation-trump-00182769?nname=playbook&amp;nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&amp;nrid=45328866-b47e-4c47-aad0-a1e1a250dfa3&amp;nlid=630318\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">told Politico<\/a>. \u201cIt is reducing the likelihood that survivors will come to Fema in a trusting way to register for assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2024\/oct\/09\/republican-chuck-edwards-hurricane-helene-disinformation\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Republican congressman representing areas devastated by Hurricane Helene has implicitly rebuked members of his own party, including Donald Trump, by issuing a scorching rebuttal of misinformation and conspiracy theories &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=112330\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8629],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-112330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-u-s","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=112330"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112330\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=112330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=112330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=112330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}