President Donald Trump and his team are increasing the pressure on journalists to cover the war in the Middle East the way the administration wants. The Republican president has complained on social media about stories he doesn't like and berated a reporter on Air Force One over the weekend. The government's top media regulator warned broadcasters risk losing their licenses to operate if they don't stay away from "fake news." Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have questioned the patriotism of some news outlets because of their reports. Antagonism between presidential administrations and the press isn't unusual, but Trump's team has shown a hostility toward the very idea of being questioned.
President Donald Trump's White House has established a hall of shame for journalists it finds guilty of media bias as it looks for new avenues of attack against legacy news outlets. The Republican president has been criticizing "fake news" since his first term. Some of Trump's attacks have turned personal in the past month. Yet despite it all, the news outlet Axios pointed out this week that mainstream news sources are as dominant as ever in setting the agenda for Washington and — somewhat ironically — capturing the president's attention. The Washington Post says it will "continue to report rigorously and accurately in service to all of America."
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says senior Biden administration officials pressured Facebook to "censor" some COVID-19 content during the pandemic. He vowed that the social media giant would push back if it faced such demands again. Zuckerberg sent a letter to Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican chair of the House Judiciary Committee. Zuckerberg alleges that the officials, including those from the White House, "repeatedly pressured" Facebook for months to take down "certain COVID-19 content including humor and satire." In response, the White House said in a statement that it was confronted with a deadly pandemic, and the administration was encouraging "responsible actions to protect public health and safety."
A new report from Microsoft finds that Iran is accelerating online activity that appears intended to influence the U.S. election. Friday's report finds that Iranian actors have recently created fake news sites, impersonated activists and in one case targeted a U.S. presidential campaign official with an email phishing attack. Microsoft says the activity shows how Iran is laying the groundwork to stoke division and potentially sway American voters this fall. U.S. intelligence officials say Russia continues to pose the greatest threat for election disinformation, while Iran is expanding its efforts and China is proceeding cautiously. Iran's United Nations mission denied that it plans cyberattacks or other interference in the U.S. election.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says a "standing army" of specialist police will be set up to deal with rioting and the justice system will be ramped up to deal with hundreds of arrests after violent disorder rocked cities across the nation over the past week. Starmer has held an urgent meeting with ministers and top law enforcement officials as he seeks to end violence and attacks on immigrants, mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers. Starmer has called such attacks far-right thuggery. Misinformation spread online has whipped up anger over a stabbing rampage at a dance class that left three girls dead and many more wounded.
