Iran steps up attempts to interfere with 2024 US election: Microsoft
Iran is stepping up its attempts to influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election. According to a new report from Microsoft, Iranian operatives created fake news outlets targeting liberal and conservative voters and tried to hack a presidential campaign – though Microsoft did not specify which one.
Microsoft compiled open-source information on top of its own internal data for its latest threat intelligence report. The report offers some of the clearest public examples yet of what U.S. intelligence officials called “an ongoing covert social media campaign” by Iran to undercut former President Donald Trump’s candidacy and increase “social discord” ahead of the November election.
According to Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center, Iran “laid the groundwork for influence campaigns on trending election-related topics and began to activate these campaigns in an apparent effort to stir up controversy or sway voters – especially in swing states.”
Microsoft’s report also showed Russian operatives have been trying to “drive headlines with fake scandals” since April. Some of those headlines falsely claim the CIA told a Ukrainian troll farm to disrupt the upcoming U.S. election, the FBI wiretapped Trump’s residence and Ukrainian soldiers burned an effigy of Trump.
Microsoft also said Chinese online operatives tried to use hundreds of thousands of online accounts to amplify outrage around the pro-Palestinian protests at U.S. universities a couple months ago.
The Iranian, Russian and Chinese governments all deny doing anything to influence the election.
Georgia State Election Board approves new ‘inquiry’ for certifying results
Georgia’s State Election Board passed a new law giving county election boards the authority to make a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying election results. The move comes less than 100 days ahead of the November election.
The vote passed 3-2, with board Chairman John Fervier, who was appointed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp earlier this year, crossing party lines to vote against the rule.
Supporters said the measure is necessary because members of county election boards must swear results are accurate and board members need to be able to assure themselves the totals are correct before doing so.
However, opponents said the new rule is likely to create post-election chaos. They argue that the board is defying state law that says county officials “shall certify” results, and warn that giving local elections officials the authority to refuse to certify election results could be used as a partisan tactic to control the results.
During that same meeting, the Georgia State Election Board also passed a motion to increase the number of poll watchers who are allowed to watch the tabulation process. It also unanimously voted against a renewed effort to create new rules for hand-marked paper ballots in time for November’s election.
Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis agrees to testify in Arizona ‘fake electors’ case
Former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis has agreed to cooperate with Arizona prosecutors who charged nearly 20 associates of former President Donald Trump in a “fake electors” case. Prosecutors said on Monday, Aug. 5, that in exchange for her testimony they will drop nine felony charges against Ellis.
Ellis was among 18 defendants in the investigation that involved reported efforts to overturn President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory in Arizona.
In a statement on Monday, Attorney General Kris Mayes, D-Ariz., expressed his gratitude for Ellis’ agreement to testify.
“I am grateful to Ms. Ellis for her cooperation with our investigation and prosecution,” Mayes said. “Her insights are invaluable and will greatly aid the state in proving its case in court.”
Ellis’ testimony reportedly plays a pivotal role in the case against Trump’s former person attorney Rudy Guiliani. The defense said that he is linked to efforts in Arizona and several other states to overturn election results in 2020.
Under the agreement, Ellis must testify about efforts by Trump and his allies to reverse election results. Trump is not criminally charged in this case but is identified as a co-conspirator who spearheaded the election interference plot. Prosecutors did not indict Trump in the case.
Others charged in the investigation include Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows, attorney John Eastman and attorney Christina Bobb. All of them have pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.
Ellis reportedly worked closely with Guiliani and pushed false claims of election fraud. She also pressured state lawmakers to replace Biden’s presidential electors with Trump’s.
Arizona is one of four states where prosecutors have filed charges against “fake electors.” Last year, Ellis pleaded guilty over efforts to overturn the Georgia 2020 election results.
Authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro accused opposition leader María Corina Machado and presidential candidate Edmundo González of “criminal violence.”
🚨#Venezuela: The statue of Hugo Chávez in Falcón state is being toppled amid growing protests against electoral fraud by Maduro's tyrannical regime.
Protesters are demanding Maduro make voting data from Sunday’s, July 28, election public. Venezuela’s opposition and multiple Latin American leaders are refusing to recognize Maduro’s victory.
Machado said on Monday, July 29, the country’s opposition had about 73% of the voting tallies from Sunday’s election, proving Maduro did not win.
The national electoral authority has proclaimed Maduro the winner, giving him a third term in office and extending 25 years of socialist party rule.
Reports: Secret Service ramped up Trump security weeks ago over Iranian plot
Secret Service security was reportedly already ramped up around former President Donald Trump weeks before the Saturday, July 13 assassination attempt, after U.S. intelligence officials say they found evidence of an Iranian plot to kill him. According to multiple reports, the agency increased resources and assets for Trump’s protection in June.
So far, intelligence officials have found no ties between the shooting and the Iranian plot.
Sources familiar with the matter say Iran has been making these types of threats since the former president Trump ordered the airstrike that killed Iranian military general Qasem Soleimani in January 2020.
Electronic voting expands as FBI raises concerns about security issues
In less than five months, tens of millions of Americans will cast their ballots in what could be a contentious presidential election. More than 30 states and the District of Columbia currently offer electronic voting for U.S. military and overseas voters. However, some states recently expanded electronic ballot returns for people with disabilities. Now, Nevada is believed to be the first state to give this option to native tribes on reservations and colonies.
While some see expansion of electronic voting as making electoral rights more equal, others warn of the security risk of expanding electronic voting.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and other U.S. government agencies recommend keeping the practice limited, calling electronic ballot return a “high risk” that should be used only by voters who have no other means to cast their ballot.
Election officials also reportedly worry about what could happen to the ballot in-transit electronically. Some officials have suggested that the best method is for voters to print out electronic ballots and mail them in. Others pointed out that there are not federal guidelines for electronic voting, despite efforts to create guidelines in 2022.
Not all states are buying into the electronic voting process. In Minnesota, officials considered implementing the practice, but eventually decided against it.
“In light of recent security concerns, it’s on ice,” Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said. “Some day, if those security considerations are addressed and if the concerns and objections of the federal agencies can be overcome, we would definitely consider it because as a matter of convenience, it would probably make a difference.”
Still, Nevada Democratic Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar maintained that his state’s system is safe and regulated. He told The Associated Press that he is confident in Nevada’s authentication and verification of eligible voters. Aguilar said that Nevada’s electronic voting has regular security reviews and updates to system.
Despite concerns, states with both Democratic and Republican governors allowed electronic ballot returns, with different stipulations. For instance, Alaska, California, Florida and Oklahoma limit the process to military and overseas voters and only allow return by fax. In Texas, astronauts are allowed to cast their votes through an online portal. In West Virginia, first responders on duty are also able to cast their votes electronically.
West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner is a supporter of electronic voting.
“Having been in the military, I’ve seen intelligence transmitted via the internet. We transmit nuclear codes via the internet,” Warner said. “If we can do that, we certainly can get a secure ballot and transmit across the internet.”
Is a bill to require proof of citizenship for voting necessary?
A new House bill is reigniting the debate over whether noncitizens voting in U.S. elections is a big issue. The two major political parties have two different conclusions and politically biased news organizations are covering the issue in very different ways.
The bill would require a person to provide proof of U.S. citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections. Republicans argued the bill aims to make elections more secure and implement safeguards to ensure noncitizens cannot vote.
Those opposing the bill argue it is a non-issue because there are already laws in place that make it illegal to vote if you are a noncitizen. Democrats contend the bill will further fuel election fraud claims that were rampant after the last presidential election.
The two parties stand in stark contrast and that’s made clear in recent headlines about noncitizen voting. News outlets with a left-leaning bias tie the SAVE Act to Donald Trump and portray the proposal as unnecessary.
The Associated Press: “Noncitizen voting isn’t an issue in federal elections, regardless of conspiracy theories. Here’s why.”
Reuters: “US Republicans target noncitizen voting, as Trump keeps up false voter fraud claims.”
The Washington Post: “The 2020-was-stolen crew is here to stoke fears of noncitizen voters.”
News outlets with a right-leaning bias tie the SAVE Act to illegal immigration increasing the number of noncitizens and portray noncitizen voting as a prevalent issue.
The Federalist: “Republicans Introduce SAVE Act To Block Illegal Aliens From Voting In U.S. Elections.”
The Washington Times:“Noncitizens caught voting in U.S. elections — here’s how they did it.”
FOX News: “House GOP eyes election safeguards to block ‘dangerously high number’ of illegal immigrants from voting.”
Here’s what Straight Arrow News found while researching on the topic.
It is already illegal for noncitizens to vote, according to The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The NVRA requires a person to sign a document under penalty of perjury certifying that they are a U.S. citizen. However, there is also no federal system in place that verifies whether a voter is telling the truth.
Data available shows no proof of widespread voter fraud by noncitizens, though the data is limited.
A study by the Brennan Center, conducted after the 2016 election and published in 2017, is widely cited in reports about noncitizen voting, including in the AP and Reuters articles.
The study found only a few dozen cases out of millions that involved noncitizens potentially casting votes.
However, the study had limitations. Researchers conducted phone interviews with election officials in 44 counties out of more than 3,000 in the U.S., according to the study.
The study said the numerical responses given by the officials could be inaccurate as well. The report lists that factor under the “accounting for limitations” section of the study.
“The safeguards described were insufficient for preventing or identifying the registration of ineligible people,” the study said.
In conclusion, the number of known instances of noncitizens voting is extremely low, however, it’s not easy to track, according to some election officials.
The SAVE Act proposal, though igniting a divisive debate, is likely to go nowhere in Congress. The bill could pass the House where Republicans have the majority, but it would have slim chances to pass in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Additionally, it is almost a surety President Biden would not sign it.
While lawmakers figure out whether to pass the law, Americans have already been polled on the issue.
Election workers express safety concerns as Trump unveils plan to monitor polls
Six months away from the November election, voters find themselves in an election-season lull. However, while the primaries were not very competitive and yielded predictable nominees, polls show that election workers are concerned for their safety.
Most Republicans believe the latest presidential election was rigged, according to multiple polls.One Rasmussen poll showed up to 80% of Donald Trump voters in 2020 believed there was significant cheating that impacted the outcome.
The Republican Party’s front-runner vocally shared that sentiment, creating a new slogan on the campaign trail.
“Republicans must win, we want a landslide,” Trump said at a rally in North Carolina last month. “We have to win, we have to win so that it’s too big to rig. Too big to rig.”
Local election offices are ground zero on Election Day. Election skepticism created a contentious environment outside of local election hubs.
A recent survey asked 928 election workers if they’ve experienced threats or harassment on the clock. Nearly four out of 10 (38%) said they have.
More than half (54%) said they’re concerned about the safety of election workers this year and 62% of poll workers say they believe politicians will try to interfere with their ballot counting processes.
There are already a set of rules for checks and balances at election offices. There are things poll watchers can and cannot legally do when on the lookout for voter fraud. Trump’s campaign is looking to go as far as it can to have Republican watchdogs oversee a variety of steps in the election process, from machine testing to mail-in ballot processing.
More than 100,000 poll watchers and attorneys partnered with Trump’s Protect the Vote initiative. They will have a presence at local polling sites during early voting, Election Day, and post-election audits and recounts if necessary.
“The RNC legal team will be working tirelessly to ensure that elections officials follow the rules in administering elections,” the Republican National Committee (RNC) said in a press release. “We will aggressively take them to court if they don’t follow rules or try to change them at the last minute.”
Election integrity and security will be as closely watched as the results coming in on Nov. 5.
Conservative media isn’t covering Kari Lake Supreme Court dismissal
The Supreme Court declined to hear Kari Lake’s challenge to the use of electronic voting machines in Arizona. Lake, R, sued ahead of the 2022 midterms when she was running for governor. Now, Lake is running for the Senate and her lawyers argued that’s why the case is still relevant and should be heard.
According to the Straight Arrow News Media Miss™ tool, right-leaning outlets are ignoring this story. A majority of the organizations covering this story are considered center and more than one-third of the sources are left-leaning. However, none of the sources are right- leaning.
Here are examples of the coverage:
The Hill, which is considered center, reported that Lake’s lawyers wrote in a court filing: “’Arizona-certified optical scanners and ballot marking devices, as well as the software on which they rely, have been wrongly certified for use’; Arizona’s voting machines had been ‘hacked’ and ‘manipulated’; and that there were apparent discrepancies in the Maricopa County’s vote count after the 2020 election.”
Left-leaning CNN reported that when the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the lawsuit it wrote: “Although Lake and Finchem cited ‘opinions by purported experts on manipulation risk’ in the lawsuit, they did ‘not contend that any electronic tabulation machine in Arizona has ever been hacked,’ the appeals court said. On appeal, the court continued, lawyers for Lake ‘conceded that their arguments were limited to potential future hacking, and not based on any past harm.’”
The local Tucson outlet, also a center outlet, pointed out that Lake, “sought to have the 2022 election conducted with paper ballots which would be counted by hand, calling it ‘the most effective and presently the only secure election method.’ But Arizonans already vote on paper ballots; it is only the total that are tabulated by machines.”
All the outlets reported that the Supreme Court made no comment when it decided not to hear the case, which is common.
Straight Arrow News strives to provide unbiased, fact-based news in addition to offering a comprehensive look at how the media is covering stories that matter most. Learn more about the Media Miss™ tool and decide for yourself.
Judge to rule on motion to disqualify Fulton County DA Fani Willis
A ruling is expected Friday, March 15, concerning the Georgia DA in former President Trump’s election interference case. And, SpaceX’s Starship rocket successfully launches into orbit but faces issues on its return to Earth. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, March 15, 2024.
Judge to rule on Fulton County DA Fani Willis disqualification motion
A Georgia judge is set to rule Friday, March 15, in a motion related to former President Donald Trump’s election interference case, focusing not on Trump but on Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Judge Scott McAfee, speaking to a local TV affiliate, indicated that his decision is expected today.
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The motion involves some defendants’ lawyers calling for Willis’ disqualification. They argue she should be removed because of her past relationship with Nathan Wade, a special prosecutor she appointed. They claim the relationship, marked by shared vacations, was financially beneficial for Willis.
Willis and Wade have both testified, denying any misconduct. Earlier this week, Willis filed a response urging Judge McAfee to dismiss the motion, stating the defendants failed to demonstrate a conflict of interest.
Trump, along with 18 others, pleaded not guilty last summer to all charges related to the case. Since then, three defendants have accepted plea deals.
Appeals court rejects Peter Navarro’s bid to remain out of prison
Navarro had argued that he should not be incarcerated during the appeal process. However, the three-judge panel ruled against him, meaning Navarro must report to a federal prison in Miami by next Tuesday to begin a four-month sentence.
He was sentenced in January for refusing to cooperate with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Navarro claimed he was unable to testify before the committee because former President Donald Trump had invoked executive privilege.
Ministry: 20 killed, more than 100 injured waiting for food in Gaza City
This tragic event follows another recent incident two weeks ago, where hundreds were reportedly killed while attempting to reach aid trucks, with the circumstances of that event also being a matter of dispute.
Amidst these developments, there are reports that Hamas has proposed a temporary cease-fire. This proposal includes the release of groups of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Israel’s war cabinet is set to convene today to discuss this proposed plan.
Father of Michigan school shooter found guilty, faces 15 years in prison
James Crumbley, the father of the teenager who carried out the deadly shooting at a Michigan high school in 2021, has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter. The tragedy left four students dead and several others injured. This verdict follows closely on the heels of similar charges against the shooter’s mother, Jennifer Crumbley.
James Crumbley faces up to 15 years in prison and was convicted on four counts. Both he and his wife are scheduled for sentencing in April. Prosecutors in court argued that the Crumbleys neglected clear warning signs and criticized their failure to secure the firearm used in the shooting.
The cases marked the first time in the U.S. parents have been directly charged for deaths resulting from a mass shooting conducted by their child.
SpaceX successfully launches Starship rocket into orbit
SpaceX successfully conducted a test launch of the largest rocket ever built on Thursday, March 14. This third attempt of the Starship rocket was successful, taking off from the company’s Texas facility and achieving orbit for the first time.
SpaceX announced that this flight marked the farthest and fastest the Starship has ever traveled. However, the mission encountered difficulties during its return to Earth, with the spacecraft apparently breaking apart upon re-entry. Despite this setback, SpaceX described the day as “phenomenal.”
During a quarterfinal match at Indian Wells, play was halted due to a swarm of bees. The interruption came just 19 minutes into the match and lasted nearly two hours.
Efforts to resolve the issue involved summoning a man with a vacuum to remove the bees from the court. Despite the disruption, Carlos Alcaraz managed to defeat both his opponent and the unusual challenge posed by the bees to secure a win.