https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/meta-deletes-1600-accounts-allegedly-linked-to-russian-propa

Meta deletes 1600 accounts allegedly linked to Russian propaganda

On Tuesday, formerly the Facebook company that is now Meta announced that it removed 1,600 "fake accounts" on grounds of allegedly spreading pro-Russian propaganda.

Meta, which got banned in Russia due to its permitting of Russophobia and extremism, said in a report, "TAKEDOWN BY THE NUMBERS. Presence on Facebook and Instagram: 1,633 accounts, 703 Pages, one Group and 29 accounts on Instagram."

It added that it took down "a small network that originated in China" over alleged anti-US propaganda.

"Our automated systems took down a number of accounts and Facebook Pages for various Community Standards violations, including impersonation and inauthenticity," it said.

On March 21, Russia took to trial a request to ban Meta after the tech giant allowed the incitement of violence against Russians on its platforms. Posts that were calling for the death of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko were left uncensored by the social network company.

The week prior, Meta had permitted its users to incite violence against the Russian armed forces on its social media platforms in light of Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine. On April 21, Russia imposed sanctions against Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg.

This is not the first time Meta promotes hate speech against a people. In the past, it has previously censored content of Palestinian rights activists and removed content documenting human rights abuses committed by "Israel" during the May 2021 Israeli aggression on Gaza.

Human Rights Watch accused Meta last year of wrongfully removing and suppressing content by Palestinians and their supporters, including content regarding human rights abuses against Palestinians.

The firm regularly ordered moderators to stray from standard practice and handle diverse graphic material from the Russia-Ukraine war with a light touch this year, according to previously unreported policy language obtained by The Intercept.

Like other American internet businesses, Meta swiftly implemented a slew of new policy carveouts in response to the military operation, especially allowing Ukrainians to continue posting graphic photographs of the war on Facebook and Instagram.

No such exceptions were ever granted for Palestinian victims of Israeli state brutality, and the sources don't indicate that any other suffering group was given a similar level of latitude.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/2m-face-housing-challenges-amid-us-budget-cuts

2M face housing challenges amid US budget cuts

Human Rights Watch reported on Tuesday that budget cuts on public housing have led to a worsening of living conditions for low-income people in the US.

Jackson Gandour, a fellow in the Economic Justice and Rights division at the Human Rights Watch (HRW), said the cuts had caused an increase in housing costs, describing this as a violation of basic human rights, and urged to capitalize on the issue.

"Underfunding has not only put public housing tenants at risk, but it has forced many people to pay unaffordable rents on the private market as they languish on housing assistance waiting lists," he said.

The report says there are currently about 2 million individuals living in public housing in the US. From 2000 to 2013, public allocations for housing repair drastically declined by about 50% in real terms. In 2021, despite a few increases in between, the budget was left 35% lower than it was in 2000.

Tenants who were interviewed by HRW said the maintenance has become more irregular in recent years, which resulted in the development of unsafe and unsanitary conditions, such as damp and moldy walls and ant infestations.

Furthermore, an increase in private-sector-led affordable housing initiatives caused an increase in the prices of houses built using the low-income housing tax credit program.

"By disinvesting in public housing, the US government has jeopardized the rights of public housing tenants across the country," the NGO said.

The NGO called for the 1998 Faircloth Amendment to be revoked, which sets a cap on the number of units any public housing authority (PHA) could own and operate, effectively halting new construction of public housing.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/economics/bidenomics-causes-fall-of-wh-cabinet-yellen-to-potentially-d

'Bidenomics' causes fall of WH Cabinet, Yellen to potentially depart

In light of public criticism surrounding US President Joe Biden's handling of the economy, the White House is currently and quietly preparing for the departure and replacement of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, according to Axios, citing sources familiar with the matter.

A decision on the identity of her replacement has not been made or confirmed by the Senate, but multiple sources stated that the results of November's elections will highlight if Yellen will remain or will be removed. The Treasury Secretary is not the only one potentially leaving - Brian Deese, the director of the National Economic Council (NEC), may also leave early next year.

Regarding the Cabinet members, Gene Sperling, currently managing the enforcement of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, will see Deese's leave as a chance to serve a third term as the NEC director as his first and second terms were held with the Clinton and Obama administrations, respectively. Another Cabinet member, Cecilia Rouse, whose position is the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, is due to restore her academic position in 2023, leaving another economic seat vacant.

Yellen has been known to disagree with the Biden administration on various high-level issues such as Biden's recent decision to implement student debt forgiveness and the blame being put on Corporate America for the inflation crisis. However, she has admittedly stated that she was wrong regarding inflation and that the Federal government would benefit if they raised interest rates.

With that, according to Treasury spokesperson Lily Adams who said Yellen has no intentions of leaving, White House senior adviser Anita Dunn also said in a statement: "While we are prudently planning for potential transitions post-midterm, neither Secretary Yellen or Brian Deese are part of those plans".

The reshuffling of the economic Cabinet comes in light of recent polls by ABC News and Washington Post demonstrating that Biden's approval rating on the economy is at 36%, leaving 57% of voters disapproving, and putting Republicans in a situation whereby high inflation and slow economic growth at the core of their midterm aims. That core message will allow the Republican party to use the situation against Biden as a justification for his mishandling of the US economy.

White House officials are still adamant about explaining and re-presenting Biden's economic policy agenda, dubbed "Bidenomics", to define the current American economic downfall. It is worth noting that the economic situation, which is affecting the financial standpoints of American families and businesses, is burdening Biden's popularity which in turn hinders his chances of winning the midterm congressional elections in early November.

Biden has even chastised Russian President Vladimir Putin for the country's record gas prices and 40-year-high inflation in June. In the face of dismal polling results, Biden highlighted that his administration is working hard to rein in soaring costs.

To save Yellen's career, the White House has assigned her to handle and exhibit how Biden successfully managed the economy by showing results such as the 3.7% unemployment rate and an increase in domestic manufacturing, a desperate attempt to steer the media and public away from the alarming 8.3% inflation rate.

Although Yellen denied claims of a near recession, economic indicators prove otherwise, as consequences have rolled over in the past year. The US has seen food and baby formula shortages, inflation, a gas crisis, and sanitary product deficiencies, not to mention an exponential increase in prices all over the nation. The fallouts of the US economic deficit are resembling a domino effect, despite government denial of any recession or crisis, with housing and a mortgage crash anticipated to come next amid Biden's stubbornness and perseverance in issuing billions of dollars worth of weapons and arms to Ukraine almost every other month while his country faces the brunt of inflation that it may or may not come out alive from.

Although possible candidates for Yellen's position include Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard, some officials will eventually argue against removing Yellen for the sake of the fragile global economy which rings a bell of 2007's economic crisis to central bankers and finance ministers according to Axios' Neil Irwin. However, the reputation she has among the world's finance ministers and central bankers may end up saving her career.

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