Biden admin reportedly prepping funding request for aid to Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and US border security

Figures in the Biden administration have privately informed legislators that the administration is preparing a supplemental funding request that contains assistance for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and American border security, NBC News reported, citing two congressional officials, an administration official, as well as a defense official.

The outlet reported that administration officials noted that the request would seek funding to construct additional weapons in order to tackle the stress that supplying more military assistance to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan would place on the Defense Department's stockpiles.

"Our government's funding Ukraine's government, funding the proxy war with Russia. Israel has their own government. Israel defends themselves. Two separate issues," GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said, according to NBC News. "They shouldn't be tied together. I will not vote to fund Ukraine. Absolutely not," she noted. "Israel is totally separate."

"Our government's funding Ukraine's government, funding the proxy war with Russia. Israel has their own government. Israel defends themselves. Two separate issues," GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said, according to NBC News. "They shouldn't be tied together. I will not vote to fund Ukraine. Absolutely not," she noted. "Israel is totally separate."

https://www.theblaze.com/news/biden-reported-foreign-aid-request

Israel-Gaza misinformation is flooding social media. The European Union is demanding Big Tech 'walk the talk' and fix it

Following the militant group Hamas's attack on Israel and Israel's retaliatory strikes in the Palestinian enclave Gaza, social media firms have seen a surge in misinformation related to the conflict, including doctored images and mislabelled videos, alongside images of graphic violence.

Key points:

Social media platforms are seeing more misinformation and disinformation during the Israel-Gaza conflict

The EU has told platforms to remove this content, or face severe penalties

Experts say Elon Musk's X is seeing the largest volume of misinformation

The European Union has told technology companies to remove illegal content, misinformation and disinformation from their social media platforms, or risk facing severe penalties.

On Tuesday, EU industry chief Thierry Breton told billionaire Elon Musk to curb disinformation on his platform X (formerly Twitter), warning it was being used to disseminate illegal content and false information.

Mr Breton issued a similar warning to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday, urging his company — which runs Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads — to ensure strict compliance with European law.

Live: Stay across the latest on what's happening today with the Israel-Gaza war

In his letters to both men, Mr Breton said their companies had 24 hours to inform the EU how they were stopping harmful content on their platforms.

Mr Musk responded by touting X's approach using crowdsourced fact-checking labels.

We take our actions in the open.

No back room deals.

Please post your concerns explicitly on this platform.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 11, 2023

"Our policy is that everything is open source and transparent, an approach that I know the EU supports," Mr Musk wrote on X. "Please list the violations you allude to on X, so that the public can see them."

Mr Breton replied that Mr Musk was "well aware" of the reports on "fake content and glorification of violence".

"Up to you to demonstrate that you walk the talk," he said.

The European Commission, the EU's executive branch, has also sought to remind social media companies they are legally required to prevent the spread of harmful content related to Hamas.

Any firm found to be in breach of European laws faces a fine worth up to 6 per cent of its global turnover, and repeat offenders could even be banned from operating in Europe altogether.

Misinformation on X is 'unlike anything', experts say

Experts say that under Elon Musk, X has culled staff and deteriorated to the point that it's not just failing to clamp down on misinformation but is favouring posts from accounts that pay for its blue-check subscription service, regardless of who runs them.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-12/israel-gaza-misinformation-social-media-european-union-big-tech/102967054