Fake news site YourNewsWire puts QAnon pedophile conspiracy theories onto Facebook

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg were targeted by YourNewsWire, which has repeatedly pushed QAnon hoaxes

Blog ››› July 30, 2018 8:21 PM EDT ››› ALEX KAPLAN

One of the biggest fake news sites in the United States is running with a conspiracy theory pushed by the followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory accusing actor Tom Hanks and director Steven Spielberg of pedophila, helping to get the claim onto Facebook.

In late July, followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory on Reddit and users on 4chan ran with and hyped a video in which an actor claimed that Hanks and Spielberg were pedophiles. QAnon followers also created videos pushing the claim on YouTube, helping to drive the accusations to the top of YouTube search for Hanks and Spielberg.

This is what happens when you search Tom Hanks on YouTube today.

Last week, Qanon folks decided he was a pedophile. If you were to search YouTube today, you'd believe it. pic.twitter.com/OQfL97YOWz

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) July 30, 2018

Add Steven Spielberg to the group of celebrities whose search results on YouTube prioritize baseless pedophilia accusations first.

Three of the top five results are QAnon conspiracy theorists calling him a pedophile. Pandemic levels of bullshit unchecked on YouTube today. pic.twitter.com/KG8Vlo7z8T

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) July 30, 2018

Around the same time as NBC’s Ben Collins noted that the claim was spreading on YouTube, fake news site YourNewsWire published an article headlined “Tom Hanks & Steven Spielberg Accused Of Child Rape.” The article embedded one of the YouTube videos pushing the claim, which had “#PedoWood #pedogate #qanon” in its name. The site also posted the article to one of its Facebook pages, which has nearly 800,000 followers. As ad network Revcontent features ads on the site, clicks from that Facebook post to the article will let it monetize the claim.

More:

https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2018/07/30/fake-news-site-yournewswire-puts-qanon-pedophile-conspiracy-theories-facebook/220846

Lira Plunges, Turkish Yields Hit Record High After Court Rejects Appeal To Release US Pastor

Commenting on the ongoing drama involving arrested American Pastor, Andrew Brunson, who is currently under house arrest in Turkey after being imprisoned for almost two years on charges of participation in a 2016 coup attempt, Trump's attorney Jay Sekulow tweeted overnight that "We won’t stop fighting until the pastor is safely home in America"

American #PastorAndrew was removed from his Turkish prison cell & returned to his house in #Turkey. Sign & RT. We won’t stop fighting until the pastor is safely home in America: https://t.co/26Uu52FBY1 pic.twitter.com/5LhtJnBxn9

— Jay Sekulow (@JaySekulow) July 30, 2018

And perhaps sensing that the Erdogan administration would need to cave on this matter, if it hopes to stop angering Donald Trump, the market pushed the Turkish Lira higher in recent days, expecting some normalization in diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Well, it was not meant to be, because moments ago a Turkish court rejected an appeal Brunson's lawyers to be released and for his travel ban to be lifted, Turkey's Sabah newspaper reported.

As a result Brunson will remain under house arrest and under a travel ban, and Trump will continue threatening with imposing imminent sanctions on Ankara until one day he finally does.

And in separate news, overnight the Turkish central bank highest its 2018 inflation estimate by more than 50% as the Turkish economy implodes, and now expects 13.4% inflation vs 8.4% previously.

As a result of the latest Brunson news, and coupled with the country's soaring inflation, not only has the lira tumbled, dropping as low as 4.92…

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-07-31/lira-plunges-turkish-yields-hit-record-high-after-court-rejects-appeal-release-us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Breaking Media Advisory – United States Attorney Mike Stuart to Hold Press Conference – July 31, 2018 @ approximately 10:00am

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart will hold a press conference at approximately 10:00am on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, to discuss the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.

WHO: Mike Stuart

United States Attorney

Southern District of West Virginia

WHAT: Press Conference

WHEN: Tuesday, July 31, 2018 @ approximately 10:00am*

WHERE: United States Attorney’s Office

Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse

300 Virginia Street

4th Floor, Room 4000

Charleston, WV 25301

Treasury Issues Sanctions Against Lashkar-E Tayyiba Financial Facilitators

July 31, 2018

Designations Continue to Pressure and Expose Terrorist Fundraising and Support Networks

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action today to disrupt Lashkar-e Tayyiba’s (LeT) fundraising and support networks by designating two of the group’s financial facilitators, Hameed ul Hassan (Hassan) and Abdul Jabbar (Jabbar), as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224. OFAC is designating Hassan and Jabbar for acting for or on behalf of Lashkar-e Tayyiba, a terrorist organization based in Pakistan.

“These Lashkar-e Tayyiba financial facilitators are responsible for collecting, transporting and distributing funds to support this terrorist group and provide salaries to extremists,” said Sigal Mandelker, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. “Treasury’s designations not only aim to expose and shut down Lashkar-e Tayyiba’s financial network, but also to curtail its ability to raise funds to carry out violent terrorist attacks.”

All property and interests in property of Hassan and Jabbar subject to U.S. jurisdiction are now blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm448

Working on changing Fed structure?

Treasury Releases Report on Nonbank Financials, Fintech, and Innovation

July 31, 2018

Fourth report in a series on the Administration’s Core Principles for Financial Regulation

Washington –The U.S. Department of the Treasury today released a report identifying improvements to the regulatory landscape that will better support nonbank financial institutions, embrace financial technology, and foster innovation.

“American innovation is a cornerstone of a healthy U.S. economy. Creating a regulatory environment that supports responsible innovation is crucial for economic growth and success, particularly in the financial sector,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “America is a leader in innovation. We must keep pace with industry changes and encourage financial ingenuity to foster the nation’s vibrant financial services and technology sectors.”

The report issued today is Treasury’s fourth report in response to Executive Order 13772. Issued by President Trump in February 2017, this E.O. calls on Treasury to identify laws and regulations that are inconsistent with the Core Principles for financial regulation it set forth.

In drafting the report, Treasury consulted extensively with a wide range of stakeholders focused on consumer financial data aggregation, lending, payments, credit servicing, financial technology, and innovation.

Treasury’s recommendations are designed to facilitate U.S. firm innovation by streamlining and refining the regulatory environment. These improvements should enable U.S. firms to more rapidly adopt competitive technologies, safeguard consumer data, and operate with greater regulatory efficiency.

Treasury’s report identifies just over 80 recommendations that are designed to:

Embrace the efficient and responsible use of consumer financial data and competitive technologies;

Streamline the regulatory environment to foster innovation and avoid fragmentation;

Modernize regulations for an array of financial products and activities; and

Facilitate “regulatory sandboxes” to promote innovation.

Today’s report is the fourth and final in a series of reports released under E.O. 13772. Previous reports included Banks and Credit Unions, Capital Markets, Asset Management and Insurance.

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm447

Ron Paul: Trump's Tweets End The Myth Of Fed Independence

Authored by Ron Paul via The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity,

President Trump’s recent Tweets expressing displeasure with the Federal Reserve’s (minor) interest rate increases led to accusations that President Trump is undermining the Federal Reserve’s independence. But, the critics ignore the fact that Federal Reserve “independence” is one of the great myths of American politics.

When it comes to intimidating the Federal Reserve, President Trump pales in comparison to President Lyndon Johnson. After the Federal Reserve increased interest rates in 1965, President Johnson summoned then-Fed Chairman William McChesney Martin to Johnson’s Texas ranch where Johnson shoved him against the wall. Physically assaulting the Fed chairman is probably a greater threat to Federal Reserve independence than questioning the Fed’s policies on Twitter.

While Johnson is an extreme example, history is full of cases where presidents pressured the Federal Reserve to adopt policies compatible with the presidents’ agendas — and helpful to their reelection campaigns. Presidents have been pressuring the Fed since its creation. President Warren Harding called on the Fed to lower rates. Richard Nixon was caught on tape joking with then-Fed chair Arthur Burns about Fed independence. And Lloyd Bentsen, President Bill Clinton’s first Treasury secretary, bragged about a “gentleman’s agreement” with then-Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan.

President Trump’s call for low interest rates contradicts Trump’s earlier correct criticism of the Fed’s low interest rate policy as harming middle-class Americans. Low rates can harm the middle class, but they also benefit spend-and-borrow politicians and their favorite special interests by lowering the federal government’s borrowing costs. Significant rate increases could make it impossible for the government to service its existing debt, thus making it difficult for President Trump and Congress to continue increasing welfare and warfare spending.

President Trump will have a long-lasting impact on monetary policy. Two of the three sitting members of the Fed’s board were appointed by President Trump. Two more of Trump’s nominees are pending in the Senate. The nomination of economist Marvin Goodfriend may be in jeopardy because Goodfriend advocates “negative interest rates,” which is a Federal Reserve-imposed tax on savings. If Goodfriend is defeated, President Trump can just nominate another candidate. President Trump will also be able to nominate two other board members. Therefore, by the end of his first term, President Trump could appoint six of the Federal Reserve’s seven board members.

The specter of a Federal Reserve Board dominated by Trump appointees should cause some to rethink the wisdom of allowing a secretive central bank to exercise near-monopoly control over monetary policy. Fear of the havoc a Trumpian Fed could cause may even lead some to support the Audit the Fed legislation and the growing movement to allow Americans to “exit” the Federal Reserve System by using alternatives to fiat money, such as cryptocurrencies and gold.

Given the Federal Reserve’s power to help or hinder a president’s economic agenda and reelection prospects, it is no surprise that presidents try to influence Fed policy. But, instead of worrying about protecting the Fed from President Trump, we should all worry about protecting the American people from the Fed. The first step is passing the Audit the Fed bill, which Congress should do before adjourning to hit the campaign trail. This will let the people know the full truth about America’s monetary policy. Auditing, then ending, the Fed is key to permanently draining the welfare-warfare swamp.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-07-31/ron-paul-trumps-tweets-end-myth-fed-independence