Austin, TX
Russian Misinformation Escalates Texas Border Fight – Reform Austin
Data obtained by Wired shows that Russia’s massive online disinformation resources are being deployed to escalate divisions of the southern border in Texas.
If you’ve spent any time reading comment sections on stories about illegal immigration lately, you may have noticed something vaguely familiar about the cries for civil war, secession, and other highly charged statements related to the issue. That’s because it’s the same style of attack that was deployed by Russia in the two previous U.S. presidential elections.
Since January, state-run Russian media such as Sputnik and RT have repeatedly supported Governor Greg Abbott’s call for defying the federal government and running the border as he sees fit. This includes stringing his own razor wire barriers, which the conservative U.S. Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional. Undeterred, Abbott called on other Republican-controlled states to send operatives to help him police the border.
Wired received their data from Logically, a form that uses artificial intelligence to track disinformation campaigns. Logically combed through Telegram, the preferred social media site for far-right commenters and where much of the recent Take Our Borders Back convoy was arranged. The convoy drew in anti-migrant dissidents, neo-Nazis, and conspiracy theorists, who happily disseminated the additional Russian disinformation.
“The idea of targeting highly contentious US domestic issues and amplifying them via their own channels—it’s the standard Russian playbook for disinformation,” Kyle Walter, director of research at Logically, told Wired.
The campaign mirrors those launched in the two previous national elections. Russian provocateurs amplified stories that would increase political division, which were then picked up and integrated on by social media users. In the 2016 election, Russian operatives pushed the idea that Sen. Bernie Sanders had been cheated out of the Democratic nomination, leading to a significant drop in popularity for eventual nominee, Hillary Clinton. It contributed to an overall distrust that helped secure former President Donald Trump’s narrow victory.
Increasingly, the Russian operatives are pushing the idea of secession. While Texas has always had a secessionist streak, calls to break away from the union over border issues have been considerably louder lately.
“Of course there’s already a controversy at the border and there’s things going on,” Samuel Woolley, program director of the University of Texas at Austin’s propaganda research lab, told The Dallas Morning News. “But I think what you see Russia doing is stoking the fire by bringing up things related to Texas secession and the idea that America is falling apart.”
Russia’s goal is clear and simple. An American Civil War would divert resources that would otherwise be used to support Ukraine, who Russia invaded and is currently trying to annex. A divided America would be less likely to seriously engage in conflicts overseas, having to handle a major domestic crisis. It would also undermine America’s position on the world stage, throwing dozens of treaties and delicate relationships into jeopardy.
While some Texans’ anger at the border is genuine, it is also being used by a foreign power to further its own dreams of empire.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — As flood threats continue across parts of South Central Texas, Austin Pets Alive! has activated emergency response efforts to support animal shelters affected by the inclement weather.
In a social media post, APA! wrote, “We began offering aid last night, working to secure fosters for 10 dogs in the Castroville shelter, an open-air shelter that sits at the bottom of a valley.”
APA! said the situation escalated overnight with additional shelters reporting flooding. One shelter confirmed that floodwaters reached its facility, APA! added.
Communities overwhelmed due to weather include Uvalde, Castroville and Sabinal.
The nonprofit is asking the Austin community to foster, adopt or donate to free up capacity for animals displaced by the disaster. APA! needs to clear out its facilities to assist the animals in need of shelter.
Here are ways you can help:
- Adopt: APA! is offering a “Name Your Own Adoption Fee” on all animals.
- Foster: The shelter is seeking foster homes for a minimum of three weeks.
- Donate: Proceeds will fund vans and response teams setting up a staging and triage center at the heart of the disaster zone, along with an expanded stockpile of preventatives, PPE and additional supplies.
If you would like to donate, click here.
AUSTIN, Texas — With heavy rain expected across parts of Central Texas this week and flooding top of mind, the city of Austin is proposing to put more money toward flood mitigation improvements in next year’s budget.
The proposal would invest in new flood infrastructure, add staff, and help move flood mitigation projects forward, according to city leaders. Austin City Councilmember Ryan Alter said the investments are aimed at keeping the city prepared for future flooding.
Residents who live near waterways say they have seen how quickly conditions can change. David Haderspeck, who lives near Shoal Creek, said the creek “fills up pretty fast” and “gets a lot higher than you’d expect.” He said he has watched the water rise dramatically after rain.
“I’ve seen it come up probably 10 to 15 feet to the ordinary high-water mark,” he said.
This week, parts of Central Texas, including the Hill Country, are expected to get heavy downpours. While Austin is not expecting the same impacts as parts of the Hill Country, leaders said the city is using this year’s budget planning to continue investing in flood safety.
Alter said the city has the expertise to address flooding risks but needs to follow through on projects.
ALSO| Central Texas urged to prepare as heavy rainfall sits in forecast over next two days
“We have the experts. We just have to put the plans into practice, and that’s what we’re doing in this budget,” he said.
Under the budget proposal, the city would provide about $134.5 million for the Drainage Utility Fund, which helps pay for flood mitigation, drainage infrastructure and watershed protection efforts.
Alter said the proposal would shift more of the funding balance toward building new infrastructure.
“What we’re going to do is shift that balance a little bit more to building new infrastructure so that when we do have large flooding events, we’ve got that infrastructure in place to keep people safe,” he said.
The proposal also adds staff and invests in both new and existing flood mitigation projects across the city.
Asked whether the proposed investments would be enough moving forward, Alter said, “I do…I think we’re doing the right thing and just making sure that our residents have the infrastructure to stay safe.”
Alter said heavy rain cannot be prevented, but the city’s goal is to have infrastructure in place to help keep people safe when it happens.
FILE – LinkedIn logos are displayed on an iPhone and computer screen. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Attorney General’s office has opened an investigation into LinkedIn over allegations that the professional networking platform misleads consumers with advertising and profiting from misleading or fake job listings, otherwise known as “ghost jobs.”
LinkedIn investigation
In this photo illustration a Linkedin logo seen displayed on a mobile phone. (Photo Illustration by Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
What we know:
Texas announced on Tuesday it has issued a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) seeking documents, data and internal communications related to LinkedIn’s advertising, marketing, job listing verification practices and its Premium subscription services.
The investigation centers on whether LinkedIn violated Texas’ consumer protection laws by promoting paid subscription services while allegedly failing to disclose that some job listings on the platform may not actually be representative of hiring opportunities.
What is a ‘ghost job’?
An image of a woman holding a cell phone in front of a LinkedIn logo displayed on a computer screen. On Tuesday, January 12, 2021, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Dig deeper:
LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft and the world’s largest professional networking platform, with more than 1 billion registered users worldwide.
A “ghost job” generally refers to a position advertised online that either is no longer available or that an employer has no immediate intention of filling. The attorney general’s office cited independent studies estimating that ghost jobs account for between one-fifth and one-third of online job postings.
Texas AG targets Premium Subscription Fees
Photographer: Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images
What they’re saying:
According to the office of the attorney general, LinkedIn does not independently verify the hiring status of most job listings on its platform. Ken Paxton’s office alleges that the company’s marketing for its Premium subscription services does not disclose that a significant number of postings could be inactive, unfilled or not reflect genuine employment opportunity.
“I will use every resource available to my office to help job-seeking Texans find and secure real employment opportunities,” Paxton said in a statement. “LinkedIn has a duty to provide the services it advertises and ensure that consumers paying for Premium subscriptions are receiving access to legitimate job postings.”
Texas officials said LinkedIn’s Premium Career and Premium Business subscriptions cost about $39.99 and $69.99 per month, respectively, and are marketed to jobseekers looking to improve their employment prospects.
What’s next:
The investigation does not include any formal allegations of wrongdoing, and no lawsuit has been filed.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
-
Politics34 seconds agoLindsey Graham’s final act reverberates in Senate as sister is urged to “keep pedaling”
-
Health7 minutes agoIs lettuce still safe to eat amid Taco Bell illness probe? Doctors answer
-
Sports13 minutes agoMarcello Hernández roasts Jake Paul, Tiger Woods and Bill Belichick in ESPYS monologue
-
Technology19 minutes agoYou paid for it. So why is your device showing ads?
-
Business25 minutes agoParamount shareholder lawsuit accuses Ellisons of corruption
-
Entertainment31 minutes ago‘You’re scaring my people.’ Shia LaBeouf’s alleged stalker arrested after posting viral video
-
Politics43 minutes agoCalifornians back Becerra and reject AI data centers by big margins, poll finds
-
Science49 minutes agoHow to eat safely amid outbreak of diarrhea-causing cyclosporiasis
