North Carolina
Both Democrats and Republicans in North Carolina say misinformation is complicating Hurricane Helene relief efforts
- Officials are urging people to stop spreading misinformation amid Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
- Both Republicans and Democrats have called out misinformation and false rumors.
- Donald Trump and Elon Musk have amplified false claims.
As rescue workers respond to the destruction in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, government officials on both sides of the aisle are calling for a misinformation cease-fire.
Since the hurricane made landfall in Florida and swept up to the Carolinas, the storm itself has been swept up in another powerful force: American politics in a presidential election year.
Some social media users are sharing unsubstantiated claims, some accompanied by fake AI-generated photos, criticizing the response from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the government’s disaster relief group, and, by extension, the administration of President Joe Biden.
“It’s not necessarily unusual for emergency situations to be breeding grounds for mis- and disinformation, but I do think we’ve seen a particularly large amount of false claims proliferating at this time,” Mekela Panditharatne, a senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonprofit policy institute at New York University’s School of Law, told Business Insider. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it’s so close to a very consequential national election.”
Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X and a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, has posted on his social media network saying that “FEMA is both failing to help AND won’t let others help” and has reposted similar claims from others.
Musk shared another claim that Asheville, North Carolina’s airspace had been closed to block recovery efforts, prompting a fact-check from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who said the Federal Aviation Administration was not shutting down the airspace. Buttigieg told Musk to call him with any issues, and after they spoke on the phone, Musk posted that flights were underway and thanked Buttigieg.
Trump has seized on the disaster to criticize the Biden administration and, by extension, his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, saying the Biden administration “stole the FEMA money” and “spent it all on illegal migrants,” the Washington Post reported.
His comments came after Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said FEMA would need more money from Congress to get it through the rest of hurricane season.
A Washington Post investigation found no evidence that the Biden administration used disaster relief funds on the migrant crisis. However, amid hurricane season in 2019, Trump himself approved using $155 million in disaster relief funds for immigration detention at the border, the Post reported.
Bipartisan calls to stop spreading ‘junk’ information
Following the spike in false rumors, FEMA created a searchable fact-checking page to tackle misinformation about the relief efforts. In North Carolina, the Department of Public Safety also shared a fact-check on social media, which Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has reposted.
Republicans have also joined the fight against the false information. Kevin Corbin, a Republican member of the North Carolina Senate, issued a plea on Facebook for people to stop spreading “conspiracy theory junk.” He listed bizarre claims that he said he and other officials have heard, ranging from accusations that “FEMA is stealing money from donations” to the “government is controlling the weather from Antarctica.”
“It is just a distraction to people trying to do their job,” Corbin wrote.
Chris Carlson/AP
US Sen. Thom Tillis, also a Republican, echoed Corbin’s comments on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on CBS News on Sunday. He said many of the claims are “not even from people on the ground” and complicate rescue and recovery operations.
“It’s at the expense of the hard-working first responders and people that are just trying to recover their life,” Tillis said. “Quite honestly, most of what I’ve seen out there is a distraction and not helping the core of the effort right here, which is to save lives and start rebuilding.”
Panditharatne told BI that the spread of misinformation can “dissuade people from seeking the assistance that they need in this time of crisis.”
“It’s perfectly legitimate to express an opinion or criticize the sufficiency of a response, but a number of the claims that we are seeing, particularly from high profile actors and politicians, are baseless, and they’re contradicting verifiable facts or unsubstantiated by evidence,” she said. “Where that is the case, I think it can divert public information and resources and demoralize officials on the ground.”
In a crisis, there may be gaps in available information, creating a vacuum for misinformation to “flood in to fill the void,” Panditharatne said. However, she added that’s not an excuse.
“I think anyone like Musk, who has a significant influence over the information ecosystem, should feel a sense of responsibility to promote information that doesn’t undermine people’s ability to access the aid that they need or undermine officials’ response to a crisis,” she said.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Representatives for X also did not immediately respond.
Longtime New Bern community leader Linda J. Staunch has received North Carolina’s highest civilian honor, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.
Staunch was surprised with the award during the North Carolina Symphony’s Concert in Your Community Patriotic Pops event celebrating America 250 in New Bern. Former Gov. Beverly Perdue presented the award.
The Order of the Long Leaf Pine recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary service and dedication to the state of North Carolina, according to a release.
According to the North Carolina Symphony, Staunch has been a trustee of the North Carolina Symphony Society since 2006 and served as the founding president of the Symphony’s Craven County Chapter.
In many respects, she is the face of the North Carolina Symphony in New Bern and across the region,” said Sandi Macdonald, president and CEO of the North Carolina Symphony. “The Symphony’s thriving presence in New Bern and throughout Craven and Jones counties would not exist without Mrs. Staunch’s vision and leadership.
Beyond her work in the arts, Staunch has been recognized for decades of service in education, community development, church leadership and civic organizations throughout eastern North Carolina.
An ambassador for the city, Linda is known for her tireless energy and integrity, making New Bern and Craven County a better place to live and work,” said Jeff Minges, president and CEO of Minges Bottling Group.
Staunch also played a key role in organizing New Bern’s 100th anniversary celebration of Pepsi-Cola in 1998 and has spent more than five decades serving First Presbyterian Church.
Linda Staunch is the very definition of an exemplary ambassador for the State of North Carolina,” said Rev. Anna Pinckney Straight, pastor of First Presbyterian Church.
She is widely regarded as the go-to person in New Bern — someone who brings people together, connects organizations, and gets things done,” Macdonald added.
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The award was presented during opening remarks before the concert, honoring Staunch’s lasting impact on New Bern, eastern North Carolina and the state of North Carolina.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Some North Carolina lawmakers are pushing age restrictions on the sale of hemp consumables and kratom.
Senate Bill 59 would prohibit the sale of hemp-derived consumable products to anyone under the age of 21 in the state. It would also require the seller to verify a buyer’s age.
INSIDE NORTH CAROLINA’S CANNABIS ‘WILD WEST’: $4B MARKET, FEW RULES AND GROWING CONCERNS
The bill also makes it unlawful for anyone under the age of 21 to possess hemp-derived consumable products.
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BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — A North Carolina bill that would halt this year’s home reappraisals in Buncombe County has passed both chambers of the General Assembly and is headed to the governor for final action. The measure would also pause new property tax revaluations in several other counties.
Even if the governor vetoes the measure, political experts say supporters likely have enough votes to override that veto and enact Senate Bill 889, known as the Property Tax Reappraisal Moratorium. The bill would halt new property tax revaluations not only in Buncombe County but in several other counties across the state.
BUNCOMBE COUNTY SEES THOUSANDS OF PROPERTY TAX APPEALS AMID SHARP VALUE SURGE
The legislation comes after Buncombe County completed its latest property revaluation. The average Buncombe County home is now assessed at about $500,000 for tax purposes, up from an average assessed value of roughly $350,000 before the revaluation. The change translates to more tax collection for the county to run government and public services.
Republicans, who hold majorities in both chambers of the legislature, say SB 889 is intended to protect homeowners from rapidly increasing tax bills tied to rising property values.
“Clearly it’s a concern about local government spending,” said Chris McLaughlin, a faculty member at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Government whose expertise includes local government tax and finance issues.
“Anything’s possible,” McLaughlin said of efforts to limit tax increases. “But I would then ask, how are we going to pay for the services we all expect and want, like fire protection and police and roads and parks?”
AFFORDABLE HOUSING INTEREST SURGES IN BUNCOMBE COUNTY, BUT LEADERS SAY CHALLENGES REMAIN
FILE – A home for sale in Buncombe County, North Carolina. (Photo: WLOS Staff)
The debate mirrors discussions taking place in states like Florida as homeowners grapple with rising housing costs and inflation.
“It is absolutely a national question,” said Chris Cooper, chair of the political science department at Western Carolina University.
“What the Republicans are arguing in the North Carolina General Assembly, the majority, are arguing is we’re in a time of high inflation, we’re in a time of people being pinched economically, therefore we want to make sure property taxes hold before the revaluation so they cannot get priced out of their homes,” Cooper said.
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed changes aimed at significantly reducing homeowners’ property tax bills. Part of his argument is that local governments have nearly doubled their revenue collections over the past seven years, according to DeSantis.
Among DeSantis’ proposals is raising Florida’s homestead tax exemption to $250,000. Under that plan, local and state governments would not collect property taxes on the first $250,000 of a home’s assessed value.
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