Bill McCarthy

“Look, here's burial sites all over the place. These are all white farmers that are being buried,” Donald Trump said during today’s White House meeting with South Africa’s president. The image he was holding up, however, is of the Democratic Republic of Congo. www.barrons.com/news/trump-d...

Leading prediction market Kalshi told its paid partners in a recent memo that they “shall not call into question the integrity or accuracy of any official vote tally result, legal ruling, or other official or formal determination in connection with the election.” www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/10...

The US midterms are playing out against a controversial new scoreboard as the nation votes in its first major elections since prediction markets went mainstream. Experts are warning about the potential for misinformation. www.straitstimes.com/world/united...

My latest @en.afp.com: With hundreds of millions at stake in the first major US elections since prediction markets went mainstream, experts are warning the proliferation of live odds could sow confusion about the vote -- and provide fodder for misinformation. www.yahoo.com/news/politic...

Voters who Googled how to donate to Talarico got an AI answer that led them to give to a different senator. A network of fake news websites seeded messaging about state & local candidates that AI answers picked up on. My story on how the AI midterms are going: www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...

NEW: A major Russian propaganda campaign has waded into the US midterms, seeding a fake video that purports to show a former student of James Talarico accusing him of sexual assault. The group spread near-identical disinformation about Tim Walz in 2024. factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....

The run-up to a referendum in Canada's Alberta region on a future independence vote has been clouded by US political influence and AI-manipulated online content, leaving experts concerned that the results will be contested no matter the outcome. www.france24.com/en/live-news...

These are Indian -- not American -- frigates in Georgia Governor Brian Kemp's happy birthday post for the US Navy.

Donald Trump posted a made-up Denzel Washington quote exalting him on Truth Social yesterday. The same fake quote has been variously attributed across social media to over a dozen other celebrities, from Matthew McConaughey to the pope. factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....

A conspiracy theory claiming James Talarico secretly checked into an Ohio mental health facility exploded among right-wing influencers over the weekend, only to quickly collapse as the Texas Democrat and treatment center both rejected the allegations www.france24.com/en/live-news...

A conspiracy theory claiming James Talarico secretly checked into an Ohio mental health facility exploded among right-wing influencers over the weekend, only to quickly collapse as the Texas Democrat and treatment center both rejected the allegations www.france24.com/en/live-news...

The White House posted an AI-altered image of a flight tuning into "Trump TV" to promote the stream launched after Trump tried to ban CNN, MS Now and Politico. The original photo was taken during the 2023 Super Bowl as a lone passenger watched "Hitch." factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....

Despite what US President Donald Trump's latest post suggests, there are no penguins in Greenland. visitgreenland.com/articles/arc...

DOJ hired these prosecutors: -A gambling exec turned conspiracy theorist podcaster -A guy found liable for selling fraudulent insurance leads -A guy who violated attorney-client privilege in a high-profile murder trial -A guy currently facing animal neglect charges www.nytimes.com/2026/10/06/u...

The White House posted an AI-altered image of a flight tuning into "Trump TV" to promote the stream launched after Trump tried to ban CNN, MS Now and Politico. The original photo was taken during the 2023 Super Bowl as a lone passenger watched "Hitch." factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....

Despite what US President Donald Trump's latest post suggests, there are no penguins in Greenland. visitgreenland.com/articles/arc...

NEW: Donald Trump shared an image of Xi Jinping's red-carpet arrival to Washington that appears to have been altered using artificial intelligence, with an unflattering expression captured in live footage of the moment edited out. www.france24.com/en/live-news...

NEW: Donald Trump shared an image of Xi Jinping's red-carpet arrival to Washington that appears to have been altered using artificial intelligence, with an unflattering expression captured in live footage of the moment edited out. www.france24.com/en/live-news...

This video has been falsely claimed to show protests in Austin after a US immigration agent shot a Venezuelan national making a DoorDash delivery. The footage is actually from a demonstration last month in Jakarta, Indonesia. factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....

Social media is filled with creators who are getting paid to post political messages. "Drew" posted about the struggles of living in Texas (3M views on TikTok). Then he later confessed: "I don't even live in Texas." And his name is not Drew. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/16/b...

NEW: A Russian disinformation operation has turned its attention to the US midterm elections, unleashing a series of deepfake videos that depict celebrities attacking Democrats, researchers said. www.france24.com/en/live-news...

This image depicting Democratic Iowa gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand wearing a mask and face shield while sitting with others -- amplified by his Republican opponent Zach Lahn -- is a fake doctored using AI. factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....

Exclusive: An AI-assisted intel report, circulated across the US military during the Iran war, nearly triggered an operation but was false, sources say. https://cnn.it/4y9MBJO

Another day of Kremlin-aligned Matryoshka bots impersonating celebrities, this time with transgender fearmongering to target Democratic party for the upcoming US midterms.

🇺🇸 An AFP photo of Donald Trump examining a depiction of Washington's Kennedy Center apparently being demolished sparked social media attention Thursday after the president threatened to tear down the revered arts venue because he has been blocked from renaming it after himself. ➡️ u.afp.com/SjEC

Russian disinformation campaign sets sights on US midterms. A series of deepfake videos have been released that depict celebrities attacking Democrats, researchers say, warning it is just the start u.afp.com/SjhN

A Russian disinformation operation has turned its attention to the US midterm elections, unleashing a series of deepfake videos that depict celebrities attacking Democrats, researchers said, with more expected to come u.afp.com/Sjnt

Several actors whose Cameo videos were doctored told AFP they disagreed with the views expressed. "I feel violated," said Emma Caulfield. "I had no idea this was happening," said Ed Begley Jr. "I am deeply troubled that my likeness was manipulated," said Eric Roberts.

My first Russian disinfo campaign. Feel like I’ve made it.

Maddie Kowalski is one of countless young women who’ve had their lives destroyed by the burnerverse, a loosely connected online community of sports fans. Now she’s fighting back. www.wired.com/story/burner...

Researchers have linked a series of deepfake videos that depict celebrities attacking Democrats to a Russian disinformation campaign. Experts said they signal which US races Russia intends to target in the elections that could flip the balance of power in the US Congress.

Five years ago, I wrote about how the modern conspiracy theory industry took shape after 9/11. On the 25th anniversary of the attacks, the disinformation landscape is even more bleak. Remembering all the innocent lives lost, and the brave first responders. politifact.com/article/2021...

This image shared by Texas Governor Greg Abbott's campaign, which purports to show Democrat Gina Hinojosa speaking with a child at a table adorned with a transgender pride flag, is doctored. The state lawmaker's original footage showed a US flag. factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....

This image shared by Texas Governor Greg Abbott's campaign, which purports to show Democrat Gina Hinojosa speaking with a child at a table adorned with a transgender pride flag, is doctored. The state lawmaker's original footage showed a US flag. factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....

Donald Trump did share a static cartoon of him towering over Mark Carney on an ice rink. But the US president never posted this animated video version depicting him violently beating Canada's leader with a hockey stick. That supposed Truth Social post is fake. factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....

The flags in this image have been altered. In the original, Mark Carney's family was holding Canadian flags with the signature red maple leaf. Read more: u.afp.com/SVQn

This video has been falsely claimed online to show Native Americans gathering to "protect" wild horses from the Trump administration. It actually shows a charge of horse riders commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn in Montana in June. factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....