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Misinformation has surged following Hurricane Helene. Here’s a fact check.
As recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene continue across the southeastern U.S., federal and state officials have warned that misinformation and conspiracy theories are hindering efforts to provide aid and accurate information to victims.
The American Red Cross said misinformation is hurting relief efforts, while Deanne Criswell, who leads the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said the false claims are “demoralizing” to aid workers. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina told Face the Nation on Sunday that the claims distract from rescue work.
On Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called out “scam artists and bad faith actors and others who are putting politics over people are promoting misinformation about our efforts, including falsehoods about federal assistance.”
Misinformation often surges following major weather disasters, but with Hurricane Helene hitting several battleground states just weeks before a tightly contested election, the spread of false claims has accelerated.
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Former President Donald Trump doubled down on his misleading statements about federal disaster relief on Monday, falsely alleging that the Biden administration has allocated “almost all of the FEMA money to illegal migrants.” At a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday, Trump falsely suggested that storm victims were only being offered $750 in aid.
Here are four fact-checks on the main claims about Helene recovery efforts.
1. Claim: Federal aid is being diverted to support immigrants
A widely-circulated claim falsely asserts that FEMA has run out of money because it diverted disaster relief funds to support undocumented immigrants. Trump amplified this claim at a Michigan rally on Thursday, saying, “Kamala spent all her FEMA money, billions of dollars, on housing for illegal migrants” and asserting that the Biden-Harris administration “stole the FEMA money” to give it to undocumented immigrants.
These claims are false
FEMA has said it has funds for “immediate response and recovery efforts” from Hurricane Helene but it may face a funding shortfall as more storms emerge this season. The agency has said that no money is being diverted from disaster response needs.
Critics of the Biden-Harris administration have pointed to one FEMA initiative, the Shelter and Services Program, which gives grants to groups to provide shelter and other services to migrants. Its funding for the 2024 fiscal year, which was approved by Congress, was $650 million, a small fraction of FEMA’s budget.
FEMA receives funding from Congress for specific functions, including disaster relief. The shelter program and the disaster relief fund have two distinct sources of funding, both of which have been approved by Congress.
As CBS previously reported, the last time funds allocated for disaster relief were used for immigration purposes was in 2019 during the Trump administration, when the Department of Homeland Security told Congress it planned to use $271 million allocated for disaster aid efforts and other initiatives to expand space in migrant detention centers and bolster a program that requires asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases were processed in the U.S.
2. Claim: Storm victims will receive only $750
At a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Trump suggested that those who lost their homes in the hurricane were only being offered $750 in federal aid, echoing a claim that has widely circulated on social media. “They’re offering them $750, to people whose homes have been washed away. And yet we send tens of billions of dollars to foreign countries that most people have never heard of.” Trump said.
This claim is misleading
The $750 referenced is part of FEMA’s “Serious Needs Assistance” program, which is designed to provide immediate relief for essential supplies like food, water and medication. The program is one part of a larger package of aid available to those affected by the storm.
FEMA has said federal assistance for survivors has surpassed $210 million. President Biden previously announced that the federal government would cover “100%” of costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures in North Carolina for six months.
FEMA also debunked online claims that the $750 was a loan and that failure to repay it would result in people’s property being seized. “This is not true. We do not ask for this money back,” said FEMA spokesperson Jaclyn Rothenberg.
3. Claim: volunteers and donations are being blocked
Dozens of social media posts have suggested that state and federal officials are blocking volunteers from entering hard-hit areas, including western North Carolina, and confiscating donations intended for storm victims.
These claims are misleading
Officials say the claims mischaracterize efforts to coordinate disaster relief and keep people safe. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety urged volunteers to coordinate through official channels, as many roads remain dangerous due to landslides, and encouraged financial donations to vetted volunteer organizations. They said donations are not being confiscated.
FEMA also refuted claims that it was turning away donations and blocking roads, saying voluntary agencies handle all physical donations and local law enforcement oversees road closures.
FEMA also said the FAA “is not restricting access for recovery operations.” It followed a post by X owner Elon Musk that alleged FEMA was blocking the delivery of aid. The FAA said in a statement that it is trying to maintain safety as skies have become busy during recovery efforts.
4. Claim: Government is withholding aid to Republican areas
Trump floated a claim early in the recovery efforts that aid was not reaching Republican areas in North Carolina, posting on Monday on Truth Social: “I’ll be there shortly, but don’t like the reports that I’m getting about the Federal Government, and the Democrat Governor of the State, going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas.”
This claim lacks evidence
FEMA has strongly refuted this claim on its site, saying it “provides assistance to survivors regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.”
Western North Carolina has become a focus of misinformation, including claims that aid efforts are being blocked. The area is represented by a Republican in Congress, but Asheville is represented by a Democrat in the state Assembly.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Sunday criticized those spreading “false information,” linking to several articles that quoted Trump’s statements about recovery efforts.
Mark Harmon, widely known for playing Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the hit CBS drama “NCIS,” is stepping behind the camera as the executive producer and narrator of a new spin-off prequel, “NCIS: Origins.”
After nearly two decades in the role, Harmon is now helping bring to life the early years of Gibbs, with actor Austin Stowell portraying a young version of the iconic character.
“You come in and audition here for years and years, and all of a sudden, you’re presented with a badge with your name on it,” Stowell said about now working on the Paramount lot.
The show’s set features scenes at Camp Pendleton, including locations like Daley’s Tavern, a bar just off-base. For Stowell, it is a role of a lifetime.
“I felt very confident in what I could bring to the character, and then the second you walk in the room, that all goes out the window,” Stowell said.
Casting the role of young Gibbs in “NCIS: Origins” was a significant decision for the team, as it meant finding someone to take on the character that Harmon made iconic. The prequel, set in 1991, explores Gibbs’ early days as a rookie agent.
Harmon saw the project as an opportunity to dive deeper into the character’s backstory, introducing a Giibbs that has never been seen before in the original series.
“This is a chance to really kind of dig into it,” said Harmon
The role also brings a more personal and emotional storyline for Gibbs, one that explores his grief after the loss of his wife and child.
“He’s in rough shape,” Harmon said.
Stowell has drawn on his personal experiences to portray Gibbs’ pain. His father died by suicide four years ago.
“Loss is something we all deal with and for Gibbs, this is something that has cracked him to his core, said Stowell.
Harmon has been a steady presence on set, offering guidance to Stowell and the rest of the cast.
“From day one, Mark has been available,” Stowell said. “He’s so good at allowing the people who are on this show to feel like they are supported.”
Harmon made it clear that this new chapter of “NCIS” belongs to the younger cast.
“I’m there to help and to talk to them or to tell them what I remember from being in this for a while. But this is their thing,” Harmon said.
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After a four-year period in which interest rates hit record lows and then rose to decades-highs, the Federal Reserve started cutting interest rates again in September. A half a percentage point cut, sparked by cooling inflation numbers, was issued on September 18. And with unemployment and inflation declining in September, too, additional cuts of 25 basis points each look likely for the next two Fed meetings in November and December.
While this is welcome news for borrowers, it will detract from the big returns savers have been accustomed to in recent years. This is particularly true for those who have opened or are considering opening a certificate of deposit (CD). That said, CD interest rates haven’t declined so dramatically as to render these unique savings vehicles unworthy. Savers can still earn hundreds and potentially thousands of dollars with the right CD account – even now.
But there are some smart CD moves savers should make now, before the next rate cut, to earn that big return. Below, we’ll break down three of them.
Start by seeing how much more you could be earning on your money with a top CD here.
3 smart CD moves to make before the next rate cut
While CDs are still a safe and predictable way to earn a substantial return on your money, this high rate cycle could soon be coming to a close. Savers who have yet to take advantage, then, or those considering another account, should make the following moves now — before the Fed takes additional action:
Determine your budget
The more you deposit into a CD the more you’ll earn. That simple calculation, however, doesn’t account for any early withdrawal penalties you’ll need to pay if you withdraw your money prematurely. These penalties range from lender to lender but they can easily negate any earnings you’ve accumulated to that point. So, first, determine your budget. Figure out precisely how much you can afford to deposit and for how long you can lock it away. Once you have this amount and length of time (CD term), determined, you’ll be ready to take next steps.
Get started with a CD online now.
Shop around for lenders
Don’t just head to your local bank branch to open a CD. Often, the best CD rates and terms are found with online banks versus those with physical locations. But even all online lenders are not the same as some will require higher minimum deposits or other requirements to earn a high rate. So shop around for lenders to find one offering the best rates for the amount of money you’re comfortable depositing. And be sure to understand the early withdrawal penalties and any other fees or maintenance costs that could affect your returns before getting started.
Open a long-term CD
A long-term CD will mature anywhere between 18 months and 10 years. Once you’ve determined how much money you can comfortably afford to deposit, consider one of these accounts instead of a short-term one now. Currently, short-term CDs have slightly higher rates than long-term ones do. But those accounts will mature in just a few months, at which point rates will likely be lower. But long-term CDs have competitive rates now (in the 4% to 5% range), allowing savers to earn big returns for years to come, even if the larger rate climate cools during that time frame. And because of the locked rate nature of these accounts, you’ll be able to determine with precision your exact earnings upon account maturity.
The bottom line
Rate-cutting action on behalf of the Federal Reserve should spur savers who haven’t take advantage of the current high rate climate (or those who want to continue to) to make a move now – and they should do so with a CD. Specifically, savers should determine their budget in order to deposit as much as they can comfortably afford. But they should also shop for lenders to find one offering the highest rates, specifically for long-term CDs, which can help savers weather what appears to be a cooling rate climate.
Have more questions? Learn more about your current CD options here.
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