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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Edward Helmore

White House blasts false claims about Hurricane Helene and relief aid

A storm-damaged area in the wake of Hurricane Helene in Florida on Thursday.
A storm-damaged area in the wake of Hurricane Helene in Florida on Thursday. Photograph: Tom Brenner/Reuters

The White House moved Saturday to quash claims that government officials control the weather, including a far-fetched rumor circulating on social media that Hurricane Helene was an engineered storm to allow corporations to mine regional lithium deposits.

“We have seen a large increase in false information circulating online related to the federal response to Hurricane Helene,” a statement said, pointing to a “number of scam artists, bad-faith actors, and others who want to sow chaos because they think it helps their political interests are promoting disinformation about the recovery effort.”

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