New York Times responds to Iowa AG Brenna Bird on Hamas question

DES MOINES — The New York Times responded to a letter from Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird’s questioning whether freelance journalists who worked with the newspaper had ties to Hamas.

In a letter on Wednesday, the Times' director of communications Charlie Stadtlander called the claims “inflammatory allegations based on false assumptions and debunked social media posts.”

On Monday, Bird and 13 other attorneys general sent a letter to the Times, Associated Press, Reuters and CNN arguing the news organizations may have provided “material support to terrorists” by paying for photographs from journalists alleged to have ties to Hamas.

The attorneys general cited a report from HonestReporting, a pro-Israel media watchdog, which questioned whether freelance photojournalists for the organizations had advance knowledge of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

“You should ensure that you are taking all necessary steps to prevent your organizations’ from contracting with members of terror organizations,” Bird wrote in the letter.

The Times has denied it had any knowledge of the Oct. 7 attack. Stadtlander reiterated in the letter that "the only connection the New York Times has to Hamas is that we report on the organization fearlessly and at times at great risk."

He pointed to later statements from HonestReporting, which said it did not have evidence that any journalist was embedded with Hamas and was satisfied with the explanations from the media outlets.

"I realize that the purveyors of disinformation online have widely and recklessly spread the lie of ‘embedded journalists,'’“ Stadtlander wrote. "But it does real harm when public officials embrace such falsehoods and give them credibility."

Iowa secretary of state to conduct Iowa Youth Straw Poll

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate announced Thursday the annual Iowa Youth Straw Poll will be held Jan. 9.

The Iowa Youth Straw Poll invites Iowa school students to learn about the civic process by participating in a mock election or caucus. This year, straw poll participants will cast their vote for candidates for U.S. president.

"Programs like the Iowa Youth Straw Poll not only give these students an opportunity to make their voices heard, but they get a firsthand understanding of how elections work, so they are better prepared to vote in elections once they are eligible," Pate said in a news release.

The straw poll is part of the Election 101 curriculum provided by Pate's office for schools to use. Dozens of Iowa schools already have signed up to participate in the straw poll, according to Pate's office.

Pate's office will livestream the results of the straw poll Jan. 9.