conspiracy theories

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France's First Lady Preps Lawsuit: I Was Not Born Male

Brigitte Macron readies to file complaint over conspiracy theory that she's transgender

(Newser) - The name Jean-Michel Trogneux has been floating around in social media circles for months, and France's first lady isn't happy about it. That's because conspiracy theorists are claiming that's Brigitte Macron's birth name, and that she was born male, prompting the 68-year-old wife of Emmanuel...

He Knows Birds Are Real. His Movement Says They Aren't

Birds Aren't Real founder Peter McIndoe on the 'safe space' he's created for Gen Z

(Newser) - Have you ever seen a baby pigeon? No? It's probably because birds aren't real but rather government drones used to spy on you and steal your information. That's according to the Birds Aren't Real movement, and a movement it is: hundreds of thousands of young people...

SEC Complaints of Facebook Whistleblower Revealed

In her claim, Frances Haugen cites document that says platform removes only 2% of hate speech

(Newser) - 60 Minutes is sharing details of Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen's complaints to the Securities and Exchange Commission, including her claim that the social network stoked political division by steering conservative-leaning users toward conspiracy theories. One of at least eight complaints, titled "Facebook misled investors and the public...

Flutist Who Shared Conspiracy Theories Is Out of a Job

Baltimore Symphony fires Emily Skala

(Newser) - A flutist who courted controversy with online posts about everything from COVID to the 2020 election results is out of a job in Baltimore. The city's orchestra this week fired principal flutist Emily Skala, reports the Baltimore Sun . The move comes about six months after the orchestra publicly rebuked...

GOP Official Mocked COVID. 5 Days Later, He Was Dead

45-year-old Scott Apley was a Dickinson City Council member in Texas

(Newser) - A 45-year-old Texas GOP official who openly mocked face masks, quarantining , and the coronavirus vaccine has died of COVID. Per a GoFundMe campaign, Dickinson City Council and State Republican Executive Committee member Scott Apley died early Wednesday. He'd been hospitalized in Galveston since Sunday after being admitted with "...

Biden to Facebook: You're Not Killing People

President clarifies comments, renews call to stamp out misinformation

(Newser) - President Biden was pretty ticked at Facebook . Then Facebook got pretty ticked at Biden . Now Biden wants everyone to just get along—and work together to stop the antivaccine misinformation campaign. After saying Facebook and other social media giants that give platforms to antivaxxers are "killing people," CNBC...

FBI Quietly Releases File on Kurt Cobain

The slim file, only 10 pages, is available online

(Newser) - Kurt Cobain has now been gone for as long as he was alive. The rock legend was 27 when he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound 27 years ago, on April 5, 1994. And for almost all 27 of those years, conspiracy theories have circulated around his death. Get ready...

Private School Warns Its Teachers Not to Get Vaccine

Citing debunked theory, Fla.'s Centner Academy says staff will be kept from students if they do so

(Newser) - While many schools are encouraging staff to get the COVID vaccine, one private school in Miami is doing the opposite. Per CBS4 , the Centner Academy, which charges up to $30,000 per year for students in pre-K through eighth grade, emailed a letter to employees Monday citing debunked anti-vaccination theories,...

Conspiracy Theorists Think Trump Will Be President on Thursday

No expectation of violence, though Capitol Police will be on guard

(Newser) - Capitol Police are boosting security in response to a far-right conspiracy theory claiming Donald Trump will again become president on Thursday. Some QAnon supporters believed Trump would declare martial law and remain in office on Jan. 20. But "when that didn't happen, the date was moved from Jan....

Democrats Dumbfounded by Greene&#39;s Committee Seat
Democrats Dumbfounded
by Greene's Committee Seat
THE RUNDOWN
Jan 29, 2021 8:04 AM CST

Democrats Dumbfounded by Greene's Committee Seat

They want Marjorie Taylor Greene ousted from Education Committee

(Newser) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was "appalled" to learn Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who once endorsed executing the speaker , was appointed to the House Education Committee. "What could they be thinking?" Pelosi said of Republican House leaders on Thursday, per Politico . "Or is thinking too generous of a...

Bill Gates: 'Do People Really Believe This Stuff?'

The philanthropist is the target of conspiracy theories

(Newser) - Have you heard that Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates wants to use coronavirus vaccines to insert tracking microchips into people? Well, Bill Gates has heard it, and he says it’s “science fiction,” per USA Today . And if it could be done, a puzzled Gates tells the...

For QAnon Believers, Now What?
Some QAnon Believers Morph
to Embrace Joe Biden
the rundown
Jan 21, 2021 11:20 AM CST

Some QAnon Believers Morph to Embrace Joe Biden

Other feel duped and betrayed by conspiracy movement

(Newser) - For QAnon believers, the promised "storm" never came. Donald Trump is out and Joe Biden is in at the White House. There was no final-day declaration of martial law, no mass arrests, no continuation of the Trump presidency. All of which raises the question: What happens now to the...

Lucy Lawless Slams 'Hercules' for Antifa Conspiracy Theory

'Xena' had some words for Kevin Sorbo on Twitter regarding the Capitol Hill riot

(Newser) - Xena the Warrior Princess doesn't mess around in battle, even on Twitter. That's where Lucy Lawless, the actor who played the ancient Greek fighter in the '90s TV series, ended up on Thursday, embroiled in what Fox News calls a "clash of superheroes" over a conspiracy...

Dominion Staffer Sues Trump Campaign: I Want My Life Back

Eric Coomer says he's had to go into hiding due to conspiracy theories about election 'rigging'

(Newser) - A high-ranking employee for a company that provided election equipment and software in 28 states has been subjected to harassment and death threats so alarming that he was forced to go into hiding a week after the election. Now, Eric Coomer says he wants his life back, and he's...

They Bet on a Trump Win. Now They Want Their Money

Gamblers threaten legal action against betting sites, saying race shouldn't have been called for Biden

(Newser) - President Trump continues to push his claims of election fraud, and last week, he tried to support that narrative with a tweet tied to gambling, per Casino.org . "At 10:00 P.M. on Election Evening, we were at 97% win with the so-called 'bookies,'" he...

Conservatives Have a New Target—One of Their Own

Tucker Carlson sought evidence for a conspiracy theory

(Newser) - Tucker Carlson made quite a few enemies this week after questioning a conspiracy theory advanced by one of President Trump's lawyers, the New York Times reports. On Thursday, the Fox News host addressed Sidney Powell's allegation that a leftist cabal—fueled by "communist money" from "Venezuela,...

Trump's Link to QAnon Comes Out in the Open

Mike Pence, top GOP figures to attend fundraiser hosted by QAnon backers

(Newser) - Vice President Mike Pence and top officials from President Trump's campaign are slated to attend a Montana fundraiser next week hosted by a couple who have expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory, according to an event invitation obtained by the AP and a review of social media postings....

Tech Giant Cracks Down on QAnon
Tech Giant
Cracks Down
on QAnon
Aug 19, 2020 3:22 PM CDT

Tech Giant Cracks Down on QAnon

Groups and accounts are getting banned

(Newser) - Facebook says it will restrict the right-wing conspiracy movement QAnon and will no longer recommend that users join groups supporting it, although the company isn't banning it outright, the AP reports. Facebook said Wednesday it is banning groups and accounts associated with QAnon and a variety of US-based militia...

Fox Host Walks Back Praise for Fringe Movement

Jesse Watters first said QAnon has 'uncovered a lot of great stuff'

(Newser) - The fringe conspiracy movement QAnon picked up some praise from a Fox News host over the weekend, who then quickly walked it back. During an interview with Eric Trump on Saturday, Fox's Jesse Watters declared that QAnon has done some "crazy stuff," but "they've also...

Twitter Lays the Hammer Down on QAnon

Bans 7K accounts, places restrictions on another 150K

(Newser) - Twitter is banning 7,000 QAnon accounts and limiting another 150,000, the social media service announced Tuesday. "These accounts are engaging in behavior that is designed to further the spread of content that has resulted in clear and well-documented informational, physical, societal and psychological offline harm," a...

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