conspiracy theories

Protesters gather at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Later that day, the Capitol building was breached by a violent mob driven by what's commonly known as "the big lie": that President Biden wasn't legitimately elected.

Disinformation Fuels A White Evangelical Movement. It Led 1 Virginia Pastor To Quit

1:15pm February 21, 2021

Some evangelical circles have incubated and spread conspiracy theories for years. It's part of a movement called Christian nationalism that researchers call a threat to American democracy.

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Pakistan's Polio Fight Provides Structure — And Concern — For COVID Vaccination

8:01am February 06, 2021

by Diaa Hadid

The country had nearly annihilated polio before conspiracy theories gave the disease room to spread. An army of health workers is set to give coronavirus vaccines too — if Pakistanis will take them.

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Audience members react as President Trump delivers remarks in January 2020 at an Evangelicals for Trump coalition launch at the King Jesus International Ministry in Miami.

'How Did We Get Here?' A Call For An Evangelical Reckoning On Trump

1:19pm January 13, 2021

by Rachel Martin

Evangelicals, says Ed Stetzer of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, should start to reckon with their own behaviors and actions that may have helped fuel the insurrection at the Capitol.

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A car with a flag endorsing the QAnon conspiracy theory drives by as supporters of President Trump gather for a rally outside the Governor's Residence in St. Paul, Minn., on Nov. 14.

Even If It's 'Bonkers,' Poll Finds Many Believe QAnon And Other Conspiracy Theories

11:35am December 30, 2020

by Joel Rose

Misinformation about the election and the coronavirus is also gaining a foothold in American society, according to a new NPR/Ipsos poll.

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Twitter says it will work with global health experts to enforce new rules prohibiting conspiracy-based misinformation about the coronavirus.

Twitter To Remove Or Place Warning Labels On COVID Vaccine Conspiracy Tweets

8:34pm December 16, 2020

by Vanessa Romo

The social media giant says it will not allow tweets containing "unsubstantiated rumors, disputed claims" or promotion of "out of context information" about the vaccine.

Firefighters monitor a controlled burn along Nacimiento-Fergusson Road to help contain the Dolan Fire near Big Sur, Calif., on Friday.

Wildfires Latest: Helpful Weather; Oregon Official Warns Of 'Mass Fatality Incident'

6:03pm September 12, 2020

by Jason Slotkin

A change in weather conditions is being seen as a needed assist for nearly 30,000 fire personnel battling blazes. Authorities are also attempting to debunk online rumors about the cause of the fires.

Cabling and telecommunications equipment is damaged after a fire in April in Huddersfield, England. The fire came as other cellphone towers burned amid conspiracy theories linking 5G mobile technologies to the coronavirus.

1 In 5 Adults In England Think The Coronavirus Is A Hoax

2:42pm May 22, 2020

by Frank Langfitt

Oxford research has found conspiracy theories about the virus gaining ground.

Facebook says it has removed "hundreds of thousands" of pieces of misinformation about COVID-19, including dangerous fake cures and posts contradicting public health advice.

Health & Safety

Did You Fall For A Coronavirus Hoax? Facebook Will Let You Know

11:00am April 16, 2020

by Shannon Bond

The social network is expanding efforts to curb the spread of harmful misinformation about COVID-19 after pressure from an activist group.

In the U.K., fires at multiple cellphone towers are raising concerns about the spread of conspiracy theories linking 5G networks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.K. Cellphone Towers Ablaze As Conspiracy Theories Link 5G Networks To COVID-19

4:46pm April 04, 2020

by Jason Slotkin

Unsubstantiated claims drawing links between the pandemic and the communications technology are troubling British telecom authorities. At least three fires have been reported amid these rumors.

Prosecutors say the USNS Mercy, seen last week entering the Port of Los Angeles, was the target of a train engineer's unsuccessful attack on Tuesday. The derailed train slid to a halt more than 250 yards from the hospital ship. The Mercy was unharmed, and

National

Train Engineer Says He Crashed In Attempt To Attack Navy Hospital Ship In L.A.

2:18pm April 02, 2020

by Bill Chappell

"People don't know what's going on here. Now they will," the engineer allegedly told a California Highway Patrol officer who apprehended him immediately after the incident.