The Rise and Fall and Rise Again of the 'Outside Agitator' Story
The perpetual scapegoat for unrest
Conspiracy Theories
How This Bill Gates Coronavirus Conspiracy Theory Made Its Way from a Reddit Thread to Laura Ingraham
No, Gates didn't create COVID-19, and he does not want to microchip us all.
Why Does Trump Want To Stop People From Voting by Mail?
And why does he think he has the power to do that?
No, 1 in 3 Kids Coming Across the Southern Border Are Not Victims of Sex Trafficking
This preposterous claim is front and center in a new PragerU video.
Does Questioning Official COVID-19 Statistics Make This Doctor a 'Denialist'?
If you think much about the epidemic remains uncertain, The New York Times warns, you might be part of "the virus 'truther' movement."
From the Cholera Riots to the Coronavirus Revolts
The more punitive the approach to public health, the fiercer the backlash.
No, 5G Is Not Spreading Coronavirus. That Doesn't Even Make Sense.
These theories are dumb. Destroying 5G infrastructure is not going to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
When an Epidemic Spreads, So Do Rumors
The biggest thing our institutions could do to stop the spread of COVID-19 misinformation would be to spread less misinformation themselves.
People Are Less Gullible Than You Think
By default we veer on the side of being resistant to new ideas.
Dems Want to Run the Country, but They Can't Even Run an Election in Iowa
Plus: What is the Shadow app? And are the Iowa caucuses dead?
The Long Shadow of the Palmer Raids
A century ago, the Wilson administration cracked down on immigrant anarchists. The raids lasted three months, and their impact was felt for decades.
How a Fake Rationing Scare Highlighted the Absurdity of California's Actual Water Policies
No, Californians aren't banned from showering and doing laundry on the same day. But the fact that so many people believed that lie says something about how insane the state's real water laws are.
Super Bowl Sex-Trafficking Myths Return
And they're just as wrong and dangerous this time around.
Don't Believe Mike Pence's Spin About Iran and 9/11
The vice president says assassinated Iranian general Qasem Soleimani was involved in the September 11 plot. That's as true as when Republicans said Saddam Hussein was.
House Republicans Are Spreading 'Fictional Narrative' on Ukrainian Election Interference, Says Former Top White House Adviser
Russia is seeking to "delegitimize our entire presidency," Fiona Hill testified.
3 Reasons to Stop Freaking Out About a Tulsi Gabbard Third-Party Run
Promoters and detractors alike are not thinking through how unlikely it would be for Gabbard to seek and win the Green Party nomination, let alone come anywhere close to Jill Stein's totals from 2016.
Tulsi Gabbard Conspiracy Theories Go Mainstream as Hillary Clinton Accuses the Candidate of Being Groomed by Russia
Gabbard called Clinton "the queen of warmongers, embodiment of corruption, and personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party for so long."
Hillary Clinton Says Donald Trump Is an Illegitimate President and Tulsi Gabbard Is a Russian Tool
"She's a favorite of the Russians and they have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far."
The New York Times Wonders Aloud If Tulsi Gabbard's Anti-War, Anti-Establishment Message Makes Her a Stooge for Nazis and Russian Bots
The article ignores Gabbard's arguments for a less interventionist foreign policy, preferring to speculate about foreigners and fascists.
Inside the Pro-Trump Conference Where a Violent Meme Made National News
The American Priority Festival gave a glimpse inside the world where deep state theories thrive.
Occult Features of Anarchism
An anthropologist examines secret societies, revolutionary movements, and esoteric ideas.
Whistleblower Report Alleges Trump Used Presidential Power for Personal Gain
Plus: how Paul Manafort may be involved, the Crowdstrike conspiracy theory, and more...
Witness Says Vaping Helped Her Quit Smoking. Rashida Tlaib Asks 'Are You a Conspiracy Theorist?'
"Vaping is a health miracle to me," said ex-smoker Vicki Porter. "Not safe, but less harmful."
The Peace-Loving Military Robots' Plot
Friday A/V Club: That time NBC broadcast a radical Philip K. Dick fable to a 1950s audience
Media Notices Bernie's Nonsense Conspiracies When They're About Media
The progressive senator's Trumpian anti-Bezos take is part of career-long history of fantasizing about evil billionaires.
Congress Is Worried About Chinese Plot to Use Buses, Rail Cars to Spy on Passengers
Both the House and the Senate want transit agencies to stop buying rolling stock from Chinese-owned companies.
Paul Krassner: The Lost Interview
A previously unpublished conversation with “investigative satirist” Paul Krassner, who just died at age 87.
There's Nothing New About the 'New Conspiracism'
A pair of political scientists think they've identified a new kind of conspiracy thinking. They haven't.
MoveOn, Maddow Can't Move on From Mueller Worship: Reason Roundup
Plus: Ohio vice cop indicted for murder, FFC would police "the new kids online beat," and crony Federal Reserve appointments on the way?
Florida Cases Restoke Chinese Conspiracy Fears
Yujing Zhang, Cindy Yang, and prostitution busts at Chinese spas have planted the seeds for new conspiratorial corruption narratives to bloom.
Devin Nunes Milks Fake Cow Account on Twitter For Nonsense Lawsuit
Plus: SCOTUS declines Hawaii lesbian case, UC stands by professor in free speech standoff, and ACLU warns of "privacy Trojan horse."
Homeland Security and Florida Cops Spied on Chinese Massage Workers for Months but Still Couldn't Find Evidence of Human Trafficking
Nine women face felony prostitution charges and hundreds of their customers have been arrested. Florida says it's the real victim.
Spies in the Media
Journalists have long been used by governments, wittingly or not, to collect intel and spread disinformation.
Republican Senator Pitches Weird Conspiracy Theory About Weed Legalization, Menthol Cigarettes, and the FDA
Sen. Richard Burr raises an interesting point about onerous regulation, but his argument is baffling.
Another Blow for Fake News About Fake News: Reason Roundup
Plus: Author Zadie Smith talking cultural appropriation, and Budweiser versus Big Corn
Will Donald Trump Be Impeached Over a Hotel? Reason Roundup
BuzzFeed report says president personally told Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about Trump Tower Moscow project.
Rep. Ilhan Omar Recklessly Accuses Lindsey Graham of Being 'Compromised'
People are losing their damn fool minds in the midst of Putin paranoia.
Roku Bans Alex Jones, InfoWars from Streaming Platform
Yes, the paranoid lunatic is a mega-troll, but the beauty of new media means never having to engage stuff you find awful or offensive.
Conspiracy Talk at the Art Museum
Jesse Walker's speech at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Are You Ready for the 'Inevitable' Clampdown on Tech and the Media?
When Apple's CEO Tim Cook says "the free market is not working," bad things are coming.
Adam Conover of Adam Ruins Everything on Seeking Truth in the Post-Truth Era
The host of TruTV's hit show has lost some faith in the power of rational discourse. And he has some ideas for how to fix the problem.
Conspiracy Scholars Plot to Produce a Book
And now the cabal invites you to read it.
The Wild Rise of Lyndon LaRouche
What a conspiracy theorist, a Vietnam War deserter, and a Trump adviser have in common
New Yorkers: See Jesse Walker Speak at the Met Fifth Avenue Friday Night
The topic: art and conspiracy
