DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Elon Musk’s dozens of meetings with presidents, prime ministers and political candidates show his growing political influence
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Clare Duffy | Way Mullery | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —Over the past three years, Elon Musk has met dozens of times with presidents, prime ministers, lawmakers, government officials and political candidates from around the world. Other meetings, such as a recent conversation with Argentine President Javier Milei, the world only glimpses through the billionaire’s social media posts. Recently, Musk’s political activism has begun to have a tangible impact on his companies: Brands pulled their advertisements from X, tanking its value. CNN’s analysis also suggests that Musk has, in particular, worked to develop influence among a set of right-leaning world leaders, including Modi, Bolsonaro, Milei and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Now, as he campaigns for Trump, Musk may be setting himself up for his most prominent political role yet: a position in a possible future Trump White House.

Persons: Elon Musk, Benjamin Netanyahu, Javier Milei, Musk, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, ”, Ron DeSantis, Robert F, Kennedy, Jr, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, “ He’s, he’s, James Lewis, it’s, Tesla, “, ” Lewis, “ They’re, Jair, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Li Qiang, Emmanuel Macron, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Narendra Modi, William Klepper, you’ve, ” Musk, Modi, Giorgia Meloni, India’s Modi Organizations: New, New York CNN, Argentine, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Putin, Gov, Trump, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Indian, Columbia Business School, Brands, SpaceX, Italian, Elon, Trump White House, Department of Government Locations: New York, Israel, South Africa, United States, Brazil, Nuevo Leon, Shanghai, China, Turkish, California, Italy, India, Argentina, ”

☆ US intel assesses Russian operatives behind fake video trying to smear Tim Walz
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Russian operatives created and amplified false online content attempting to smear Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, US intelligence agencies said on Tuesday. The statement was based on newly available intelligence and analysts worked over the weekend to analyze the media content, the official said. Some posts circulating the fake content on X garnered hundreds of thousands of views and were amplified by right-wing personalities. The Harris-Walz campaign has expressed concern that media coverage could amplify the false Russian claims. US intelligence officials will also be closely watching Iranian operatives after Election Day.

Persons: Tim Walz, ”, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Trump, Harris, Walz, “ Vladimir Putin, ” Harris, Morgan Finkelstein, “, Trump’s Organizations: CNN, Russian, Democratic, National Intelligence, Trump, Justice Department Locations: Russia, Iran

1 function is to monitor the election to make sure that proper voting procedures are being followed,” Ray said. “We have to keep our eyeballs on the whole system, and we know why,” Lake said at the August training session. “The bedrock of a free and fair democracy is the citizens doing their civic duty of participating as poll inspectors, poll challengers and other oversight positions,” she said. Michigan conservatives have spent the last two years organizing around election issues, former Trump election lawyer Cleta Mitchell said. At the August RNC training session, an attendee asked what would happen if the events at the TCF Center repeated themselves.

Persons: “, ” Ray, Ray, ”, Ann, Jack Posobiec, Kari Lake, ” Lake, Sandy Kiesel, Trump, Cleta Mitchell, Mitchell, ” Mitchell, Dixon Organizations: RNC, NBC, Republican, Challenge, Arizona, Fund and Force, TCF Center, Fund, Force, NBC News, wasn’t Locations: Detroit, Michigan, Ann Arbor , Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing , Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Warren

In this gilded echo chamber, Mr. Trump enjoys unwavering devotion — and collects the staggering price of admission. During the 2014-15 season — the last before Mr. Trump officially entered politics — The Times counted 52 fund-raiser events at Mar-a-Lago. More than two dozen midterm candidates had already held fund-raisers on the property when Mr. Trump made that statement. But that changed when Letitia James, the New York attorney general, sued Mr. Trump for exaggerating the value of his properties. And, unlike when Mr. Trump was president, “he was there a lot,” Mr. Rustmann said.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, MAGA, Matt Gaetz, “, Sebastian Gorka, ”, Forgiato, Donald Trump, Ryan Garcia, “ Donald Trump, Glenn Beck, Roger Stone, Liz Crokin, Michael T, Flynn, We’re, —, Vivek Ramaswamy, Matthew DePerno, Frank Pavone, Kari Lake, Joe Kent, ” Cameron Moore, Alex Stone, Stone, Roger J, Stone Jr, Roseanne Barr, don’t, Abraham Lincoln, Lago, Thomas D, Homan, ” Sebastian Gorka, Gorka, Abraham Lincoln ”, Trump’s, ” Mr, Vernon Jones, Letitia James, galas, Laurence Hirsh, James, Greg Christovich, Christovich, Christovich’s, Michael Barnett, Barnett, ” Frank Vain, Fred Rustmann, Mr, Rustmann Organizations: Gravity, House, New York Times, Mar, U.S.A, Times, Trump, Palm, Republican Party of Palm, Lincoln, Breakers, Policy Institute, America’s, Inc, White, Mr, America, of, Republican, Republicans, Republican National Committee, Democratic Senatorial, Trump Organization, New, U.S ., Secret Service, U.S . Department of State, Records, The Trump Organization, Republican Party of, RSM, Republican Party Locations: Mar, Jan, America, Palm Beach, Lago, Charlottesville, Va, Beach, Georgia’s, “, New York, Republican Party of Palm Beach County, Florida

David DePape was convicted on Friday of five charges, brought by the state of California, for breaking into Nancy Pelosi’s home in 2022 and beating her husband with a hammer. The verdict in the state trial concluded a case that had raised fears of politically motivated violence in a divided America and reflected some of the darkest currents in the country’s politics. In the years leading up to the attack, Mr. DePape was submerged in online conspiracy theories like Pizzagate and QAnon and the virulent rhetoric that right-wing figures had for years embraced against their opponents, including Ms. Pelosi. The convictions by a state jury in a San Francisco courtroom followed Mr. DePape’s convictions in federal court last year that resulted in a 30-year sentence. Mr. DePape, 44, now faces a life sentence without parole in state prison, to be completed after he serves his federal term.

Persons: David DePape, Nancy Pelosi’s, DePape, Ms, Pelosi Locations: California, America, San Francisco

☆ Elon Musk has been getting Trumpier. A direct line to Trump may be next
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Clare Duffy | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Elon Musk has sought to accumulate political capital commensurate with his extravagant wealth. Musk has discussed advising Trump should he win the 2024 election, the Journal reported, citing unnamed sources. Musk called Trump directly via cellphone to explore a role that could potentially give Musk significant influence over US policies. Reporting that Musk and Trump’s relationship has improved comes after Musk’s politics have become more aligned with Trump’s. For Musk to have a direct, private line to a future President Trump “would seem to be a blatant conflict of interest,” said Darrell West, a senior fellow in the governance studies program at the Brookings Institution.

Persons: CNN — Elon Musk, Musk, Donald Trump, Trump, Brian Hughes, –, Andrew Harnik, ”, Darrell West, ” West, Herika Martinez, —, Donald Trump’s, Biden, Ron DeSantis, Robert Kennedy , Jr, Paul Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, White supremacists, Imran Ahmed, X, CCDH, Donie O’Sullivan Organizations: CNN, Republican, Wall Street, Trump, SpaceX, Tesla, Brookings Institution, Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Traffic Safety Administration, Justice Department, Migrants, US Border Patrol, AFP, Getty, Twitter, US, Republican Florida, Politico Locations: Paris, El Paso , Texas, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua State, Mexico

Within days, millions of TikTok videos using music from Universal artists went mute, and since then guessing which side would blink first has become a media-business parlor game. Backing this up, one study found that TikTok users reported experiencing higher levels of flow than Instagram users. Corey Basch, who analyzed 100 popular TikTok videos with the hashtag mentalhealth for a 2022 study, emerged concerned about the looping effect of the algorithm. Cerave Sales increased by more than 60 percent in 2020 after skin care became a lockdown pastime and TikTok users discovered the drugstore mainstay. Cat Crack Catnip It briefly sold out in 2021 after TikTok users posted videos of their cats going crazy for it.

Persons: randos, TikTok, you’ve, Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, ”, “ Wonka, Barbie, “ Oppenheimer, —, goofing, cavorting, Sue Fleishman, Z’s Walter Cronkite, Spehar, Donald J, Trump, he’s, Caitlin Clark’s, Joe Biden, Justin Bieber, Abbie Richards, Richards, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X, Fleetwood Mac, Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Drake, Swift, ByteDance, can’t, Mark Warner, hasn’t, Al, ear on, Li Organizations: Fleetwood Mac, Facebook, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, White, Pew Research Center, YouTube, The New York Times, Kansas City Chiefs, Media, Colgate, Universal Music Group, ByteDance, Intelligence Committee, e Locations: United States, Beijing, Biden’s, TikTok, Singapore, View, Calif, China, American

☆ Elon Musk’s X names new head of safety, more than a year after former safety leader’s exit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

McRoberts’ elevation to the role comes more than a year after the company’s former safety leader, Yoel Roth, who oversaw what was then called the Trust and Safety team, resigned in the wake of Musk’s takeover. In its announcement, X said McRoberts has previously worked on other X safety features including labels that inform a user if their content is being restricted. In a post last month, Musk said he would change the name of X’s “Trust and Safety” team to simply the “Safety” team. We are changing the name of our Trust & Safety group, to simply @Safety,” Musk said. The goal of our Safety team is simply to ensure compliance with the laws that already exist to protect the people.”

Persons: New York CNN —, it’s, Kylie McRoberts —, Linda Yaccarino, Yoel Roth, X, White, Yale Cohen, Yaccarino, Musk, Pizzagate ”, McRoberts, ” X, ” Musk, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, New York CNN — Elon, Twitter, Trust and Safety, Publicis Media, Google, Safety, & Safety Locations: New York, Austin , Texas, “

☆ From Pizzagate to the 2020 Election: Forcing Liars to Pay or Apologize
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Elizabeth Williamson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Michael J. Gottlieb can never remember the exact amount — it’s $148,169,000— that a jury ordered Rudolph W. Giuliani to pay the Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss. “Don’t waste your time being angry at those who did this to me and my daughter,” said Ms. Freeman 65, who with her daughter Ms. Moss, 39, was falsely accused by Mr. Giuliani of aiding an imagined plot to steal the 2020 presidential election. “We are more than conquerors.”Less than a decade ago, the two women would have struggled to find a lawyer. But Mr. Gottlieb, a partner at the firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher and a former associate counsel in the Obama White House, represented them for free. Mr. Gottlieb has also represented the owner of the Washington pizzeria targeted by “Pizzagate” conspiracy theorists as well as the brother of Seth Rich, a young Democratic National Committee staff member whose 2016 murder ignited bogus theories implicating his family.

Persons: Michael J, Gottlieb, Rudolph W, Giuliani, Ruby Freeman, Shaye Moss, ”, Freeman, Moss, “, Willkie Farr, Gallagher, Obama, “ Pizzagate, Seth Rich, Meryl Governski Organizations: House, Washington, Democratic National Committee, Protect Democracy Locations: Georgia

☆ The 'Katespiracy' is officially getting out of control
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Now some people on X, formerly Twitter, have coined a catchall term for all the Kate-related conspiracy theories that have been swirling online — "Katespiracy." AdvertisementAs of press time, Kensington Palace has not publicly responded to allegations that the photos were altered. AdvertisementNone of these conspiracy theories, which range from the mildly plausible to completely outlandish, have been definitively proven. What people do know, however, is what Kensington Palace has been willing to disclose. Kensington Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: Kensington, Kate Middleton, Kate, —, she's, rince, ike Organizations: Service, Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France, Presse, AP

☆ Elon Musk claims X has less antisemitic content than peers, following visit to Auschwitz
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Elon Musk — who was widely criticized for an antisemitic post on his social media site, X, two months ago — said following a visit to Auschwitz Monday that X has less antisemitic content than other social media platforms. Musk made the comments during an interview at a conference hosted by the European Jewish Association near the site of the Auschwitz in Poland. It comes after Musk faced a firestorm of backlash over antisemitic content on X, including a post with an antisemitic conspiracy theory that Musk himself amplified (and later apologized for in the wake of condemnation.) Musk later apologized for the post, but told advertisers who halted their spending on X over concerns about antisemitic content to “go f**k” themselves. As part of Monday’s event, the billionaire appears to have made a visit to Auschwitz along with his young son.

Persons: New York CNN — Elon Musk, —, Musk, “ It’s, you’ve, ” Musk, we’ve, Whites, “, Elon Musk, Andrzej Rudiak, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Auschwitz, European Jewish Association, White, Defamation League, ADL Locations: New York, United States, Auschwitz, Poland, Israel, Nazi

☆ Elon Musk, the world’s richest man remains, desperate for attention
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Elon Musk desperately wants to be liked, despite his pronouncement Wednesday that he doesn’t mind being hated. The sentiment is, like so much of Musk’s public persona, a lie designed to keep the public’s focus squarely on him. Watching the interview, even online, you can feel the awkward energy of that moment — cringeworthy for some, but seemingly invigorating for Musk. On Wednesday, Musk sought to shrug off his most recent anti-Jewish post as a “foolish” mistake that got misinterpreted by the media. Musk clearly has “a fairly straightforward case of internet brain rot,” as the Atlantic writer Charlie Warzel put it in a Threads post.

Persons: New York CNN — Elon Musk, “, ”, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Musk, Rich Guy, White, —, shrug, Charlie Warzel Organizations: New, New York CNN, New York Times DealBook, New York Times, Whites Locations: New York, California, Eastern Europe, Israel, Atlantic

☆ Here are the dozen brands that have paused ads on X amid ongoing crisis for Elon Musk’s platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —At least a dozen major brands have halted ad spending on X, formerly Twitter, since its latest advertiser exodus began last week over concerns about antisemitism and hate speech on Elon Musk’s social media platform. The ongoing exit of advertisers marks a deepening crisis for X, which was already struggling to woo brands back to the platform following Musk’s takeover last year. IBM’s decision also came after Musk had publicly endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory in a post on X earlier in the week. X also said it had made the pro-Nazi accounts identified by Media Matters ineligible for monetization, meaning ads can no longer be run on their pages. (Media Matters has vowed to fight the lawsuit from X and says it stands by its reporting.)

Persons: Axios, they’d, Musk, Apple, Linda Yaccarino, Richard Spencer, —, CNN’s Oliver Darcy, Liam Reilly, Brian Fung Organizations: New, New York CNN, Elon, Fox Sports, Ubisoft, TechCrunch, Paris, CNN, White, IBM, Media, Disney, Paramount, Comcast, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros, Media Matters, University of Michigan, D.C, National Football League Locations: New York, Washington

☆ ‘Pizzagate’: Elon Musk is now boosting the years-old conspiracy theory
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Elon Musk on Monday boosted the dangerous, years-old “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, just days after being roundly criticized and facing an advertiser exodus following his embrace of an antisemitic conspiracy theory. Musk last week faced backlash from the White House and others for engaging with an antisemitic conspiracy theory. Musk’s company has also claimed that Media Matters’ report was misleading and that it has taken steps to combat antisemitism and discrimination on the platform. X on Monday sued Media Matters, accusing it of distorting how likely it is for ads to appear beside extremist content on X. However, X has not removed the pro-Nazi accounts mentioned in Media Matters’ report, instead saying that their posts had little engagement and that they would no longer be eligible for monetization.

Persons: New York CNN — Elon Musk, Musk, Hillary Clinton, Clinton, ” Edgar Maddison Welch’s, Welch, It’s, ” Musk, Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, ”, Andrew Bates Organizations: New, New York CNN, Twitter, Media, Whites, White, CNN, Disney, Paramount, IBM, Monday, monetization Locations: New York, Washington

As the 2024 presidential campaign heats up, experts on extremism fear the threat of politically motivated violence will intensify. Trump's loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election did not end the spread of QAnon-influenced conspiracy theories or its unrealized prophecies. “In 2020, millions of people were radicalized on behalf of this conspiracy theory. It’s really hard to tell who is going to mobilize on behalf of a conspiracy theory,” Kane said. “Spending hours and hours consuming conspiracy theory material is intoxicating,” Hughes said.

Persons: Nancy Pelosi's, Donald Trump's, “, ”, Jacob Ware, “ They’re, David DePape, Paul Pelosi, San Francisco, DePape, Nancy Pelosi, Trump, Mark Milley, Brett Kavanaugh, Democrat Joe Biden, movement's, “ It’s, Sheehan Kane, Kane, Michael Jensen, QAnon, ” Kane, Brianna Wu, wasn't, Wu, GamerGate, ” Wu, ” DePape, Brian Hughes, they’ve, ” Hughes, Amarnath Amarasingam, Amarasingam, Ware, Trump's, “ Donald Trump, that’s, Hughes, Olga R, Rodriguez Organizations: Council, Foreign Relations, San, Democratic, Hollywood, Trump, Capitol, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Maryland, Democrat, University of Maryland, 4chan, GamerGate, University of Michigan, American, Research, Innovation, Queen’s University, Associated Press, AP Locations: Washington, North Carolina, United States, Canada, San Francisco

David DePape lived a solitary life, worked carpentry jobs and was seemingly obsessed with right-wing conspiracy theories on the internet, where he railed about “wokism,” questioned the Holocaust and embraced Pizzagate and QAnon. Then in October 2022, the police said, Mr. DePape, 43, bust into Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco home and bludgeoned her husband, when she was still the House speaker. The case will now be presented to a jury when Mr. DePape’s federal trial in San Francisco opens on Thursday. That the case is coming to trial at all is something of a surprise, given the evidence. Mr. DePape admitted to the crimes in a police interview after his arrest, prosecutors say.

Persons: David DePape, “, ”, DePape, Nancy Pelosi’s, Ms, Pelosi, Paul Pelosi, didn’t Locations: Francisco, United States, San Francisco

CNN cannot independently verify if the photographs, social media accounts and the homes addresses being posted actually belong to the grand jurors. However, the names being circulated on these sites appear to match the names of at least 13 of the 26 grand jurors that served on the panel in Fulton County. It’s unclear if those names are the actual grand jurors or just people with the same name. Also, on some forums, users are posting multiple social media profiles of different people who have the same name as some of the grand jurors. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks during a news conference at the Fulton County Government building on August 14, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Persons: Donald Trump, Daniel J, Jones, Hillary Clinton’s, Fani Willis, Joe Raedle, Ben Decker, Willis, Trump Organizations: CNN, Advance Democracy, Trump, Fulton, Fulton County Government, “ Locations: Fulton, Fulton County, Washington, Atlanta , Georgia, Atlanta

☆ Fact Check-Fabricated New York Post headline on ex-ABC journalist
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, on July 21, Meek pleaded guilty to transportation and possession of child sexual abuse material. The image circulating features a New York Post headline that reads, “Award winning ABC journalist who ‘debunked’ pizzagate, pleads guilty in horrific child porn case.” The post on X, previously known as Twitter, had garnered about 551 reposts at the time of writing (here). No such headline exists on the New York Post’ website, however ( here ), ( here ). The New York Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The New York Post did not publish a headline about ex-ABC journalist James Gordon Meek debunking “Pizzagate.”This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team.

Persons: James Gordon Meek, Meek, “, ‘, ’ pizzagate, Pizzagate, “ Pizzagate, ”, Edgar Welch, Ping Pong, Welch, Read Organizations: New York Post, ABC, U.S . Department of Justice, Twitter, New York, The New York Post, New York Times, Buzzfeed, Washington Post, Reuters Locations: Washington, North Carolina

☆ Moderation on a popular AI image generator can be easily circumvented to create images that drive conspiracy theories, new report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

For example, researchers said it's possible for users to use code words to create violent images of political figures. A new report shared with Bloomberg finds that users can easily circumvent filters on a popular AI image generator to create images that perpetuate misinformation. Midjourney, a generative AI platform, allows users to create images with certain guidelines. The terms also ban users from using the service to create images for political campaigns. He was caught in part because one of those campaign images featured a woman with three arms.

Persons: Midjourney, Hillary Clinton, John Podesta, Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump, Anthony Fauci, Anthony Furey Organizations: Bloomberg, Center, News, Toronto Locations: Washington

The report found that the FBI and DHS continue to spend more on international terrorism, despite saying for years that domestic terrorism now poses a greater threat to Americans. The report said a change in how the FBI categorizes domestic terrorism ideologies has been a hindrance to understanding the problem. In 2017, FBI created a new category of domestic terrorism ideology called “Black Identity Extremists,” but then stopped using it. The report also criticized the FBI and DHS as having been conservative in hunting for threat intelligence posted publicly on social media. Research conducted by MIT’s Technology Review found that “users consistently migrate from milder to more extreme content” on YouTube.

☆ Prayers, the pledge of allegiance and culture wars: Inside a Doug Mastriano rally in the final days of his long-shot bid for governor of Pennsylvania
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

A Doug Mastriano rally in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, featured praying and wading into culture wars. National and state Republican donors and groups have offered little support to his candidacy. "He's just been there the whole time," a Mastriano voter in Bucks County who only identified himself as Jeremy, told Insider. "You can't get your message out one-on-one to voters," Josh Novotney, a Pennsylvania GOP strategist, told Insider. "It's a different tactic and I pray it works," Joe Vichot, chairman of Lehigh County's GOP, told Insider.

☆ Suspect accused of politically motivated attack on Paul Pelosi was 'completely caught up in the fantasy, in the MAGA fantasy,' his boss says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Isabella Zavarise | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The suspect who attacked Paul Pelosi was consumed by conspiracy theories, The NYT reported. Frank Ciccarelli, a carpenter, worked with the suspect, David DePape, for about six years. Frank Ciccarelli, a carpenter in Berkeley, California, told the Times he worked with the suspect, David DePape, for about six years. Ciccarelli said DePape began to spend more time online over the last few years, engulfed in right-wing conspiracy theories, as per the news outlet. "He was completely caught up in the fantasy, in the MAGA fantasy," the carpenter told The Times.

☆ Why is Alex Jones getting sued — and why lawsuits are not enough
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Yunkang Yang | Dr. Yunkang Yang Is An Assistant Professor Of Communication At Texas A M University. An Expert In U.S. Right-Wing Media | Social Media | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

A Connecticut jury on Wednesday ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay nearly $1 billion for defaming the families of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting victims. Misinformation purveyors often use a variety of rhetorical techniques to create misleading impressions without making demonstrably false statements. Indeed, misinformation purveyors often use a variety of rhetorical techniques to create misleading impressions without making demonstrably false statements. These different layers provide a multiplicity of points of resistance to the efforts to hold misinformation purveyors accountable. But they are not a solution to the lie machines built by incredibly savvy, incredibly cynical pundits like Alex Jones.

☆ Satanic panic is making a comeback, fueled by QAnon believers and GOP influencers
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Brandy-Zadrozny-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Brandy Zadrozny | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +23 min

Utah County Attorney David O. Leavitt speaks on July 31, 2019, in Provo. The accusations were part of a new case from Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith. Discussion about satanism and satanic abuse has increased in recent years, according to data provided to NBC News by Zignal Labs, which analyzes social media conversations. Popular culture and social media have also ferried ideas about satanism and widespread child abuse from fringe to the mainstream. (Anti-LGBTQ politicians and activists have equated LGBTQ people with predators who abuse children as part of a “gay agenda,” the well-worn panic that the gay rights movement’s true motivation is recruitment.

☆ The internet can’t stop talking about Andrew Tate
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-16 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +13 min

TikTok videos tagged #AndrewTate have been viewed 12.7 billion times, according to the company’s hashtag page. But even that attention builds online momentum for Tate as a flashpoint in modern internet culture, one that some creators are refusing to encourage. “I’m getting a lot of hate and my family is at risk.”In the video, which was an episode of the “Tate Speech” podcast, Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, responded to accusations of sexism and misogyny. “Pizzagate” conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich describes Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, as his “friends.” Tristan Tate, who co-hosts the podcast “Tate Speech” with Andrew Tate, espouses views similar to those of his brother. As paying subscribers flooded TikTok with videos of Tate, popular creators scrambled to confront him over his misogynistic statements.

Search resuls for: "Pizzagate"

25 mentions found