When President Biden’s campaign began flogging “Dark Brandon” merch on its website, my spidey sense started tingling. The sensation rose when a PAC backing former President Donald Trump released an ad mocking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s “pudding fingers.” By the time DeSantis announced he would be kicking off his campaign on Twitter Spaces with the help of Twitter owner Elon Musk, it was undeniable: 2024 is shaping up to be the most online election we’ve ever seen. If these references to pudding fingers and glowing-eyed Biden memes bemuse you, congratulations. You probably don’t spend...…When President Biden’s campaign began flogging “Dark Brandon” merch on its website, my spidey sense started tingling. The sensation rose when a PAC backing former President Donald Trump released an ad mocking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s “pudding fingers.” By the time DeSantis announced he would be kicking off his campaign on Twitter Spaces with the help of Twitter owner Elon Musk, it was undeniable: 2024 is shaping up to be the most online election we’ve ever seen. If these references to pudding fingers and glowing-eyed Biden memes bemuse you, congratulations. You probably don’t spend...WW…

Republicans about election security these days. Fueled in part by the “Big Lie,” the baseless claim that there was widespread fraud in last year’s election, Republican lawmakers around the country have to prevent what they saw as a nightmare scenario from happening again. While the motivation to improve election security is spurious, the ostensible goal isn’t — everyone would agree that a secure election is important for democracy. Experts say there’s one very effective way for state legislatures to make the voting process more secure: pass legislation to update voting machines. But instead...…Republicans about election security these days. Fueled in part by the “Big Lie,” the baseless claim that there was widespread fraud in last year’s election, Republican lawmakers around the country have to prevent what they saw as a nightmare scenario from happening again. While the motivation to improve election security is spurious, the ostensible goal isn’t — everyone would agree that a secure election is important for democracy. Experts say there’s one very effective way for state legislatures to make the voting process more secure: pass legislation to update voting machines. But instead...WW…

Before Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene outside the House chamber, , or in the halls of the Capitol complex, she was just a candidate in a Republican primary in Georgia.Eight others were running to be the Republican nominee in the state’s 14th Congressional District, one of the reddest in Georgia. During the primary, she that Democratic megadonor George Soros, who is Jewish, was an “enemy of the people,” about her Islamophobic social media posts, and to obliterate a sign that read “socialism.” She with 57 percent of the vote.Ever since, she has been a source of controversy. Some of Greene’s most...…Before Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene outside the House chamber, , or in the halls of the Capitol complex, she was just a candidate in a Republican primary in Georgia.Eight others were running to be the Republican nominee in the state’s 14th Congressional District, one of the reddest in Georgia. During the primary, she that Democratic megadonor George Soros, who is Jewish, was an “enemy of the people,” about her Islamophobic social media posts, and to obliterate a sign that read “socialism.” She with 57 percent of the vote.Ever since, she has been a source of controversy. Some of Greene’s most...WW…

One week after his first drop, Q was already quoting scripture. “The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing,” Q posted on the imageboard site 4chan. The line was from Psalm 23, possibly the most well-known of the 150 psalms, and a beacon of hope for Christians going through challenging times. Is it any wonder that the fringe conspiracy theory QAnon has attracted true believers in every sense of the word?QAnon revolves around the baseless belief that former President Donald Trump is fighting a secret war against a global cabal of Democratic elites who are Satan-worshipping, cannibalistic...…One week after his first drop, Q was already quoting scripture. “The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing,” Q posted on the imageboard site 4chan. The line was from Psalm 23, possibly the most well-known of the 150 psalms, and a beacon of hope for Christians going through challenging times. Is it any wonder that the fringe conspiracy theory QAnon has attracted true believers in every sense of the word?QAnon revolves around the baseless belief that former President Donald Trump is fighting a secret war against a global cabal of Democratic elites who are Satan-worshipping, cannibalistic...WW…

It didn’t take long for the neo-Nazis to show up. Minutes after Joe Biden’s inauguration, as followers of QAnon were trying to understand how had not come to fruition, white nationalists saw a slate of potential recruits.“Don’t let this moment slip by. Capitalize on their anger. Radicalize!” read one message that circulated among far-right channels on Telegram, a messaging app favored by the alt-right and s.“Demoralization will give way to righteous hate, in defense of that which they love,” read another, in a militia chat thread.“Never let a crisis go to waste,” a popular Telegram figure...…It didn’t take long for the neo-Nazis to show up. Minutes after Joe Biden’s inauguration, as followers of QAnon were trying to understand how had not come to fruition, white nationalists saw a slate of potential recruits.“Don’t let this moment slip by. Capitalize on their anger. Radicalize!” read one message that circulated among far-right channels on Telegram, a messaging app favored by the alt-right and s.“Demoralization will give way to righteous hate, in defense of that which they love,” read another, in a militia chat thread.“Never let a crisis go to waste,” a popular Telegram figure...WW…

f you took one look at the Facebook group Vaccines Exposed, it seemed clear what it was all about. It was “a group opposed to deadly vaccinations,” with over 13,000 members on a platform known to harbor anti-vaccination conspiracy theories. Some of its followers’ recent posts included a video falsely claiming the COVID-19 vaccine will kill people and a post claiming children are having cancer “injected into them. #facts.” Standard anti-vaxx fare.It was so convincing, Facebook removed the group January 15 for violating the site’s community standards. But Vaccines Exposed was really a...…f you took one look at the Facebook group Vaccines Exposed, it seemed clear what it was all about. It was “a group opposed to deadly vaccinations,” with over 13,000 members on a platform known to harbor anti-vaccination conspiracy theories. Some of its followers’ recent posts included a video falsely claiming the COVID-19 vaccine will kill people and a post claiming children are having cancer “injected into them. #facts.” Standard anti-vaxx fare.It was so convincing, Facebook removed the group January 15 for violating the site’s community standards. But Vaccines Exposed was really a...WW…

Most political obsessives who President-elect Joe Biden might pick to be in his Cabinet are focused on the flashy positions: secretary of state, secretary of defense, attorney general. Then there are us nerds, who are keen to find out who will be the new chair of the Federal Communications Commission.President Trump loves to talk and tweet about his feelings on tech, though his agenda wasn’t exactly clear and consistent. But tech policy is increasingly important in our everyday lives, especially as the pandemic has made us rely more heavily on our devices and internet connections.Biden will...…Most political obsessives who President-elect Joe Biden might pick to be in his Cabinet are focused on the flashy positions: secretary of state, secretary of defense, attorney general. Then there are us nerds, who are keen to find out who will be the new chair of the Federal Communications Commission.President Trump loves to talk and tweet about his feelings on tech, though his agenda wasn’t exactly clear and consistent. But tech policy is increasingly important in our everyday lives, especially as the pandemic has made us rely more heavily on our devices and internet connections.Biden will...WW…

A significant number of Americans currently believe the 2020 election was stolen, even though it wasn’t. A showed 52 percent of Republicans believe President Trump “rightfully won” the election. But the only “evidence” of election fraud .An optimist might think the public will gradually drop this election fraud myth as the Trump campaign’s lawsuits , recounts and audits are conducted, and, eventually, Joe Biden is sworn in as president. But we’ve seen Trump try to falsely claim a president is illegitimate before, as he spent years claiming without evidence that President Obama wasn’t born...…A significant number of Americans currently believe the 2020 election was stolen, even though it wasn’t. A showed 52 percent of Republicans believe President Trump “rightfully won” the election. But the only “evidence” of election fraud .An optimist might think the public will gradually drop this election fraud myth as the Trump campaign’s lawsuits , recounts and audits are conducted, and, eventually, Joe Biden is sworn in as president. But we’ve seen Trump try to falsely claim a president is illegitimate before, as he spent years claiming without evidence that President Obama wasn’t born...WW…

It started with a drizzle but quickly turned into a downpour: Disinformation about the election, and in particular unfounded claims of election fraud, has flooded the internet over the past week. And Americans were primed to believe it.Dozens of false claims shared on social media and partisans energized. Pro-Trump Facebook groups that dispute the election results have attracted tens of thousands of users and become a lively marketplace for exchanging disinformation (until ). And President Trump’s supporters have shown up in person as well to .Meanwhile, polls show a substantial percentage...…It started with a drizzle but quickly turned into a downpour: Disinformation about the election, and in particular unfounded claims of election fraud, has flooded the internet over the past week. And Americans were primed to believe it.Dozens of false claims shared on social media and partisans energized. Pro-Trump Facebook groups that dispute the election results have attracted tens of thousands of users and become a lively marketplace for exchanging disinformation (until ). And President Trump’s supporters have shown up in person as well to .Meanwhile, polls show a substantial percentage...WW…

It’s hard to argue against a phrase like “save the children.” Which, presumably, is why QAnon uses it as a hashtag. The growing online conspiracy cult has co-opted the phrase to push falsehoods about pedophiles who run the world. But in promoting its radical worldview, QAnon has made life difficult for the organizations actually trying to save children. And the results could be putting kids at risk.QAnon is a baseless conspiracy regardless of how deep you go, but its fixation on pedophilia is particularly unmoored. Devoted QAnon followers believe — to varying levels of detail — that there...…It’s hard to argue against a phrase like “save the children.” Which, presumably, is why QAnon uses it as a hashtag. The growing online conspiracy cult has co-opted the phrase to push falsehoods about pedophiles who run the world. But in promoting its radical worldview, QAnon has made life difficult for the organizations actually trying to save children. And the results could be putting kids at risk.QAnon is a baseless conspiracy regardless of how deep you go, but its fixation on pedophilia is particularly unmoored. Devoted QAnon followers believe — to varying levels of detail — that there...WW…