Latest Conspiracy theories News

Conspiracy theories swirl around Taylor Swift. These Republican voters say they don't care

Feb. 08, 2024 08:47 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — To hear some conservatives on cable news or on social media tell it, Taylor Swift is part of an elaborate plot to help Democrats win the November election. “I wonder who’s going to win the Super Bowl next month," wrote former Republican presidential candidate...

Q&A: Nearly a year after their buzzy hit single, The Last Dinner Party releases debut album

Feb. 01, 2024 16:15 PM EST

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In the last several decades, rock music has been declared dead countless times. But the flame that animates the spirit of the genre always seems to reignite — even if it looks different than before. The Last Dinner Party is the latest iteration of the trick...

How Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce became the focus of baseless political conspiracy theories

Jan. 31, 2024 21:18 PM EST

The budding love story featuring music superstar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce took an unexpected turn into the world of political conspiracy theories this week after the team advanced to the Super Bowl. Myriad baseless rumors emerged on social media —...

Takeaways from the AP's look at the role of conspiracy theories in American politics and society

Jan. 31, 2024 18:23 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Conspiracy theories have a long history. Humans have always speculated about secret motives and plots as a way to understand their world and avoid danger. These days, however, conspiracy theories and those who believe them seem to be playing an...

Secret history: Even before the revolution, America was a nation of conspiracy theorists

Jan. 31, 2024 18:02 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — A brutal conflict in Europe was fresh in people's minds and the race for the White House turned ugly as talk of secret societies and corruption roiled the United States. It was 1800, and conspiracy theories were flourishing across America. Partisan newspapers...

Conspiracy Theories: Why we want to believe when the facts often aren't there

Jan. 31, 2024 15:30 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — From fears about vaccines containing microchips to election rigging, conspiracy theories are popping up everywhere. But belief in conspiracy theories isn't new and it's quite common, according to decades of surveys. Psychologists say conspiracy...

Days of Darkness: How one woman escaped the conspiracy theory trap that has ensnared millions

Jan. 31, 2024 12:27 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — At first his stories seemed harmless. Tales about secret organizations plotting to take over the world, about the good guys working to save it, and about the proof that, if you knew where to look, was hiding in plain sight. To Ramona, her boyfriend Don's tales of...

Grave peril of digital conspiracy theories: 'What happens when no one believes anything anymore?'

Jan. 31, 2024 10:38 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Days after Maui's wildfires killed scores of people and destroyed thousands of homes last August, a shocking claim spread with alarming speed on YouTube and TikTok: The blaze on the Hawaiian island was set deliberately, using futuristic energy weapons developed by the U.S....

Miracle cures: Online conspiracy theories are creating a new age of unproven medical treatments

Jan. 31, 2024 10:33 AM EST

BUTLER, Pa. (AP) — The hotel on the outskirts of town looks a lot like lodging one can find on any American highway. Over the years it has been a Holiday Inn and a Days Inn. The sign outside now bears the brand of a new, growing chain. One that promises a lot more than a good night’s sleep. ...

In small-town Wisconsin, looking for the roots of the modern American conspiracy theory

Jan. 21, 2024 18:25 PM EST

APPLETON, Wis. (AP) — The decades fall away as you open the front doors. It’s the late 1950s in the cramped little offices — or maybe the pre-hippie 1960s. It’s a place where army-style buzz cuts are still in fashion, communism remains the primary enemy and the decor is...