The Daily Populous

Thursday August 13rd, 2020 day edition

image for QAnon Followers Are Hijacking the #SaveTheChildren Movement

And speaking out against child exploitation, no matter your politics, is far from an objectionable stance.

“It’s probably one of the key things that’s attractive about QAnon,” said Marc-André Argentino, a doctoral student at Concordia University who studies QAnon’s social media presence.

“Everyone agrees that child trafficking is very bad, and the argument QAnon makes is, ‘If you’re against us talking about this, you’re in favor of child trafficking.’”.

Sometimes, QAnon followers spin factual information in a way that serves their aims.

Other times, the strategy involves latching on to conspiracy theories and inserting QAnon talking points.

The conspiracy theory went viral, and QAnon believers began sprinkling in their own supposedly incriminating details.

These allegations merged in the popular imagination, and soon unsuspecting people were sharing wild conspiracy theories that came straight from QAnon orthodoxy. »

One of the first successful Russian-backed misinformation efforts of the 2020 election tricked Donald Trump Jr. and Ted Cruz into helping spread false claims about Portland protesters

Authored by businessinsider.com

Prominent conservatives including Donald Trump Jr. and Sen. Ted Cruz retweeted misleading claims and footage attempting to depict Portland protesters as having burned a "stack of Bibles.".

But the narrative was originally set in motion by Russian-backed media outlet Ruptly, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

Several high-profile conservatives including Donald Trump Jr. and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas shared Russian misinformation, the The New York Times reported Tuesday. »

Ghislaine Maxwell fails to obtain delay in unsealing documents

Authored by reuters.com

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Wednesday rejected Ghislaine Maxwell’s request for a three-week delay in the unsealing of additional documents related to her dealings with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Lawyers for the British socialite, who faces criminal charges she aided Epstein’s sexual abuses, had on Monday said “critical new information” had surfaced that could affect Maxwell’s ability to obtain a fair trial, justifying the delay.

The documents come from a long-settled civil defamation case against Maxwell by Virginia Giuffre, who said Epstein kept her as a “sex slave” with Maxwell’s help. »