On Saturday, Donald Trump shared a baseless conspiracy theory from Truth Social claiming Joe Biden was replaced with a robot clone after his alleged 2020 execution. This is not an isolated incident; Trump has previously promoted unfounded claims about the 2020 election, Barack Obama’s birthplace, and the Paul Pelosi attack. The conspiracy theory’s propagation is amplified by similar unfounded theories online and endorsements from Trump administration members like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has spread misinformation about vaccines and chemtrails. These actions have demonstrably contributed to the spread of these false narratives.
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On Saturday, Donald Trump shared a Truth Social post alleging that Joe Biden was executed in 2020 and replaced by clones or robots. This unsubstantiated claim, originating from a small account, contradicts the readily available evidence of Biden’s continued public presence and recent statements regarding his cancer diagnosis. The post follows Trump’s earlier insensitive remarks about Biden’s health battle, further fueling controversy. The incident highlights the spread of misinformation via social media and the impact of presidential endorsements on such narratives.
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President Trump’s Truth Social post alleging that President Biden was executed in 2020 and replaced by a clone places Biden among other public figures targeted by similar conspiracy theories, including Paul McCartney and Avril Lavigne. The post, which included purported evidence such as supposed changes in Biden’s eye color and earlobes, was quickly embraced by Trump supporters. This incident follows Trump’s recent reposting of a conspiracy theory about CBS, highlighting a weekend of amplified misinformation. The timing coincides with ongoing speculation about Biden’s health, further fueling the spread of these unsubstantiated claims.
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Despite scientific consensus that contrails are harmless water vapor, Louisiana House Bill 46, banning so-called “chemtrails,” passed 58-32. Representative Coates, the bill’s sponsor, alleges these trails consist of weather-modifying nanochemicals, citing aluminum and barium as examples, and claims involvement from multiple federal agencies, a claim denied by NOAA. Amendments added a reporting requirement for the Department of Environmental Quality but removed penalties, pending further investigation. The bill’s passage reflects the persistence of chemtrail conspiracy theories despite scientific refutation.
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We are all living in George Orwell’s world now, or at least, aspects of it feel disturbingly familiar. The ease with which misinformation spreads, the manipulation of language to control narratives, and the erosion of trust in institutions all echo themes from *Nineteen Eighty-Four*. The constant surveillance through our readily carried smartphones, voluntarily offering up vast amounts of personal data, surpasses even Orwell’s imagined telescreens in its scope and pervasiveness. We willingly carry these digital panopticons, far surpassing the involuntary nature of Orwell’s vision. The addictive nature of these devices, a detail Orwell missed, only amplifies their power to shape our thoughts and behaviors.… Continue reading
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” report, aiming to address rising childhood chronic diseases, contained numerous factual errors. NOTUS uncovered seven fabricated studies cited within the report, alongside misinterpretations of others, primarily concerning screen time, medication, and anxiety. Despite White House assurances of minor formatting errors and continued confidence in Kennedy, critics like Dr. Céline Gounder deem the inaccuracies unethical and potentially AI-generated. The report, which blames diet, activity levels, stress, and medications for the health crisis, will be updated, though its policy recommendations and requested $500 million funding remain pending.
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UN aid chief Tom Fletcher apologized for inaccurately stating that 14,000 babies faced imminent death in Gaza due to aid blockage, clarifying that the figure referred to a year’s worth of potential malnutrition cases, not a 48-hour period. He acknowledged the need for precise language while maintaining that Israel’s actions constitute a war crime by creating conditions of forced starvation. Fletcher also retracted claims of 10,000 ready aid trucks, emphasizing the urgency of the situation and calling on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to disavow policies contributing to the crisis. Despite the UN’s retraction and refusal to cooperate with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the GHF has independently distributed over 1.8 million meals.
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A US government report, authored by the Make America Healthy Again Commission and led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., claimed a “chronic disease crisis” in American children, citing poor diet, environmental toxins, and overmedicalization as contributing factors. However, the report included seven fabricated sources, with academics wrongly attributed as authors denying the existence of the cited studies. Following the discovery of these non-existent sources, the report was amended, though the White House maintained the report’s core conclusions. This incident prompted criticism from the Democratic National Committee and raises concerns about the validity of the report’s findings.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” report, commissioned by the Trump administration and touted as scientifically rigorous, contains fabricated studies and misrepresentations of existing research. An investigation revealed seven nonexistent studies, including purported research on ADHD medication and asthma overprescription, with researchers denying authorship. The report also mischaracterized several genuine studies, distorting their findings to support its conclusions. These citation failures are particularly concerning given Kennedy’s recent attacks on established medical journals and his plans for government-controlled publications. A forthcoming children’s health report raises further concerns about the administration’s reliance on this flawed research.
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X’s Community Notes fact-checking system, reliant on user input to flag misinformation, has inexplicably vanished from user feeds, raising concerns about the platform’s compliance with EU regulations regarding content moderation. While the system technically remains active, its absence leaves users more susceptible to false information. The outage, possibly linked to a recent data center fire and ongoing technical issues, coincides with an existing EU investigation into X’s content moderation practices. Experts note that while Community Notes had flaws, its disappearance exacerbates the spread of misinformation on the platform.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood