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Anatomy of a lie: James Talarico got the flu – sending rightwing midterm misinformation machine into overdrive

Claims that James Talarico suffered a mental health crisis spread across rightwing media, offering a warning about disinformation ahead of the US midterm election Where is James Talarico? The question ricocheted around rightwing echo chambers before metastasising into a conspiracy theory – and a reminder of the persistent danger of disinformation in the…

Sources (1)· Oct 15, 10:00 AM

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The Guardian· Oct 15, 10:00 AMAnatomy of a lie: James Talarico got the flu – sending rightwing midterm misinformation machine into overdrive

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Before

L.A. voters worry about outside influence in midterm elections, new poll findsA poll suggests most L.A. County voters are confident with the county's handling of elections, but many worry that outside influence, including online misinformation and political interference, could taint the midterms.

Los Angeles Times18h agoWhole story →

Outspent and unknown, Democrat Vikki Goodwin gives Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick his toughest race yetThe race for Texas’ powerful second-in-command role pits a third-term GOP kingmaker against a state lawmaker who is riding the political tailwind felt by Democrats up and down the ballot.

The Texas Tribune18h agoWhole story →

Two states, two abortion ballot measures — and many challenges in reaching Gen Z votersThis story is part of Gen Z at the Ballot Box, a collaboration between States Newsroom and The 19th. Boise State University senior Cade Syvock opposes abortion. As president of the school’s chapter of the conservative group Turning Point USA, the organization founded by the late activist Charlie Kirk, Syvock helped coordinate anti-abortion protests on […]

The 19th18h agoWhole story →

YOLO Chuck: Schumer's final fightSenate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is on the cusp of leading his party to midterm victory and reclaiming his title as Senate majority leader. Winning the majority isn't guaranteed. But this son of Brooklyn, who has been in public life for 52 years, is more than favored to win a secret ballot to remain Democratic leader. Why it matters: At age…

Axios18h agoWhole story →

Why one of the US's reddest counties is losing faith in Trump – videoAs the midterm elections loom, Oliver Laughland and Tom Silverstone travel to rural West Virginia, a Republican party stronghold, to explore how soaring gas prices, war in the Middle East and datacenter expansion are affecting Donald Trump's popularity among his base. Although the state remains staunchly Republican, there are signs of a new politics…

The Guardian19h agoWhole story →

Since

DOJ sues California over mail ballots, alleging they were sent to noncitizensA banner featuring a photo of President Donald Trump hangs outside the Justice Department in Washington on June 15.

Roll Call5h agoSources (2)Whole story →

Watchdog Questions Zeldin’s Tour With Embattled GOP CandidatesIt’s not unusual for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin to be on the road touting the Trump administration’s agenda, but his travel itinerary in the weeks before the midterm election looks like a trail of political hot spots. On Thursday, Zeldin traveled to an auto repair shop and a construction firm in central Pennsylvania […]

Inside Climate News5h agoWhole story →

Feds probing suspicious letters to election officials, lawmakersFederal investigators said they are looking into suspicious letters containing unknown substances that were mailed to state election officials and congressional offices.

CBS News5h agoWhole story →

Newsom is OUTRAGED over Justice Department lawsuit to block votes from 20,000 'likely noncitizens'The U.S. Dept. of Justice is seeking an emergency injunction against California over 20,000 "likely noncitizen" people on the state's voter rolls. U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Dept. requested that California segregate any ballots from those registered voters in order to preserve election integrity. 'We filed an emergency court…

The Blaze5h agoWhole story →

Michigan Senate contest earns outsized attention from TrumpDemocrats hold the Michigan Senate seat on the ballot this fall, and Republican Mike Rogers is trying to pick it up for the Republicans. Ed O'Keefe has more details on the race and the latest on the Trump administration.

CBS News5h agoWhole story →

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Talarico rejects mental health conspiracy theory after return from fluUS Senate candidate James Talarico, who is eyeing an historic Democratic midterm win in Texas, pushed back against an online conspiracy theory that he had

Breitbart News Network3d agoWhole story →

Technology texas senate election

FACT FOCUS: Posts falsely claim Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico was at a mental facilityRepublican officials and conservative social media users are spreading unfounded rumors that state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee in a

Breitbart News Network3d agoWhole story →

Culture texas senate race

No, James Talarico was not in a mental health facility in OhioThe Senate candidate has maintained he was out with a "nasty case" of the flu and took time off to recover before the final stretch of his campaign.

The Dallas Morning News3d agoWhole story →

Government texas senate campaign

Texas Senate candidate James Talarico off the trail with the fluIn final stretch of the Texas Senate race, Talarico has not appeared in person since Sept. 26; he is expected to be back this weekend.

NBC News7d agoWhole story →

Culture texas senate race

Elon Musk Is the Midterms’ Biggest Disinformation RiskOver the weekend, a poorly constructed and very obviously fake claim about Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico sprang up on X only to almost instantly fall apart. The claim was that Talarico had been absent from the campaign trail not because he had the flu, as he and his campaign have said, but because […]

Mother Jones3d agoWhole story →

Technology midterm elections

James Talarico appears at Austin City Limits, nine days after he was last seen publicly on campaign trailTalarico's campaign has said he was battling the flu after his absence from public appearances made national headlines.

CBS News6d agoWhole story →

Government talarico campaign appearance

Right-Wing Smear Campaign Against James Talarico Collapses in Mere HoursA right-wing smear campaign against Texas Democratic US Senate candidate James Talarico fell apart in mere hours on Sunday. On Sunday afternoon, MAGA influencers Nick Sortor and Rhein Amacher posted a 45-second audio recording on social media that they claimed was of an employee at an Ohio mental health center stating that Talarico had been discharged…

Common Dreams4d agoWhole story →

Government texas senate campaign

Fox News Thinks James Talarico Should Have Stopped MAGA From Spreading Conspiracy Theory About HimPlenty of people on social media didn’t think it was Talarico’s job to protect his opponents from looking foolish.

HuffPost1d agoWhole story →

Anatomy of a lie: James Talarico got the flu – sending rightwing midterm misinformation machine into overdrive – KnowGov