Anna Merlan

Even as scientists study a drug used to deworm dogs as a COVID treatment, the loudest people online claim it’s a miracle cure, and that inquiry into it is being suppressed.

Federal investigators, a staff exodus, and a disastrous appearance at a conspiracy conference have the anti-trafficking charity facing unprecedented pressure.

Motherboard’s attempts to learn more about how a Zoom dick incident at The Believer led, staffers say, to a bizarre campaign.

TikTok continues to ignore misinformation on its platform, as it gets weirder and more explicitly vaccine-focused.

“Vaccine passports” and talk of mandatory vaccinations have been boogeymen for health conspiracy theorists for decades. But they helped get us here.

Whether they’re helping you spot a hoax or talk your loved ones out of a wacky idea, these books about conspiracy theories are invaluable.

At least five states are considering bills based on language written by a fringe group. Across the U.S., legislators are promoting bad science and COVID denial.

From terminology to avoid to the country’s record number of anti-trans bills, here’s what to read.

VICE Magazine’s Fame issue dissects how celebrity became so slippery.

A mysterious star of the early reality TV era reflects on summer camp, the weird nature of viral fame, and the real reason she was kicked out of Brush Ranch.

Operation Underground Railroad claims to save child sex slaves. People on the ground describe disturbingly amateurish operations that could endanger those they’re meant to help.

VAERS, a database of reports of vaccine side effects, is being abused by people trying to sow fear. It’s not the first time.

People tracking their descent into paranoia are already concerned about what could go wrong.

Purveyors of lion-themed merchandise are already hawking their wares to Trump enthusiasts who believe a second coming is nigh.

“I love all my family. That doesn’t go away. But I don’t know how to deal with it.”

Medical professionals, unfortunately, are as prone to hesitancy and misinformation as the rest of us.

“I completely understand how exhausted everyone can be. But I think you have to remember the sacrifices we make aren’t for nothing.”

Read up on key issues like climate change, racial equality, public health, and more — because no matter what happens next week, the work isn’t over.

Kerri Rivera, an infamous autism “expert,” runs a private Telegram group where members give potentially deadly advice. An apparent emergency shows just what can go wrong.

The renowned music producer Detail was arrested in August and charged with sexual abuse against six women. But his alleged violence wasn’t a secret: Women say they’ve spent years looking for accountability in civil court.