The Atlantic

<em>The Atlantic</em> Daily: This Era Breeds a Certain Kind of Conspiracy Theorist

The Jeffrey Epstein case is a window into why so many Americans let their imagination run wild when it comes to elite corruption. Plus: R. Kelly, TikTok, and more
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It’s Friday, July 12. In today’s issue: the anatomy of a conspiracy, the R. Kelly saga, the internet’s hottest new club, and more.


What We’re Following

The sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged abuses read as if they were forged directly from the online conspiracy fever swamp. “From the creepily decorated mansion to the flights on ‘the Lolita Express’ to the stays on ‘Orgy Island’”—these nightmarish details have “some of America’s most outspoken conspiracists ... taking victory laps,” McKay Coppins writes. Underground child

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