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</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: small;">mma 8 23 </div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: small;">...</div><div style="font-size: small;"><ul class="field field--name-field-stories-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden l--gutter-pull narrative-list" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px -56.2625px 1.5em; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li id="paragraph--section-heading--3451517" class="narrative-listitem-divider narrative-listitem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; padding: 0px 56.2625px 3rem; position: relative;"><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--section-heading paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;"><h2 class="field field--name-field-section-heading-text field--type-string field--label-hidden section-heading" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.33333; margin: 0px -112.525px; background-color: rgb(229, 251, 255); padding: 2.1rem 112.525px;">conspiracy theorists and right-wing media personalities use images and footage, some of which have been doctored, to claim the fire was caused intentionally</h2></div></li><li class="narrative-listitem-bullet narrative-listitem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; padding: 0px 56.2625px 3rem; position: relative;"><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;">While smoke from Canada’s wildfires <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/06/08/upshot/new-york-city-smoke.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">blanketed</a> U.S. cities in June, claims that these fires had been set deliberately by the U.S. government or some other antagonistic force, proliferated on <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/tiktok/tiktok-driving-conspiracy-theories-about-canadas-wildfires" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">TikTok.</a> These conspiracy theories were revived during the recent Hawaii wildfire, giving rise to more misleading content.<a href="https://twitter.com/RVAwonk/status/1689840406018551808?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">Images</a> of completely <a href="https://twitter.com/Shayan86/status/1691486661375406080?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">unrelated events</a> such as a SpaceX rocket launch or an oil refinery explosion, as well as <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWallace888/status/1690536031018242048?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">doctored</a> images of the actual Lahaina fire, were held up as proof that the public did not know “the truth” about what happened on Maui. The <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66457091" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">BBC</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-maui-fire-photos-misrepresented-conspiracy-555091357957" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">The Associated Press</a> were quick to contextualize the misleading content, some of which received millions of views on Twitter (recently rebranded as X), TikTok, and Instagram. Other conspiracy theorists continued to insist the damage caused by the fire looked in some way suspect. <a href="https://twitter.com/Milennial_con/status/1690842806405804032?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">Videos</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/JackMedia7/status/1690789744832139264?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">melted cars</a> on Lahaina’s iconic Front Street, burnt boats in the marina, and <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/4010273" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">aerial shots</a> of the decimated <a href="https://twitter.com/meantweeting1/status/1690170265072726016?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">neighborhoods</a> served as <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/4010259" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">evidence</a> that this was not the work of a regular wildfire, according to right-wing media personalities and online conspiracy theorists who cited some vehicles and palm trees that appeared to be less damaged than their surroundings. (“It’s actually very common that wildfires will burn out structures and vehicles but leave surrounding trees, utility poles, and other vegetation unscathed,” Michael Gollner, an associate professor of mechanical engineering who leads a fire research lab at the University of California, Berkeley, told <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-maui-wildfires-trees-poles-standing-944458337667" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">AP News</a>.)  <ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk suggested there is a cover-up happening in Lahaina, comparing the aftermath of the fires to the Chernobyl disaster: “There is something else going on here,” Kirk said. “This feels like Chernobyl. That something happened here and they do not want the world to find out.” [Real American’s Voice, The Charlie Kirk Show, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/4010368" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/21/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Newsmax host Greg Kelly suggests what happened in Maui wasn’t a forest fire: “I'm sorry, it doesn't look like one to me.” “Everything is crazy right now,” Kelly explained. “For instance, you know what happened in Maui. Actually, I don't think anybody knows what happened in Maui. This was a forest fire? I'm sorry, it doesn't look like one to me. I noticed in the early stages of this disaster, no one was really — excuse me — talking about the cause. It was just well, this horrible, horrible fire, But how did it start? Power lines? There are a lot of strange patterns that people are noticing. I don't think we have the full story yet.” [Newsmax, The Greg Kelly Show, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/greg-kelly/newsmaxs-greg-kelly-i-dont-think-anybody-knows-what-happened-maui" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/15/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Right-wing commentator Lana Asanin: Maui fire was a “devious act by the gIobalist oligarchs.” “‘A Fire That Melted Metal’ A DEW strike of catastrophic proportions in Maui. Devious act by the gIobalist oligarchs. It takes over 1200° degrees for many minutes in exact area to melt aluminum like this. Yet the pavement/concrete is not scorched at all. Even the trees didn’t burn. Doesn’t this question you at all ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MauiFires?src=hashtag_click" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;"> </a>#MauiFires #Hawaii.” [Twitter/X, <a href="https://twitter.com/LanaAsanin/status/1691210184943628288?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/14/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Video with 5.2 million views shared by conspiracy theory account Truth Pills: “This fire thing on Maui doesnt add up. How did all the boats on the water burn as well and there is a perfect circle of fire around the city.” [Twitter/X, <a href="https://twitter.com/pills_truth/status/1690058504449478656?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/11/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; list-style: none; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">QAnon account CBKNews, whose posts have garnered hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok, posted supposed screenshots taken from other social media with the caption: “Maui Hawaii two nights ago, it was an attack!!!!!!!?” A community note was later added to the post explaining that the image actually “dates back to a 2018 event in Michigan” and shows “a combination of a meteor, a fire, and a cold-weather phenomenon.” [Twitter/X, <a href="https://twitter.com/CBKNEWS121/status/1689692087338549250?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/10/23</a>; Snopes, <a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/did-energy-weapon-strike-michigan/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">1/18/18</a>]</li></ul></div></div></li><li id="paragraph--section-heading--3451518" class="narrative-listitem-divider narrative-listitem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; padding: 0px 56.2625px 3rem; position: relative;"><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--section-heading paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;"><h2 class="field field--name-field-section-heading-text field--type-string field--label-hidden section-heading" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.33333; margin: 0px -112.525px; background-color: rgb(229, 251, 255); padding: 2.1rem 112.525px;">Right-wing media baselessly claims that arsonists started the fire</h2></div></li><li class="narrative-listitem-bullet narrative-listitem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; padding: 0px 56.2625px 3rem; position: relative;"><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;">As news of the fire spread, right-wing media jumped to the evidence-free conclusion that it was the work of one or more arsonists — a <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/fox-breaks-out-all-tools-denier-playbook-downplay-climate-changes-role-western-wildfires" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">drumbeat</a> <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/google/youtube-made-money-videos-pushing-false-antifa-wildfires-claim" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">used</a> time and time again to delegitimize concerns about the role of climate change and extreme weather during wildfires. Scientists have <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-smoke-canada-climate-change-new-normal-f22a68e7df9688ef8eccd970efde3baf" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">warned</a> that a buildup of dry fuel during unusually hot and dry weather driven by climate change creates the perfect conditions for wildfires to spread quickly. In the case of Hawaii, a <a href="https://grist.org/extreme-weather/wildfires-just-destroyed-a-maui-town-next-year-could-be-worse/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">confluence of factors</a> including flash droughts in July, an “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/08/16/hawaii-fires-disaster-declarations/42292206-3c68-11ee-aefd-40c039a855ba_story.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">abundance of dry grass</a>,” and high winds from Hurricane Dora made the fires deadly. An <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-did-maui-fire-start-cause-lahaina-hawaii-wildfire/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">investigation</a> as to what exactly caused the fire is still underway, but <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/08/15/maui-fires-power-line-cause/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">video footage</a> suggests it could have been a faulty power line run by the state’s energy utility which malfunctioned during the heavy winds. <ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">The Daily Wire's Michael Knowles suggested “radical environmentalists” set the Maui wildfires and that recent evidence pointing to malfunctioning power lines was “a weak theory.” “The main theory of how the fire started, the one that you have most likely heard because it's the favorite of the establishment media, is that it was caused by catastrophic climate change, which, of course, it was not because catastrophic climate change or global warming or global cooling or whatever they're gonna call it tomorrow, is not real,” Knowles said. “Compared to the most likely culprit. Not just the most likely culprit in my mind, but, apparently, in the mind of Hawaiian officials. And that's arson. … And who would do such a thing? We can't say for certain who might have done it here, but we can say for certain the answer to who would do such a thing. And the answer is environmentalists.” [The Daily Wire, The Michael Knowles Show, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/michael-knowles/daily-wires-michael-knowles-suggests-radical-environmentalists-set-maui-wildfires#:_{:text=Not%20just%20the%20most%20likely,someone%20is%20intentionally%20setting%20them.}" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/21/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Infowars’ Alex Jones says Maui wildfires are “staged.” “And they've busted antifa and leftists all over the world,” Jones claimed. “Big fires in France right now, big fires in Germany. When the winds get high and it's dry, out come the Extinction Rebellion leftists. … They had emergency crews stand back and only protect elitist properties with the fire departments. So this is staged, but it wasn't done with a laser. Even though that's sexy and fun to talk about. It was done with a lighter or matches and gasoline. You can bet your bottom dollar on that.” [Infowars, The Alex Jones Show, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/alex-jones/alex-jones-says-maui-wildfires-are-staged-blames-globalists-and-antifa" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/14/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Executive director of climate denier organization CO2 Coalition Gregory Wrightstone said on OAN’s In Focus that the wildfires were “probably human-caused” even though “we haven’t seen any arrests for arson.” “The other interesting thing about Hawaii: Very, very few thunderstorms occur, so there were no noted lightning strikes during this period, so these were all probably human-caused and we haven't seen any arrests for arson,” Wrightstone said. “We know that two months ago, several people were arrested for setting fires.” [OAN, In Focus, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/4010253" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/13/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Steve Bannon said Hawaii fires were not influenced by climate change: “They’re saying it’s all climate change, climate change, climate change,” Bannon claimed. “You watch, when we find out, I believe 85% of these wildfires are started by humans, and right now they haven’t said — they’re saying they’re still investigating. So the climate change thing is just another part of the climate change cult, talking about this fire being a part of climate change.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/4009922" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/11/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Right-wing health influencer Mike Adams said the fire was started by “climate cultists trying to blame climate change.” “Was the catastrophic, deadly fire in Maui, Hawaii started by a #climate cultist trying to blame climate change for more disasters? No way to know for sure, but we've seen MANY cases of left-wing arsonists caught trying to start wildfires, which the left-wing media blamed on ‘climate change.’ Remember, there's NOTHING these lunatics won't do to terrorize the planet into obeying their climate cult agenda.” [Twitter/X, <a href="https://twitter.com/HealthRanger/status/1689706419044450304?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/10/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; list-style: none; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Frequent Fox News guest and climate change denier Steve Milloy: “Hawaii state officials suspected arsonists were at work in Maui previously. Now it is more expedient to blame 'climate change.' Scoundrels.” [Twitter/X,<a href="https://twitter.com/JunkScience/status/1689644761362333696?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;"> 8/10/23</a>]</li></ul></div></div></li><li id="paragraph--section-heading--3451519" class="narrative-listitem-divider narrative-listitem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; padding: 0px 56.2625px 3rem; position: relative;"><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--section-heading paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;"><h2 class="field field--name-field-section-heading-text field--type-string field--label-hidden section-heading" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.33333; margin: 0px -112.525px; background-color: rgb(229, 251, 255); padding: 2.1rem 112.525px;">Internet trolls blame 15-minute cities, renewable energy for the fire</h2></div></li><li class="narrative-listitem-bullet narrative-listitem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; padding: 0px 56.2625px 3rem; position: relative;"><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;">Conspiracy theorists have speculated that a so-called direct energy weapon attack could be motivated by a land grab facilitated by <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8NN7p5B/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">celebrities</a> with property on the island or an attempt by globalist elites to clear the historic town of Lahaina to make way for an AI-governed <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRWbajXw/" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">smart city</a> or a so-called 15-minute city.There is no evidence to back any of these claims. While some celebrities do own homes in Maui, their <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/oprah-winfrey-maui-wildfires-home-hawaii-1819611" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">properties</a> are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/10/us/maui-fires-celebrity-homes.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">not near</a> Lahaina. And needless to say, discussions of smart city technology and AI have been <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-pm-rishi-sunak-promise-big-ai-summit-but-running-out-of-time/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">internationally</a> <a href="https://fall.smartcitiesconnect.org/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">ubiquitous</a> for years. (These two concepts are separate from 15-minute cities, though some conspiracy theorists have conflated the ideas or used the terms interchangeably.) Though these concepts have faced some legitimate <a href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/why-the-luster-is-fading-on-once-vaunted-smart-cities" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">skepticism</a>, there is simply no connection to the wildfires.  <ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones said “globalists” wanted to make Maui a “smart island.” “There's no way that government was that incompetent,” Jones said. “They've had the globalists licking their lips, declaring they're going to make it a smart island. They have a conference coming up in just a week and a half. Oprah Winfrey and Zuckerberg and all of them saying they've been trying to force people to sell their land.” [Infowars, The Alex Jones Show, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/4010148" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/16/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Conspiracy theorist and crypto influencer Matt Wallace spread viral misinformation about the fires on Twitter and YouTube: “Now, A Lot of Those Locals Are Forced To Sell Their Land and Many Tragically Died in The Flames. Oprah Winfrey Has A Luxury Mansion in Maui; It’s Completely Fine. Jeff Bezos Has A Luxury Mansion in Maui; It’s Completely Fine. Lady Gaga Has A Luxury Mansion in Maui; It’s Completely Fine. Bill Gates Has A Luxury Mansion in Maui; It’s Completely Fine. Morgan Freeman Has A Luxury Mansion in Maui; It’s Completely Fine. Will Smith Has A Luxury Mansion in Maui; It’s Completely Fine. Julia Roberts Has A Luxury Mansion in Maui; It’s Completely Fine. HOW DID THE FIRE KNOW TO AVOID THE MOST EXPENSIVE MANSIONS? WAKE UP!” [Twitter/X, <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWallace888/status/1690818087229030400?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/13/23</a>] [YouTube, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/oDTUy_CiYF0?app=desktop&feature=share" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/13/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Conspiracy theorist and podcast host Liz Churchill: “Problem…Reaction…Solution. Hawaii allegedly voted to be the first AI governed WEF ‘Smart City’ Concentration Camp…and suddenly there’s a ‘Climate Change’ fire…and now they need to rebuild due to the ‘Climate Change Disasters’ that they are trying to pawn off as ‘natural’.” [Twitter/X, <a href="https://twitter.com/liz_churchill10/status/1691622760366153880?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/15/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; list-style: none; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Conspiracy news show Redacted: “Are the fires in #Maui a land grab scheme? Is it part of a WEF plan to make Maui a 15-minute island using only renewable energy? We'll explore the facts using U.S. government data and public sources, so you can draw your own conclusions.” #MauiFires #RenewableEnergy” [Twitter/X, <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRedactedInc/status/1691448576445190144?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/15/23</a>]</li></ul>To back up their claims, conspiracy theorists have fixated on a <a href="https://events.govtech.com/Hawaii-Digital-Government-Summit.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">Digital Government Summit</a> to be held in Honolulu in September, as well as <a href="https://lists.aisnet.org/pipermail/aisworld_lists.aisnet.org/20220429/044769.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">a conference</a> on information technology management that occurred in January. Both events have been occurring annually for years (the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences has been happening since 1968) and host discussions on a <a href="https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2023/aug/14/instagram-posts/no-hawaii-fires-werent-set-intentionally-to-turn-m/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">wide array</a> of topics, not just AI and smart cities. Renewable energy opponents have also circulated <a href="https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/07/12/green-highlights-hawaiis-sustainability-plans-keynote-address-un-meeting/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">a speech </a>that Hawaii Gov. Josh Green made at the United Nations Economic and Social Council in July touting the state’s sustainability accomplishments, and a 2018 article from the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/08/how-hawaii-plans-to-be-the-first-us-state-to-run-entirely-on-clean-energy/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">World Economic Forum</a> doing the same. But Hawaii’s own legislature has long been working toward its clean energy goals, and it isn’t surprising or controversial that its achievements are being internationally recognized. In Europe and the U.S., initiatives aiming to reduce traffic and curb pollution have triggered conservative fearmongering over the idea of <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/climate-deniers/right-wing-media-use-misinformation-around-15-minute-cities-pivot-toward-climate" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">15-minute cities,</a> an urban planning concept that necessities such as schools and grocery stores should be just a short walk or bike ride away, reducing the need to regularly commute substantial distances. Instead, right-wing media have inaccurately painted 15-minute cities as open-air prisons that would severely restrict travel.<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">QAnon streaming show Woke Societies: “I'm sure it was just a coincidence this tragedy occurred a month before the Digital Summit of 2023. My tin foil hat is tingly.” “Do you really wanna know what happened to Maui? This was perfectly orchestrated by elites like Oprah Winfrey, Jeff Bezos, and other celebrities to pour money into Lahaina Maui to usher the first smart city controlled by AI. … And I'm sure it was just a coincidence this tragedy occurred month before the Digital Summit of 2023. My tin foil hat is tingly. What do you think?” [Twitter/X, <a href="https://twitter.com/wokesocieties/status/1691171375774314498?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/14/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Right-wing conspiracy theorist Mindy Robinson wrote that “climate tyrants” will use the fire to “rebuild it as some dystopian ‘smart city.’” “How long before you think these climate tyrants use the Maui fire as an excuse to rebuild it as some dystopian ‘smart city’ …on the tax payers dime, of course? Anyone else getting tired of watching our government fail, so the criminals in DC can profit off murdering us?” [Twitter/X, <a href="https://twitter.com/iheartmindy/status/1691135129060888576?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/14/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Writer Efrat Fenigson said the goal of the fires was to turn a “historical town” into an “entire island governed by AI” with “everything electric.” “Remember ‘Build Back Better’? The picture gets clearer after reading this: ‘The government of Hawaii states goal for rebuild is to make the entire island of Maui the first Smart ISLAND. They want the entire island governed by AI as outlined in the Hawaii Digital government summit of 2023 that they have planned to host next month Monday, September 25, 2023 on Maui. Plans to implement a Digital AI government in Hawaii. … Last January of 2023 there was a Smart City Conference in Maui to turn Maui in an entire smart city ISLAND. Pushing everything electric and making 15 minute smart cities. Lastly there was a contract last year that was signed to build high-rise condos and businesses in Lahaina.. which was a historical town that couldn’t have any new development done to it.. but now? It can.#MauiFire” [Twitter/X, <a href="https://twitter.com/efenigson/status/1691033876703870976?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/14/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Health influencer Raylene Short in a video on TikTok with over 1 million views argued that the goal of the fires was to clear the way for 15-minute smart cities and making “the entire island governed by AI.” “The government of Hawaii states their goal is to rebuild and make the entire island of Maui the first smart island. They want the entire island governed by AI, it’s outlined in the Hawaii Digital Government Summit of 2023 that they plan to host next month on September 25, 2023, on Maui. Wow, now they’re going to come to the rescue for this horrible problem. And last January in 2023 there was a smart city conference in Maui, to turn Maui again into the smart city island, pushing everything electric, making 15-minute smart cities.” [TikTok, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/4010224" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/13/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">In a video with nearly 400,000 views, one TikTok creator claimed that the fires were in response to “pushback” against making Lahaina a 15-minute city and alluded to the use of “directed energy weapons.” “The plan was to do something to Lahaina and turn it into a smart city. They were talking about smart streets, smart cars, smart cities. Well, what’s a smart city? Or a 15-minute city? Look it up, 15-minute city. A 15-minute city is basically a big-ass high rise. … That’s what they want to do. Who’s they? Well, you’re going to have to look into that and figure that out because I’m not going to say it on this platform. … When they pushback, all of the sudden, there’s a fire.” [TikTok, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/4010199" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/14/23</a>]   </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; list-style: none; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">CBKNews: “Maui Hawaii DEW 15 minute city world economic forum wef Klaus Schwab laser #MauiFires Lahaina #lahainafires Hawaii #hawaiifires direct energy weapon Joe biden is a pos. There are no coincidences.” [Twitter/X, <a href="https://twitter.com/CBKNEWS121/status/1691222290258644992?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/14/23</a>]</li></ul></div></div></li><li id="paragraph--section-heading--3451520" class="narrative-listitem-divider narrative-listitem" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; padding: 0px 56.2625px 3rem; position: relative;"><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--section-heading paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;"><h2 class="field field--name-field-section-heading-text field--type-string field--label-hidden section-heading" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.33333; margin: 0px -112.525px; padding: 2.1rem 112.525px;">Chinese satellite and “Directed Energy Weapons” become scapegoats</h2></div></li><li class="narrative-listitem-bullet narrative-listitem" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; padding: 0px 56.2625px 3rem; position: relative;"><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;">For years, conspiracy theorists have attributed wildfires to <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/jg5dpb/maui-fire-laser-beam-conspiracy-twitter" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">government weapons</a> supposedly capable of doing so from space<a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/jg5dpb/maui-fire-laser-beam-conspiracy-twitter" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;"> and passing them off as accidental.</a> The idea has resurfaced once again as images and videos purporting to depict a so-called “directed energy weapon” being used to start the fire in Hawaii have spread online.<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">QAnon influencer John Sabal, known online as QAnon John: The fire was started “to DESTROY the island of Maui using Directed Energy Weapons.” “Just made a thread on X about the TRUTH on what is happening with the MAUI WILDFIRES. here is a COORDINATED effort to DESTROY the island of Maui using Directed Energy Weapons, to build a WEF ‘Smart City’ in its place, that is governed completely by Artificial Intelligence!” [Telegram, <a href="https://t.me/PatriotVoiceOfficial/34518" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/13/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">QAnon influencer Michael Jaco said the fire was aused by directed energy weapons in coordination with a human-made hurricane. “DEW used to start and target these fires at just the right time as their HAARP created hurricane passes to the south. Probably on it's way to China. At least 36 dead as fires lay waste to Hawaii, county reports.” [Twitter/X, <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelJaco9/status/1689609919312314368?s=20" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/10/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Conspiracy theorist Stew Peters: “The Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) being used on Hawaii are powerful enough to set the Pacific Ocean on fire.” [Twitter/X,<a href="https://archive.is/fZHjV" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;"> 8/10/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Stew Peters: “Only a Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) can cause this kind of destruction.” “Lahaina, Maui has been RAZED to the ground. The claim that the these ‘wildfires’ were spread by hurricane force winds is bogus bc along with hurricane winds comes LOTS of RAIN. Only a Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) can cause this kind of destruction.” [Twitter/X, <a href="https://twitter.com/realstewpeters/status/1689618791586750464?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/10/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; list-style: none; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Health influencer and anti-vaccine influencer Daniel “Alec” Zeck: “I’ve had several people on Maui tell me they believe that the fires were caused by Direct Energy Weapons. We know the Agenda 2030 maps have ecological zones set aside that only select humans can live in. We know that they want climate lockdowns next.” [Twitter/X, <a href="https://twitter.com/Alec_Zeck/status/1689814417771241472?s=20" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/10/23</a>]</li></ul>There is no evidence of a space laser targeting Hawaii, nor is there any indication of foreign interference tied to the wildfires. But an incident involving a Chinese satellite that occurred seven months ago is now being used to inaccurately blame China. In late January 2023, a telescope on Mauna Kea picked an up image of <a href="https://www.khon2.com/local-news/chinese-satellite-lasers-recorded-over-hawaii/" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">green laser beams</a> over Hawaii. The lights turned out to be coming from a <a href="https://www.khon2.com/local-news/chinese-satellite-lasers-recorded-over-hawaii/" style="background: rgb(255, 153, 0); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">Chinese satellite</a> reportedly collecting data on pollution, but conspiracy theorists are now using the incident to suggest foul play behind the Maui fire.<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Far-right commentator Chuck Callesto: “Chinese satellite has been caught on video BEAMING DOWN GREEN LASERS over the Hawaiian Islands.” “JUST IN: News clip from Jan 2023 reveals astronomers claiming Chinese satellite has been caught on video BEAMING DOWN GREEN LASERS over the Hawaiian Islands. I’ve seen A-LOT of images and laser talk on Hawaii, haven’t put much behind it until this.” [Twitter/X, <a href="https://twitter.com/ChuckCallesto/status/1690480292841025536?s=20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/12/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Right-wing podcast host Chase Geiser suggests the wildfire was connected to “mysterious bright green lasers.” “Were Hawaii’s wildfires deliberately caused by China? In the shadows of Hawaii's sacred Haleakalā volcano, a situation with global implications is unfolding. Just a day before the Space Force grappled with a significant fuel spill atop this cultural landmark, mysterious bright green lasers lit up the night sky above the island, with suspicions pointing towards China. Could there be a connection?” [Twitter/X, <a href="https://twitter.com/realchasegeiser/status/1689908609805606912?s=20" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/11/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Crypto influencer and right-wing conspiracy theorist Tara Bull suggested the lasers are also being used to obscure news about the fire: “Does anyone remember the Chinese lasers over Hawaii? ‘They can shut down any communication nodes if they believe the public is getting too much information.’ –Ray L'Heureux Are you paying attention yet?” [Twitter/X, <a href="https://twitter.com/TaraBull808/status/1690177274023448576?s=20" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/11/23</a>]  </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; list-style: none; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Right-wing streamer Tim Pool defended past comments from Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-GA) claiming <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/facebook/marjorie-taylor-greene-penned-conspiracy-theory-laser-beam-space-started-deadly-2018" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">Rothschild-controlled space lasers</a> were used to start a California wildfire in 2018 and suggested she was partly proved right in Hawaii. “Look, we are not on good terms with China right now,” Pool said. “How hard is it to start a fire? It’s ridiculously easy to start a fire. And they can fire lasers.” He later added, “Remember when Marjorie Taylor Green argued that there were like space lasers that could start fires? ... Well, I don’t know about all of that but I can tell you that we have video of lasers being fired from satellites.” [Timcast IRL, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/4010143" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/10/23</a>]</li></ul></div></div></li><li id="paragraph--section-heading--3451521" class="narrative-listitem-divider narrative-listitem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; padding: 0px 56.2625px 3rem; position: relative;"><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--section-heading paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;"><h2 class="field field--name-field-section-heading-text field--type-string field--label-hidden section-heading" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.33333; margin: 0px -112.525px; padding: 2.1rem 112.525px;">YouTube and Meta are allowing posts with misinformation about the fires to be monetized</h2></div></li><li class="narrative-listitem-bullet narrative-listitem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; padding: 0px 56.2625px 3rem; position: relative;"><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;">On YouTube, ads appeared on videos promoting the idea that the fire was started by a directed energy weapon, meaning that both the creators and the platform profited. On Meta, posts pushing similar conspiracy theories were monetized, despite the fact that similar organic posts received <a href="https://archive.org/details/screenshot-210" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">fact-check labels</a>, meaning that the ads <a href="https://transparency.fb.com/policies/ad-standards/unacceptable-content/misinformation" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">violate Meta's own rules</a>. <ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">An Instagram ad ran that included a video suggesting that the fire was started by a laser that “could be programmed for different wavelengths.” [Instagram, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/4010439" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/22/23</a>] </li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">A Facebook and Instagram ad ran that included a video claiming that the fire was deliberately started as part of a <a href="https://www.poynter.org/?ifcn_misinformation=the-blue-beam-a-joint-project-of-nasa-and-the-united-nations-uses-the-most-powerful-technologies-to-spread-a-new-religion-on-earth-and-create-various-simulation-images-to-establish-total-control-ove" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">government effort</a> to control people using top-secret technology. [Facebook, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/4010322" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/19/23</a>] </li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; list-style: none; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">YouTube monetized a video titled “Hawaii Maui Wildfires. We're LASER FOCUSED DEW.” [YouTube, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/4010324" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/19/23</a>]</li></ul><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; list-style: none; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">An Instagram ad ran that claimed that the Mountain Dew flavor “Maui Burst” was a signal from those in power that the fire was caused by a directed energy weapon, or DEW, and that the government deliberately started the fire to build a smart city: One post claimed that “what happened in Maui was by no means an accident and this mountain dew (Direct Energy Weapons) Maui burst flavor is definitely not just a mere ‘coincidence’ either! Remember, this is exactly how witchcraft and occult works.” [Instagram, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/4010300" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/15/23</a>]</li></ul><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; list-style: none; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">YouTube monetized a video from the conspiracy theory channel THE END OF THE BEGINNING with the title “SHARE THIS! GREEN LASERS FROM “SPY BALLOON” LIKELY MAPPED OUT TARGET FOR MAUI D.E.W!” [YouTube, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/4010293" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/14/23</a>]</li></ul><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; list-style: none; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">YouTube monetized a video from a doomsday prepper channel with the title “Maui Fire Survival Lessons and Laser Weapons?” The creator said in the video, “There’s a lot of interesting timing based on new reporting surrounding things like laser weapons which may have some correlation depending on how you want to look at it.” [YouTube, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/4010294" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/13/23</a>]</li></ul><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; list-style: none; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">YouTube monetized two videos about the fire from conspiracy theorist and crypto influencer Matt Wallace suggesting that a military weapon was used in Maui and the mansions of “elites” were purposefully spared. [YouTube, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/4010298" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/13/23</a>, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/4010299" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">8/13/23</a>]</li></ul></div></div></li></ul></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: small;">=</div>