Trump's Pardon Promise, The Islamic State's Iran Attack, Jeffrey Epstein Conspiracies
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Donal trump is making one campaign promise central to his bid for president if elected. Hill issue pardons for rioters convicted in connection with the january six attack on the U. S. ital.

Can he do that? And what congress or the courts have the power to stop him and they afforded. And this is up first from N.

P. R. news. The islamic state claimed responsibility for a double suicide bombing that killed more than eighty people in the iran this week. The violence on the extremist group once controlled sprawlin sash of iraq and syria, but was largely dismantled.

Why do they have their sites set on iran? And a growing trove of court documents related to convicted sex traffic, or Jeffery estein, has revived conspiracy theories. What are people saying in the darkest corners of the web? Say, with us will give you the news, you need to start your day.

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This weekend Marks three years since a mob of trump supporters violently stormed the U. S. capital.

Since the january six interaction, around nine hundred people have pleaded guilty or been convicted of criminal charges stabling from that day. The FBI continues to make arrests every week. The future of those cases may now hinge on the presidential election. That's because Donald trump has promised to part in january six defendants if he returns to the White house. And here tom dries buck has been covering the capital right since that day.

and he joins me now. Good morning. Good morning.

So what exactly has trump s said about what he'll do with these cases?

Well, at this point, trump has fully embraced to january six. That is a very first campaign rally of the election cycle. He played a song, features the voices of january six defendants recorded from jail singing the star spangled banner.

Trump refers to these defendants as patriots are being politically persecuted. In his view, he's also helped to raise money for their cases, at least ten thousand dollars that we know of. In his dump speech, trump calls the defendants in prison hostages, and he's talked about freeing or pardoning these defendants at one point. Even shared an image on social media that, quote, the cops should be charged and the protesters should be freed.

So has trust that exactly which people who would part in or for what charges is at all of them?

You like a lot of trump campaign promises. This one is a little bit vae. Trump has announced that partners would come on day one of his presidency and that he would part in, quote, a large portion of defendants outside of a couple.

But beyond that, I get sketchy. On fox news. Last year, bret bear asked for specifics about writers convicted of violent crimes. You also.

apart on the people who are convicted of assaulting office, you also have would look at individual cases. But many of those people are stand people. They didn't.

Nothing grow. Trump is also left the door up into partial. The former leader of the extremist group, the proud boys in richert, was his name, and he was convicted of ciders ous conspiracy and sentenced to twenty two years in prison. At times, trumPeter said, free all of the defendants. I asked the trump campaign about this, but they didn't respond.

So what would that mean for these cases?

Well, if trump is elected, he would have the power to part in each and every. January six defended. If he wanted to illegally, congress in the courts would not be able to block him.

Practically speaking, those partners would mean halting ongoing cases, releasing people from prisoner probation and for the people convicted of feline as hundreds of defendants, IT would mean restoring the right to own guns. I should say that some of these defendants have expressed remorse, even renounced trump, but others have further embraced conspiracy theories, White nationalism and the government extremism. One defender told me that the government had made an enemy by arresting him.

I talked about this with tom jostling. He was a senior staff member for the congressional select committee that investigated january six. And he is also an expert on counterterrorism.

certainly by partner ing untold number of people who committed violent acts, the likelihood, more violence.

certain ly goes up. So truck is also facing a criminal trial for trying to overturn the election, and prosecutors say his election lies fuelled the january six riot. Where does trump's own case fit?

IT all this with special council j. Smith team say they want to use trump support for these defendants against him in court. Basically, the argument is that trump support for the defendants shows his intent that he is supported the storming of the capital and the violence to try and stay in power, even though he lost the twenty twenty election. Of course, now we don't know whether prosecutors will be able to show that evidence to a jury, but in any event, we're waiting to see when that trial might go forward.

That's N. P. R. Investigative correspondent tom drive box. Thanks so much time. thanks.

An afghan n branch of the violent extremist group islamic state claimed responsibility foreign attack this week in southeastern iran that killed eighty four people. The group says two of its members that needed suicide vest in a crowd of civilians who were marking the killing of a prominent iranian general four years ago this week. The same group has said IT was behind two previous attacks in iran and peers. Peer kandy joins us now from its temple to talk about this hype.

Ter, let.

so what more do we know about this afgan branch of the islamic state?

Well, they call him selves islamic state, cursor province. Or is K, P. Carsons a big province that includes part of northern afghanistan, parts of iran and tugman istan and the same group also said he was behind a shooting attack.

And as SHE shine in cherokee twenty twenty two and another wonder last year now the governor of the iranian province where the two shooting attacks occurred has said the second was in response to iran execute in the government from the first attack and analysts say the group's motive is believed to be primarily sector arian. The isc p is a sunni muslim group, around population is predominantly SHE, and the I, K. P, consider SHE is to be a postage. This week, suicide bomb attack was by far the deadliest of the three.

So how significant is IT that the attack targeted a crowd going to honor the late general cosm soly money that was killed by the us. Back in twenty twenty?

Well, there is a connection there. yes. Irani officials credit to the money with playing a key role in fighting islamic state forces in syria, in iraq. So the money for years work with militant groups designated as terrorists by western countries. And of course, IT was a coalition LED by the united states and the so called syrian democratic forces that played a decisive role in eradicating ISIS from syrian iraq, effectively eliminating their so called qualify. But the fact that iron gives credit to general sue the money for having had an important role and ending ISIS control in those countries may help explain in part why the ik p would target a ceremony hering to the mony's life and career.

Now there were some early suggestions from iranian officials that israel could have been involved in the attack, but this clam would seem to laminate that possibility. right? I mean, that's not on the table anymore.

Yes, A U. S. Official said from the start, there was no evidence this bombing was an israeli attack. Israeli has launched attacks inside a run over the years, but IT has kept narrow focus on its Operations there. It's targeted iran, an nuclear scientists and facilities that are involved in iran's nuclear program.

In twenty twenty one, for instance, iran blamed israel for a mysterious explosion at the antanas nuclear facility that knocked out the power there report at the time that the Operation was Carried out by israel spy agency, the a said prime minister Benjamin n. Yahoo said then that there's no threat in the middle ast quote, more serious, more dangerous, more pressing than that posed by what he called the financial regime. Around now, toron is always maintained.

Its nuclear program is entirely peaceful, and israel has never been convinced by those declarations. Israeli officials have repeatedly said they will do IT IT takes to prevent around from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Western officials say there's nothing to indicate israel would have been behind an attack on civilians at a ceremony for general super money. This claimed by islamic state, if confirmed, would seem to settle that question. This appears to have been a SONY extremist group attacking SHE of muslims.

That's npr Peter kenyon talking to us from is sample.

Thank you, Peter. Thanks later.

This week, a federal judge unsealed court records disclosing more of the powerful and wealthy associated allegedly connected to the convicted sex traffic. Geoffrey esty, he took his life four years ago, but new documents that lay out names and accusations against some of his associates is putting estein story back into the limelight. And that's become an opportunity for conspiracy y theory. And where is lisa hagen is here to explain why. Hi lisa.

Hi morning. Hello.

good morning. So we have this list. How is IT being received in the most conspirator oral corners of the internet?

So ironically, I in a moment when we're getting more information about the upstate story, these names of powerful men allegedly associated with him. The biggest theme across converses communities right now is that whatever we're being shown isn't the real story. So a couple of examples. Some people are pushing the idea that a school shooting that took place yesterday in iowa was actually a staged event meant to distract the public from the estein list. And then you have other folks saying that the estein list itself is a distraction from new alleged evidence of election fraud that proves Donald trump is the rateable president.

Make this makes sense. I think these two claims and contradictory is the best list, the distraction, or the thing being distracted from right.

In the age of social media, conspiracy theories are a form of communal storytelling, so tend to have a lot of cooks in the kitchen. Also, contradictions are very common, because conspiracies are less about the details than they are about a larger world view. The central truth that matters is that you can't believe what you're shown.

It's what's being hidden in from you. That's really important. So with epsilon, you ever really effective abbot ment of that idea? Here's eric Oliver, a political science professor at the university of chicago.

You had this notorious six traffic who was in league with all sorts of rich and powerful people who who dies under mysterious circumstances in federal custody. I mean, that's just ripe for any kind of conspiracy narrative.

And so whatever kind of contradictions were all around him in moments like this, just go to show what a malual and useful character absence e has .

become useful to her.

Researchers like Oliver .

often refer to conspiracy entrepreneurs. These are people who gain money and influence by spreading conspicious beliefs. And there are entire networks of influencers and media outlets devoted to posing as sources of this no supposedly hidden knowledge.

Now, making money off the stuff is one thing, but why else does this matter to the many people who don't buy into these conspiracy theories?

Yeah, experts will tell you that the same magical thinking that drives belief in one conspiracy theory often makes people vulnerable to others, some of which caused real damage in the world. Like, for example, debunk claims that vaccines cause more harm than good or the big lie that the president to election was rigged against trump. Um conspiracy thinking also detracts from real political engagement. You know being skeptical of power is actually really important to a democracy. But all the energy that goes into posting and amplifying unfounded claims does not generally translate into meaningful policy change .

or helping people who need IT. Lisa, thanks. And that's a first for friday, january fifth. I'm little folded IT.

Today's episode of up first was edited by barry harder man mark ov and IT was produced by the ad butch benn, abms and lancy tody. We get engineering support from phil ed force and our technical director. Is that common? Start your day here with us on monday and don't forget up first air on saturday. Two a shara sco and Scott Simon have the news. It'll be whereever you get your podcasts.

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