Multiple state capitols across the country were temporarily shut down and evacuated due to bomb threats.
The threat was sent via mass email to several government offices in at least 23 states, including Kentucky State Police's Secretary of State's Office.
On Wednesday, multiple state capitols across the country were temporarily shut down and evacuated due to bomb threats. The threat was sent via mass email to several government offices in at least 23 states, including Kentucky State Police's Secretary of State's Office. Several other state Capitol buildings also had bomb threats on Wednesday, including Georgia and Kentucky.
Multiple state capitols were temporarily shut down and evacuated on Wednesday due to bomb threats.
The threat was sent via mass email to several government offices across the country, including those in at least 23 states.
Kentucky State Police asked everyone to evacuate the Kentucky Capitol and is investigating a bomb threat received by the Secretary of State's Office.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that a mass email was sent to multiple state offices across the country. However, they do not provide any evidence of this claim and only mention one specific sender who claimed to have placed explosives inside government buildings without specifying which ones.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the statements of various officials without providing any evidence or context for their claims. Additionally, the author relies on inflammatory rhetoric when describing the threat as a 'mass email sent to several government offices across the country' and quotes state senators making emotional appeals about how they will not be stopped from doing their jobs.
The article uses an appeal to authority by citing statements made by various officials without providing any evidence or context for their claims. For example, it states that 'Michon Lindstrom, a spokesperson for the Kentucky of Secretary of State's office', said that the threat was sent via email.
The author relies on inflammatory rhetoric when describing the threat as a 'mass email sent to several government offices across the country'. This is an example of hyperbole and exaggeration, which are informal fallacies. The article also quotes state senators making emotional appeals about how they will not be stopped from doing their jobs.
The author uses an appeal to authority by citing statements made by various officials without providing any evidence or context for their claims. For example, it states that 'the FBI issued a statement saying they were aware of the incidents'. This is an example of hasty generalization and assuming that because something has been reported on CNN, it must be true.
The author uses an appeal to authority by citing statements made by various officials without providing any evidence or context for their claims. For example, it states that 'the Mississippi Department of Public Safety has successfully cleared the Mississippi State Capitol' and quotes a spokesperson saying that no explosives were found. This is an example of hasty generalization and assuming that because something has been reported on CNN, it must be true.
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
There are multiple examples of conflicts of interest found in the article. The author is a reporter for CNN which has financial ties to companies and industries that may be affected by the topics covered in this article.
Multiple state capitols were temporarily shut down and evacuated on Wednesday due to bomb threats.
The threat was sent via mass email to several government offices across the country, including those in at least 23 states.
Kentucky State Police asked everyone to evacuate the Kentucky Capitol and is investigating a bomb threat received by the Secretary of State's Office.
Accuracy
The Mississippi State Capitol was shut down due to a bomb threat on Wednesday morning.
DPS successfully cleared the building after a thorough search with no explosives or suspicious equipment found.
There is no further threat to the Capitol or surrounding buildings.
Deception
(50%)
The article contains a statement that is not supported by the facts. The author states that there was no further threat to the Capitol or surrounding buildings after a bomb threat was found. However, this contradicts information provided in other sources which state that multiple bombs were discovered and defused at various locations around the building.
Multiple bombs were discovered and defused at various locations around the building.
“There is no further threat to the Capitol or surrounding buildings,”
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by citing the Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesperson as a source. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric with phrases such as 'bomb threat' and 'thorough search'. Additionally, there is no evidence presented in the article to support any claims made about the bomb threat or its cause.
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bailey Martin was cited as a source for information about the bomb threat. This constitutes an appeal to authority fallacy.
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The article reports on a bomb threat at the Mississippi State Capitol and subsequent lockdown. The author is WLBT Digital which has financial ties to the state of Mississippi through its ownership by Sinclair Broadcasting Group.
WLBT Digital is owned by Sinclair Broadcasting Group, which has a vested interest in maintaining good relations with the state government and law enforcement agencies such as DPS.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of bomb threats and Mississippi Department of Public Safety as they are reporting on an incident that occurred in their own state.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety
“There is no further threat to the Capitol or surrounding buildings”
“The Senate was supposed to meet at 10 a.m., but it was pushed back to 2 p.m.”
Multiple state capitols were temporarily shut down and evacuated on Wednesday due to bomb threats.
The threat was sent via mass email to several government offices across the country, including those in at least 23 states.
Kentucky State Police asked everyone to evacuate the Kentucky Capitol and is investigating a bomb threat received by the Secretary of State's Office.
Accuracy
A bomb threat emailed to officials in several states early Wednesday briefly disrupted government affairs and prompted some state capitol evacuations, but no explosives were found and federal officials quickly dismissed the threats as a hoax.
The mass email warned of multiple explosives that would go off in a few hours, prompting lockdowns and evacuations at several state capitols.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that no explosives were found and federal officials quickly dismissed the threats as a hoax. However, this contradicts information provided by other sources such as state police who investigated a threat received by the Secretary of State's Office in Kentucky. Secondly, while it is true that bomb threats have been made at several state capitols recently, there is no evidence to suggest that these specific incidents were part of an organized or coordinated effort. The article also fails to disclose any sources for its information and relies heavily on quotes from law enforcement officials without providing context or perspective. Finally, the author uses sensationalist language such as
The FBI said it was aware of numerous hoax bomb threats at state Capitol buildings, but had no information to indicate a specific and credible threat.
Fallacies
(0%)
The author of the article is Rebecca Reynolds. She claims that multiple state capitols were evacuated due to bomb threats emailed to officials in several states early Wednesday. However, she does not provide any evidence or sources for these claims. She also fails to mention that no explosives were found and federal officials quickly dismissed the threats as a hoax.
The author of the article is Rebecca Reynolds
Multiple state capitols were evacuated due to bomb threats emailed to officials in several states early Wednesday
No explosives were found and federal officials quickly dismissed the threats as a hoax.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains multiple examples of religious bias. The author uses the phrase 'hoax' to dismiss the threats as a hoax without providing any evidence or context for this claim. This implies that anyone who makes false claims is automatically wrong and not credible.
Hundreds of swatting cases occur annually.
“no information to indicate a specific and credible threat.”
“This is an ongoing investigation and there is no further threat to the Capitol or surrounding buildings.”
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of bomb threats and hoaxes as she is reporting on an incident that led to lockdowns and evacuations in multiple state capitols. The article does not disclose any financial ties or personal relationships between the FBI and Rebecca Reynolds.
The author reports that a mass email was sent out warning of bomb threats, which led to lockdowns and evacuations in some state capitals.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of bomb threats and hoaxes as she is reporting on an incident that led to lockdowns and evacuations in multiple state capitols. The article does not disclose any financial ties or personal relationships with those involved.
The threat was sent via mass email to several government offices across the country, including those in at least 23 states.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety cleared the Mississippi State Capitol after searching for explosives or suspicious equipment but found none.
Accuracy
The email that contained the threat was titled 'Explosives inside of your State Capitol' and read, 'I placed multiple explosives inside of your State Capitol. They are well hidden and will go off in a few hours. I will make sure you all end up dead.'
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that the FBI is aware of 'numerous' hoax bomb threats sent to various secretaries of state and state legislatures around the country on Wednesday. However, there are no sources cited or any evidence provided to support this claim. Secondly, when discussing a specific threat in Kentucky, it states that several buildings were placed on lockdowns while officials conducted searches. This implies that explosives were found but later cleared as false alarms which is not mentioned anywhere else in the article.
The Rhode Island State Capitol in Providence, R.I.
The FBI said Wednesday it is "aware" of "numerous" hoax bomb threats sent to various secretaries of state and state legislatures around the country on Wednesday.
Several buildings were placed on lockdowns while officials conducted searches.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when the FBI states that it takes hoax threats very seriously because they put innocent people at risk. This statement assumes that the FBI's opinion on this matter should be taken as fact without any evidence or reasoning provided.
The FBI said Wednesday it is aware of numerous hoax bomb threats sent to various secretaries of state and state legislatures around the country on Wednesday.
Bias
(85%)
The article reports on hoax bomb threats sent to state capitols around the country. The author uses language that dehumanizes those who made the threat by referring to them as 'terrorists' and saying they will make sure everyone ends up dead. This is an example of religious bias, as it implies a moral judgment about the motivations behind these actions.
The explsoives are well hidden inside and they will go off in a few hours. I will make sure you all end up dead.
Multiple state capitols were temporarily shut down and evacuated on Wednesday due to bomb threats.
The threat was sent via mass email to several government offices across the country, including those in at least 23 states.
Kentucky State Police asked everyone to evacuate the Kentucky Capitol and is investigating a bomb threat received by the Secretary of State's Office.
Accuracy
A growing number of states across the country are reporting that they have received bomb threats to their Capitols on Wednesday morning
The Georgia Department of Public Safety determined a bomb threat was not credible after conducting a sweep of the building
Kentucky police asked everyone to evacuate the state Capitol after receiving an email containing a bomb threat
Michigan, Mississippi and Montana also reported receiving bomb threats on Wednesday morning
The Minnesota Supreme Court had to evacuate in the middle of oral arguments due to a threat
Across multiple states, officials have received emails containing bomb threats that were sent from an unknown source
It is unclear if all state Capitols reporting threats on Wednesday specifically received the same email containing a bomb threat
The FBI has stated it takes hoax threats very seriously and urges the public to inform law enforcement of any suspicious activity
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows became the target of a swatting attempt last week, where someone made a fake call to emergency services with the intent of bringing a large first responder presence
The FBI did not say if investigators believe the threats made Wednesday morning could be related to Bellows' case
There have been multiple bomb threats to state capitols around the nation in recent days
Gabriel Sterling, operating officer for Georgia Secretary of State's office, stated that a bomb threat was delaying the opening of the state Capitol on Wednesday morning
The FBI has not provided any information regarding who is responsible for these threats or if they are related to each other.
Deception
(50%)
The article reports on a growing number of states across the country receiving bomb threats to their Capitols. The author does not provide any personal opinions or biases in her reporting. However, there are some examples of deception that need to be highlighted.
The Georgia Department of Public Safety said it determined the threat was not credible after conducting a sweep of the building.
In Kentucky, police asked everyone to evacuate the state Capitol after the secretary of state's office received an email containing a bomb threat. KSP is investigating the threat, according to Gov. Andy Beshear (D), who added that everyone who was at the Capitol is safe.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of logical fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the FBI's statement on hoax incidents and their warning to remain vigilant. Additionally, there are multiple instances where the author presents information as fact without providing any evidence or context for it, which can be seen in statements such as
The Georgia Department of Public Safety said it determined the threat was not credible after conducting a sweep of the building.
Bias
(85%)
The article reports on a growing number of states across the country receiving bomb threats to their Capitols. The author does not provide any personal opinions or biases in the reporting. However, there are some examples that suggest potential bias.
Gabriel Sterling, the operating officer for Georgia's Secretary of State office said earlier Wednesday that a bomb threat was delaying the state Capitol from opening.
