Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'conspiracy'

Cruise, Singer Say 'Valkyrie' Will Surprise Audiences

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:59:00 EST

Star Tom Cruise and director Bryan Singer say most audiences might think they know how their new conspiracy thriller, Valkyrie, ends. But Singer notes that there'll be some surprises — particularly for American audiences.

Former Inmate Believes In The Power Of Pardons

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:46:00 EST

Kemba Smith was sentenced to 24 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine — though she never handled the drug — because of mandatory sentencing laws. She was pardoned in 2000, and she urges President Bush to grant clemency to inmates with similar stories.

Op-Ed: SEC Negligent In Madoff Ponzi Scheme

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:21:00 EST

Andy Serwer, managing editor of Fortune Magazine, can't believe a recent SEC investigation didn't uncover money manager Bernard Madoff's "vast conspiracy." He offers five recommendations to "crook-proof" your portfolio from the next "cheap-trick artist."

Illinois Governor Accused Of Trying To Sell Senate Seat

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

Rod Blagojevich was arrested this morning on charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and solicitation of bribery. He is accused of trying to leverage his authority to appoint a senator to fill the vacancy left by Barack Obama for his personal gain. We run through the details.

Fort Dix Trial May Be Tied To Informant's Story

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST

The trial of five men accused of plotting to attack the Fort Dix Army base in New Jersey may hinge on the testimony of a government informant: Mahmoud Omar, an Egyptian national with a checkered past. But defense attorneys say there was no conspiracy, except for the one Omar tried to create.

When Not In Control, People Imagine Order

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:53:00 EDT

New research shows that when people perceive they have no control over a given situation, they are more likely to see illusions, patterns where none exist and even believe in conspiracy theories. The study suggests that people impose imaginary order when no real order can be perceived.

Mbeki Out, Motlanthe In As South Africa's New Leader

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Kgalema Motlanthe is South Africa's new president. The country's parliament elected Motlanthe's after South African President Thabo Mbeki was forced to step down after he was found to be a part of a conspiracy to discredit his former deputy, Jacob Zuma. Ferial Haffajee, of the Mail & Guardian newspaper, offers analysis of the ongoing political situation in South Africa.

Suspects Guilty Of Conspiracy In Heathrow Terrorism Plot

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EDT

In London on Monday, three British men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder in a terrorist bombing plot. But jurors failed to reach a verdict on whether they plotted to blow up multiple trans-Atlantic airliners with liquid explosives disguised as soft drinks.

Lobbyist Abramoff Gets Four-Year Prison Term

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:55:00 EDT

Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff is sentenced to four years in prison for conspiracy in connection with a highly publicized public corruption case. The scandal involved a number of members of Congress, many of them Republicans, and contributed to several key election defeats in 2006.

How The Only Coup D'Etat In U.S. History Unfolded

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:01:00 EDT

In 1898, armed white supremacists overthrew the elected local government in Wilmington, N.C. The coup — the only one in U.S. history — was the culmination of a race riot and grew out of a conspiracy of powerful white Democrats.

Bin Laden's Driver Found Guilty Of Supporting Terror

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:33:00 EDT

A jury of six military officers at Guantanamo Bay convicted Osama bin Laden's driver Salim Hamdan of supporting terrorism in the first war crimes case in the U.S. since World War II. He was cleared of conspiracy charges, but faces the possibility of life in prison.

Bin Laden Driver Convicted Of Al-Qaida Support

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:38:00 EDT

Salim Hamdan was convicted of providing material support for terrorism but found not guilty of conspiracy by a panel of six military officers at Guantanamo Bay.

Bin Laden Driver Convicted Of Supporting Al-Qaida

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:24:00 EDT

Salim Hamdan, Osama bin Laden's former driver, was convicted of providing material support for al-Qaida but found not guilty of conspiracy by a panel of six military officers at Guantanamo Bay.

Closing Arguments Made In Bin Laden Driver Case

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EDT

A jury of six military officers will get case of Salim Hamdan, one of Osama bin Laden's drivers, after closing arguments are completed. Hamdan is charged with conspiracy and supporting terrorism. The defense says he was a lowly driver. The prosecution paints him as an al-Qaida foot soldier.

Closing Arguments Coming In Guantanamo Trial

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT

The terrorism conspiracy trial of Osama bin Laden's former driver is drawing to a close. Lawyers for Salim Ahmed Hamdan rested their case before a military tribunal in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Friday. Both sides are scheduled to present their closing arguments on Monday.

Guantanamo Trial Continues

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:19:00 EDT

Salim Hamdan's trial at Guantanamo Bay is the first war crimes trial since World War 2. This week was the trial's first. Hamdan, Osama bin Laden's driver, is accused of conspiracy and supporting terrorism. His defense says he's a lowly driver.

Tribunal Begins For bin Laden's Former Driver

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:07:00 EDT

The former driver for Osama bin Laden has pleaded not guilty at his terrorism trial in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Hamdan's defense lawyers say he was a low-level driver and was not part of any conspiracy against the U.S.

Stephen Carter Calls Writing New Thriller 'Agony'

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:40:00 EDT

Novelist Stephen Carter, who is also a professor at the Yale Law School, says his latest novel, Palace Council, is a thriller, a conspiracy, a love story and historical fiction. And the process of writing it was "utterly exhausting."

Suduko-Playing Jurors End Trial

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:37:15 EDT

In Australia, a drug conspiracy trial ended abruptly this week after the judge discovered jurors had been passing the time in court playing Sudoku. The trial cost Australian taxpayers about $1 million.

Arizona GOP Congressman Renzi Indicted for Fraud

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:53:00 EST

Republican U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi was indicted Friday in Arizona on 35 counts of extortion, conspiracy, money laundering and related charges. The indictment says the congressman conspired with one former business partner in an alleged land-swap scheme and with another to commit insurance fraud.

A Twist in the Case Against Bin Laden's Driver

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:00:00 EST

Guantanamo Bay detainee Salim Ahmed Hamdan faces life in prison if an upcoming military tribunal convicts him of conspiracy and supporting terrorism. Now the former chief military prosecutor at Gitmo says he will testify on Hamdan's behalf if permitted to do so.

Dozens Charged in Mob Sting Spanning Five Years

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:43:00 EST

Federal prosecutors have rounded up as many as 60 people, many of them alleged members of the Gambino crime family, and charged them in a 170-page indictment with murders, drug trafficking, conspiracy, illegal gambling and extortion. The five-year investigation yielded one of the largest organized crime stings in decades.

Conspiracy Theories Surround Bhutto's Death

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 10:30:00 EST

The investigation into Benazir Bhutto's assasination continues. Pakistan's government has turned down offers of investigative help from the international community. Pakistan's government blames al-Qaida for the attack, but experts say a lot of people wanted to kill her.

Vick Sentenced to 23 Months for Conspiracy

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:00:00 EST

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is sentenced to 23 months in prison for his role in a dogfighting conspiracy that involved gambling and killing pit bulls.

'Oswald's Ghost' Explores the Allure of JFK's Death

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 11:24:00 EST

The 1963 Warren Commission found that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in assassinating President John F. Kennedy. But even now, 44 years later, conspiracy theories abound. Robert Stone's upcoming film Oswald's Ghost explores the U.S. fascination with Kennedy's death.