A photograph of an advocacy group’s voter guide drew widespread attention on Twitter on October 7 2020 for bringing back to light a recurring nuisance for California voters. Scott Zabielski’s post showing the state ballot recommendations f
Publication: california
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Muzzles are for Dogs and Slaves’ COVID-19 Protest Sign
On May 18 2020, a photograph purportedly from a COVID-19 anti-lockdown protest began circulating, which showed a white woman holding a sign reading “muzzles are for dogs and slaves” alongside an illustration of a black woman wearing a mask
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the California Department of Social Services Mandating COVID-19 Testing for Eligible Families — and Threatening to Place Children in Foster Care?
In early May 2020, a letter attributed to California’s Department of Social Services circulated on Facebook. It purportedly mandated that recipients of programs like MediCal and CalFresh immediately submit to testing for COVID-19 antigens or ant
Truth or Fiction?→ Medical Community Refutes Bakersfield Doctors’ Attempts to Minimize COVID-19
Two California-based doctors’ attempt to compare COVID-19 to the common flu has incurred criticism and debunking from not only their local colleagues, but medical professionals at the state and national level. In a rare step, the American Colleg
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Two Congressmen Propose a Bill Granting Americans Between $1,000 and $6,000?
A new bill proposed by two Democratic Party congressmen would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for Americans who earned less than $65,000 in 2019 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. News of the bill by Reps. Ro Khanna (California) and Rep.
Snopes→ California Governor Makes Homelessness Top Issue in 2020
Tossing aside tradition, California's governor devoted his biggest platform to a single issue: solving a homelessness crisis that has overwhelmed the nation's most populous state in an era of unprecedented prosperity.
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘I Did Not Take This Photo and I Don’t Know Who Did’ Australian Community Firefighters Image
In the midst of late December 2019 and early January 2020 fires raging across the Australian continent, the following screenshot showing exhausted, soot-blackened firefighters circulated on Facebook: The photograph, which was apparently captured fr
Snopes→ California Discloses Facebook Probe, Sues for Documents
California's attorney general disclosed an ongoing probe into Facebook's privacy practices, as it sued the company over its repeated refusal to turn over documents and answer questions.
Truth or Fiction?→ Conservative Versus Liberal, ‘Taken at a California Public High School This Year’ Meme
In October 2018, Facebook user Matt Gaelitz shared a slide titled “Conservative vs. Liberal” along with a status update: Taken at a California public high school this year. This is what indoctrination is all about. On June 4 2018, the same
Truth or Fiction?→ California Law Limiting Freelance Publication Options Could Face Legal Threat
A California law addressing the discrepancies between independent contractors and contracted workers could spur a legal challenge from journalists before it takes effect in January 2020. Under the new law, known as AB5, news outlets would face a cap i
Snopes→ Anti-Vaccine Activist Shoves California Lawmaker (Video)
An anti-vaccine activist has been cited in the assault of a California lawmaker who was pushed on a sidewalk near the Capitol.
Snopes→ California Becomes First State to Ban Hairstyle Discrimination
Hairstyles are associated with race and therefore protected against discrimination in the workplace and in schools.
Snopes→ Feds: Rep. Duncan Hunter Used Campaign Cash for Affairs
Margaret Hunter pleaded guilty this month to one count of corruption and agreed to testify against her husband.
Truth or Fiction?→ Are the Streets of Los Angeles Littered with Syringes?
On June 1 2019, the Facebook page “All Eyes On Me: Los Angeles” shared the following image (archived here) of seemingly discarded hypodermic needles in the city: A very brief description did not provide much context for the image, simpl
Snopes→ Perk Up: California Says Coffee Cancer Risk Insignificant
The rule, proposed a year ago by regulators, means coffee won't have to carry ominous warnings that the beverage may be bad for you.
Snopes→ California Overhauls Sex Education Guidance for Teachers
LGBT advocates praised the new recommendations for giving such attention to a community that often is left out of sex education policies.
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Four Photographs Show the ‘Sunny Sanctuary State’ of ‘Once Beautiful California’?
On April 24 2019, a Facebook user shared the following images and status update (archived here), purportedly showing images from California that included piles of trash on a beach and by roads and trails: In the status update (“Welcome to the S
Snopes→ Did 449,000 Californians Turn Down Jury Duty Because They Are Undocumented Immigrants?
Facebook users spread an unscourced and uncorroborated anti-immigrant statement.
Snopes→ Did California Governor Jerry Brown Veto a Wildfire Management Bill, Increasing the Risk of Wildfires?
A conservative political web site drew a link between the Democrat's rejection of a legislative proposal in 2016, and the prevalence and risk of wildfires in the following two years.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did United States President Donald Trump Threaten to Withhold Disaster Funding from California?
Sizable wildfires burning up and down California have killed at least 25 people and destroyed at least one entire Northern California town, Paradise. The exact toll and cost as of November 11, 2018 is still unknown, because at least two enormously dest
Truth or Fiction?→ Was the Thousand Oaks Shooter Identified as a Man of Middle Eastern Descent?
Mere hours after a gunman entered a nightclub in Thousand Oaks, California, murdering at least twelve people before shooting himself, the social media disinformation machine and its usual array of bots and paid trolls began to peddle unverified informa
Snopes→ California Bans Gun Sales to People Under 21
State law already bans people under 21 from buying handguns.
Snopes→ Does This Photograph Show Clouds Over the California Wildfires?
A spectacular image of red-tinted clouds at sunset was repurposed to falsely connect it with 2018 wildfires in California.
Snopes→ Did California’s Governor Sign a Law Requiring All Students to Learn Spanish?
A notorious producer of fake news provokes yet more outrage with another fabricated meme.
Truth or Fiction?→ Nancy Pelosi: Building A Border Wall Violates the Rights of Illegals-Fiction!
Nancy Pelosi: Building A Wall Violates the Rights of Illegals-Fiction! Summary of eRumor: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said building a wall would violate the rights of illegal immigrants. The Truth: Nancy Pelosi did not say that building a border wall wo
Snopes→ Oakland Woman Calls Police on Black People Grilling ‘Illegally’ in Public Park
Michelle Snider filmed a lengthy interaction with an unnamed woman who insisted police respond to a park because black residents were barbecuing.
Snopes→ California Now the Fifth-Largest Economy in the World
All economic sectors except agriculture contributed to California's higher gross domestic product, according to new federal data.
Snopes→ Is a Neo-Nazi Running as a Republican For the U.S. Senate in California?
Patrick Little has repeatedly expressed white supremacist views in his campaign, including calling for a United States "free from Jews."
Snopes→ Are California Parents Barred From Withdrawing Their Children From Sex Education?
Conservative web sites inaccurately describe the provisions of California's Healthy Youth Act.
Truth or Fiction?→ California Bill Would Ban the Bible-Disputed
California Bill Would Ban the Bible-Disputed! Summary of eRumor: A California bill banning gay conversion therapy on all citizens would essentially ban the Bible. The Truth: California Assembly Bill 2943 aims to ban the advertising or sale of gay conve
Snopes→ Would a Proposed Law ‘Ban the Bible’ in California?
A Republican politician and a right-wing television station grossly misrepresented California legislation that would amplify restrictions on "gay conversion therapy."
Snopes→ Is Jerry Brown Preparing to Release ‘10,000 Pedophiles and Rapists’ From Prison?
A conspiracy theory blog published an alarmist story after a judge's ruling on the effects of a new California law on sex offenders.
Snopes→ Would a California Bill Stop Police From Shooting People Carrying ‘Imitation Weapons’?
According to blogs, Assembly Bill 931 would put police at risk of being second-guessed.
Snopes→ YouTube Shooting Suspect Nasim Aghdam Purportedly Angry About Monetization
Police disclosed additional information about the motives of Nasim Aghdam after a shooting at YouTube's headquarters on 3 April 2018.
Snopes→ Woman Opens Fire at YouTube Headquarters, Wounds 3 Before Killing Herself
Officers discovered one victim with a gunshot wound when they arrived and then found the shooter with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound several minutes later, San Bruno Police Chief Ed Barberini said.
Snopes→ Rally Seeks Justice for Black Man Shot by Police in Backyard
The family of Stephon Clark joined hundreds at a rally Saturday to call for Sacramento to not let his memory or calls for justice or calls for police reform fade away.
Snopes→ Did a Firearms-Trained Teacher Accidentally Discharge a Gun in a Classroom, Injuring a Student?
The accidental handgun firing in California was one of two such incidents at schools in the United States one day before scheduled student walkouts across the nation to protest gun violence.
Snopes→ Were Students in Stockton, California Arrested During a March 2018 Gun Safety Protest?
A "militia" group on Facebook attempted to paint local high schoolers participating in a demonstration as irresponsible.
Snopes→ Is California’s Governor Requiring Students Use Arabic Numbers in Schools?
A "satirical" blog posted a story seizing on readers getting angry about a nonexistent California law.
Snopes→ Did an Oakland Café Refuse to Serve Police Officers?
The Hasta Muerte coffee shop told a law enforcement officer that he and his colleagues are not welcome there.