On March 25 2021 a Rumble.com post went viral, titled “ABSURD: Researchers Design New Mask to Wear While EATING.” What followed was not a news item, nor a video. After a lengthy advertisement played, the “content” of the post wa
Snopes→ Did White House Press Corps Physically Stand for Biden at First News Conference?
A former Trump staffer speculated that such a “level of respect” could be “indicative of softball questions to come!”
The Dispatch→ Why We Should Be Worried About Russia and China Working So Closely
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The Dispatch→ The Takings Clause
On today’s pod, Sarah and David give us an update on the goings on at the Supreme Court, with an in-depth look at a union takings case out West. “A California regulation allows union representatives to meet with farm workers at their work s
Snopes→ Are Amazon Workers Forced to Pee in Bottles?
The issue of reasonable ability to use the restroom for Amazon workers is an ongoing complaint.
Snopes→ ‘Arrested Development’ Actor Jessica Walter Dies at 80
Walter's death was confirmed by her daughter, Brooke Bowman, an entertainment industry executive.
Snopes→ Did Biden Say ‘I Came Into the US Senate 120 Years Ago’?
The remark in question came during his first news conference of the new administration.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Pathogens And Heavy Metals Do NOT ‘Feed On’ Eggs In Your Liver
Does eating eggs feed pathogens and "feed" heavy metals in your liver, fostering disease? No, that's not true: The claim was published without citation of evidence. Nutritionists and other medical experts say this naturopathic claim ignor
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: There Is NO Evidence The Atlanta And Boulder Shootings And The 9/11 Attacks Were ‘False Flag’ Operations
Were the mass shootings in spas and massage parlors in Atlanta, and at a grocery store in Boulder and the September 11, 2001, attacks carried out under "false flags" so that the government could pass gun control legislation and invade Afg
Snopes→ Dementia: Is Processed Meat Another Risk Factor?
Studies that examine an association between the consumption of a specific food and an increased risk of a disease are not proving a causal link exists.
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Abe Lincoln Statue Vandalized with Poop, Paint; Arrested Suspect is a Black Lives Matter Leader’
On March 24 2021, the disinformation-friendly Daily Wire published an item with the headline, “Abe Lincoln Statue Vandalized With Poop, Paint; Arrested Suspect Is A Black Lives Matter Leader.” It began: A Black Lives Matter activist in Boi
Snopes→ With Drivers Confused, Atlantic City to Redo BLM Road Paint
The words “Black Lives Matter” will be painted onto the repaved road in a manner that does not obscure lane divider markings.
Snopes→ Rare Van Gogh Masterpiece Sells for $15.4 Million in Paris
The sale of “Street Scene in Montmartre” was highly anticipated as it was one of the few paintings by the Dutch Impressionist master to still have been in private hands.
Snopes→ Biden Says It’s His ‘Expectation’ to Run Again
Biden is 78 and already the oldest president to hold office. He would be 82 at the start of a second term.
Snopes→ Are Global Sperm Counts and Penis Sizes Shrinking Drastically?
The "alarming decline" may correspond with human exposure to a common class of chemicals found in everyday products.
Logically→ The South African COVID-19 variant is in 18 countries in Europe.
Several countries in the EU have now seen the strain of coronavirus that was first reported in South Africa in December.
Full Fact→ Inaccurate Covid vaccine ‘Q&A’: fact checked
A Covid-19 vaccine “Q&A” sheet has been circulating on social media. It presents a checklist of claims about the vaccine, alongside ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answers. Some of the claims are inaccurate and suggest the mRNA va
Logically→ A large weapons cache has been seized from a RSS hideout in Delhi.
Old and unrelated images are being circulated as weapons seized from RSS hideout in Delhi.
Full Fact→ Travel to Spain requires negative Covid test
On Instagram, businessman Wayne Lineker has claimed that, once international travel resumes, people will not need to have been vaccinated in order to travel to Spain and will only require proof they have tested negative with a PCR test in the 72 hours
Snopes→ Did Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith Say There Shouldn’t Be Voting on Sunday Because of the Sabbath?
Democrats criticized state legislatures for developing new laws that they said disenfranchised voters of color.
Full Fact→ Police have recommended the Hollie Guard app
Posts on social media have shared an image of a police flyer which encourages use of a personal security app called Hollie Guard. It is correct that police forces have been recommending the app. The flyer has the South Yorkshire Police logo at the top
Snopes→ EXPLAINER: What We Know About a Ship Blocking the Suez Canal
A wedged, skyscraper-sized container ship has blocked the entire width of the Suez Canal and created a major traffic jam on one of the world’s most crucial trade routes.
Snopes→ Is the Puppy and Butterfly Video Real?
A viral video showed Emy the puppy and an unnamed butterfly.
Logically→ Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were secretly married before their royal wedding.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle privately exchanged personal vows three days before the service at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018.
Full Fact→ Boris Johnson handgun quote is real
A post on Facebook claims that in the wake of the Dunblane Massacre and calls for the government to ban handguns that followed, then-journalist Boris Johnson wrote: “Nanny is confiscating their toys. It is like one of those vast Indian programmes
Full Fact→ Oranges don’t test positive for Covid-19
A post shared widely on Facebook claims that an orange has tested positive for Covid-19 using a lateral flow test. It’s unclear whether the post is implying that the tests are inaccurate or unreliable. In reality, the test cannot work properly wi
Logically→ The leader of the Proud Boys met with Donald Trump while the former President was in office.
Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio had attended a public tour of the White House but had not met Trump.
Full Fact→ Sky News video does not say ‘UK jab causes clots’
A video of a Sky News segment has been shared on social media by a group called ‘Mysteries, Truths, and Conspiracies’, with the caption: “UK jabs causing blood clots, but denied as you would expect”. This caption is false, and a
Full Fact→ Avoid this report about a child attack
Links are being shared on Facebook to a story with the headline “12 year old girl was forced to endure a 15-minute journey before being attacked in an isolated spot”. This is a false story about a girl called Ellie Morrad alleged to h
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: CNN Did NOT Claim Colorado Shooter Was Factually Arabic But Morally White
Did CNN run a caption saying the shooter who killed 10 people in Boulder, Colorado, on March 22, 2021, was factually Arabic but morally white? No, that's not true: the screenshot with the caption originated on a satire site but took on a
Snopes→ Does a Video Show a Trump Burger Restaurant in Texas?
In March 2021, a popular TikTok video offered a tour of what appeared to be a burger joint dedicated to the former U.S. president.
The Dispatch→ Has the Biden Administration Issued a ‘Gag Order’ on Border Guards?
Viral Facebook posts claim that the Biden administration has issued a “gag order” to prevent the U.S. Customs and Border Protection from giving interviews unless they are arranged through the White House. a.image2.image-link.image
The Dispatch→ Has the Biden Administration Issued a ‘Gag Order’ on Border Guards?
Viral Facebook posts claim that the Biden administration has issued a “gag order” to prevent the U.S. Customs and Border Protection from giving interviews unless they are arranged through the White House. a.image2.image-link.image
AFP Fact Check→ The story of an American plane reappearing after 37 years is a myth
A post shared more than 75,000 times on Facebook in Kenya and India claims that a plane that went missing in 1955 appeared again 37 years later. The claim is false; this story was first published in an American tabloid known for its fictitious stories
Snopes→ Does Suspected Boulder Shooter Identify as Muslim, Anti-Trump?
As of this writing, it's unknown what motivated the 21-year-old to allegedly shoot and kill people at a King Soopers supermarket.
Snopes→ When Did Mary Tyler Moore Die?
Reports of the passing of actress Mary Tyler Moore sounded strangely familiar when they went viral in March 2021.
Full Fact→ Here’s exactly what Nadine Dorries said on Woman’s Hour about nurses’ salaries
A widely-shared tweet, also reposted on Facebook, claims that health minister Nadine Dorries “just said that most nurses will understand and accept the 1% pay rise BECAUSE THEY HAVE HUSBANDS AND PARTNERS WHO ARE BRINGING IN SALARIES.” This
Snopes→ WWII Codebreaker Alan Turing Honored on UK’s New 50-Pound Note
Alan Turing was pivotal in breaking the Nazi's Enigma code during World War II — but faced discrimination as a gay man after the war ended.
The Dispatch→ Did President Biden Issue 56 Executive Orders in His First 40 Days?
A widely shared Facebook post claims that President Joe Biden issued 56 executive orders in 40 days. The full post reads: “56 Executive Orders in under 40 days.....That, my friends, is an actual Dictator.” a.image2.image-link.imag
The Dispatch→ Did President Biden Issue 56 Executive Orders in His First 40 Days?
A widely shared Facebook post claims that President Joe Biden issued 56 executive orders in 40 days. The full post reads: “56 Executive Orders in under 40 days.....That, my friends, is an actual Dictator.” a.image2.image-link.imag