Washington wrote in 1777 that the Continental Army had more to "dread" from smallpox than from the "Sword of the Enemy."
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Japan’s Olympic Medals Made From Recycled Electronics?
On August 6 2021, an Imgur account shared the following image, which purportedly showed Japan’s 2021 Olympic medals, fashioned from recycled laptops and phones: Titled “Congrats on winning, here is some e-waste,” text above an image
PolitiFact→ Steve Deace – Sweden’s low COVID-19 death tally in July ignores other markers of pandemic’s toll
Sweden had few COVID deaths in July, despite low vaccination rates, relaxed lockdown rules and low mask compliance.
PolitiFact→ Viral image – No, the delta variant doesn’t refer to 'deep sleep'
The “delta” in “delta variant” means “deep sleep.”
Snopes→ Arrest in Hit-And-Run Death of ‘Gone Girl’ Actor Lisa Banes
An arrest was announced in the hit-and-run death of “Gone Girl” actor Lisa Banes, who died almost two months ago.
PolitiFact→ J.D. Scholten – About 70 percent of U.S. residents expected to live in the 15 largest states in 2040
“By 2040, 70% of the population is expected to live in just 15 states.”
FactCheck.org→ Posts Misinterpret CDC’s Provincetown COVID-19 Outbreak Report
SciCheck Digest Social media posts are misinterpreting the results of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, which found 74% of people in a COVID-19 outbreak were vaccinated, to argue against immunization. But experts say the headline-gra
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Naked People-Adorned Backpack With ‘I Want More Sex’ Message Is NOT For Children
Is a Desigual backpack adorned with naked people and an "I want more sex" message being sold in the children's section? Yes, but not intentionally: The backpack was designed for adults, not children, and was mistakenly available in a chil
Snopes→ Is Putting Hotel Luggage in the Bathtub Upon Arrival a Good Idea?
Online advertisements promised what appeared to be a handy travel tip.
PolitiFact→ Ron DeSantis – Ron DeSantis’ effort to blame COVID-19 spread on migrants is short on evidence
Says Joe Biden has driven the current coronavirus surge because he “imported more virus from around the world by having a wide open southern border.”
Snopes→ Embattled HFPA Announces Reforms to Bylaws, Membership
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced reforms to its bylaws and an overhaul of its membership process in a bid to diversify its ranks and potentially restore the heavily criticized Golden Globes.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: California DID Ban Travel To Florida — But Only State-Sponsored Travel
Did California ban travel to Florida? No, that's not entirely true: While California did ban state-sponsored travel to Florida due to the latter state's policies against LGBTQ individuals, that ban does not extend to private travel. The c
Snopes→ Sumo Removed, but Equestrian Course Designer Defends Choice
A sumo wrestler that may have spooked the horses was knocked out of the Olympic equestrian ring, but the course designer is defending his decision to include the lifelike fighter in the first place.
PolitiFact→ Viral image – Old photo shows Laurel Hubbard winning gold, but not at the Olympics
Photo shows Laurel Hubbard “winning the women's weight lifting competition” at the Olympics.
Logically→ Administering pseudo vaccines are a method of controlling the world.
The pseudo vaccine method is used to help with the stages of testing during development and study of vaccines for disease screening.
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Zabol Priestess with a Golden Eye’
An August 4 2021 retweet imploring archeologists not to remove a golden eye from an unusually tall woman’s skeleton found in Zabol, Iran circulated across platforms, an allusion of sorts to the “2020 bingo” meme: Do. Not. Remove. T
Snopes→ Gym Owner Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Officer in Jan. 6 Riot
A New Jersey gym owner on Friday became the first person to plead guilty to assaulting a law enforcement officer during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
PolitiFact→ Chip Roy – Among the rare cases of voter fraud in Texas, mail-in ballot fraud is most common
A quorum-breaking Texas Democrat said in 2007 that mail-in ballot fraud “is the greatest source of voter fraud in this state.”
Snopes→ Sheriff: Aide Who Accused Cuomo Files Criminal Complaint
A woman who accused Gov. Andrew Cuomo of groping her breast at the governor's state residence filed a criminal complaint against him, the Albany County Sheriff's office said Friday.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: U.S. Schools Will NOT Be Closed From August 9 To August 13, 2021
Will schools in the United States be closed from August 9 to August 13, 2021? No, that's not true: The claim came from channel45news.com, a known prank website. The claim appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) published on August 4,
Full Fact→ Reported study doesn’t talk about Alzheimer’s
New research into the relationship between the consumption of flavonoids (a naturally occuring substance in plants), and cognitive decline has been reported in a number of news outlets. The Daily Express incorrectly extrapolated the findings to t
Snopes→ Possible ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Pick Mike Richards Stirs Controversy
Mike Richards has been accused of discrimination and harassment in the past, according to the Daily Beast.
PolitiFact→ Josh Stein – North Carolina AG compares opioid deaths to COVID-19 deaths
“More people have died of an opioid overdose in North Carolina in recent years than have died of COVID.”
Full Fact→ Abortion rate lower than claimed as miscarriages not factored in
“One in four pregnancies ends in abortion in England and Wales” The Times, 6 August 2021. “A record QUARTER of pregnancies in England and Wales now end in abortion, official data shows” MailOnline, 6 August 2021. The Times and
Snopes→ Is Alfredo Rivera the Flight Attendant Who Duct-Taped a Passenger?
We can't confirm if this passenger truly smelled like Marlboro cigarettes, Everclear alcohol and regret.
Snopes→ No, the mRNA Vaccines Do Not Contain Graphene Oxide
Karen Kingston, who worked in a non-scientific role at Pfizer from 1996-1998, claimed she found evidence of "poison" in the mRNA vaccines.
Full Fact→ Vaccine deaths are not higher than Covid-19 deaths
An article claiming that twice as many people have died from the Covid-19 vaccines in six months than have died from the virus itself throughout the entire pandemic has been reshared by a number of websites. This is not true. The “official
Logically→ COVID-19 vaccines are gene therapy injections that lack safety data for 16-and 17-year-olds.
Evidence suggests that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective in teens and do not alter a person's genes. A video questioning the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines in children 16-and 17-year-olds is doing the rounds on Facebook
PolitiFact→ The nuances often overlooked in the debate over voter ID laws
Snopes→ 2 Coaches Removed from Tokyo Olympics in Belarus Case
“The two coaches were requested to leave the Olympic Village immediately and have done so,” the IOC said.
Snopes→ Thousands Flee Fires in Greece, Turkey; Some Rescued by Sea
Greek and European officials have blamed climate change for the multiple fires burning through swathes of southern Europe, from southern Italy to the Balkans, Greece and Turkey.
Logically→ Wearing face masks cause you to breathe in more carbon dioxide (CO2), and can negatively affect your health.
You do not breathe more CO2 while wearing a mask. Some healthcare professionals wear masks all day without adverse health effects.
Poynter→ Getting fired over a vaccine mandate may cost you unemployment aid
Some people opposed to the COVID-19 vaccines say they have a workaround for dealing with businesses that require employees to get the shots. “If your employer is mandating any pokes, do not quit,” said one user in an Aug. 4 Facebook post.
Washington Post→ DeSantis’s effort to blame Biden for the covid surge in Florida
The Florida governor claims Biden's immigration policies have led to the spread of the coronavirus across the United States.
PolitiFact→ Tom Tiffany – Tiffany misses the point behind why prices are rising for hotels, gas and car rentals
Says spending by Democrats is driving major jumps in car rentals, gas prices and hotel prices this summer
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Child’s Snakebite Was NOT Recent — It Was 2 Years Ago And He Survived
Did a "rattle head" snake bite a child in the summer of 2021? No, that's not true: This claim is missing context, as the photo with a post seeking prayers is from a 2019 news account of a 2-year-old South Carolina child who was bitten by
Snopes→ ‘There Are Only So Many Beds’: COVID-19 Surge Hits Hospitals
"We are seeing a surge like we’ve not seen before in terms of the patients coming."
Snopes→ Yes, DC Now Has an Itch Mite Issue
The biting pests came just weeks after the capital was rid of swarming cicadas.
Snopes→ Abandoned Disney World Roller Coaster Shown in New Video
The abandoned Disney World ride had a dark history that included the tragic deaths of two workers in unrelated incidents.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Italian Football Club Juventus Post a Photo with a Racist Anti-Asian Gesture?
The Italian football club Juventus spent August 5 2021 apologizing after posting — and then quickly deleting — a photograph featuring an anti-Asian racist taunt. The club’s womens’ team tweeted the photo showing defender Cecili