REVIEW On 12 July 2021, New York Magazine published an article by journalist David Wallace-Wells, titled “The Kids Are Alright: Why now is the time to rethink COVID safety protocols for children — and everyone else”. The article discussed the
Snopes→ Fauci Hopeful COVID Vaccines Get Full OK by FDA Within Weeks
The FDA has only granted emergency-use approval of the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, but the agency is expected to soon give full approval to Pfizer.
Snopes→ South Dakota’s Sturgis Rally Roars Back As Delta Rising
A team of researchers from the Centers for Disease Control concluded that last year's rally ended up looking like a “superspreader event.”
Snopes→ Bobby Bowden, Led Florida State Football Dynasty, Dies at 91
Bobby Bowden announced on July 21 he had a terminal illness that Terry Bowden later said was pancreatic cancer.
Snopes→ Markie Post, TV Veteran Actor of ‘Night Court,’ Dies at 70
Markie Post, a regular presence on television for four decades, has died. She was 70.
Snopes→ Japan Has Its Best Olympic Medal Haul: 27 Gold, 58 Overall
Home countries always get a medal bump, usually by investing more time and money than they would ordinarily. With no fans, some of that home-field advantage was lost.
Snopes→ Instagram Is Partially Down with ‘Couldn’t Refresh Feed’ Error
The Instagram feed problem appeared to only impact a select number of users.
Snopes→ Want to Pretend to Live on Mars? For a Whole Year? Apply Now
To prepare for eventually sending astronauts to Mars, NASA began taking applications Friday for four people to live for a year in Mars Dune Alpha.
Snopes→ Zuckerberg’s Cash Fuels GOP Suspicion and New Election Rules
At least eight GOP-controlled states have passed bans on donations to election offices this year as Republicans try to block outside funding of voting operations.
Snopes→ Did Netflix Announce Official Release Date for ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4?
Fans of the hit science fiction series have already waited two years for the next installment.
Snopes→ Did Bill Gates Say Meeting Jeffrey Epstein Was a ‘Huge Mistake’?
The Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist has faced difficult questions over the nature of his relationship with the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender.
Logically→ The White House is recruiting young social media influencers to promote the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
Village Marketing, a marketing firm, approached social media influencers to promote awareness of COVID-19 vaccination on behalf of the White House.
Snopes→ Some in US Getting COVID-19 Boosters Without FDA Approval
While Pfizer has said it plans to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for booster shots, health authorities say that for now, the fully vaccinated seem well protected.
Snopes→ Did Apple Say It Would Scan iPhones for Child Sexual Abuse Imagery?
The tech giant has previously resisted government and law enforcement calls for greater access to users' private data.
Snopes→ No, Bill Clinton Was Not Forced to Apologize for ‘Stranger Things’ Experiments
A widely-shared TikTok video added the former president to the already baseless "Montauk Project" conspiracy theory.
Snopes→ Fires Rampage Through Forests in Greece; Thousands Evacuated
One volunteer firefighter has died and at least 20 people have been treated in hospitals.
Snopes→ Did Study Find Coronavirus Antibodies in 40% of US Wild Deer Populations?
The pilot program compared serum samples taken from four states.
Snopes→ US Now Averaging 100,000 New COVID-19 Infections a Day
The U.S. was averaging about 11,000 cases a day in late June.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Alberta Man Did NOT Prove COVID-19 Is Hoax, Restrictions NOT Dropped Because Of Him
Did Alberta, Canada resident Patrick King prove that COVID-19 is a hoax, causing an end to COVID restrictions in Alberta? No, that's not true: King's attempt to subpoena the province's chief medical officer for his COVID-19 ticket was den
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Vaccines Do NOT Contain Graphene Oxide As Claimed By Ex-Pfizer Employee
Do the COVID vaccines contain graphene oxide as claimed by a "whistleblower" on the "Stew Peters Show"? No, that's not true: The claim rests on made-up connections between vaccine makers and a company that produces polyethylene glycol der
Truth or Fiction?→ News Organizations Uncritically Spread Sheriff’s Fentanyl ‘Overdose’ Video
A public safety video released by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department in California was quickly called into question online — but not by local news organizations, some of which shared it without mentioning that medical groups have des
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Suggestive Silo And Bales Is NOT Real Iowa State Fair Logo
Did the Iowa State Fair accidentally or intentionally blunder with their logo design resulting in a distinctly recognizable silhouette? No, that's not true: This logo is a joke and not the real logo of the Iowa State Fair. The silo and ro
Snopes→ Capitol Rioters Enter 1st Guilty Pleas to Assaulting Police
A New Jersey gym owner and a Washington state man became the first people charged in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol to plead guilty to assaulting a law enforcement officer during the deadly siege.
Snopes→ Joel Osteen’s Net Worth: Is It Really $40 to $60 Million?
The Houston pastor's wealth has been the subject of a lot of discussion over the years.
Snopes→ Schools Reopen with Masks Optional in Many US Classrooms
Georgia, like most states, is leaving it up to local schools to decide whether to require face coverings.
Snopes→ Yes, Biden Said 350M Americans Have Been Vaccinated Against COVID-19
The White House later clarified he meant 350 million vaccine doses had been administered.
PolitiFact→ Viral image – Mail-in ballots approved in California before delta surge
“Due to the new ‘delta variant’ California will be mailing in ballots for recall election.”
FactCheck.org→ Pfizer CEO Got the COVID-19 Vaccine
SciCheck Digest The CEO of Pfizer posted a photo of himself getting the second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine on March 10. But an Aug. 5 tweet from Newsmax reporter Emerald Robinson misleadingly suggested he isn’t vaccinated. She updated the tweet
Snopes→ Small Northern California Community of Greenville Decimated by Dixie Fire
The Dixie Fire is the largest fire currently burning in the U.S.
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – Why the COVID-19 survival rate is not over 99%
The survival rate for COVID-19 is over 99% for most age groups.
Snopes→ Don’t Blame Cats for Destroying Wildlife
Conservationists and the media often claim that cats are a main contributor to a mass extinction, a catastrophic loss of species due to human activities.
PolitiFact→ As extremes shape voter ID debate, the rules keep getting stricter
Snopes→ Did George Washington Order Troops To Get Vaccinated Against Smallpox?
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