Did U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer say, "It's racist to only allow citizens to vote"? No, that's not true: Schumer never said that. Several sites are wrongly attributing this quote to him, but he did not say it. Lead Stories has tra
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Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The One Video Bernie Sanders Doesn’t Want You to See’
On February 24 2020, the Facebook page “The Hodgetwins” shared the following video purportedly showing presidential candidate Bernie Sanders praising breadlines, framed with text about it being “the one video that Bernie Sanders doe
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence That M&M’s Candies Are Linked To Cancer, Migraines, Hyperactivity
Are M&M's candies linked to cancer and a host of other health issues? No, that's not true: An article warning about the dangers of consuming the popular chocolate candies appears to overstate the health risks, and some of the concerns it m
Snopes→ Did Bloomberg Say Elderly Cancer Patients Should Not Be Treated To Alleviate Health Care Costs?
The billionaire businessman and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate faced renewed criticism for remarks he made in 2011.
FactCheck.org→ Sanders Didn’t Call for 52% Tax on $29,000 Incomes
Quick Take A viral post claims, falsely, that Sen. Bernie Sanders at a recent debate called for a tax rate of 52% on incomes of $29,000 or more to pay for his Medicare for All plan. He didn’t. That figure was floated as a potential marginal tax r
FactCheck.org→ No Link Between Harvard Scientist Charles Lieber and Coronavirus
Q. Is it true that federal agents arrested Harvard professor Charles Lieber for creating the coronavirus? A: No. Lieber, a nanoscientist, was charged for lying about his participation in a Chinese recruitment program and his affiliation with a Chinese
FactCheck.org→ Story Misrepresents Abrams’ Remarks on Electoral College
Quick Take A story circulating online misleadingly claims Stacey Abrams “boasted that Democrats can ‘jerry-rig the system and go around the Constitution’ to win the 2020 election.” Her comments about moving to a national popular
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Six Coronavirus Cases NOT Confirmed In Wichita, Kansas (Or Several Other U.S. Cities)
Were six coronavirus cases confirmed in Wichita, Kansas? No, that's not true: This story originated from a network of websites known for publishing sensational and false stories. No cases were confirmed there. And residents in at least 13 othe
FactCheck.org→ Video: The Ninth Democratic Debate
We examine four claims from the Feb. 19 Democratic debate in this video: Former Vice President Joe Biden wrongly said of the stop-and-frisk policing policy under former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg: “The reason that stop and frisk changed is b
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking the Las Vegas Democratic Debate
Summary Many of the factual disputes centered on disagreements among the candidates: Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg said the stop-and-frisk policy that was “in place” when he became mayor “got out of control” and so “we cut 95% of
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Pipeline Protesters Out of Gas’ Meme
On February 17 2020, a Facebook user shared the following post that purports to show “pipeline protesters” ironically holding an “out of gas” sign — ironic, because they ran out of fuel on their way to a protest: Atop
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Member of "USA Parliament" NOT Matching The Holy Quran
Did a member of the U.S. government burn the Quran? No, that's not true: a viral image on Instagram by @thekenyans claims a member of "USA parliament" desecrated the Islamic holy book, but there are several dubious claims - one being that U.S.
FactCheck.org→ Senate Majority PAC
Political leanings: Democratic 2018 total spending: $165.6 million The Senate Majority PAC is a super PAC that describes itself as “solely dedicated to building a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate.” In the 2018 election cycle, the Senate Maj
FactCheck.org→ Congressional Leadership Fund
Political leanings: Republican 2018 Spending: $159 million The Congressional Leadership Fund’s sole purpose is to win a Republican majority in the House of Representatives. The super PAC was formed in October 2011 as the conservative counter to
FactCheck.org→ Priorities USA Action
Political leanings: Democratic/liberal 2018 total spending: $44.8 million Priorities USA Action, a super PAC, was formed in 2011 by ex-White House staffers Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney to help reelect President Barack Obama in 2012. In 2016, it su
FactCheck.org→ House Majority PAC
Political leanings: Democratic 2018 total spending: $95.6 million The House Majority PAC was founded in April 2011 by Alixandria Lapp, a former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee official. Her husband, Democratic consultant John Lapp, ha
FactCheck.org→ Senate Leadership Fund
Political leanings: Conservative/Republican 2018 total spending: $127 million The Senate Leadership Fund is a Republican super PAC that was established in 2015 by allies of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The group says its purpose is
FactCheck.org→ American Bridge 21st Century/AB PAC
Political leanings: Democratic/liberal 2018 total spending: $20.9 million American Bridge 21st Century is a liberal super PAC that conducts opposition research to aid Democratic candidates and organizations. The group changed its name to AB PAC in No
FactCheck.org→ Competing Claims on Trump’s Budget and Seniors
In what has become an annual Washington exercise, Democrats and Republicans are waging a war of words over the president’s proposed budget and how it would affect programs for seniors. President Donald Trump tweeted that he “will not be touchin
FactCheck.org→ Posts Misidentify Site of Used Needle Pile in Homeless Camp
Quick Take Posts circulating on social media show a pile of hypodermic needles and falsely identify the site as a homeless encampment in Nancy Pelosi’s district in San Francisco. The photo was actually taken at a homeless camp cleanup in Washingt
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Twenty States Now Suspend Driver’s Licenses of People Who Haven’t Paid Back Student Loans?
In February 2020, a screenshot (missing a date) circulated on Facebook, featuring a tweet by journalist Barbara Ehrenrich about how “20 states now” revoked driver’s licenses of people who had not been paying back their student loans:
FactCheck.org→ State of the Union Anecdotes Debunked
It is customary for presidents to invite guests to the State of the Union address to provide anecdotal evidence that supports the president’s policies. But it turns out President Donald Trump’s speech included misleading descriptions of two
FactCheck.org→ Fictitious Story on Malia Obama’s White House ‘Trinkets’
Quick Take A story shared on social media falsely claims that Malia Obama was “busted” for selling “trinkets” she stole from the White House. That story originated on a self-described satirical website. Full Story Social med
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Lyndon B. Johnson Vote Against Civil Rights Legislation for Twenty Years?
Right-wing commentator Candace Owens distorted the record of former United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during both a televised appearance and on Twitter in February 2020 in an effort to paint the Democratic Party as being anti-Black. The remark
Lead Stories→ Fake News: NO Obama Vacation Scam That President Trump Ended
Did President Trump send President Obama a bill for tax-payer funded vacations that Obama has taken since leaving office? No, that's not true: This is a satirical story created by a website that publishes fake content aimed at a conservative a
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘If You Make $50,000/Year, $36 of Your Taxes Goes to Food Stamps, $4,000 Goes to Corporate Subsidies’
A February 14 2020 tweet about “socialism” and a putative $50,000 wage earner paying $36 in tax towards food stamps and $4,000 towards corporate subsidies went wildly viral, appearing in screenshots on Facebook and discussion forums in the
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Bernie Sanders Does NOT Return $18.53 To Mike Bloomberg
Did Bernie Sanders return a donation from Mike Bloomberg in the amount of $18.53? No, that's not true: This claim was put out by a satirical website and has no basis in fact. The claim originated from an article (archived here) that was publis
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Bloomberg Did NOT Say Elderly People Should Be Denied Care Past Certain Age When Ill
Did Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg say that all elderly people should be denied care past a certain age when they become ill? No, that's not true: The website circulating the claims pulled only a snippet of the former New
Lead Stories→ Fake News: NO Proof That High-Rise Buildings Have Become Human Incinerators To Combat Coronavirus
Have high-rise buildings in China become human incinerators to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak? No, that's not true: The website reporting this angle uses a questionable, unverified source on Twitter to make several far-fetched claims. T
Truth or Fiction?→ Jeff Bezos Bought a $165M House, the Equivalent of a $75 House if You Make $60,000 a Year?
In February 2020, tweets and screenshots appeared, claiming that Amazon chief executive officer Jeff Bezos had recently purchased a $165 million house — typically with the caveat that the acquisition was about the same as someone who made $60,00
FactCheck.org→ Viral Posts Spread Iran-‘Deep State’ Conspiracy Theory
Quick Take An online conspiracy theory falsely claims that Democratic leaders coordinated the June attacks on two oil tankers and a U.S. drone and that President Donald Trump caught them in the act. The Trump administration has placed the blame squarel
FactCheck.org→ Bloomberg Misleads on Stop-And-Frisk
Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg misleadingly stated that he “cut” the police practice of stop-and-frisk — a policy that he “inherited” — by “95%” by the time he left office as mayor of New York. There were nearl
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Residential Building NOT In Wuhan, NOT Set Ablaze To Control Coronavirus Spread
Was a massive residential building in Wuhan, China, set ablaze to try to control the spread of the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true: The fire broke out at a building in another Chinese city, Chongqing, which is about 850 kilometers - or
Truth or Fiction?→ Trump Intervenes in Sentencing of Lobbyist Who Spread Corrosive Disinformation on His Behalf
The sentencing of convicted felon Roger Stone was abruptly derailed on February 11 2020, when all four of his prosecutors resigned on the same day that United States President Donald Trump, freshly emboldened by his impeachment acquittal the week befo
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Can We Brainstorm Ways to Make This Sound Less Racist’ Michael Bloomberg Subreddit Post
Amid ongoing controversy involving Democratic candidate Mike Bloomberg and his attitude toward New York City’s stop-and-frisk policies, blogger and reporter Zaid Jilani tweeted a screenshot from Reddit’s r/PresidentBloomberg — in whi
Lead Stories→ Fake News: AOC Did NOT Propose $10.5B Cut To Social Security; Did NOT Say, "We Need To Sock It To The Boomers"
Did U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is popularly known as AOC, propose a $10.5 billion cut to Social Security? No, that's not true: The Democratic congresswoman from New York never made such a proposal. The author of the post is trolli
Truth or Fiction?→ Did North Dakota Republicans ‘Block Native Americans From Voting’?
Stories continue to circulate online about a federal judge’s October 2018 ruling around a North Dakota voter identification law, but readers on social media may not be aware that as of February 2020, the legal fight against the law has not concl
Snopes→ Is Tucker Carlson Right Saying the New Way Forward Act ‘Protect[s] Criminals From Deportation’?
The Fox News host called the immigration reform bill "the most radical single piece of legislation we’ve seen proposed." What exactly did it propose?
Snopes→ Did a ‘Russian-Linked Oligarch’ Fund Pete Buttigieg’s Presidential Campaign?
A billionaire with dual U.S. and U.K. citizenship gave $5,200 to Buttigieg's campaign, among other donations.
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Mods are Asleep, Post Mike Bloomberg in Epstein’s Black Book’
On February 11 2020, a tweet (also shared to Facebook) invoked the “mods are asleep” meme in a broader post about former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s purported appearance in the late Jeffrey Epstein’s “little blac