President Biden isn’t trying to defund the police, and Republicans in Congress were not doing so either. Here’s a guide to the White House spin.
Snopes→ Officials: Storm Lashing Florida Strengthens Into Hurricane
A storm that has lashed the Caribbean and the Florida Keys with pounding rain and gusty winds and complicated the search for survivors in a deadly condominium collapse has strengthened into a hurricane.
Snopes→ Eric Adams Wins Democratic Primary in NYC’s Mayoral Race
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams has won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City after appealing to the political center and promising to strike the right balance between fighting crime and ending racial injustice in policing.
Snopes→ Church Piano Player Sneaks ‘Jurassic Park’ Theme Into Worship Service
TikTok user @mastermorgan317 appeared to find just the right moment to play the familiar tune.
Snopes→ RECALL: Tyson Recalls 8.5M Pounds of Chicken
The food giant had a listeria outbreak.
FactCheck.org→ Democrat Makes Misleading ‘Defund the Police’ Claim
A senior aide to President Joe Biden misleadingly claimed that congressional Republicans “defunded the police” when they voted against the American Rescue Plan Act. House and Senate Republicans didn’t support the legislation, but it w
Truth or Fiction?→ Federal Investigation Underway After LAPD Detonates Explosive Cache in Residential Area
Federal officials have opened an investigation into the Los Angeles Police Department’s handling of a trove of allegedly illegal fireworks that led to at least 17 people — including several law enforcement officers — being injured in
Snopes→ The Bill Gates ‘Depopulation Through Forced Vaccination’ Headline, Explained
This well-trodden conspiracy theory continues to circulate on social media.
Snopes→ Did Paul Rudd Prank Seth Rogen With a Surprise Massage?
A pressing story that needs solid confirmation.
Snopes→ ESPN Takes Nichols Off NBA Finals Duty After Leaked Comments
ESPN has replaced Rachel Nichols as its sideline reporter for the NBA Finals following a report detailing critical comments she made about Black colleague Maria Taylor.
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘U.S. Quietly Slips Out Of Afghanistan In Dead Of Night’ Onion Story
On July 6 2021, Twitter user @SIGSYS published two screenshots, one a satirical headline from The Onion in July 2011 about the United States having “quietly slip[ped] out of Afghanistan in [the] dead of night,” and a July 2021 Associated
Snopes→ Bruce Springsteen’s Daughter Makes Olympic Equestrian Team
U.S. Equestrian announced that Jessica Springsteen would be making her Olympic debut.
AllSides→ Espaillat’s claim has some truth to it, though average benefits likely lower
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/jul/03/adriano-espaillat/espaillats-claim-has-some-truth-it-though-average-/
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Study Retracted July 2021 Did NOT Prove That Face Masks Are Dangerous For Children
Does a "research letter" published by JAMA Pediatrics prove that face masks are dangerous for children? No, that's not true: The medical journal that published the lab report on July 16, 2021 announced editors have retracted it, after pee
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Shelby Houlihan Did NOT Receive Better Treatment Than Sha’Carri Richardson
Did Shelby Houlihan, an American runner poised to run in the Tokyo Olympics, receive a less harsh punishment than Sha'Carri Richardson, another potential American Olympic runner, when Olympic officials found out they both had banned subst
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team Did NOT Turn Their Backs On WWII Vet Playing National Anthem On His Harmonica
Did the U.S. Women's National Soccer team turn their back on a WWII vet playing the national anthem on his harmonica? No, that's not true: Most of the players on the team had turned to face the American flag, a tradition during the nation
Snopes→ Did Billy Dee Williams Prank Mark Hamill Before They Met British Royalty?
A photograph shows Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, looking away as he shook hands with Princess Margaret.
Snopes→ TikTok Is Down, Videos Temporarily Unavailable
The video platform showed zero followers for most users, but some features were still available.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: The Right To Vote Is NOT Exclusive To Men And Women Under The U.S. Constitution
Does the U.S. Constitution only grant men and women the right to vote? No, that's not true: The 19th Amendment to the Constitution says, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United Sta
Snopes→ Was Snow White Originally Named for Her Appearance?
In early July 2021, a debate ensued on TikTok regarding the origins of the name "Snow White" after Disney announced a new live-action movie.
Snopes→ Did Facebook Remove a Pledge of Allegiance Meme?
Claims of Facebook "censorship" are not unusual.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Rapper Lil Baby Was NOT Shot Dead
Was rapper Lil Baby found dead in a parked car outside his home? No, that's not true: The website that published the claim says it is a "Prank website that is intended for Fun" at the bottom of every page. Users can use the site, and othe
Snopes→ Did US Women’s Soccer Team Turn Backs on Vet Playing National Anthem?
Several members of the U.S. women soccer team signed a ball for the 98-year-old veteran after the match.
Truth or Fiction?→ Donald Rumsfeld and Mount Misery
A July 1 2021 Facebook image of an unassuming house was shared after the death of former United States Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, alongside a post and video link claiming that the Bush administration official purchased and had lived at a place
Snopes→ 28 Feared Dead in Plane Crash in Russia’s Far East
Wreckage from the An-26 was found on a coastal cliffside and in the sea near the airport in the town of Palana.
Full Fact→ Video in a car shares misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines
A video shared online features a former health worker making a number of false claims about the Covid-19 pandemic, and vaccines. “Covid has never been isolated in a laboratory. It has never been proven to exist. The only place it exists is
Snopes→ Man Bitten by Neighbor’s Escaped Python in Toilet in Austria
The 65-year-old victim “felt a ‘nip’ in the genital area” shortly after sitting on the toilet at home.
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The History of Left-Handedness’
A June 30 2021 tweet (part of discourse about transgender youth) referenced a “left-handedness chart,” as a rhetorical response to questions about why there were “suddenly” “so many” gay, transgender, and non-binary
Snopes→ Did a Man Poop In a Mop Bucket in NYC’s Subway?
We can't speak for all NYC mop buckets, but this video ...?
Snopes→ On ‘Sesame Street,’ Elmo Gets a Puppy (Cue Adorableness)
Elmo, Grover, Abby Cadabby and the rest of the Muppet gang are introducing a new character to the show this summer — a white-and-brown puppy named Tango.
Snopes→ Did Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani Get Married?
The two judges on "The Voice" have been together since 2015.
Snopes→ Hunt for Capitol Attackers Still on 6 Months After Jan. 6
Part of the problem is that authorities made very few arrests on Jan. 6.
Logically→ Bone death has been recorded in post-COVID-19 patients in India.
Three post-COVID-19 patients at Mumbai's PD Hinduja Hospital have been identified with Avascular Necrosis (AVN) or the death of bone tissues.
Snopes→ Elsa’s Heavy Rain Won’t Stop Florida Condo Collapse Search
No one has been rescued alive since the first hours after the collapse, but rescuers were still holding out hope of reuniting loved ones.
Poynter→ The Make-A-Wish Foundation isn’t granting wishes only to vaccinated children
Since its founding in 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted over 315,000 wishes for children with critical illnesses. Amid lockdown orders and travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of those wishes had to be delayed. Now, as
Full Fact→ Why school testing data doesn’t tell the whole story
“Something like 80% of children are not doing these tests.” Kate Green MP, 30 June 2021. On the Today programme last week, shadow schools minister Kate Green claimed that 80% of schoolchildren are not doing coronavirus tests. A similar cla
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: SmartDOT Radiation Protection Advertising Claims Are NOT Proven
Are the claims made in smartDOT advertising all verifiable? No, that's not true: Claims in smartDOT advertising have not been proven by scientific studies, and promotional references citing features in well-known publications appear to be
Snopes→ `Superman,’ `Lethal Weapon’ Director Richard Donner Dies
Richard Donner helped form the modern superhero blockbuster with 1978's "Superman."
Logically→ When COVID-19 vaccines were given emergency use authorization, authorities had no idea if they would work.
COVID-19 vaccines have all been through mandatory, multi-stage trials to ensure their safety and efficacy before they are approved for emergency use.
Snopes→ Journalists Attacked, Hurt in Georgia at Anti-LGBT Protest
Opponents of the march blocked off Tbilisi’s main avenue, denounced journalists covering the protest as pro-LGBT propagandists and threw sticks and bottles at the media workers.