Never change, Florida.
Snopes→ Was Jesus Really Born in Bethlehem?
The New Testament Gospels do not agree about the details of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. Some do not mention Bethlehem or Jesus’ birth at all.
FactCheck.org→ COVID-19 Vaccines Don’t Have Patient-Tracking Devices
Quick Take A video circulating on social media falsely claims that vaccines for COVID-19 have a microchip that “tracks the location of the patient.” The chip, which is not currently in use, would be attached to the end of a plastic vial and
Snopes→ Did Sen. Klobuchar Like a Tweet Mocking Pete Buttigieg?
We would like to think most elected officials have better things to do with their time.
Snopes→ Did ‘Hugh Mann’ Write an Article Debunking Alien Theories?
Jokes can feel alien to some.
Snopes→ Does Electoral College End Election for Conservative Media?
Throughout the Trump era, conservatives who opposed the president have generally lost their media platforms while pro-Trump voices have been ascendant.
Snopes→ No, Trump Isn’t ‘Tactically’ Implementing Voter Interference Sanctions
A fear mongering copypasta meme made its way around social media, raising anxiety.
Snopes→ Was the Snow Globe Invented by Accident?
The first snow globes date back to 1878.
Logically→ The ICMR has told doctors that every death should be recorded as a COVID-19 death.
Doctors have to categorize the death’s immediate cause, antecedent cause, and any other underlying causes.
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a ‘Firefly’ Reboot Coming To Disney+?
On December 15 2020, rumors of a purported Disney+ Firefly “reboot” that was refashioned to be “family-friendly” spread on social media, with fans of the show registering opinions about the what that might mean: We have ex
Snopes→ Did The North Face Refuse To Sell an Oil Company Hundreds of Jackets?
The clothing brand is known for its environmental messaging.
Logically→ Dead bodies cannot spread COVID-19.
There is scant evidence about transmitting COVID-19 through handling dead bodies.
Logically→ Moderna started testing on humans too quickly.
On February 25, Moderna announced that the vaccine was ready for a phase one trial. There is no evidence that they have acted unsafely or rushed.
Snopes→ Did Putin Acknowledge Biden’s Win Before Mitch McConnell?
Some onlookers attempted to read between the lines of the two leaders' remarks.
AFP Fact Check→ Map does not show ‘actual results’ of 2020 US election
A map claiming to show “actual results” of the 2020 US election with Donald Trump as the winner has been shared thousands of times on social media. This is false; Democrat Joe Biden has secured more than the 270 electoral votes needed to win the pr
Snopes→ Do Plumbers Advise to ‘Pour Salt Down Your Drain at Night’?
An online advertisement enticed readers with the headline, "Pour Salt Down Your Drain Tonight, Here's Why." But it didn't explain why.
AFP Fact Check→ US vaccine injury payouts do not mean immunization is unsafe
Social media posts claim vaccines are not safe, pointing to $4.4 billion paid out by the United States. But US health authorities say testing ensures vaccines are safe and effective, and most government compensation results from settled claims in which
Snopes→ Over-The-Counter Home Test for COVID-19 Gets US Green Light
The test will be sold in places like drugstores "where a patient can buy it, swab their nose, run the test and find out their results in as little as 20 minutes,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn.
Snopes→ Did Consumers Sue Over Alleged Hair Loss Ingredient in TRESemmé Shampoo?
A viral Facebook post, and online articles, reported a potentially significant class action lawsuit against Unilever in late 2020.
AllSides→ Did Twitter Disable Engagement with Trump’s Election-Related Tweets?
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/twitter-disable-engagement-trump/ On Dec. 12, 2020, Twitter users not
Full Fact→ Why are people not self-isolating?
“Research conducted for the Department of Health found that only 11% of people asked to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace have done so.” Annaliese Dodds MP, 17 November 2020 “It is estimated that only about 11% of people self-isol
Logically→ Mamata Banerjee had called the 2012 Park Street rape case a fabricated one.
In 2012, Mamata Banerjee said that the victim's reporting of the rape was false and politically motivated to tarnish the government’s reputation.
Logically→ Unemployment rate in West Bengal has increased by a staggering 217% between October 2016 and 2020.
A 217 percent increase from 4.6 percent equals to 14.58 percent, but the rate in October 2020 was an approximate increase by 117 percent.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: The Supreme Court Is NOT Granting Trump 34 More Electoral College Votes
Did the Supreme Court issue a decision granting Donald Trump 34 more electoral votes than originally tabulated following the general election? No, that's not true: This is a satirical post. The Supreme Court issued no such ruling nor did
Logically→ The U.K. government will ease the ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood.
Anyone who has had the same sexual partner for the past three months will be eligible to donate, making blood donation gender-neutral.
Health Feedback→ The Krippin virus in “I Am Legend” was intended as a cancer cure, not used as a vaccine
REVIEW A meme containing a screenshot from the 2007 American sci-fi/postapocalyptic film “I Am Legend” carries the caption: “Remember, in ‘I Am Legend,’ the sickness didn’t make the zombies. The vaccination did.” The meme went viral on
Logically→ Andhra Pradesh has overtaken West Bengal as the largest producer of fish.
According to the Economic Survey 2020, the total fish production of Andhra Pradesh was the highest of all states in 2017-18. West Bengal stood second.
Snopes→ Did Raccoons Break into a California Building (Again)?
It wouldn't be the first time the wily, masked bandits botched a "break-in."
AFP Fact Check→ False Facebook posts claim Sri Lanka raised eligibility age for motorcycle licenses after two children killed in road accident
Multiple Facebook posts shared repeatedly in December 2020 claim the Sri Lankan government raised the eligibility age for motorcycle licenses from 17 to 25. The claim, which states the new policy will come into effect from January 1, 2021, circulate
AFP Fact Check→ Video makes misleading claims about Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine trial
A video has been viewed thousands of times in multiple posts on YouTube and Facebook alongside a claim that two people died during trials for Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine, according to US government records. The claim is misleading; the US
AFP Fact Check→ This image has been doctored to include more medals on former Thai army chief’s uniform
A purported image of General Apirat Kongsompong, former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and a controversial public figure in Thailand, shaking hands with the chief of staff of the U.S. Army has been shared hundreds of times on Facebook and T
AFP Fact Check→ This photo shows a political rally by Pakistan’s current ruling party in 2018
A photo of an enormous crowd has been shared thousands of times in multiple posts on Facebook alongside a claim it shows a major political opposition rally in the Pakistani city of Lahore on December 13, 2020. The claim is false; the photo actually s
AFP Fact Check→ Sri Lankan faith healer touts false ‘miracle cure’ for Covid-19, prompting pushback from doctors
A Sri Lankan faith healer claims to have created a concoction that is a “miracle cure” for Covid-19 that will offer “lifetime protection” against the disease. A purported recipe for the alternative medicine was subsequently shared thousands of
AFP Fact Check→ Facebook posts make misleading comparison about research into Covid-19, HIV, cancer and common cold
Multiple posts shared thousands of times on Facebook compare the ground-breaking speed of the discovery of a Covid-19 vaccination to research into HIV, cancer and the common cold. The claim is misleading; experts told AFP the development of a Covid-19
AFP Fact Check→ These photos show a pig carcass, not a human corpse, found on a beach in South Korea’s Busan
Two images have been shared hundreds of times in multiple posts on Facebook and on Korean social media platforms which claim they show a human corpse on a beach in the South Korean city of Busan. The claim is false; the Busan Coast Guard told AFP the i
Snopes→ Michigan Congressman Quits GOP Over Bid to Overturn Election
A retiring Michigan congressman said he is leaving the Republican Party and becoming an independent to protest efforts to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s victory over President Donald Trump.
Snopes→ No, Joe Biden’s Nephew Doesn’t Own Dominion Voting Systems
The claim is just one iteration of a conspiracy theory about Dominion Voting Systems.
Snopes→ No, Clint Eastwood’s Net Worth Didn’t Leave Family ‘in Tears’
A strange online death hoax about Clint Eastwood's net worth purportedly leaving his family "in tears" circulated in online advertisements late in 2020.
Snopes→ Gift-Giving Taboos That Aren’t as Bad as You Think
Behavioral science research shows that gifts that may seem “taboo” to givers might actually be better appreciated by recipients than they might think.
Snopes→ Was Boy Who Went Missing 40 Years Ago Reunited With Mom?
The 4-year-old supposedly disappeared one day while his mom was at work.