BuzzFeed says it stands by its reporting but is "working to determine what exactly" special counsel Robert Mueller's office is disputing about its story on President Donald Trump and his former lawyer Michael Cohen.
Snopes→ Mueller Disputes Accuracy of BuzzFeed Report on Trump, Cohen
BuzzFeed, citing two unidentified law enforcement officials, reported that Trump directed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about a Moscow real estate project.
Snopes→ Did Theresa May Say Pedophiles Should Be Allowed to Adopt Children?
A notorious junk news site twisted a news story from 2010.
Snopes→ Were Three Cats in Wyoming Diagnosed with Bubonic Plague?
Officials issued an advisory to residents after a spate of cases within a six-month period.
Snopes→ Romney Backs Trump in Shutdown Showdown, Questions Pelosi
U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah said he backs an idea by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin that would ensure essential government workers who are still working, but without pay, get paid.
Snopes→ White Cop Who Shot Black Teen Gets Nearly 7 Years in Prison
Jason Van Dyke was convicted last year of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery — one for each bullet fired at Laquan McDonald.
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Facebook Removing Inactive Members from Groups?
In January 2019, various posts appeared in myriad Facebook groups urging users to provide engagement with the post to avoid a purported purge of “inactive members.” Iterations of the same warning spread across Facebook groups of all types:
FactCheck.org→ Examining Shutdown Claims from Democrats
The weekslong partial government shutdown has led to around 800,000 federal employees not working or working without pay. It also has led to some false or questionable claims from Democrats about the shutdown’s impact on a host of federal service
FactCheck.org→ Trump Wrong About Wall Effect in El Paso
President Donald Trump falsely claimed that El Paso went from “one of the most dangerous cities in the country to one of the safest cities in the country overnight” after “a wall was put up” along the Mexico border. Here are the facts:
FactCheck.org→ Viral Story Fabricates ‘Muslim Holidays’ Bill
Quick Take A self-described “parody” website published a made-up story about two Muslim congresswomen introducing a bill recognizing “Muslim holidays as federal holidays.” Full Story A search on the federal website that tracks legislation
Snopes→ Is Facebook Kicking People Out of Groups Who Don’t Participate?
The technology giant has been taking measures to improve "meaningful" interactions on the platform.
Lead Stories→ Fake News: NO Drunk Demolition Worker Arrested After Blowing Up The Wrong Building
Was an 51-year-old explosives expert named Marty Daughtry from Greenville, North Carolina arrested after blowing up the wrong building? No, that's not true: the story was made up by a Canadian entertainment website that makes a living by publi
Snopes→ Did a Landlord Tell Tenants That the Government Shutdown Could Cause Them to Be Evicted?
As a federal government shutdown ran on for weeks, concerns mounted over its effects on renters who rely on federal subsidies.
Snopes→ Trump, North Korean Leader to Hold 2nd Summit
News of a second meeting with the reclusive North Korean leader came after Trump met at the White House for 90 minutes with a North Korean envoy, Kim Yong Chol, who had traveled to Washington to discuss denuclearization talks.
Snopes→ Ailing Federal Worker Says She’ll Get Back Lapsed Insurance
Jasmine Tool had been unable to learn why her insurance lapsed or how to get it back because the shutdown meant no one was answering her calls.
Snopes→ Americans Killed in Syria Attack Identified
The attack, claimed by the Islamic State group, also wounded three U.S. troops and was the deadliest assault on U.S. troops in Syria since American forces went into the country in 2015.
Snopes→ Officer Who Killed Teen Used Racial Slurs, Excessive Force
Prosecutors are highlighting the accusations now to persuade a judge that Jason Van Dyke, the Chicago police officer who fatally shot Laquan McDonald in 2014, deserves a stiffer prison sentence.
Snopes→ Does Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez Say ‘Owning Guns is Not a Right’ in the Constitution?
Attempts to discredit the freshman lawmaker from NYC seem to know no end.
Snopes→ Cat Rescued After Sliding Down Dam’s Spillway
A fisherman spotted the feline stranded on the spillway at the J. Edward Roush Lake dam in Indiana.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Texas Ranchers Find ‘Prayer Rugs’ Near the U.S.-Mexico Border?
Amid a flurry of headlines about the government shutdown and Michael Cohen on January 18 2019, President Donald Trump tweeted a highly dubious claim that ranchers on the southern United States border had found “prayer rugs” as part of a pl
Snopes→ Did President Donald Trump Run TV Ads Asking Border Wall Supporters to Call an 800 Number?
"We need to deliver the voices of millions of Americans that we support President Trump, and it starts with your phone call."
PolitiFact→ How much does the government shutdown cost?
Democratic presidential candidate John Delaney, a former Maryland congressman, poured cold water on fans of small government who support the current partial shutdown. "Interesting that some of Trump's advisers think shutdown shrinks government
Snopes→ Congress to Probe Report that Trump Directed Lawyer to Lie
A BuzzFeed story reports that Michael Cohen told Robert Mueller that President Trump personally instructed him to lie about the timing of the project in order to obscure Trump's involvement.
Snopes→ McConnell’s Maneuvers Take Backseat to Trump in Shutdown
The Kentucky Republican, who is up for re-election in 2020 in a state where Trump tends to be more popular than he is, sees no other choice than to stand back and let the president decide how he wants to get out of the shutdown.
Snopes→ Shutdown Reaches Day 28 as Trump, Pelosi Feud Heats Up Again
The political tit-for-tat between President Trump and House Speaker Pelosi laid bare how the government-wide crisis has devolved into an intensely pointed clash between two leaders determined to prevail.
Snopes→ Researchers Come Face-to-Face with Huge Great White Shark
Two shark researchers who came face-to-face with what could be one of the largest great whites ever recorded are using their encounter as an opportunity to push for legislation that would protect sharks in Hawaii.
PolitiFact→ Could Donald Trump declare a national emergency for a border wall? Here's what we know
The United States is in its 28th day of a partial federal government shutdown over the funding of a border wall with Mexico. President Donald Trump is unwilling to sign a spending deal to re-open the government if it doesn’t include billions of d
Hoax-Slayer→ How Artificial Intelligence is Fighting Scammers and Fraudsters
Currently, artificial intelligence is the leading technology used to defend against fraud. AI is being used to analyze customer data and report potential fraud it identifies. The post How Artificial Intelligence is Fighting Scammers and Fraudsters app
Snopes→ Total Lunar Eclipse Meets Supermoon Sunday Night
"This one is particularly good," said Rice University astrophysicist Patrick Hartigan.
Lead Stories→ Macedonian Fake News Network Shuts Down Dozens Of Websites After Joint Investigation By Lead Stories & Nieuwscheckers
Back in November of 2018 fact checking sites Lead Stories and Nieuwscheckers collaborated to map a network of Macedonian fake news websites that had published thousands and thousands of articles since 2016, mostly stolen from other places, man
Lead Stories→ How A Tattoo Led Us To The Macedonian Trucker Delivering Loads of Fake News To The Internet
The joint investigation by Lead Stories and Nieuwscheckers into a network of Macedonian fake news sites reached a dead end last month: we knew most of the sites involved and had a pretty good idea how their posts were being spread via fake Twi
Lead Stories→ The Kumanovo-connection: Macedonian Spam Clans Still Make Money With Fake News About Muslims and Migrants
A Macedonian military man appears to be one of the driving forces behind a network of fake news websites that reached millions of people with articles often inciting hatred against muslims and migrants. Together with friends and family he has
Lead Stories→ Here Are The Tools And Methods We Used To Map A Macedonian Fake News Network And The People Behind It
Sherlock Holmes had his magnifying glass. Hercule Poirot relied on his "little grey cells". But the 21st century internet detective needs more than that to catch the bad guys. In this article we present some of the tools and tricks we used to
Lead Stories→ Decline and Fall Of A Macedonian Fake News Network: Numbers Indicate Facebook’s Measures Forced Desperate Move To Twitter
Although Macedonian fake news merchants still generate thousands of Facebook likes and shares, the platform's recent measures against bad actors have drastically reduced their reach. The next step in the arms race takes the battle to Twitter.
Snopes→ Police Seek Volunteers to Get Drunk for Them; Many Respond
Volunteers were required to have a clean criminal history and have a responsible party to take care of them after the training.
Hoax-Slayer→ Bogus Butlin’s Facebook Page Claims To be Giving Away Resort Holidays
According to a post published on a Facebook Page that calls itself “Butlins Fans”, you can click a “Sign Up” button to get a chance to win a holiday for four people at any Butlins resort. The post Bogus Butlin’s Facebook Page Claims To
Snopes→ Can Federal Government Workers Be Fired After 30 Days of Shutdown?
The law varies depending on the type of shutdown.
Snopes→ Did Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis Criticize ‘Pantyhose-Wearing’ Politicians for Gun Restrictions?
A widespread meme attributes some colorful criticisms of pro-gun-control lawmakers to the legendary retired Marine Corps general.
Snopes→ Were Bugs Found in a Can of Chef Boyardee Mini Raviolis?
Millions of people have viewed a video supposedly showing the critters (or unmixed caramel coloring) in the product.
PolitiFact→ Mike Pence – Mike Pence wrong that ISIS has been defeated
The Truth-o-Meter says: Mostly False | Mike Pence wrong that ISIS has been defeated Vice President Mike Pence took something of a victory lap for the administration on countering ISIS, the terrorist group that set out to establish an Islamic caliph