Editor's note: PolitiFact Editor Angie Drobnic Holan wrote this column for the media news website Poynter.org. You might expect a website that fact-checks American politics to use the word "lie" a lot. But at PolitiFact, we don&rsquo
PolitiFact→ Why PolitiFact doesn’t use the word ‘lie’ — except once a year
Editor's note: PolitiFact Editor Angie Drobnic Holan wrote this column for the media news website Poynter.org. You might expect a website that fact-checks American politics to use the word "lie" a lot. But at PolitiFact, we don&rsquo
Washington Post→ President Trump’s claim that Democrats gave Iran $150 billion
He has repeatedly suggested that President Barack Obama gave $150 billion in taxpayer funds to Iran. That's false.
Hoax-Slayer→ Fake Christmas Giveaway Pages Flooding Facebook
Keep an eye out for fraudulent Christmas themed Facebook Pages promising valuable prizes in exchange for liking, sharing, and commenting. The post Fake Christmas Giveaway Pages Flooding Facebook appeared first on Hoax-Slayer.
Snopes→ Teen Pleads Guilty to Murder in Death of Father, Boy
A 16-year-old pleaded guilty to two charges of murder for fatally shooting his father in their home and a 6-year-old boy at the South Carolina elementary school he once attended.
Snopes→ Crews Rescue Man Stuck in Grease Vent of Empty Restaurant
Officials say he had been trapped there for two days.
Snopes→ There’s A Safer Option for Animals Crossing the Road
Washington state is finishing work on its largest wildlife bridge. At least one animal has already used it.
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Oscars Committee Did NOT Announce Jordan Peterson as New Host
Did the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announce Dr. Jordan Peterson will host the 91st Oscars ceremony? No, of course not: the story was put out by a Christian themed satire website, it is not real. It mocks the recent withdrawa
Internet Archive→ President Trump Signs Opportunity & Revitalization Council Order : CSPAN : December 12, 2018 6:18pm-6:40pm EST
President Trump signed an executive order establishing an Opportunity and Revitalization Council with the aim of creating economic opportunity zones in distressed communities. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson was set to lead the new c
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Saudi Arabia Is NOT About To Behead 6 School Girls For Acting Indecently With Their Male Friends
Is Saudi Arabia about to behead six schoolgirls for acting indecently with male friends? No, that's not true: the story recently went viral again via the newest site in a network of Macedonian fake news websites that keeps recycling the same
Snopes→ Is a Butterfly Sanctuary in Danger of Being Bulldozed to Build President Trump’s Border Wall?
President Trump's proposed border wall is expected to have a significant impact on the surrounding environment.
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Mother Did NOT Force Son to Swallow Semen After Catching Him With Gay Porn
Did a 44-year-old abusive mother from Tuscaloosa, Alabama named Dolly Callahan force her teenage son to drink his own semen after she caught him masturbating to gay porn? No, that's not true: the story was made up by a Canadian entertainment
Snopes→ Did Jon Voight Urge Americans to ‘Fight for Donald Trump’?
The Academy Award-winning actor is a prominent Hollywood conservative and vocal supporter of the 45th president.
FactCheck.org→ Websites Distort Story of Former Federal Judge
Quick Take Conservative websites falsely claim that former federal Judge Alex Kozinski “struck down” President Donald Trump’s original travel ban. He actually opposed its suspension. Full Story Before federal Judge Alex Kozinski
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This a Real Photo of a Rattlesnake That Died in a Wildfire?
On November 18, 2018, after destructive wildfires tore through northern California, the following image was shared to Facebook: Its caption read: A rattlesnake frozen in death during the California wildfires. His last defiant act was to strike at the f
Snopes→ Did 449,000 Californians Turn Down Jury Duty Because They Are Undocumented Immigrants?
Facebook users spread an unscourced and uncorroborated anti-immigrant statement.
Snopes→ Street Paved with Chocolate After Factory Mishap
After hitting the chilly pavement, the milk chocolate quickly hardened.
Snopes→ Rats Are a Growing Problem in Washington D.C.
The nation's capital is facing a spiraling rat infestation, fueled by mild winters and a human population boom.
Snopes→ Judge Gives Ex-Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen 3 Years in Prison
Cohen was sentenced three years in prison in New York, for dodging taxes, lying to Congress and violating campaign finance laws.
Truth or Fiction?→ Can Airbags Send Your Knees ‘Through Your Eye Sockets’ When Deployed?
When the meme below appeared on Facebook via the page The Pink Shorts Movement on November 28 2018, we were skeptical: The text read: DID YOU KNOW: Airbags deploy between 100 & 220 MPH. If you ride with your feet on the dash, you may send your knee
PolitiFact→ Christine Lagarde – If women worked as much as men, would US GDP jump 5 percent?
The Truth-o-Meter says: Half-True | If women worked as much as men, would US GDP jump 5 percent? Most economist agree that hefty tax cuts and more government spending have –– at least in the short run –– boosted America&rsqu
PolitiFact→ Christine Lagarde – If women worked as much as men, would US GDP jump 5 percent?
The Truth-o-Meter says: Half-True | If women worked as much as men, would US GDP jump 5 percent? Most economist agree that hefty tax cuts and more government spending have –– at least in the short run –– boosted America&rsqu
Snopes→ Julian Castro Moves Toward 2020 White House Run
The move gives the 44-year-old former San Antonio mayor an early start to what's shaping up as a crowded Democratic field without a clear front-runner to challenge President Donald Trump.
Snopes→ France: Suspected Gunman Named, Had Long Police Record
A man who had been flagged as a possible extremist sprayed gunfire near the city of Strasbourg's famous Christmas market, killing three people, wounding 12 and sparking a massive manhunt.
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Trump Approval Rating Did NOT Go Up 23 Points After Promising To Shut Down Government
Did the approval rating of President Trump go up by 23 points after he promised a government shutdown if funding for his border wall project was not approved? No, that's not true: the fake approval rating numbers were made up by a liberal sati
Snopes→ Groups Cut Ties with Club That Denied Black Applicant
The South Carolina social club’s decision to deny membership to Navy veteran and doctor Melvin Brown, its first black candidate has cost it relationships with several local groups.
Snopes→ Minneapolis Star Tribune Film Critic Resigns Over Plagiarism
The Minneapolis Star Tribune's film critic has resigned in the face of plagiarism accusations, the newspaper reported in an apology to its readers.
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Justin Trudeau Did NOT Transfer Canadian Border Control To United Nations
Did Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau transfer Canadian border control to the United Nations by siging the "UN Global Compact On Migration"? No, that's not true: a summary of an article on the website of a tiny Canadian political party op
Washington Post→ Fact-checking Trump’s rowdy powwow with Pelosi and Schumer
The president fired off a bunch of faulty claims about the border wall. Schumer called him out for his Bottomless Pinocchios.
Hoax-Slayer→ Watch For Amazon Phishing Scams As Christmas Approaches
As Christmas draws near, many more products than usual are bought online. Internet shopping giant Amazon is thus a favourite target for phishing scammers. The post Watch For Amazon Phishing Scams As Christmas Approaches appeared first on Hoax-Slayer.
Snopes→ Did Theresa May Cancel the Next General Election Because She Doesn’t Think She’ll Win?
A UK humor website spoofed May's last-minute postponement of a parliamentary vote on Brexit.
Snopes→ Was a Teenager Electrocuted by His Earphones?
Malaysian authorities told local reporters that a 16 year-old was electrocuted while charging his phone.
Snopes→ Did the Trump Administration’s Policies Halt a Research Project Seeking an HIV Cure?
A quietly instituted “pause” on the federal procurement of fetal tissue for biomedical research has halted, at least temporarily, a research project seeking a cure for HIV.
Snopes→ Did Researchers Discover a 512-Year-Old Shark?
Some headline writers latched onto the highest possible estimate from a 2016 study about the lifespan of Greenland sharks.
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking the Trump-Pelosi-Schumer Scuffle
In a contentious Oval Office meeting, President Donald Trump and the Democratic congressional leaders — Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer — disagreed over funding for a border wall, mangling some facts in the process. The president claimed th
Snopes→ Study Finds Female-Led Films Outperform Male Ones
Among films that cost more than $100 million to make, the ones that passed the Bechdel test grossed on average $618 million worldwide, while those that didn't averaged $413 million.
Snopes→ Sting Uses Fake Amazon Boxes, GPS to Catch Thieves
"We had a box out on the street for three minutes before it was taken."
Snopes→ Scary Warming at Poles Showing Up at Weird Times, Places
Scientists are seeing surprising melting in Earth's polar regions at times they don't expect, like winter.
Snopes→ Man Who Claimed Howard Hughes Inheritance Dies in Nevada
Melvin Dummar died never seeing the $156 million that he argued for decades that eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes unexpectedly bequeathed to him for rescuing him on a desert road and driving him nearly three hours to Las Vegas in 1967.
Snopes→ Was Paul McCartney’s Song “Blackbird” Inspired by the Civil Rights Movement?
The rock icon publicly explained the song's link to the "Little Rock Nine" at a 2016 concert.