A federal judge blocked Alabama's near-total abortion ban from taking effect next month, saying the law, part of wave of abortion restrictions by conservative states, is clearly unconstitutional.
Search Results (1036) for: wave
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘University of Oxford Clapping Ban’ Rumor
In October 2019, a number of tabloids claimed that the University of Oxford had “banned clapping,” a move made at the behest of “snowflakes” made “anxious” by applause. The Daily Mail was one of those outlets, repo
Truth or Fiction?→ California Law Limiting Freelance Publication Options Could Face Legal Threat
A California law addressing the discrepancies between independent contractors and contracted workers could spur a legal challenge from journalists before it takes effect in January 2020. Under the new law, known as AB5, news outlets would face a cap i
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Rolling Stone’ List of Top 100 Singers of All Time
On October 20 2019, the Twitter account “Classic Rock in Pics” shared a purported Rolling Stone magazine list of the top 100 singers of all time: Rolling Stone Magazine list of Top 100 Singers of All Time. Thoughts?https://t.co/nq2WAO
Snopes→ Television’s Weather Channel Wades into Climate Debate
The Weather Channel is moving beyond cold fronts and heat waves to wade into the politics of climate change, with a special planned for early next month that includes interviews with nine presidential candidates on the topic.
PolitiFact→ In context: Mick Mulvaney on quid pro quo
Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney triggered a wave of news alerts when he told reporters that President Donald Trump held up aid to Ukraine in part to leverage the country’s help in investigating the 2016 hacking of the Democratic N
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking the October Democratic Debate
Summary We found several false and misleading claims in the October Democratic presidential debate: Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro claimed that the most recent jobs data show that “Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania &
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Republicans Hold 33 Benghazi Hearings and Make Hillary Clinton Testify for 11 Hours?
In October 2019, the Facebook page “Occupy Democrats” shared the following tweet, which claimed that Republicans held 33 “Benghazi hearings” — and that Hillary Clinton testified for eleven hours as they ran their course: R
FactCheck.org→ A Discussion of Digital Campaign Ads and 2020
FactCheck.org Director Eugene Kiely appeared Oct. 11 on “Politics with Amy Walter,” a podcast produced by Public Radio International and WNYC. Walter, a veteran political journalist, and Kiely discuss fact-checking campaign ads in the 2020
Snopes→ In ‘SIM Swap,’ Criminals Really Have Your Number
This kind of identify fraud has been around for years, but it’s getting more attention after a wave of cryptocurrency thefts and attacks on high profile victims, including Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
PolitiFact→ Opioid epidemic shifts from prescription painkillers to street drugs
In 2017, opioid overdoses killed more than 70,000 people. It is a scourge that falls heaviest on white Americans, but no community or income group has been spared. Recently, lawsuits against prescription drug makers and distributors, such as Purdue Pha
Truth or Fiction?→ Disinformation Peddlers Push ‘October 16th’ Conspiracy Theory
A gaggle of specious blogs and social media accounts set about inflaming tensions for their followers in a set of posts reminiscent of other fake controversies. The posts center on vaguely-worded “threats” and wide-ranging military deploym
Climate Feedback→ Letter signed by “500 scientists” relies on inaccurate claims about climate science
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This letter presenting a short list of claims about climate change boasts a list of “500 scientists and professionals” who have co-signed it. The claims contradict or misrepresent the evidence uncovered
Truth or Fiction?→ Will 154,000,000 Pieces of Plastic from Christmas Crackers in the UK Wind Up in the Ocean in a Single Year?
In late September and early October 2019, a very specific claim involving Christmas crackers (a tradition involving devices called “party poppers” in some countries; they are made from cardboard and gunpowder, generally contain confetti or
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Nikola Tesla Describe Mobile Phones in 1926?
On September 19 2019, an Imgur user shared the following quote meme, attributing commentary that seemed to predict cell phones to futurist and engineer Nikola Tesla (misspelled once as “Nikolai Tesla” in the post): Did Nikolai Tesla inven
FactCheck.org→ Trump Bends the Facts on Lightbulbs
President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized energy-efficient lightbulbs, saying that the bulbs people are “being forced to use” are more expensive, contain hazardous gases and give off light that’s “not as good” as incandescents. Experts
Snopes→ Is This the Eye of Hurricane Dorian?
NOAA: "The GOES satellite senses electromagnetic energy at 16 different wavelengths. There are two wavelengths most commonly shown on weather broadcasts: Infrared and Visible."
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This View of Hurricane Dorian Is Unlike Anything I’ve Ever Seen’
On September 1 2019, the following image purportedly depicting a rainbow in the eye of Hurricane Dorian appeared on social media: The post was shared more than 30,000 times in two days. An added caption read: Dorian’s image from NASA!!!😲🙏
Climate Feedback→ Washington Examiner op-ed cherry-picks data to mislead readers about climate models
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This op-ed article published by The Washington Examiner (and republished by Zero Hedge) claims to provide evidence that climate models are not valid scientific tools able to inform decisions about climate change by
PolitiFact→ In context: Democrats’ TV ads from the month of August
As the third round of Democratic primary debates approaches, a handful of presidential hopefuls have taken their messages to the airwaves, running TV ads on cable networks and in bellwether states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. Former Vice President J
Truth or Fiction?→ Instagram Copyright Hoax
A recurring online hoax spread even further on August 20 2019, when a wave of high-profile people posted a fake, long-debunked notice about Instagram’s terms of use that eventually ended up on Secretary of Energy Rick Perry’s Instagram ac
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Chief Justice John Roberts Did NOT Fly With Jeffrey Epstein On At Least Two Occasions
Did Chief Justice John Roberts fly with Jeffrey Epstein on at least two occasions? No, that's not true: The August 2019 release of 2,000 pages of documents relating to a civil lawsuit against Epstein included more flight logs with additional n
Snopes→ Stabbing Rampage by Man in 2 California Cities Leaves 4 Dead
The 33-year-old man from the city of Garden Grove robbed more than half a dozen businesses and killed two men at his own apartment complex during the two-hour wave of violence, police said.
PolitiFact→ Trump did not scrub tweets that likened U.S.-bound migrants to invaders in wake of El Paso shooting
Following the El Paso attack, a false rumor began circulating online that President Donald Trump had scrubbed his Twitter archive of tweets that mention migrant invasions. The implication was that the administration sought to cover up evidence that Tru
Snopes→ Can You Pop Popcorn with a Pickle and a AA Battery?
We prefer using a microwave oven and saving the pickles to make Dill Popcorn.
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking July’s Round Two Debate
Summary Another debate, and another crop of false and misleading claims. Sen. Kamala Harris of California and former Vice President Joe Biden disagreed on whether his health care plan would “cover everyone.” Biden’s website says it w
Snopes→ Does a Graphic Compare Weather Maps From 2050 and 2019?
A hypothetical weather map for the year 2050 bears a few similarities to a map of the June 2019 heat wave in Europe.
Truth or Fiction?→ Can Only People Under 40 Hear This Sound?
In July 2019 a number of posts circulated Facebook, all of which linked to video of a 15000 Hz/15 kHz frequency sound that is purportedly only audible to people younger than 40. One iteration (archived here) accrued a large number of shares. Its origi
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Photo Does NOT Show Michelle Obama With A Penis
Does a photo of Michelle Obama show a penis bulge under her dress, proving the former first lady is a man? No, that's not true: The image is of Michelle Obama onstage to deliver an addresses at the Democratic National Convention on August 25,
Snopes→ Suburban Women Recoil as Trump Dives into Racial Politics
Many professional, suburban women recoil at the abrasive, divisive rhetoric, exposing the president to a potential wave of opposition in key battlegrounds across the country.
FactCheck.org→ When Are Heartbeats Audible During Pregnancy?
Q: When is the human heart fully developed, and when are heartbeats audible during pregnancy? A: A developing heart has all of its primary structures after about nine weeks of pregnancy. Some forms of ultrasound can detect cardiac activity in an embryo
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Mr. Rogers Challenge Pool Segregation with a Black Police Officer in 1969?
Press ahead of the 2019 release of a biopic about Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood star Fred Rogers led to increased interest in his remarkable life. One story this renewed attention unearthed detailed how the children’s show purportedly tack
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a Once-Segregated Library Now Named After Black Astronaut Ronald McNair?
On July 20 2019, the Facebook page “Being Liberal” shared a screenshot of a tweet published two days earlier by @IFLScience concerning segregation and Challenger astronaut Ronald McNair: In 1959 a librarian called the police on 9-r-old Ro
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the Straw Ban Misguided Because Half the Ocean’s Plastic Is From Fishing?
In July 2019 a Facebook user shared the following comic about plastic nets and ocean pollution: In four panels depicting a person with a plastic straw and a seal trapped in a plastic net, it read: Person: I NEED TO SAVE THE OCEAN FROM ALL THE PLASTIC
Lead Stories→ Fake News: It Is NOT So Hot in Montgomery County That Corn Is Popping In The Field
Is it so hot in Montgomery County, Maryland that corn is popping on the stalk in the fields? No, that's not true: a joke tweet from a local fire department was copied by Fox 5 DC and went viral but it was not real. The claim went viral via a t
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Blackouts In Major Cities Are NOT Likely White Hat EMP Attacks In Wake Of Epstein Arrest
Was the recent power blackout in New York City likely a White Hat EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) attack designed to disable security measures during federal raids on enemy facilities related to the arrest of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstei
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Blackouts In Major Cities Are NOT Likely White Hat EMP Attacks In Wake Of Epstein Arrest
Was the recent power blackout in New York City likely a White Hat EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) attack designed to disable security measures during federal raids on enemy facilities related to the arrest of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstei
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Lil Nas X Did NOT Get Dropped From Wrangler Endorsement After Coming Out The Closet
Did rapper Lil Nas X get dropped from his Wrangler endorsement after coming out of the closet? No, that's not true: the story was published by a site that makes up stories about celebrities in order to attract clicks for revenue but then has a
Climate Feedback→ Popular article in The Independent accurately summarizes June heat in Europe
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This article in The Independent covers the release of June monthly average temperature data for Europe—which shows it was the warmest June on record by a significant margin—as well as an analysis of how climate
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Oregon Does NOT Becomes First State To Legalize Molly
Did Oregon become the first U.S. state to legalize the drug molly? No, that's not true: Oregon and Alaska were the first states to legalize recreational marijuana in 2015, but contrary to an article on an Oregon news website, molly, aka ecstas