Are Islamic mosques being permitted to stay open while churches are being forced to stay closed due to the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true: In states where closures are enforced, all houses of worship must close, without exception. In s
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Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Smithfield Foods Are NOT Packaged In China
Are meats from Smithfield Foods, "the world's largest pork processor and hog producer," packaged in China before being shipped to the United States for sale? No, that's not true: This is an old rumor that's resurfaced and prompted calls for bo
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Nancy Pelosi Did NOT Say Social Security Recipients "Are Just A Burden On Society" Or "Leeches"
Did House Speaker Nancy Pelosi call Social Security recipients "just a burden on society" or even "leeches"? No, that's not true. The story was published by a liberal satire website that tries to mislead Trump supporters and Republicans into s
Hoax-Slayer→ Fake DHL ‘Shipping Notification’ Emails Continue
For more than a decade, inboxes around the world have been hit by bogus emails claiming to be from international delivery service DHL. The post Fake DHL ‘Shipping Notification’ Emails Continue appeared first on Hoax-Slayer.
Truth or Fiction?→ Will ‘Nebulized Hydrogen Peroxide’ Help You Avoid Contracting COVID-19?
A self-proclaimed “health activist” with a history of incurring warnings over his practices from the federal government used Twitter to push another questionable treatment idea involving COVID-19 (also called SARS-CoV-2 or “the coron
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Biological Engineer Did NOT Offer Medically-Supported Information In Viral Video
Did a viral video "crush" Dr. Anthony Fauci and expose Dr. Deborah Birx and the White House coronavirus task force as members of the so-called "Deep State"? No, that's not true: The man who appeared in an online newscast interview has a histor
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Trees Photographed In Europe Were NOT Chopped Down For 5G
Did a row of trees get chopped down in Europe to clear the way for 5G signals to reach further? No, that's not true: Trees do not need to be felled for the fifth-generation wireless technology to be transmitted. The tree removal in Marseille,
FactCheck.org→ Conspiracy Theory Misinterprets Goals of Gates Foundation
Quick Take A conspiracy theory falsely claims Bill Gates is plotting to use COVID-19 testing and a future vaccine to track people with microchips. The Gates Foundation has advocated for expanded testing and has funded vaccine research, but neither of t
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Soap And Hand Sanitizer Can’t Be Used to Kill Coronavirus Inside Your Body
Why is it so difficult to kill the novel coronavirus once it is inside of the body, especially since simple soap and sanitizer can kill it outside the body? A meme that went viral asks just that question. While medical officials do recommend s
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the CDC Order All Deaths Be Recorded as a Result of COVID-19 — Even Heart Attacks and Accidents?
In April 2020, a conspiracy theory spread on Facebook and Twitter which maintained that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explicitly ordered that all deaths in the United States, regardless of their true cause, be attributed to t
FactCheck.org→ Constitutional Experts: Trump Lacks Power to ‘Open Up the States’
Constitutional experts say President Donald Trump is wrong that he, not governors, has the power to “open up the states” where businesses were closed or residents were ordered to stay at home as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. On Apri
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Choose’ or ‘Pick’ Your ‘Quarantine House’ and Other Engagement Bait During COVID-19
Chances are in early April 2020 you saw many “choose your quarantine house” or “pick your quarantine house” memes on social media, the global pandemic version of “would you live in a cabin with no wifi for a month for a m
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This a Photograph of Someone’s Kitchen After Microwaving Coronavirus Masks?
On April 7 2020 — in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic — a post began spreading on Facebook, warning people against microwaving face masks to sterilize them (alongside a photograph of the aftermath of a kitchen fire): Please don’t pass
FactCheck.org→ Trump Falsely Distorts New York Times COVID-19 Science Story
In a weekend tweet, President Donald Trump erroneously described a New York Times article, falsely stating that it said the coronavirus originated in Europe and suggesting that it had no named sources. The story, which reported on new genomic analyses
FactCheck.org→ TV News Report Prompts Unfounded Attacks on Michigan Governor
Quick Take A TV station’s report on a Michigan fine for those violating the state’s social distancing orders showed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at a signing ceremony with an intimate crowd of people — prompting accusations of hypocrisy on s
Truth or Fiction?→ Coronavirus ‘Memo from a Grocery Store Manager’
An April 7 2020 Facebook post — purportedly a message from an overworked grocery store manager — racked up over half a million shares in just a few days. The post, accompanied by an image of (what looked to be pre-COVID-19 pandemic) superm
FactCheck.org→ Yes, Sanders Has Ended His Fight for Democratic Nomination
Quick Take Social media posts falsely claim the news media is spreading “prop[a]ganda” and “twisting words” about Sen. Bernie Sanders’ decision to suspend his presidential campaign. They claim he is “still in the rac
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Officials NOT Wrong To Impose Safety Measures, And COVID-19 IS A Pandemic
Does the average American have less than two-tenths of one percent chance of getting coronavirus and, even if so, would that mean that U.S. public health officials were wrong to mandate the precautionary measures they have instituted? No, that
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Kroger Did NOT Offer Chance For A Shopping Spree Giveaway Amid COVID-19
Did Kroger decide on Easter to give back to the community, during these hard times, and offer the opportunity for a one-hour shopping spree free of charge? No, that's not true: This is a scam that's been promoted by an unverified Kroger.com Fa
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Swiss Town Project the Union Jack Onto the Matterhorn to Show COVID-19 Solidarity?
In early April 2020, images of the United Kingdom’s flag projected onto the Matterhorn began circulating — striking photographs that appeared to perhaps be of questionable veracity: The town of #Zermatt in #Switzerland projecting the Un
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Michigan Gov Did NOT Ban Sale Of American Flags During Coronavirus Outbreak
Did Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ban the sale of American flags amid the COVID-19 pandemic? No, that's not true: The Democratic head of the Great Lakes state has not banned the sale of American flags. Supercenter stores, hardware stores and
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Antennas On Fire In La Spezia, Italy, Were NOT 5G Towers
Did a fire that broke out in La Spezia, Italy, destroy 5G wireless towers? No, that's not true: Local media reports say the fifth-generation cellular network is not available in the city. "5G has nothing to do with it," a newspaper headline re
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Numbers April 2020 Update
Editor’s Note: This update reflects only a small part of the huge economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused millions of layoffs and shut down much of the economy before many of these statistics were collected. Summary Since Donald Tr
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: YouTube Video DOES Accurately Describe How COVID-19 Can Kill
Does a video on YouTube purporting to describe the role of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in COVID-19 accurately depict how one can die from the disease? Yes, that's true, experts say, as the video's overarching message -- that people mus
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: 15 Global Pandemics Did NOT All Originate In China
Did 15 of the deadliest pandemics in global history originate in China? No, that's not true: Internet users are sharing an original infographic that has been altered to claim that most of the world's deadliest pandemics can be traced back to C
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: 5G Is NOT Linked To Death Of Birds Or Government Cover-Up
Is 5G a governmental cover-up linked to the death of birds as well as public health? No, that's not true: Lead Stories has debunked many of these claims before. There is no evidence to suggest the fifth-generation cellular network is dangerous
FactCheck.org→ Trump Campaign’s Misleading Ad Attacking Biden on China
The Trump campaign has launched a misleading attack ad that misrepresents Joe Biden’s statements on the Trump administration’s travel restrictions, and leaves the false impression that former U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke, a Chinese-A
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Snowballing China Travel Claim
In early March, President Donald Trump said that restrictions he placed on travel to and from China “saved a lot of lives,” a claim that grew to “probably tens of thousands” and “hundreds of thousands” by early April
Snopes→ Does This Video Show a Naked Child Escaping Buckingham Palace?
A fictional scandal created for a TV show was turned into a darker and even more fictional scandal.
Truth or Fiction?→ Does Using the ‘African Method’ Help Avoid Contracting COVID-19?
Stories about people beating COVID-19 through “traditional” remedies continue to spread online in spite of warnings from health officials. For example, a post from news site NewsOne features what it claims is a “viral video.”
FactCheck.org→ False Claim of Deadly Coronavirus Vaccine Trial in Africa
Quick Take Posts across social media are falsely claiming that a vaccine trial for the novel coronavirus in Senegal resulted in the death of seven children. The video behind those claims does not show that. And there is no clinical trial for a potentia
Snopes→ Are ‘Mass Graves’ Being Dug for COVID-19 Deaths?
New York’s Hart Island has been used as a burial site for unclaimed deceased persons for more than 150 years.
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Latest Voter Fraud Misinformation
President Donald Trump continues to add false and exaggerated statements to his already lengthy list of bogus voter fraud claims. There is no evidence to back up Trump’s blanket claim that “mailed ballots are corrupt.” Voting experts
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: No ‘Deep State’ Operators Trying To Ban Hydroxychloroquine
Do Big Pharma, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates want to ban hydroxychoroquine? No, that's not true: In fact, not only is the drug not banned -- the federal government is actually conducting clinical trials right now to determine if hydroxychlo
FactCheck.org→ Mailbag: Face Masks
This week, a reader sent us a comment about our article on the research behind face masks and whether people who aren’t sick should use them to limit the spread of COVID-19. The article reviewed some of the research and thinking behind face masks
Snopes→ Smithfield Temporarily Shuts Pork Plant Due to Coronavirus
A Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in South Dakota will temporarily close for cleaning after more than 80 employees were confirmed to have the coronavirus, the company announced.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Comparing Other Virus Death Counts To COVID-19 Does NOT Signal Government Secrets
Did the Asian flu, Hong Kong flu, swine flu and bird flu each kill more people than the coronavirus we face today? And did the government "never ever shut down anything," suggesting that there is something officials aren't telling the public?
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Faulty Malaria-Coronavirus Connection
Falsely citing “studies,” President Donald Trump has suggested that there are few novel coronavirus cases in “malaria countries” because of the use of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine. But no such studies exist, and the drug is not wide
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Nancy Pelosi Did NOT Say Stimulus Won’t Pass Unless Seniors Excluded
Did U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi say she won't pass the new and massive economic stimulus legislation to beat back the economic spiral due to COVID-19 unless senior citizens are excluded? No, that's not true: A satirical website that attemp
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘COVID-19 Had Us All Fooled, but Now We Might Have Finally Found Its Secret’ Medium Post
In early April 2020, a post published to Medium.com circulated on social media, titled “Covid-19 had us all fooled, but now we might have finally found its secret.” The post went viral in archived and replicated form even after the site re