Is there an "irrefutable paper trail" that shows COVID-19 was manufactured in a laboratory? No, that's not true: Screenshots taken from the rapid-fire display of documents in the video making that claim show only that a number of scientis
Search Results (1685) for: judge
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Kyle Rittenhouse’s Lawyer Tweet That His Client Started a ‘Second American Revolution’?
On September 2 2020, Twitter user @JoshuaPotash shared the following screenshot, which was purportedly a tweet in which a lawyer for Kyle Rittenhouse — a teenager charged with killing two people — said that his client had fired the first s
FactCheck.org→ California Bill Doesn’t Make Pedophilia ‘Legal’
Quick Take Contrary to QAnon-fueled claims that a California bill would legalize pedophilia, the bill would actually standardize the rules about who is required to be on the state’s sex offender registry. Full Story Facebook is teeming with false
Truth or Fiction?→ Did California Gov. Newsom Change All Voters’ Preference to Vote by Mail — So All In-Person Voters Will Be Turned Away?
On September 1 2020, a Facebook user shared the following screenshot, along with a post claiming that California’s governor, Gavin Newsom (D), had quietly changed all of California voters’ preference to vote by mail, so that anyone plannin
Truth or Fiction?→ Did California Gov. Newsom Change All Voters’ Preference to Vote by Mail — So All In-Person Voters Will Be Turned Away?
On September 1 2020, a Facebook user shared the following screenshot, along with a post claiming that California’s governor, Gavin Newsom (D), had quietly changed all of California voters’ preference to vote by mail, so that anyone plannin
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: California Did NOT Pass A ‘Pro-Pedophilia Bill’
Did California pass a "pro pedophilia bill?" No, that's not true. A meme claims California Senate Bill 145 passed in a 6-2 vote and "no registration or felony if sex with minor is w/in 10 years." The bill is intended to protect LGBTQ+ min
Truth or Fiction?→ Facebook Blames Lack of Training For Spread of Kenosha ‘Militia’ Gang Content
As content praising the suspect in a double homicide committed during a protest against police brutality in Kenosha, Wisconsin continued to proliferate on Facebook, the social media platform’s executive officer, Mark Zuckerberg, blamed a lack of
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: White Privilege Is NOT Why Tanya McDowell Got 5 Years and Felicity Huffman Got 14 Days
Does white privilege explain why Tanya McDowell, a black mother, got five years in prison for fraudulently sending her son to a better school while white actress Felicity Huffman only got 14 days in jail for her role in a college-admissio
FactCheck.org→ Republican Convention Opening Night
Summary Speakers in the first night of the 2020 Republican National Convention engaged in political spin, particularly in making claims about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s policy positions: Several speakers at the convention mislea
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Two British Siblings From Hampstead Did NOT Volunteer Truthful Stories About Satanic Ritual Abuse On Videotape
Were two British siblings witnesses and participants in sexually depraved, baby-killing, cannibalistic satanic rituals in which their father was the cult leader and every teacher in their school in Hampstead, England, was a member? No, th
Snopes→ In Recordings, Trump’s Sister Says He ‘Has No Principles’
President Donald Trump’s older sister, a former federal judge, is heard sharply criticizing her brother in a series of recordings, at one point saying of the president, “He has no principles.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Georgia Did NOT Pass A Bill Making It A Hate Crime To Harass Police Officers
Did Georgia's legislators pass a bill making it a hate crime to harass police officers? No, that's not true: This false claim combines two separate bills recently passed in Georgia. The first bill, signed into law in late June, is a hate
FactCheck.org→ Final Night of the Democratic Convention
Summary As the socially distanced convention came to a close, Joe Biden accepted the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination with a speech that was largely accurate, but lacked context in some instances: Biden claimed that America has “by f
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Dems Strike ‘Under God’ from the Pledge of Allegiance at the 2020 DNC?
On August 19 2020, a screenshot of a Fox News chyron asserting that Democrats had removed “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance began circulating on social media: We encountered the Fox News chyron in image-only form; it read: DEMS ST
FactCheck.org→ Democratic Convention Night 3
Summary It was another quiet night on the fact-checking front at the Democratic National Convention. We found former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton cited a dubious study on billionaires profiting during the pandemic, and former Labor Secretary Hi
FactCheck.org→ Democratic Convention Opening Night
Summary Our major finding from the first night of the four-day 2020 Democratic National Convention is that it wasn’t accurate to call it a “convention” at all. That word means “coming together,” and Democratic delegates stayed apart because o
FactCheck.org→ Biden’s Greatest Hits
As the Democratic National Convention kicks off today, we thought it would be helpful to highlight some of the claims we have fact-checked from presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden over the course of the campaign so far. For more on each statement,
The Dispatch→ Is Kamala Harris Described as ‘Caucasian’ on Her Birth Certificate?
A series of viral social media posts and articles claim that presumptive Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris’ race was listed as “Caucasian” on her birth certificate. Harris is biracial, with an Indian mother and
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Trump Does NOT Hold Records on Stock Market Losses, Nat’l Debt, Convicted Team Members And Pandemic Infections
Is it true that President Trump is the only U.S. president to simultaneiously hold records for the biggest stock market drop, the highest national debt, the most members of his team convicted of crimes, and the most pandemic-rela
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Kamala Harris’ Birth Certificate Does NOT Identify Her As ‘Caucasian’
Does Kamala Harris' birth certificate identify her as "caucasian?" No, that's not true. Her birth certificate from Alameda County, California does not list a race for her. Harris' mother's race is listed as "caucasian," although
FactCheck.org→ Trump Campaign Exaggerates Potential for Mail-In Voting Fraud After Election
The latest concern raised by the Trump campaign about mail-in voting is that some states run by Democrats will allow votes to be cast and counted after Election Day. Specifically, Hogan Gidley, the national press secretary for the Trump campaign, war
Snopes→ 9th Circuit Ends California Ban on High-Capacity Magazines
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says the law violates the U.S. Constitution's protection of the right to bear firearms.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Jane Doe V. Donald J. Trump And Jeffrey E. Epstein Lawsuit Filing Is NOT Proof Trump Is A Rapist
Does a lawsuit filed by a woman against Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein prove that Trump is a rapist? No, that's not true: The lawsuit document is not evidence of anything. It is just a legal complaint, something anyone can file
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking Sen. Kamala Harris
As a former 2020 presidential candidate, Sen. Kamala Harris — now presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s running mate — was on our fact-checking radar this election cycle. Here’s a rundown of the claims we addre
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Epstein Flight Logs Do NOT Record Bill Clinton Visiting ‘Pedo-Island’
Do flight logs show former President Bill Clinton visited Jeffrey Epstein's "pedo-island" but the media is ignoring it? No, that's not true. There are no flight logs that document Bill Clinton -- the only former U.S. president na
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Long List Of Politicians Were NOT Indicted, Sued, Fired, Or Disgraced With Unsealing Of Documents In Ghislaine Maxwell Civil Case
Were a long list of politicians indicted, sued, fired, or disgraced for sex offenses as documents relating to a defamation lawsuit against accused sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell were unsealed by a judge? No, that's not true: Th
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Ruth Bader Ginsberg Did NOT Say The Age Of Consent For Sex Must Be Lowered To 12 Years Old
Did Ruth Bader Ginsberg say the age of consent for sexual acts must be lowered to age 12 years old? No, that is not true. The Supreme Court justice did not ever say this. The claims have gone viral with fake quotes from Ginsberg.
Snopes→ Court Overturns Boston Marathon Bomber’s Death Sentence
A federal appeals court says the judge who oversaw the case did not adequately screen jurors for potential biases.
Full Fact→ Full Fact calls on the Prime Minister to correct the record on poverty
Poverty is an issue of fundamental importance to society, but it’s also complex to measure. This can make it harder for the public to get a clear picture of what is happening to poverty in the UK. One way we might expect to improve our understand
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Women Do NOT Need To Be 25, Married, Have A Son, Daughter And Their Husband’s Consent To Get Their Tubes Tied
Does a woman have to be 25 years old, married, have at least one son and one daughter, and have her husband's consent to get a tubal ligation? No, that's not true: Requirements for surgical sterilization for women (and men, too)
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Pepper-Spraying Medical Supplies a War Crime?
Footage posted by a journalist covering the ongoing protests against police brutality brought back to light an apparent loophole exploited by law enforcement. As part of his coverage on July 22 2020, Portland-area reporter Sergio Olmos posted footage
Snopes→ Former Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen Released From Prison Again
A judge has ruled that Cohen's First Amendment rights were violated when he was ordered back to prison.
Full Fact→ Many children have been the victims of grooming gangs, but there’s no evidence for a figure of one million
A widely shared post on Facebook compares the public reaction to the killing of George Floyd with the reaction to the organised sexual abuse of children in the UK. It says: “The cops kill a man in America, massive civil unrest. 1 million innocent
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Study Does NOT Conclude Mask Wearers Have Lower IQ
Did a study conclude that face mask wearers have a lower IQ? No, that's not true: This is a satirical claim published on a website that trolls conservatives. The study is fictional. Lead Stories does not fact check satire, but we published thi
Health Feedback→ A proportion of COVID-19 survivors are likely to suffer from long-term health problems, but the actual risks are still unknown
REVIEW A July 2020 post on Quora, which is a question-and-answer website, went viral on Facebook after users began sharing screenshots or copies of the original post (see an example here). The post’s author, Franklin Veaux, attempts to answer the
Truth or Fiction?→ Death of ‘Men’s Rights’ Attorney Stokes New Conspiracy Theories
The death of a 72-year-old “anti-feminist” attorney suspected of carrying out a fatal attack against a federal judge and her family has spawned new online speculation. Roy Den Hollander was found dead in upstate New York less than 24 hours
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Numbers July 2020 Update
Editor’s Note: This update is the first to reflect substantial economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many statistics in our April update were collected before much of the economy was shut down to slow the spread of the virus. Summary The COVID-1
FactCheck.org→ DeVos’ Outdated Statistic on School Efforts
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos used an outdated figure in claiming only 10% of school districts had “provided any kind of real curriculum and instruction program” after the coronavirus pandemic caused schools to shut down this spring. That
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Misleading Spin on Roger Stone’s Conviction
In commuting Roger Stone’s prison sentence, President Donald Trump and the White House gave a misleading account of Stone’s conviction and the federal investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. In November, a jury
Truth or Fiction?→ The #FreeBritney Movement, Explained
In July 10 2020, a Facebook post appeared about the #FreeBritney movement (evidently aimed at liberating Britney Spears), becoming hugely popular within just a few days: The Text of the Post The post — which was lengthy and full of de