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
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Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Former Presidents’ Foundations ARE Offering Help, Advice During COVID-19 Pandemic
Are wealthy presidential foundations, including those of the Clintons and Obamas, failing to step up during the COVID-19 pandemic - which has already claimed more than 16,200 lives in the U.S. as of April 9, 2020? That's not necessarily true,
FactCheck.org→ Video: The Science Behind Shifting COVID-19 Face Mask Advice
In this video, we explore the existing research on face masks as tools to limit the spread of infectious diseases and explain why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its stance on whether people who aren’t sick need to cover their
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Bans on Plastic Shopping Bags Being Reversed Because of COVID-19?
Citing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, at least three states took steps to walk back bans on plastic shopping bags, while environmental advocacy groups accused the plastics industry of seizing on the virus for their own purposes. In late March 20
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Claims on IG, Wisconsin Election
At the White House coronavirus task force press briefing on April 7, President Donald Trump distorted the facts about the person he dismissed as the chief watchdog for spending under the new pandemic relief legislation and the Wisconsin election, which
Truth or Fiction?→ Did SCOTUS Rule Trump Can Remove Chuck Schumer from the Senate?
In early April 2020, an apparent article headlined “SCOTUS Rules Trump Can Remove Chuck Schumer from Senate” circulated through individual Facebook posts and groups. One iteration was shared to the group “People for the secession of
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Elon Musk ‘Giving Away Bitcoins and Etherium’ on Twitter?
On April 8 2020, an unidentified hacker used both real and illegitimate accounts to pelt Twitter with posts and bogus screengrabs made up to resemble tech magnate Elon Musk’s account. First brought to light by reporter Mason Pelt, the apparent p
Truth or Fiction?→ Spanish Flu 1918 Family Portrait Shows Cat with Face Mask
In early April 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised COVID-19 guidance and advised Americans to wear face masks, reviving interest in a viral photograph — purportedly a family portrait from the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic th
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Coronavirus Will NOT Simply Be ‘Exterminated’ If Lockdowns Are Lifted
Would allowing everyone, except the most vulnerable, to go on with their lives and forget about the lockdown put an end to the COVID-19 outbreak? No, that's not a safe assumption: The notion of "herd immunity," the idea that letting large numb
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: SCOTUS Did NOT Issue Order For Omar’s Removal From Congress
Did the Supreme Court of the United States issue an order to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar from Congress? No, that's not true. The story was published by a liberal satire website that tries to mislead Trump supporters and Republicans into sharing mad
FactCheck.org→ The HHS Inspector General Report
In a testy exchange with reporters, President Donald Trump questioned the political motivations of an administration inspector general, claiming that her report on hospital experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic was “wrong.” The report ga
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Joe Biden’s Campaign Hold a $2,800 ‘Virtual Fireside Chat’?
In early April 2020, rumors circulated that Joe Biden’s presidential campaign had scheduled a “virtual fireside chat,” charging $2,800 for any donors wishing to access a livestream of the event: Joe Biden asking for $2800-$25,000
Truth or Fiction?→ Does H.R. 5717 Require That Gun Owners Be Licensed by the Government?
A graphic spreading online opposing a gun safety bill misconstrues its origin in an effort to paint it as an attempt at government overreach capitalizing on the COVID-19 pandemic. The meme, which contains a strange spacing gap resembling a copy-and-pa
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Microwaving Masks In Plastic Bags Is NOT Safe Way To Sterilize Them
Is microwaving a face mask in plastic baggies a good way to kill COVID-19 particles on the mask? No, it is not. Research shows that hydrogen peroxide will kill the virus on masks, but no proof has been found that microwaving kills the novel co
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Mammoth Unemployment Claims in Their Historical Context’ GIF
In early April 2020, the animated image below spread on Facebook and Twitter, bearing the label “U.S. Weekly Initial Jobless Claims (thousands, seasonally adjusted)”; no source for the shocking graph was immediately available. Blurry text
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Bill Would NOT Require Federal Licenses For Guns Already Owned
Would a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives add taxes to guns and ammunition, require licenses for purchases of both and even demand federal licenses for guns already owned? No, that's only partially true: The bill, known as t
FactCheck.org→ Kennedy Center Didn’t Contribute to Democrats
Quick Take Online posts falsely claim that the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts donated $5 million to Democrats after it was allocated $25 million in the COVID-19 stimulus package. The center has not given any political contributions; it’s
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Hospital NOT Caught Red-Handed Using Dummies In Coronavirus Pandemic Footage
Was a New York hospital "caught red handed" using dummies in coronavirus pandemic footage? No, that's not true: A video report from Channel 4 News about the situation in New York hospitals included footage of overflowing wards and ended with a
FactCheck.org→ COVID-19 Face Mask Advice, Explained
It’s a seemingly simple question that has divided experts and nations since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak: Should members of the public who aren’t sick use face masks to limit the spread of the disease? For months, the Centers for Disease
FactCheck.org→ Trump, Biden Spin China Travel Restrictions
Both President Donald Trump and leading Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden are spinning the facts on the administration’s coronavirus travel restrictions for those who had been in China. Trump has repeatedly boasted, as he did on April 4
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the President of Meharry Medical Advise Sterilizing Cloth Face Masks in the Microwave Between Uses?
Discourse regarding personal protective equipment (PPE, including cloth face masks) was a large part of COVID-19 discussion on social media in early April 2020, including a viral Facebook post that repeats purported advice to sterilize cloth masks by
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Goodwill Did NOT Use COVID-19 As An Excuse To Fire All Employees
Did Goodwill fire all of its employees and use the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to do it? No, that's not true: While plenty of Goodwill employees across the country may have lost their jobs as stores have closed due to the outbreak, it's
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Photo Of Mannequin Being Wheeled Into Hospital Does NOT Prove A Coronavirus Cover-Up
Does a photo of a mannequin being wheeled into a New York hospital prove a cover-up about hospital overcrowding and the high death toll due to the coronavirus outbreak? No, that's not true. The picture of the dummy on a stretcher going into a
Truth or Fiction?→ Is New York City Planning ‘Temporary Mass Graves’ in Central Park?
On April 6 2020, the New York Post claimed that New York City was considering “temporary mass graves” in public parks such as Central Park in an article bearing the headline, “NYC may temporarily bury coronavirus victims in parks:
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Photo On Biography Of Boy Who Died From Coronavirus Is NOT Actually Him
Is the photo accompanying a story about the death of a 13-year-old English boy actually the right person? No, that's not true. A biographcal piece on Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, who died on March 30, 2020, from COVID-19, features the photo of C
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: 5G Test Did NOT Kill Hundreds Of Birds In The Netherlands
Did a test for 5G cellular service cause hundreds of birds to die in the Netherlands? No, that's not true: The story has been roundly debunked as untrue. The Dutch Antenna Bureau said it was "not the case" that the birds died because of 5G rad
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Harvard Did NOT Admit Michelle Obama’s Degrees Are Fakes
Did Harvard University admit the degrees held by former first lady Michelle Obama are fakes? No, that's not true. The story was published by a liberal satire website that tries to mislead Trump supporters and Republicans into sharing made-up s
Snopes→ Why Wear Face Masks in Public? Here’s What the Research Shows
With the coronavirus pandemic quickly spreading, U.S. health officials have changed their advice on face masks and now recommend people wear cloth masks in public areas.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Trump’s Statement That Lupus Patients Are Not Vulnerable To Coronavirus Is NOT Medically Supported
Was President Trump accurate when he stated that a study showed that lupus patients aren't catching the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true: The Lupus Foundation of America warns that people with the autoimmune disease are at a higher risk
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Switching On 5G Did NOT Cause Dead Ducks ‘Everywhere’
Did switching on 5G cause ducks to die "everywhere", as an online video suggests? No, that's not true: The fifth-generation cellular technology does not affect birds and cause mass die-offs, according to the National Audubon Society. The claim
Snopes→ Trump Fires Watchdog Who Handled Ukraine Whistleblower Complaint
President Donald Trump abruptly fired the inspector general of the intelligence community, sidelining an independent watchdog who played a pivotal role in his impeachment.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Claiming You Cannot Catch Coronavirus Is NOT True
Is it true that you cannot catch the novel coronavirus, as a viral video suggests? No, that's not true: Viruses are contagious. The video is filled with inaccuracies and medically false information. Lead Stories reached out to a medical doctor
FactCheck.org→ Trump, Pence and Reassessing Coronavirus
In a little more than a month, President Donald Trump’s language about the coronavirus has shifted, from talk of 15 cases that “within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero” to warning of as many as 2.2 million deaths
FactCheck.org→ Trump Falsely Claims He Inherited ‘Empty’ Stockpile
More than once, President Donald Trump has falsely claimed that the federal stockpile of emergency medicine and supplies he inherited from his predecessor was an “empty shelf.” While the government does not publicize all of the contents of the repo
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Israeli Recipe For Lemon And Bicarbonate Drink Is NOT A Cure For Coronavirus
Is an Israeli recipe for a drink that is made from lemon and bicarbonate a cure for the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true. There is simply no proof for the claim that a recipe of just the two ingredients can beat back COVID-19, which has
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: World Economic Forum NOT A Fascist Cabal Using Coronavirus To Dominate Globe
Is COVID-19 a plan by the World Economic Forum to create a worldwide fascist government? And in this world, will people be rationed 1.2 ounces per week of lab-created protein by a one-world government? No, these claims are not true. Together,
FactCheck.org→ Misinformation on COVID-19 Death Protocols in New York
Quick Take A viral Facebook post about COVID-19 falsely claims that in New York “every contaminated corpse belongs to the state” and will be incinerated without any “wakes or memorial services to pay your last respects.” The sta
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Bill Withers Did NOT Leave $2 Million Estate to Trump Re-election Campaign
Did Bill Withers leave $2 million to President Donald Trump's re-election campaign? No, that's not true: The "Lean On Me" singer, who died on April 3, 2020, did not leave part of his estate to Trump's campaign. The claim is part of a satirical
Truth or Fiction?→ Are COVID-19 Patients With High BMIs Being Denied Ventilators?
As the burgeoning COVID-19 pandemic became more omnipresent in American life in mid-March 2020, Twitter and Instagram rumors about coronavirus patients with high body mass indices being denied ventilator treatment began to spread. On Twitter on March
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: President Trump Did NOT Refer To Coronavirus As A ‘Hoax’
Did President Trump refer to the novel coronavirus as a hoax? No, that's not true: Audio and video clips making the rounds have been edited and taken out of context to suggest Trump was calling the coronavirus a hoax. Instead, the president wa