In September 2019, approaching the eighteenth anniversary of September 11th 2011, a Reddit user shared the following GIF purportedly depicting United States air traffic during and after the attacks to r/DamnThatsInteresting: U.S. Air Traffi
Search Results (1739) for: building
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This the Only Existing Footage Of the First Plane Hitting the World Trade Center?
As the anniversary of September 11 2001 approached in 2019, a video called “The Only Existing Footage Of 1st Plane Hitting WTC” circulated on social media in remembrance of a brief but pivotal moment in American history — but it’s
FactCheck.org→ Biden’s Record on Iraq War
Twice in the last five weeks, Joe Biden has claimed that despite voting to authorize military force against Iraq in 2002, he opposed the Iraq war from “the moment” it began. That’s not accurate, and Biden now says he misspoke. The pub
Hoax-Slayer→ Eerie Pre-911 Ad for Pakistan International Airlines Features Twin Towers with Plane Silhouette
Circulating message features an old paper advertisement for Pakistan International Airlines that includes an image of New York's Twin Towers with the shadow of a passenger jet on the faces of the buildings. The post Eerie Pre-911 Ad for Pakistan Intern
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Reykjavik Ensure That Pride Flags Were Prominently Flown to Greet Mike Pence?
On September 4 2019, Twitter user @Heklina shared the following tweet showing a number of gay flags and with commentary about U.S. Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to Iceland: Here’s a great example of why I’m proud to be from Iceland
Washington Post→ More than two years later, Trump’s wall remains unbuilt
The president insists he's building "the wall," but it's actually a much more modest system of fences and vehicle barriers, many of which are simply being replaced.
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!!!😲🙏
Snopes→ Ethics Outcry as Trump Touts ‘Magnificent’ Doral for Next G7
President Donald Trump was in full sales mode, doing everything but pass out brochures as he touted the features that would make the Doral golf resort the ideal place for the next G-7 Summit — close to the airport, plenty of hotel rooms, separate bui
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Dictator Joseph Stalin Once a Hip, Young Democratic Socialist?
A meme claiming that Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin was once a hip, young atheist and a Democratic Socialist appeared on Facebook (archived here) in August 2019. Beneath a black-and-white photograph of an arguably handsome young man, text read: Josef
Lead Stories→ Fake News: NO New York City Petition to Rename Landfill After Donald Trump With Over 3 Million Signatures
Did a New York City petition to rename a landfill after President Donald Trump get over three million signatures? No, that's not true: the story was put out by a satirical website and after it went viral many on social media believed or wished
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Public Assistance Programs Exist in the United States Before Social Security?
In August 2019, disinformation and misinformation about the history of immigration to the United States flourished online following the announcement that United States President Donald Trump’s administration would pursue the so-called “pub
FactCheck.org→ Politics of Gun Violence
In the aftermath of two deadly mass shootings in Texas and Ohio, U.S. political leaders made a series of statements on gun violence that were unsubstantiated, lacked context or were seemingly contradictory. Here we look at some of those statements and
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
Truth or Fiction?→ Steve Jobs’ Last Words?
On July 30 2019, Facebook user Joseph Rudy Rullo shared what were purportedly Apple pioneer Steve Jobs’ last words (archived here), uttered on his deathbed: The post eventually segued into other musings, but it began with Jobs’ suppose
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
Snopes→ Agreement Affirms North Carolina Transgender Restroom Rights
The legal settlement affirms transgender people's right to use restrooms matching their gender identity in many North Carolina public buildings.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did ‘Leftist Protesters’ Scream ‘F*** the Troops’ at a Detention Facility Protest in Aurora?
On July 15 2019, Facebook user DC Draino and Twitter user @StClairAshley shared footage purportedly showing a confrontation between StClair and unnamed “leftist protesters” outside an immigration detention facility in Aurora, Colorado:
FactCheck.org→ Does Wind ‘Work’ Without Subsidies?
President Donald Trump has repeatedly questioned the economics of wind energy, saying that wind “doesn’t work” without subsidies. Experts have differing assessments of that. In the U.S., subsidies have played an important role in bu
FactCheck.org→ Biden on the 1994 Crime Bill
Former Vice President Joe Biden defended his support decades ago for a controversial crime bill, saying in a speech in South Carolina, “There’s another part of my long record that’s being grossly misrepresented: the 1994 crime bill.” W
FactCheck.org→ Biden’s Stretch on Intellectual Property Theft
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden says the Trump administration has not been fighting China on “stealing intellectual secrets,” claiming that instead it has been “fighting in trade.” But intellectual property issues ha
Truth or Fiction?→ Were There Drive-Throughs in Ancient Rome?
In July 2019, the Facebook page “Nerds Raging” shared the following Tumblr screenshot, which consists of one purported book passage about drive-through restaurants in ancient Rome and subsequent humorous commentary: Underneath a screens
Snopes→ Court Case Seeks Inspections of Child Border Facilities
U.S. officials opened the building to journalists, offering an inside glimpse of the station in Clint for the first time since lawyers decried the conditions they had witnessed.
Snopes→ Court Case Seeks Inspections of Child Border Facilities
U.S. officials opened the building to journalists, offering an inside glimpse of the station in Clint for the first time since lawyers decried the conditions they had witnessed.
Truth or Fiction?→ Does It Cost $750 a Day to House Migrant Children in Camps?
In June 2019, social media posts popped up claiming that that it costs taxpayers $750 (or $775) per child per day to house immigrant children in “tent cities” and other detention facilities. A June 22 2019 post on the Facebook page “
Snopes→ White House Threatens to Veto Aid Bill for Migrant Families
Officials complained that the bill had no money to toughen border security, including funds for building Trump's proposed border wall.
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Repeated Falsehood on Auto Plants
In launching his reelection campaign, President Donald Trump repeated a claim about new auto plants that he made a year-and-a-half ago. It’s still not true, and it fits a pattern of Trump falsely boasting of unexpected or unusual gains in the aut
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Cook and Janitor of a Bankrupt Assisted Living Home Stay to Care for Abandoned Residents?
On June 16 2019, the Facebook page “Weird Facts” shared the following meme (archived here), about a cook and a janitor who purportedly refused to abandon the residents of a bankrupted care home: Atop an image of two unidentified men, th
PolitiFact→ Who is Cory Booker? A bio of the Democratic presidential candidate
Editor's note: This story is part of PolitiFact’s ongoing coverage of the 2020 campaign; these reports will be updated as the campaign continues. For more candidate profiles and fact-checking, go to www.politifact.com/2020/ Cory Booker s
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Campaign Kickoff Claims
At a rally in Orlando on June 18, President Donald Trump officially launched his reelection campaign. Trump boasted that under his leadership, the country is “thriving, prospering and booming,” and he asked voters for four more years to
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Trump Did NOT Cancel Funding For Obama’s Free House And Library
Did President Donald Trump cancel funding for Obama's free house and library and is Michelle Obama furious about it? No, that's not true: an old hoax from a satire website has been turned into a clickbait story that is still circulating the in
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Steinway and Sons Airdrop Pianos During World War II?
In June 2019, a Facebook page shared the following image (archived here) and story about Steinway & Sons pianos dropped into areas of combat during World War II: A status update said of the image: During World War II, Steinway & Sons airdro
Snopes→ Helicopter Crashes into Roof of NYC Skyscraper; Pilot Killed
The crash happened in steady rain and clouds that obscured the roof of the tower, the AXA Equitable building.
Snopes→ Virginia Governor Announces Special Session on Gun Control
Governor Ralph Northam's bills include a ban on silencers and high-capacity magazines, as well as a broadening of the ability of local governments to limit guns in city buildings.
FactCheck.org→ Photo Shows Woodstock, Not a Trump Rally
Quick Take A photo of the 1969 Woodstock music festival is circulating on Facebook with the false claim that the picture shows the crowd at a recent rally held by President Donald Trump. Full Story President Donald Trump held a campaign rally in Mont
FactCheck.org→ Doctored Photo Adds Biden Smooch
Quick Take A photo of a woman protesting Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court has been manipulated to make it look like former Vice President Joe Biden was there and kissed her. Full Story Joe Biden, who is leading the pack of
Climate Feedback→ Commentary in The Australian by Ian Plimer relies on false claims to make its case
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This commentary by Ian Plimer, published by The Australian, criticizes a political leader’s stance on climate change, but makes a number of verifiably false claims about climate science and energy systems as
Snopes→ Did the Wall GoFundMe Founder Use the Money to Buy a Yacht?
We found no evidence Brian Kolfage purchased a yacht or any other personal items with money raised for building a border wall.
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Barack Obama Did NOT Say ‘The American Dream Is To Be Donald Trump’
Did former President Barack Obama say in 1991 that "The American dream is to be Donald Trump"? No, that's not true: It is a quote fabricated from a passage in a class paper Obama co-wrote with a classmate while a student in 1991, but it is out
FactCheck.org→ Bogus Claim About Border Rape Revived
Quick Take An unsubstantiated claim from last fall about sexual violence at the southern border has been repackaged in a Facebook meme. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has no record of the alleged incident, and the website that first reported it has
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Atlanta Urging People ‘Not to Dump Trash on White Supremacists’ Lawns’?
On April 29 2019, an image of a purported notice from the City of Atlanta urging residents “not to” dump trash on white supremacists’ lawns went viral: yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes