Summary In touting Republican tax bills, President Donald Trump made several claims that don’t add up. The nation’s real gross domestic product grew 4.6 percent and 5.2 percent in the third and fourth quarters of 2014, respectively. But T
Search Results (1647) for: theory
Climate Feedback→ Grist article on an “Ice Apocalypse” mostly accurate, but doesn’t make the likelihood of that apocalypse clear enough to readers
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This article at Grist by Eric Holthaus examines the risk of greater sea level rise caused by a more rapid loss of glacial ice. It focuses on a process recently added to one ice sheet model (ice cliff instability),
FactCheck.org→ Debunking False Vaccine Claim
Q: Has the Food and Drug Administration announced that vaccines cause autism? A: No. FDA statements are grounded in scientific evidence. There is no evidence that vaccination is linked to autism. FULL QUESTION FDA ANNOUNCED THAT VACCINES ARE CAUSIN
FactCheck.org→ GOP, Democrats Spin Tax Plan
Summary House Republicans on Nov. 2 introduced a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s tax code, and almost immediately both parties distorted the facts about the plan to advance their partisan agendas: The tax plan isn’t the “biggest tax cut in
FactCheck.org→ Blackout or Ham Radio Drill?
Q: Is the Department of Defense planning a drill that will cause a nationwide blackout? Is antifa involved? A: No and no. The Army is conducting a drill with ham radio operators, and it has nothing to do with antifa. FULL QUESTION I was wondering, d
Snopes→ Is the Department of Defense Planning a Communications Drill to Coincide with ‘Antifa’ Demonstrations?
The Army Military Auxiliary Radio System says conspiracy theory-related fears about a drill are unwarranted.
FactCheck.org→ Peddling Mueller Misinformation
Q: Has Robert Mueller resigned as the special counsel investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election? A: No. He is still in charge of that investigation and has no plans to leave. FULL ANSWER Robert S. Mueller III has not resigned a
Truth or Fiction?→ Fred Reed Column on Black Reparations for Slavery-Commentary!
Fred Reed Column on Black People Receiving Reparations for Slavery-Commentary! Summary of eRumor: A commentary attributed to Fred Reed discusses Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the chairman of African-American studies at Harvard, pushing for reparations for sl
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Dubious $4,000 Claim
Would American households really see an average income increase of $4,000 a year if President Donald Trump succeeds in cutting the corporate income tax? Don’t count on it. This claim is dubious at best. Consider this simple arithmetic: There wer
Snopes→ Did ‘Mexican Drug Cartels’ Start the California Wildfires?
Disreputable web sites provide no evidence to support a half-baked theory about the cause of the October 2017 fires.
Snopes→ Did a Mandalay Bay Hotel Worker ‘Vanish’ After Giving an Interview?
A disreputable web site published an illogical and inaccurate conspiracy theory about a valet worker who reportedly had a brush with the Las Vegas gunman.
FactCheck.org→ Warming to Blame for Western Wildfires?
Q: Did climate change cause the wildfires out West? A: Scientists say a hot and dry summer — conditions more likely in a warmer world — caused widespread wildfires in Western states. But land use changes also have played a role. FULL ANS
Truth or Fiction?→ Las Vegas Shooter Stephen Paddock Converted to Islam 6 Months Before Massacre-Unproven!
Las Vegas Shooter Stephen Paddock Converted to Islam 6 Months Before Massacre-Unproven! Summary of eRumor: Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock converted to Islam six months before opening fire on a crowd gathered at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Octob
Snopes→ Las Vegas Shooter Died in 2013?
A bizarre conspiracy theory holding that Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock died in 2013 was based on a different individual's obituary.
FactCheck.org→ Gun Control in Australia, Updated
In 2009, we wrote an Ask FactCheck item for readers who wanted to know, “Did gun control in Australia lead to more murders there last year?” The answer at the time was “no,” and that’s still the case. In fact, the most rec
Snopes→ Did an American Actor Take Part in a London Bomb Attack ‘Hoax’?
A bizarre false flag conspiracy theory falsely links an actor from NBC's 'The Office' to the Parsons Green terrorist attack.
Snopes→ U.S. Government Ships Radioactive Milk to Black Communities as Part of a Genocide Plot?
A conspiracy theory involving radioactive milk and diabetes fails on both historical and scientific grounds.
Snopes→ Did a 2005 Movie Feature Hurricanes Named Harvey and Irma?
An online conspiracy theory about government-created hurricanes gets even the most basic facts wrong.
FactCheck.org→ Misleading ‘Chemtrail Kelli’ Ad
A GOP super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released a digital campaign ad about “Chemtrail Kelli” that could leave Arizona voters with a false impression about Republican Sen. Jeff Flake’s 2018 primary opponen
FactCheck.org→ Was Driver Acting in Self-Defense?
Q: Does a video corroborate a belief by Charlottesville police officers that the driver in the fatal car attack at a white nationalist rally “was not acting maliciously”? A: No. Police have charged James Alex Fields Jr. with multiple offenses, inc
Snopes→ Alt-Right Turns Against ‘Unite the Right’ Organizer Jason Kessler, Labels Him ‘Soros/Deep State Plant’
In the aftermath of the violence-plagued Charlottesville rally, former white nationalist allies peddled a conspiracy theory suggesting Kessler is a left-wing provocateur.
Snopes→ Did John McCain’s Vote Stop the ACA Repeal for the 2017 Fiscal Year?
A theory spread online overstated the consequences of the Arizona senator's July 2017 vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Truth or Fiction?→ Clinton Pilot Dimitri Noonan Found Dead After Revealing Details of Clinton/Lynch Meeting-Fiction!
Clinton Pilot Dimitri Noonan Found Dead After Revealing Clinton/Lynch Meeting-Fiction! Summary of eRumor: Pilot Dmitri Noonan,was found dead in July 2017 after he disclosed what Bill Clinton, former Attorney General Loretta Lynch and House Speaker Pa
FactCheck.org→ Is Bacon Better for You Than Tilapia?
Q: Is bacon better for you than tilapia? Does tilapia cause cancer and/or Alzheimer’s disease? A: No. These false claims, spread by multiple websites, are not supported by solid scientific evidence. FULL QUESTION What is the truth about wa
Snopes→ Can U.S. Birth Certificates Unlock Hidden ‘Strawman’ Financial Accounts?
A specious theory that the U.S. has turned citizens into "collateral" was developed by a convicted forger with ties to white nationalists.
Truth or Fiction?→ Clinton Foundation Witness Klaus Eberwein Found Dead-Truth! & Unproven!
Clinton Foundation Witness Klaus Eberwein Found Dead-Truth! & Unproven! Summary of eRumor: Former Haitian government official Klaus Eberwein was found dead just before he was scheduled to expose Clinton Foundation fraud before an anti-corruption
Climate Feedback→ Breitbart article falsely claims that measured global warming has been “fabricated”
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This Breitbart article by James Delingpole claims that the observed warming of Earth’s surface temperatures is largely a fabrication by scientists who have altered the measurements. The source for this claim is a
Snopes→ CNN Used the Same Girl in Three Different Refugee Crisis Pictures?
A variation on the 'crisis actor' conspiracy theory holds that CNN used photographs of the same girl to represent three different refugee crises.
FactCheck.org→ Rand Paul’s Subsidies Twist
Sen. Rand Paul, who opposes the Republican Senate health care bill, says subsidies “are actually greater under the Republican bill than they are under the current Obamacare law.” But the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says the aver
Truth or Fiction?→ Clinton Estate a Crime Scene, Steel Barrel Graves Found-Fiction!
Clinton Estate a Crime Scene, Steel Barrel Graves Found-Fiction! Summary of eRumor: Dead bodies have been found in “steel barrel graves” at the Clinton estate, and Bill and Hillary Clinton are under criminal investigation. The Truth: A webs
Truth or Fiction?→ Alex Jones Appointed White House Press Secretary-Fiction!
Alex Jones Appointed White House Press Secretary-Fiction! Summary of eRumor: InfoWars host and noted conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been named the White House press secretary. The Truth: A website that specializes in “Christian news satire&#
FactCheck.org→ Can Trump Fire Mueller?
Q: Can President Donald Trump fire special counsel Robert Mueller? A: Not directly. Only the deputy attorney general who appointed Mueller can fire him and only for cause. But Trump could fire the DAG, or order the special-counsel regulations repealed
Truth or Fiction?→ Monica Lewinksy Found Dead, Murdered in Attempted Burglary-Fiction!
Monica Lewinksy Found Dead, Murdered in Attempted Burglary-Fiction! Summary of eRumor: Monica Lewinsky has been found dead in what appears to be an attempted burglary, which suspiciously happened after she ended an affair with President Bill Clinton.
Truth or Fiction?→ President Trump’s Tweet About “Covfefe” Has Hidden Meaning-Unproven!
President Trump’s Tweet About “Covfefe” Has Hidden Meaning-Unproven! Summary of eRumor: A tweet from President Trump’s personal Twitter account included the word “covfefe,” leading to questions about the definition o
Climate Feedback→ Report Heartland Institute sent to influence US teachers on climate change earns an “F” from scientists
Tens of thousands of science teachers in the US have recently received an unsolicited booklet titled “Why Scientists Disagree about Global Warming”, which looks like a scientific report. It was published by the Heartland Institute (self-described a
FactCheck.org→ The Facts on E-Cigarettes
Q: Have scientists confirmed that e-cigarettes cause an incurable respiratory disease called “popcorn lung”? A: No. The vapor of some e-cigarettes contains a chemical associated with popcorn lung, but there’s not enough evidence
Truth or Fiction?→ Bill Clinton Files for Divorce from Hillary Clinton-Fiction!
Bill Clinton Files for Divorce from Hillary Clinton-Fiction! Summary of eRumor: President Bill Clinton has filed for divorce from Hillary Clinton because he’s “appalled at the actions’ of his own wife. The Truth: Bill Clinton has no
FactCheck.org→ Webbys Honor FactCheck.org
We’re happy to announce that FactCheck.org is both the 2017 Webby Award and People’s Voice winner for best political blog or website. This is the fourth consecutive year that we’ve won both awards, which honor excellence on the intern
Snopes→ Russia, U.S. Elections, and the Fake News Cycle
How to walk the line between awareness and conspiracy theory.
FactCheck.org→ GOP’s Obamacare Obituary: Premature
Republicans repeatedly claim that Obamacare is in a “death spiral,” collapsing of its own weight. This is wishful thinking on their part, with little evidence to support it. Examples of the GOP line: “[T]he law is collapsing,”