On February 27 2020, a Facebook user shared the following meme about the 1988 anime classic Akira, the 2020 Olympics, and plot elements which were reportedly strangely prescient: A four-panel meme featured images on one side, text on the other. In s
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Snopes→ Who Allowed 14 People with Coronavirus on a Plane to US with Uninfected Passengers?
The CDC had previously stated its intent to block anyone who tested positive for the disease caused by the new coronavirus from flying on an evacuation flight. Who overruled whom?
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking Trump’s Coronavirus Press Conference
Facing a declining stock market and criticism from Democrats, President Donald Trump and other officials have minimized the risks of the coronavirus to the U.S. and given inaccurate and misleading information about the new virus. Trump said the curren
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Hair Weaves And Lace Front Wigs Made In China NOT Likely To Contain Coronavirus
Do hair weaves and lace front wigs that were made in China contain the novel coronavirus? No, that is not likely: There is very little chance that the coronavirus could be spread from contact with these surfaces, and there are no known cases o
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking the South Carolina Debate
Summary In the last Democratic debate before Super Tuesday, the candidates often talked over and past one another. We sort out some of the misinformation. In criticizing Sen. Bernie Sanders’ sympathetic remarks about authoritarian regimes, former Vi
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Birds Did NOT Fall Dead From The Sky Due To 5G
Did a large number of birds fall dead from the sky due to 5G wireless technology? No, that's not true: The videos being shared do not offer any evidence that 5G - the fifth generation cellular network - has caused the deaths of the birds. The
Truth or Fiction?→ Rush Limbaugh Claims Coronavirus is No More Dangerous than the Common Cold. Is it?
In a transcript dated February 24 2020, radio personality Rush Limbaugh claimed that novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is no more dangerous than “the common cold,” adding that he believed that concern over the new strain of disease was simply p
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Lifestyle Change Study Did NOT Focus On Vegan Diet
Did a study endorsed by a Nobel Prize winner claim that the vegan diet can cause a variety of health benefits? No, that's not entirely true: The research did not focus on the vegan diet. It showed that a combination of lifestyle changes - diet
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Priest Did Give Congregation Rat Poison To Prove They’re Above Death; Fortunately Nobody Died
Did a priest in South Africa kill members of his congregation when he fed them rat poison? No, that's not true: A man known as Prophet (not Priest) Light Monyeki of Grace Living Hope Ministries insists that, yes, in 2017 he mixed rat poison wi
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Government Did NOT Finally Admit Chemical Geoengineering Via Chemtrail Operations
Did the U.S. government finally admit to conducting chemical geoengineering using chemtrail operations? No, that's not true: An article claimed that a study on the possible health impacts of proposed geoengineering strategies is an admission t
FactCheck.org→ Competing Claims on Trump’s Budget and Seniors
In what has become an annual Washington exercise, Democrats and Republicans are waging a war of words over the president’s proposed budget and how it would affect programs for seniors. President Donald Trump tweeted that he “will not be touchin
Truth or Fiction?→ Fish Mox: ‘Same Antibiotic, Same Pill, Same Manufacturer, Same Drug’ as Amoxicillin?
On February 17 2020 a Facebook user shared the following post, claiming that a product called “Fish Mox” is the “same antibiotic, same pill,” and “same drug” as the common antibiotic amoxicillin: Alongside three
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Latest Research Published By Chinese Scientists Did NOT Say Coronavirus Will Render Most Male Patients Infertile
Did the latest research published by Chinese scientists say that the coronavirus will render most patients infertile? No, that's not true: The study, which has not been peer-reviewed, does not go as far as the headline of the article suggests.
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Residential Building NOT In Wuhan, NOT Set Ablaze To Control Coronavirus Spread
Was a massive residential building in Wuhan, China, set ablaze to try to control the spread of the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true: The fire broke out at a building in another Chinese city, Chongqing, which is about 850 kilometers - or
Snopes→ CDC Cites Label Error in Mixup Involving Coronavirus Patient
A labeling error caused a woman infected with the novel coronavirus to be mistakenly released from a hospital.
Truth or Fiction?→ The #BroomChallenge: Can Your Broom Stand up Because of the Vernal Equinox or Planetary Alignments?
On February 10 2020, memes and posts about a #BroomChallenge began circulating around Facebook, claiming that an arcane gravitational anomaly (usually chalked up to being caused by a “planetary alignment” or the “vernal equinox”
FactCheck.org→ Fake Coronavirus Cures, Part 1: MMS is Industrial Bleach
Quick Take Online posts have claimed to reveal various “cures” for the new coronavirus. Some are benign, like eating boiled garlic, while others are potentially dangerous, like drinking chlorine dioxide, an industrial bleach. Neither will c
FactCheck.org→ Baseless Conspiracy Theories Claim New Coronavirus Was Bioengineered
Quick Take Several online stories inaccurately claim that the new coronavirus contains HIV “insertions” and shows signs of being created in a lab. But there is no evidence that the new virus was bioengineered, and every indication it came from an a
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Trump Supporters Sabotage the Iowa Caucus Hotlines on Election Night?
On February 6 2020, a number of news organizations reported that the chaos during (and following) the Iowa caucus was exacerbated by a flood of calls to an election night hotline made by supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump to further confuse the
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking the State of the Union
Summary In his 2020 address to Congress, President Donald Trump stretched and distorted the facts: Trump claimed the economy is “the best it has ever been.” But GDP growth fell to 2.3% last year and economists predict further slowing this year. He
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Bernie Sanders’ Campaign ‘Have Five Lawyers’ Contact Democratic Officials in Iowa?
Amid heavy criticism of breakdowns in the February 3 2020 Iowa Democratic Party caucus, a progressive congressional candidate attracted attention to himself with a claim involving a meeting between members of the Democratic National Committee and staf
Snopes→ What Went Wrong: Tech Troubles Behind Delay in Iowa Caucus Results
Glitches with a new mobile app used by Iowa caucus organizers caused confusion, and some were forced to call in results for the state party to record manually.
Lead Stories→ Fake News: NO Evidence Coronavirus Is A Man-made Depopulation Weapon
Is the coronavirus a "man-made" depopulation weapon? No, that's not true: There is no evidence to support this theory, which is being spread by conspiracy-minded outlets like InfoWars. While scientists are still investigating the source of the
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Proof A Biology Experiment By 9th Grade Students Reveals A Dark Truth About Wi-Fi
Did a biology experiment by ninth grade students reveal a "dark truth" about the dangers of Wi-Fi? No, that is not clear: The study was conducted as a classroom experiment without the proper scientific controls of a professional lab experiment
Truth or Fiction?→ Lysol + Coronavirus = Conspiracy
As fears of a coronavirus outbreak spread virally on social media in late January 2020, so too did posts about the packaging of Lysol and what some people saw as a suspicious mention of a viral strain that was new to them: LYSOL WAS INVENTED IN 1
Truth or Fiction?→ Did JK Rowling Respond to ‘No One Should Live in a Closet’ Tattoo with ‘Yes They Should’?
On January 25 2020, Twitter user @iknownaama tweeted the following image, a purported screenshot of JK Rowling reacting to a pro-LGBT tattoo (“no one should live in a closet”) by saying “yes they should”: so did the simulatio
FactCheck.org→ Misinformation on Coronavirus Death Toll
Quick Take Websites and social media posts have circulated the erroneous claim that there are “thousands” or “10,000” dead as a result of the Wuhan coronavirus. As of early Jan. 27, the estimated death toll is 81 — all of
Truth or Fiction?→ Can You Get Coronavirus from Wish.com Products?
As concern over coronavirus spread in late January 2020, Facebook users began to share memes claiming that all products from ubiquitous seller Wish.com shipped from Wuhan, China — thought to be the region from which a massive outbreak of what
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Twitter Post Predict Kobe Bryant’s Death in a Helicopter Crash in 2012?
On January 26 2020, Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna (as well as Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri, and his daughter Alyssa; Harbor Day School basketball coach Christina Mauser; mother and daughter Sarah and Payton C
Snopes→ Nighttime Rocket Attack on US Embassy in Baghdad Injured 1
A nighttime rocket attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad injured one personnel member and caused some material damage.
Lead Stories→ Fake News: NO Large Explosion In Wuhan, China, Tied To Coronavirus Outbreak
Did a new video show a large explosion in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the Coronavirus outbreak responsible for killing dozens and sickening thousands? No, that's not true: The video, which is recirculated footage, is actually of a massive e
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Proof That Spray Can Protect Against Coronavirus
Does a spray offer protection against the new coronavirus? The claims are unproven, and here is some context: The Genesis Church 2 touts its products as a treatment for a variety of ailments and diseases, but the ingredients are actually indus
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: 2015 Article About Lab-Made Coronavirus Triggers Debate
Does an article from a scientific journal in 2015 about a lab-made coronavirus refer to the current outbreak? No, that's not true, and here is some context: While the facts in The Scientist article appear to be accurate, the opinion piece is a
FactCheck.org→ Social Media Posts Spread Bogus Coronavirus Conspiracy Theory
Quick Take Multiple social media posts are spreading a bogus conspiracy theory about the deadly Wuhan virus. The posts falsely claim that the virus has been patented and a vaccine is already available. That’s not true; the patents the posts refer to
FactCheck.org→ Setting the Record Straight on Climate Change and Arson in Australia’s Bushfires
Quick Take Various claims online suggest that climate change hasn’t contributed to the bushfires ravaging the East Coast of Australia, pinning the blame instead on arson. Those claims distort the facts. Full Story Several recent reports have fou
Snopes→ Did a Missouri Bill Propose Imprisoning Librarians?
House Bill 2044, which was aimed at events such as "Drag Queen Story Time" in public libraries, caused controversy upon its introduction in January 2020.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Bernie Sanders Tell Elizabeth Warren a Woman Couldn’t Win a Presidential Election?
On January 13 2020, CNN published an article with the headline, “Bernie Sanders told Elizabeth Warren in private 2018 meeting that a woman can’t win, sources say.” It began: The stakes were high when Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warr
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking the January Democratic Debate
Summary In the final Democratic debate before the Iowa caucuses, there were fewer candidates — only six — but more than a few false, misleading and exaggerated claims: Former Vice President Joe Biden claimed that the “wealthy are the
Truth or Fiction?→ 500,000 Americans Will Go Bankrupt This Year from Medical Bills?
On January 12 2020, the Facebook page “Lower Drug Prices Now” shared what appeared to be a screenshot of a tweet, which claimed that “500,000 Americans will go bankrupt this year” due to medical bills: Claims referencing
FactCheck.org→ Bloomberg, Trump Spar on Preexisting Conditions
Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg charged in a TV ad that President Donald Trump had “broken” a “promise” to protect those with preexisting health conditions. Trump fired back on Twitter, “I was the person w