Quick Take Social media posts falsely claim that the CARES Act was introduced Jan. 24, 2019 to perpetuate the falsehood that the COVID-19 pandemic was planned or known about in advance. The CARES Act was introduced March 25 as a substitute amendment, r
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Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Lady Gaga Did NOT Participate In ‘Vile, Sickening’ Blood Drinking Ritual Pertaining To ‘Adrenochrome And Spirit Cooking’
Did entertainer Lady Gaga and others participate in a blood-drinking ritual "pertaining to adrenochrome and spirit cooking?" No, that's not true: A photo of Lady Gaga with performance artist Marina Abramovic and posts claiming to show them dri
FactCheck.org→ Gowdy Didn’t Author Viral Conspiracy Theory
Quick Take A viral Facebook post, spreading a political conspiracy theory about COVID-19, is wrongly attributed to former Rep. Trey Gowdy. Gowdy confirmed to us that he did not write the post in question. Full Story Former Rep. Trey Gowdy of South
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: The CDC Did NOT Simply Make 30,000 COVID-19 Deaths Disappear
Did the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention make 30,000 COVID-19 deaths disappear "just like that," proving the American people were lied to as part of some social experiment? No, that's not true: On May 2, the CDC reported their l
FactCheck.org→ Large Retail Employees Have Been Victims of COVID-19
Quick Take A viral post falsely claims Walmart, Amazon, Kroger, Target and Costco — while staying open during the COVID-19 pandemic — “have not had any reported cases” of employees contracting the coronavirus. There have been ne
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: The CDC DOES Recommend That People Who Are Healthy Wear Facemasks
Does the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that healthy people not wear facemasks to prevent the spread of the novel coronavius? No, that's not true: The CDC revised its facemask guidelines in early April after studies indic
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation HQ Does NOT Read ‘Center for Global Human Population Reduction’
Does the sign outside the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation say "Center for Global Human Population Reduction?" No, that's not true. There is no such center run by Gates -- nor is there any evidence such a center exists anywhere, run by anyo
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Viruses DO Exist; NOT Just Cell Erosion Caused By Mucus From Food We Eat
Was the late herbalist known as "Dr. Sebi" (real name Alfredo Bowman) correct when he claimed that viruses don't exist? No, this is false. Viruses do exist, as the world is witnesseing now with the novel coronavirus, which is responsible for m
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: News Outlets DID Report On Coronavirus Cases At Walmart, Amazon, Other Retailers
Did Walmart, Amazon, Kroger, Target and Costco "not have any reported cases in the news" of employees contracting the coronavirus and being forced to close, as suggested by a meme shared widely on social media? No, that's not true. There have
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Unemployed Get $600 Per Week While Essential Workers ARE Required To Report Without CARES Assistance
Are people on unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic getting an extra $600 a week -- while many essential workers are still on the job, not getting that extra money -- yet they are putting their health at risk? Yes, that is true: An act
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Japanese Nobel Prize Winner Did NOT Say Coronavirus Was ‘Manufactured In China’
Did the Japanese doctor who won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine claim the novel coronavirus was "manufactured in China" and "is completely artificial"? No, that's not true. Dr. Tasuku Honjo never made the comments, and he has di
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Flu Is Not Eradicated, But CDC Says Flu Shots DO Help Prevent It
Is it true that the flu shot did not "eradicate" the flu and, in fact, does "little to nothing at preventing the flu every year?" No, that is not true. The flu shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, helps keep the f
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Quarantine is When You Restrict the Movement of SICK People’ Facebook Meme
On April 28 2020, amid ongoing coverage of astroturfed anti-lockdown protests, a Facebook post claimed that quarantine was intended to “restrict the movement of sick people” (archived here): White text against a red and blue background r
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Proof Ultraviolet Radiation Eliminates Coronavirus From The Body
Does exposure of blood to ultraviolet light rid the body of coronavirus? No, there is no evidence that it does. The fact that ultraviolet light has been shown to kill the virus on surfaces does not mean that it does the same thing in people. T
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: The Media And COVID-19 Did NOT Kill The Same Man Twice
Did the media dupe the public by saying coronovirus killed the same man twice? No, that's not true: Lenard "Lenny" Wells had an illustrious career in law enforcement, serving decades with the Milwaukee Police Department in Wisconsin before lat
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: CDC Job Posting For Public Health Advisor (Quarantine Program) Is NOT Proof Of A COVID-19 Conspiracy
Is a November 2019 job listing for a quarantine advisor at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention proof the government knew the COVID-19 health crisis was about to strike the United States? No, that's not true. It appears people have m
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Some Megachurches ARE Giving To COVID-19 Relief
Are megachurches and their preachers failing to contribute to fighting COVID-19 or offer their millions to coronavirus relief efforts? No, that is not entirely true. While it's unclear how much money is being directly donated by these churches
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: No Evidence President Trump’s Mother Called Her Son An ‘Idiot’ Who Would Be A ‘Disaster’ As A Politician
Did Mary Anne Trump call her son, President Trump, an "idiot" who would "be a disaster in politics"? No, there is no record such a statement was ever made by Trump's mother about her son. The claim stems from a meme that won't die. Social medi
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Presidents Lincoln And Kennedy Were Assassinated For Trying To End Federal Reserve
Were President Abraham Lincoln and President John F. Kennedy both assassinated for trying to end the Federal Reserve banking system? No, there is no evidence to back this up: The two presidents, who were both shot and killed while in office, h
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Nancy Pelosi said Donald Trump Can’t Lead Because He’s One Of The ‘Common People’
Did Nancy Pelosi say President Donald Trump can't be in power because he's one of the "common people"? No, there is no evidence that the Democratic U.S. House speaker ever made such a dig at the Republican president. The claim showed up in a m
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: VP Mike Pence Did NOT Pose With GOP House Members Waving A Confederate Flag
Did Republican Vice President Mike Pence recently stand with GOP Congressional members waving a Confederate flag, proving he is racist? No, that's not true. A simple reverse image check reveals the then-vice president-elect stood before a larg
FactCheck.org→ One Photo, Two Stories — But No Deceit by News Websites
Quick Take A viral post compares side-by-side screenshots from two news websites to falsely claim that using the same image of people at the beach during the COVID-19 pandemic is an example of media deception. The location of the scene in Jacksonville,
Truth or Fiction?→ Was There a ‘Canine Coronavirus Vaccine in 2001’?
On April 22 2020, screenshots of an image post featuring a “canine coronavirus vaccine” appeared and was circulated alongside captured text about the vial dating back to 2001 (archived here): Text over a battered vial labeled
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Fact And Fiction About Microsoft Patent Application ‘WO2020060606 – CRYPTOCURRENCY SYSTEM USING BODY ACTIVITY DATA’
Did Microsoft file a patent application with the number 060606 for body-interfaced cryptocurrency to be implanted in humans, as well as include 5G wireless technology and vaccines? No, that's not entirely true: Microsoft did file a patent appl
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Pelosi Was NOT In Wuhan, China, In 2019 Ahead Of COVID-19 Outbreak; Did NOT Sabotage Now-Signed Trade Deal
Was U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Wuhan, China, in time to release the novel coronavirus and sabotage the U.S.-China trade deal? No, neither are true. The photo of her with a Chinese offical that is being used to make the allegations is f
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Facebook Did NOT Ban Posting Of The Lord’s Prayer
Did Facebook ban the posting of the Lord's Prayer because it goes againsts its policies? No, that's not true: A Facebook spokesman said the social media network has not banned the prayer -- also known as the "Our Father" prayer -- from its pla
FactCheck.org→ Facebook Users Wrongly Tie Dog Vaccine to Novel Coronavirus
Quick Take A viral image on Facebook falsely suggests a vaccine exists for the novel coronavirus by referencing a photo of a vaccine for a coronavirus that infects dogs. The two viruses are not the same. Full Story Facebook users are spreading a ph
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Pennsylvania House Did NOT Pass COVID-19 Funding In June 2019; NO Evidence Pandemic Was Planned
Did the Pennsylvania House of Representatives approve funding for COVID-19 in June 2019, proving that the pandemic was pre-planned? No, that's not true. The Pennsylvania House and Senate amended several bills in March 2020, including one that
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Hillary Clinton NOT Headed To Jail, DOJ Did NOT Confirm Russia Paid Her $3M
Is Hillary Clinton heading to jail after taking a payoff from the Russian government in connection with the Uranium One controversy? No, that's not true: In fact, according to the Washington Post, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has basically
FactCheck.org→ Hospital Payments and the COVID-19 Death Count
Q: Are hospitals inflating the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths so they can be paid more? A: Recent legislation pays hospitals higher Medicare rates for COVID-19 patients and treatment, but there is no evidence of fraudulent reporting. FULL QUESTIO
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: U.S. NOT ‘Sneakily’ Using Coronavirus As Cover to Pass Bill; Uncertain If It ‘Will Stop End-To-End Encryption, Allow Officials To See All Private Messages, Listen To All Calls’
Is the U.S. government using the cover of the coronavirus pandemic to remove end-to-end encryption so officials would be able to listen to everyone's calls and see everyone's private messages? No, that does not appear to be the case: A controv
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The Real Plague’ Anti-Semitic Sign Spotted at Ohio Anti-Lockdown COVID-19 Pandemic Protest
On April 18 2020, a disturbing image of a purported protest sign from coronavirus anti-lockdown protests in Columbus, Ohio began circulating on Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit: Columbus, Ohio, April 18, 2020… pic.twitter.com/Q0ryJp5pOG — W
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Chase Michael Morris Did NOT Predict The Coronavirus In A 2015 Facebook Post
Did a Facebook user named Chase Michael Morris predict in 2015 that a virus would hit in 2020? No, that's not true: the post in question was originally about buying shoes at Walmart, but it was edited on March 25, 2020, and changed into a viru
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Some Hospitals Compensated For COVID-19 Patients Under Stimulus, But NO Evidence NYC Hospitals Inflating Coronavirus Numbers
Are hospitals compensated 15% more for COVID-19 patients under the stimulus package -- and, with that financial incentive, are New York City hospitals inflating their coronavirus numbers? No, this is misleading: According to the bill passed by
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Trump NEVER Tweeted in 2009 About Americans Dying in Pandemic
Did Donald Trump claim in a 2009 tweet that he would "never let thousands of Americans die from a pandemic while in office" amidst the so-called swine flu, or H1N1, pandemic during the Barack Obama presidency? No, that's not true: A fake tweet
Truth or Fiction?→ Facebook Activity for Right-Wing ‘Gridlock’ Protests Surges
Facebook groups supporting or organizing anti-government protests continued to appear on the platform in mid-April 2020, despite the platform reportedly shuttering at least two such events. We found several groups using the “Operation Gridlock
Truth or Fiction?→ Meme Comparing ‘Flattening the Curve’ of COVID-19 to Deploying a Parachute Goes Viral
In mid-April 2020, a meme appeared on Facebook, a “very appropriate analogy” about “flattening the curve” of the COVID-19 pandemic amid growing calls to lift social distancing measures (occasionally in the form of protests). Ve
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: A Barcode Does NOT Tell You A Product’s Country Of Origin
Can a barcode tell you what a product's country of origin is? No, that's not true: That claim is misleading. A barcode for a product really only reveals where the person or company that purchased the barcode is from; it does not reveal the whe
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Michigan Governor Did NOT Violate State’s Social Distancing Order; TV Station Used File Footage
Did Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer violate the state's social distancing order at the same time she was signing the stay-at-home orders? No, that's not true: A TV news report used file footage from January 2019 of a completely different bill s
Truth or Fiction?→ Viral ‘Ohio State House COVID-19 Protest’ Image
On April 14 2020, images of a large crowd gathered in Ohio to protest COVID-19 social distancing measures (while clearly violating those measures) circulated on social media: Trump supporters protest against #Quarantine policies in Ohio. #Covid_19