On August 22 2022, a post to Reddit’s r/politics (and r/all) said that a Kansas abortion referendum recount reaffirmed the initial tally — indicating that voters in Kansas continue to overwhelmingly favor legal access to abortion in the sta
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Foot Tablets Will NOT Make A Person Lose Weight
Is it true that soaking your feet in cold water with this weight loss tablet will help a person lose weight as soon as the first night? No, that's not true: A registered dietician nutritionist (RDN) told Lead Stories there is not a "magic
Snopes→ Metal-Detecting Stranger Retrieves Woman’s Ring Lost in Sea
A woman's diamond wedding ring is back on her finger after a man with a metal detector found it at the bottom of the ocean.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Prove Ukrainians Are Staging Russian Attacks
Does a TikTok video prove that Ukrainians are staging Russian attacks? No, that's not true: The video is behind-the-scenes footage of a Ukrainian film that is described by its Facebook page as depicting "the heroic actions of the resident
Snopes→ New Research Examines How People Conform to Their Pets’ Stereotypical Traits
You know the stereotypes — dog owners take more risks, cat owners are more cautious.
Snopes→ Hawaii Seeks End to Strife over Astronomy on Sacred Mountain
For more than 50 years, telescopes and the needs of astronomers have dominated the summit of Mauna Kea.
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Pulling Yourself Up by Your Bootstraps’ Origin
On August 19 2022, a Facebook page shared a screenshot of a tweet claiming that the origin of the popular American English phrase “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” was the exact opposite of its modern usage: In the screenshot, the f
PolitiFact→ In New York, uneven progress on increasing voter access
In NY, a mixed record on voting rights
Snopes→ Yes, Photo Shows Flamingos in Zoo Bathroom During Hurricane Andrew
The 1992 storm marks one of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history.
Snopes→ Did Liz Cheney Say the Republican Party Is ‘Very Sick’?
We transcribed U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney's full answer from her interview on the ABC News Sunday morning TV show, "This Week with George Stephanopoulos."
Snopes→ 3 Arkansas Officers Suspended After Video Captures Beating
A video posted on social media showed two of them beating a suspect while a third officer held him on the ground.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Magic Johnson Did NOT Donate Blood To ‘Help Underprivileged Communities Help Fight COVID-19’ In This Video
Did former NBA star Earvin "Magic" Johnson donate some of his blood in August 2022 to the Red Cross to help underprivileged communities fight COVID-19? No, that's not true: The image of a doctor taking blood from Johnson's arm is from the
Snopes→ Pence Says He Didn’t Leave Office with Classified Material
Former Vice President Mike Pence said that he didn’t take any classified information with him when he left office.
Snopes→ Fauci, Top Infectious Disease Expert, to Retire in December
Dr. Anthony Fauci announced he will depart the federal government in December after more than five decades of service.
Full Fact→ Mariupol concert footage doesn’t prove Ukraine isn’t a warzone
Russian forces now control the city and there was a concert there in July. Footage shows destroyed buildings in the background.
Full Fact→ WHO director Dr Tedros has been vaccinated
A clip circulating on social media has been used to claim the WHO director said he hadn’t received the Covid-19 vaccine. This isn’t true.
Snopes→ Wendy’s Pulls Lettuce from Sandwiches Amid E. Coli Outbreak
Wendy’s says it is pulling lettuce from sandwiches in its restaurants in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Poynter→ After 15 years, PolitiFact hasn’t given up on facts; neither should you
When we launched PolitiFact in 2007, we were so unsure about its future that we had an escape hatch. If the fact-checking site didn’t catch on, we were going to […] The post After 15 years, PolitiFact hasn’t given up on facts; neither should
Logically→ Mark Zuckerberg is David Rockefeller’s grandson, and the Rothschilds own 10% of Meta shares.
Mark Zuckerberg has no relation to David Rockefeller. According to its shareholder reports, the CIA or the Rothschilds do not hold Meta shares.
Snopes→ Foot Found in Yellowstone Hot Spring Linked to July Death
The July 31 death is being investigated but officials do not suspect foul play.
Logically→ COVID-19 vaccines cause intracranial hemorrhage.
There is no link between intracranial hemorrhage and COVID-19 vaccines. Fever, chills, fatigue, and cold are recognized side effects of the vaccines.
Snopes→ Russia Probe Memo Wrongly Withheld Under Barr, Court Rules
The department had argued that the 2019 memo represented private deliberations of its lawyers before any decision was formalized.
Snopes→ ‘Water Is Key’: A Geotechnical Engineer Explains Sandcastle Engineering
Building a sandcastle comes down to the right mix of water, air, and sand, writes Joseph Scalia of Colorado State University.
Snopes→ Gary Busey Charged with Sex Offenses at Monster-Mania Con
Actor Gary Busey has been charged with sexual offenses at a New Jersey fan convention.
PolitiFact→ 15 years later, we haven’t given up on facts; neither should you
As we mark PolitiFact's 15th anniversary, our founding editor shares a few lessons in facts and fact-checking.
Snopes→ Car Blast Kills Daughter of Russian Known As ‘Putin’s Brain’
The bloodshed gave rise to suspicions that the intended target was the woman's father, Alexander Dugin, a nationalist philosopher and writer.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Samoylo Haidyuk (aka Sam Hyde) Did NOT Murder Aleksandr Dugin’s daughter Darya Dugina
Did a suspect named "Samoylo Haidyuk" have anything to do with the recent killing of Aleksandr Dugin's daughter Darya Dugina? No, that's not true: A tweet making the accusation was using a photoshopped image of comedian Sam Hyde, the late
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Cyber Polygon Did NOT Release Plans for Canada’s Telecom Outage
Did the cybersecurity conference Cyber Polygon, a partner of the World Economic Forum, release plans for Canada's July 8, 2022 nationwide Internet outage? No, that's not true: No documentary evidence links the shutdown to either the World
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: 6-Month-Old Today MAY Receive More Shots This Year Than A 40-Year-Old Has Had In Their Life, Due To Medical Advances
Will a 6-month-old baby get more shots this year than a 40-year-old has already had in their lifetime? It depends on the person choosing their vaccinations. Using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Child and Adolescent
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘Whistleblower’ Did NOT Provide Evidence To Back Claims — ‘Chemtrails’ Are Not A Thing
Did a "whistleblower" physician provide evidence of chemtrails being sprayed from military airplanes? No, that's not true: While Dr. Bill Deagle called himself a "whistleblower on the inside," nothing ever came of his outlandish claims an
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Russia and China Did NOT Team Up To Create ‘New Global Reserve Currency’ Based On Rare Earth Minerals
Are Russia and China creating a "new global reserve currency" based on "rare earth minerals" as videos on social media claim? No, that's not true: The original source of the story, Russian President Vladimir Putin, brought up the idea of
Snopes→ Anti-Vax Group in Europe Thrives Online, Thwarts Tech Effort
The group, active in France and Italy, has harassed doctors and public health officials, vandalized government offices, and tried to disrupt vaccine clinics.
Snopes→ Did Alabama GOP Group Post Elephant Photo with KKK Imagery?
According to the Lawrence County Republican Party, the group accidentally used an altered image of a GOP elephant that was saved from Google.
Snopes→ Walmart Expands Abortion Coverage for Employees
The discount retailer is the nation's largest employer.
Snopes→ CDC Confirms Nebraska Child Died of Brain-Eating Amoeba
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the presence of the naegleria fowleri amoeba in the child, according to the Douglas County Department of Health in Omaha.
Snopes→ Defective Sex Toys Get a 2nd Chance — as Fashionable Shoes
Looking a lot like Merrell's popular Hydro Moc or Yeezy's Foam Runners, Plastic Soul is about 15% sex toy.
Snopes→ Jobs’ Apple-1 Computer Prototype Auctioned for Nearly $700K
The prototype was used by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in 1976.
Snopes→ No, Trump Didn’t Say, ‘Can’t Trust a Guy Named Weisselberg’
Not everyone got the joke when former U.S. Sen. Al Franken attributed a made-up, anti-Semitic remark to the former president.
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, older Americans aren’t getting $1,728 more in Social Security
“People born before 1957 are getting $1,728 added to their Social Security checks.”
PolitiFact→ The Democrats’ overstated claim that the Inflation Reduction Act curbs debt, inflation
The major Democratic bill on climate change, health care and corporate taxation signed by President Joe Biden was dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act, but independent analysts caution against assuming it will have a major impact on inflation.