A Twitter user was seemingly intent on spreading disinformation about Democratic Party Rep. Ilhan Omar on Twitter, even after the “proof” they presented was quickly debunked. In late August 2019, the account posted a photograph of a woman
Search Results (3459) for: fire
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Chelsea Clinton Did NOT Say Satanism Is A Religion That Deserves Respect
Did Chelsea Clinton say that satanism is a religion that deserves respect? No, that's not true: The only child of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did say in a tweet that people should be "civil, chee
Truth or Fiction?→ Nine Things a Woman Couldn’t Do in 1971
In August 2019 the Facebook page “Old Crone” shared the following post, listing nine everyday activities women were purportedly prohibited from doing up until the year 1971 (with some commentary about subsequent related liberties): Bene
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Popeyes Chicken Employees Will NOT Be "Packing Heat" To "Smoke" Aggressive Customers
Will Popeyes Chicken employees now carry guns to subdue unruly customers upset about the chain running out of chicken sandwiches? No, that's not true: a tweet with that message seemingly coming from the company was actually posted by a parody
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This the Bedroom of Medgar Evers’ Sons?
On August 23 2019, Facebook user Steven Pokin shared a photograph along with a lengthy status update, claiming that it shows the bedroom that Medgar Evers’ sons slept in: This is where the two little sons of Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers s
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Marriage Between Humans And Animals Has NOT Been Legalized In Norway
Has marriage between humans and animals been legalized in Norway? No, that's not true: It is a hoax claim unsupported by sourcing and proven false by research. A photo purportedly showing a woman who married her doberman is a stock photo that
PolitiFact→ Amy Klobuchar – Federal law’s ‘boyfriend loophole’ is not so simple
The Truth-o-Meter says: Half-True | Federal law’s ‘boyfriend loophole’ is not so simple After the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat who is running for president, called for eliminating the &qu
FactCheck.org→ Viral Quote Falsely Attributed to McCarthy
Quick Take Social media posts erroneously attribute a quote to House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy. He didn’t say that “there are no mass shootings in Japan because there are no video games there.” Full Story In the days after th
Snopes→ Four Students Shot at Block Party near Clark Atlanta University
All four injured women were in stable condition after the gunfire.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Dick’s Sporting Goods Lose $150 Million After Reducing Gun Sales?
On August 15 2019 the following meme (archived here) was shared to social media platforms: White text across a purple background read: Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO: We lost $150M in sales since we stopped selling guns. We still don’t regre
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Walmart And Several Police Departments DENY Shooting Threat Rumors Are Real
Did police warn against going to Walmart this weekend because of shooting threats? No, that's not true: several police departments and a Walmart spokesperson denied there is any substance to the story which seems to be entirely based on messag
FactCheck.org→ Video: Harris, Warren on Michael Brown Shooting
In this fact-checking video, CNN’s Jake Tapper explains the Obama-era Department of Justice’s finding that Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old black man, was shot and killed by a white police officer in “self-defense,” not “
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Crowd of People Filmed Taunting Philadelphia Police During a Standoff?
A Philadelphia television reporter’s remarks became part of a story in and of itself during a police standoff. During a live report on the standoff on 14 August 2019, journalist Alexandria Hoff was covering the standoff. During her time on the s
Snopes→ Feeling Alone, Man Invites World to El Paso Victim’s Funeral
When 63-year-old Margie Reckard was killed by a gunman who opened fire at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, Antonio Basco lost his entire world.
Snopes→ Video Shows Colorado Police Shooting Man as He Ran Away
A black man was running from Colorado officers when they opened fire, striking him in the back at least once before he collapsed on a street, according to footage from cameras worn by police.
FactCheck.org→ Biden Misleads on Top 1% Tax Rate
The top 1% of taxpayers, on average, pay a higher effective tax rate than middle-income people, contrary to a claim Joe Biden made on the campaign trail. As a result of a low tax rate for capital gains earned by many wealthy Americans, Democratic presi
Snopes→ Several Police Officers Shot in Philadelphia
At least one gunman opened fire on police as they were serving a warrant in a Philadelphia neighborhood, wounding six officers and triggering a standoff that extended into the evening, authorities said.
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→ Obama Hasn’t Called For ‘All-Out Gun Confiscation’
Quick Take A headline circulating on partisan websites distorts former President Barack Obama’s tweet advocating stricter gun laws in the wake of the most recent mass shootings. Full Story Former President Barack Obama posted a statement on Twi
Snopes→ No Motive After Shootout Kills California Officer, Gunman
A man whose truck was being impounded suddenly grabbed a rifle and opened fire, killing a California Highway Patrol officer and wounding two others before he was killed.
FactCheck.org→ Harris, Warren Wrong About Brown Shooting
On Aug. 9, 2014, Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old black man, was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, in what the Obama administration’s Department of Justice determined was an act of “self-defense.” B
Lead Stories→ Fake News: US Is NOT 3rd In Murders; Removing Chicago, Detroit, Washington, St Louis, New Orleans Would NOT Make It 189 out of 193
Does the United States rank third in murders throughout the world and would removing the cities of Chicago, Detroit, Washington D.C., St. Louis, and New Orleans from the total make the U.S. 189th out of 193 countries in the world in homicides?
Truth or Fiction?→ Are the ‘Epstein Gurney Photos’ Fake?
Conspiracy theories circulated broadly and relentlessly after the August 10 2019 death of high-profile convicted sex offender and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein in federal custody, including claims that widely published “gurney photos
Snopes→ Federal New York Lockup Draws New Scrutiny in Epstein Death
Epstein's death is the latest black eye for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, the jail's parent agency that already was under fire for the October death of Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger, who was fatally beaten at a federal prison in West Virginia sho
FactCheck.org→ Photos Don’t Tell the Whole Story on Border Trash
Quick Take Old pictures of trash strewn in the Arizona desert are circulating on Facebook with the suggestion that they were taken recently and that the media failed to cover it. Neither of those things is true. Full Story Photos of trash near Arizon
FactCheck.org→ Biden Takes Trump Quote Out of Context
In a speech that assailed President Donald Trump for a lack of “moral leadership,” Joe Biden falsely claimed that Trump “asserted that immigrants would, quote, ‘carve you up with a knife.’” Trump said that about MS-13 gang membe
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Mixed Record on Gun Control
When asked what he was going to do about the “gun problem,” President Donald Trump responded that “we have done much more than most administrations.” Trump has taken some action to strengthen federal gun control, but his administration
FactCheck.org→ President Trump’s Rhetoric
Prior to departing for visits to El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, on Aug. 7, President Donald Trump rejected the premise that his rhetoric has divided the country, as his critics have claimed. He said “my rhetoric … brings people together.
Lead Stories→ Fake News: JFK NOT On Gun Control: ‘We Need A Nation Of Minute Men’
Did President John F. Kennedy say about gun control that "we need a nation of minute men"? No, that's not true: The quote cited by those opposed to gun control is from a written message (not a speech) by Kennedy in which he called for American
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Last Year Guns Killed’ Protest Sign
A November 2018 Facebook post about purported gun deaths “last year” (in this case, 2017) circulated in the aftermath of two back-to-back deadly mass shootings in early August 2019 (post archived here): A sign held up at an unnamed eve
PolitiFact→ Bill Clinton – Did mass shooting deaths fall under the 1994 assault weapon ban? Checking Bill Clinton's claim
The Truth-o-Meter says: Half-True | Did mass shooting deaths fall under the 1994 assault weapon ban? Checking Bill Clinton's claim It is one of the most controversial gun control policies: A ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines that
FactCheck.org→ What Republicans Did on Mental Health, Guns
Quick Take A social media post misleadingly claims that Republicans “voted to allow people with pre-existing mental illness to buy firearms.” The measure blocked the Social Security Administration from reporting to the U.S. background chec
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
Snopes→ Peter Strzok Sues FBI for Firing Him Over Anti-Trump Texts
The veteran FBI agent has filed a lawsuit charging that the bureau caved to “unrelenting pressure” from President Trump when it fired him.
Snopes→ GOP Governor Urges Gun Sale Background Checks After Shooting
Gov. Mike DeWine said Ohio needs to do more while balancing people's rights to own firearms and have due process.
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Donald Trump Deleting Anti-Immigrant Tweets?
As several mass shootings within just days of one another left the United States reeling, the ideologies of the shooters began to come under scrutiny for possible ties to sites that specialize in radicalizing disaffected young men into violent white
Snopes→ Sister: El Paso Shooting Victim, 25, ‘Gave Her Life’ for Son
A 25-year-old woman who was shot while apparently shielding her 2-month-old son was among the 20 people killed when a gunman opened fire in a crowded El Paso shopping area, her sister said.
Snopes→ 9 Killed in Ohio in Second US Mass Shooting within 24 Hours
A gunman wearing body armor and carrying extra magazines opened fire in a popular nightlife area of Dayton, Ohio, killing nine and injuring dozens.
Snopes→ California Festival Gunman Killed Himself, Officials Say
The gunman who opened fire on a California food festival killed himself after officers shot him multiple times, correcting previous police accounts that the officers fired the fatal bullet.