Are historic flu and other outbreaks accurately named based on the country where they originated? No, this is not always the case: With President Trump insisting that calling the coronavirus "Chinese Flu" is not racist - as his critics claim -
Search Results (321) for: formula
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Link Does NOT Take People To Application For FEMA Assistance And NO $1,000 Check
Does a link take people to an application for FEMA assistance where they can receive a $1,000 check? No, that's not true: Dozens of posts such as this have gone viral, all with very similar language, but they are pranks. The link in the posts
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: 5G Technology NOT Believed To Have Caused Coronavirus
Did 5G, the fifth-generation wireless technology, cause the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true: These bizarre assertions go against everything we know about how viruses are spread. A viral video making the rounds confuses historical events
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: COVID-19 NOT A Scripted Narrative To Justify Closed Borders Or Force Residents To Remain Home
Is COVID-19 virus part of a conspiracy that has a scripted narrative designed to justify closed borders and inspire residents to stay at home? No, that's not true: A conspiracy theory on Facebook claims that the coronavirus outbreak is a move
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: List Comparing Mortality Rates With COVID-19 Is NOT Accurate
Is a list of virus outbreaks comparing mortality rates for Ebola, H5N1, MERS and SARS with COVID-19 - the novel coronavirus - accurate? No, it's not: The comparison of the outbreaks is extremely misleading as it doesn't take into account the r
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: All U.S. Citizens Are NOT Entitled To $700 Per Week To Stay At Home To Avoid Spread Of Coronavirus
Are all U.S. citizens entitled to $700 per week to stay at home to avoid the spread of the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true: The link in the posts takes viewers to a gorilla giving the middle finger. The post was a hoax related to the co
Truth or Fiction?→ WIC-Approved Items and Coronavirus #SocialDistancing
On March 16 2020, the Facebook page “Vote Common Good” shared a screenshot of a tweet about social distancing, WIC-approved items, and conscientious coronavirus stock-up shopping: Labeled “a practical way to show kindness,”
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking the March Democratic Debate
Summary The first head-to-head debate of the Democratic presidential primary between former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders focused on the government’s response to the novel coronavirus outbreak. We sorted through competing claims th
Truth or Fiction?→ If Your Child is an Authorized User on Your Credit Card, Do They Automatically Start Out with an 800 Credit Score?
On February 18 2020, the Facebook page “Real Badass Moms” shared a screenshot of the following tweet, which advised people “with a credit card and a kid” to add their child as an authorized user on that card — an act that
Truth or Fiction?→ Rep. James Clyburn: Black People Were ‘Fully Employed During Slavery’ Controversy
In February 2020, a number of social media and blog posts claimed that House Majority Whip James Clyburn “refused to give credit” to United States President Donald Trump for low Black unemployment numbers, because Black Americans were
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Trump Did NOT Win 3,084 Counties In 2016, While Clinton Did NOT Win Only 57
Did President Trump win 3,084 counties, while Hillary Clinton won only 57 in the 2016 presidential election? No, that's not true: The post has been copied and pasted multiple times since 2016, but those numbers are not correct. The claims orig
Truth or Fiction?→ Bloomberg on ‘Some Guy in a Dress’ and ‘He, She, or It’ in 2019
In February 2020, “newly resurfaced” video of Mike Bloomberg purportedly showing the former New York City mayor describing transgender women as “some guy in a dress” and using “it” in lieu of a pronoun appeared ju
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Only Three Companies Make All the World’s Insulin (Charging $20 Outside the United States and $300+ in the United States)?
On January 28 2020, the Facebook page “Drug Prices are Too High” shared the following Twitter screenshot, about the purported price of insulin outside the United States (USD$20) versus its cost in the U.S. (USD$300+) per vial: Th
FactCheck.org→ Biden vs. Sanders on Social Security and Medicare
Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden have been trading barbs over Biden’s record on Social Security and Medicare. Sanders accuses Biden of saying “on many occasions we should cut Social Security,” and Biden accuses
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Downy in Toilet’ Housekeeping Hack
On January 14 2020, a Facebook post appeared advising readers to pour a cup of laundry detergent of fabric softener like Downy into their toilet tank, a supposed housecleaning “hack”: Alongside a photograph of a person in yellow glove
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Blue Buffalo Dental Bones Hemorrhagic Gastritis’ Facebook Warning
On January 5 2020, Facebook user Nikki McDonald shared the following post about the brand Blue Buffalo’s Dental Bones product, reporting that her dog Dallas was gravely injured and nearly killed after she gave him the product: In under a week
Lead Stories→ Fake Faces: People Who Do Not Exist Invade Facebook To Influence 2020 Elections (Part 1)
EDITORS NOTE: Meet Carolina Chaney. Take a good look at her Facebook profile photo. Maybe she looks like your kid's math teacher or your doctor. Privacy settings block us from seeing anything about her, but we do see she is one of 11 adminis
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Medicare for All? How Are We Gonna Pay for That? With THIS Money’ Post
On December 12 2019, the Facebook page “Fully Automated Luxury Gay Space Communism” shared the following screenshot of a retweet opining that a $738 billion expenditure for defense (and a Space Force) could be used to fund Medicare for A
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Old Farmer’s Almanac Predict an Alarming Number of Snowstorms This Winter?
A November 1 2019 ReturnToNow.net post headlined “Old Farmer’s Almanac Predicts An Alarming Number of Snowstorms This Winter” was shared tens of thousands of times on Facebook. and was likely to continue spreading. ReturnToNow.net is cl
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Ears are Straight, Fawn is Great, Ears are Curled, Fawn is Alone in the World’ Wildlife Rescue Meme
In October 2019, the Facebook page “Wild Souls Wildlife Rescue and Rehab” shared a following meme advising people to leave fawns with straight ears alone, because “curled ears” are indicative that a young deer has been abando
FactCheck.org→ Posts Resurface Made-up ‘Congressional Reform’ Bill
Quick Take Viral Facebook posts claim President Donald Trump has endorsed a supposed “Congressional Reform Act of 2017.” But no such bill exists. The text in the posts has circulated for years without references to Trump, and it is riddled
Truth or Fiction?→ Will 154,000,000 Pieces of Plastic from Christmas Crackers in the UK Wind Up in the Ocean in a Single Year?
In late September and early October 2019, a very specific claim involving Christmas crackers (a tradition involving devices called “party poppers” in some countries; they are made from cardboard and gunpowder, generally contain confetti or
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Texas Man Arrested for Dressing as an ‘Alien’ and Abducting People?
One of the more insidious factors in the spread of online disinformation has been the advent of “satirical” blogs that spread or republish each other’s content, among them World News Daily Report. As Buzzfeed reported, the blog was r
Truth or Fiction?→ Were the Bones of Children Found on Epstein’s Island?
On August 20 2019, the Facebook page “The Trump Room” shared the following post (archived here), claiming that children’s bones were found on Jeffrey Epstein’s private island and questioning why this had not been reported: W
FactCheck.org→ Meme Inflates Rise in Congressional Salaries
Quick Take A viral meme on Facebook falsely claims that members of Congress have received a “231%” increase in pay in the last 30 years. Automatic cost-of-living adjustments have resulted in an increase of 94.4% from 1989 to 2009. Full St
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Someone Putting Nair in Hair Conditioner Bottles?
A pair of posts shared to Facebook on July 28 and 29 2019 carried a warning to consumers, claiming that a woman’s hair had “fallen out in clumps” because someone had added Nair (or another cream-based depilatory) to conditioner purch
Truth or Fiction?→ Are ‘Beyond Meat’ or ‘Impossible Burger’ Ingredients Indistinguishable From Dog Food?
On July 20 2019, a Facebook user shared a photograph of what appears to be a block of text from an unnamed newspaper or a magazine, containing the claim that “meat substitutes” Beyond Meat and the Impossible Burger had the same ingredient
FactCheck.org→ Pinning Down Prescription Drug Prices
One aim the president and Democratic 2020 challengers share is the desire to bring down the price of prescription drugs. But is that already happening, or are prices still climbing? The two parties disagree, and it depends on how they’re measurin
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Michael Jordan Did NOT Leave ‘Kaepernick’s Nike’, Did NOT Take Air Jordans With Him
Did Michael Jordan leave 'Kaepernick's Nike' and did he take Air Jordans with him? No, that's not true. The story was published by a liberal satire website that tries to fool Trump supporters and Republicans into sharing made up stories that a
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us,’ Explained
In early July 2019, a number of memes and content related to the Facebook event “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us” began circulating on the social network, as well as other social media. The public Facebook page for the event
FactCheck.org→ Confusion at the Border
In recent days, contradictory claims have been made about border issues, including the living conditions for migrants being housed at U.S. Customs and Border Protection detention facilities: Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan claimed t
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Norway Waking up.. Norway Did NOT Deport Muslims; Crime Rate Drops 31%
Did Norway deport Muslims causing the country's crime rate to drop 31 percent? No, that's not true: Norway did increase deportation of immigrants who were sentenced to prison, but Muslims were not targeted and the largest number deported were
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Malia Obama Cash a $1.2 Million Check?
A headline about former First Daughter Malia Obama (archived here) depositing a suspiciously large check got a lot of traction on social media in June 2019: However, this story is suspect for two reasons. First, it contains little beyond a provocati
FactCheck.org→ Post Misleads on Congressional Salaries, Social Security
Q: Did members of Congress approve a salary increase for themselves and deny an increase in Social Security benefits? A: No. Congress is still contemplating whether to allow an automatic pay increase for its members, and it does not determine cost-
FactCheck.org→ What Mueller, Barr Say About Obstruction of Justice
Special counsel Robert Mueller devoted much of his 10-minute remarks on May 29 to explaining why the special counsel’s office did not reach a determination about whether President Donald Trump committed obstruction of justice. Democrats have criticiz
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Muslims in Dearborn, Michigan Do NOT Get Welfare Payments For Up To Four Wives
Do Muslims in Dearborn, Michigan get welfare payments for up to four wives? No, that's not true: The claim was made up to support the argument that Sharia law is gaining a foothold in the state by catering to Muslim immigrants who practice pol
Truth or Fiction?→ Does a Proposed Ohio Bill Make the Pill and IUDs Illegal?
In May 2019, a number of posts about “heartbeat bills” in various American states circulated on social media. For example, a rumor about Georgia (archived here) subsequently appeared that proposed legislation would purportedly ban birth c
Truth or Fiction?→ Mass Shooter Media Myth
On February 2019, television personality John Stossel released a video to Facebook watch, entitled “Media Hype Questionable Gun Control Study/MASS SHOOTER MEDIA MYTH.” That video was first shared to YouTube on December 18 2018. The clip wa
Truth or Fiction?→ Jordan Peele, Tim Burton, Woody Allen, Ridley Scott, and Racism in Casting
On March 31 2019, a Facebook user shared a screenshot (archived here) of a different Facebook post which dissected the purported race-related casting decisions made by Jordan Peele, Tim Burton, Woody Allen, and Ridley Scott: The original post seen
FactCheck.org→ Democrats Mislead on Military Pay, Pensions
Several Democrats have claimed that the president’s emergency declaration could “raid” or “take money away” from military pay and pensions to fund construction of the border wall. But the basis for their claims — a news