On April 4 2019, the following warning appeared (archived here), containing the claim that marijuana smokers can detect fentanyl contamination by smell: In addition to its primary claim (that fentanyl-laced weed smells like popcorn), the post cont
Search Results (3459) for: died
FactCheck.org→ Concocted Claim of McCain’s ‘Treason’
Quick Take A falsehood resurrected on Facebook claims that the late Sen. John McCain received a pardon from President Richard Nixon. He did not. Full Story When Sen. John McCain died last year, he was widely praised by military officials for his ser
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Faulty Wind Power Claims
During an April 2 speech to the National Republican Congressional Committee, President Donald Trump once again attacked wind power, falsely claiming that noise from turbines causes cancer and that turbines sink property values by 75 percent. The pres
FactCheck.org→ Ocasio-Cortez Gets FDR History Lesson Wrong
At a town hall meeting on the Green New Deal, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez got her history wrong when she was asked what lessons she learned from President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. The freshman Democrat, who sponsored the Green New Dea
Lead Stories→ Fake News: JFK Jr. Did NOT Write In 1999 Donald Trump As President Would Be An Unstoppable Force For Ultimate Justice
Did John F. Kennedy Jr. write in George magazine in June 1999 that if Donald Trump decided to be president that he would be "an unstoppable force for ultimate justice" who would be celebrated by Democrats and Republicans? No, that is not true:
Snopes→ Rapper Nipsey Hussle Shot and Killed at 33
Nipsey Hussle, the skilled and respected rapper who earned a Grammy nomination this year for his major-label debut and was heavily respected in South Los Angeles where he grew up, has died.
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Driver Of Corvette Pictured Crushed Under A Tractor-trailer Did NOT Die While Texting
Did the driver of the red Corvette pictured crushed under a tractor-trailer die while texting, and was the phone was found in his hand, while his head was in the back seat? No, that's not true: The image used in the viral post was from a July
Snopes→ At Memorial, Mosque Survivor Says He Forgives Attacker
Farid Ahmed was speaking at a national remembrance service held in Christchurch to commemorate those who died in the attacks two weeks ago.
Snopes→ ‘It Doesn’t Open’: Mosque Survivors Describe Terror at Door
One survivor of the March 15 mosque attacks in New Zealand says he thinks as many as 17 people may have died trying to get out through one door which no one managed to open during the attack.
FactCheck.org→ Kentucky Governor Misguides on Chickenpox
On March 19, in the midst of a chickenpox outbreak in his state, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin said in a radio interview that he had not vaccinated any of his children against the disease, choosing instead to purposely expose his kids to an infected person
Truth or Fiction?→ John McCain vs. Donald Trump in 1973 Meme
In March 2019, United States President Donald Trump made several comments about Sen. John McCain, who died of brain cancer the previous August. Trump’s 2019 comments continued a feud that he had had with McCain before his death: President Donald
Truth or Fiction?→ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Facts Meme
On March 14 2019, the Facebook page Occupy Democrats shared a meme (archived here), making a number of claims about U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York): Next to a photograph of Ocasio-Cortez, the meme’s text read: In high school she
Truth or Fiction?→ Do 21 Fathers Die of Suicide Each Week Because of Child Custody Disputes?
In March 2019, a photo-based Facebook image post (archived here) contained the claim that 21 fathers died by suicide every week specifically because of “child access issues”: The post included a status update comment and a message on a si
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Actor Robbie Coltrane Who Played Hagrid in Harry Potter Did NOT Die — Did NOT Lose Battle
Did Robbie Coltrane (who played Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies) die or did he "lose the battle"? No, that's not true: a Spanish-language site put a misleading headline on an article about Coltrane's osteoarthritis and several posts appeared
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Mouse In Red Bull Can Likely Crawled In From Arkansas Man’s Truck, Not At Factory
Did an Arkansas man find a dead mouse at the bottom of his Red Bull can? Yes, but it most likely crawled into the open can when the man left it in his truck overnight. The mouse is small enough to sneak through the opening, but appears too fre
Lead Stories→ Fake News: NO Research Shows That Couples Who Fart In Front Of Each Other Tend To Stay Together Longer
Does research show that couples who fart in front of each other tend to stay together longer? No, that's not true: There is no such scientific study of the impact of proximity, intensity or frequency of the release of spousal flatulance on the
PolitiFact→ Elizabeth Warren – It's True, Boeing 737 Max 8 still flies in US even as FAA calls for software updates
The Truth-o-Meter says: True | It's True, Boeing 737 Max 8 still flies in US even as FAA calls for software updates The crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-Max 8 led several lawmakers to call for the immediate grounding of that plane in the U
FactCheck.org→ Henry Winkler, Democratic Donor, Still Alive
Quick Take Henry Winkler is very much alive, contrary to a hoax story about his “death” that falsely claims he had been a “huge Trump supporter” and an NRA member. Full Story Henry Winkler, the actor who has been on televis
FactCheck.org→ Baseless Oklahoma City Bombing Conspiracy Theory
Quick Take A viral meme has revived an old, baseless conspiracy theory claiming that Hillary Clinton is linked to the Oklahoma City bombing. Full Story An old conspiracy theory from the 1990s has gotten a 21st Century update — it’s now spr
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘There is Room in America and Brotherhood for All’ Statue of Liberty Dedication Speech
On March 3 2019, Texas politician Sid Miller shared “An important reminder!”, a meme (archived here) purportedly providing the last line in a Statue of Liberty dedication speech from October 1886: Atop a bronze Statue of Liberty, the meme
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Luke Perry Die After a Pneumonia Vaccine?
Actor Luke Perry died following a stroke on March 4 2019. That same day, a screenshot (archived here) suggesting Perry had received a pneumonia vaccine just before his stroke appeared and quickly began circulating: The post, captioned “In cas
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Say ‘All the Technology in the World Won’t Let Us Build a Wall in the Mountains’?
On February 22 2019, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) shared the following meme (archived here), purporting to quote Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the feasibility of building walls across mountains in an apparent reference to the United States border: Kin
FactCheck.org→ The Facts on the Born-Alive Debate
Republicans and Democrats traded accusations on the topic of abortion after a “born-alive” bill failed in the Senate. Democrats say the legislation was unnecessary and aimed at restricting access to legal abortion, while Republicans say it was ab
Truth or Fiction?→ Actor Luke Perry Dead at 52
Actor Luke Perry, a Gen-X heartthrob best known for his work on Riverdale and Beverly Hills: 90210 has died. Perry was best known for his role in the teen drama about a group of wealthy classmates in southern California, but went on to distinguish him
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Children’s Characters ‘Max and Ruby’ Have a Tragic Backstory?
In 2015, the following content (archived here), an apparent Tumblr screenshot describing the purported backstory for the preschool book series and television show Max & Ruby, started to circulate on social media: Underneath a still from Max &am
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking Sanders’ CNN Town Hall
In a televised town hall, newly announced presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders repeated several misleading claims that we have written about in the past. Sanders said Trump sought to “throw 32 million people off of the health care they had
FactCheck.org→ Darla Shine’s Measles Misinformation
Over a nearly 18-hour Twitter spree, Darla Shine, the wife of Bill Shine, President Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff for communications, made a series of false and misleading statements about measles and vaccines. Shine said to “bring back”
Snopes→ W.E.B. Griffin, Prolific Military Novelist, Dead at Age 89
Griffin, whose real name was William E. Butterworth III, died Feb. 12.
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Border Signs Admit the United States Has Lost Control of Border Territory?
On January 13 2019, Facebook user Steve Raabe shared a photograph purportedly showing a sign at the U.S.-Mexico border, along with the following status update: I live on the border with Mexico. As a matter of fact, I live right on the edge. I was rais
Lead Stories→ Fake News: NOT A Photo Of The Tallest Woman In The World
Is this a picture of the tallest woman in the world and is she 9 feet 2 inches with size 22 shoes? No, that's not true: an old picture of Australian basketball player Liz Cambage with writer Danielle Warby was digitally altered to make her ta
Snopes→ ‘Fight Back!’ Consumer Reporter David Horowitz Dies
David Horowitz, whose "Fight Back!" syndicated program made him perhaps the best-known consumer reporter in the U.S., has died. He was 81.
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Ozzy Osbourne Did NOT Lose Battle Against Pneumonia — NOT Dead
Did Ozzy Osbourne just die of pneumonia? No, that's not true: the story announcing his death on February 6, 2019 is definitely false even though it went massively viral ten days after publication. The story originated from an article publishe
Snopes→ Year After Parkland Massacre, 17 Victims Remembered
"We don't need (the anniversary) to remind us what happened. We live with it every day," said businessman Andrew Pollack, whose 18-year-old daughter Meadow died in the attack.
Truth or Fiction?→ Was the Original ‘Lone Ranger’ a Black Man?
In January 2019, a meme that appeared to be a screenshot of an older post asserting that the real Lone Ranger was a black man named Bass Reeves spread on social media: Above what appeared to be an archival photograph of a black man and the television
Truth or Fiction?→ 1921 Tulsa Race Riot
In February 2019, a meme about the 1921 Tulsa race riot was shared to Facebook, racking up tens of thousands of shares in 24 hours: Above what looked to be an archival photograph of Ku Klux Klan members lining a dirt road, and caption (“History
Lead Stories→ Inaccurate News: MORE Than Two Whales Found Dead, NOT Only In Germany, NOT All Stomachs Full Of Plastic And Car Parts
Were two whales found dead in Germany in January of 2019 or 2018 and were their stomachs discovered to be "full of plastic and car parts"? No, not exactly: a clickbait site running stories about health and nature in order to attract visitors c
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Make-A-Wish Teen Did NOT Request To Receive Oral Sex From Porn Star Teanna Trump As His Final Wish
Did terminally ill 17-year-old HIV-positive Jeffrey Jones request oral sex from a porn star as his final wish, hoping to get it fulfilled by the Make-A-Wish foundation? No, that's not true: the story was published by a "fauxtire" site that mak
Truth or Fiction?→ Were Modern Caesarean Sections Invented in Africa?
On February 6 2019, a Facebook post circulated claiming that “modern c-sections” were invented by midwives in Africa. The post had the hashtag #BlackHistoryMonth, and it said in its entirety: Did you that modern C sections were invented by
Climate Feedback→ How is Arctic warming linked to the ‘polar vortex’ and other extreme weather?
This article was originally published at Carbon Brief by Robert McSweeney, and has been praised by scientists as a nuanced summary of the research on this topic. (The top image from NASA Earth Observatory shows temperatures on 29 January 2019.) &nbs