Do gematria codes used by conspiracy theories always result in matches? Yes, that's true: Gematria is a form of numerology in which the letters of the alphabet are substituted with corresponding numbers. A single word or phrase can yield
Snopes→ Did Ted Cruz Confuse Washington State With Western Australia in Anti-Democrat Tweet?
"Power-drunk authoritarian kill-joys," Cruz tweeted. But where?
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Footage of aircraft firing missiles is from a video game, not Chinese airstrike
A video clip shows a failed attempt by China to launch airstrikes near Taiwan.
The Dispatch→ Did the CDC Withdraw a COVID Test Because It Failed?
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Snopes→ Ashli Babbitt a Martyr? Her Past Tells a More Complex Story
The first time Celeste Norris laid eyes on Ashli Babbitt, the future insurrectionist had just rammed her vehicle three times with an SUV and was pounding on the window, challenging her to a fight.
PolitiFact→ Bloggers – Claim that Pfizer data shows vaccine does more harm than good is Pants on Fire
“Six-month Pfizer data show COVID vaccine causes more illness than it prevents.”
Snopes→ Did Wikileaks Release Faked Moon Landing Footage?
It's been more than 50 years since we first landed on the moon.
Snopes→ FDA Expands Pfizer Boosters for More Teens as Omicron Surges
The U.S. is expanding COVID-19 boosters as it confronts the omicron surge, with the Food and Drug Administration allowing extra Pfizer shots for children as young as 12.
PolitiFact→ Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC – Progressive group wrong, Trump didn’t cut Social Security benefits by $3 billion
“Trump cut Social Security benefits by over $3 billion.”
Truth or Fiction?→ The Betty White Challenge
The late December 2021 death of cultural icon Betty White prompted an outpouring of tributes — and suggestions about how to best honor her life. On January 1 2022, posts about a “Betty White Challenge” began circulating across platfo
Snopes→ Officials: Nearly 1K Structures Destroyed in Colorado Fire
Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle also said that investigators are still trying to find the cause of the wind-whipped blaze that blackened entire neighborhoods in the area located between Denver and Boulder.
Snopes→ Snow Storms and Pandemic Ground Flights, Delay Holiday’s End
More than 2,600 U.S. flights and more than 4,400 worldwide were grounded.
PolitiFact→ PolitiFact Mailbag: ‘You were spot on’ about the lies about the Jan. 6 Capitol attack
Why does PolitiFact only write “lie” once a year, and other comments about our 2021 Lie of the Year
Poynter→ No, public health officials aren’t passing off the common cold as the omicron variant
In February 2020, as the earliest COVID-19 cases cropped up in the U.S., the late conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh told his listeners there was no need to worry. “The […] The post No, public health officials aren’t passing off the co
Snopes→ Did Betty White Say She Got COVID Booster 3 Days Before She Died?
The rumor bubbled up out of nowhere on social media.
Snopes→ Jan. 6 Committee Prepares To Go Public as Findings Mount
They’ve interviewed more than 300 witnesses, collected tens of thousands of documents and traveled around the country to talk to election officials who were pressured by Donald Trump.
Snopes→ Snopes Tips: How To Avoid Ad Arbitrage Clickbait
Ad arbitrage is when website owners create stories that are broken up into multiple pages, placing ads on them, and reaping profits off the ads that appear on the many pages.
Snopes→ Yes, Researchers Extracted Human DNA from Head Lice on Mummies
The lice were said to contain more human DNA than a human tooth — and held secrets about the 2,000-year-old South American remains.
Snopes→ Julius Caesar: He Came, He Saw, He Conquered the Calendar and Gave Us New Year’s Day
Yes, you can blame your New Year's hangover on Caesar ... mostly.
Snopes→ Did Archaeologists Make a Discovery Inside a Roman Toilet?
Long before PVC and cast-iron drain lines, there was stone.
Snopes→ Wave of Canceled Flights from Omicron Closes out 2021
More canceled flights appeared all but certain to inconvenience hundreds of thousands more over the New Year's holiday weekend.
Snopes→ A Collection of Snopes Fact Checks About Betty White
White — who was reported dead at age 99 on Dec. 31, 2021 — was the target of numerous Internet rumors and hoaxes throughout her life.
Snopes→ Betty White, TV’s Golden Girl, Dies at 99
White began her television career in 1949.
Snopes→ Britney, Bennifer, Beatles and Broadway: Pop Culture in 2021
Here's an annual trip down pop culture memory lane.
Snopes→ Behind the Wait for a Verdict at Maxwell Jury Deliberations
Here are some reflections on the players involved in the sex trafficking trial and how the deliberations unfolded.
Snopes→ New Year’s Eve Muted by Omicron; Many Hoping for Better 2022
Good riddance to 2021. Let 2022 bring fresh hope.
FactCheck.org→ Our Most Popular Articles in 2021
On the last day of the year, we look back at the most popular articles that we posted to our website in 2021. For the second consecutive year, COVID-19 tops our list. Seven of the 10 most popular articles were about the pandemic. Here’s the list,
Snopes→ Does This Photo Show a ‘Genius D-Day Invention’?
Our research led us to Operation PLUTO.
Snopes→ Was ‘Kellogg’s’ Removed from Pop-Tarts in Response to Boycott?
Supporters of striking Kellogg's workers claimed victory in their campaign to toxify the cereal brand in 2021. What actually happened?
Snopes→ CDC Warns Against Cruises, Regardless of Vaccination Status
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned people not to go on cruises, regardless of their vaccination status, because of onboard outbreaks fueled by the omicron variant.
Snopes→ Did Pregnant Wife Find Something in Oven After Husband Left Her?
We flipped through a 50-page slideshow article to find answers.
Snopes→ US Children Hospitalized with COVID in Near-Record Numbers
The omicron-fueled surge that is sending COVID-19 cases rocketing in the U.S. is putting children in the hospital in close to record numbers, and experts lament that most of the youngsters are not vaccinated.
Snopes→ Yes, IRS Asked Taxpayers To Claim Stolen Items and Illegal Income
But there's a loophole to get out declaring on stolen goods.
Snopes→ Virus Postpones Westminster Kennel Club’s Annual Dog Show
The Westminster Kennel Club's annual dog show has become the latest event to be postponed or canceled in New York as the number of coronavirus cases surges.
Snopes→ Schwarzenegger and Shriver Divorce Final After 10 Years
The pair had been married since 1986.
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: 2021 Year In Review
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Snopes→ Yes, These Fisherman Are Walking Upside Down Underwater
A video featuring an optical illusion underwater has been popular for years.
Snopes→ Did NASA Fund Theological Research To Study How Humans Would React to Aliens?
The total price tag was said to total more than $1.1 million.
Snopes→ Final Goodbye: Recalling Influential People Who Died in 2021
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld are among the many noteworthy people who died in 2021.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Study Does NOT Say Vaccinated People Are More Likely To Be Infected With COVID-19 Than Those Without The Shot
Does a study say vaccinated people are more likely to become infected with COVID-19 than those who don't get the shot? No, that's not true: One of the study's co-authors says the writer of an article about their work got it wrong. "Interp