On September 3 2021, an Imgur user uploaded a purported tweet by right-wing pundit and frequent disinformation purveyor Candace Owens, quoting her as saying if “a leftist doctor” refused to administer a test, she would cough in her hand a
Snopes→ Did a ‘Rogue’ Team of US Vets Rescue Afghans Behind Biden’s Back in Operation ‘Pineapple Express’?
The Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, prompting a wave of evacuation efforts.
Snopes→ NHL Reaches Agreement to Send Players to Olympics in Beijing
The NHL is set to return to the Olympics in Beijing this winter after reaching an agreement with international officials, though the league and players have the opportunity to withdraw if pandemic circumstances warrant.
FactCheck.org→ Meme Misattributes Quote on Afghanistan to Trump
Quick Take A viral meme falsely claims that former President Donald Trump suggested that the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was an orchestrated distraction by Democrats. A spokesperson for Trump has denied he made that remark. A very similar
Full Fact→ Immunity through Covid infection is much riskier than a vaccine
Spectator columnist Ross Clark, broadcaster Maajid Nawaz and the Times have all reported new Israeli research about Covid-19 immunity without an important piece of context. The research, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, does suggest that peo
Snopes→ Did Biden Visit Tree of Life Synagogue?
Eleven people were murdered by a white supremacist at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in October 2018.
Snopes→ With No Tourist Handouts, Hungry Bali Monkeys Raid Homes
Villagers in Sangeh say the gray long-tailed macaques have been venturing out from a sanctuary to hang out on their roofs and await the right time to swoop down and snatch a snack.
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘More People Have Died of COVID in Florida in the Past Two Weeks Than U.S. Military Deaths in Afghanistan in 20 Years’
As COVID-19 continued its grim progress in the second half of 2021, a September 1 2021 Imgur text post simply titled “Perspective” claimed that more people died in Florida “in the past two weeks” than in the totality of the war
Snopes→ Did a Florida Chinese Restaurant’s Sign Read ‘F*** DeSantis’?
In September 2021, social media users enthusiastically shared a picture of a restaurant sign that appeared to offer a 95% discount to vaccinated customers.
Snopes→ Al Capone’s Former South Florida Home Slated for Demolition
The new owners of the nine-bedroom Miami Beach house plan to demolish it after buying it for $10.75 million this summer.
Logically→ COVID-19 vaccines can trigger severe reactions in those with thrombocytopenia, a rare blood disorder.
Experts have said that COVID vaccines could be linked to cases of immune thrombocytopenia, but that such reactions are rare and treatable.
Snopes→ Cleanup and Mourning Continue After Ida Soaks Northeast US
At least 48 people in five states died as storm water cascaded into people's homes and engulfed automobiles, overwhelming urban drainage systems never meant to handle so much rain in such a short time.
Health Feedback→ Germany hasn’t stopped COVID-19 vaccination, contrary to claims made about a simulation game event called “BasisCamp”
REVIEW BasisCamp was a multi-day simulation game event, which took place in August 2021 in Germany. On its YouTube channel, BasisCamp is described as “A Global Pandemic Exit Exercise” organized by members of the Corona Investigation Committee (Sti
Full Fact→ No evidence the Queen ordered 80 Manchester United shirts
Claims that Queen Elizabeth II has ordered 80 Manchester United shirts and asked Cristiano Ronaldo, who has just signed for the team, for his signature have been shared thousands of times on Facebook. The same claims have also appeared on other platfor
Logically→ THC cannabis oil stops seizures in children.
Cannabis oil (mainly CBD) is sometimes used to help treat seizures in children. There is currently less data on the medical effects of THC.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Criminals Are NOT Lacing Business Cards With The Drug ‘Burundanga’ To Incapacitate Women
Are criminals using business cards laced with the drug "burundanga" to incapacitate women? No, that's not true: The claim about a business card having a substance on it "that could have seriously injured" a woman, making her ill and possi
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Israeli Health Study Does NOT End Natural Immunity Vs. COVID Vaccination Debate
Does an Israeli study based on medical records of the Maccabi Healthcare Services HMO prove vaccines are less effective than natural immunity? No, that's not true: While the study does indicate people who survived infection with SARS-CoV-
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: U.S. Forces Did NOT Leave Behind $85 Billion Worth Of Weaponry And Equipment In Afghanistan
Did the U.S. leave $85 billion worth of weaponry and equipment in Afghanistan after U.S. forces left the country? No, that's not true: The figure more closely reflects the cost of total security funding -- ranging from training to counter
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Test Swabs Sterilized Using Ethylene Oxide Are NOT Unsafe
Are disposable medical swabs that have been sterilized using ethylene oxide gas carcinogenic and considered dangerous? No, that's not true: It is commonly used to sterilize medical equipment and disposable products like swabs and wound dr
Snopes→ ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Tweet Deleted from CNN Host Brian Stelter’s Twitter Account
The 2018 tweet was deleted within hours of when a 2021 Texas law went into effect that banned most abortions in the state.
Snopes→ Effort Underway to Rescue Girls Soccer Team from Afghanistan
Former congressional chief of staff: "We need to do everything that we can to protect them, to get them to a safe situation."
Snopes→ New Texas Abortion Law Pushes Women to Out-Of-State Clinics
Even before a strict abortion ban took effect in Texas, clinics in neighboring states were fielding growing numbers of calls from women desperate for options.
Snopes→ Death Toll Tops 40 After Ida’s Remnants Blindside Northeast
A stunned U.S. East Coast faced a rising death toll, surging rivers, tornado damage and continuing calls for rescue after the remnants of Hurricane Ida walloped the region with record-breaking rain, drowning more than 40 people in their homes and cars.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Animals At Turtle Back Zoo In N.J. Did NOT Escape In The Midst Of Hurricane Ida — It’s Parody
Did animals kept at the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo in New Jersey escape during the state's experience with the remnants of Hurricane Ida? No, that's not true: The animals did not flee the zoo during the storm. The claim appeared in a Fa
FactCheck.org→ Instagram Post Missing Context About Israeli Study on COVID-19 Natural Immunity
SciCheck An Instagram post highlighted a headline about a non-peer-reviewed study from Israel that found that unvaccinated people previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 had greater immunity against the delta variant than never-infected people fully vaccin
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Military Did NOT Raid Hunter Biden’s ‘Cali’ Home
Did the military raid Hunter Biden's home in California on August 30, 2021? No, that's not true: A duty officer at the Pentagon verified with Lead Stories that it's false. Also, this could not have been possible as the Posse Comitatus Act
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Botswanan Doctors’ Group Call for Ivermectin as a COVID-19 Treatment?
As the global COVID-19 pandemic continued to rage amid a toxic stew of online disinformation campaigns and official grandstanding, anti-vaccination conspiracy theorists circulated a purported press release from a group in Botswana in early September 20
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Germany Did NOT Halt All COVID-19 Vaccines — This Was Made-Up Scenario
Did Germany halt all COVID-19 vaccines because they are unsafe and no longer recommended? No, that's not true: Clickbait headlines, capitalizing on the language barrier, are representing as factual a multiday broadcast event that made cle
Snopes→ Did BYU Repeatedly Wash Away Pro-LGBT+ Chalk Art on Campus?
Messages of love and support for LGBT+ BYU students appeared on or near campus in August 2021 in protest against remarks made by Jeffrey Holland, a leading figure in the Mormon church.
Snopes→ FAA Bans Virgin Galactic Launches While Probing Branson Trip
The Federal Aviation Administration said that Virgin Galactic cannot launch anyone into space again until an investigation is complete into a mishap that occurred during July's flight with founder Richard Branson.
FactCheck.org→ Social Media Posts Draw Unsupported Conclusion on Afghan Helicopter Video
Quick Take Afghan journalists report that a video of a person suspended from a helicopter shows an operation in which the person was trying to change a flag. But critics of President Joe Biden have used the footage to claim the Taliban used U.S. equipm
Snopes→ Not Guilty Plea Entered for Marilyn Manson on Misdemeanors
Manson, whose legal name is Brian Hugh Warner, surrendered in July to police in Los Angeles in connection with a 2019 arrest warrant in the case.
FactCheck.org→ How Many Americans and Allies Are Left in Afghanistan?
On Aug. 18, President Joe Biden said if there were U.S. citizens left in Afghanistan on Aug. 31 who wanted to leave, “we’re gonna stay to get them all out.” But that’s not what happened when the last U.S. soldier departed the co
Snopes→ No, Jim Bakker Didn’t Claim That God Can’t Hear Prayers Through a Mask
The televangelist has made outrageous claims before, but this one would have taken the cake.
Snopes→ Was ‘Diversity Day’ Episode of ‘The Office’ Canceled?
To "assume" makes an ass out of "u" and the media.
Truth or Fiction?→ Phoenix Koi Chinese Restaurant Vaccine Discount Sign
On September 2 2021, an Imgur account shared an image that was purportedly of a sign from Phoenix Koi Chinese Restaurant, offering a “95% discount” for vaccine card holders, and some additional commentary, too: Featured in the image was a
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Biden And Harris Served With Impeachment Charge’
On September 2 2021, a story with the shocking headline “Biden And Harris Served With Impeachment Charge – Gun-Toting Boebert Accuses Them Both Of Dereliction Of Duty” popped up as post that quickly went viral. A Facebook post by “
Snopes→ NHTSA: Traffic Deaths Rise Again As Drivers Take Risks
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that 8,730 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes from January through March, compared with the 7,900 fatalities from the same period in 2020.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Hawaii Does NOT Say It Has 45k Deaths Because Of COVID-19 Vaccine
Does the state of Hawaii say it has had 45,000 deaths caused by COVID-19 vaccine? No, that's not true. Neither the state of Hawaii nor a representative of the state made this claim. The claim was made in part by an attorney who is taking
The Dispatch→ Did Kathy Hochul Go Maskless in a Classroom With Children?
A viral Facebook post shows New York Gov. Kathy Hochul unmasked in a classroom with masked children: a.image2.image-link.image2-555-585 { padding-bottom: 94.87179487179486%; padding-bottom: min(94.87179487179486%