A collage of images from the 2017 Oscars is misattributed as the audience's reaction to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 ceremony.
PolitiFact→ Sean Ryan – Has New York state lost 99% of its historical range of wetlands?
“New York state has already lost 99% of its historic freshwater wetlands.”
Poynter→ Joe Biden said taking questions on Justice Breyer was inappropriate
On Jan. 27, the Republican National Committee tweeted a short clip of President Joe Biden saying, “I’m not gonna take any questions because I think it’s inappropriate.” BIDEN: “I’m not […] The post Joe Biden said taking questions on
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Chris Rock Did NOT Apologize To Jada Pinkett Smith For Oscars Joke As Of March 28, 2022
Did comedian Chris Rock apologize - as of March 28, 2022 - to actress Jada Pinkett Smith after making a joke about her hair at the Oscars? No, that's not true: Although actor Will Smith, Pinkett Smith's husband, apologized to Rock for sla
PolitiFact→ David Perdue – Georgia’s David Perdue said elections were stolen from him and Trump. Pants on Fire!
The 2021 Georgia Senate runoff and the 2020 presidential election “were stolen.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Clarence Thomas Was Poisoned — He Was Diagnosed With An Infection
Was Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas poisoned? Is that why Thomas was admitted to the hospital on March 18, 2022? No, neither are true: There is no evidence that Thomas was poisoned. A press release from the Supreme Court stated that
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Banksy Did NOT Create Putin And Ukrainian Balloon Image — It’s From Music Video
Did British artist Banksy create a new art piece involving Ukraine and Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia? No, that's not true: A Banksy spokesperson said he did not create this image, which was altered from a screenshot of a music v
Snopes→ FDA OKs Another Pfizer, Moderna COVID Booster for 50 and Up
U.S. regulators authorized another COVID-19 booster for people age 50 and older, a step to offer extra protection for the most vulnerable in case the coronavirus rebounds.
FactCheck.org→ Examining Rick Scott’s Claim That Medicare, Social Security Will Soon Go ‘Bankrupt’
In promoting his plan to “rescue America,” Sen. Rick Scott went too far in claiming that Medicare will go “bankrupt” in four years and Social Security in 12 years. Government trustees project that certain Medicare and Social Sec
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Barrett was one of three judges ruling on a Wisconsin county’s financial liability
“Amy Coney Barrett overturned a $6.7M verdict after a prison guard repeatedly raped a 19-year-old inmate who was 8 months pregnant.”
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Recount of Biden’s resistance to Vietnam War efforts lacks context
In 1975, then-U.S. Sen. Joe Biden opposed efforts by President Gerald Ford to aid South Vietnam and evacuate refugees.
Full Fact→ Chris Bryant wrong on 0% EU VAT for heat pumps
“Thanks to Brexit, we are no longer constrained by EU law, so I can announce that for the next five years, homeowners having materials such as solar panels, heat pumps and insulation installed will no longer pay 5% VAT; they will pay zero.&rdquo
Snopes→ Did Lady Gaga Say ‘I Got You’ to Liza Minnelli While Presenting at the Oscars?
Minnelli responded with “I know.”
Full Fact→ Facebook video shows actors making a TV series in 2020—not staging the war in Ukraine
A video of someone applying fake blood to actors is being shared on Facebook with the caption “White helmets in action, ‘innocent victims of Russian aggression’ smile and wave you [sic]”. The phrase “white helmets&rd
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Claim that Putin beheaded bioweapon engineers, called Trump to tell him has no basis in fact
Putin beheaded bioweapon engineers in Ukraine.
Snopes→ UConn Reaches 14th Straight Final Four, Tops NC State in 2OT
In a double-overtime thriller that put UConn's record streak of women's Final Four appearances at serious risk, Paige Bueckers came through for the Huskies — and earned a trip home to Minneapolis.
PolitiFact→ Viral image – No, Twitter didn’t suspend Virginia Tech swimmer Reka Gyorgy
Twitter suspended a swimmer for tweeting about Lia Thomas.
PolitiFact→ Mehmet Oz – Dr. Oz claimed that GOP Senate rival McCormick ‘bragged’ about offshoring jobs. That lacks evidence
"David McCormick fired Pennsylvanians and bragged about shipping their jobs to Asia."
PolitiFact→ Bob Good – Bob Good invents a position for Ketanji Brown Jackson on late-term abortions
Ketanji Brown Jackson “believes in abortion on demand up to the moment of birth.”
PolitiFact→ Viral image – No, this isn’t a photo of Nicole Kidman reacting to Will Smith and Chris Rock
Photo shows Nicole Kidman reacting to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock.
PolitiFact→ Viral image – No, these aren’t photos of celebrities reacting to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock
Photos show celebrities reacting to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock.
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Social media post claims without evidence Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins died from COVID-19
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins died from a COVID-19 vaccine.
PolitiFact→ Tweets – No evidence to support claim that Will Smith, Chris Rock conflict was staged to detract from Ukraine
Will Smith slapped Chris Rock “to take attention away from Ukraine.”
Snopes→ Did Chris Rock Apologize to Will Smith?
Will Smith issued a formal apology to Chris Rock, but did Rock do the same?
Snopes→ Russia Says It Will Cut Back Operations Near Ukraine Capital
Russia’s military said it would “fundamentally" cut back operations near Ukraine’s capital and a northern city, potentially a significant concession by Moscow
Snopes→ Will Smith Apologizes: ‘I Was out of Line and I Was Wrong’
The day after slapping Chris Rock on the Oscars stage and upending the 94th Academy Awards, Will Smith issued an apology to the comedian, to the academy and to viewers at home.
Poynter→ Trees with leaves don’t prove the White House tweeted an old photo of Joe Biden
On the morning of March 23, President Joe Biden’s verified Twitter account tweeted an image of him saluting as he boarded a helicopter on the South Lawn of the White […] The post Trees with leaves don’t prove the White House tweeted an old ph
Washington Post→ The truth about Hunter Biden and the Ukrainian ‘bio labs’
A Russian Defense Ministry official has claimed the president's son financed U.S. labs in Ukraine, and right-leaning media jumped on the band wagon. That's false.
PolitiFact→ Ron Johnson – No, Democrats aren’t responsible for rising gas prices
Gas prices are high “due to the Democrats’ war on fossil fuels.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Ukraine Does NOT Grow 25% Of World’s Wheat – It’s Only 3%
Does Ukraine produce 25% of the world's wheat crop? No, that's not true: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates Ukraine's annual wheat harvest at just over 3% of the global total. Ukraine accounts for
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Klaus Schwab Did NOT Say ‘Internet Must Be Reformed’ For ‘The Great Reset’
Did the World Economic Forum tweet that their chairman Klaus Schwab said the "internet must be reformed" as part of "the Great Reset?" No, that's not true: The tweet does not exist on the World Economic Forum (WEF) timeline on Twitter. Al
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO ‘Freshwater’ Sharks Found In Deep Creek Lake, MD
Was the "longest freshwater shark on record" found in Deep Creek Lake in Maryland? No, that's not true: A spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources told Lead Stories this claim is "false" as "Deep creek lake is a fresh
Snopes→ Facebook Posts About Homeland Security Memos and ‘Hacked’ Cellphones Are Misleading
"Don't know if this is true but better safe than sorry," one Facebook user posted.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Alopecia Is NOT Just Hair Loss — It Can Be Caused By An Autoimmune Disease
Is alopecia literally just male or female pattern baldness or hair loss? No, that is missing context. Alopecia does mean "hair loss," but it can be "an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss," according to Yale Medicine. The claim was m
Snopes→ Are Poisonous Hammerhead Worms ‘Invading’ Parts of the US?
It’s said that a worm cut in half may grow into two worms.
Truth or Fiction?→ Virginia Thomas Embraced Conspiracy Theories Long Before ‘Big Lie’ Texts Came to Light
Long before she was revealed to have been pushing for the overturning of the 2020 presidential election, Virginia “Ginni” Thomas — the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas — trafficked in conspiracy theories in disinfor
Snopes→ Did the Oscars Not Offer Closed Captions Until 2021?
A viral tweet claimed that the Academy Awards live broadcast didn't offer any closed captioning until well into the 21st century.
Snopes→ Are Electric Vehicles and Batteries Bad for the Environment?
We broke the viral Facebook post down claim by claim.
Snopes→ ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
The law forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.
Snopes→ Red Flags: How to Identify Suspicious Rumors
For International Fact-Checking Day, we look at common techniques used to identify dubious stories online.