SciCheck Digest A COVID-19 booster dose increases protection against the coronavirus. But in an interview, comedian Bill Maher incorrectly said COVID-19 booster shots were “useless” and could cause “immune system fatigue.” Online, others have m
PolitiFact→ Watts Up With That – Checking a claim that Facebook oversells the accuracy of climate change models
“Facebook is spamming all climate articles by misleading readers about” the accuracy of climate models.
PolitiFact→ Charlie Crist – Charlie Crist overstates in claim about ‘millions’ of expired COVID-19 tests in Florida
Ron DeSantis let "millions of COVID-19 tests expire."
Truth or Fiction?→ Michigan Candidate Ryan Kelley ‘Unplug Voting Machines’ Meme
On February 4 2022, an Imgur account shared a meme asserting that Michigan Republican Ryan Kelley told a crowd to “unplug voting machines” and bring guns to polling places: At the top of the meme, an image of former U.S. President Donald
PolitiFact→ Unpacking the theory that the 14th Amendment could keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office in 2024
Could a once-obscure part of the Constitution disqualify Donald Trump from running for president again in 2024? A legal case in North Carolina could provide clues.
Snopes→ UPS Email Scam Promises ‘Exclusive Reward’
Readers shouldn't waste their time on these kinds of survey scams.
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: No, the Vice President Cannot Overturn an Election
In a January 30 statement, Donald Trump claimed that the recent bipartisan effort to amend the Electoral Count Act of 1887 is evidence that former Vice President Mike Pence had the power to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. T
Full Fact→ GP’s article overstates the number of Covid-19 deaths in children
An opinion article in the British Journal of General Practice (BJGP) which claims “we’ve lost at least 133 children to Covid in the UK so far” has been shared on Facebook, and shared widely on Twitter, including by the Independent SAG
Snopes→ Do These Pics Show Book Burnings in 1933 and 2022?
The photo comparison made it to the top of the front page of Reddit on Feb. 4, 2022.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Jen Psaki Did NOT Imply That Government Wants To Prevent People’s Ability To ‘Exercise Their Fundamental Rights’
Did White House press secretary Jen Psaki imply that the Biden administration was interested in suppressing people's ability to "exercise their fundamental rights"? No, that's not true: When Psaki said the administration was "looking at e
Logically→ WHO has listed Omicron subvariant BA.2 as Variant of Concern.
The World Health Organization has classified Omicron as a Variant of Concern, not BA.2. Research findings on the BA.2 variation are still ongoing.
Full Fact→ Vaccinated Brits won’t have AIDS by the end of February 2022
An article shared on social media falsely claims that by the end of February everyone in the UK who has received a Covid-19 vaccine will have Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It also wrongly alleges that “‘vaccine’-related m
Full Fact→ Rishi Sunak wrong to say we’ve had a ‘colder than usual’ winter
“We have had a colder than usual winter so we have used up more of our own stores of gas here at home.” Rishi Sunak MP, 4 February 2022. In The Sun newspaper, Chancellor Rishi Sunak claimed some of the recent steep rise in energy prices ca
PolitiFact→ Tammy Baldwin – U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s stance on filibuster shifts since 2012 and she now favors elimination
On eliminating the filibuster.
PolitiFact→ Cavalier Johnson – Milwaukee mayor in ballpark on stolen vehicle figures, but overstates reckless driving fatalities
“In 2021, 65 people in Milwaukee have lost their lives due to reckless driving accidents, and more than 9,000 cars have been stolen, double the amount in 2020.”
Full Fact→ False communication offence risks unintended damage to freedom of expression
The government confirmed today (4 Feb) that it accepts the Law Commission's recommendations on a false communications offence. Full Fact is concerned about the Law Commission’s proposed new anti-harassment offence of sending knowingly false
Full Fact→ Estimates of heart condition prevalence in the UK isn’t linked to vaccines
A video being shared on Facebook makes a number of claims about a recent study into how common a heart condition is in the general population, but the central claim is that this has only come about due to the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine. This is no
Snopes→ Wandering Hen Taken into Custody at Pentagon Security Area
The loose hen was found near the U.S. Department of Defense headquarters
Snopes→ No, the US Bobsled Team Didn’t Name Their Sled ‘Biden’
A routine review of content labeled satire.
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: Chuck Schumer Misspeaks About the Composition of the Court
On Thursday, Sen. Chuck Schumer gave a speech on the Senate floor in which he claimed that “Until 1981, this powerful body, the Supreme Court, was all white men.”The Hill @thehill.@SenSchumer: "Until 1981, this powerful body, the Supreme Co
Logically→ More Americans aged 18 to 45 died of fentanyl abuse than any other cause in 2021.
Fentanyl overdose is the leading cause of death among adults 18 to 45 years old in America.
Logically→ Lake Natron in Tanzania turns every animal that touches it to stone.
Lake Natron is home to a thriving ecosystem, and its waters' alkalinity preserves the remains of animals that die in or near it.
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Spikevax and Comirnaty are brand names for existing COVID-19 vaccines, which are widely available
“Few, If Any, Doses of Spikevax or Comirnaty Available in United States, Despite FDA Approvals”
Snopes→ Elizabeth the Steadfast: Queen Marks 70 Years on Throne
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor wasn’t born to wear the crown. But destiny intervened.
AllSides→ Left-Wing Activists Tied To ‘Disinformation’ Group Are Working To Demonetize Conservative News Sites
https://dailycaller.com/2022/02/03/check-my-ads-reid-hoffman-good-information-inc/ Activists linked to
Snopes→ China’s Pandemic Olympics Begins, with Lockdown and Boycotts
Beijing became the first city to host both winter and summer Games.
Poynter→ How to fact-check Joe Rogan, and other questions from the fact-checking community
In light of artists and podcasters leaving Spotify over its misinformation policy, the fact-checking minds of Poynter came together to discuss the implications of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” comedian Joe […] The post How to fact-check Joe Rog
Poynter→ Justin Trudeau was joking when he suggested he bribed the media
A Feb. 2 Instagram post claims that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “pays mainstream media $600 million to report in favor of him.” The evidence? A clip of Trudeau saying […] The post Justin Trudeau was joking when he suggested
Logically→ Indian government has legalized cryptocurrency.
It is no longer illegal to buy or sell crypto assets in India, profits from virtual assets will be taxed. Cryptocurrency is not recognized yet.
Washington Post→ Claims of ‘ghost flights’ of ‘illegal immigrants’ don’t add up
Right-wing media outlets and GOP politicians have charged the Biden administration is secretly ferrying undocumented immigrants around the country. But the Trump administration had the same program.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Harvard Snub Was NOT The Motivation For Founding Of Stanford University — It’s An Old Recycled Story
Did a snub by a haughty Harvard University president of a poorly dressed couple spur that couple to found Stanford University as a memorial to their dead son? No, that's not true: It's an allegorical tale that has circulated since at leas
PolitiFact→ Could the 14th Amendment keep Donald Trump from running in 2024?
Could a once-obscure part of the Constitution disqualify Donald Trump from running for president again in 2024? A legal case in North Carolina could provide clues.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: German Tractor Convoy Was Protesting Fertilizer Ordinance NOT A Vaccine Mandate
Does this video show German farmers and truckers heading out to an anti-vaccine mandate demonstration? If you thought this had something to do with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, that's not true: This video shows a tractor parade protest in
Snopes→ Will IRS Require Use of Facial Recognition Software To Access Tax Info Online?
The news created a backlash among privacy experts and legislators.
Snopes→ Here’s What We Know About ‘Johns Hopkins Study’ on Lockdowns
It's a non-peer reviewed working paper that has not been endorsed by the university.
Snopes→ Walter Arnold, January 1896: Britain’s First Speeding Ticket?
At the time, horseless carriages in the U.K. could not exceed 4 mph, and had to be accompanied by an operator waving a red flag as a warning to others.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Evidence Does NOT Support Quantum Entanglement Claims By Anti-Vaccine Activist Sherri Tenpenny
Did Dr. Sherri Tenpenny make a case that the COVID-19 pandemic, treatments and mitigation efforts are a global government plot to kill people -- a "democide" -- or a plot to transform people into genetically modified "transhumans" who are
FactCheck.org→ Social Media Posts Use Old Video of White House Official to Make False Claim About Stimulus Checks
Quick Take Three stimulus payments have been sent to Americans to help them weather the economic impact of the pandemic. Social media posts are using a video clip of a White House official to falsely claim a fourth payment will arrive soon. But the v
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Bill Gates, Dr. Fauci, Dr. Tedros Are NOT Facing Death Penalty From International Tribunal
Are leaders including billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates; Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID); and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (W
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Suicide Hotline Collected, Monetized’ Caller Data
On February 1 2022, an Imgur user shared a screenshot under the title “Suicide Hotline Collected, Monetized The Data Of Desperate People,” showing an article or a blog post: Suicide Hotline Collected, Monetized The Data Of Desperate Peopl