On October 12 2019, the following tweet appeared and renewed interest in claims that chicken-themed fast-food chain Chick-fil-A directly funded violent, anti-gay political movements and laws in Uganda: Today Uganda announced a bill to legalize murde
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Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Columbus Set Out to Prove the Earth Was Round’
In October 2019, a number of memes about the legacy of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus circulated on Facebook around Columbus Day, among them a meme about the claim that he “proved” that Earth is round: In the above meme, the
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Misguided Tweet on California Gasoline Prices
California’s proposed fuel efficiency standards for cars don’t have anything to do with the state having the highest gas prices in the country, but that’s what President Donald Trump suggested in a tweet. The state is pushing for high
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Four in Ten Cancer Patients Really Lose Their Life Savings?
An October 11 2019 Imgur repost of a Bernie Sanders tweet appeared alongside the caption “this is how you know he would fight for the people if he is elected our president”: That tweet read: It’s not coincidental that the top health
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Numbers October 2019 Update
Summary Since President Donald Trump took office: The economy added 6 million jobs, and the unemployment rate dropped to the lowest level in nearly 50 years. Economic growth fell far short of the annual 4% to 6% Trump promised. The most recent rate is
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Smiling Babies Have to Look Away from People Because They’re ‘Overwhelmed with Joy’?
An October 10 2019 post to Reddit’s r/wholesomememes featured an uplifting claim by way of screenshot, claiming that when babies first start “emoting,” they have to look away after a few seconds of smiling: Overwhelming jo
Truth or Fiction?→ Was the Original Super Mario Bros Only 40 KB (While Modern Screenshots of One Frame Are 283 KB)?
In October 2019, the following post appeared on Reddit’s r/gaming, claiming that the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) title Super Mario Bros. was 40 KB (kilobytes) of data, and the appended modern screenshot contained a comparative
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Claims About Hunter Biden in China
President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Hunter Biden, without evidence, of making millions of dollars in a “payoff” from China, after accompanying his father, then-Vice President Joe Biden, on a 2013 diplomatic trip to Beijing. The cl
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Toddler Subjected to Months of Abuse Because of a ‘Cookie’ Analogy?
In September 2019, a Facebook user shared an image and a harrowing story about the purported sexual abuse of a toddler that went unreported for months because the young girl supposedly was not taught anatomically correct words: Alongside a photograph
Lead Stories→ Fake News: 12,000 Doctors Did NOT Just Urge the FDA to Put Cancer Warnings on Cheese
Did 12,000 doctors urge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to put cancer warnings on cheese? No, that's not true: The vegan advocacy group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) filed a petition asking the FDA to put a warning
Truth or Fiction?→ ’95-Year-Old Former President Jimmy Carter Building a House With a Black Eye’ Meme
On October 8 2019, a Reddit user shared the following animated image to r/gifs, purportedly showing former United States president Jimmy Carter building homes for Habitat for Humanity while still visibly recovering from a fall-related injury (as evid
Truth or Fiction?→ Does Footage Prove Elizabeth Warren Lied About ‘Visibly Pregnant’ Firing?
In early October 2019, a number of social media posts and attendant articles referenced a multi-layered claim that Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) “lied” about being fired because she was “visibly pregnant.” Social medi
Lead Stories→ Fake News: New Study Does NOT Say Many Cases Of ‘Dementia’ Are Actually Side Effects Of Prescription Drugs
Does a new medical study conclude that many cases of dementia are actually the side effects of prescription drugs? No, that's not true: A 2015 study did measure a higher rate of development of dementia in the elderly who take a certain class o
Truth or Fiction?→ Officials Say United States Not Vacating Syria, Contradicting Trump: Reports
Amid reports that Turkish forces had begun mounting an attack on Syria, two separate news outlets reported that United States officials had contradicted U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration that American troops would be vacating the Syria-T
Truth or Fiction?→ Facebook #HocusPocus ‘Witch Checker’
In early October 2019, a Facebook status update meme appeared with the claim that people who type #HocusPocus into comments of a post could activate Facebook’s “witch checker” feature: Myriad posts involving re-worded variants o
PolitiFact→ The U.S. aid to Ukraine that Donald Trump froze, in one chart
See Figure 1 on PolitiFact.com While U.S. aid to Ukraine that President Donald Trump froze has since been released, the nearly $400 million package is likely to remain central to House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry into Trump’s possible ab
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Barack Obama Did NOT Tweet About Asking Ukraine About Birth Certificate
Did former President of the United States Barack Obama send a tweet about asking Ukraine if they found his birth certificate? No, that's not true: the viral image making that claim is not a real screenshot of a tweet. An example of the image w
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Sometimes Dogs or Wolves in Movies Need CGI Tails Because They’re So Excited to be Doing a Good Job Acting’
On October 6 2019, the following post spread rapidly on Facebook, concerning wolves and dogs in the movie industry and how they may sometimes need computer-generated editing to make them look less happy or excited: View post on imgur.com Beneath an
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Cop Chases Down Teen, Shoots Him Twice In The Head NOT Over Stop For A Bicycle Light — Teen Had A Gun
Did a cop chase down a teen, shoot him twice in the head over a stop for a bicycle light -- and then face no charges? No, that's not true: While Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, Police Sgt. Eric Giese did intially try to stop Tyrese West because his
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘When We See Cancer in Pork, We Just Cut It Out And Still Sell It To Customers’ Claim
A February 2018 post (“An Experienced Butcher Admits: “When We See Cancer In The Pork, We Just Cut It And Still Sell It To Customers””) circulated widely on Facebook in October 2019, inspiring a fresh round of users vowing to never aga
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Rolex Sales Records Help Solve a Murder?
In September 2019, a Reddit r/todayilearned post claimed that luxury watch manufacturer Rolex maintained such “meticulous” sales records that their data was used to solve an open homicide: TIL of The Rolex Murder. On July 28, 19
Climate Feedback→ Letter signed by “500 scientists” relies on inaccurate claims about climate science
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This letter presenting a short list of claims about climate change boasts a list of “500 scientists and professionals” who have co-signed it. The claims contradict or misrepresent the evidence uncovered
Truth or Fiction?→ Will 154,000,000 Pieces of Plastic from Christmas Crackers in the UK Wind Up in the Ocean in a Single Year?
In late September and early October 2019, a very specific claim involving Christmas crackers (a tradition involving devices called “party poppers” in some countries; they are made from cardboard and gunpowder, generally contain confetti or
Truth or Fiction?→ Spooky Season, Activated Charcoal in Food, and Medication
On September 19 2019, a Facebook user shared a warning (archived here) that urged fans of the “spooky season” to avoid foods colored with activated charcoal due to its purported ability to prevent your body from absorbing medications. Al
Truth or Fiction?→ Harry S. Truman ‘You Can’t Get Rich in Politics Unless You’re a Crook’ Meme
A December 2018 “McGroarty for Freedom” Facebook quote meme remained popular in circulation nearly a year later, attributing commentary about politics, wealth, and honesty to former United States President Harry S. Truman: Underneath a
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the FBI Say Knives are Used in Five Times More Murders than Rifles?
On October 1 2019 , the website AmericanMilitaryNews.com shared a post headlined, “FBI stats show 5 times more murders by knives than rifles in 2018”: That was shared thousands of times in less than 24 hours. An additional item claim
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Global Warming Data NOT FAKED By Government To Fit Climate Change Fictions
Was global warming data faked by the U.S. government to fit climate change fictions? No, that's not true: When scientists with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) modernized the way daily temperatures recorded in every nook
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Dad’s Ashes a Brick’ Post
In November 2018, a Facebook user shared a set of screenshots showing a separate post about finding post-cremation ashes in “brick” form: In the first few screenshots, the original poster poses a question to fellow users about the pu
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Iranian Censorship’ of Women’s Track and Field Competition Video
On September 30 2019, an Imgur post purportedly showing “Iranian TV censorship of women’s track and field competition” proved popular: Iranian TV censorship of women’s track and field competition The original poster didn̵
FactCheck.org→ No Hearsay Rule Change for Whistleblowers
President Donald Trump and some of his defenders have advanced a bogus theory that whistleblower rules were changed to allow a complaint alleging misconduct by the president to be forwarded to Congress based only on secondhand information. There was no
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Flu Vaccine Does NOT Contain 25,000 Times More Mercury Than Legally Allowed In Drinking Water
Do flu vaccines contain 25,000 times more mercury than is legally allowed in drinking water? No, that's not true: Some flu vaccines do contain a trace amount of the organic compound Thimerosal, whch is 50-percent mercury. Thimerosal, used as a
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Man Did NOT Serve Wife Birthday Cake With Penis of Her Lover as Candle
Did a man named Dennis Brown get charged with murder after serving his wife a birthday cake with the penis of her dead lover as the candle? No, that's not true: the story was made up by a site with a satire disclaimer that seems to specialize
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Two Altar Boys Arrested for Putting Weed in the Censer Burner’ Claim
In September 2019, a number of social media users shared an article claiming two altar boys had been arrested for “putting weed in the censer-burner”: What started as a joke ended with the future of two altar boys from Spain. They were det
Truth or Fiction?→ Vietnam Veterans Group: ‘Foreign Criminals’ Targeting Servicemembers for Online Exploitation
An advocacy group for military service members is calling on similar organizations as well as federal officials and social media platforms to take more steps to protect their fellow veterans from being manipulated by online disinformation. “Serv
Truth or Fiction?→ Teddy Roosevelt’s Bar Fight: ‘If I’ve Got to, I’ve Got to’
On September 26 2019 an Imgur user shared the following Teddy Roosevelt “fun fact” meme: Messing with wrong Guy A post titled “Messing with [the] wrong guy” and referencing its subject as “Teddy Badass Roosevelt,
Truth or Fiction?→ Thomas Jefferson ‘Tyranny Is Defined as That Which Is Legal for the Government’ Quote
On September 27 2019, a Facebook user shared the following meme, which attributes a quote about tyranny to Thomas Jefferson: View post on imgur.com Underneath an image of what appeared to be a firearm trigger, text read: “Tyranny is defined as
Lead Stories→ Fake News: No Study Says Vitamin D Is More Effective Than Flu Vaccine
Did a scientific study conclude that vitamin D supplements are more effective than flu vaccines in preventing influenza? No, that's not true: Stories making the claim cite reviews and studies that concluded there are significant benefits from
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Confederate Flag’s Designer Call it a Symbol of White Supremacy, Not Southern Heritage?
In September 2019, a July 2015 blog post circulated on Facebook, bearing the headline: “Confederate Flag Designer Said It Is A Symbol Of White Supremacy — Not Southern Heritage.” When rendered on Facebook, the link prominently displayed
Truth or Fiction?→ Storm Cloud in Benevento
On September 25 2019 a Reddit user shared a thread titled “Storm Cloud Benevento, Italy” to the r/pics subreddit: Storm Cloud Benevento, Italy. from pics On Reddit, the image quickly moved to the top of r/all. Its
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Photo Showing Greta Thunberg and George Soros Is NOT Real
Did George Soros pose for a picture with Greta Thunberg? No, that's not true: the image going viral on social media consists of an edited photo of Al Gore posing with the Swedish climate activist but the head of Gore has been digitally replace