SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This CNN story covered the October release of the IPCC’s “Global Warming of 1.5 °C” report. The report, which was requested by governments during the 2015 Paris Agreement negotiations, details th
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Truth or Fiction?→ Does This Photograph Show the 2019 ‘March for Life’?
On January 20 2019, a Facebook user shared the following photograph and caption: Estimated 650,000 MARCH FOR LIFE IN D.C.! So thankful that we are seeing so many stand up for the innocent babies being killed every day in this nation. Over 2500 babies a
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a School Use a Creative Black and White Floor to Keep Students from Running in Halls?
In January 2019, the Facebook page “Student Teacher Problems” shared the following image and caption: How the Art Teacher prevented students from running down the hallway The Facebook post did not contain any citation or other elements tha
Climate Feedback→ Guardian story on climate impacts of diet gets mixed reviews from scientists
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This article in The Guardian covers a study published in Science[1] that investigated environmental impacts related to the production of different types of foods in a number of regions around the world, finding th
Truth or Fiction?→ Did First Lady Melania Trump Announce a Child Wellness Initiative on the Same Day President Trump Asked for CHIP Cuts?
In January 2019 amid an ongoing government shutdown, a May 2018 Occupy Democrats meme showed up once again on Facebook: Under a photograph of Melania Trump and President Trump, text stated: Today, Melania Trump announced her new agenda, focused on
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Nancy Pelosi Refusing to Meet with Any U.S. Citizen Who Had a Family Member Murdered by ‘an Illegal’?
In January 2019, a Facebook user posted a status update that has since become virally popular. It said: IMAGINE THAT NANCY PELOSI IS REFUSING TO MEET WITH ANY U.S. CITIZEN WHO HAD A FAMILY MEMBER MURDERED BY AN ILLEGAL. The post appeared on its own
Climate Feedback→ USA Today story updates readers on trend in monthly global temperatures
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This article in USA Today notes that April 2018 was the 400th straight month that global temperatures were above the 20th century average, and correctly identifies human activities as the cause of this trend. It a
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Undocumented Immigrants Send $56 Billion in ‘Pure Cash’ to Their Home Countries Last Year?
Against the backdrop of a long-running federal shutdown, purportedly over border wall funding, a Facebook user shared the following meme in January 2019: It read: ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SENT $56 BILLION IN PURE CASH TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES LAST YEAR ALONE
FactCheck.org→ Social Posts Distort Facts of 2013 Shutdown
Quick Take Viral Facebook posts say that former President Barack Obama “shut down the government to force Obamacare.” That’s misleading. Full Story The current partial government shutdown that began Dec. 22 arose as a result of an im
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Budget Wouldn’t Erase Deficits, CBO Said
Under President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2018, there would have been hundreds of billions of dollars in deficits each year from 2018 to 2027, according to projections from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. That contra
Lead Stories→ Fake News: R. Kelly Did NOT Visit Bill Cosby In Prison for Advice
Did singer R. Kelly visit Bill Cosby in prison for advice? No, that's not true: the story was made up by a "fauxtire" site for entertainment purposes. It is not real. The story originated from an article published by Huzlers on January 9, 20
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Vice President Pence NOT Kicked Out Of Iceland
Was Vice President Mike Pence refused entry to Iceland on January 7, 2019 because that country has a White Southern Baptist travel ban in force? No, that's not true: the story originated from a satire blog but looked real enough to many peopl
Climate Feedback→ Is President Trump right that polar ice caps are setting records for growth, instead of melting?
In a January 2018 interview with ITV, President Trump claimed that the ice caps are not melting but are setting records: “The ice caps were going to melt. They were going to be gone by now, but now they’re setting records, okay? They’
Climate Feedback→ We are not heading towards a “mini ice age”, contrary to claims in some media
Recently, alarming claims that we are heading towards a “mini ice age” have been popping up across the web. This was the subject of a widely discussed Metro article titled “A mini ice age could be on the way which means it will get very,
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Barber Mistakenly Shave a ‘Play’ Button on a Client’s Head Because of a Paused Video?
In January 2019, 9Gag shared a post titled “Barber Mistakenly Shaves A Play Button Into Client’s Hair After Being Shown A Paused Video.” It was light on details and included several amusing images: 9Gag had very little to say about t
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the IRS Suspending Tax Refunds During the Government Shutdown?
On December 22, 2018 the United States government shut down, suspending the functions and payrolls of numerous federal agencies. As the shutdown continued into January 2019, concern and rumors began to spread over whether tax refunds issued by the Int
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Scientists DID NOT Discover A Hot Bath Burns As Many Calories As A Bike Ride
Did scientists discover that an hour-long bath burns as many calories as a 60 minute cycle ride? No, that's not true: a lifestyle article seriously misrepresented the results of some research that was reported on by The Conversation. In realit
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a Tweet Contrasting American and Japanese Generations Accurate?
On December 22, 2018, the Facebook page Ethan Berk shared an image referencing baby boomers, older people in Japan, and the attitudes of the two groups: The image involved several components, including commentary at the top, a purported tweet from BBC
Truth or Fiction?→ Are More Americans Killed Annually by Lack of Affordable Healthcare Than in Terror Attacks or Undocumented Immigrants?
On December 20 2018, the Facebook page Teanderthal Party posted the following meme about healthcare, “illegal immigration,” terror attacks, and the mortality rate in the United States: It stated: FACT: More Americans die every year from la
Truth or Fiction?→ Is ‘Bandersnatch’ a Real Game?
Netflix released Black Mirror standalone special “Bandersnatch,” which featured an interactive “choose your own adventure” style plot, on December 28, 2018. Immediately, viewers began dissecting its elements — chief among th
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Angela Merkel Did NOT Say Nation States Must Give Up Sovereignty To New World Order
Did Angela Merkel say states must give up sovereignty to the "New World Order"? No, that's not true: while Merkel did call on states to surrender some sovereignty she did not mention a "New World Order" and she stressed the importance of parli
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the FBI Declare That ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ Was ‘Communist Propaganda’?
In December 2018, claims that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had once deemed the holiday classic film It’s a Wonderful Life to be “communist propaganda” circulated on various social media sites: Fun Fact: Months after It’
FactCheck.org→ Trump Administration Distorts the Facts On Climate Report
Since the National Climate Assessment dropped on Black Friday, members of the Trump administration have inaccurately attacked the report for lacking transparency and factual basis, and for focusing on an “extreme” climate scenario. The EPA has als
Climate Feedback→ Climate misinformation video reaches broad audience with help from Youtube recommendation algorithm
YouTube’s recommendation algorithm recently began promoting a video about climate change on dozens of popular Youtube channel; the video has been promoted to between 300,000 and 2,000,000 people according to AlgoTransparency. That video (which cu
Climate Feedback→ Popular “Friends of Science” video promoted by Youtube presents long list of climate myths
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This video of a talk by author and speaker Steve Goreham, posted by the YouTube channel “Friends of Science” has been viewed over 250,000 times and has been widely promoted by Youtube recently. In it, G
Truth or Fiction?→ Could Robert Mueller’s Investigation Turn a Profit Thanks to Asset Seizures?
On December 14, 2018, documents released by the Department of Justice clocked the cost of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election at over $25 million: The Justice Department’
FactCheck.org→ Trump, Giuliani Distort Facts on IG Report
President Donald Trump and one of his lawyers, Rudy Giuliani, distorted the findings of a new report about the forensic recovery of text messages exchanged between Peter Strzok, a former FBI senior counterintelligence agent, and Lisa Page, a former FBI
Truth or Fiction?→ Can Airbags Send Your Knees ‘Through Your Eye Sockets’ When Deployed?
When the meme below appeared on Facebook via the page The Pink Shorts Movement on November 28 2018, we were skeptical: The text read: DID YOU KNOW: Airbags deploy between 100 & 220 MPH. If you ride with your feet on the dash, you may send your knee
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking the Trump-Pelosi-Schumer Scuffle
In a contentious Oval Office meeting, President Donald Trump and the Democratic congressional leaders — Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer — disagreed over funding for a border wall, mangling some facts in the process. The president claimed th
Snopes→ Was Paul McCartney’s Song “Blackbird” Inspired by the Civil Rights Movement?
The rock icon publicly explained the song's link to the "Little Rock Nine" at a 2016 concert.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did John ‘Chickie’ Donohue Pull off a War Zone ‘Beer Run’ in Vietnam
On December 7 2018, the Facebook page Dysfuntional Veterans shared the following meme about a man named John “Chickie” Donohue and a Vietnam war “beer run”: The meme read: John “Chickie” Donohue, a merchant marine fr
FactCheck.org→ Several Administrations Used Tear Gas at the Border
Q: During the Obama administration, did Border Patrol agents use tear gas to control crowds of migrants during incidents at the U.S.-Mexico border? A: Yes, and the gas was also used by administrations prior to his, news reports say. FULL QUESTION To w
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Principal Ban Candy Canes Because the ‘J’ Symbolizes Jesus?
On December 5, 2018, The Blaze published an article titled “Principal banned candy canes because ‘J’ shape stands ‘for Jesus.’ But that was just for starters.” The item centered on a law firm devoted to “evange
FactCheck.org→ Ocasio-Cortez’s Misguided Tweet
Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted that $21 trillion worth of “Pentagon accounting errors” could finance two-thirds of Medicare for All. It can’t. The misguided tweet is based on a tally by university researchers who found $2
Climate Feedback→ Popular story on Fox2Now accurately describes 2017 global temperature, sea ice extent
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This February 2018 article on the website of Fox 2 St. Louis—based on an article syndicated from CNN—reported on 2017 climate data released by NOAA and NASA. It notes that 2017 ranked as the second/third (depen
FactCheck.org→ Obama’s Misleading Oil Boast
Presidents — regardless of party — tend to take credit for good things that happen under their watch, regardless of how much influence their actions may have had. Exhibit A: Former President Barack Obama said the fact that the United States
FactCheck.org→ The Science Trump Got Wrong in the Post Interview
In a Nov. 27 interview with the Washington Post, President Donald Trump made a series of inaccurate statements. He questioned the cause of climate change, praised a nonexistent method for wildfire prevention and even recycled a long-debunked news story
FactCheck.org→ Trump Misuses Data in 9th Circuit Attack
President Donald Trump wrongly tweeted that the largest federal appellate court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, is “overturned more than any circuit in the country, 79%.” During the 2017 term, the Supreme Court reviewed just 15 of
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Border Claims
After a group of migrants tried to breach the U.S. border at Tijuana, with some throwing rocks and border agents responding with tear gas, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said there were no “reported serious injuries o
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Man Did NOT Divorce Caucasian Wife After DNA Test Proves He Is Of 9% African descent
Did 37-year-old Jeffrey McAllister from Massachusetts divorce his Caucasian wife after finding out through a DNA test that 9% of his descent was from Africa? No, that's not true: the story was made up by a Canadian entertainment website that