In recent months, the government has designated several independent media outlets and journalists as "foreign agents" — a label that implies additional government scrutiny and carries strong pejorative connotations that could discredit the recipients.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: All-Black, All-Female Chess Champions Did NOT Get Snubbed By Mainstream Media
Did a team of all-Black, all-female chess champions get snubbed by mainstream media? No, that's not true: the middle-school-aged team, which competed in 2016, was recognized by both local and national media outlets. The claim appeared in
Truth or Fiction?→ Simone Biles, Kerri Strug, and ‘the Twisties’
On July 27 2021, Simone Biles (and fellow gymnast Kerri Strug) were the subject of a spate of widely-shared Facebook posts, largely forming a groundswell of support for Biles in the face of nonstop Olympics news stories around her decision to drop out
Snopes→ Lucy Liu Opened up About Fight With Bill Murray on ‘Charlie’s Angels’ Set
A production assistant on the film debunked a rumor that Liu threw actual punches at Murray.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Letter Rejecting AARP Membership And Criticizing Biden’s ‘Socialist Politics’ Is From 2009, NOT 2021, And It’s Been Altered
Is a letter rejecting AARP membership and criticizing President Joe Biden's "Socialist politics" from 2021? No, that's not true: The letter was written in 2009 during the administration of former President Barack Obama. A copy of the lett
Snopes→ More a Molehill: Visitors Slam London’s New Tourist ‘Mound’
The Marble Arch Mound, an artificial hill beside one of the city’s busiest intersections, opened this week.
Snopes→ RECALL: McCormick Italian Seasoning Products
Samples of some seasoning and sauces were found to contain salmonella.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: There Is NO COVID ‘Ligma’ Variant Outbreak — It’s An Old Dirty Joke
Are all the "I just left the ER...We are officially getting crushed" memes about the COVID-19 Delta variant outbreak part of a fear campaign aimed at the unvaccinated? Not all of them. Some have been altered to refer to a "Ligma" variant,
Snopes→ Racism of Rioters Takes Center Stage in Jan. 6 Hearing
Four officers detailed the racism and bigotry they encountered during the violent assault on the Capitol.
Snopes→ A Mathematician Just Won an Olympic Gold Medal in Cycling
Austrian Anna Kiesenhofer was considered to be a dark horse in the race.
Snopes→ Was Kerri Strug Team USA’s Only Chance for Gold?
Kerri Strug fought through the pain of an ankle injury to compete at the 1996 Olympic Games, but was it necessary?
Snopes→ Yes, the Kellogg’s Cereal Class Action Lawsuit is Real
Plaintiffs accused the company of deceptive marketing by describing their sugary cereals as "heart healthy" and "lightly-sweetened."
Logically→ Ear candling helps remove excess amounts of earwax.
Ear candling is not an effective way to clear out earwax. It is also an unsafe pseudoscientific treatment.
Snopes→ Turn Off, Turn On: Simple Step Can Thwart Top Phone Hackers
The NSA issued a “best practices” guide for mobile device security last year in which it recommends rebooting a phone every week as a way to stop hacking.
AllSides→ Posts Baselessly Link COVID-19 Tests to Vaccine Conspiracy Theory
https://www.factcheck.org/2021/07/scicheck-posts-baselessly-link-covid-19-tests-to-vaccine-conspiracy-theory/
Snopes→ Woman Unaware She Had $39M Lottery Ticket in Purse for Weeks
The mother of one had picked random numbers on the lottery ticket and doesn't plan to play again
Snopes→ Slipknot Founding Drummer Joey Jordison Dies at 46
Jordison was already a veteran of the De Moines metal scene when he founded the band that would become Slipknot in 1995, along with percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray.
Poynter→ An Olympics hot mic video allegedly of an NBC producer isn’t real — it’s a joke
A spoof video shared on a comedian’s Twitter page has journeyed from joke to scandal as some people sharing and seeing it online appear to believe it’s authentic. It’s not. But here’s the premise: an NBC producer is caught on a hot mic saying:
Logically→ The U.S. government is committing genocide, as at least 50,000 people have died within three days of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
The vaccine has not caused 50,000 deaths in the U.S in three days and there is no evidence of a planned genocide through vaccination.
Washington Post→ The false GOP claim that Pelosi turned down National Guard before Jan. 6 attack
For months, we've asked Republicans for proof that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi failed to act on warning signs. They have none to show us.
Snopes→ Bob Odenkirk Collapses on ‘Better Call Saul’ Set
Crew members called an ambulance that took the 58-year-old actor to a hospital.
The Dispatch→ Was President Macron Covered in Garlands in French Polynesia?
A viral tweet claims to show French President Emmanuel Macron covered in floral garlands that he received upon his arrival in French Polynesia. Noga Tarnopolsky @NTarnopolskyPresident Macron is turned into a human wreath during his official
Truth or Fiction?→ Police Officers’ Testimony Refutes Right Wing Capitol Riot Disinformation
The testimony of four law enforcement officers before a House select committee on July 27 2021 provided another yet another clear refutation to the disinformation pushed by right-wing outlets and operatives surrounding the attack on the U.S. Capitol on
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: U.S. Is NOT The Only Country Without Universal Health Care, Contrary To Meme Map
Is the United States the only country in the world without universal health care? No, that's not true: At least nine other countries did not have viable universal health care as of 2020. The claim appeared as a meme published in a Faceboo
Logically→ New Zealand farmers supported the farmer protests in Delhi.
New Zealand farmers protested against environmental rules in 2021 and they did not support Indian farmers over agricultural bills passed in 2020.
Snopes→ Wu-Tang Clan Album Sale Pays off Martin Shkreli’s Court Debt
The entrepreneur known as “Pharma Bro” once boasted that he paid $2 million in at auction for the album “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Marjorie Taylor Greene Did NOT Say ‘Jesus Loves The U.S. Most And That Is Why The Bible Is Written In English’
Did Marjorie Taylor Greene say, "Jesus loves the U.S. most, and that is why the Bible is written in English?" No, that's not true: There is no evidence the Republican representative from Georgia ever said that. There is evidence, though,
Snopes→ Do These Johnson & Johnson Products Cause Hair Loss?
A lawsuit against the company was filed in June 2021.
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘China Received 8 Months of Rain in Just 5 Days’ in July 2021
On July 22 2021, the Facebook page “Green New Deal” shared an image and a status update about China’s recent torrential rains: China received 8 months of rain in just 5 days. The highest amount of precipitation since the measurements
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: COVID-19 Variants Are Detected Through Genomic Sequencing, NOT Routine ‘Test Kits’
Can a rise in COVID-19 variants be determined by "test kits" that don't detect variants? No, that's not true: Routine tests for COVID-19 indicate whether a person is infected by the virus; they don't determine which variants have been det
Snopes→ Does This Meme Accurately Depict Hidilyn Diaz’s Olympic History?
At the Tokyo Games, Diaz's performance earned the Philippines its first gold medal — ever.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Gloria Steinem Did NOT Write Original Comparison Between Abortions And Buying Guns
Was Gloria Steinem the author of a comparison between abortions and buying guns? No, that's not true: Although Steinem posted such a comparison on social media, she noted that she was not the author of the message. The claim appeared in a
The Dispatch→ Did Pennsylvania Receive More Mail-In Ballots Than Were Sent Out?
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Snopes→ Yes, the CDC Just Reversed Its Policy on Wearing Masks Indoors
Even vaccinated individuals should be wearing masks in areas of high transmission rates.
Snopes→ Was Kanye West Living in Mercedes-Benz Stadium to Finish His Album?
The rapper had been working on “Donda,” his 10th studio album.
Snopes→ LGBTQ Event at Children’s Museum Canceled Following Threats
A private LGBTQ event that was to be held at the Lincoln Children’s Museum has been canceled following a barrage of threats — including death threats — against the museum and the nonprofit group putting on the event.
Snopes→ Did University of Fla. Lab Find ‘Dangerous Pathogens’ on Kids’ Masks?
At least six masks reportedly were tested positive for potentially dangerous pathogens.
Snopes→ Tobacco CEO Sees End to Cigarettes in Britain in 10 Years
For years, Philip Morris has said that its future will not include Marlboro cigarettes as it shifts to electronic devices.
FactCheck.org→ Posts Baselessly Link COVID-19 Tests to Vaccine Conspiracy Theory
SciCheck Digest The COVID-19 vaccines currently in use must be administered via injection. But Instagram posts baselessly suggest that Bill Gates and George Soros will use COVID-19 tests to secretly vaccinate people who haven’t yet received the s
Snopes→ No, French President Macron’s Security Detail Did Not Quit Over COVID-19 Rules
Right-wing American sources seized upon baseless claims made by a French politician, in July 2021.