This report was run on 11-22-2023 at 17:29, and we have new fact checks from the following organizations:
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Fact checks from FactCheck.org – 5 new posts
Posts Spread False Claim About Moderna Patent Application
Published 11/22/2023 18:41
The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines — like many other vaccines — can contain small amounts of DNA left over from the manufacturing process. There’s no evidence this residual DNA causes “turbo cancer,” or very aggressive cancer. Nor did Moderna admit that “mRNA Jabs Cause Turbo-Cancer,” contrary to an online article that misconstrues a line from a patent application.
Read at FactCheck.org
Unpacking Democratic Ad Attacking DeSantis, Florida Abortion Law
Published 11/22/2023 18:01
An ad from a political action committee tied to California Gov. Gavin Newsom claims that a law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would subject women who get an abortion after six weeks to felony charges. DeSantis’ campaign calls the claim “a lie.” We look at what the law says — and doesn’t say — that has caused some concern and confusion.
Read at FactCheck.org
The Cost of Thanksgiving Dinner with a Side of Partisan Spin
Published 11/21/2023 22:17
As Americans gather for the Thanksgiving holiday, both the White House and the Republican National Committee have served up some political spin: They claimed this year’s dinner was either cheaper or more expensive. And they’re both right.
Read at FactCheck.org
Cruz Distorts Facts on Biden Support for Israel
Published 11/21/2023 19:54
In a Fox News interview about the Israel-Hamas war, Sen. Ted Cruz said “literally from within minutes of when this horrific attack began on Oct. 7, the Biden White House has been telling Israel, do not retaliate, cease-fire, stop, do not kill the terrorists.” But the Texas Republican has thin support for his claim.
Read at FactCheck.org
No Evidence of Link Between U.S. Infant Mortality Rate Increase and COVID-19 Vaccines
Published 11/21/2023 15:30
A recent federal report shows a 3% increase in the U.S. infant mortality rate between 2021 and 2022, which is the first statistically significant rise in 20 years. The cause of the uptick is unknown, but there’s no evidence that it’s due to COVID-19 vaccination, as some social media posts baselessly suggest.
Read at FactCheck.org
Fact checks from Lead Stories – 13 new posts
Fact Check: NO Evidence Disneyland ‘Likely To Be Closed Indefinitely’ — No Evidence for Child Kidnapping Story Either
Published 11/22/2023 21:22
Is Disneyland in California likely to be closed indefinitely as of November 2023 over an alleged child kidnapping? No, that’s not true: There is no evidence that Disneyland is closing and no evidence for the alleged child kidnapping was provided…
Read at Lead Stories
Fact Check: Bathing In Epsom Salts Is NOT ‘Highly Toxic’
Published 11/22/2023 20:50
Is bathing with Epsom salts highly toxic? No, that’s not true: Toxicology experts told Lead Stories the claim that bathing with Epsom salts are toxic is “completely false” and “there is no toxicity associated with salt.” Poison control agencies such…
Read at Lead Stories
Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Apeel Food Coating Being Applied To Produce In 2023 — Demo Of How Food Replicas Made In Japan
Published 11/22/2023 19:33
Does a video show Apeel coating applied to a cabbage? No, that’s not true: The cabbage in the video is not real, and it’s not meant to be eaten. The footage shows a way to make food samples for display,…
Read at Lead Stories
Fact Check: Staged Video Of 3 Girls Beating Up Men In Tunnel Is NOT Real — Shows Stunt School Students
Published 11/22/2023 02:34
Does a social media video of three young women fighting off multiple men in a tunnel passageway depict an actual event involving Israeli girls — or, depending on different versions using the same video, French paramilitary women or Turkish girls?…
Read at Lead Stories
Fact Check: US Soldier Holding A ‘China Flag’ Is NOT Unusual During Foreign Leader’s Visit
Published 11/22/2023 01:08
Was an American soldier holding a “China flag” when President Joe Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in California unusual or a breach of protocol as implied by a tweet from Graham Allen? No, that’s not true: A State…
Read at Lead Stories
Fact Check: IRS Is NOT Issuing ‘Fourth Round’ Of Stimulus Checks In 10 States On November 30, 2023
Published 11/22/2023 00:56
Will 10 states be issuing a fourth round of IRS stimulus checks on November 30, 2023? No, that’s not true: There is no 2023 federal tax benefit stimulus program from the IRS nor are all the states listed in a…
Read at Lead Stories
Fact Check: January 6, 2021, Image Does NOT Show Federal Agent Holding Badge
Published 11/21/2023 22:16
Does an image taken from footage on January 6, 2021, reveal a federal agent holding a badge as part of a staged federal insurrection or “Fedsurrection”? No, that’s not true: The image shows Kevin Lyons, a Chicago man sentenced to…
Read at Lead Stories
Fact Check: ‘Barnett Bows’ Is NOT Giving Away Free Bows To Compensate For ‘Discrimination’
Published 11/21/2023 22:07
Is sporting company Barnett Outdoors giving away free bows after having “discriminated 35+ years old men”? No, that’s not true: The account that shared a post making this claim is in no way affiliated with the sporting goods company– the…
Read at Lead Stories
Fact Check: NO EVIDENCE Trump Endorsed A Nearly $300 Water Filter In November 2023
Published 11/21/2023 21:40
Did former President Donald Trump advertise a water filter on Facebook? No, that’s not true: Outside of the post making such a claim, Lead Stories did not find any evidence confirming that. A video with a Trump-sounding narration likely utilized…
Read at Lead Stories
Fact Check: NO Proof Video Shows Israel’s Flag At Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital — Exact Location Of Footage Remains Unconfirmed
Published 11/21/2023 03:16
Does a video show Israeli soldiers placing their national flag atop the Al Shifa hospital in Gaza? No, that’s not true: Al Shifa buildings seen in other photos didn’t appear to have any UN markings on the rooftops, while the…
Read at Lead Stories
Fact Check: Colin Kaepernick Was NOT Fired ‘From His New Job As A High School Coach After Only Six Games’ — Satire Story Was Bait
Published 11/21/2023 02:38
Was Colin Kaepernick “fired from his new job as a high school coach” after only six games because kids couldn’t stand him? No, that’s not true: The claim is derived from an article copied from a satirical website known for…
Read at Lead Stories
Fact Check: 17,327 Dead People Did NOT Vote In Michigan In 2020 Presidential Election
Published 11/21/2023 02:02
Did 17,327 dead people vote in Michigan in the 2020 presidential election? No, that’s not true: The Michigan Office of the Auditor General released an audit in March 2022 that found 1,616 votes cast by electors who died prior to…
Read at Lead Stories
Fact Check: Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Shows NO DNA “Contamination,” Permanent Genetic Changes Or Death From Cardiac Arrest
Published 11/21/2023 01:55
Is the Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine “contaminated” with a type of DNA that causes permanent genetic changes in vaccinated people or leads to death due to cardiac arrest? No, that’s not true: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told Lead…
Read at Lead Stories
Fact checks from PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories – 18 new posts
Instagram posts – Footage of Nancy Pelosi on Jan. 6, 2021, doesn’t prove Capitol attack was staged
Published 11/21/2023 23:51
Videos of Nancy Pelosi from Jan. 6, 2021, show the Capitol attack was staged.
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
TikTok posts – No, Israel has not changed its barcode
Published 11/21/2023 23:45
“Israel has changed their barcode from 729 to 871 … as the public was boycotting Israeli products.”
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
How viable is Donald Trump’s 2024 immigration plan?
Published 11/21/2023 23:12
Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign includes plans to build mass detention camps, suspend the refugee program and invoke a centuries-old law to deport people without due process. How viable is his plan from a legal standpoint?
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
Facebook posts – Did Pete Buttigieg say Joe Biden is unfit to serve? No, this video is miscaptioned
Published 11/21/2023 23:04
Video shows that “Troy Nehls FORCES Pete Buttigieg to admit that Biden is unfit to serve.”
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
Karine Jean-Pierre – Fact-checking Karine Jean-Pierre on this year’s Thanksgiving costs
Published 11/21/2023 22:57
“Because wages are rising, this Thanksgiving dinner is the fourth-cheapest ever as a percentage of average earnings.”
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
Megyn Kelly – This video from George Floyd’s death isn’t new, as Megyn Kelly said in a Facebook post
Published 11/21/2023 22:46
“New police bodycam footage” of George Floyd’s arrest “changes the narrative”
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
Israel-Hamas war: What we know about ‘beheaded babies’
Published 11/21/2023 22:31
In the weeks since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, reports of beheaded babies have spread widely in the news and on social media. PolitiFact examined what we know about the reports and how officials have addressed them.
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
Editor's note: PolitiFact's coverage of beheaded babies
Published 11/21/2023 22:30
PolitiFact’s editor-in-chief explains why we have written a new story about what’s known about “beheaded babies” in Israel.
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
Clay Higgins – Why a Republican's claim about ‘ghost buses’ of FBI informants on Jan. 6 is dubious
Published 11/21/2023 21:54
A “ghost bus … filled with FBI informants dressed as Trump supporters deployed onto our Capitol on January 6th.”
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
Alex Mooney – Did Jim Justice break his pledge not to hike taxes?
Published 11/21/2023 21:26
Jim Justice “broke his pledge, raised the gas tax.”
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
TikTok posts – Fact-checking a TikTok claim that the government caused inflation to wage war on civilians
Published 11/21/2023 21:04
The federal government and the Federal Reserve were “raising inflation,” something that “had nothing to do with … getting our economy back in line” but rather to fund a “war against a bunch of civilians.”
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
Instagram posts – Video shows Israeli flag planted over boys’ school, not al-Shifa hospital
Published 11/21/2023 20:31
Video shows Israeli soldiers “raising their flag” over al-Shifa hospital in Gaza.
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
How you can support PolitiFact’s independent fact-checking this giving season
Published 11/21/2023 17:52
This giving season, a generous funder will match all new monthly donations to PolitiFact through next year, or double a one-time gift. Here’s how you can support our accountability-driven fact-checking.
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
TikTok posts – No, The Associated Press and CNN didn’t ‘admit’ they knew about Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack beforehand
Published 11/20/2023 23:32
CNN and The Associated Press “admitted” to knowing about Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in advance but didn’t tell anyone.
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
Facebook posts – The U.S. government isn’t giving Americans $2,000 monthly checks
Published 11/20/2023 22:58
“Any American who needs $2,000 a month can get it now” thanks to a new government program.
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
Pink – Banned books in Florida schools: How accurate is a list Pink shared?
Published 11/20/2023 18:55
These 13 books “have been banned from schools in Florida.”
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
Dean Phillips – How familiar are US students with the Holocaust? Checking Dean Phillips’ claim
Published 11/20/2023 18:42
“Half of American high school students are not familiar with the Holocaust.”
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
Nikki Haley – Nikki Haley distorts Ron DeSantis’ Chinese recruitment record in Florida
Published 11/20/2023 13:50
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis “did something six months ago” akin to Nikki Haley recruiting Chinese companies to South Carolina.
Read at PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories
Fact checks from Reuters – 14 new posts
Fact Check: Video does not show Adele carrying a Palestinian flag
Published 11/22/2023 19:17
A video of British singer Adele carrying a Mexican flag during a performance in Las Vegas has been mislabeled online, with some saying it shows her holding a Palestinian flag.
Read at Reuters
Fact Check: Map featuring Antarctica ‘ice wall’ is an art forum creation
Published 11/22/2023 19:09
A video of a map depicting Earth’s continents surrounded by an Antarctic “ice wall” is a creative interpretation from an online art forum. Some posts on social media have shared it with claims it proves the Earth is flat.
Read at Reuters
Fact Check: ‘Gaza place of trans pilgrimage’ headline unrelated to The Guardian
Published 11/22/2023 09:44
An image mimicking the layout of an opinion column in The Guardian, and which is falsely attributed to British lawmaker Apsana Begum, has been shared online. However, a spokesperson for the British newspaper said it had not published such a column.
Read at Reuters
Fact Check: UN has not been granted ‘powers to regulate all internet content’
Published 11/22/2023 08:20
The United Nations has not been granted “powers to regulate all internet content,” as claimed in an article circulating online. The article cites a report published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November that outlines guidelines on governing the internet as proof. But this report grants no such authority to the U.N.
Read at Reuters
Fact Check: Image of Argentina’s new VP wearing white dress is digitally altered
Published 11/22/2023 08:08
An image of Argentina’s newly elected Vice-President Victoria Villarruel wearing a white dress alongside her running mate Javier Milei is digitally altered. In the original photograph, Villarruel was pictured wearing a suit jacket.
Read at Reuters
Fact Check: No evidence convicted Jan. 6 protester is a federal agent
Published 11/21/2023 20:37
A photo of a protester who was convicted for participating in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has been shared in online posts that claim, without evidence, that it shows a federal agent. In the photo, he is holding what appears to be a vape, not a federal agent badge.
Read at Reuters
Fact Check: Video of volcano eruption in Iceland is not from November 2023
Published 11/21/2023 15:20
A video showing the eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland dates back to March 2021 and does not show new eruptions forecast in November 2023 for the southwest of the country.
Read at Reuters
Fact Check: Trump did not say he is still commander-in-chief at rally
Published 11/20/2023 19:45
Former U.S. President Donald Trump said he was the only 2024 Republican presidential candidate with experience as commander-in-chief during a rally last week. Posts online, however, said he claimed to still be commander-in-chief.
Read at Reuters
Fact Check: Altered image of Biden turning his back on Xi in California
Published 11/20/2023 17:52
Footage from Reuters and other news outlets of U.S. President Joe Biden welcoming Chinese leader Xi Jinping in California does not show Biden turning his back on Xi, despite an image circulating online.
Read at Reuters
Fact Check: 2013 Egypt hospital attack video shared as Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital
Published 11/20/2023 12:20
Video showing chaos with audible gunfire inside the Rabaa al-Adawiya hospital in Cairo, Egypt in August 2013, has been falsely shared online as showing Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) inside the Al Shifa hospital in Gaza in 2023.
Read at Reuters
Fact Check: No evidence British MP visited Palestine Mission with pork gift
Published 11/20/2023 11:37
An image of British MP Diane Abbott, which an expert told Reuters is likely AI-generated, has been shared on social media alongside the false claim that it is evidence she visited the Palestinian diplomatic mission to the UK in London offering a platter of “roast pork as a gift”.
Read at Reuters
Fact Check: Bill Nye did not suggest spaceflight is impossible in clip on handling trash
Published 11/20/2023 11:28
Science communicator Bill Nye’s remark that “we cannot leave the Earth” referred to disposal of the planet’s trash, not – as online posts taking his words out of context suggest – that human space travel is impossible.
Read at Reuters
Fact Check: SNP’s Westminster leader held his Remembrance Sunday wreath correctly
Published 11/20/2023 11:12
Comparison online of the way Britain’s party leaders held their poppy wreaths on Remembrance Sunday has sparked a false claim that the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) Westminster leader Stephen Flynn held his garland upside down.
Read at Reuters
Fact Check: Red lake in Chile falsely said to be the River Nile
Published 11/20/2023 09:58
A video of a red-coloured lake in Chile has been falsely claimed online to show the River Nile, with some users suggesting it’s a sign of “the end times”.
Read at Reuters
Fact checks from Snopes.com – 14 new posts
Here Are Some of the Most Viral Rumors Related to the Israel-Hamas War
Published 11/22/2023 22:23
They’re related to Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on Oct.7 and the military organization’s election win in 2006.
Read at Snopes.com
Palestinians Forbidden from Collecting Rainwater Because It’s Deemed ‘Israeli Property’?
Published 11/22/2023 22:12
Israeli authorities have heavily controlled water access in Palestinian territories for decades.
Read at Snopes.com
Fact Check: Tate McRae Had More Monthly Spotify Listeners Than Beyoncé in November 2023?
Published 11/22/2023 20:57
“Women can be successful at the same time, stop pitting them against each other,” one X user commented on the viral rumor.
Read at Snopes.com
Fact Check: Target CEO Admits the Company Is ‘Too Woke’?
Published 11/22/2023 19:41
The company takes a step back due to “serious safety threats” in reaction to Pride merch line.
Read at Snopes.com
Fact Check: Video Shows Israeli Soldiers Detaining 5-Year-Old Palestinian Boy in November 2023?
Published 11/22/2023 19:14
“Now they are arresting children in name of self defence. Shame,” one comment on X read.
Read at Snopes.com
Fact Check: Did Elon Musk Ban Disney From Advertising on X?
Published 11/22/2023 18:04
No, Musk is not implementing a “no wokeness allowed” policy for advertisers.
Read at Snopes.com
Fact Check: Hobby Lobby Stopped Selling Hanukkah Merchandise?
Published 11/22/2023 17:05
We spoke to a representative of the American arts-and-crafts retail chain for the answer.
Read at Snopes.com
Fact Check: Is This a Real Photo of Jimmy Carter Sledding at Camp David?
Published 11/22/2023 00:41
Presidents are allowed to have fun, too.
Read at Snopes.com
Fact Check: Sheryl Underwood Is Leaving ‘The Talk’ After Making CBS ‘Furious’ for Endorsing Weight Loss Gummies?
Published 11/21/2023 21:34
An online article purportedly published by People magazine said Underwood had “shocked everyone when she announced her departure from the show.”
Read at Snopes.com
Fact Check: Trailer for New Harry Potter Pixar Movie Featured on Disney+ Homepage?
Published 11/21/2023 21:19
Apparently Hogwarts never offered AI-detection classes.
Read at Snopes.com
Fact Check: Travis Kelce Responds to Taylor Swift Engagement Rumors, as Videos Claim?
Published 11/21/2023 16:51
The clips surfaced after Kelce followed Swift to Argentina for her concert on Nov. 11.
Read at Snopes.com
Video Purportedly Shows Israeli Children Singing ‘We Will Annihilate Everyone’ in Gaza
Published 11/21/2023 00:20
The video was allegedly posted and deleted by Kan, an Israeli news channel.
Read at Snopes.com
Fact Check: Jimmy Carter Said Christianity Was Hijacked by People Who Would ‘Give Jesus Himself the Boot’?
Published 11/21/2023 00:12
The quote often appears alongside memes that include Jimmy Carter’s face, but did he really say these words?
Read at Snopes.com
Fact Check: No, Internet, Kurt Russell Is Not Dead
Published 10/24/2023 15:53
This was neither the first, nor presumably the last, celebrity death hoax we covered in 2023.
Read at Snopes.com
Fact checks from USA Today – 9 new posts
No, Trump did not claim to still be president in speech | Fact check
Published 11/22/2023 15:06
Donald Trump referred to his experience overseeing the U.S. military in a campaign speech, but he did not say he was still commander-in-chief.
Read at USA Today
Video shows anti-judicial overhaul protesters in Israel | Fact check
Published 11/22/2023 14:44
Video shows anti-judicial overhaul protesters in Israel | Fact check
Read at USA Today
Posts falsely claim all ICU patients at Gaza hospital died | Fact check
Published 11/22/2023 13:15
Officials never reported all ICE patients died. In a press briefing, a health minister said 39 babies died at the hospital, which was corrected later.
Read at USA Today
Claim that Kaepernick coached a high school team is satire | Fact check
Published 11/22/2023 10:37
No, Colin Kaepernick did not get fired from a high school coaching job. He remains a free agent and civil rights activist.
Read at USA Today
False claim Indian billionaire promoted AI trading software | Fact check
Published 11/21/2023 16:57
A video of N.R. Narayana Murthy, a billionaire and former CEO of Infosys, was altered to make him appear to promote AI trading software.
Read at USA Today
No, Arizona elections task force did not find Hobbs interfered | Fact check
Published 11/21/2023 12:02
The bipartisan task force developed policy recommendations to improve Arizona’s elections; it didn’t present any proof Hobbs interfered.
Read at USA Today
Viral post misrepresents 50-year-old credit reporting law | Fact check
Published 11/20/2023 00:00
The law, which was enacted in 1970, doesn’t allow you to remove any negative information from your credit report.
Read at USA Today
Ukrainian officials met with US leaders, were not arrested | Fact check
Published 11/20/2023 00:00
Ukrainian officials Andriy Yermak and Yulia Svyrydenko spent three days meeting with United States officials and think tanks. They were not arrested.
Read at USA Today
False claim Fox News linked Stormy Daniels, House speaker | Fact check
Published 11/20/2023 00:00
Spokespeople for Johnson and Fox News both say the claim is false. It originated on a social media account that regularly makes satirical posts.
Read at USA Today
