Fact Checks

Was a Newly-Discovered Species of Amphibian Given the Name 'Dermophis Donaldtrumpi'?

Written by: Dan MacGuill

Dec. 20, 2018

Reports in December 2018 referred to a recently discovered "blind creature that buries its head ...

Did Joe Biden Once Advise the Public to Use Shotguns for Self-Defense?

Written by: Dan MacGuill

Dec. 19, 2018

A meme featured an eye-catching quotation attributed to the former vice president.

Did a Traffic Stop Uncover a Bag of Human Penises?

Written by: Dan Evon

Dec. 19, 2018

The sum of strange mugshots and outlandish claims is almost always junk news.

Did 17 Women Discover They're All Pregnant by the Same Man?

Written by: David Emery

Dec. 19, 2018

If true, the profligate impregnator faces a world record child support bill.

Did David 'Avocado' Wolfe Post a Meme About Solar Panels Draining Light from the Sun?

Written by: Alex Kasprak

Dec. 19, 2018

“Solar panels are not renewable, the light they absorb is lost forever,” he wrote, adding “like ...

Did Four AI Robots Kill 29 Scientists in Japan?

Written by: Dan Evon

Dec. 19, 2018

The claim came from a UFOlogist -- and, yes, it does sound like something from a movie.

Does a Texas Law Require Government Contractors to Swear They Won't Boycott Israel?

Written by: Dan MacGuill

Dec. 19, 2018

A December 2018 lawsuit highlighted the case of an elementary school pathologist in Austin.

Did CNN's Don Lemon Say the 'Biggest Terror Threat in This Country Is White Men'?

Written by: Bethania Palma

Dec. 18, 2018

"I keep trying to point out to people not to demonize any one group or any one ethnicity."

Did Penny Marshall Donate Her Estate to Trump's 2020 Election Campaign?

Written by: David Emery

Dec. 18, 2018

The ink was barely dry on Marshall's obituary when a story made the rounds claiming the 'Laverne ...

Did Nikita Khrushchev Say 'We'll Keep Feeding You Small Doses of Socialism'?

Written by: David Emery

Dec. 18, 2018

The Soviet leader allegedly boasted that Americans would suddenly waken to find they lived under ...

Are BANG Energy Drinks Flammable?

Written by: Dan Evon

Dec. 18, 2018

A video used some simple camera tricks to sure make it look that way.

Was the Celebration of Christmas Illegal in the U.S. Until 1836?

Written by: Dan MacGuill

Dec. 18, 2018

A Facebook meme highlighted the Puritan colonists' dim view of December 25 celebrations.

Did the Trump Administration Auction Off 150,000 Acres of Public Land for Fracking?

Written by: Arturo Garcia

Dec. 18, 2018

Activists warned that the Bureau of Land Management was ignoring scientific evidence in opening ...

Did President Trump Ban 'Feliz Navidad' from the White House?

Written by: Dan Evon

Dec. 18, 2018

The "War on Christmas" continues to be waged in fevered imaginations.

Is California Imposing a 5-Cent Tax on Text Messages to Fund Free Phones for Immigrants?

Written by: Arturo Garcia

Dec. 17, 2018

The purpose of a proposal by California state officials was quickly misrepresented in online posts.

Did the DOJ Admit the Flu Shot Is the “Most Dangerous” Vaccine in America?

Written by: Alex Kasprak

Dec. 17, 2018

The FBI issues a "Most Wanted Fugitives" list, but the DOJ has no equivalent for supposedly "Dan ...

Did Several Entities Related to President Trump Face Criminal Investigation in 2018?

Written by: Dan MacGuill

Dec. 17, 2018

A popular tweet listed no fewer than six Trump-related entities supposedly under the legal micro ...

Was Colin Kaepernick Arrested in Massive $200K Drug Bust?

Written by: Dan Evon

Dec. 17, 2018

The former NFL quarterback remains a target of salacious news stories.

Did Ruth Bader Ginsburg Cite 'Population Growth' Concerns When Roe v. Wade Was Decided?

Written by: Arturo Garcia

Dec. 17, 2018

The Supreme Court justice's remarks in a 2009 interview have led to accusations that the Supreme ...

Is This 'Quintuple Skull' Real?

Written by: Dan Evon

Dec. 17, 2018

An image purportedly shows the fused skulls of quintuplets born in the early 1900s.