Two Missouri state senators participated in a fundraising event that included a demonstration of flamethrowers that were up for auction. Videos shared on Instagram falsely claimed to show the senators engaged in a "book burning." But only empty boxes

Serious side effects after COVID-19 vaccination are rare, and there isn't evidence people need to undergo a "spike protein detoxification" regimen after getting vaccinated, contrary to claims made online. Nor has such a regimen been shown to help peo

Flu shots and vaccines that protect children against measles, mumps and rubella have been effective in preventing illness, serious disease and death. But a meme has been circulating with the false suggestion that those vaccines are ineffective. Actua

The wildfires in Maui caused widespread destruction on the island and claimed the lives of 97 people. The Maui Police Department and the FBI have released the list of 31 individuals still unaccounted for following the fire. Yet an Instagram post fals

Kristen Welker's first week as the new moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press" featured an interview with former President Donald Trump, and she was busy trying to push back on his numerous false and misleading statements. The post FactChecking Trump on

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reneged on his promise not to move forward with an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden without having a full vote by the House of Representatives. When defending his reversal, McCarthy blamed his predecessor, Dem

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, a self-professed “unapologetic proponent of greater use of fossil fuels,” has repeatedly cited false or misleading statistics to downplay the risks of climate change. The post Ramaswamy’s Climate Cha

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, is an advocate for equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines in countries around the globe. But a social media post misleadingly claims, "Tedros says he isnt

Updated COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out in the U.S., aimed at targeting the latest, prevalent variants of the disease. Here we answer common questions about the latest vaccines. The post Q&A on the Updated COVID-19 Vaccines appeared first

In its latest TV ad attacking Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, the conservative super PAC School Freedom Fund falsely claims that Beshear's decision to release some prisoners early during the COVID-19 pandemic allowed a man convicted of sodomiz

To avoid damage from heavy rains, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials have opened floodgates along Arizona's border fencing during monsoon season since 2009. But social media users, including Sen. Ted Cruz, shared posts with the misleading c

Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced on Sept. 12 that he would direct the House to open a formal impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden. We review specific allegations that McCarthy made and where those allegations fall short of the evidence so

Speaking at a military base in Alaska on the anniversary of 9/11, President Joe Biden wrongly said that he visited ground zero in New York City the day after the attack. Biden first visited the site nine days after terrorists flew planes into the twi

As a presidential candidate seven years ago, Donald Trump said women needed to face "some form" of punishment for violating abortion bans -- a position he quickly retracted after being criticized. But the former president's original remark about puni

Cases of myocarditis have been reported following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination, but they are rare and usually mild. Yet, a viral video distorts news reports to falsely claim 850 people died in Monterrey, Mexico, in June due to myocarditis. The figure co

Responding to news that the former national leader of the Proud Boys was sentenced to 22 years for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene commented: "We are witnessing a communist takeover of our jud

President Joe Biden met with the Israeli president in July at the White House. A clip from that meeting is circulating online with the false suggestion that Biden was "falling asleep" during the meeting. The full video shows Biden was consulting note

A TV ad attacks Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's decision during the COVID-19 pandemic to release more than 1,800 prisoners convicted of non-violent or non-sexual felonies. But the details of the case featured in the ad don’t fit the ad’s narrative. The

GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy this week proposed that a physical fitness test be added to the college admissions process as a "simple way" for colleges to diversify. “It’s a fact that those who perform well on math & reading tests te

People with cancer are particularly vulnerable to severe disease and death from COVID-19. Vaccines provide needed protection. It has not been shown that COVID-19 vaccines cause or accelerate cancer. Nor does a recent paper about a mouse that died of

After a fatal shooting at the University of North Carolina, Fox News displayed a photo of the suspect with this caption: "UNC Police Release Picture of Person of Interest." But an altered screenshot of the news report circulating online shows this ca

Documents show that Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Francis Collins received 58 royalty payments from 2010 to 2021 for their research. Only three of the payments came in 2020 or 2021; the rest were made prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. But social media post

At the first Republican presidential primary debate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis touted his military experience, saying he "was assigned with U.S. Navy SEALs in Iraq" and "deployed to Iraq alongside U.S. Navy SEALs." That's accurate: He was a Navy lawy

The Federal Emergency Management Agency operates a Disaster Recovery Center on Maui and has approved $7 million in assistance to thousands of wildfire survivors. Online videos, however, are sharing a fabricated tale about FEMA's operations, including

The U.S. is seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases, so it may be prudent for people to wear masks when out in public and take a few extra precautions. But the government is not planning to implement mask mandates or “lockdowns,” despite claims from the c

Eight Republicans kicked off the 2024 presidential election debates in Milwaukee. The post FactChecking the First GOP Debate appeared first on FactCheck.org.

In lieu of joining his fellow Republican presidential candidates in the Aug. 23 debate, former President Donald Trump granted an interview to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson -- who posted it to X minutes before the debate began. Trump made severa

A video repeating the claim that COVID-19 vaccines are responsible for the sudden onset of various visible ailments -- such as fainting and facial paralysis -- is making the rounds, again. But, just like the other, similar posts we've addressed, ther

It’s not known what sparked the wildfires in Maui, although some evidence points to downed power lines. The conditions were ripe for fire, as large amounts of invasive grasses were dry due to drought and high winds helped to rapidly spread flames. Bo