Fact Check: Is This Obama's ID?
December 7, 2018 · Barack Obama, Birther Movement, TWS Fact Check
How do we know this is fake? Let us count the ways.
Fact Check: Are Weapons Being Shipped to America, Disguised as Furniture?
December 4, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Web Only, Muslim
El Chapo, they are not.
Fact Check: Festivus and Fox News
November 30, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Fox News, Seinfeld
A meme about nothing.
Fact Check: Michelle Obama Did Not Say ‘White Folks Are What’s Wrong With America’
November 29, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Michelle Obama, Donald Trump
An old meme, reimagined.
Fact Check: Michelle Obama Did Not Say ‘White Folks Are What’s Wrong With America’
November 29, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Michelle Obama, Donald Trump
An old meme, reimagined.
Fact Check: Slaves to Black Friday
November 29, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Web Only, Thanksgiving
Tyler Durden would be proud.
Fact Check: Swearing and the Bible
November 27, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, bible, Web Only
Thou shalt not share fake news.
Fact Check: Does a Photo Show a Border Agent Attacked by the Current Migrant Caravan?
November 27, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Mexican border, Border Security
Just like leftover Halloween candy, this is old.
Fact Check: Obama, Black Panthers, and Photoshop
November 26, 2018 · Barack Obama, black panther, photoshop
It's a party
Fact Check: Did Donald Trump Say ‘Undocumented Immigrants Are Not People; They Are Animals’?
November 26, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Migrants, illegal immigration
No, he did not.
Fact Check: Is the Red Cross 'Not Helping California Wildfire Victims'?
November 21, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, California, Fire
Another meme, another falsehood.
Fact Check: The Migrant Flag Burning Meme? Fake News.
November 21, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Migrants, caravan
Texas v. Johnson v. incorrectly captioned photos.
Fact Check: Ilhan Omar Did Not Suggest ‘All White Men Should Be Put in Chains’
November 20, 2018 · Minnesota, Ilhan Omar, Donald Trump
Democracy dies in memedom.
Fact Check: Was the Recent California Fire Started by the U.S. Government Using Space Lasers?
November 16, 2018 · California, Fire, TWS Fact Check
George Soros, the Rothschilds, and Harold Wilson walk into a bar...
Fact Check: A Creepy Uncle Joe Photoshop
November 14, 2018 · Joe Biden, obama administration, Web Only
We aren’t proud of this one.
Fact Check: Another Fake Maxine Waters Quote
November 13, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Maxine Waters, Fake News
You've been bamboozled.
Fact Check: Is This Photo of Muslims Praying From Birmingham, Alabama?
November 9, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Muslim, Immigration
A comedy of errors.
Fact Check: Was Pelosi ‘Disgusted’ by ‘Trump Allowing People to Keep More of the Money They Earn’?
November 8, 2018 · Nancy Pelosi, TWS Fact Check, Web Only
If you have to ask ...
Fact Check: Did Pelosi Claim that 'Building a Wall Will Violate the Rights of Millions of Illegals'?
November 6, 2018 · Nancy Pelosi, Fake News, TWS Fact Check
No truer now than it wasn't last year.
Fact Check: Obama, American Imposter and the First Former President to Criticize a Successor?
November 6, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Barack Obama, George Bush
No.
Fact Check: Another Soros Conspiracy Theory
November 5, 2018 · voting, George Soros, Midterm election
"Oh look, TWS is defending Soros again." -Ace, probably.
Fact Check: Did Michele Bachmann Suggest "White People Have Suffered More" Under Obama Than Slaves Under Slavery?
November 2, 2018 · Michele Bachmann, Fake News, fact check
Call it satire if you’d like, but it’s false information.
Fact Check: Does This Image Show a "Mexican Official being Dragged by the Caravan"?
November 1, 2018 · Mexican immigration, illegal immigration, caravan
Noticias falsas.
Fact Check: Does This Image Show a Mom Snorting Cocaine With Her Baby?
October 31, 2018 · Drugs, Facebook, TWS Fact Check
"That's not funny." - my mom, probably.
Fact Check: Did Putin Put Out An Arrest Warrant for George Soros 'Dead or Alive'?
October 31, 2018 · George Soros, Russia, Vladimir Putin
Old falsehoods never die, they just (hopefully) fade away.
Fact Check: Did Hillary Clinton Say She Would Like To Be President?
October 30, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Hillary Clinton, President
The dream lives on.
Fact Check: Was the Pipe Bomber Photographed with a Major Democrat Donor?
October 29, 2018 · Bomb, Bombing, Bomber
A picture is worth a thousand fake narratives.
Fact Check: Is Uber Currently Offering Free Rides to Polling Places on Election Day?
October 25, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Web Only, Uber
“I will tell the truth tomorrow.”
Fact Check: 'Canceled Stamp' Conspiracy
October 25, 2018 · CNN, Bomb, Bombs
Claims that the device sent to CNN was not delivered are pure bunk.
Fact Check: Eric Trump Claims ‘ISIS is Gone’
October 23, 2018 · trump, ISIS, Middle East
The Pentagon disagrees.
Fact Check: Do These Photos Depict Violence Against Police by the Migrant Caravan?
October 23, 2018 · illegal immigration, caravan, Mexico
Some do. Some don't.
Fact Check: Did Stacey Abrams Suggest Agriculture Is Unnecessary Due to Grocery Stores?
October 22, 2018 · Georgia, Stacey Abrams, Agriculture
“Memes are dank”―(not) Abraham Lincoln.
Fact Check: Is Senator Bob Menendez on Trial in a Case ‘That Involves Selling Underage Minority Immigrant Girls Into Prostitution'?
October 19, 2018 · Web Only, TWS Fact Check, Bob Menendez
Some mutated game of telephone as occurred.
Fact Check: Is Senator Bob Menendez on Trial in a Case ‘That Involves Selling Underage Minority Immigrant Girls Into Prostitution'?
October 19, 2018 · Web Only, TWS Fact Check, Bob Menendez
Some mutated game of telephone as occurred.
Fact Check: Did Hillary Clinton Suggest the Global Population ‘Must Be Greatly Diminished’?
October 17, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Hillary Clinton, Web Only
She’s no Sanger.
Fact Check: Did the Muslim Brotherhood Show Support for Georgia Gubernatorial Candidate Stacey Abrams?
October 17, 2018 · Muslim Brotherhood, Georgia, Elections
Photoshop.
Fact Check: Did Ruth Bader Ginsburg Say She Would Resign if Kavanaugh Were Appointed?
October 16, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Brett Kavanaugh, Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“In what world would that happen in?” Nick Miller, Season 5, Episode 22.
Fact Check: Mushrooms the Size of Trees?
October 15, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Web Only, Fake News
A simple rumor weed.
Fact Check: Is This an Image of Susan B. Anthony Being Beaten by Cops?
October 15, 2018 · Web Only, TWS Fact Check, women's rights
Right cause, wrong suffragette.
A Nonspecific Diagnosis
October 15, 2018 · Magazine, culture, Lyme Disease
The mystery, confusion, and fear of Lyme disease
Fact Check: Was a Rock Used as a Doorstep Actually a Valuable Meteorite?
October 12, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Space, Star Wars
Actually, yes.
Fact Check: Did aViceNews Journalist Reveal ‘Some Anti-Kavanaugh Protesters Were Paid’?
October 11, 2018 · Brett Kavanaugh, TWS Fact Check, Protests
“Harness that energy.”
Fact Check: Did Senator Cory Booker Say He Was 'Sick and Tired of the Constitution'?
October 8, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Cory Booker, fact check
"I bless the fates it was not so." —Spartacus (War of the Damned).
Fact Check: Are the 'Presidential Alerts' Capable of Accessing Your Phone's Mic and Camera?
October 7, 2018 · Donald Trump, cellphone, TWS Fact Check
"We are the tools and the vassals of the rich behind the scenes. We are marionettes. These men pull the strings and we dance."
Fact Check: Do the American Bar Association and Yale Law School Think Brett Kavanaugh Is 'Unfit for the Supreme Court'?
October 6, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Brett Kavanaugh, Web Only
Not that we know.
Fact Check: What Did Lindsey Graham Mean by His 'Trailer Park With a $100 Bill' Comment?
October 3, 2018 · Lindsey Graham, Christine Blasey Ford, TWS Fact Check
Let's roll the footage.
Fact Check: Was Brett Kavanaugh's Home Vandalized by a Mob of Protesters?
October 3, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Brett Kavanaugh, Protests
When ill-conceived jokes become false information.
Fact Check: Did Dr. Christine Blasey Ford Claim to Use a Cell Phone Prior to Their Commercial Existence?
October 2, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Christine Blasey Ford, Brett Kavanaugh
So here's the thing about internet memes ...
Fact Check: Is This a Photo of Christine Blasey Ford and Bill Clinton?
September 28, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Web Only, Politics
Really?
Fact Check: Does This Photo Show Hillary Clinton With Dr. Ford’s Lawyer?
September 27, 2018 · Brett Kavanaugh, Christine Blasey Ford, Donald Trump
Nope. No. Uh uh.
Fact Check: Does This Video Show an Antifa Member Being Assaulted by a Cop?
September 26, 2018 · antifa, George Soros, police brutality
It's hard to say.
Fact Check: Did SCOTUS Grant a Black Man '40 Acres of Land and a Mule'?
September 26, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, slavery, Supreme Court
The promises of yesteryear blossom into the cruel satire of today.
Fact Check: Did Donald Trump Rescue People Stranded in Floodwater?
September 24, 2018 · Donald Trump, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane
Not a McNaughton painting.
Fact Check: When Pigs Float
September 24, 2018 · Hurricane, Florence, TWS Fact Check
A bunch of hogwash.
Fact Check: Is Coca-Cola Considering a Cannabis-Infused Beverage?
September 20, 2018 · Marijuana legalization, Marijuana, TWS Fact Check
Kusha-Cola
Fact Check: Anderson Cooper, in Cold Water
September 18, 2018 · Hurricane, Anderson Cooper, CNN
Incorrect captions distort one’s perception.
Fact Check: The Nikki Haley Curtain Kerfuffle
September 14, 2018 · Nikki Haley, New York Times, TWS Fact Check
It turns out, headlines matter.
Fact Check: Another False Story Claims Malia Obama Was Suspended From Harvard
September 14, 2018 · Obama, TWS Fact Check, Web Only
“Time is a flat circle.”
Fact Check: ‘Woodward Admits He Lied’ in His New Book?
September 13, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Bob Woodward, Web Only
When satire becomes false information.
Fact Check: Has Brett Kavanaugh 'Stated He'd Overturn'Roe v. Wade?
September 10, 2018 · Brett Kavanaugh, Supreme Court, Roe v. Wade
Ixnay
Fact Check: Was the Gettysburg Address ‘Ridiculed’ By Contemporary News Outlets?
September 7, 2018 · Donald Trump, Abraham Lincoln, Fake News
Yes. And no.
Fact Check: 'Judge’s New Ruling in Manafort Trial ... a Death Blow to Mueller’s Scheme'?
September 7, 2018 · Donald Trump, Paul Manafort, Robert Mueller
Huh?
Fact Check: Did Someone Light Their Feet on Fire to Protest Nike?
September 6, 2018 · Donald Trump, Colin Kaepernick, Web Only
"Come on!"—Gob Bluth
Fact Check: Were Chris Collins and Duncan Hunter Charged Because of "Long Running, Obama Era Investigations"?
September 5, 2018 · Web Only, TWS Fact Check, Politics
President Trump says that the Department of Justice had been investigating Collins and Hunter since the Obama years.
Fact Check: Did the CDC Admit to Giving a 'Cancer Virus via the Polio Shot'?
August 20, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Web Only, Vaccination
"Conspiracies baked in half-truths tend to balloon like bread dough"—Charlie LeDuff.
Fact Check: Did Queen Elizabeth Suggest Deporting Muslims 'To Avoid Bloody Terrorist Attacks'?
August 16, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Queen Elizabeth II, Donald Trump
“Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast"—the Queen.
Fact Check: Are Police Trained to Look for a 'Black Dot' as a Secret Signal From Abuse Victims?
August 13, 2018 · Police, abuse, TWS Fact Check
No.
Fact Check: Is the ‘Lion’s Share’ of the New LeBron Affiliated Public School Covered by the Taxpayer?
August 9, 2018 · LeBron James, Donald Trump, TWS Fact Check
Taxes pay for public schools. Water still wet.
Fact Check: Did Obama Say He 'Fully Support[s] Seizure of White Farmers’ Land in South Africa'?
August 6, 2018 · Barack Obama, South Africa, TWS Fact Check
Fool me once…
Fact Check: Did a ‘White Cop Who Says He Was Taunted for Being Part Black' Receive a $65,000 Settlement?
August 3, 2018 · Web Only, TWS Fact Check, Black Lives Matter
So crazy it just might work.
Fact Check: Are Democrats ‘Trying to Give Illegal Immigrants the Right to Vote’?
August 1, 2018 · illegal immigration, TWS Fact Check, Web Only
It’s not quite that simple.
Fact Check: Can You Make an AR-15 With a 3D Printer?
July 31, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Web Only, technology
Um, no.
Fact Check: Does a 'NASA Study...Pay You $100,000 to Stay in Bed for Sixty Days'?
July 30, 2018 · NASA, Web Only, fact check
Off by 82 grand and a few days.
Fact Check: Does the NRA Make Gun Targets of Children?
July 25, 2018 · NRA, Florida, gun control
No. It’s just amateur, unmarked, photoshopping.
Fact Check: Is NASA ‘Preparing This [Teenage] Girl To Become The First Human On Mars’?
July 23, 2018 · NASA, TWS Fact Check, Web Only
What do you think?
Fact Check: Did Putin Give 'Trump Valuable Info to Take Down' the Clintons and Obamas?
July 20, 2018 · Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama
We'll let you guess.
Fact Check: Did Sarah Palin Question Why NATO Did Not Assist in World War II?
July 18, 2018 · Sarah Palin, Donald Trump, NATO
The site claims a "satire" label. Readers don't believe it.
Fact Check: Were Four Police Officers Suspended for Alleged White-Power Gesture?
July 17, 2018 · White suppremacists, TWS Fact Check, Web Only
Fake News can mimic reality in such a way that people begin to incorrectly dismiss actual reports. Take this headline from the station WHNT-19 in Alabama: “Jasper officers suspended for alleged ‘white power’ gesture.” The headline is paired with an image of the symbol known widely as an “O.K.”
Fact Check: Is Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz of San Juan Facing Charges of Over $3 Million in Fraud?
July 17, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Politics, Puerto Rico
Wrong Mayor. False Report.
Fact Check: No, Sweden Is Not Erupting in Some 'Civil War'
July 13, 2018 · Sweden, Refugees, Facebook
An old rumor finds new life.
Fact Check: Did Maxine Waters 'Officially Request to Resign'?
July 6, 2018 · Maxine Waters, Facebook, Politics
Are we talking about the same lawmaker?
Fact Check: Did a Restaurant Near the Red Hen Threaten to Burn All MAGA Hats?
July 5, 2018 · Sarah Sanders, TWS Fact Check, Fake News
Obvious fake news churns out real threats.
Fact Check: Did Amy Barrett Side With a 'Separate-But-Equal' Arrangement Against a Black Worker?
July 3, 2018 · Supreme Court, TWS Fact Check, Politics
She wasn't even on the panel.
Fact Check: Did 19 ICE Agents Call For ICE To Be ‘Dissolved’?
July 2, 2018 · ICE, DHS, Kirstjen Nielsen
In the words of Run–D.M.C., it’s tricky.
Fact Check: Is the Deficit 'Coming Down Rapidly' as Larry Kudlow Claimed?
June 29, 2018 · Deficit, Larry Kudlow, TWS Fact Check
Growth solves some problems, but it can't solve the government's spending addiction.
Fact Check: Did The Owner of The Red Hen Threaten Sarah Huckabee Sanders After She Left The Restaurant?
June 29, 2018 · Sarah Sanders, TWS Fact Check, Web Only
The mental-gymnastics award goes to…
Attacks Abroad, and What We Don’t Know
June 29, 2018 · Politics, Magazine, Diplomacy
The mysterious assault on our diplomatic personnel in Cuba and China.
Fact Check: Has Robert Mueller's Income and Net Worth Been Uncovered?
June 28, 2018 · Robert Mueller, TWS Fact Check, Web Only
BREAKING! No-name blogs peddle misinformation.
Fact Check: Is Maxine Waters 'Getting Criminally Charged'?
June 27, 2018 · Maxine Waters, TWS Fact Check, Web Only
"MAGA Student" misses the mark.
Fact Check: Has the World Health Organization Added 'Gaming Disorder' as a Mental Health Condition?
June 19, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Facebook, Web Only
Angry nerds, everywhere.
Fact Check: Did Democrats Pass a Law Separating Children and Adults at the Southern Border?
June 19, 2018 · Donald Trump, Mexican border, Mexican immigration
Searching for historical precedent that led to this crisis on the border.
Fact Check: Did Pope Francis Parallel 'Abortion to Avoid Birth Defects' to Nazi Eugenics?
June 18, 2018 · Pope Francis, Catholic, Italy
When it comes to abortion, the Pope is Catholic.
Fact Check: Did Trump Demand Americans ‘Stand Up’ When He Speaks?
June 15, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Donald Trump, Kim Jong-un
With the point of a finger, we have our answer.
Fact Check: Sean Hannity Facing 'Possible Prison Time for Witness Tampering'?
June 11, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Sean Hannity, Mueller probe
Nope.
Fact Check: 'John Kerry to Get Jail Time'?
June 8, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, John Kerry, Donald Trump
The mountebanks are at it again.
Fact Check: Is It Now 'Against the Law in California to Shower and Do Laundry on the Same Day'?
June 5, 2018 · California, water, Jerry Brown
Cleaning up a misleading claim about two bills signed into law.
Fact Check: George Soros, the Thieving Nazi Sympathizer?
May 30, 2018 · George Soros, Roseanne Barr, Donald Trump Jr.
A rewriting of history makes for some strained conspiracies.
Fact Check: Does ICE Have a 'Prison Bus Just For Babies'?
May 29, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, ICE, Donald Trump
One picture leads to a plethora of misleading claims.
Fact Check: Did Mike Pence Get Into a 'Screaming Fit' Over Adultery During His '90s Radio Program?
May 25, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Mike Pence, Radio
Clickbait headline overblows reality. Water still wet.
Fact Check: Did Pope Francis Reportedly Tell a Gay Man 'God Made You Like This'?
May 22, 2018 · Pope Francis, TWS Fact Check, Religion
'Reportedly' is a key word here.
Fact Check: Did a Bakery Censor the Phrase 'Summa Cum Laude' on a Graduation Cake?
May 22, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, cake
Computer programs can be such prudes.
Fact Check: Has Another Doctor With Supposed Clinton Connections Mysteriously Died?
May 11, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Clinton Foundation, Hillary Clinton
No. It's a cruel conspiracy that shamelessly, and repeatedly, uses the death of an actual person.
Birth of a Counternarrative
May 11, 2018 · Holmes Lybrand, Fake News, Russia
How fake news enters the mainstream.
Fact Check: Did Andrew Cuomo Appoint Hillary Clinton as New York’s Attorney General?
May 9, 2018 · Hillary Clinton, New York, fact checking
Fake News. Here’s “What Happened.”
Fact Check: Did Charles Krauthammer Write an Op-Ed Arguing for 'Trump the Pragmatist'?
May 3, 2018 · Charles Krauthammer, TWS Fact Check, Donald Trump
Not at all.
Fact Check: Did Trump Bribe Ukraine to Back Off 'Russia Probe'?
May 3, 2018 · Russia, Ukraine, Mueller probe
There is no proof of a quid pro quo with a government wary of "irritating the top American officials."
Fact Check: Did South Korea's President Suggest Donald Trump Be Given the Nobel Peace Prize?
May 1, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, North Korea, Nobel Prize
Indeed he did.
Fact Check: Is the NRA Convention Banning Guns During Pence's Speech?
April 30, 2018 · NRA, guns, Parkland
The Secret Service trumps the NRA's Second Amendment predilection.
Fact Check: Did the OPCW find 'NO Chemical Weapons at Damascus Research Center'?
April 26, 2018 · chemical weapons, Syria, TWS Fact Check
The report is from last year.
Fact Check: Were Several Hundred Pounds of Dynamite Stolen in Pennsylvania?
April 19, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Pennsylvania, ATF
A bombshell of a fact check.
Fact Check: Did The FBI Raid Obama and “Find [a] Massive Secret That Was Hidden For Years”?
April 19, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, tax fraud, Taxes
A senseless headline shrouds some legitimate news.
Fact Check: Were 'Over 200 Million Eggs Recalled ... Due To Salmonella Concerns'?
April 16, 2018 · FDA, Egg, recall
Yes. Twenty-two people have already been affected.
Fact Check: Have 89 People Been Hospitalized In Chicago Due To Synthetic Cannabis?
April 12, 2018 · Pot, Chicago, Marijuana
Yes, and the number is growing.
Fact Check: Is the FBI Behaving Like the "Gestapo in Germany"?
April 12, 2018 · Newt Gingrich, Robert Mueller, Michael Cohen
Let's roll the tape.
Fact Check: Were Fox’s London Offices 'Just Raided'?
April 11, 2018 · fact check, TWS Fact Check, Fox News
Yes, actually: A sensational headline, but accurate info.
Fact Check: Did Buzz Aldrin Undergo A Lie-Detector Test 'Revealing Truth About Aliens'?
April 10, 2018
Houston, we have a falsehood.
Fact Check: Did David Hogg Give a Nazi Salute?
April 3, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, david hogg, Parkland
A headline from the blogsite "David Harris Jr." claimed that "David Hogg [was] mocked for giving Nazi/Socialist salute to end march."
Fact Check: Is Elon Musk Buying Facebook So He Can Delete It?
April 2, 2018 · Elon Musk, TWS Fact Check, Today's Blogs
What better time to cover satirical news than in the immediate wake of April Fool's day?
Fact Check: Did a GOP Congressman Make a Racist Jab at Puerto Rico's Congresswoman?
March 22, 2018 · Mike Rogers, TWS Fact Check, Fake News
During a televised hearing before the Homeland Security Committee last week on natural disasters in 2017, Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama made a joke that thousands of people online perceived as a racist jab.
Fact Check: Is There 'Literally No Evidence' Russia Was Behind the Skripal Poisoning?
March 21, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Sergei Skripal, Fake News
On his website, John Laurits (a self-identified communist based in Oregon) claimed that there is “no evidence” that Russia was involved in the poisoning of former Russian spy and double agent, Sergei Skripal.
Fact Check: Did an Astronaut's DNA Change in Space So It No Longer Matched His Twin's?
March 15, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Today's Blogs, fact check
Nowadays the term “fake news” is usually associated with politics, but it’s worth remembering that no field is immune to the spread of misinformation. And pop-science journalism is at least as prone to distortion as political coverage, especially when simplistic headlines are exaggerated on social…
Fact Check: Was Trump 'Shaking With Rage' After Rachel Maddow 'Confirmed' The 'Golden Shower' Rumors?
March 15, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, dossier, Donald Trump
In the “fake news” business nothing spreads misinformation quite as well as a ridiculous headline. They’re perfect for ginning up inquisitive clicks with the almost-money-back guarantee that the reader won’t get past the lede.
Fact Check: Is PayPal Shutting Down Accounts Belonging to Conservatives?
March 14, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Fake News, Today's Blogs
TWS Fact check is aware that there are few things less funny than explaining a joke, but fact checking one comes close.
Fact Check: Did a Catholic Archbishop Defend Pedophilia?
March 9, 2018 · pedophilia, TWS Fact Check, Fake News
The website POTUS WDC posted a false story with the bogus headline, “Catholic Archbishop Says Pedophilia Is ‘Spiritual Encounter With God.’”
Fact Check: Are Seattle Police Seizing Guns Without Warrants?
March 7, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Fake News, gun violence
“Seattle Police Begin Taking Citizens Guns Away, No Warrants or Charges,” a headline from the website Neon Nettle claimed early Wednesday. Multiple blog sites reported the same.
Fact Check: Did the FEC Fine the Sanders Campaign for Taking 'Illegal Contributions'?
March 6, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, 2016 Elections, Today's Blogs
An article published by CNS News alleged that the Bernie Sanders campaign was fined $14,500 by the Federal Election Commission for “accepting illegal in-kind contributions during [the] 2016 campaign.” Facebook users questioned the article and flagged it for third-party fact checkers.
Fact Check: Did Michelle Obama Receive 'Life-Shattering News From the Doctor'?
March 5, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Fake News, Today's Blogs
“Michelle Obama Just Received LIFE-SHATTERING News From The Doctor,” or so the website “nyfoxnews.co” (a domain extension widely used in Columbia) would have you believe.
Fact Check: What Really Happened With That 'Scripted' CNN Town Hall Question?
March 2, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Today's Blogs, School Shootings
After the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida, CNN hosted a town hall discussion on Wednesday, February 21, which included politicians, an NRA representative, and several students of the school who posed questions to panel members.
Fact Check: Did Trump Fire a Muslim Judge for Trying to Impose Sharia?
February 28, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Donald Trump, sharia
Sometimes hoaxes work as a series, with bits of information being added one at a time and developed into a storyline. Fake news broke last summer that a Muslim judge had legalized two pieces of Sharia in Michigan. That was debunked at the time, with fact checkers pointing out that the “news” was…
Fact Check: Have 'Millions' Joined the NRA Since the Parkland Shooting?
February 27, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Parkland, Today's Blogs
The website “I Love My Freedom” published an article claiming that “millions RUSH to join the NRA after anti-gun lectures by the liberal media.”
Fact Check: Did an Ohio Sheriff Offer Concealed Carry Classes to Teachers?
February 26, 2018 · INfowars, TWS Fact Check, zero hedge
Facebook users questioned the legitimacy of a story posted Monday by Infowars and Zero Hedge, which claimed 300 people had signed up for “gun training” after an Ohio sheriff offered free classes for 50 teachers.
Fact Check: Were All Russian Facebook Ads Purchased Only After the Election?
February 23, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Donald Trump, Milo Yiannopoulos
“Russia Only Bought Facebook Ads After Trump Won The Election,” a headline from Milo Yiannopoulos’ site Dangerous.com claimed on Monday.
Fact Check: Was an Aide to a Florida State Representative Fired for Pushing the Parkland 'Crisis Actors' Conspiracy Theory?
February 23, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Parkland, Today's Blogs
Claims of “crisis actors” in the wake of the deadly shooting in Florida sounded off across the internet’s conspiratorial corners, garnering attention on sites such as Gateway Pundit and True Pundit.
Fact Check: Was an Aide to a Florida State Representative Fired for Pushing the Parkland 'Crisis Actors' Conspiracy Theory?
February 23, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Parkland, Today's Blogs
Claims of “crisis actors” in the wake of the deadly shooting in Florida sounded off across the internet’s conspiratorial corners, garnering attention on sites such as Gateway Pundit and True Pundit.
Fact Check: Did a 20-year-old with an expired ID buy an AR-15 in 5 minutes?
February 21, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, ar-15, Chris Cuomo
On Wednesday CNN anchor Chris Cuomo retweeted a story from the Tab, which claimed the author (a 20 year-old with an expired ID) was able to purchase an AR-15 in five minutes.
Fact Check: Is a U.S. Attorney Pursuing Treason Charges Against Obama?
February 20, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Dana Boente, treason
“The U.S. district attorney has announced that he will be pursuing charges of treason against the former President Barack Obama,” a false headline from Averific ran over the weekend.
Fact Check: Did Chick-fil-A's CEO Make a Disparaging Racist Statement?
February 19, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Chick-fil-A, racism
Internet hoaxes, like bad stand-up comedy or chain restaurant themes, often struggle with originality. That’s why you’ll see old stories re-emerge year after year.
Fact Check: Did Florida School Shooter Nikolas Cruz Train with a White-Supremacist Group?
February 16, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Today's Blogs, fact check
As noted in our most recent fact check, false information is easily spread in times of chaos and confusion. Early reports are often incorrect or incomplete and information surrounding the horrific school shooting in Florida on Wednesday is no exception.
Fact Check: The Florida School Shooting Forgeries
February 15, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Today's Blogs, fact check
In the wake of the tragic school shooting yesterday in Parkland, Florida fake photos began to surface, spreading misinformation and false accusations surrounding the event.
Fact Check: Did Trump Say Babies Shouldn't Be Born in the Ninth Month of Pregnancy?
February 13, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Donald Trump, abortion
Facebook users marked an article published last month by Deep State Nation as potentially containing false information.
Fact Check: Were '4 Million Democrat Votes' Deemed Fraudulent?
February 13, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Today's Blogs, fact check
Voter fraud is a favorite topic for hoax websites, especially when it comes to the 2016 election.
Fact Check: Did 'Two Russian Citizens Set to Testify Against Hillary Clinton' Die in the Moscow Plane Crash?
February 12, 2018 · Russia, TWS Fact Check, Hillary Clinton
A plane that took off from Moscow’s Domodedovo airport on Sunday crashed, killing all 71 people onboard.
Fact Check: Is Marlboro Selling Marijuana Cigarettes?
February 12, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Marijuana legalization, Today's Blogs
An older online myth resurfaced this week, claiming that Malboro was set to release marijuana cigarettes in four states.
Fact Check: Does the FISA Memo Show That the FBI Was Spying on Trump?
February 9, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Donald Trump, Surveillance
The controversial FISA memo, a GOP-drafted documents alleging surveillance abuses against the Trump campaign, generated an expansive array of responses from political commentators and pundits when it was released last week. After discussing the FISA memo, Fox News’s Judge Jeanine Pirro told viewers…
Do Newly Released Texts From FBI Agents Imply Obama Interfered in the Clinton Email Investigation?
February 8, 2018 · James Comey, TWS Fact Check, Barack Obama
The release of additional texts between FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page has some outlets reporting that the messages implicate President Obama for interfering in the bureau’s investigation of Hillary Clinton’s email.
Fact Check: Did John McCain Help the FBI Pay for the Steele Dossier?
February 8, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, FBI, Fake News
If ever a snare were set for a conspiracy theorist, it would most certainly be the "Steele dossier" released for public consumption by BuzzFeed in January of last year, alleging collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. It has the perfect ingredients for a conspiracy: opposition…
Fact Check: Is Joe Kennedy a Hypocrite for Having a 'Wall' on His Estate?
February 2, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Donald Trump, Today's Blogs
In an attempt to defend the President Trump’s “big, beautiful wall” Patriotic Express accused Joe Kennedy of the gravest of sins: hypocrisy.
Fact Check: Did Robert Mueller Subpoena President Trump?
January 30, 2018 · Robert Mueller, TWS Fact Check, Donald Trump
The Word of God Online has some fake news it would like to share.
Fact Check: Has Nikki Haley 'Accidentally Confessed' to an Affair With Donald Trump?
January 29, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Donald Trump, Fake News
Amid the flurry of rumors stemming from Michael Wolff’s book Fire and Fury, U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley has faced accusations that she had an affair with Donald Trump, accusations which she has denied.
Fact Check: Does a New Law Allow Atheist Doctors to Refuse Care to Religious Patients?
January 29, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Religious Freedom, Atheism
Facebook users have flagged a recent article announcing new legislation that “makes it legal for atheist doctors and nurses to refuse care to religious patients.”
Fact Check: Does New York's Governor Want to Give Dreamers Free College Tuition?
January 26, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, College Tuition, Today's Blogs
The recent federal government shutdown (bringing with it colorful talking sticks, fake news, and finger-pointing festivities) that started when the parties couldn’t agree on how to include DACA protections as part of a continuing resolution, has given new life to the conversation surrounding…
Fact Check: Is Notorious Drug Lord El Chapo Paying for the Wall?
January 25, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Ted Cruz, Today's Blogs
“Breaking: Trump’s ENTIRE wall just got paid for by ONE person & you won’t believe who!”
Fact Check: Did Infowars Release the 'Secret FISA Memo'?
January 23, 2018 · Classified, INfowars, TWS Fact Check
Caricature-extraordinaire Alex Jones claimed on Tuesday to have in his possession THE secret FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) memo that congressional Republicans are calling to be declassified so as to demonstrate surveillance abuses.
Fact Check: Is California Registering Illegal Aliens as Democratic Voters?
January 23, 2018 · Immigration, TWS Fact Check, Voter Registration
A “best practice” among those who spread false information is sloshing it around with the tiniest bit of truth. Some, however, ignore this and go straight to peddling absolute falsehoods.
Fact Check: Did the GOP Oppose a Bill Ensuring Military Paychecks During the Shutdown?
January 22, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Military, Mitch McConnell
“Republicans Just Killed The Bill To Make Sure Troops Get Paid During Shutdown,” or so ran a headline from Addicting Info, flagged as potential fake news by Facebook users.
Fact Check: Is the 'FBI Investigating Whether Russian Money Went to NRA to Help Trump'?
January 19, 2018 · FBI, Donald Trump, Second Amendment
Facebook users were skeptical of a McClatchy DC report on Thursday that the FBI was investigating whether “Russian money went to [the] NRA to help Trump.”
Fact Check: Did a Group Called 'New California' Declare Its Independence From California?
January 17, 2018 · California, Today's Blogs, Magazine
Facebook users questioned the validity of multiple articles covering a movement in California that recently declared independence from the state.
Fact Check: Did Oprah Say 'All White People Have to Die'?
January 17, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, racism, Oprah Winfrey
After Oprah Winfrey’s explosive Golden Globes speech, the internet has been abuzz with Oprah-related chatter, attracting fake news and false information.
Fact Check: Did Dick Durbin 'Reveal Why He Lied' About Trump's Use of S***hole?
January 16, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Donald Trump, Oval Office
Fake news has recently sprung up regarding President Donald Trump’s alleged use of the term “shithole,” claiming that Senator Dick Durbin has “revealed why he lied about Trump saying” the word.
Fact Check: Did Trump End a VA Program for Homeless Vets?
January 16, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Donald Trump, Veterans Affairs
An article published on December 6, 2017, claimed that Donald Trump’s administration had cut a Veterans Affairs program for homeless veterans while the number of homeless veterans increased.
Fact Check: Was a Haitian Official Preparing to 'Testify Against Clinton Foundation Corruption' Before He Died?
January 15, 2018 · Clinton Foundation, TWS Fact Check, Haiti
A conspiracy theory has regained popularity and circulation on Facebook this week regarding Klaus Eberwein’s suicide and alleged connection to the Clintons.
Fact Check: Was a Man Fired for Frowning During a Break-Room Discussion of Donald Trump?
January 10, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Donald Trump, Today's Blogs
An article gaining traction and trust on certain social media platforms reported that an individual lost their job “for frowning during [a] workplace discussion about Trump.”
Fact Check: Did SCOTUS Uphold a Law Outlawing Islam?
January 10, 2018 · TWS Fact Check, Fake News, Today's Blogs
Did the Supreme Court uphold a “1952 Law Outlawing Islam in Government”?
Fact Check: Did Roy Moore Accuser Beverly Young Nelson Admit to Forging His Signature?
December 8, 2017 · TWS Fact Check, Beverly Young Nelson, Roy Moore
On Friday, Fox News claimed that one of Roy Moore’s accusers forged some of a yearbook inscription which had previously been used to substantiate Moore’s connection with the alleged victim.
Fact Check: Was Trump's Reduction of Two National Monuments in Utah Illegal?
December 5, 2017 · TWS Fact Check, Donald Trump, Today's Blogs
After President Donald Trump’s announced Tuesday that he was reducing the land size of two national monuments, Patagonia, the outdoor clothing and gear store, replaced its homepage with a statement claiming that Trump had illegally stolen that land.
Fact Check: Did the U.S. Vote 'No' on a U.N. Resolution to Combat Nazism?
November 27, 2017 · Nazis, TWS Fact Check, United Nations
Following reports that the U.S. voted in opposition to a U.N. resolution “combating Nazism and … practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance,” pundits and activists have cited the decision as demonstrative of the…
Fact Check: Did the Tehama County Shooter Exploit a Loophole to Obtain His Weapons?
November 17, 2017 · Mass Shootings, TWS Fact Check, Today's Blogs
Correction, Nov. 17, 3:27 p.m.: Fact Check originally wrote that state law prohibited Neal from owning or making a gun. In fact, he was prohibited under the Federal Gun Act. The piece has been updated accordingly.
Fact Check: Did Congress Just Pass the Biggest Military Pay Raise in 8 Years?
November 16, 2017 · TWS Fact Check, Today's Blogs, Holmes Lybrand
On Thursday, Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) tweeted that Congress had passed a bill that would provide U.S. troops with the biggest pay increase in eight years.
Fact Check: Were Any Clinton or Obama Judicial Nominees Deemed 'Not Qualified' by the ABA?
November 13, 2017 · TWS Fact Check, Donald Trump, Barack Obama
Four recent judicial nominees from President Donald Trump have received “not qualified” ratings from the American Bar Association, most notably Brett Talley, a 36-year-old lawyer who has never tried a case. In response a post on MSNBC’s website claimed that neither Barack Obama nor Bill Clinton…
Fact Check: Is Trump the First President Not to Take Questions in China?
November 9, 2017 · TWS Fact Check, China, Donald Trump
After reports came out that President Donald Trump did not take questions during a press conference in China, several pundits, journalists, and former Obama administration officials criticized this decision.
Fact Check: Was It Legal For the Texas Shooter to Purchase a Firearm?
November 6, 2017 · TWS Fact Check, Texas church shooting, Today's Blogs
Update, 11/6/17, 5:56 p.m.: Fact Check originally wrote that "at this time it is still unclear if Kelley’s conviction fell under the 1996 domestic abuse amendment to the Federal Gun Act of 1968."
Fact Check: Is It Legal for Those Convicted of Domestic Violence to Own a Gun?
November 6, 2017 · TWS Fact Check, Texas church shooting, Today's Blogs
In the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in Texas information was released that the shooter, Devin Patrick Kelley, received a bad conduct discharge from the U.S. Air Force that involved assault against his then-spouse and their child.
Fact Check: Did the DNC Illegally Steal the 2016 Primary from Bernie Sanders?
November 6, 2017 · TWS Fact Check, DNC, Donald Trump
After a startling revelation from former Democratic National Committee interim chair Donna Brazile that the DNC had engineered the party’s primary election system in favor of then-candidate Hillary Clinton, President Donald Trump suggested that the primary was illegally stolen from Bernie Sanders.
Fact Check: Did Chuck Schumer Champion the Visa Diversity Program?
November 3, 2017 · TWS Fact Check, Charles Schumer, Donald Trump
The morning after a deadly terrorist attack in New York City, President Donald Trump tweeted “The terrorist came into our country through what is called the ‘Diversity Visa Lottery Program,’ a Chuck Schumer beauty. I want merit based.”
Fact Check: Did Hillary Clinton Personally Approve the Uranium One Deal?
November 2, 2017 · TWS Fact Check, Barack Obama, Today's Blogs
On her Sunday show, MSNBC host Joy Reid claimed that Hillary Clinton did not sit on the panel that approved the Uranium One deal.
Fact Check: Did Ed Gillespie Not Condemn the White Supremacist Rally in Charlottesville?
November 2, 2017 · TWS Fact Check, Donald Trump, Ed Gillespie
A mailer sent out by the Democrat party of Virginia depicts Republican candidate Ed Gillespie alongside President Donald Trump with the torch-bearing white supremacists from the rally in Charlottesville pictured below them.