In another feisty affair, the Democrats traded barbs over contested quotes, crime and Castro. We referee some of the rhetoric.
FactChecking the South Carolina Debate
Stories by Saranac Hale Spencer
Staff Writer, FactCheck.org
Misinformation Outlasts Virginia Gun Bill
A Virginia bill that would have banned the sale of “assault firearms” has been tabled for a year, but misinformation about it continues to circulate online — including a false claim that the state will confiscate guns.
Fake Coronavirus Cures, Part 3: Vitamin C Isn’t a Shield
Online posts claim that vitamin C can “stop” the new coronavirus. While it’s true that vitamin C can have a marginal effect on warding off a cold, there’s no evidence that it can stop or treat the new coronavirus.
Fake Coronavirus Cures, Part 2: Garlic Isn’t a ‘Cure’
Online posts falsely claim the new coronavirus can be cured by drinking one bowl of freshly boiled garlic water. That’s not true; there is no cure for the virus.
Fake Coronavirus Cures, Part 1: MMS is Industrial Bleach
Online posts have claimed to reveal various “cures” for the new coronavirus. Some are benign, like eating boiled garlic, while others are potentially dangerous, like drinking chlorine dioxide, an industrial bleach. Neither will cure the virus.
Coronavirus Wasn’t Sent by ‘Spy’ From Canada
Social media posts falsely claim that a “Chinese spy team” working in a Canadian government lab sent “pathogens to the Wuhan facility” prior to the coronavirus outbreak in China. Two Canadian agencies have told us those claims are wrong.
Pelosi’s Impeachment Pens Aren’t 18-Karat Gold
Claims spreading online say House Speaker Nancy Pelosi used expensive pens, or ones made of gold, to sign the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. Actually, the pens, which are made mostly of brass, have a suggested retail value of about $20.
Setting the Record Straight on Climate Change and Arson in Australia’s Bushfires
Various claims online suggest that climate change hasn’t contributed to the bushfires ravaging the East Coast of Australia, pinning the blame instead on arson. Those claims distort the facts.
FactChecking the January Democratic Debate
In the final Democratic debate before the Iowa caucuses, there were fewer candidates — only six — but more than a few false, misleading and exaggerated claims.
Amid Military Tension, Meme Misdates Soldiers’ Deaths
A meme circulating on Facebook displays photos of five U.S. soldiers that purportedly were killed “this Tuesday in Afghanistan.” Actually, they died in 2013 and there was a sixth soldier killed in the same incident who isn’t included in the meme.