Q: Has the International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto as a “major planet”?
A: No. That claim was originally published years ago as an April Fool’s joke.
Pluto Not Reclassified as a Planet
Debunking Viral Claims
FactCheck.org is one of several organizations working with Facebook to debunk misinformation shared on the social media network. We provide several resources for readers: a guide on how to flag suspicious stories on Facebook and a list of websites that have carried false or satirical articles, as well as a video and story on how to spot false stories.
No Logan Act Charges Against John Kerry
Q: Is John Kerry facing felony charges under the Logan Act?
A: No. The former secretary of state has not been charged.
Parton Me? Dolly Didn’t Praise Trump
Q: Did Dolly Parton say, “Trump in one year is already better than 16 years of Bush, Obama put together?”
A: No. A public relations consultant said that on a Breitbart radio show.
Teaching About Islam Hasn’t Been Banned
Q: Did the U.S. Supreme Court bar public schools from teaching about Islam?
A: No. That rumor originates from a website that describes itself as satirical.
No Evidence of Demi Moore Quote
Q: Did Demi Moore say, “I do not want Trump supporters for fans”?
A: No. Questionable websites have published the quote with no evidence to support it.
Soros Didn’t Pay for Shutdown Votes
Q: Did George Soros pay three Democratic U.S. senators to vote for a government shutdown?
A: No. The “senators” named in a fictional story are not real.
Out With the ‘Old Dixie’
Q: Did President Donald Trump order the removal of Barack Obama’s name from a Florida highway?
A: No. That rumor comes from a false headline attached to a 2015 opinion piece critical of the name change.
No Shutdown Shakedown
Q: Did Sen. Chuck Schumer take $500,000 in donations from immigrant advocacy groups before the government shutdown?
A: No. That rumor originated on a satirical website.
Fake Denzel Washington Story
Q: Did Denzel Washington call Barack Obama the “criminal-in-chief”?
A: No. The actor has been a steady supporter of Obama and of other Democrats.
Oprah’s 2013 Quote on Racism, in Context
Q: Did Oprah Winfrey say, “White People Just Have To Die.”
A: No. In 2013, she said that “older people, who were born, and bred, and marinated” in racism “have to die” before racism can be solved.