Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, following months of military buildup and, as we’ve written, repeated denials by Russian officials that their country planned to invade. As is often the case with major news events, we have seen several false and misleading claims made on social […]
Facts Check
Megachurches in U.S. Are Supporting Ukraine Relief, Contrary to Social Media Posts
Quick Take Several megachurches in the U.S. are actively raising funds to support Ukrainians in light of the Russian invasion. But social media posts have falsely claimed that “we haven’t seen a single American mega church offer anything to the Ukrainians.” Full Story On Feb. 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin […]
Old, Mislabeled Video Circulating Amid Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
Quick Take A video from 2019 showing Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been circulating recently with the false claim that it shows Putin meeting with the South Korean president. Full Story Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong […]
Examining U.S. ‘Energy Independence’ Claims
When politicians say that the United States was “energy independent” under former President Donald Trump, some people may get the false impression that the U.S. was 100% self-sufficient. The country still relied on foreign sources of energy, including oil. To help meet domestic demand, the U.S. has imported oil and […]
Rothschild & Co. Has Office in Russia, Contrary to Conspiracy Claim on Social Media
Quick Take Rothschild & Co. has an office in Moscow and has been operating in Russia since the mid-1990s. Yet posts on social media falsely claim that Russia has barred the Rothschild banking family from doing business in the country. The claim is an adaptation of an old conspiracy theory […]
What We’ve Learned About So-Called ‘Lockdowns’ and the COVID-19 Pandemic
SciCheck Digest Plenty of peer-reviewed studies have found government restrictions early in the pandemic, such as business closures and physical distancing measures, reduced COVID-19 cases and/or mortality, compared with what would have happened without those measures. But conservative news outlets and commentators have seized on a much-criticized, unpublished working paper […]
Future Forward USA PAC (FF PAC)
Political leanings: Democratic 2020 total spending: $150.8 million Future Forward USA PAC, legally known as FF PAC, is a liberal political action committee created in 2018 to support the presidential election of Joe Biden. The group is what’s known as a hybrid PAC or “Carey committee.” That means it “has the ability […]
National Victory Action Fund
Political leanings: Republican 2020 total spending: $4.8 million The National Victory Action Fund was established in 2020 by several Republican political strategists. The group is what’s known as a hybrid PAC or “Carey committee,” meaning it “has the ability to operate both as a traditional PAC, contributing funds to a candidate’s committee, and as […]
Post Misconstrues Public Health Awareness Campaigns About Blood Clots
SciCheck Digest The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Pfizer tweeted in February about the dangers of blood clots in veins, which are relatively common and affect as many as 900,000 Americans each year. A story shared on social media, however, misleadingly linked those public health reminders to the […]
Hunter Biden Left Ukrainian Company in 2019, Contrary to Ted Nugent Post
Quick Take Hunter Biden served on the board of the Ukrainian oil and gas company Burisma Holdings from 2014 to 2019. But Ted Nugent posted a Facebook meme falsely insinuating that Hunter’s payments from the company ended with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Full Story In May 2014, Hunter Biden […]