Facts Check

Q: Does the Amazon produce 20% of the world’s oxygen? A: No. Scientists estimate the percentage is closer to 6 to 9%, and the Amazon ultimately consumes nearly all of that oxygen itself.  FULL QUESTION Does the Amazon Rainforest truly produce 20% of the Earth’s oxygen? Where does the remaining ...
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Quick Take A website that describes its content as satire posted a story falsely claiming that Malia Obama was arrested at Harvard University. She wasn’t, but that story has been copied by other sites and shared as though it’s true. Full Story Malia Obama has been a popular target for ...
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Summary To hear President Donald Trump tell the story of the U.S. steel industry, it went from “dead” or “going out of business” to “thriving” all because of the 25% tariffs on imported steel he instituted in March 2018. While the tariffs have benefited U.S. steel producers, the reality of ...
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Quick Take An old clip from a cable news show has been misrepresented by a dubious website to make the false claim that the program’s anchor prayed “for every American to suffer just so Trump won’t get re-elected.” Full Story A clip taken from an MSNBC show that aired more ...
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Quick Take Facebook users expressed outrage over a statement that is falsely attributed to Sen. Kamala Harris. The quote — about seeking “vengeance” against supporters of President Donald Trump — originated on a website that calls its work satire. Full Story A statement first attributed to Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris ...
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In a series of tweets aimed at the auto industry, President Donald Trump inaccurately said that his fuel efficiency plan would reduce the cost of cars “by more than $3000” and make them “substantially safer.” Even going by his administration’s analysis — which many experts doubt — he inflated the ...
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In a tweet, President Donald Trump said he “hereby ordered” U.S. companies to “immediately start looking for an alternative to China,” including moving their operations back to the United States. His top economic adviser later said “we do have such authority, but it is not going to be exercised presently.” ...
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Quick Take A viral social media post falsely claims that former President Barack Obama “separated” many more children at the border than President Donald Trump.  Full Story  The Trump administration announced a new rule on Aug. 21 that would allow the U.S. government to detain immigrant families that illegally cross ...
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Quick Take A thoroughly debunked hoax claiming that Instagram users can stop the platform from using their pictures if they post a statement rescinding permission has been circulating again. This time, it ensnared a member of the Trump administration. Full Story Some hoaxes are built to last. And one such ...
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President Donald Trump has claimed no fewer than seven times over the past three years — including at a recent rally in New Hampshire — that he won Michigan’s “man of the year” award. But there’s no evidence that he did. We scoured news archives and searched the internet, and ...
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Quick Take Social media posts erroneously attribute a quote to House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy. He didn’t say that “there are no mass shootings in Japan because there are no video games there.” Full Story In the days after the back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, ...
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Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke said workers living in the U.S. illegally who were swept up in immigration raids at chicken processing plants in Mississippi are “doing a job that no one else will do.” The jobs are hard and don’t pay well, but — at least at one of ...
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