Disinformation

Is Nathan Phillips Lying About His Military Service in Order to Raise Money?

Disinformation, Fact Checks / By /

In the wake of the days-long Covington Catholic controversy, rumors spread about its central figures, Native American rights activist Nathan Phillips of the Omaha Nation and student Nick Sandmann. As the story continued to unfold, pushed along by a toxic social media brew of rumors, backtracking, and the usual swarms of bots and paid trolls, claims appeared about Phillips …

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Was Activist Nathan Phillips in a Skrillex Video About ‘Attacking Police’?

Disinformation, Fact Checks / By /

After a mid-January 2019 Covington Catholic controversy made Native activist Nathan Phillips and student Nick Sandmann virally famous, dueling narratives struggled in a public narrative muddied by smears. Phillips was quickly accused by Big League Politics of “attacking police” in a video for the Skrillex and Damien Marley song “Make It Bun Dem,” despite the video …

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Did a Covington Catholic Student’s Mother Tweet That She Wished Natives Received More ‘Smallpox Blankets’?

Disinformation, Fact Checks / By /

In the middle of the Covington Catholic controversy on January 21 2019, rumors circulated that Julie Sandmann (mother of Nicholas Sandmann) had published a tweet wishing “smallpox blankets” had killed additional Native Americans. Julie Sandmann’s name entered the story when the outlet Heavy.com reported making initial contact with her about her son, Nicholas Sandmann. Not …

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Did the President Tweet in Support of a Covington Catholic Student?

Disinformation, Fact Checks / By /

On January 19 2019, Covington Catholic student Nick Sandmann was named in a viral video after a clip of his interaction with Native American activist Nathan Phillips at the National Mall spread across social media. In the ensuing controversy, a tweet attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump spread in screenshots on social media: The purported tweet said: …

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Did Texas Ranchers Find ‘Prayer Rugs’ Near the U.S.-Mexico Border?

Disinformation, Fact Checks / By /

Amid a flurry of headlines about the government shutdown and Michael Cohen on January 18 2019, President Donald Trump tweeted a highly dubious claim that ranchers on the southern United States border had found “prayer rugs” as part of a plea to fund his plan to build a wall to separate the U.S. from Mexico: Border …

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Is Nancy Pelosi Refusing to Meet with Any U.S. Citizen Who Had a Family Member Murdered by ‘an Illegal’?

Disinformation, Fact Checks, Immigration, Politics / By /

In January 2019, a Facebook user posted a  status update that has since become virally popular. It said: IMAGINE THAT NANCY PELOSI IS REFUSING TO MEET WITH ANY U.S. CITIZEN WHO HAD A FAMILY MEMBER MURDERED BY AN ILLEGAL. The post appeared on its own with no citations or other information to contextualize its claims. However, we …

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Is Growing Vegetables in Your Own Yard Now Confirmed as a Criminal Offense?

Disinformation, Fact Checks / By /

In January 2019, the Facebook page “Herbs, Health, and Happiness” shared a Natural News item titled “Growing vegetables in your own yard now confirmed as a criminal offense by Florida courts … INSANITY is now LAW.” The share racked up plenty of engagement, primarily among people chagrined that the government had outlawed gardening in one’s own …

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Did Undocumented Immigrants Send $56 Billion in ‘Pure Cash’ to Their Home Countries Last Year?

Disinformation, Fact Checks, Immigration / By /

Against the backdrop of a long-running federal shutdown, purportedly over border wall funding, a Facebook user shared the following meme in January 2019: It read: ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SENT $56 BILLION IN PURE CASH TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES LAST YEAR ALONE. THAT’S AFTER THEIR KIDS ENJOYED FREE EDUCATION, FREE LUNCHES, AND FREE MEDICAL CARE PAID FOR …

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Is Rashida Tlaib’s ‘Raping and Pillaging… What Goes Around Comes Around’ Tweet Real?

Disinformation, Fact Checks / By /

In January 2019, a tweet attributed to Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib began circulating in questionable screenshot-only form on Twitter and Facebook: Dated January 4, 2019, it read: Americans have spent decades raping and pillaging my people. What goes around comes around. #FridayFeeling The tweet was immediately suspicious, as Rep. Tlaib’s official Twitter account is verified — but …

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