‘Striking’ Photograph of Children Playing in ‘Chalk Squares’ During Coronavirus Pandemic
A viral photograph purportedly shows small children playing all alone in individual “chalk squares” marked on the playground asphalt.
Fact Checks
Did Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Say Any Protester Carrying a Firearm Will Be Arrested?
A British tabloid’s story on Michigan protests had a different presentation for Facebook users.
Did Elon Musk Use Buca di Beppo’s Photograph of a Sundae?
Twitter users quickly noticed that the post from Tesla Motors’ chief executive officer still bore the photo’s original watermark.
Did U.S. President Donald Trump Tweet That Obama Didn’t ‘Prepair’ for the Coronavirus Pandemic?
A doctored tweet attributed to Trump purportedly said “it is unbelievable” that President Barack Obama “criticized” him “for the coronavirus response” when Obama “had 8 years to prepair.”
Did Woodstock Occur ‘in the Middle of a Pandemic’?
It is curious that the American Institute for Economic Research is interested in reporting that Woodstock was held during a purported pandemic.
Is Ventura County COVID-19 Testing and Removing Children from Homes?
“Force testing” and the threat of taking children into foster care has emerged as a massive subthread of coronavirus conspiracies and disinformation, among them a video from Ventura County, California.
Does House Bill 6666 (the TRACE Act) Allow the Government to Enter Your Home, Test for COVID-19, and Take Your Children or Parents?
Disinformation peddlers are hoping you don’t read the text of H.R. 6666 (also known as the TRACE Act), because it in no way mandates COVID-19 testing or the removal of children from homes.
Is the California Department of Social Services Mandating COVID-19 Testing for Eligible Families — and Threatening to Place Children in Foster Care?
A frightening (and fake) letter attributed to the California Department of Social Services circulated on Facebook, claiming that residents were being forced to submit to COVID-19 testing under threat of taking their children away.
Did Neil Gaiman Reveal That He Was Reading a Book About Divorcing a Narcissist?
A book listing spotted online was interpreted as a dig by the author against his former partner, performer Amanda Palmer.
Do These X-Rays Show What COVID-19 Does To Your Lungs?
A graphic aiming to exhort people to take the disease seriously only adds to the confusion surrounding it.