Politics

mueller_manafort

Could Robert Mueller’s Investigation Turn a Profit Thanks to Asset Seizures?

Fact Checks, Politics / By /

On December 14 2018, documents released by the Department of Justice clocked the cost of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election at over $25 million: The Justice Department’s investigation into Russian election meddling and any ties to the Trump campaign has cost more than $25 million since …

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Border wall facing north in Playas, Tijuana, Mexico.

Did ‘Migrants’ Demand $50,000 Each to Leave the United States?

Disinformation, Fact Checks, Politics / By /

On December 12, 2018, the Federalist Papers Project — a known purveyor of corrosive disinformation — published “Migrants DEMAND $50,000 Each to go Home, Or Else …” (filed under “opinion”), an article littered with racist imagery and calls for violence: If you needed any more proof that the migrant caravans at our Southern border are NOT what …

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Does a ‘Newly Obtained’ Photograph Show Donald Trump, Jr. with Accused Spy Maria Butina?

Fact Checks, Politics / By /

On December 10 2018, shortly after accused Russian intelligence asset Mariia Butina reportedly entered a plea deal with prosecutors for working as an unregistered agent of a foreign power, the Facebook page “Occupy Democrats” shared the following photograph showing Butina with Donald Trump, Jr.: Text overlaying the image read: Whatever you do, DON’T share this embarrassing newly-obtained …

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guns_wars

Have More Americans Died in Gun-Related Incidents Than Wars Since the Founding of the United States?

Fact Checks, guns, Politics / By /

On December 7 2018, the Facebook page Change The Ref shared this meme (text below): FACT: MORE AMERICANS HAVE DIED OF GUN-RELATED INCIDENTS IN THE LAST FIFTY YEARS THAN HAVE DIED IN WAR SINCE THE COUNTRY’S FOUNDING. A caption with the image read: #FckThat Fact of the Day: Did you know that more Americans have died …

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El Paso-Juarez border crossing.

Are Asylum-Seekers Getting Numbers Written on Their Arms at the United States Border?

Disinformation, Fact Checks, Politics, Viral Content / By /

Amid escalating news reports of unarmed adults and children being teargassed over an international border by the United States, infants and children being forcibly, and permanently, taken from their parents, and asylum-seekers being held in detention camps, yet another story and image appeared: Photo credit: Adria Malcolm for Yahoo! News As some readers and viewers …

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A doctor holding a clipboard.

Did a Medical Committee Recommend Fundraising for a Heart Transplant?

Fact Checks, Health / Medical, Politics, Viral Content / By /

In November 2018, a Grand Rapids, Michigan woman who needed a heart transplant due to complications from chemotherapy was turned down by a Spectrum Health medical committee due to lack of funds: Martin’s son, Alex Britt, said she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and the chemotherapy treatment, while curing her cancer, damaged her …

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The U.S.-Mexico border wall in Playas, Tijuana, where it extends out into the Pacific Ocean.

Was Teargas Used ‘Once a Month’ at the Border Under the Obama Administration?

Disinformation, Fact Checks, Politics / By /

The days following a cross-border chemical attack by American forces on unarmed members of a caravan of men, women, and children from Central America across the border with Mexico were filled with disinformation and outright propaganda as people and organizations attempted to justify the actions. One of the tear gas canisters the US used on …

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Michael Avenatti.

Does a Photograph Prove that Michael Avenatti (or Keith Ellison) Badly Beat a Woman?

Disinformation, Fact Checks, Politics, Viral Content / By /

A bombshell report about Michael Avenatti, a high-profile lawyer turned potential politician, appeared on celebrity news and gossip site TMZ in November 2018: Michael Avenatti, who became famous for representing Stormy Daniels in her battle with President Trump, has been arrested for felony domestic violence … law enforcement sources tell TMZ. Our law enforcement sources say Avenatti was …

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Is a Caravan of Central American Asylum-Seekers Demanding Special Treatment?

Disinformation, Fact Checks, Politics, Viral Content / By /

An annual caravan of people traveling from Central America to the United States to seek asylum and refuge from extreme violence in their home countries has been beset by falsehoods, lies, and disinformation from start to finish — from baseless claims that they are “invaders” and gang members and the ensuing arrival of American troops to “secure” …

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