Newspunch

Did talk show host and podcaster Megyn Kelly say she "contracted Vaccine Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (VAIDS)" after getting the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine? No, that's not true: On "The Megyn Kelly Show" in early September 2023, she said, "I tested positive for an autoimmune issue at my annual physical." She never mentions VAIDS, which is not a real medical condition.…

Are COVID-19 vaccine-related "turbo cancers" real? Are they also "contagious" and "behaving like a bioweapon"? No, that's not true: There is no serious evidence for the claim that COVID vaccines cause "turbo cancers." Cancer is complex and has many causes. Additionally, the thought that cancers could be contagious or act like bioweapons lacks support from credible science. Vaccines help the…

Did YouTube ban video clips from the newly released movie, "Sound of Freedom" due to "discriminating against pedophiles" and "discrimination against MAPs"? No, that's not true: There is no policy listed under the community guidelines of YouTube regarding "discriminating against pedophiles" and "MAPs" (minor attracted persons). This article making the claim comes from an online platform known for publishing fabricated…

Did the French military say in July 2023 that it would arrest French President Emmanuel Macron for treason during 2023 French protests? No, that's not true: The claim relies on unsubstantiated information and there is no evidence that the French military ever made such an announcement. The claim appeared in an article (archived here) published on July 6, 2023, by…

Did Alex Soros, son of billionaire businessman and philanthropist George Soros, say in an interview that he wanted to "eradicate conservatives from the Internet" and that he is "100 times worse" than his father? No, that's not true: In a Wall Street Journal article that featured an interview with the younger Soros, Alex Soros is never quoted as mentioning conservatives…

Did renowned actress and film producer Jada Pinkett Smith say that "she blames 'white supremacists' for the flop of her new Netflix docudrama series, Queen Cleopatra"? No, that's not true: No credible evidence exists that Pinkett Smith has made any such statement. The website where this claim appeared also has a reputation for publishing fabricated and inaccurate content. The claim…

Did the World Economic Forum "order" governments "to begin rationing water into homes," proclaiming that access to it is not a human right anymore? No, that's not true: As a non-governmental body, The World Economic Forum (WEF) doesn't have the authority to force independent countries to do anything. The materials cited as proof of the claim, from the March 2023…

Did Switzerland health officials declare in April 2023 that COVID-19 vaccines do "more harm than good" and order an "immediate halt" to immunizations? No, that's not true: In a statement, the Swiss government reported that 98 percent of the population had antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, either from a previous vaccination or infection. Because predominant virus variants were anticipated to be in…

Did the World Economic Forum suggest that governments decriminalize bestiality? No, that's not true: The claim came from a story that used a fake screenshot of a non-existent article. No credible source published reports confirming that the statement was made. The claim originated from an article (archived here) published by News Punch on March 1, 2023, under the title: WEF…

Is Hungary preparing to prosecute "lifelong Nazi" George Soros? No, that's not true: The claim, posted by a prolific publisher of fake news, is based on a single anonymous source. It repeats the oft-debunked claim that financier and philanthropist Soros was a Nazi. In fact, Soros, who is Jewish, lived through the Nazi occupation of Hungary in 1944-45, when he…