Qanon

Did the New York Times publish a video featuring an ER physician at Elmhurst Hospital who was peddling lies and doesn't even work at the hospital? No, that's not true: Dr. Colleen Smith does work at the Queens, New York, hospital and offered insight into the overwhelming conditions hospitals face in combatting COVID-19. The idea that she isn't legitimate is…

Has hotel giant Marriott International effectively denied employees unemployment and health benefits by saying the company had not laid them off, instead putting them on a zero-hour schedule? No, that's misleading: The person who initially posted this claim went on to provide updates to clarify the situation, but not before his original post went viral, prompting some to demand a…

Was Tom Hanks arrested for pedophilia? No, this is not true: Hanks, who was being treated after contracting the novel coronavirus, was not arrested for pedophilia and being held in a hotel room in Australia as claimed as part of the QAnon conspiracy theory that Hanks and others are pedophiles or financial criminals being round up for alleged roles in…

Did several guests at the recent State of the Union wear American flag pins with the "Q" logo on them? No, that's not true: While supporters of the so-called QAnon conspiracy theory claimed that several guests were wearing "Q" flag pins, we enhanced the images in question. The pins actually featured what appears to be a presidential seal, not the…

Did members of the media falsify an FBI intelligence bulletin that warned conspiracy theories are a new domestic terrorism threat? No, that's not true: The FBI has commented to Lead Stories about the document, and multiple members of the media, including The New York Times, NBC News, and The Hill, have all reported on its existence. The claim originated from…

Did billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates help fund a patent for the Wuhan coronavirus? No, that's not true: The Pirbright Institute addressed the conspiracy theories and said the patents involve infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) only, and the Gates Foundation did not fund that work. The claim originated from an article (archived here) published by Natural News on January…

Did former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton say that "man-machine hybrids could live for centuries"? No, that's not true: A meme that users are sharing contains a made-up quote, and the accompanying image has been put through a filter to make Clinton appear older. The quote originated from a meme (archived here) published by qanonofficial on December 13, 2019. It…

Did a "high-level exercise" conducted three months ago show that a coronavirus pandemic could kill 65 million people? No, that's not true: The organizers of the event, which was held in October 2019, have issued a statement saying that they made no such prediction during the "tabletop exercise." The claim appears to have originated from an article published by The…

Did California omit the Republican Party as a choice in that state's 2020 presidential primary? No, that's not true: Any citizen registered as a Repubican can vote in the GOP primary. Voters who did not specify a party preference on their voter registration received a mailing in December of 2019, giving them the option of voting in the Democratic Party,…

Can a House impeachment of President Trump be overturned if 80% of those voting for it are arrested and judged by a military tribunal? No, that's not true: The U.S. constitution gives the House "sole power" to impeach and the Senate "sole power" to try an impeachment. There is nothing in the constitution or federal law that provides for a…