Conspiracy And Children

Are police investigating the death of a former Arkansas state senator who believed she was closing in on a child trafficking ring? No, that's not true: Linda Collins, who lost her state senate post to another Republican last year, was shot to death at her Pocahontas, Arkansas, home on June 4, 2019, but there is no evidence that she had…

Were Malia And Sasha loaned to Barack and Michelle Obama by their real parents? No, That's not true: This is a conspiracy theory based on a purported resemblance of the Obama daughters to longtime friends of the family, a purported lack of baby photos of the girls, and the allegation that Michelle Obama is a transgender male unable to have…

Did a panel of 16 judges agree Attorney General Barr has enough to indict Clinton and Obama? No, that's not true. The story was published by a liberal satire website that tries to educate gullible Trump supporters and Republicans about the need to actually click and read links before sharing or liking them in order to avoid being embarrassed by…

Did experts say that children who eat boogers grow up to be happier and healthier as adults than those who do not pick at their nose and eat the scrappings? No, that's not true: It is a click bait story based on a college professor's joke and it has no scientific research supporting it. A recent version of the story…

Did Democrats say that American taxpayers must pay reparations to illegal aliens? No, that's not true: The claim is a distortion of a statement made by a member of congress in reference to children separated from parents after arriving at the border to apply for asylum in the United States. Rep. Pramila Jayapal said the federal goverment must "make reparations"…

Did a "top prosecutor" reveal that he has evidence that Hillary Clinton colluded with Ukraine during the 2016 U.S. election? No, that's not true: Ukraine's top prosecutor said he has evidence that officials in Ukraine released damaging information about Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort with the intentions of helping Clinton's campaign, but he did not make any reference to evidence…

Was billionaire and philantropist George Soros arrested in Saint Margrethenberg, Switzerland at 13:23 GMT on Feb. 3 2019 because of evidence supplied by Barack Obama who has been incarcerated at Gitmo because he was charged with treason? No, all reports making that claim are based on a single story by an author with a long history of publishing untrue conspiracy…

A Macedonian military man appears to be one of the driving forces behind a network of fake news websites that reached millions of people with articles often inciting hatred against muslims and migrants. Together with friends and family he has been spreading his messages via Facebook and Twitter. Sometimes under their own names, sometimes using fake identities. A look behind…

Did Coast Guard employee Marleen Freeman tell the cops who arrested her for prostitution that she was forced into it to cope with the effects of the recent government shutdown. No, that's not true: the story was made up by a Canadian entertainment website that makes a living by publishing fictional stories often involving weird crimes, bizarre sex acts or…

Were 10,800 U.S. children raped by illegal immigrants in 2018? Almost certainly not. The actual statistics haven't been published yet and the 10,800 number is just a very sloppy extrapolation based on data from one state that also includes non-rapes. The story went viral via an article published on January 2, 2019 titled "NCFIRE: 10,800 U.S. Children Were Raped By…