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Can you intentionally transmit HIV without legal consequence in California? No, that's not true: Although the action was reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, experts told Lead Stories that it is still punishable by law. The claim appeared in an Instagram post on October 6, 2021. It features a screenshot of a tweet that reads: In California you can…

Is Jeff Bezos, the founder and former CEO of Amazon, on his way to becoming a trillionaire, thereby having more than three times the wealth needed to "save the planet"? No, that's not true: Although Bezos is the world's richest person with a net worth of more than $200 billion, his potential trillionaire status is just a projection. Additionally, the…

Are COVID-19 deaths a major cause of staff shortages in the United States? No, that's not true: Although economists can debate the relative importance of different factors contributing to the staff shortage -- and even whether there is a widespread shortage -- it's generally agreed that the deaths caused by COVID-19 are not playing a major role. Nearly 80% of…

Did Dr. Anthony Fauci throw his 2020 opening day pitch six feet from home plate? No, that's not true: He was standing near the edge of the pitcher's mound, which is over 48 feet from the front of home plate. The claim appeared in an Instagram post (archived here) by the account "hodgetwins" on June 10, 2021. The post includes…

Will the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only count unvaccinated COVID-19 cases? No, that's not true: The agency says it tracks all cases, regardless of vaccination status. A claim to the contrary appears to be in reference to a recent change in one surveillance system. Namely, the CDC is moving away from reporting all vaccine breakthrough infections to…

Was this product -- keto diet pills -- backed by "every judge on Shark Tank"? No, that's not true: These fake promotions are part of what's called a "subscription scam." These pills were never presented on the TV show "Shark Tank" and were never backed by a single judge. Many of the Shark Tank "sharks" have spoken out about these…

Does a video featuring Michael Flynn and Thomas McInerney contain only factual and proven statements? No, that's not true: The video recycles, without repairing, multiple false claims about COVID-19 and the 2020 election that have already been debunked. This fact-check considers seven such claims, including the allegation that COVID-19 was a "deliberate biological attack," that the vaccines for the virus…

Does the federal government spend $0 on housing homeless veterans? No, that's not true: The 2021 budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) earmarks approximately $1.9 billion for homeless programs, including housing programs. One such program combines services and vouchers to help homeless veterans and their families find permanent housing. Another gives grants and per diem payments to nonprofits…

Does a photo show Chief Justice John Roberts swimming with Bill Clinton on Jeffrey Epstein's private island? No, that's not true: The image used to support the claim that Roberts visited Epstein's private island was taken at a resort in the Dominican Republic in 2017. The men seen socializing with former President Bill Clinton do not include Roberts. The claim…

Does the COVID-19 RNA, also called mRNA, vaccine change a person's DNA? No, that's not true: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines "do not affect or interact with our DNA in any way." The U.S. Food & Drug Administration is considering the RNA, or messenger RNA (mRNA), vaccines for approval. The claim appeared in…