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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Posts Misrepresent WHO Term ‘Disease X’ for Possible Future Illness

Posts Misrepresent WHO Term ‘Disease X’ for Possible Future Illness

The World Health Organization began using the term “Disease X” in a 2018 planning document to refer to a “currently unknown” illness. But since the term was used at the January meeting of the World Economic Forum, conspiracy theorists baselessly claim Disease X is part of a “Globalist Plan to … Install World Government.”

Online Claims Misrepresent Washington Bill Aimed at Runaway Transgender Youth

Online Claims Misrepresent Washington Bill Aimed at Runaway Transgender Youth

Q: Does a proposed law in Washington state say that the government can take children away from parents who don’t agree to gender transition surgery?

A: No. Under the bill, licensed youth shelters no longer have to report the location of a runaway child to the child’s parents if the child is seeking gender-affirming or reproductive care. Instead, the shelters must notify the state’s child services department.

Ballot Printer Delayed Maricopa Voting, Contrary to Unfounded Claims

Ballot Printer Delayed Maricopa Voting, Contrary to Unfounded Claims

Tabulating machines at some polling locations in Maricopa County, Arizona, couldn’t process ballots during part of Election Day, though affected voters could leave their ballots in a secure box or go elsewhere to vote. But some conservatives, including former President Donald Trump, made the unfounded claim that the setback indicated an attempt to “steal” the election.

Conservative Figures Spread Baseless Claims About Attack on Paul Pelosi

Conservative Figures Spread Baseless Claims About Attack on Paul Pelosi

A man armed with a hammer broke into the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and fractured the skull of her husband, Paul. Some conservative figures — including Donald Trump Jr. — have shared social media posts claiming with no evidence and contrary to police reports that the man was a prostitute known to Paul Pelosi. He wasn’t.

Widespread Claims Misrepresent Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines

Widespread Claims Misrepresent Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines

As the virus that causes COVID-19 has evolved, the vaccines have become less effective in preventing symptomatic infection while remaining highly effective in preventing severe disease and death. This shift has been misrepresented by anti-vaccine influencers who falsely claim that it means the vaccines don’t work and have been ineffective all along.

Kathy Griffin Shares Satirical Trump Tweet, But Not Everyone Is in on the Joke

Kathy Griffin Shares Satirical Trump Tweet, But Not Everyone Is in on the Joke

Dozens of former President Donald Trump’s supporters gathered outside his Florida home to protest a recent FBI search of the building. The activity triggered a satirical tweet falsely attributed to Trump’s eldest son, purportedly telling supporters to disperse, and saying, “We have many important people coming through the club and need to keep it clean.”

Partisans Seize on Edited Clip of CDC Director’s Comments on COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness

Partisans Seize on Edited Clip of CDC Director’s Comments on COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, discussed a recent study that found that on the rare occasion when fully vaccinated people died from COVID-19, they often had multiple risk factors for severe disease. But her reference to vaccinated people was cut in a version of the interview — and conservative figures misleadingly claimed she was talking about all COVID-19 deaths.

Social Media Posts Draw Unsupported Conclusion on Afghan Helicopter Video

Social Media Posts Draw Unsupported Conclusion on Afghan Helicopter Video

Afghan journalists report that a video of a person suspended from a helicopter shows an operation in which the person was trying to change a flag. But critics of President Joe Biden have used the footage to claim the Taliban used U.S. equipment for a “hanging.” One person who shared the claim, Sen. Ted Cruz, later deleted his tweet, saying it “may be inaccurate.”

Faulty Claim About ‘Biden-Only’ Ballots in Georgia

Faulty Claim About ‘Biden-Only’ Ballots in Georgia

Campaign officials for President Donald Trump and supporters have promoted the faulty claim that Joe Biden received nearly 100,000 votes in Georgia through ballots that only included selections for president, suggesting it’s “suspicious.” But the claim ignores that some voters do not vote a straight-party ballot.