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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Bogus Claim About Border Rape Revived

Bogus Claim About Border Rape Revived

An unsubstantiated claim from last fall about sexual violence at the southern border has been repackaged in a Facebook meme. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has no record of the alleged incident, and the website that first reported it has retracted the story.

Biden’s Campaign Kickoff Claims

Biden’s Campaign Kickoff Claims

Former Vice President Joe Biden kicked off his third campaign for president with a speech in Pittsburgh that contained a few false and misleading statements.

Facebook Users Peddle False Trump Story

Facebook Users Peddle False Trump Story

A photo of a purported news story from 2015 shared on social media attributes incendiary remarks about Africans to then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. There’s no evidence he made those comments.

‘Ban’ on Hot Dogs in NYC? Not Quite.

‘Ban’ on Hot Dogs in NYC? Not Quite.

Headlines shared widely on social media misleadingly tell readers New York City will “ban” hot dogs. A city spokesman told us a plan to phase out government purchases of processed meats and reduce purchases of beef “would not impact hot dogs” sold “at baseball games, street vendors, restaurants, etc.”

Measles Misinformation Gets an Immigration Twist

Measles Misinformation Gets an Immigration Twist

A Facebook meme incorrectly blames the measles outbreak in the U.S. on immigrants from South America. The virus, however, was eliminated there in 2016. The recent uptick in measles cases is due to travelers returning from countries with outbreaks.

Video: Kushner Downplays Russia’s 2016 Actions

Video: Kushner Downplays Russia’s 2016 Actions

In this week’s fact-checking video, CNN’s Jake Tapper examines Jared Kushner’s claim that Russia’s 2016 election interference amounted to little more than “a couple Facebook ads.”

DeVos Didn’t Try to ‘Defund’ Special Education

DeVos Didn’t Try to ‘Defund’ Special Education

In a CNN town hall, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democratic candidate for president, went too far when she said Education Secretary Betsy DeVos “not only has tried to defund special education, but she also has tried to get rid of the Special Olympics funding.”

Viral Claim Blurs Marijuana, Gun Policies

Viral Claim Blurs Marijuana, Gun Policies

Social posts wrongly claim that states legalizing marijuana also have “legislated” that those who use the drug cannot have guns. Actually, a long-standing federal law prohibits marijuana users from possessing or purchasing firearms, regardless of state policies.

Twisting Stephen Miller’s Words

Twisting Stephen Miller’s Words

A meme posted on a popular progressive Facebook page leaves out several words and important context in a quote from White House adviser Stephen Miller.