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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

False Headline on a Hot Topic

False Headline on a Hot Topic

Q: Did Democrats in Maine legalize female genital mutilation?

A: No. That practice is illegal across the U.S.

Clearing Up A Misleading Headline

Clearing Up A Misleading Headline

Q: Has Rod Rosenstein “cleared” President Donald Trump?

A: No. The investigation of Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, and another into Russian meddling in the 2016 election are both ongoing.

Jennifer Aniston Not a Trump Supporter

Jennifer Aniston Not a Trump Supporter

Q: Is actress Jennifer Aniston starting “a company named ‘Celebrities for Trump’”?

A: No. Aniston supported Hillary Clinton for president in 2016.

Muslim Nurses Not Exempt From Hand Washing

Muslim Nurses Not Exempt From Hand Washing

Q: Are Muslim nurses excused from washing their hands before medical procedures in Britain?

A: No. That is an old misrepresentation that has been circulating online since 2010.

There Are No “M.A.G.A. Checks”

There Are No “M.A.G.A. Checks”

Q: Can U.S. residents collect “M.A.G.A. Checks”?

A: No. A “M.A.G.A. Check” is the invention of a publisher selling an investment guide that makes promises of easy money.

Bogus Story on Cohen Raid

Bogus Story on Cohen Raid

Q: Did a federal judge rule that evidence collected from Michael Cohen’s office is inadmissible?
A: No. That claim was invented by a website that labels its content as satire.

Another Bogus Parkland Conspiracy Theory

Another Bogus Parkland Conspiracy Theory

Q: Does searching an obituary website prove that there were no shooting deaths at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14?

A: No. A website falsely suggests that there were no deaths because the victims’ obituaries couldn’t be found on one particular site.

Hyped Headline Turns Paint Into Terror

Hyped Headline Turns Paint Into Terror

Q: Was the first family attacked by a terrorist during the Easter holiday weekend?

A: No. That’s a misrepresentation of an act of vandalism at Trump International Golf Club.

Politics Roiled by Royal Wedding Rumors?

Politics Roiled by Royal Wedding Rumors?

Q: Is the White House enraged because Barack Obama, and not President Trump, was invited to the upcoming wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle?

A: The guest list has not been made public, and there’s no evidence that Obama was invited and Trump wasn’t.