CLAIM: England is giving up on efforts to create 15-minute cities because people have destroyed all the cameras and refused to pay tens of thousands of fines. AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. British officials say the island nation continues to advance efforts related to the urban design concept, particularly by investing in more parks and open space. […]
CLAIM: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is trying to create “quarantine camps” in which people can be held against their will if they have COVID-19 or other diseases. AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. Officials have repeatedly said that the state has no intention to build quarantine camps. Critics are misrepresenting a temporary rule adopted during the COVID-19
CLAIM: Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that COVID-19 vaccines will not prevent any deaths among teenagers and lead to 100,000 to 200,000 severe side effects. AP’S ASSESSMENT: Missing context. The CDC data from a recent presentation does not show the vaccine playing any significant role in preventing deaths among teens
CLAIM: U.S. Navy SEALs saved 15 missing Maui children who were locked in cages at a warehouse in Honolulu. AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. This claim originated as a story on a website that says it publishes “humor, parody, and satire.” The chief of police in Maui confirmed the information is untrue. THE FACTS: More than a
CLAIM: Book sales for bestselling author Stephen King have dropped “90% since he went woke.” AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The claim originated on a satire website. There are no credible indications that King’s book sales have seen a significant drop. As of Wednesday, his most recent novel, “Holly,” was No. 1 on multiple bestsellers lists, including
CLAIM: There are more than 18 million immigrants in the country without authorization but, unlike U.S. citizens, they are not required to pay taxes, rent, or receive vaccines. AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. Recent estimates put the figure of immigrants in the U.S. without authorization at about 11 million. Regardless, they face taxation, housing costs, and work
CLAIM: People have been sentenced to 20 years in prison for simply filming the riots at the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The only person to have been sentenced to at least 20 years in prison in connection with the case is Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the extremist
CLAIM: Victoria Lee, a professional MMA fighter who died in December, was killed by the COVID-19 vaccine. AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. Lee’s sister said that the 18-year-old took her own life. THE FACTS: The false claim has been circulating on social media since January, when Lee’s elder sister, fellow MMA fighter Angela Lee, shared the news
A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts: ___ Viral video shows flamethrower-wielding Missouri state senators burning empty boxes, not books CLAIM:
CLAIM: A video shows a technical error causing a digital billboard near New York City’s Times Square to read “Glory to Urine” instead of “Glory to Ukraine” while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in town to speak at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. No ad related to Ukraine has ever
