Daily Debunker
Blowin' in the Wind. Despite being downgraded to a tropical storm after making landfall, Hurricane Florence continues to wreak havoc with heavy rainfall and devastating floodwaters in the Carolinas.
The storm also continues to dominate national news coverage, with television reporters doing live updates almost around the clock. Strangely, some of this coverage has wound up being labeled "fake news" after clips circulated on social media.
A widely-shared clip from the Weather Channel shows a reporter bracing himself as he is buffeted by high winds that appear to leave others visible in the footage almost entirely unaffected. Was it a case of dramatic license, or some unusually selective heavy wind currents? Read more
Similarly, a video that appears to show CNN's Anderson Cooper reporting live from an extra-deep hole in a flooded field was called out because the video crew can be seen standing in much shallower water. Was the footage staged? For that matter, was it even shot during Hurricane Florence? Read more
Rumor Rundown
Off the Rails. Did NRATV digitally add Ku Klux Klan hoods to "Thomas the Tank Engine" characters? A National Rifle Association television segment hosted by Dana Loesch caused controversy in September 2018. (True)
Satanic Sneakers. Does Nike make shoes featuring the "all-seeing eye" symbol? If you think that your shoes are watching you, maybe they are ... if you own this particular Nike line. (Mostly true)
Faith Trumps Government. Did President Trump say that "faith is more powerful than government?" The U.S. chief executive employed the phrase at a National Day of Prayer event in May 2018. (Correct attribution)
Define 'Christian.' Did Chelsea Clinton say it would be "un-Christian" to protect babies from abortion? Clinton stoked controversy during a town hall radio broadcast by framing her stance in support of Roe v. Wade as "deeply religious." (Mixture)
Pictures at an Execution. Does a viral photograph show 26 "corrupt" politicians executed by China? A picture didn't capture "corrupt" politicians or an execution, although some of the latter followed afterwards. (Miscaptioned)
Premature Burial. Was Essie Dunbar discovered alive in the coffin during her funeral? In 1915, Essie Dunbar was allegedly pronounced dead after suffering from a seizure. Legend has it that she was discovered to be alive mid-way through her burial. (Unproven)
Fist Pump Fever. Was President Trump's 9/11 "fist pump" a greeting to a cancer victim? Deceptive memes purport to correct misinformation offered by other supposedly deceptive memes. (False)
In the News
U.S. Coast Guard Member Removed from Hurricane Response Team Over Hand Gesture. "These types of actions are not reflective of the core values of the Coast Guard." Read more
Texas Board of Education Votes to Remove Hillary Clinton from Social Studies Curriculum. The Texas education board approved dropping figures such as Hillary Clinton and Helen Keller from mandatory school curricula. Read more
Man Charged with Killing Two Arizona Girls Who Went Missing. A registered sex offender jailed since last year has been charged in the kidnapping and killing of two Arizona girls who went missing in 2012 and 2014. Read more
Woman Accusing Kavanaugh of Sexual Misconduct Comes Forward. The woman accusing Kavanaugh of high school-era sexual misconduct told her story publicly for the first time. Read more
Manafort Plea Deal Raises Key Question: What Does He know? The question remains what information Manafort, 69, is able to provide about the president, as well as whether the Trump election effort coordinated with Russia. Read more
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