Your weekly fact-checks
This week fabricated images of Donald Trump's arrest were circulated, showing once again the rapid improvements to AI tools and how they could be used to spread misinformation.
#Politics
False: Former U.S. President Donald Trump was arrested this week for his alleged involvement in hush-money payments made on his behalf.
Fabricated images supposedly showing him trying to evade law enforcement, officers taking him into custody, or his mugshot filled social media. A Manhattan grand jury was deciding whether to file criminal charges against the former president, as of this writing. (Source: Snopes)
True: Biden's expansion of the child tax credit cut Black child poverty in half in 2021
Poverty among Black children in the United States dropped nearly half from 2020 to 2021. Despite the progress generated by the tax credit, poverty among Black children remained disproportionately high in 2021 compared with white children. (Source: Politifact)
False: Sri Lankan President bans protests in the country from March 7
Although rights groups have criticised president Wickremesinghe government's use of force against protesters, nowhere in his full speech did he announce such a ban. There have been protests held in Sri Lanka since March 7. (Source: AFP)
#Health
False: “Alzheimer’s disease did not occur 40 years ago”; cholesterol-lowering drugs and diets cause Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s was first described in 1906, decades before the first cholesterol-lowering drugs were available. Large clinical trials show no evidence of memory loss, dementia, or Alzheimer’s in people taking cholesterol-lowering drugs for many years. (Source: Health Feedback)
False: COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are increasing people’s chances of contracting the disease after seven months
Florida’s Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo cited a study Thursday while suggesting that no one should be receiving the widely used mRNA shots. However the study found that people who received a booster had overall lower rates of infection than those with only two doses over the course of a year. It also found those who were boosted were 75% less likely to experience severe COVID-19. (Source: AP News)
#Other
False: Silicon Valley Bank “donated $73M to 'BLM Movement'”
Silicon Valley Bank’s charitable contributions went primarily to groups and initiatives that had no clear association with the Black Lives Matter movement. (Source: Politifact)
False: If phone users in the U.K. do not acknowledge or reply to an emergency text alert test on April 23, 2023, their phones will be locked by the U.K. government for the day.
On April 23, 2023, the U.K. will implement a nationwide test of its emergency alerts service. The alert will ring for around 10 seconds on people’s phones, and they must acknowledge the alert by hitting an “OK” button before they can use other features on their devices. (Source: Snopes)
False: Bill Clinton paid Paula Jones $850,000 in 'hush money'
The claim attempts to equate Clinton's actions with those of former President Donald Trump, who is facing potential indictment connected to $130,000 paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election. However Clinton’s $850,000 payment to Jones as part of a settlement agreement is not considered "hush money". (Source: USA Today)
#Nordics
Falsk: Du bliver udsat for mere elektrisk stråling, når du sidder i en Tesla, end hvis du stikker hovedet ind i en mikrobølgeovn
Sådan lyder påstanden i et facebookopslag med en video, hvor en passager i en kørende Tesla måler elbilens elektromagnetiske stråling. Men strålingstallene bliver ganske enkelt fejllæst og viser derfor slet ikke en uhørt høj elektromagnetisk stråling. (Source: TjekDet)
Ikke helt korrekt: Verdens største rejseselskab, TUI, er ejet af den Putin-venlige oligark Aleksej Mordasjov
Sagen er kompliceret, men det er ikke helt korrekt at kalde Aleksej Mordasjov ejer af TUI. Oligarken ejer dog så stor en del af aktierne, at han har haft "bestemmende indflydelse", indtil hans aktier blev indefrosset og han ble sanktioneret af EU. (Source: TjekDet)
Falsk: 65% av alle norske hus må pusse opp innen 10 år. Kostnad 500.000 til 1,5 mill. pr. bolig.
Man kan ikke slå fast at 65 prosent av norske hus må pusses opp innen 10 år. Revideringen av EU-direktivet er fortsatt ikke endelig vedtatt. Det er heller ingen automatikk i at EU-regelverket blir stående uendret, før det eventuelt innføres i Norge. (Source: Faktisk)
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