Your weekly fact-checks
#Health
Mostly True: “Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans 18-45”
Medical experts said it is likely true. The Washington Post conducted its own analysis using the CDC’s figures, and data from medical examiners across the country, and found fentanyl is the leading cause of death for ages 18 to 49. (Source: PolitiFact)
True, but...: A protein in human saliva called Histatin can help wounds heal faster
While saliva does contain proteins that can help heal wounds faster, it also contains bacteria that could lead to infection if they come in contact with a wound, especially a deep wound. It is safest to clean wounds with sterile liquid, experts say, and consult a doctor. (Source: Snopes)
False: Short breaks during a working day cause mental exhaustion that affects a person's focus, as well as attention, learning and visual recognition
The study’s lead author told Full Fact that this statement does not accurately present its findings. The study found that engaging in seven hours of mental work — even with short breaks — can negatively impact cognitive efficiency (Source: Full Fact)
False: There will be another pandemic in 2025 due to a virus called SEERS,or severe epidemic enterovirus respiratory syndrome.
SEERS is a fictitious disease created for a public health training exercise that simulated a pandemic. A video made for the training includes a made-up news report that repeatedly states: “This is a fictional scenario.” (Source: AP News)
#Climate
False: “The Antarctic ice cap is not melting.”
Multiple scientific studies have found that the Antarctic ice sheets have been melting for decades. The two people who claimed that the ice sheets aren’t melting, Judith Curry and Don Easterbrook, are known for questioning or denying proven aspects of climate change. (Source: PolitiFact)
True: In 2022 ocean heat and acidity levels hit record highs and Antarctic sea ice and European Alps glaciers reached record low amounts
The UN’s World Meteorological Organization's State of Global Climate 2022 report revealed that deadly floods, droughts and heat waves caused billions of dollars' worth of damage in 2022. They also determined that the past eight years have been the hottest on record globally and that China experienced its longest and most extensive heat wave ever. (Source: AP News)
#Politics
True: US to send nuclear ballistic submarines to Korean Peninsula
The Biden administration will sign an agreement with South Korea to send nuclear-armed ballistic submarines to the Korean Peninsula as part of a deterrence effort against North Korea. However no nuclear weapons will be deployed onto South Korean shores. (Source: AP News)
Partially True/False: "Gay teachers have been forced to take down pictures of their spouses from their desks and censor their classroom materials.”
The state, in a legal filing, said it does not ban photos, and a county that suggested a ban was in place quickly reversed itself. At the same time, the practical effect of the law appears to discourage teachers from displaying photos of loved ones. (Source: The Washington Post)
Partially True/False: UK MPs have had a 42.7% pay increase since 2008 and junior doctors a 25% decrease since 2010.
It is not clear how these figures have been calculated, but they don’t appear to be quite right. In cash terms, MPs’ salaries rose about 37% between 2008 and 2023. In real terms, factoring in RPI inflation, the BMA says junior doctors had a 26% pay cut between 2008/09 and 2021/22. (Source: Full Fact)
#Nordics
Det Stemmer Ikke: FN vil avkriminalisere sex mellom voksne og barn
Document.no viser til en rapport utarbeidet av organisasjonen International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) som jobber for menneskerettigheter og rettssikkerhet. De ønsker ikke at sex mellom voksne og barn skal bli lovlig. (Source: Faktisk)
Misbrukes i falsk bitcoin-reklame
I en falsk VG-artikkel hevdes det at programleder i God morgen Norge, Desta Marie Beeder, har investert i bitcoin. Det har vært en økning av folk som går på slike svindler, ifølge Økokrim. (Source: Faktisk)
#Other
Satire: Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, will not offer Budweiser or Bud Light products.
Oktoberfest requires all beer to be brewed within Munich; Budweiser and Bud Light are not Munich-brewed beers and have never been served at the Oktoberfest. (Source: Snopes)
True, but...: Poor numeracy skills leave people twice as likely to be unemployed as those with competent numeracy.
This appears to be based on a 2005 study which found that at the age of 30, men and women with poor numeracy were more than twice as likely to be unemployed as those with competent numeracy. The research showed a correlation between poor numeracy and unemployment, but not a causative link. (Source: Full Fact)
Mostly True: Florida has “the second lowest tax burden per capita in the United States.”
Florida has a low tax burden compared with other U.S. states.Florida is also among the country’s most unequal states, meaning low income people pay a much higher share of their income in taxes than their wealthier counterparts. (Source: PolitiFact)
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