Snopes Daily Debunker - 'Plandemic' Conspiracy Video Goes Viral

'Plandemic' Conspiracy Video Goes Viral As its title, “Plandemic,” suggests, a new film about the COVID-19 pandemic now being teased on social media promotes a conspiratorial narrative of events. Its main on-camera subject, Judy Mikovits, bizarrely claims that “wealthy people intentionally spread the virus to increase vaccination rates and that wearing face masks is harmful,” according to a summary in The Washington Post. The film credits Mikovits, a former scientist at the National Cancer Institute, with “naming names of those behind the plague of corruption that places all human life in danger” — but what of Mikovits’ own credibility? Snopes.com’s David Mikkelson reviews the sequence of events that led to her being fired from a prominent research facility and arrested on suspicion of removing materials from there, and Mikovits’ subsequent claims about what really happened. Read more

 

Fact Checks Is This Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Pictured With Man Charged in Ahmaud Arbery’s Killing? This photograph was controversial for a different reason when it first started circulating in 2018. Miscaptioned   Did ‘The Simpsons’ Predict Events of 2020 Back in 1993? Coincidences that occur through the repetition of events are not necessarily the same thing as "predictions." Mixture   Is This Poplar Fluff Burning in Spain? The "fluff" is actually seeds from poplar trees. True   Did Tanzania’s President Expose Faulty COVID-19 Testing by Submitting Non-Human Samples? Viral social media posts claimed Tanzanian President John Magufuli used samples from a fruit, quail, and goat to uncover wrongful testing practices. Unproven   Is NYC’s COVID-19 Death Rate at Least 250x Higher Than Tokyo’s? A viral tweet from software engineer John McAfee raised questions about social-distancing measures during the coronavirus pandemic. Mostly true   Did Elon Musk and Grimes Say They Named Their Baby ‘X Æ A-12’? An experimental pop star and space-exploring billionaire have a baby together. How unusual can the name choice be? True

 

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In the News Aide to Vice President Pence Tests Positive for Coronavirus An official said staff in the West Wing are tested regularly but much of the vice president's staff — which works next door in the Executive Office Building — are tested less frequently. Read more   Official: Strict US Border Policy May Remain as Virus Eases President Trump's opponents have accused him of using the pandemic as a pretext to adopt hard-line immigration policies. Read more   Taiwan Baseball Fans Allowed Inside Stadium But Sit Apart After a fanless start to Taiwan's baseball season, up to 1,000 spectators are now allowed in the stands ⁠— albeit spaced apart. Read more   Jobless Rate Spikes to Highest Since Great Depression The U.S. unemployment rate hit 14.7% in April. It was at a record low of 3.5% as recently as February. Read more

 

Staff Pick Is This Microsoft Logo/Coronavirus Crop Circle Real? You don't need a field to create a crop circle hoax. Read more

 

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