Snopes Daily Debunker - Rayshard Brooks: Setting the Record Straight

Rayshard Brooks: Setting the Record Straight After the death of Rayshard Brooks, a Black man shot and killed by a white police officer in Atlanta earlier this month, some internet users made a point of sharing what they claimed was Brooks’ criminal record, as if it somehow justified the circumstances of his death. The same “maybe he had it coming” trope went viral after George Floyd, another Black man, died in police custody in May. Snopes reporter Jessica Lee, who previously conducted an in-depth examination of Floyd’s rap sheet, cracked open court records and police files to verify Brooks’ previous encounters with law enforcement as well. Just as importantly, she asked experts to weigh in on whether it even matters, and why some people are so insistent it does. Read more

 

Fact Checks Is This a Valid Face Mask Exemption Card? Exemption cards citing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) encouraged people to defy face mask requirements during the coronavirus pandemic. Mostly false   Is This a Real Transcript from a Trump Interview with Hannity? The president failed to articulate a single second-term priority or goal for his administration. True   No, Antifa and Muslim Groups Aren’t Policing Minneapolis Under ‘Muslim Rule’ The claim appears to have originated with a state representative who does not live in Minneapolis. False   Was a Stevie Ray Vaughan Statue Vandalized in Texas? The incident in 2020 wasn't the first time the statue had been defaced. True   Did an Oregon County Say Only White People Must Wear COVID-19 Masks? Oregon Gov. Kate Brown did issue an order requiring people wear masks in seven counties, including Lincoln County. Mostly true   Did Trump Hold the Bible Upside Down All eyes were on the president as he appeared for a photo opp amid widespread anti-police-brutality protests in June 2020. False

 

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In the News Police Say Person Shot in Glasgow has Died; 6 Others Injured Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson said that an officer who had been stabbed during the incident was in “a critical but stable condition.” Read more   Despite Pandemic, Trump Administration Urges End to ACA The Trump administration filed a brief with the Supreme Court to overturn the Affordable Care Act. The brief makes no mention of the virus. Read more   Governors Who Quickly Reopened Backpedal as Virus Surges As an alarming coronavirus resurgence sets records for confirmed cases and hospitalizations across the U.S. South and West, governors are retreating to measures they once resisted and striking a more urgent tone. Read more   Does Vitamin D Ward Off Coronavirus? We do not yet have a full clear picture of the relationship between vitamin D and COVID-19. Read more

 

Staff Pick Did John F. Kennedy Proclaim Himself to Be a Jelly Doughnut? The notion that President John F. Kennedy called himself a “jelly doughnut” while attempting to speak German during his famous June 26, 1963, speech in Berlin is an old and persistent one. Read more

 

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