​ FRIDAY EDITION Snopes Debunker 19 February 2021 Did ‘The Simpsons’ Mayor Say He Canceled Trip to the Bahamas While in the Bahamas? On Feb. 18, 2021, reports circulated on social media that U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz had traveled to Cancun with his family as a massive winter storm left many of his constituents without power. As the Texas Republican was widely criticized on social media, some started sharing a set of images from the animated show “The Simpsons” that showed Mayor Quimby making a similar decision. Snopes reporter Dan Evon has more. Read More We want to hear from you! Snopes is assessing various types of content we publishe and would love your feedback. Take the Survey Fact Checks Does Photo Show Half-Cleared Road on Texas-Arkansas Border? Keep in mind that a photograph shows a single moment in time. ✅  True   Did ‘Total Collapse’ in Wind and Solar Energy Leave Germans in Need of Coal-Fired Power? The European nation is heralded as a leader in wind and solar energy production. ❌  Mostly False   Does the Phrase ‘Blow Smoke Up Your Ass’ Come From ‘Tobacco Enemas’? Let's get one thing out of the way — tobacco enemas were totally a thing. ❌  Mostly False   Did Texas Mayor Say ‘Only the Strong Will Survive’ Amid Winter Storm? We should say former Texas mayor, since he resigned. ✅  Correct Attribution   Did CDC Warn Against Traveling to Mexico Due to COVID-19? U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz was called out for traveling to Cancun, Mexico, as both a devastating winter storm and a pandemic impacted his state. ✅  True View Latest Fact Checks Support Snopes Today Every dollar that you contribute to Snopes goes directly toward growing our newsroom, expanding our fact-checking efforts, and improving our website’s experience. $5 $10 $20.21 $50 $100 Other News Got No Milk: Nestle Creates Vegan KitKat Bar Coming soon to a selected retailer near you: a vegan version of the iconic KitKat candy bar. Read More   Deputies: Man Proposes Using Rings Stolen from Other Lover A Florida man stole an engagement ring and wedding bands from a girlfriend and used them to propose to another girlfriend, according to authorities. Read More   The Superspreaders Behind Top COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories The Associated Press collaborated with the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab on a nine-month investigation to identify the people and organizations behind some of the most viral misinformation about the origins of the coronavirus. Read More   Support Grows for Capitol Riot Inquiry After Trump Acquittal Lawmakers from both parties, speaking on news shows after the Senate's verdict, signaled that even more inquiries were likely. Read More   Power Cut Across Texas As Snow, Ice Blanket Southern Plains Officials in Houston had warned people to prepare for outages and hazardous roads — conditions similar to what residents might see in the wake of a Category 5 hurricane. Read More

View Latest News Staff Pick Did Facebook Ban Its Own Page in Australia? In a sweeping ban of news in Australia, Facebook appears to have banned its own page. Read More