THURSDAY EDITION Snopes Debunker 1 April 2021 The Origins of April Fools’ Day ​ It has become tradition on the first of April to pull jokes of the harmless variety on those near and dear to us. We plot and we scheme, and often the yuks are funnier in our imaginings than how they play out in reality, but that doesn’t stop us from sending the little kid in us out on a rampage. Even the most staid among us have been known to indulge in a practical joke or two, so beware of trusting anyone on that day. But what are the origins of this tradition? Snopes founder David Mikkelson has more. Read More Fact Checks Is It Snowing? It's smart to be skeptical on April Fools', but this got weird. ✅  True   Is the Teletubbies ‘TubbyCoin’ a Real Cryptocurrency? Move over Dogecoin, TubbyCoin is here to deposit some hugs. 🎭  April Fools'   Did Office Depot Offer Free Lamination of COVID-19 Vaccination Cards? In March 2021, several local news outlets reported that the office supplies chain was running the promotion. ✅  True   Did YouTube Cooking Videos Lead To Capture of Mafia Fugitive? Italian police eighty-sixed the man's chances of becoming a famous TV chef. ✅  True   Is a Presidential Dog Trainer Job Available on Daybook? Always read the fine print. Or, in this case, the big bold letters. ❌  False   Did Duolingo Release Word-A-Day Toilet Paper? "Language learning is hard... so we made it soft." 🎭  April Fools'   Did Paddington Bear Stop Loving Marmalade? Be wary of everyone on the internet, even the lovable Paddington, on April Fools'. 🎭  April Fools'   Did Velveeta Release a Skincare Line? Don't spend your cheddar on this cheesy joke. 🎭  April Fools'   Did ‘Mario Execution Day’ Spell the End of Nintendo’s Mario? Fans around the world mourned the "loss" of the charismatic Italian plumber. ❌  False   No, England’s University of Oxford Isn’t Banning Sheet Music Internet outrage is sometimes based on false assumptions. ❌  False   Did Michael Strahan ‘Say Goodbye’ to Gap in his Teeth? We're not calling the "Good Morning America" host a liar, but a prankster .... maybe. 🎭  April Fools'   Did Breastfeeding Baby Die After Mother Received COVID-19 Vaccine Dose? Health experts do recommend the vaccine be given to breastfeeding parents. ❔  Unproven View Latest Fact Checks Be April Fools' Proof Today and Every Day With the help of our generous supporters, we're able to fight misinformation all year long. If we've helped you, consider making a contribution so we can keep working for many more April Fools' Days to come. $5 $10 $20.21 $50 $100 Other News New GOP-Led Voting Restrictions Move Forward in Texas The bill is one of two major voting packages in Texas that mirrors a nationwide campaign by Republicans after former President Donald Trump made false claims about election fraud. Read More   Cause of Tiger Woods Crash Found, Officials Won’t Reveal It Tiger Woods suffered serious injuries in the Feb. 23 crash when he struck a raised median just outside Los Angeles. Read More   Hunter Biden Details Lifelong Addiction Struggle in Memoir He credits his second wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, with helping him sober up, along with the love from his father and late brother. Read More   Biden Announces Huge Infrastructure Plan to ‘Win the Future’ The U.S. president drew comparisons between his hard-hatted proposed transformation of the U.S. economy and the space race. Read More   Transgender Ex-Neo-Nazi Receives No Prison Time in Threat Case A federal judge declined to impose prison time on a former member of a neo-Nazi ring that threatened journalists. Read More   COVID-19 Pushed Total US Deaths Beyond 3.3 Million Last Year The coronavirus caused approximately 375,000 deaths and was the third leading cause of death in 2020, after heart disease and cancer. Read More   Italy Orders 2 Russian Embassy Officials Expelled for Spying Police arrested an Italian Navy captain on spying charges after they caught the officer allegedly giving classified documents to one of the Russians in exchange for money. Read More   Archbishop: Harry, Meghan Didn’t Wed Before Windsor Service The archbishop of Canterbury has confirmed that he legally married Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle in May 2018. Read More   France Announces 3-Week School Closure, Domestic Travel Ban French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a three-week nationwide school closure and a month-long domestic travel ban in an effort to fight the rapid spread of the virus. Read More   ‘Cool but Weird.’ Macy’s Store Transformed into School Students who once shopped at a downtown mall in Burlington, Vermont, are now attending high school in the former Macy’s department store. Read More   Reversing Trump, Pentagon to Release New Transgender Policy The Pentagon will sweep away Trump-era policies that largely banned transgender people from serving in the military. Read More   Ruh Roh! Biden Pooch Drops Doggie Doo in White House Hallway It was unclear which pooch — Major or Champ — dropped the poo. Read More

View Latest News Staff Pick Is the Biden Administration Creating or Mandating ‘COVID-19 Passports’? The administration has said it is seeking a regulatory role in the development of digital vaccine certificates. Read More