Snopes Debunker - How COVID-19 variant BA.2.75 got its nickname, a rumored Oprah quote, and that MAD magazine cartoon

​ FRIDAY EDITION Snopes Debunker July 15, 2022 Trouble Reading? View in Your Browser Today: How COVID-19 variant BA.2.75 got its nickname, a rumored Oprah quote, and that MAD magazine cartoon ​ Why Are People Calling COVID-19 Variant BA.2.75 ‘Centaurus’? Earlier this week, Ed Yong, a science writer for The Atlantic, posted a set of images that supposedly showed how a random Twitter user willed into existence a nickname for a new COVID-19 variant, BA.2.75: “Centaurus.” Dan Evon reports. Read Now Fact Checks and Original Reporting Did Putin Say He Will Make US-Europe ‘Depopulation Plan’ Public? Posts containing the awkwardly-worded quote attributed to the Russian president appear to be nothing more than copypasta. Read Story. Did Oprah Say, ‘When People Treat You Like They Don’t Care, Believe Them’? We looked back several years on social media to find the origins of a quote about a bit of life advice regarding believing people based on their actions. Read Story. Did MAD Magazine Publish ‘Super Patriot’ Cartoon in the 1960s? So-called "Super Patriots" love their country, according to the illustration, while hating 93% of the people in it. Read Story. Latest Fact Checks News Deposition of Trump, 2 Children Delayed After Ivana’s Death Former President Donald Trump and two of his children got their questioning postponed in a New York civil investigation into their business dealings, a delay that follows the death of Trump’s ex-wife Ivana. Read More Griner Lawyer: WNBA Star Had Doctor’s Letter for Cannabis A lawyer for WNBA star Brittney Griner, who is jailed in Russia on drug charges, presented a court with a doctor's letter recommending she use cannabis to treat pain. Read More Watchdog Says Secret Service Deleted Jan. 6 Text Messages Secret Service agents deleted text messages sent and received around the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol even after an inspector general requested them as part of an investigation into the insurrection. Read More

View Latest News Staff Pick Does ‘Felina,’ Title of Last Episode of ‘Breaking Bad,’ Mean ‘Blood, Meth, and Tears’? Fan theories abound for the hit show that concluded in 2013. Read Story. View Editors' Picks Keep Snopes Debunking Show your support for Team Snopes by making a one-time contribution today. Contribute Now