Latest Misinformation News
Mrs. World gives up crown after onstage melee in Sri Lanka
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The reigning Mrs. World on Friday relinquished her title while defending her decision to pull the crown off the head of this year's Mrs. Sri Lanka title holder, whom she claimed was unqualified to take part in the contest because she is divorced. ...
NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week
A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts: ___ New Georgia...
Indiana trooper accused of sexual battery while off duty
ENGLISH, Ind. (AP) — An Indiana state trooper was arrested Thursday and charged with sexual battery for an alleged incident while he was off duty in February, state police said. Ryan L. Griffith, a four-year veteran of the Indiana State Police, was charged with felony...
Georgia Lt. Gov. unlikely to run again after taking on Trump
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s lieutenant governor is unlikely to run for a second term, his chief of staff said Thursday, after he was among the most high-profile Republicans to openly contradict former President Donald Trump’s false claims about fraud in the November election. ...
MSNBC apologizes for showing wrong video of congressman
MSNBC apologized on Wednesday for mistakenly airing video of another Black congressman while reporting a day earlier on the death of U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida. During the report, the network aired archived video of U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Democrat from...
Union sues, says school board's $1,000 stipend discriminates
SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — A teachers union has sued a northwest Louisiana school system, saying a $1,000 bonus discriminates against women, older workers and disabled people. The Caddo Parish School Board approved the “Caddo Heroes Stipend Allocation” for full-time...
Facebook removes accounts tied to Iranian exile group
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook said Tuesday it has removed hundreds of fake accounts linked to an Iranian exile group and a troll farm in Albania. The accounts posted content critical of Iran's government and supportive of Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, a dissident group known as...
Viral thoughts: Why COVID-19 conspiracy theories persist
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Daniel Roberts hadn’t had a vaccination since he was 6. No boosters, no tetanus shots. His parents taught him inoculations were dangerous, and when the coronavirus arrived, they called it a hoax. The vaccine, they said, was the real threat. So...
How to talk to believers of COVID-19 conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theories about COVID-19 are causing real-world problems by discouraging some people from getting vaccinated, wearing masks or following other guidelines. Some bizarre theories about the virus have prompted believers to burn 5G cell towers, shut down vaccination clinics or even ...
Beshear creates task force to stop unemployment fraud
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order Monday creating a task forced aimed at stopping unemployment fraud, as the state sees an increase in fake claims during the pandemic. A release from Beshear's office said the Kentucky...
