A video of a terrifying tornado in Tennessee today has gone viral! Take a look at the viral video, and find out why it’s fake!
Video Gone Viral : Tornado In Tennessee Today!
People are sharing a 3-minute long video on WhatsApp and X (formerly Twitter), which purportedly shows a terrifying tornado that hit Tennessee today!
This video went viral after Hurricane Helene hit the southern part of Tennessee causing significant flooding and destruction.
And why would it not? It has incredible images of hurricanes and tornadoes, accompanied by loud screams of people purportedly experiencing the tornado in Tennessee.
Why video of terrifying tornado in Tennessee today is fake!
This is yet another example of fake videos circulating on WhatsApp and X (formerly Twitter), and here are the reasons why…
Tennessee was struck by Hurricane Helene
Let me start by pointing out that Tennessee was not hit by a tornado in September or October 2024, when the video went viral. The southern part of Tennessee was struck by Hurricane Helene on 27 September 2024.
Tornadoes and hurricanes both have extremely strong horizontal winds that swirl around a centre. But they are different weather phenomena.
The most obvious difference according to NASA is this – hurricanes are about a thousand times larger than tornadoes. Tornadoes are rarely more than a few hundred feet across when they touch the ground, while hurricanes are anywhere from 60 to over a thousand miles across.
In addition, hurricanes form over warm waters of tropical oceans, and can persist for days or weeks, while travelling thousands of miles. Tornadoes, on the other hand, form on land, and typically only lasts a few minutes and rarely travel more than 10-20 miles.
The video clips were digitally manipulated
Whoever created the viral video of tornadoes in Tennessee digitally edited the different video clips, flipping some of them horizontally – presumably to make it harder for people to run a reverse image search, and check the veracity of the video.
The fake video creator also sped up many of the video clips, and added voices of people screaming, to make it more terrifying. You can even hear gunshots at one point!
The awesome WebQoof fact checking team at The Quint did a great job tracing the origin of the many video clips. Here are what they found (and some of what I found).
This video was originally posted by a TikTok video creator (@rtsarovvideo) on 18 April 2024, so it obviously has nothing to do with Hurricane Helene, which only hit Tennessee on 28 September 2024.
@rtsarovvideo appears to be posting digitally-created tornado videos. A closer inspection of the video suggests that this particular video was created using an AI video generator.
The fake news creator flipped the original TikTok video horizontally, possibly to make it more difficult for fact checkers to locate the original video.
The same TikTok video creator appears to have also created this video. He/she likely added the tornado digitally to the original video, because the people on the beach don’t appear to be worried, or running for shelter.
This video is also likely to be digitally-created, although neither the WebQoof team nor I could trace its origin. However, it was posted early as 14 October 2023, so it obviously has nothing to do with Hurricane Helene.
In addition, the video shows a waterspout – not a tornado or a hurricane. And the location of this video has been attributed to the North Sea, Canada, Jamaica, and even Dubai!
This video of a dog on the road appears to be posted on TikTok on 12 July 2023 – more than a year ago. Obviously, this video has nothing to do with Hurricane Helene in September 2024!
This video shows a tornado demolishing a building in Lincoln, Nebraska on 26 April 2024. Obviously, this video has nothing to do with Tennessee, or Hurricane Helene.
This video of a cow running during a storm is also old, and was originally posted by CBS News on 27 April 2023. Again, the fake video creator flipped this video horizontally.
The video also had nothing to do with a tornado or hurricane in Tennessee – it was a hailstorm in North Texas.
This is also an old video. It shows a tornado in Andover, Kansas, and was posted on 29 April 2022 – more than 2.5 years ago.
This video was originally posted by Reuters in May 2024, and shows a doorbell camera capturing tornado winds knocking down trees in Michigan. Not only is Michigan over a thousand kilometres from Tennessee, it happened months earlier.
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Did Kamala Harris forget to plug in her earphones in a staged photo?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Kamala Harris forgot to plug in her earphones in staged photo!
On 29 September 2024, Kamala Harris’ office released a photo of the Vice President being briefed by FEMA on Hurricane Helene, which the statement:
I was just briefed by @FEMA_Deanne Criswell on the latest developments about the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Helene. We also discussed our Administration’s continued actions to support emergency response and recovery.
I also spoke with @NC_Governor Cooper about the ongoing rescue and recovery efforts in North Carolina.
Our Administration will continue to stay in constant contact with state and local officials to ensure communities have the support and resources they need.
Doug and my thoughts are with all those who lost loved ones and those whose homes, businesses, and communities were damaged or destroyed during this disaster.
Some people quickly claimed or suggested that she staged / faked the photo, and forgot to plug in her earphones!
Donald J. Trump : Another FAKE and STAGED photo from someone who has no clue what she is doing. You have to plug the cord into the phone for it to work! Biden and Harris abandoned Americans in Afghanistan. They sacrificed Americans to an Open Border, and now, they have left Americans to drown in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and elsewhere in the South. Under this Administration, Americans always come last, because we have “leaders” who have no idea how to lead!
Laura Loomer : @KamalaHarris is pretending to write on a piece of blank paper and is pretending to listen to a call from FEMA about Hurricane Helene, but her headphones aren’t even plugged into her phone!!
Oh my god. 😯😯 Kamala Harris is literally Retarded.
Collin Rugg : She is so busy writing on her paper with nothing on it that she forgot to plug in her headphones. Very common mistake!
Brian Craig : ANOTHER PHOTO-OP FAKE: Kamala Harris Pretends to Be Briefed on Hurricane Helene Damages But Her Earphones Are Not Attached to the Phone
Truth : Kamala Harris did not forget to plug in her earphones in staged photo!
This appears to be yet another example of fake news created about Kamala Harris, and here are the reasons why…
Apple removed iPhone audio port in 2016
First, let me just point out that Apple removed the audio port from the iPhone, with the release of iPhone 7 in September 2016 – 8 years ago.
The phone on the table appears to have an action button, and is either an iPhone 15 or an iPhone 16 – both of which lack any audio port to plug in a pair of wired earphones.
If Kamala Harris was using that iPhone to speak to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, she would either use a USB Type C to 3.5 mm dongle to connect to her wired earphones, or used it in speaker mode.
There was no wire connected to the phone
Some fact checkers have countered, claiming that the white earphone cable was connected to the phone. That’s not possible, as the iPhone 15/16 does not have an audio port – as I pointed out above.
The white “cable” is actually reflected light off the aluminium frame of the table, which has an elevated lip to prevent items from sliding off.
Kamala Harris is likely using a second, different phone, because she has been observed using wired earphones with a black rectangular phone (example), and the earphones connected to its bottom left.
That rules out any iPhone (even with a USB dongle). It would almost certainly be an Android smartphone with a 3.5 mm audio port on the lower left side, likely the Samsung Galaxy A52, or the Nokia G60. It is also possible, even likely, that she’s using a custom-designed phone for secure communications.
In any case, if she was listening to Deanne Criswell on her wired earphones, the phone they are connected to is not visible in that photo, and is most likely on her lap, or perhaps even in her pocket.
Papers on table were likely blurred or edited
Kamala Harris was also mocked for apparently writing nothing on a blank piece of paper. However, it is likely that the photo was edited to blur or remove all visible text on the papers.
If you look closely at the photo, you will notice that the paper in the foreground and even the paper napkin was blurred out. This was likely done for PR / security reasons.
After all, who can forget the staged October 2020 photo op at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in which then President Donald Trump was caught signing his name on a piece of blank paper with a marker pen.
Ultimately, this is yet another example of political fake news surrounding the upcoming 2024 US Presidential election. Here are some other examples I fact checked recently:
As the 2024 US Presidential election draws close, you can expect more of such fake news to appear, so be wary and skeptical!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did an Indian company called Nagarjuna Cement mock the September 11 attack in its controversial advertisement?! Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Nagarjuna Cement mocks September 11 attack in viral video!
People are sharing a video which purportedly shows a controversial advertisement by Nagarjuna Cement mocking the September 11, 2001 attack on the United States.
The viral video shows an airliner flying into a tall building and bouncing off it, instead of exploding. The airplane then reverses and goes around the building, suggesting that the building was simply too hard to take down.
Translated : his cement is impressive, and the airplane head is also very hard 😂 #fyp #viral #recommended #didn’t expect that #India
Circulating on WhatsApp : India Cement advertisement that upset USA. 🤣
印度水泥广告 美国人震怒！
President-Elect Togo : This Indian ad is saying if you used their cement, 9/11 wouldn’t have happened
Remington 870 : Indian commercial showing how strong Indian cement is compared to U.S. that, 9/11 could never happen if built with Indian materials. 9/11 suggest U.S does tofu construction, no other countries building would collapse this easily.
Truth : Nagarjuna Cement did not create video mock September 11 attack!
This is yet another example of fake news circulating on TikTok, YouTube, and social media platforms, and here are the reasons why…
Nagarjuna Cement did not create that 9/11 attack advertisement
First, let me just point out that Nagarjuna Cement did not create any viral advertisement mocking the September 11 attack on one of the World Trade Center towers.
If that was really the case, it would have been reported widely by media outlets all over the world. Yet, there has been no legitimate news report of any Nagarjuna Cement advertisement mocking the 9/11 attacks.
Nagarjuna Cement refuted claims it created the video
Nagarjuna Cement itself publicly refuted (archive) the claim that it created the video as an advertisement on its account on X (formerly Twitter) on 20 March 2024:
Kind Attn: For the past few days this meme has been circulated on social media platforms.We would like everyone to know that we have nothing to do with this content or the creator and we wish to report the illegal usage of our copyrighted/trademark brand logo and our ad content.
The viral Nagarjuna Cement advertisement mocking the September 11 attack on the Twin Towers was actually created from two separate video clips.
The first 5 seconds was taken from a 3D animation of an airliner bouncing off a World Trade Center tower, with the bonk sound effect, that was created by animator Wraysque and posted on YouTube on 20 February 2024.
When someone mentioned to Wraqsque that the video was being used in the Nagarjuna Cement video, he/she said:
lmao,,, i dont think they ever mentioned my channel on their vid, glad u found my channel, here is a cookie
The second part was taken from the last 13 seconds of an actual Nagarjuna advertisement that was posted on YouTube more than 3 years ago – on 13 May 2021.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Israel just kill 1,800 Hezbollah militants in Lebanon using exploding goats?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Israel kills 1,800 Hezbollah militants with exploding goats!
People are sharing a video which purportedly shows CNN anchor Jake Tapper reporting that Israel just killed 1,800 Hezbollah militants in Lebanon using exploding goats!
Shashank S Tripathi : BREAKING NEWS: First pager then radio and now Goat.
Explosions in #Lebanon reported allegedly caused by Israel , involved of goats rigged with explosives, leading to the deaths and injuries of several #Hezbollah members.
Praveen Kumar : BREAKING NEWS: Mass #Hezbollah Casualties Reported After Goats Explode.
#Mossad is everywhere to eliminate Terrorists around the #lebnan
Kimberly Reich : Shocking! : Mass Hezbollah Casualties Reported After Goats Explode 🇮🇱✡️
Mihir Jha : Is this true? 😮 Rectums of Goats exploding in Lebanon Kill!πg hundreds of Hezbollah fighters – This is a blasphemy act by Israel
Mr. Nationalist : 🚨 BREAKING NEWS: Mass Hezbollah casualties reported after goats explode in Lebanon. Hamas and Hezbollah are in shock now! 😲
Vekho P Ringa : From pagers to walkie-talkies, and now even goats? #Hezbollah situation now 🥸
ValluvaNayanar : BREAKING NEWS: Mass Hezbollah Casualties Reported After Goats Explode.
Truth : Israel did not kill any Hezbollah militant with exploding goats!
This appears to be yet another example of fake news circulating around the Hezbollah pager + walkie-talkie explosions, and here are the reasons why…
It was a parody video
Soon after news broke that Israel killed dozens of people and injured thousands more using exploding pagers and walkie-talkies used by members of Hezbollah, some people started making memes and joke videos.
The video that people are sharing as “evidence” that Israel killed even more Hezbollah militants using exploding goats is actually a parody video (archive) created by Danny Polishchuk – a comedian with the X account @dannyjokes.
To be clear – Israel did not kill or injure anyone by inserting explosives into the rectums of goats, so that they would explode when someone has sexual relations with the goats. It was a joke.
He used an AI app (archive) to make the deepfake video of CNN anchor Jake Tapper saying that Israel killed another 1,800 people using exploding goats, before inserting himself into the video as a CNN journalist reporting on the incident.
Funny part about this is the AI app I used wouldn’t let me use Anderson Cooper because he’s a celebrity but didn’t consider Jake Tapper one
Frankly, even if the joke was not readily apparent, the static chyron and clock should be a giveaway that it was not a genuine CNN video.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Was this man shot by Iranian security forces with buckshot, or infected with mpox / monkeypox?! Take a look at the viral photo, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2024-08-21 : Added Ama Llulla network fact check, and more details Originally posted @ 2024-08-20
Claim : This man was shot with buckshot, not infected with monkeypox!
Some people are claiming that the famous photo of a man with multiple black scabs was not infected with monkeypox, but rather, he was shot by Iranian security forces with buckshot.
Debbie Crawford : Fake pic! That is a guy that got shot with Buckshot years ago, stop with the fear porn already
Kevin McKernan : It’s a buckshot injury you PhDarded NPC.
Tarek : this is not monkey pox..i am in Congo and help with hospitals.. this is just a protestor shot with buckshot in Iran
Truth : This man was infected with monkeypox, not shot with buckshot!
This appears to be an example of (accidental?) fake news circulating on social media, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : False claims based on Iran HRM article
It appears that people who claimed that this photo actually shows a man who was shot by Iranian security forces with buckshot, based their opinions on an Iran Human Rights Monitor (HRM) article that was posted on 8 November 2022 (archive). Here’s an excerpt:
Shooting to kill, an unretouched image of Iran regime
A documentary on the Iranian regime’s use of shotguns against Iranian protesters
State forces in Iran fire the shotguns with pellets as alternatives to live ammunition against protesters. This use of arms is an act against international laws. A shotgun is not only considered a deadly weapon, but it accidentally harms anyone in its range. Children and the elderly are all possible targets, even passers-by and those who may not be participating in protests.
The Iran HRM article posted a slightly-cropped photo of the man with dozens of large black scabs, with the description – “A citizen hit by buckshot“.
The truth is – the viral photo was wrongly labelled by Iran Human Rights Monitor, as a victim of buckshot fired by Iranian security forces.
This photo was taken by Dr. Hiram Jerónimo, a Mexican infectious disease specialist, who posted it on 11 October 2022 – almost a month before the Iran HRM article.
He confirmed that the man was an immunocompromised patient who suffered a severe case of monkeypox (Viruela símica) with more than 250 lesions.
Obviously, this photo was taken in Mexico by Dr. Jerónimo, and could not have been taken in Iran.
Fact #3 : A single buckshot wound would not present like this
The Iran HRM article suggests that the man might have been shot with a 12-gauge shotgun firing either #4 buckshot or 00 buckshot, due to the size of the wounds.
However, if you take a closer look, you can see that the wounds extend all around his body – around both sides, and all the way to his head and even the ears! It would be quite impossible for him to be shot with so many pellets in a single shot. I counted over 105 large black scabs in that photo, and there’s more if you count the healed pockmarks.
For those wounds to be caused by a shotgun, he would have been shot multiple times – at least 4 to 12 times, based on the number of wounds. He would also “need” to be shot at different angles, for the buckshot to hit his back, his head, as well as both left and right sides.
If that man was really shot multiple times by a 12-gauge shotgun, he would have likely died, even if they used smaller buckshot.
Buckshot wounds look different, and would also not protrude outwards like pox-like bumps, which is how monkeypox / mpox presents (source).
Fact #4 : Some wounds have healed
If you look closely at the photo, you can also see circular scars of healed wounds on the man’s back.
Unless he got shot with buckshot on two different occasions days or weeks apart, it is far more likely that those are healed monkeypox scars.
Fact #5 : Ama Llulla confirmed this in February 2023
Ama Llulla – the Peruvian fact-checking network, actually fact checked this viral photo in a February 2023 article, and confirmed that it was a photo of an immunocompromised patient suffering from severe monkeypox (mpox) which was posted by Dr. José Hiram Hernández Jerónimo on 11 October 2022.
It also confirmed that the photo was incorrectly circulated as someone who was injured during the protests in Iran (translated):
It should be noted that the image of the patient has previously been circulated incorrectly, claiming that he was injured during the protests in Iran. In a statement from ‘Stichting Van De Familieleden’ (SF), a non-profit organization dedicated to defending human rights in Iran, the photo in question was published with the claim that it depicted ‘a civilian hit by pellets.’
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did the Harris-Walz campaign use fake crowd photos created using generative AI technology?! Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Harris-Walz campaign used fake AI crowd photos!
Some people are sharing photos, which they claim prove that the Harris-Walz campaign got caught using fake crowd photos created using generative AI technology!
Donald Trump : Has anyone noticed that Kamala CHEATED at the airport? There was nobody at the plane, and she “A.l.’d” it, and showed a massive “crowd” of so-called followers, BUT THEY DIDN’T EXIST! She was turned in by a maintenance worker at the airport when he noticed the fake crowd picture, but there was nobody there, later confirmed by the reflection of the mirror like finish on the Vice Presidential Plane. She’s a CHEATER. She had NOBODY waiting, and the “crowd” looked like 10,000 people! Same thing is happening with her fake “crowds” at her speeches. This is the way the Democrats win Elections, by CHEATING – And they’re even worse at the Ballot Box. She should be disqualified because the creation of a fake image is ELECTION INTERFERENCE. Anyone who does that will cheat at ANYTHING!
Dinesh D’Souza : Check the reflection in the plane. Does this look like a real picture to you?
Chuck Callesto : BREAKING REPORT: Harris campaign BUSTED using FAKE crowd photo at campaign rally stop..
Blaire White (screenshot) : Kamala Harris using AI to inflate crowds is so INSANE that it’s taken me seeing 5+ examples to believe it.
Laura Loomer : Kamala Harris’s campaign is using AI to manipulate her campaign photos and videos. And it’s all being orchestrated by @MikeNellis, a senior advisor to Kamala Harris who works with Loren Merchan, the daughter of Judge Juan Merchan as I have previously reported.
Truth : Harris-Walz campaign did not use fake AI crowd photos!
This is yet another example of fake news about the 2024 US Presidential election, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Airport photo is genuine and was not created by AI
Many people, including former President Donald Trump, falsely claimed that the Harris-Walz campaign faked photos of the crowd that greeted Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
The photo is genuine, and is one of the many taken and posted by people who attended the event, which was attended by thousands of people, as well as prominent politicians. It was also live streamed by dozens of news channel.
In addition, Shayan Sardarizadeh of BBC Verify checked the metadata of the original photo, and confirmed that it was taken using an iPhone 12 Pro Max on 7 August at 18:28 local time.
While it is possible that some photos might have been digitally manipulated to make them appear fake, or created by generative AI software, the size of the crowd is indisputable. According to the local news outlet MLive, “about about 15,000 people filled the hangar, the crowd spilling out onto the tarmac.”
Fact #2 : Telephoto lens make the crowd appear closer than it really is
People are pointing to the reflection of Air Force Two’s fuselage and engine cowling, which appear to show the hangar but no sign of any people. That does not mean the photo was created by AI.
For one thing – the photo appears to have been taken using a telephoto lens, which makes the crowd appear much closer to Air Force Two than it really is.
As this video below shows, the crowd was actually located close to the hangar, and a considerable distance away from Air Force Two. Hence, they would not be so obviously seen in the reflection of Air Force Two’s fuselage or engine cowling.
Fact #3 : Reflections are “compressed” on curved surfaces
The second reason why you don’t see the large crowds visibly reflected on Air Force Two’s fuselage and engine cowling is because they are curved surfaces, on which reflections would appear compressed.
It may seem silly but let me just point out that the fuselage and engine cowling of Air Force Two are cylindrical. Like funhouse mirrors, shiny cylindrical surfaces distort reflections, and will not reflect an image like a flat mirror.
If you look closely, you can see how the hangar appears compressed vertically – it appears to be very long, but squashed flat, like someone sat on it. You can actually see the crowd in that photo – it just appears as a dark line because its reflection was compressed vertically by the curved surface.
This video, which was created by someone else (sorry, I don’t know who, but will update this article with the correct credit when I identify the creator) recreated the scene using Blender, to show and explain why the crowd’s reflection can be seen in the photo – they just appear compressed.
Some conspiracists pointed out that the aircraft in the photo lacks a tail number, with some pointing out that Air Force Two should have the tail number 80002.
While generative AI can and do create images with distorted or even missing text, that is no the case with the viral photo of Air Force Two at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
The truth is – the US Air Force started removing tail numbers and other individually-identifying markings from its C-32A and C-32B executive and personnel transport jets for operational security reasons.
In fact, when JD Vance – the Republican candidate for Vice President recently walked up to Air Force Two in Wisconsin on 7 August 2024, photos and videos clearly show that it lacked any tail number.
Fact #5 : AI stadium crowd photo was not created by Harris-Walz campaign
The viral stadium photo, which purportedly shows supporters of the Harris-Walz campaign, was created using generative AI software. There are many obvious signs of generative AI in that viral photo, as many people have pointed out.
However, it was not created or shared by the Harris-Walz campaign. It was created and posted (archive) by a parody account on X (formerly Twitter) called Dr. Literaleigh A Pheline 🇺🇦🏳️🌈 (@Sarcasmcat24).
When American YouTuber and political commentator, Blair White, shared that photo, @Sarcasmcat24pointed out to her that it was AI-generated:
That’s a photo that I generated with AI
Zoom in a bit, you’ll see that the faces aren’t even well developed.
Yeah, I run a parody account, glad you enjoyed the post! 😜
White has since deleted her post, but many continue to post this fake photo (on the right) and falsely claim that it was posted or created by the Harris-Walz campaign. That’s simply not true.
Fact #6 : This is just political fake news
Ultimately, this is yet another example of political fake news surrounding the upcoming 2024 US Presidential election. Here are some other examples I fact checked recently:
As the 2024 US Presidential election draws close, you can expect more of such fake news to appear, so be wary and skeptical!
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Sylvester Stallone just die suddenly in the hospital?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2024-07-27 : Added new updates, including new Facebook and MediaMass claims. Originally posted @ 2023-04-12
Claim : Sylvester Stallone Just Died Suddenly In Hospital!
People are sharing a Facebook post (archive) claiming that Sylvester Stallone just died:
The supremely talented actor, the man who acted at his best in lots of films has gone!!! Sylvester Stallone known as John Rambo (19 46 -2024) R. I. P Legend. Your martial Arts remain in the Film Industry. May your great soul be remembered for eternity.
People are also sharing YouTube and TikTok videos claiming to show Sylvester Stallone just died in a hospital, with titles like :
5 minutes ago / R.I.P Actor Sylvester Stallone Died on the way to the hospital / Goodbye
R.I.P. It’s With Our Deepest Regret to Report About Sudden Death Of Legend actor Sylvester Stallone.
With a heavy heart at the tearful farewell to Legendary actor Sylvester Stallone, goodbye Stallone.
Sylvester Stallone Just Die Suddenly In Hospital? Family announced sad news legend Sylvester Stallone
Heartbreaking Final Moments Of Legendary actor Sylvester Stallone – cause of death is hidden!
5 minutes ago / Died on the street / Sylvester Stallone
10 minutes ago/ We announce very sad news about Legendary actor Sylvester Stallone, Goodbye Stallone
Sylvester Stallone Passed Away A Few Minutes Ago At His Home / Funeral Held In Hollywood For 3 Days.
Sylvester Stallone Just died RIP FLY HIGH You will be missed 🕊🕊🕊 #rambo #rocky #rockybalboa
Truth : Sylvester Stallone did not die suddenly anywhere!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by people to generate likes, engagement, page views, gain followers, or income from advertising, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Sylvester Stallone Is Still Alive + Well!
Hollywood legend, Sylvester Stallone (born Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone on July 6, 1946), is still very much alive and well, as of 26 January 2024.
For those who readily believe claims that Sylvester Stallone has died without even asking for evidence, here are some recent “proof of life”…
On Friday, 26 July 2024, Sylvester Stallone posted a video at the set of the second season of Tulsa King.
This group knows how to work hard. Times almost up on the set of Tulsa King Season 2. 🥊
As you can see, Sly Stallone is still very much alive and well, even regularly keeping in shape in his gym – weeks and months after these fake YouTube videos claimed that he died in a hospital, at home, or even on the street!
Fact #2 : No Legitimate Media Outlet Reported His Death
These YouTube videos have been circulating for months and years, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported his death.
Sylvester Stallone is a Hollywood icon, starring in the Rocky and Rambo movies, as well as more recently, The Expendables movies.
No legitimate media outlet reported that Sylvester Stallone was sick, much less died suddenly in a hospital!
If Sylvester Stallone did indeed die, the worldwide media would have reported on his death. Yet, no one but an unknown Facebook page, small YouTube and TikTok channels picked up on his tragic death? That’s because it never happened.
Fact #3 : The Photos Were Edited
The photos used in these videos were edited from real photos, with some celebrities added in to make it look genuine. In this example, the fake news creator added overly large heads of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis.
The actual photo is of the February 2019 funeral of Argentinian footballer, Emiliano Sala, who died in a plane crash off Alderney on 21 January 2019.
The photo was taken by Associated Press, and shows Nantes defender Nicolas Pallois and Emiliano Sala’s brother, Dario, helping to carry his coffin at his funeral on 19 February 2019.
Even when it comes to the really good photo-editing efforts, there are still some clues to show you that these were edited images.
In this example, you can see that Sylvester Stallone’s chin appeared to be cut out. More damning is pillow which had a Queensland Health logo on it.
Unless Sylvester Stallone happened to be filming in Queensland, Australia; there is no way he would end up being treated in its hospital!
Fact #4 : Sylvester Stallone Death Hoax Is Driven By Fake Fact Check Too
This Sylvester Stallone death hoax is, ironically, also being driven by a fact check article by the MediaMass Project.
News of actor Sylvester Stallone’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the July 2024 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the actor best known for his roles in Rambo or Rocky is alive and well.
Rumors of the actor’s alleged demise gained traction on Saturday after a ‘R.I.P. Sylvester Stallone’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the American actor’s passing:
“At about 11 a.m. ET on Thursday (July 25, 2024), our beloved actor Sylvester Stallone passed away. Sylvester Stallone was born on July 6, 1946 in New York. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”
Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 78-year-old actor, director and producer was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.
Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major American network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of an actor of Sylvester Stallone’s stature would be major news across networks.
Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Sylvester Stallone Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.
He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.
Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.
Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.
This is yet another example of fake celebrity news created to generate engagement, or gain followers, page views and/or money through advertising, just like these examples:
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Did Kamala Harris idiotically described herself as a woman sitting at the table and wearing a blue suit?! Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Kamala Harris Idiotically Described Herself As Woman Wearing Blue Suit!
Some people are sharing and/or mocking a video of US Vice President Kamala Harris describing herself as a woman sitting at the table, wearing a blue suit.
RNC Research / Libs of TikTok : “I am Kamala Harris, my pronouns are she and her, and I am a woman sitting at the table wearing a blue suit.”
Truth : Kamala Harris Described Herself As Woman Wearing Blue Suit To Visually Disabled!
This is yet another example of fake news about Kamala Harris, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Video Was From July 2022
Let me start by pointing out that this video is genuine, but it isn’t new. The video is actually two years old, being recorded at the White House on July 26, 2022.
This is important because many people are sharing and mocking this video now in July 2024, right after President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign, and endorsed Kamala Harris instead.
Fact #2 : Kamala Harris Was Describing Herself To Visually Disabled People
While the video was not digitally-altered, and does indeed show Vice President Kamala Harris describing herself as a woman sitting at the table, wearing a blue suit, she was actually doing that for the benefit of visually disabled people at the meeting.
That video was recorded at a roundtable that Kamala Harris hosted with disability rights leaders to discuss access to reproductive healthcare, on the 32nd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
As Sara Luterman, a 19th News journalist who attended the meeting, pointed out – Kamala Harris did so because some of those participants are blind / visually impaired. Luterman herself is partially blind.
This was at a meeting with disability rights leaders earlier today. VP Harris is describing what she is wearing because some of those leaders are blind.
Will those who mocked Kamala Harris now apologise for their crass remarks? One can only hope…
Fact #3 : Self-Description Is Common Practice With Visually Impaired People
According to the Missouri School for the Blind, it is actually best practice to self-describe yourself to visually impaired people:
Introduce yourself using your name and/or position, especially if you are wearing a name badge containing this information.
Be precise and thorough when you describe people, places or things. Don’t leave things out or change a description because you think it is unimportant or unpleasant.
Feel free to use visually descriptive language. Making reference to colors, patterns, designs, and shapes is perfectly acceptable.
Instead of mocking Kamala Harris for describing herself to visually impaired people at the meeting, we should applaud her for doing so.
Fact #4 : Biden Admin Implemented Gender-Neutral Pronouns In 2021
While some are mocking Kamala Harris for describing her pronouns, this isn’t new. Neither is this use of pronouns something that only she does.
Within 24 hours of President Joe Biden’s inauguration in January 2021, the White House released a new contact form, in which allows users to select their pronounces of choice.
In other words, Kamala Harris is describing her gender and pronouns to visually impaired people at the roundtable, in line with the Biden Administration’s policy on gender inclusivity.
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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Vice President Kamala Harris say that “Today is today, and yesterday was today yesterday” in a viral video?! Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Kamala Harris Said “Today Is Today” In Viral Video!
Some people are sharing a video, in which US Vice President Kamala Harris appears to speak incoherently and bizarrely about “today”, “tomorrow” and “the future”!
Ian Miles Cheong : Is this fake? Please tell me this is fake, Actually, tell me it’s real so I can laugh even harder.
Ramble_Rants : “Tomorrow will be today, tomorrow.”
The original video, and new versions of it, surged in shares and views after President Joe Biden ceased his re-election campaign, and endorsed Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.
Truth : Kamala Harris Did Not Say “Today Is Today” In Viral Video!
This is yet another example of fake news about Kamala Harris, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Viral Videos Are Fake And Were Edited
Let me start by simply pointing out that the viral videos showing Kamala Harris speaking about “today”, “tomorrow”, and “the future” is fake, and was edited.
The fake video creator used a segment of a speech Kamala Harris gave on April 25, 2023, at Howard University in Washington D.C., and replaced the audio with a fake voice-over, which said:
Today is today and yesterday was today yesterday. Tomorrow will be today tomorrow. So, live today so the future today will be as the past today, as it is tomorrow.
Fact #2 : Viral Video Was Digitally Altered
The viral video has been digitally altered with a voice-over, and her lip movements synced to match the added audio.
Reuters spoke to Dr. Dominic Lees, an associate professor in filmmaking from the University of Reading, who confirmed that the video was “not authentic”:
“Close observers will detect the video ‘noise’ around the mouth,” he said, adding that the lack of background sound indicates the voice was not recorded at this location.
Indeed, if you look closely at her mouth, you can see visual artifacts. Her chin also appears to “drop off”, especially when Kamala Harris started to speak in the edited video clip.
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Did Donald Trump just praise HUAWEI and China in a shocking NBC News interview?! Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Donald Trump Just Praised HUAWEI + China!
People are sharing a video clip of an NBC News interview on WhatsApp and TikTok, in which Donald Trump praised HUAWEI and China!
You can watch the video below, and here is a transcript of what Trump apparently said in that interview:
NBC : News coming from China that Huawei announced their brand new 5G phone, Mate 60. What do you think, Mr. Trump?
Trump : What do I think? Does the mainstream media care about what I think now? If they ever did, America would be much stronger than it is nowadays.
NBC : People want to hear from you.
Trump : Huawei started out small, just like China. But they strive, they fought their fights and they never ever gave up. Sounds familiar? Yes, those values which we Americans used to treasure.
See how big of a change of Huawei had these few years? New system, China-made chips, countless high-end cooperations in the world with other leaders of the country. They will continue to get stronger and stronger.
NBC : Huawei only uses 7 nanometers chip, far way what our technology… let’s say Apple A17 Pro uses 3 nanometer chip.
Trump : Stop right here. Why do you care so much about the number? Do those numbers mean that much to you? Tell me one thing that China wanted to do but they couldn’t do?
I would say this confidently, other than their men’s football team, China can do anything they wanted, if they are fully committed.
Do you read history? China was poor and weak back in 50s. We Americans threatened them, intimidated them, so what? They still made the N-word, not the black one, but the bomb.
Yes, it’s not something that’s we think is high-end. They used outdated technology back then. But they go it! That’s all they needed. You need to be dead stupid to think that Chinese people will not make 3 nanometer chips in the future.
Let me tell you. I have to sound stereotypical, but China does have a bunch of dangerously smart nerds. Do you know how old Chinese kids start to learn English? I heard they start at the age of 4, sometimes even younger.
They learn English so that a guaranteed percentage of people can read English papers, literature, and journals. They can study us, they can study our knowledge, our technology and we cannot stop them.
But look at American kids. We kids study French just because we think French is cultured. But do you know how shitty France is now? We kids study Spanish just because we got too many immigrants from the south, and it became part of our culture.
How many American kids are learning Chinese? Which by the way China is number 2 in the world. Maybe 0.1 percent?
Huawei is just a start. 7 nanometers might sounds nothing to us today, but what about 5 years later? 10 years later? American has no manufacturing industry. Even Tesla mega factory went to China and Mexico.
Don’t tell me you think those blood sucking vampires in Wall Street can help American during difficult time. I’m a smart and successful businessman and let me tell you – capital would run away in those times, but manufacturing power cannot. If we keep doing what we are doing now, China will smack our ass, no question.
When our people are marching for LGBTQ rights on the street, cheering for weirdos and forced to appreciate their values, people in China are learning English and studying us. When our people becomes homeless on the street because of drug abuse, people in China is alleviating poverty and make sure everyone has rights to go to school.
When our people wallowed in ego of being number one for decades with war and fortune, people in China works day and night tries to overtake us without invading any countries. Well, maybe Taiwan, but it is not really a country, isn’t it?
If you don’t want your kids to study Chinese, start by voting for me, not sleepy Joe.
Truth : Donald Trump Did Not Praise HUAWEI + China!
This is yet another example of propaganda created and/or promoted by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and/or pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Video Was Modified By AI
Let me start by pointing out that the video, in which Donald Trump praised HUAWEI and China, was edited and modified by AI. It was not a very good job, to be honest.
The video creator tried to make the lips match the words, but you can often see the lips move even when Donald Trump and the interviewer stopped talking.
And sometimes you can even see their lips twist or flicker abnormally – glitches in the AI software’s attempt to change the shape of the lips to match the words.
Fact #2 : Audio Was Fabricated Using AI
The audio used in the video was fabricated completely using AI software, but it was also not very well-done.
Donald Trump was speaking too quickly, used long sentences, and actually kept on topic. Trump is notorious for speaking incoherently. He often rambles and loses his train of thought, and going off-script.
If you listen carefully, you can also hear the original audio in the background. It appears that the fake video creator did not completely mute the original audio, but reduced its volume before inserting the fake audio.
The fake video creator also made a lot of grammatical mistakes in fabricating the fake audio. In addition, Trump would also never refer to soccer as football, as the term “football” would refer to what the rest of the world call “American football”.
We know that both the video was edited, and the audio was fabricated, because NBC News provided the original video and the interview transcript here.
The interview took place in September 2023, and was conducted by Kristen Welker, in her first interview as the moderator of NBC News’ “Meet The Press”.
If you watch the video, or read the transcript, you can see how different the real interview was, compared to the fake video. You can also see how Donald Trump rambles incoherently in real life, and how Kristen Welker keeps telling him to get back to the topic.
Fact #4 : Donald Trump Never Mentioned HUAWEI
In the original interview, Donald Trump did not mention HUAWEI even once. Neither did he talk about computer chips, or Chinese kids learning English. That was all made up.
Fact #5 : Donald Trump Never Praised China
In the original interview, Donald Trump did not praise China. He warned that “China is taking over the world”, and that all electric cars are going to be made in China.
Trump even blamed China for COVID-19, saying that “what China did to the world was so bad”. He also suggested that China should “pay something back” for the damage they “did to the world with Covid”.
This is really nothing more than yet another example of propaganda created or promoted by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and/or pro-CCP netizens. Here are some other examples I fact-checked recently:
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did a massive tornado and hailstorm destroy power lines and buildings in Nilai today?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Tornado + Hailstorm Destroy Power Lines + Buildings In Nilai!
People are sharing a video clip on WhatsApp, claiming that it shows a massive tornado and hailstones destroying power lines and buildings in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, earlier today!
今早大约9-10在汝来发生真够力。 This happened in Nilai around 9-10 this morning.
This morning around 9-10, a real power incident occurred in Nilai. Today Nilai around 10 morning.
This is yet another example of fake news circulating on WhatsApp, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Nilai Was Not Hit By Tornado Or Hailstones Today!
Let me start by pointing out that Nilai in Negeri Sembilan was not hit by any tornado or hailstones today – Sunday, 30 June 2024.
If that happened, it would not only have been reported widely by the mainstream media in Malaysia, it would have been covered extensively on social media.
Yet, there has been no coverage by the mainstream media, or any mention of such a tragedy on social media. That’s because it was all made up!
Fact #2 : It Was A Compilation Of Videos From China!
I analysed the video and found that it was a collection of three unrelated videos – a tornado video, a hailstorm video, and another unrelated hailstorm video.
The only connection between the three videos was that they were all recorded on the same day – 27 April 2024… in China!
None of the three video clips in the viral video was recorded in Nilai, Malaysia.
Fact #3 : Tornado Video Was Recorded In Guangdong
I traced the video of the tornado destroying power lines to a Category EF2 tornado with 178 to 217 km/h winds that hit Zhongluotan Town in the Baiyun District of Guangdong Province in China.
In addition, the video was not recorded in the morning, as the viral messages claim. It was recorded at approximately 3 PM on 27 April 2024 (source).
That tornado killed 5 people, and injured 33 people. It also damaged 141 factory buildings, although no residential houses collapsed in that tragedy.
Fact #4 : First Hailstorm Video Was Recorded In Guangxi
The hailstorm video is unrelated to the tornado video, with some people claiming that it was recorded in Guangxi, China (example), while others claim it was recorded in the village of Mawlynrei, in Meghalaya, India (example).
However, I was able to confirm the source of the video as @yangyubin1998 who posted the video on X (formerly Twitter) on 27 April 2024 (archive):
Hail in Guangdong and Guangxi, China these two days
Needless to say – that video clip was not recorded in Nilai, Malaysia.
Fact #5 : Second Hailstorm Video Was Recorded In Guangzhou
The second hailstorm video was recorded on 27 April 2024, but in a different province in China. It was most definitely not recorded in Nilai, Malaysia.
Specifically, the video clip was recorded at the Zhuchun Market in the Zengcheng District of Guangzhou, China.
According to a witness that day, Mr. Huang, who runs a shop in the market, the hailstones were as big as a fist, with a diameter of more than 10 centimetres.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did a confused President Joe Biden wander off at a G7 photoshoot, forcing Italian Prime Minister Meloni to shepherd him back?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Confused Joe Biden Wandered Off At G7 Photoshoot!
Some people and/or websites are claiming or suggesting that a confused President Joe Biden wandered off at a G7 photoshoot, forcing Italian Prime Minister Meloni to shepherd him back!
New York Post : Biden appears to wander off at G7 summit before being pulled back by Italian PM
President Biden appeared to wander off at the G7 summit in Italy, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni needing to pull him back to focus.
As world leaders applauded a parachuting presentation, Biden could be seen trailing off and stepping away from the group, appearing to talk to an officer packing a parachute.
The Sun : Joe Biden’s G7 parachute gaffe means it’s time for an honest discussion – is US President in a fit state to lead world?
The annual G7 gathering for once actually achieved more than warm words, but the unprecedented $50billion (£39billion) seizure of Russian assets to aid Ukraine will not be why Puglia ’24 will be remembered.
“It’s the worst he’s ever been,” one seasoned diplomatic source whispered to me yesterday, and the whole world can see it now.
Meloni’s photo op show of unity and military prowess was quickly overshadowed when Biden decided to turn his back on the G7 group as they clapped for each parachute jumper displaying a national flag.
He stood grinning for a few seconds before deciding to shuffle away from the powerful pack.
After taking several small and limbering steps he began to talk to someone and offered them a thumbs-up. The other leaders stood watching the President with puzzled looks on their faces.
Emmanuel Macron, Rishi Sunak and Giorgia Meloni stared in his direction before catching each other’s eye with a knowing glance.
Quick-thinking Meloni then made a beeline for the President before tugging on Biden’s arm.
By this point the President was facing in the total opposite direction, with his back to everyone else, clearly not sticking to the script.
As if helping a confused elderly relative, Meloni gently shepherded Biden back towards the photographers, as the rest of the G7 leaders all made an obvious movement to surround the befuddled-looking Joe.
Trump 2024 Campaign : From Italy to the United Kingdom to New York, millions of people around the world woke up to headlines about Crooked Joe Biden’s cognitive decline on full display at the G7 Summit.
Biden was seen staring off into the distance and wandering around like a brain-dead zombie, and even had to be ushered by Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Truth : Joe Biden Did Not Wander Off At G7 Photoshoot!
This is yet another example of misinformation about President Joe Biden, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : G7 Parachute Video Was Edited
Let me start by pointing out that the viral video, which was posted by the New York Post, appeared to be edited from the original video posted by the Republican National Committee (archive).
The truth is – the Joe Biden turned away to give a thumbs up to several parachutists who landed behind the group. A parachutist rigger appeared in the original video, but was cropped out to make President Joe Biden appear as if he wandered away from the group of world leaders preparing for a G7 photo opportunity.
In the full, unedited video, the group of world leaders watched as a parachutist carrying a G7 banner landed in front of them. Several other parachutists landed behind them, along with a parachute rigger who was kneeling on the ground to pack up one of parachutes and the French flag.
The original video also shows Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron briefly looking towards the parachutists who landed behind them. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni then walked toward Biden, to tap him on the arm and invite him to join the other leaders who were being briefed by an Italian Army officer about the demonstration they just watched.
In short – President Joe Biden did not wander off in a confused or befuddled state. In fact, he was not only aware that some parachutists had landed behind the group, he actually took the effort to acknowledge them, and say something to them.
Fact #2 : White House Criticised The Disinformation
The White House criticized the New York Post and other media outlets for mischaracterising President Joe Biden as “confused”, and for using an “artificially narrow frame” to make it appear as if he wandered off in a daze.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates shared the unedited video, and pointed out on X that Joe Biden was congratulating one of the parachutists, and giving them a thumbs up.
The Murdoch outlets are so desperate to distract from @POTUS’s record that they just lie.
Here, they use an artificially narrow frame to hide from viewers that he just saw a skydiving demonstration.
He’s saying congratulations to one of the divers and giving a thumbs up.
White House communications director Ben LaBolt shared Andrew Bates’ criticism, and warned about “bad faith actors” who posted the edited video:
Beware cheap fakes … and all the bad faith actors who post them
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pushed back on claims that President Joe Biden was confused that day. According to The Telegraph, Biden merely wanted to shake the hands of all those parachutists:
He went to go and talk to the pilot, one of the parachute jumpers. He went to go and shake all their hands.
They all landed and he was being very polite and went over to talk to all of them individually, and Giorgia was saying don’t worry they’re all coming – we were meant to line up and they were coming to shake our hands.
As far as I know he went over to talk to some of the parachute jumpers, saying thank you or hello to them all individually, and then we all lined up and they all came and lined up.
Fact #4 : This Is Just Fake News About Joe Biden
This is ultimately just another example of fake news created about Joe Biden, like these other examples:
As campaigning for the 2024 US Presidential elections heats up, you can expect more fake news about Joe Biden to appear.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Robert De Niro confront a group of Palestinian supporters in support of Israel?! Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Robert De Niro Supports Israel Against Palestinian Supporters!
People are sharing a video, claiming or suggesting that it shows Robert De Niro confronting a group of Palestinian supporters in support of Israel!
Im Tirtzu: It’s so refreshing to see more people not letting narrative take over their common sense. Well done Robert De Niro, thank you for supporting Israel!
I LOVE watching them eat their own!💯
The Jewish Voice : Legendary actor Robert DeNiro stands up publicly and quite vocally in support of Israel. With anger and defiance in his voice, he says that the looming threat of Hamas is “real” and that this is not a movie. He reminds those listening that Hamas has vowed to replicate the horrific massacre of October 7th, again and again and that the world should wake up to the dangers that the international terror organization presents to the Western world.
Spitfire:DeNiro has had enough of the animals he helped create😂😂
I LOVE watching them eat their own!💯
It was even covered by Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, which triumphantly declared (archive):
Watch as Robert De Niro Confronts pro-Palestinian Protesters in New York
Actor Robert De Niro expressed support for Israel when he confronted pro-Palestinian protested on set of his new film. ‘If you’re going to keep talking nonsense, then you gotta go home’
Truth : Robert De Niro Did Not Support Israel Against Palestinian Supporters!
This is yet another example of fake news circulating on social media, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Robert De Niro Was Acting On ‘Zero Day’ Set
Let me start by confirming that the video is genuine, and shows Robert De Niro saying:
This is not a movie. This is real. Right now, you gotta listen, you gotta work, you gotta get your job done.
Stand by, offer your support, prayers, that’s great. But you gotta do it from behind the barricade. And if you’re going to keep talking nonsense, then you gotta go home.
These people are dangerous, and they say they are going to do it again! Again! We don’t want that. You don’t want that. None of us want that.
Come all, let’s all get serious.
However, it does not show Robert De Niro confronting Palestinian supporters in support of Israel. It actually shows Robert De Niro acting on the set of the Netflix TV series, Zero Day, in New York City on 27 April 2024.
At around 0:13 of the viral video clip, you can see actor Jesse Plemons just behind and to DeNiro’s right.
From about 0:15 onwards in the video, you can see a woman to his left repeatedly looking at a tablet and at Robert DeNiro, as if she was checking to see if he was following the script.
Needless to say – the video has nothing to do with Palestine, or Israel, or the October 7 attack by Hamas.
Fact #2 : ‘Zero Day’ Has Nothing To Do With Israel / Palestine
Just in case you are wondering – Zero Day is an upcoming TV series from Netflix. While its plot is not known, it has been described as a political conspiracy thriller that is centred around a devastating global cyberattack.
In that scene, De Niro’s character, former American President George Mullen, appeared to be talking to firefighters and paramedics carrying wounded people on stretchers, and not pro-Palestinian supporters.
As far as we can tell – Zero Day has nothing to do with Israel or Palestine. It is certainly not based on the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, as the project started in November 2022, and casting started in April 2023.
The viral video clip was released earlier on TikTok, and those posting it did not claim that it had anything to do with the pro-Palestine protests. In fact, they clearly used hashtags referring to the Netflix miniseries, Zero Day.
Even Breitbart – hardly the fount of truth, commented on the original video clip (archive), stating that Robert De Niro was acting at the scene of Zero Day, with Jesse Plemons in the background.
It was only from 1 May onwards that someone added subtitles, and a false overlay stating “Robert De Niro Stands with Israel!”
Fact #4 : Robert De Niro’s Rep + Netflix Confirmed It’s Fake
After the video went viral, Newsweek contacted the staff of the Zero Day miniseries, and both Robert De Niro’s rep, and Netflix, confirmed that the viral video clip was fake and had nothing to do with the pro-Palestinian protests.
Stan Rosenfield of Rosenfield Media Group, which represents the award-winning actor, said the video that is circulating that insinuates De Niro is arguing with protesters is “100 percent fake.”
“It is 100 percent a scene from Mr. De Niro’s Netflix TV series, Zero Day, where his character is talking to extras,” Rosenfield told Newsweek Tuesday in a phone interview.
A spokesperson for Netflix also verified that the images were captured during a rehearsal for the series.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Is phone radiation so powerful and dangerous, it can actually set steel wool on fire?! Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Mobile Phone Radiation Can Set Steel Wool On Fire!
People are sharing a video, claiming or suggesting that it shows that radiation from a mobile phone is so strong it can even set steel wool on fire!
DR. Kek : DO YOU T H I N K YOUR CELL PHONE PRODUCES TOO MUCH RADIATION?
♪メღ Debra Whyte ♪メღ : 🚨Be careful with phone usage. This shows how much radiation comes off. 😳🚨
vegastar : Think twice about your screen time!📱⌛️Here’s a revealing look at the radiation it emits ☢️⚡️👀
Protect yourself and your family—transform your phone into an EMF shield with Anti-Radiation stickers! 🛡️
Truth : Mobile Phone Radiation Will Not Set Steel Wool On Fire!
This is yet another example of fake news circulating on social media, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Phone Radiation Video Was Digitally Edited
Let me start by simply pointing out that the viral video showing an iPhone 6 setting steel wool on fire when it started ringing, was digitally edited using a movement effect, as well as the fire effect.
Some people have said that the fake video creator likely hid a battery under the steel wool to trigger the fire. But here are some reasons why the video was digitally-edited.
Such Steady Hands!
When he started recording his video, he used a tripod but for no reason at all, the video started swaying just before the incoming call came in.
It may appear that he started holding the camera with his hands, instead of a tripod. But if you look carefully, the swaying was too steady, and moved in a particular pattern.
Such Strong Steel Wool!
And this is important – despite burning for 11 seconds, the steel wool did not disintegrate. That’s just not possible.
Once it catches fire, steel wool burns up very quickly and disintegrates. Yet, in the fake video, the steel wool remained intact even after burning for 11 seconds! So fake!
Outer Side Catches Fire First?
Even if it was possible for EM radiation to generate current in the steel wool, the inner side would catch fire first. Yet in this video, it’s the opposite – the outer side caught fire first.
The viral video appears to originate from a YouTube channel called ViralVideoLab, which appears to focus on creating / posting fake videos to presumably go viral and make money through YouTube ads.
It even has a startling, clickbait title – Mobile Phone vs Steel Wool | How Your iPhone Will Damage Your Brain, and the channel even pleads with people to share their video, “before it gets deleted”.
ViralVideoLab also wrote a clickbait (and fictional?) story about not knowing why an incoming call would cause the steel wool to ignite, and invited people to share their opinions in the comments.
Fact #3 : Phone Radiation Cannot Generate Current In Steel Wool
It is simply not possible for electromagnetic (EM) radiation from any phone to create electrical current flow in steel wool.
In fact, you will need to use a 9V battery (see our video), to ignite the steel wool by creating a short circuit between its positive and negative terminals!
You can use other batteries, but the steel wool will have to touch both their positive and negative terminals to form a short circuit.
Fact #4 : Phones Radiate All The Time!
Smartphones and mobile phones are constantly in contact with nearby cell towers, and therefore “radiate” at all time. If your phone’s electromagnetic radiation can set steel wool on fire, it would have done so even without an incoming call!
This and similar videos about the dangers of phone radiation are being used to promote products that claim to block EMF (Electromagnetic Field) radiation from your phone, protecting you from its harms.
Decades of research have shown that there is no clear or consistent evidence that exposure to radio frequency energy from mobile phones has any deleterious effects. As the National Cancer Institute explained:
The only consistently recognized biological effect of radiofrequency radiation absorption in humans … is heating to the area of the body where a cell phone is held (e.g., the ear and head).
However, that heating is not sufficient to measurably increase core body temperature. There are no other clearly established dangerous health effects on the human body from radiofrequency radiation.
Fact #6 : EMF Shielding Your Phone Is Stupid
In addition, your mobile phone relies on transmitting and receiving radio-frequency radiation to connect to cell towers, and make your calls or transfer data.
If you shield your mobile phone from all electromagnetic radiation, then it won’t be able to connect to any cell tower, to make calls or transfer data! What you end up with is an expensive and useless electronic brick!
On top of that, products that partially block EMF radiation from your phone can inadvertently increase the amount of radiation it produces because mobile phones are designed to boost radiation emissions to better connect with the cell tower!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Stormy Daniels wear a mushroom dress to the Donald Trump trial in New York?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Stormy Daniels Wore Mushroom Dress To Trump Trial!
People are claiming or suggesting that Stormy Daniels wore a mushroom dress to mock Donald Trump at his “hush money” trial in New York!
Mayor of Funkytown : Stormy Daniels chose to wear this dress today to court. I can’t imagine why. 🤣
John O’Connell : Stormy Daniel is wearing a mushroom themed dress in court today, a direct reference to her commentary on Trump’s d*ck.
Shade Level 100.
Christine : Gotta love Stormy Daniels’ fashion sense on the first day of the trial. 😂
Terry Ann : Stormy Daniels wore this to court today.😂 dis she really wear this?
Truth : Stormy Daniels Did Not Wear Mushroom Dress To Trump Trial!
This appears to be another example of fake news circulating on social media, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Photo Of Mushroom Dress Was Edited!
Let me start by quickly pointing out that the viral photo of Stormy Daniels wearing a mushroom dress is fake. It was most definitely edited by simply adding orange mushrooms to the original photo.
If you look carefully, you can see that the mushrooms were simply added to her blue dress, and they do not change with the folds of her dress.
It was actually edited from a photo taken when Stormy Daniels went for her television interview on The View in New York, in April 2018. She wore a shiny blue dress that day, without any mushrooms on it.
Fact #2 : Stormy Daniels Confirms Photo Was Edited
Stormy Daniels herself refuted the viral photo, stating that it was photoshopped from her 2018 appearance on The View.
I keep seeing this stupid dress photo. And although it is funny, it is not real. This is a photoshopped photo from my 2018 appearance on The View.
Fact #3 : Stormy Daniels Has Not Attended Trump Trial
Stormy Daniels also pointed out that she is not in New York City, and has not attended Donald Trump’s “hush money” trial. In fact, she is “currently directing a TV show in a completely time zone”!
It is scary how gullible a lot of people are because I’m not in NYC and haven’t been to court yet. I’ve been directing a TV show in a completely different time zone.
Fact #4 : Viral Photo Based On Infamous Mushroom Line-Up!
Just in case you are wondering what the fuss is about, the mushrooms are a reference to the infamous October 2018 interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live, in which Stormy Daniels picked out President Donald Trump’s penis from a mushroom line-up.
Since then, Donald Trump has be associated with short and fat mushrooms. Anytime people speak of Trump and mushrooms in the same sentence, it is in reference to his penis shape and size.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Read our comprehensive review of the HP Smart Tank 580, and find out if this is the all-in-one colour printer for you!
HP Smart Tank 580 All-in-One Printer
Designed for homes and small businesses, the HP Smart Tank 580 is an all-in-one printer with scan and copy capabilities, and wireless connectivity. It has four separate ink tanks which can be topped up independently.
The HP Smart Tank 580 comes with a set of four ink bottles, allowing it to print up to 18,000 pages of black, and 6,000 pages of colour. Assuming you only print 150 pages a month, even the included ink bottles will last you nearly three years. Thereafter, you can simply buy ink bottles to refill the Smart Tank 580.
Thanks to the ink tank design, the cost of printing is also low at just 0.004 cents per page, regardless of whether it’s black or colour!
Together with support for wired USB printing, the HP Smart Tank 580 also supports wireless printing through Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct.
Here are some online purchase options (we may receive a commission from your purchase):
The HP Smart Tank 580 comes as a complete kit, with everything you will need inside the box. Once you unbox it, these are the items you should find inside:
HP Smart Tank 580 printer
One set of printheads (Black, Tri-Colour)
One set of ink bottles (GT53XL Black, GT52 Cyan, GT52 Magenta, GT52 Yellow)
One set of three power cables with different plugs
The provided set of ink bottles is enough to print 18,000 pages of black, and 6,000 pages of colour. However, this may vary according to country, and region.
But if your region offers this complete kit, then you can get printing very quickly, as installation and setting up takes less than half an hour.
Now, let us go through the key features of the HP Smart Tank 580, and share with you our experience using it…
Spill-Free Ink Tanks
Like Epson EcoTank printers, the HP Smart Tank 580 uses an ink tank design, with four separate colours – Black, Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow.
By using permanent printheads and allowing for the refill of ink, such ink tank printers cut down on waste, and offer much cheaper printing – just 0.004 cent per page with the HP Smart Tank 580!
It is easy to fill and refill the HP Smart Tank 580, because it uses a spill-free design. However, the nozzles of its ink tanks, and its ink bottles, are generic in design and not “keyed”. So it is possible for you to fill the wrong ink tank with the wrong ink!
In that respect, Epson EcoTank printers (like the L3150/ET-2710) have a better design – their keyed ink bottle and ink tank nozzles prevent the wrong ink from being filled into the wrong ink tank.
Low-on-ink Sensors
To ensure you don’t run out of ink, the HP Smart Tank 580 not only lets you visually eyeball the amount of ink left in its four ink tanks, they also have low-on-ink sensors.
This is much better than the Epson EcoTank L3150/ET-2710 for example, which lacks low-on-ink sensors, and requires you to visually monitor the ink levels in its ink tanks.
Like other printers, the HP Smart Tank 580 can be connected to your computer using a USB cable. However, it is not even necessary to use the cable.
The HP Smart Tank 580 has WiFi-N connectivity built-in, so you can just plug in the power cable, and print wirelessly from your computer, or even a smartphone or tablet!
And I have to point out that its Wi-Fi connectivity appears to be much more stable and reliable than the Epson EcoTank L3150, which can fail midway, causing a print error.
HP also provides both desktop and mobile apps to help you setup your printer wirelessly, as well as print your photos directly from your computer or mobile devices.
Plain Paper Printing Performance
The HP Smart Tank 580 supports plain paper of between 60 to 90 grams per square meter (16 to 24 lb), with a recommendation to use 75 grams (20 lb).
It can print up to 12 black / grayscale pages per minute at a maximum resolution of 1200 x 1200 dpi, and up to 5 colour pages per minute at a maximum resolution of 4800 x 1200 dpi. The speed of its printing, of course, depends highly on the amount of detail in the page, and the type of paper used.
In this video, we tested its plain paper printing performance using two photos. The less complex photo of an American flag at Alcatraz island took 1.5 minutes to complete, while the more complex photo of the Golden Gate Bridge took a minute longer.
Needless to say – plain paper printing delivers a duller, flatter look in photos. You should restrict colour printing on plain paper to flatter graphics like posters.
Please note that by default, the print driver defaults to Letter size, so you need to change it before printing. It also defaults to Borderless printing, which is not supported with plain paper printing. But what’s really odd is that the print driver cannot detect the portrait orientation of the Golden Gate Bridge photo, so you will need to manually select the correct orientation.
If you intend to print photos, please make sure you use photo paper. The HP Smart Tank 580 supports photo paper of up to 300 grams per square meter (80 lb).
You don’t have to splurge on premium HP Photo Paper. Any kind of photo paper would produce far better results than plain paper when it comes to photos.
In this video, we tested its photo paper printing performance using the same two photos as we did in the earlier video.
The HP print driver defaults to plain paper printing, so make sure you select one of the Photo Paper options before printing. You should also make sure to check the orientation, because the print driver defaults to landscape, and cannot seem to detect photos in the portrait orientation.
By default, Borderless printing is enabled for photo paper printing. However, the photo appears to be cropped at the four edges, even more than with borderless printing disabled!
With photo paper printing, both photos took 3.5 minutes. Far slower than the “up to 5 pages per minute” specification, but the output was fabulous.
The HP Smart Tank 580 can print at up to 4800 x 1200 dpi – less than the Epson EcoTank L3150, but you can’t really tell their prints apart, even if you compare them side-by-side. The resolution on photo paper is really good.
The colours are also vivid, with accurate colour reproduction. Needless to say – we highly recommend you use photo paper whenever you use the HP Smart Tank 580 to print photos.
Flip open the top cover, and you will find a high resolution colour scanner, which can scan at up to 1200 dpi, with a 24-bit colour depth.
You can use the HP Smart Tank 580 to make black and white, or colour photocopies, albeit only at a lower scan and print resolution of 600 dpi.
Low Printing Cost
According to HP, the printing cost for the Smart Tank 580 printer is dirt cheap at just 0.004 cents per page, regardless of whether it’s black and white, or colour.
That’s because the large GT53XL black ink bottle (135 ml) can print up to 18,000 pages, while the three GT52 colour ink bottles (50 ml each) can print up to 6,000 pages.
The HP Smart software is an app for desktop and mobile devices, that is designed to make it easier for you to setup and use their printers.
After setting up the Smart Tank 580 printer, you will need to install and run the HP Smart software on your computer, or mobile device, to connect to it wirelessly. Then you can start printing, or scanning.
The setup process using the HP Smart software is easy, and makes it pretty effortless even for non-techies to quickly setup and use the Smart Tank 580 printer. That said, the HP Smart software leaves much to be desired in other aspects…
For one thing – the HP Smart app requires you to create a HP account, just to print your documents or photos through the app! This is really ridiculous.
I can understand if you need to create an account to print via the cloud – printing a photo or a document on your printer at home, while you are overseas, for example. However, it is ridiculous if you need to create an account before you can print your photos or documents on your own local network!
So fine – I created a HP account, only to discover that the HP Smart software does not support the modern HEIC files using the High Efficiency Image File Format!
Whenever I select HEIC photos, it will give me the error message – “This file type is not supported“. I could only select photos using the older JPEG format.
This is a big problem because HEIC files have been in common use for many years now, becoming the standard for iPhones in 2017, with Android devices supporting it since 2019. It is unthinkable that any modern app would still not support the High Efficiency Image File Format!
On top of that, the HP Smart app only supported simple photo printing – just one photo at a time. You can change its orientation, crop it, rotate or flip it, add a border, but that’s about it. You cannot, for example, select multiple photos and print two or four of them in one page (2-Up / 4-Up printing).
Fortunately, you do not need to use the HP Smart app beyond setting up the printer. You can use other photo editing apps to create 2-Up, 4-Up images to print. I wouldn’t waste my time registering a HP account to use its extremely basic printing features.
HP Smart Tank 580 Review Summary + Verdict
The HP Smart Tank 580 is an impressive colour printer with scanning and copying capabilities, and wireless connectivity. It produced excellent print-outs, with outstanding results on photo paper.
It is also extremely cheap to use – as low as 0.004 cent per page, regardless of whether it’s black and white, or colour.
Of course, the cost will be higher when you print on photo paper, but it is still very cheap even if it uses 10X as much ink. In fact, the photo paper will certainly cost far more than the ink you use to print.
In any case, you won’t need to worry about refilling the HP Smart Tank 580 for some time. It comes with a full set of ink bottles that will last some three years, if you print an average of 5 pages per day / 150 pages per month!
When the time comes to refill the ink tanks, you must be extra careful as the ink bottles and ink tanks are not keyed. People have, and will continue, to wrongly fill the ink tanks with the wrong ink.
I also like how easy it is to setup the printer, and get printing, using the HP Smart software. Unfortunately, that’s about all the HP Smart software is good for. It has extremely basic printing features, and cannot even support the HEIC file format. Fortunately, you can simply ignore the HP Smart software, and just use any other photo editing, or printing app you want.
I am a little annoyed with the HP print driver, which always reverts to Letter, Plain Paper printing, and Landscape, even after I set my preferences. HP should definitely look into these usability issues. It’s not a deal-breaker, just annoying.
But if you can ignore those niggling issues, the HP Smart Tank 580 is an affordable colour printer that does a great job printing, scanning, and copying photos, with a very low cost of printing. If you run a small business, or just need a cheap and easy-to-use printer with scanning, you should definitely consider the HP Smart Tank 580.
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Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Truth : Iran Did Not Shot Down Israeli F-35 Over Isfahan!
This appears to be yet another example of fake news circulating online, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : That Video Was From A Video Game
The viral video does not actually show Iran anti-aircraft personnel shooting down an Israeli F-35 over Isfahan.
It is really just a clip from a gameplay video called “Anti-Air C-RAM System in Action shot down Fighter Jets – Surface-to-Air Missile – Mil-Sim – ArmA 3“.
The gameplay video was recorded using the game, ArmA 3, which is also known as ArmA III or Armed Assault 3 – an open-world, military tactical shooter game by Bohemia Interactive.
This particular gameplay video was posted on YouTube by Compared Comparison on 30 July 2022, so obviously it has nothing to do with the Israeli strike on Iran in April 19, 2024.
Fact #2 : F-35 Does Not Have Canards
Compared Comparison did not state what fighter jets were featured in the video, only that they were shot down using the the 20mm gatling gun on the C-RAM/Phalanx CIWS.
However, if you look closely at the aircraft in the viral video, you can see that it has canards – small wings in front of the main wings. It could be any one of these fighter jets with canards:
Eurofighter Typhoon
Dassault Rafale
Saab JAS 39 Gripen
But the aircraft in the viral video is most certainly not the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lighting II, which lacks any canards.
Fact #3 : It Was Posted As Houthi Shooting Down F-15 Earlier
The perpetrator of this hoax, Joseph, asked his followers to “please go into the comments and call out all the fraudsters saying its fake, thank you.”
Not only did he falsely misrepresent the video as Iran shooting down an F-35 over Isfahan, he actually posted the same video on 12 January 2024, claiming that it showed Houthi forces shooting down an American F-15:
HOUTHI ANTI AIR CAPABILITIES SEEN DESTROYING THE FIRST AMERICAN F-15 OF THE WAR OVER SANA’A, YEMEN.
He even used the same syntax for that fake claim!
Fact #4 : Israel Only Launched A Drone Strike
Regardless of the fake video, it is impossible for Iran to shoot down any Israeli F-35 fighter jets, because Israel never sent any on 19 April 2024.
The April 19 strike by Israel used drone, as well as at least one missile. No Israeli fighter jets – F-35, or otherwise, were involved.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Is Bill Gates tracking people who share conspiracies about him?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Bill Gates Is Tracking People Sharing Conspiracies About Him!
People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claimed that Bill Gates is tracking people who share conspiracies about him!
Here is an excerpt of the long and (intentionally?) confusing article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
Bill Gates Warns He’s ‘Tracking’ People Who Share ‘Conspiracy Theories’ About Him
Globalist billionaire Bill Gates says he has a team that tracks people who share “conspiracy theories” about him and they are making a list for when they need to “respond.”
During an appearance on The Rest Is Politics podcast, Gates was asked how he feels about becoming a target of so-called “conspiracy theorists” during the Covid pandemic.
“I have people who track it and we often think ‘which of these things should we respond to?’” said Gates. “If they get broad enough then you want to respond.”
Bill Gates’ colleagues at the United Nations have declared war on so-called conspiracy theories, describing their rise as “worrying and dangerous,” while stating that conspiracy theories about Klaus Schwab’s World Economic Forum must be scrubbed from the internet, and the perpetrators behind the conspiracies must be silenced.
The UN also warns that George Soros, the Rothschilds and the State of Israel must not be linked to what the globalists refer to as “alleged conspiracies.”
This attack on free thinking is disturbing enough, but it’s the consequences for those who break the globalist’s rules that expose them for the Nazis they really are.
Truth : Bill Gates Is Not Tracking People Sharing Conspiracies About Him!
This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Bill Gates Isn’t Tracking People
Let me start by quickly pointing out that Bill Gates himself is not tracking people sharing conspiracy theories about him.
The video clip that is being used to “prove” that Bill Gates is tracking people sharing conspiracies about him does not even say that.
In that video clip, Bill Gates simply states that he has a team that monitors conspiracy theories involving him, and advises him on whether to respond to them, or not.
Fact #2 : Viral Video Was Edited
More importantly – the viral video was digitally-manipulated, splicing two different parts of the original video together, and then adding the “Bill Gates Tracks ‘Conspiracy Theorists‘” overlay, which did not exist in the original video.
The original video called “Why Bill Gates Is Optimistic About Climate Change” was posted on YouTube on 22 January 2024, by The Rest Is Politics, in which Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell interviewed Bill Gates.
The first part was taken from 39:07 of the original video, where Alastair starts to ask Bill Gates:
How did you feel… this came out particularly during COVID and the work you were doing with vaccine for that… How do you feel when you become part of this whole kind of conspiracy theory stuff going on? Does that bother you? Does it get to you at all?
The second part was taken from 41:53 of the original video, when Alastair asked him if he has people helping him deal with fake news and conspiracy theories, or does he simply accept it. Bill Gates then replied:
Bill Gates : So I have people who track it and we often think “which of these things should we respond to?” Umm… You know, if they get broad enough, then you want to respond. If they’re just in the truly crazy niche, then you probably don’t want to amplify it.
As you can see, the video clip combined two different parts of the interview, to convey a misleading narrative.
Fact #3 : Bill Gates Has No Reason To Track People
On top of that, Bill Gates specifically pointed out in that interview that he has no reason to track people.
The video clip appears to (intentionally?) edit out Bill Gates’ reply because he actually pointed out that it’s ludicrous for him to track people.
In my overall situation, I have nothing to complain about, you know. Somebody coming up to me on the street which happens sometimes, saying that I chipped them [and] I’m following them around.
You know, as long as I’m safe, you almost have to laugh that, you know… “Lady, why would I want to know where you are? I mean, really… is that how I spend my time… just tracking you?”
You can see Bill Gates’ actual reaction to the question that was edited out in the viral video clip, in this promotional video clip by The Rest Is Politics.
This week on Leading, dive into the world of business and philanthropy with the iconic @BillGates. Join Rory and Alastair as they probe:
💼 Business insights from one of the world's wealthiest 🤖 The good guys and bad guys of AI 👔 Politicians earning Bill Gates' admiration… pic.twitter.com/JZndkGoiZB
Fact #4 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Fake News
The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.
Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.
Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice. Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Was a “dead” COVID-19 crisis actor seen waking up on live TV?! Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : “Dead” COVID Crisis Actor Seen Waking Up On TV!
People are sharing a video which they claim or suggest is evidence that government faked COVID-19 deaths. The video appears to show a reporter speaking, with rows of black body bags behind him – supposedly COVID-19 victims.
Then one of the “dead” COVID-19 crisis actors is seen fiddling with his body bag that was blowing in the wind, before a lady goes to help cover him up!
Concerned Citizen : 🚨🌎 During Covid – Legacy Media regularly wheeled out the body bags, giving the illusion of mass deaths from a deadly virus
Of course it was all a Lie.
Sometimes Crisis actors waiting to pretend die of Covid got so bored they just had to get up & stretch a little mid – News report.
Covid was a complete scam & Legacy Media is Dead.
Craig Kelly : The world’s greatest consumer fraud.
Knight Wolf : 🚨During Covid – Legacy Media regularly wheeled out the body bags, giving the illusion of mass deaths from a deadly virus..😂😂
Truth : That Was Not A “Dead” COVID Crisis Actor Waking Up On TV!
This is yet another example of COVID-19 fake news, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Video Was About A Climate Change Protest
Let me start by pointing out that the viral video does not show bodies of COVID-19 victims. The video was actually about a climate change protest in Vienna, as these English translations will tell you :
WIEN: DEMO GEGEN KLIMAPOLITIK = Vienna: Demo against climate policy
Aktuell Klimapolitik Nicht = No to the current climate policy
The “dead bodies” were not crisis actors, but 49 protesters in body bags outside the Federal Chancellery in Vienna. This was what oe24 reporter, Marvin Bergauer, was saying on the video:
Fact #2 : Video Was Posted By oe24TV
The original video was posted by oe24 – a TV channel that belongs to Austria, and it featured reporter Marvin Bergauer, who reported:
No greenhouse gas and reduction targets in Austria for 400 days. That is the official title of this event here, this demonstration.
It was organised by Fridays For Future… Here you can also see this protest action, which is somewhat macabre. Forty-nine people are lying here on the ground to represent the climate deaths.
Fact #5 : Video Was Also Misused By Anti-Ukraine Propaganda
This video was also misused in anti-Ukraine propaganda, which claimed that the video showed crisis actors pretending to be people killed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Truth : “Dead” Crisis Actor Was NOT Caught Waking Up On Ukrainian TV!
This is yet another example of anti-Ukrainian fake news, apparently created and distributed by pro-China activists.
Fact #1 : TV Broadcast Was In German
The video has the chyron, WIEN: DEMO GEGEN KLIMAPOLITIK, with one individual holding a sign that said “Aktuell Klimapolitik Nicht“.
Those are German words, not Ukrainian or Russian; and the reporter was speaking in German.
This is one of the reasons why I believe this to be a Chinese effort at misinformation, rather than Russian.
Russians would not waste their time with this video, because they know that most Europeans would be able to identify the German language even if they don’t understand it.
Fact #2 : oe24TV Is Austrian, Not Ukrainian
The video identifies the reporter as Marvin Bergauer of oe24TV – a TV channel that belongs to Österreich.
Österreich, which literally means Austria, is an Austrian newspaper that publishes in the German language.
Fact #3 : Video Was About A Climate Change Protest
The video was actually about a climate change protest in Vienna, as these English translations will tell you :
WIEN: DEMO GEGEN KLIMAPOLITIK = Vienna: Demo against climate policy
Aktuell Klimapolitik Nicht = No to the current climate policy
The “dead bodies” were not crisis actors, but 49 protesters in body bags outside the Federal Chancellery in Vienna. This was what oe24 reporter, Marvin Bergauer, was saying in German :
No greenhouse gas and reduction targets in Austria for 400 days. That is the official title of this event here, this demonstration.
It was organised by Fridays For Future… Here you can also see this protest action, which is somewhat macabre. Forty-nine people are lying here on the ground to represent the climate deaths.
Fact #4 : Video Was Taken Before Russian Invasion Of Ukraine
This video was recorded on 4 February 2022 – 20 days before Russia invaded Ukraine.
You can confirm this in the official oe24TV broadcast page for this protest, as well as this tweet by the Fridays for Future group in Vienna.
— Fridays For Future Wien – #DontFuelWar (@ViennaForFuture) February 4, 2022
Fact #5 : Video Was Also Misused By COVID-19 Deniers
This video was also misused earlier by COVID-19 deniers who claimed that these are crisis actors in Germany who pretended to be dead COVID-19 patients.
They were sharing it as evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic was staged or planned, and that people did not actually die from it.
This video was already circulating in the West since 9 February 2022, so it would be really peculiar for Russian disinformation teams to reuse it.
This would suggest that the video is being used by Chinese disinformation efforts unfamiliar to its earlier circulation in the West.
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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
People keep sharing this photo as evidence that Americans / Israelis are stealing Palestinian homes, every time there is a conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
It notably went viral in May 2021, after Michael Moore posted it (archive) on his Facebook wall, and it has gone viral every few months since then, and most notably after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
If someone took/stole your home right now, and moved you out because a theocracy ordered it — or what if this same theocracy bulldozed your home and tossed you out into a field and told you and your children to GTF outta here — what would YOUR response be?
What would you have the moral right to do about it? And to be perfectly clear, I don’t care if it was a Christian Fascist German soldier in 1941 forcibly removing you from your home, or an American bank in 2008 forcibly removing you and kicking you to the curb while taking your home — it’s gut-check time, folks (and yes, I mean you too, fellow pacifists):
What would you have the moral and human right and DUTY to do about it, to respond to it, to stop it? And would the rest of the world just stand by and let you suffer as it so often does?
When do we all just put a stop to this, to grind the gears of the machine to a complete halt and replace the plutocracy (we’re not a democracy), the theocracy (you’re not a democracy), and any racial, religious or corporate supremacy with TRUE democracy, FULL human rights, and love?
Truth : Brooklyn Couple Did Not Steal Palestinian Couple’s Home!
This is a rather iconic photo – a Palestinian couple looking at what used to be their ancestral home, now occupied by an Israeli couple. We decided to investigate the photo, and here was what we found…
Fact #1 : The Photo Was Taken In Israel
This photo is genuine, and was taken in the village of Ijzim, about 30 minutes south of Haifa in Israel.
Just to be clear, Ijzim is not in the West Bank, or the Gaza Strip – territory under partial or full Palestinian control.
Fact #2 : The Photo Was Taken In 2020
Despite what people may say, this photo was not taken recently. It was taken and published in May 2020. The last time the elderly Palestinian couple was in Ijzim was 72 years prior to the photo.
Fact #3 : Ijzim Was Depopulated In 1948
Israel captured Ijzim during the 1948 War, and the majority of the villagers fled or were expelled during the Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe). The Israelis quickly demolished the Arab houses to make way for permanent Jewish settlements.
Photo credit : Fred Csasznik – Front cover of The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem by Benny Morris, Cambridge University Press 1989.
Fact #4 : Palestinians No Longer Own These Lands
While the Nakba can be argued as morally wrong, this is not an uncommon practice whenever a country annexes or conquers a region.
For example, the Soviet Union expelled Germans from East Prussia after World War 2, and gave the southern part to Poland, while Lithuania was given the northern part.
Today, East Prussia is part of Poland and Lithuania – both members of the European Union and NATO. Germans who were expelled between 1945 and 1949 can visit their ancestral homes, but they cannot claim ownership over those lands.
More directly – there is no evidence the elderly Palestinian couple have any paper to prove their prior ownership of the land on which their home used to be.
Fact #5 : The House Was Not Their Home
The house in the photo is not the same house that the elderly Palestinian couple used to live in. That house, which belonged to the Palestinian man’s father, was demolished during the Nakba, and a new home was built on the land.
So it is factually wrong to say that the elderly Palestinian couple was looking at “the house they once lived in“. The house they were looking at is completely different from the house they once lived in.
That does not mean that the Palestinian couple has no right to feel hurt over their loss. It was, after all, where they once lived. But whether they are entitled to that land that they abandoned more than 70 years ago is another question altogether.
Fact #6 : It Was Part Of An Al-Jazeera Project
For those who doubt the authenticity of the photo, I can confirm that it is genuine and was taken as part of an al-Jazeera project.
In May 2020, Najwan Simri of Al Jazeera took an elderly Palestinian couple to visit their original homes and to meet their current Israeli residents. Here is the Al Jazeera video clip, as well as an English translation.
Some towns and cities inside the Green Line will become the hope of those in the diaspora. But they will also become a station of refuge for others.
Here lives a family uprooted from a nearby village. We had an appointment with Hajjeh Im Samir to accompany her there. Her [ailing] husband insisted on coming with us because he said the air of Ijzim is the best cure.
Despite its beauty, the road there seems desolate as if it gets you to the place but doesn’t take you there. Eagerly, Im Samir organizes our tour for us and tells us the names of the [Palestinian] owners of the houses.
Our first stop is God’s house. Its stones have been preserved as they were. Alone, the colors of its locked doors change each time the dryness of the seasons intensifies.
Here, Abu Samir does not stay in the car because this stop [station] is the location for which he has most longed in order to banish the other stations of his life. “This was our house, my father’s house. After the ‘48 wars, the Jews occupied it.”
After a few minutes, the residents of the house come out to [the gate]. They ask us what we want. We say, this is the owner of the house; how do you feel living in a house built on the wreckage of his house? [The answer] Frankly, I don’t feel anything. I am very happy. Living here is very enjoyable.
How strange is the distance between the owner of the house and he who is occupying it. How strange is the irony between he who has to stand inside the gate and he who must stand outside the gate. How strong Abu Samir is! For other uprooted people have refused to accompany us [on our tour]. One of them told us that he cannot bear to glimpse through the window of his father’s house a foreigner living there.
And that [glimpse] could possibly be of a strange symbol, like [what is glimpsed through the window] of a stolen [Palestinian] school converted into a temple with an emblem [the flag of Israel] that is not as old as the memory of the stones of the school.
And so, an extreme picture! It is said that the passage of time helps in forgetting, but, in the Palestinian case, it seems that the equation of time is different and that the years are merely a number. Rather, the longer the banishment of the Palestinians is, the more they remember.
– This is Najwan Simri, reporting from the depopulated village of Ijzim for Al Jazeera.
Fact #7 : No Evidence The Couple Was From Brooklyn
The most authoritative source for this photo was Al Jazeera, and even they did not identify the Israeli couple, much less confirmed that they were from Brooklyn, New York City.
Despite my extensive searching, I could find no source to back up this claim. None of the earlier posts using this picture – in May to June 2020 – even mentioned that the Israeli couple were from Brooklyn.
Therefore, it is highly likely that their Brooklyn origin is completely bogus, and was added much later.
Many detractors have pointed out that this is of no importance. If that is true, then I ask – why lie about this? Why claim, without evidence, that the couple was from Brooklyn?
IMHO, it must have been important for the people who added this “Brooklyn” connection to tie this “occupation” of Palestinian land to the Americans. Hence, the necessity to claim that the Israeli couple was from the United States.
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Does a viral video show a man being killed after putting out his arm to stop the lift?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Man Was Killed After Putting Out His Arm To Stop The Lift!
People are sharing a video on WhatsApp, and social media platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), claiming that it shows a man who was killed after putting out his arm to stop the lift for a lady.
Never Use Your Hand Or Leg To Hold An Elevator Door Open, The Sensors Might Be Faulty.
DUNMININU : This man used his hand to stop an elevator door, see what happened to him, that woman almost fainted 😭😭
On WhatsApp : Peringatan… jangan sesekali cuba menggunakan tangan atau kaki untuk menghalang atau memberhentikan pergerakan lif. Mungkin sensor lif tersebut telah rosak. Lihat lah akibatnya…. melalui video ini sebagai pengajaran
Warning… never try to use your hands or feet to stop or stop the lift.Maybe the elevator sensor is damaged.See the consequences…. through this video as a lesson
Truth : Man Was Not Killed After Putting Out His Arm To Stop The Lift!
This appears to be yet another example of fake news circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : This Is A Very Old Video
Let me start by pointing out that this is a very old video, that was originally uploaded to YouTube in 2006 – about 18 years ago!
The original video, called “Hold The Door” is no longer available on YouTube, which removed it for violating its Terms of Service.
Fact #2 : Video Appears To Be Created For A Book Launch
I traced this video to an old YouTube channel called thepowerofnice, appears to be created to promote the launch of the book “The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness” (US | UK | AU).
It is likely that the video was a dark comedy skit filmed to show how there are better ways to be nice in the business world.
Fact #3 : Viral Video Appears To Be Edited
The original video is 37 seconds long, but interestingly, the newer version that’s going viral is just 30 seconds long. It appears that someone intentionally edited out the last 7 seconds to make it easier to fool people.
The last 7 seconds not only credit the video to ThePowerOfNice.com website, it also humorously points out that:
Fact #4 : No Legitimate News Report On This Incident
If a man really died, or lost his arm, after putting it out to stop a lift / elevator, it would have been major news and reported worldwide as a warning to everyone.
Yet, there was not even a single legitimate news report on such an incident over the past 18 years. That’s because this never happened.
Fact #5 : Many Signs Video Is Fake
Even without knowing the history and details of this video, a close examination will show several clues why this is a fake video, or rather, a skit:
CCTV recording date is missing the year.
The man absurdly extended his arm way out, when a normal person would simply use their hand, to stop the lift doors from closing.
The man’s torso is curiously not visible even with his arm fully extended.
The lift doors close completely, which would not be possible with the arm blocking them.
Blood appears on the elevator door before the arm is even amputated.
The arm gets amputated before it even hits the top of the elevator door frame.
The amputated arm does not bleed.
Maybe that’s why people are sharing this video at such a low resolution – it is easier to spot these clues in higher resolution videos.
According to Doug Guderian (archive) – an elevator engineer, licensed elevator mechanic, and an owner of an elevator company, lift doors generally won’t trap your hands or arms, unless you put them out when the doors are almost fully closed:
If a limb (an arm or a leg) is fully in the path of an elevator door, the door should reopen from the door sensor. If the sensor fails, the door will try to close, but the force is only enough to possibly bruise the limb. The 1/4 or 1/2 horsepower door motor does not have the strength to cut it in half. The safety code actually requires a maximum force setting of 30 pounds for the door closing. Since the door cannot fully close the doors closed and locked contacts will not make up so the elevator will not move.
Please also note: If you don’t put your hand all the way into the closing door assembly, you may not reach the sensor – it can be as much as 125mm (5 inches) to reach the sensor – your hand can get caught and injured.
Also note: Many of the sensors disable when the door is almost fully closed so that they do not detect the other door, or the strike post and keep indefinitely reopening. If you manage to get your fingers into the door at this point they will also get injured since fingers are not designed to stop a 100kg (220lb) door.
In summary, if you are using your hand to reverse the door, only do it when the door is still far enough open so that you can pull your hand our again if the door does not reverse as expected.
For safety reasons, it’s not a good idea to put out your hand or arm to stop the lift doors from closing. More so when you are actually inside the lift, and can use the door open button to hold it open, or to reopen the closing doors!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Was the Kate Middleton cancer reveal video created using AI deepfake technology?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Kate Middleton Cancer Reveal Was AI Deepfake Video!
After Kate Middleton revealed that she was diagnosed with cancer, some people immediately claimed or suggested that the video was really an AI deepfake video!
Stew Peters : Evidence that the Kate Middleton “cancer video” was a CGI deep fake.
Princess Kate Middleton is wearing the Same Shirt in her cancer announcement video she did for a Mental Health Awareness Campaign, from 2016
Here’s the thing about AI deep-fakes…
In order to make an AI Deepfake convincing, you need the following….
🔴 Deepfakes need a source that closely resembles the atmosphere it’s trying to manufacture the person in.
In this case, compare the 2016 video to the cancer announcement video.
In Both videos, she is outdoors, in very similar matching color sequences in nature. Not to mention, the same exact shirt.
🔴 AI does not work well when others are in the frame or if there‘s too much movement.
Case in point, the Royal Family recently got busted releasing an AI photo of Kate with her children. It was only noticeable because there were numerous people in the frame.
Additionally, if the person is too close, you will see imperfections. So farther away is better when it comes to deepfakes. — case in point, the cancer announcement video shows a distorted left nostril when she tilts her head or has a sudden movement.
FINAL THOUGHTS: It’s pretty much conclusive for me.. Kate Middletons cancer Announcement video is an AI Deepfake.
So if this was a deepfake, what REALLY happened to Kate Middleton?
How long until we hear those words… “things took a turn for the worst”?
OR…… Maybe it’s just her favorite lucky shirt and I’m overthinking it? 😂
I’m sure all wealthy members of the Royal Family have a random favorite shirt they’ve kept for 8 years.
Shadow of Ezra : This video, dating back seven years, features Kate Middleton wearing the same sweater, with her hairstyle bearing a striking resemblance to her recent video where she discloses her battle with cancer.
Speculation is arising among some individuals that a deepfake or AI may have been crafted based on this footage of Kate from 2017.
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2024
No Evidence Kate Middleton Cancer Reveal Was AI Deep Fake Video!
This appears to be yet another example of fake news about the Kate Middleton, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : That’s A Different Shirt
While people are claiming or suggesting that the AI deepfake video used an old 2016 video where Kate Middleton wore the same shirt (jumper), that does not seem to be the case either.
Both shirts / jumpers may look similar, they aren’t the same. For one thing – the 2016 shirt has shorter sleeves, and lack cuffs. The 2024 shirt has longer sleeves and cuffs.
Just in case you are wondering that the longer sleeves and cuffs might be AI-generated too, that’s highly unlikely, as I was able to identify them as separate clothes from different brands.
The 2016 shirt was a J.Crew ‘Tippi’ Striped Sweater in Ivory/Navy, while the 2024 shirt is actually an Erdem striped Lotus sweater in black and white.
These conspiracy theorists appear to believe that Kate Middleton will never wear another outfit twice. Well, if they bothered to investigate, they would have discovered that the Princess of Wales loves her Breton top, wearing it publicly on a number of occasions.
May 2021 – while visiting St. Andrews University in Scotland
April 2023 – for Prince Louis’ fifth birthday portraits
1 November 2023 – while meeting the “Dadvengers” community support group
Were the Breton jumpers also AI deepfake generated back then? Obviously, not…
Fact #3 : Analysis Shows Video Is Not Deepfake
According to a Deepware deepfake analysis, the video of Kate Middleton speaking about her cancer diagnosis and treatment is not a deepfake video.
Fact #4 : BBC Studios Filmed The Video
Finally, let me just point out that while the video was released by Kensington Palace on behalf of Prince William and Princess Catherine, it was filmed on Wednesday, 20 March 2024, by BBC Studios – the production arm of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
It was only on Friday, 22 March 2024, that BBC News itself was briefed by Kensington Palace, together with other media outlets. Later that evening, Kensington Palace released the video in which Princess Catherine revealed that she was diagnosed with cancer.
Along with other media, BBC News was briefed by Kensington Palace on the announcement this afternoon.
To be clear – this video was filmed by BBC Studios, and was not recorded by Kensington Palace staff, Kate Middleton, or Prince William.
If this was really a deepfake video, BBC Studios would not need to physically film Kate Middleton that Wednesday afternoon. It could have simply used a stand-in model.
BBC Studios also stated later that it did not make any edits to the video, and was also not involved in its distribution.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The Kennedy family openly snubbed RFK Jr. when it posted a St. Patrick’s Day photo with President Joe Biden at the White House!
Kennedy family snubs RFK Jr. in St. Patrick’s Day photo with Biden!
The Kennedy family has largely been against the independent bid for the US Presidency by their infamous family member, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which is also known as RFK Jr.
Several members of the family have openly spoken out against his candidacy, and his anti-vaccine views, calling them “dangerous”. To make it clear that the Kennedy family supports Joe Biden in his bid to be re-elected for a second term, almost the entire Kennedy family joined the president for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the White House on Sunday, 17 March 2024.
In an open snub to her own brother – RFK Jr., Kerry Kennedy posted a photo showing dozens of the Kennedy family taking a photo with Joe Biden, with this message.
“It’s not enough to wish the world were better, you must make the world better”
@POTUSPresident Biden, you make the world better. Happy St. Patrick’s Day ☘️
The photo featured former Rhode Island congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, Biden’s special envoy to Northern Ireland Joe Kennedy III, as well as Kennedy family members of all ages… except RFK Jr. himself.
Other members of the family then reshared the photo on their social media accounts, making it clear that they support Joe Biden, and not their infamous family member – RFK Jr.
Patrick Kennedy even tweeted additional photos, writing:
What an honor to spend St. Patrick’s Day afternoon at the @WhiteHouse with friends, family, and world leaders @POTUS , His Excellency @LeoVaradkar and many cousins – Smiths, Shrivers, and Kennedys! We are blessed.”
What an honor to spend St. Patrick’s Day afternoon at the @WhiteHouse with friends, family, and world leaders @POTUS , His Excellency @LeoVaradkar and many cousins – Smiths, Shrivers, and Kennedys! We are blessed. pic.twitter.com/76cM5Ljdjg
Joe Biden himself retweeted Kerry Kennedy’s post, with the reply, “From one proud Irish family to another — it was good to have you all back at the White House.”
From one proud Irish family to another — it was good to have you all back at the White House. https://t.co/x62TsIYWVu
In the second of a one-two punch against RFK Jr., Maria Shriver – another member of the Kennedy family, joined President Joe Biden the next day for his signing of a new executive order to spend $$12 billion to improve research on women’s issues like reproductive challenges and conditions like menopause.
At that White House event which was also attended by First Lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Maria Shriver called the executive order historic, and praised Biden profusely for his commitment to women’s health in an obvious snub of RFK Jr., and joked:
I’ll bet today that this is the first time a president of the United States has ever signed an executive order that mentions the words ‘menopause’ and ‘women’s mid-life health!’
Shriver even threw a veiled jab at former President Donald Trump, when she said:
This is an undertaking that could only be put into a motion by a president who respects women sees women who understands women and who want the best for women who wants us all to achieve our highest potential.
Biden’s executive order comes at a time when women’s health issues are dominating politics, with several states adopting anti-abortion laws that have threatened even unrelated reproductive issues like IVF.
Just before he signed the executive order, Joe Biden repeated his call for people to vote for a Democratic Congress to restore abortion rights:
You send me a Democratic Congress that supports reproductive freedom, I promise you we will restore Roe v Wade again as the law of the land.
Biden’s executive order goes beyond reproductive health issues. It also includes federal funding of research into mental health, substance abuse disorders, environmental health factors, and autoimmune diseases that disproportionately affect women, like rheumatoid arthritis.
The National Institutes of Health, for example, will increase its investments in small businesses that focus on women’s health by 50%, while the Defense Department will invest $10 million to learn more about cancers and mental health issues affecting women in active military service.
The US NIH is also launching a new effort around menopause and the treatment of menopausal symptoms that will identify research gaps and work to close them, according to White House advisor Jennifer Klein. However, this funding isn’t guaranteed as it is ultimately up to the US Congress to approve it.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Is French First Lady Brigitte Macron a transgender woman who was really born a man?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2024-03-17 : Added more details about Brigitte Macron and Jean-Michel Trogneux. Originally posted @ 2024-03-15
Claim : French First Lady Brigitte Macron Was Born A Man!
Some people are claiming that French First Lady Brigitte Macron was born a man, who later transitioned into a transgender woman!
Candace Owens : Stop everything and watch this! Not a joke or an exaggeration to say that barring political assassinations, this is likely the biggest scandal that has ever happened in politics in human history.
I looked into this expecting it to be an insane conspiracy theory and it is anything but. It took 3 years of research for the journalists to unpack this series. It would take 3 seconds for Macron to dispel these rumors and yet they seem unable to. The implications are WILD.
Candace Owens : This episode is blowing up so I just want to say—After looking into this, I would stake my entire professional reputation on the fact that Brigitte Macron is in fact a man. Any journalist or publication that is trying to dismiss this plausibility is immediately identifiable as establishment.
I have never seen anything like this in my life. The implications here are terrifying. I do not intend to let up on this story and I am calling on other journalists to look into this explosive story and report accordingly.
Jim Ferguson : Alert: Is the first lady of France actually a man! Is Macron Gay.
According to a researcher, Brigitte Macron was born as Jean-Michel Trogneux, a man. But president Macron’s wife said she was being targeted by a transphobic rumor and she would file a complaint.
The source of this information on Brigitte Macron’s past life was in articles published in September in the journal Faits et Documents citing extensive evidence of a massive cover-up about a trans figure in the Elysee.
France’s first lady dismissed it as a conspiracy theory.
On French social networks the hashtag #JeanMichelTrogneux has been trending for several weeks now. On November 7, the Twitter account “Le journal de la macronie”, launched the quest for finding Brigitte’s “lost brother” who has disappeared without a trace.
The hashtag has generated close to 80 000 mentions, in particular on “anti-tax and far-right accounts”, noted the Visibrain site. A Russian television station has demanded an investigation into the rumours.
The journalist Natacha Rey, who is the author, said she had firm evidence that the first lady was born Jean Michel Trogneux, a transgender male. Rey has been researching the shady past of Brigitte and the curious disappearance of her alleged “brother”.
Jean Michel Trogneux was last spotted in the company of the highly controversial Joseph Doucé (since found murdered) in the late eighties of the previous century, around the time when Brigitte appeared, said Rey. The pastor was the first advocate of gay marriages and trans surgery and head of a pedophile ring. Many suspect that Doucé had played a role similar to that of Jeffrey Epstein: Blackmailing those in power.
• The Dailey mail posted an article claiming Brigitte Macron IS NOT a man. Weird….
• Two photos were released as “proof”
1. The first photo, the boy in the photo looks like Brigitte
2 The second photo looked way too new to look like a 70 year olds childhood photo. —— turns out it was a picture of his daughter.
🔴 It turns out a 3 year Investigation took with journalists working with genealogist’s and what they found was explosive.
– Brigitte Macron was born a man named Jean Michel – Jean Michel lived as a man for 30 years, fathered 5 children, and transitioned at the age of 30 to Become Brigitte.
🔴 “Brigitte” is unable to produce ANY PHOTOS of the first thirty years of her life outside what the daily mail published.
• There are NO photos of her and her brother at all,
🔴 According to the genealogists, Jean Michel existed for 30 Years, and then DISAPPEARED when Brigitte then came into existence
🔴 Sometimes Brigitte tells story’s that don’t add up… the math isn’t mathing.
• for example, she recalled living alone during Neil Armstrong moon landing in 1969. — the problem with that is that she would have been 16 years old. — if she is Jean Michel, who is 8 years older, making her 24 at the time.
• What about the story of her ex husband that she had three kids with? — her ex husband doesn’t exist. They can’t find him anywhere. — the MSM trying to prove he exists, they kept “accidentally” showing photos of different men.
🔴 Brigitte Macron sued two of the journalists… for what exactly? —— for violation of Privacy and fundamental personal rights, plus illicit use of her image. —— the journalists were punished with fines and a police visit and raid of her home. —— they interrogated the journalists, told them to produce a list of journalists they were in contact with
This is yet another example of fake news created or promoted by conspiracy theorists, and here are the reasons why, with the help of Nicolas Faure and Jonathan Moadab!
Fact #1 : Emmanuel Macron Called Rumours False + Fabricated!
After Candace Owens made those claims on her Daily Wire show, French President Emmanuel Macron called them “false and fabricated“.
The worst thing is the false information and fabricated scenarios. People eventually believe them and disturb you, even in your intimacy.
He also said that the transgender claims about his wife were typical of misogynistic online attacks that women have to put up with. These transgender attacks on Brigitte Macron as similar (example | example | example) to what Michelle Obama has been subjected to.
Fact #2 : Brigitte Macron Family Photo Shows Her As A Girl
Conspiracy theorists claim that Brigitte is the boy on the far left in this Trogneux family photo. But that’s actually her brother – Jean-Michel Trogneux. Brigitte Trogneux is really the little girl sitting on the lap of her mother, Simone Pujol.
Of course, they claim that the little girl is really Christine Haquin or Nathalie Farcy – one of her cousins. They can’t seem to decide who. They also cannot explain why would the Trogneux family included a niece in a family portrait!
In any case, those theories are easily dismissed – Christine Haquin was born in 1957, while Nathalie Farcy was born on 23 September 1959. In other words, they were born about 2-5 years after this photo was taken (circa 1954/1955).
The conspiracy theory claims that Brigitte Macron is really Jean-Michel Henri Trogneux – the boy on the far left in the photo above, and that he disappeared in the 1980s.
That’s not true, because Jean-Michel’s birth certificate shows that he was born on 11 February 1945, while a newspaper cutting shows that Brigette Trogeneux was born a girl on 13 April 1953 – more than 8 years later!
Jean-Michel Trogneux was also seen on television together with Emmanuel Macron. French journalist Jonathan Moadab also tracked Jean-Michel to his house.
Fact #4 : Brigitte Macron Married Her First Husband In 1975
The conspiracy theory claims that Brigitte Macron only became a transgender woman when she was 30 years old. That’s not possible.
Born Brigitte Marie-Claude Trogneux on 13 April 1953, she married her first husband, André-Louis Auzière, on 22 June 1974 – when she was 21 years old.
According to the conspiracy theory, Brigitte would have been a man when she married Auzière (also a man). That’s not possible, because France did not permit same sex marriage in the 1970s. In fact, France only legalised same-sex marriage on 18 May 2013 – almost 39 years later!
In addition, Jean-Michel married Véronique Christine Dominique on 24 November 1980 – more than 5 years later, and Brigitte attended as a witness!
Fact #5 : Brigitte Macron Gave Birth To Three Children
On top of that, Brigitte Macron gave birth to three children – Sébastien Auzière, Laurence Auzière-Jourdan, and Tiphaine Auzière (photo below). That would not be possible if she was born a biological male.
Transgender women can change their looks, and develop breasts. They, however, lack both ovaries and uterus, and cannot give birth to children. So this claim is utter nonsense.
Fact #6 : Brigitte Macron Won Libel Case On Transgender Rumour
It appears that these transgender rumours were started with the release of a so-called “three-year investigation” by a small, far-right publication called Faits et Documents (Facts and Documents) in September 2021.
However, it only went viral, when two women – Amandine Roy, a clairvoyant, and Natacha Rey, a so-called freelance journalist, made those claims in a YouTube video in December 2021.
In February 2022, Brigitte Macron and her three children, as well as her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, filed a libel lawsuit against the two women. Brigitte and her brother, Jean-Michel, also filed a (criminal) complaint for libel.
On Tuesday, 14 February 2023, the judicial court in Lisieux convicted the two women of libel, and fined them €2,000 each. Those fines were later reduced on appeal, but they both remain convicted of libel.
Fact #7 : Viral Photos Were Edited
Some people are sharing photos which they claim show Jean-Michel Trogneux, before she transitioned into Brigitte Trogneux. They are not genuine.
The viral photos were edited from a photo that was taken by Abaca Press on 4 June 2019, showing Brigitte Macron meeting with players and staff at Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, southwest of Paris, during the French women national football team’s preparation for FIFA World Cup 2019 in France.
Finally, I should point out that Candace Owens provided no actual evidence that Brigitte Macron was born a man, beyond the debunked claims from years ago… and her claim that Brigitte Macron was unable to produce any photos of herself in the first 30 years of her life.
Guys, how easy to debunk this – if you say Candace, no, actually you lived as a man for 30 years, I’ve lived 30 years: I’m going to show you every photo of every year that I’ve lived. Here’s me in college right, here’s me while I was pregnant with my children. Here’s me and my husband on our wedding day.
There would be so many photos that Brigitte should have at her disposal if this is false. Nope – they’re just calling everybody wrong and backwards and transphobic. Just produce the photos.
Instead, the only photos they have produced that are circulating in the media are the photos that I just showed you. And, as I said, the first photo she looks more like the Jean-Michel who she claims is actually her brother, who she won’t just present to the public. If that is in fact your brother, please just go on a walk with him so we can capture it.
It must be a Millennial “thing” (Candace Owens was born in 1989) to take photos of everything, all the time, to share with the world on social media. It’s easy for people today to demand – “photo, or it didn’t happen”.
The thing is – Brigitte Trogneux was born in 1953, and she was not fortunate enough back in those “good old days” to own a smartphone, or have access to social media. Even digital cameras were not common until the late 1990s.
Frankly, even if Brigitte Macron shared any photo she took as a child, conspiracists will likely insist that the photos were doctored, or of a different girl. Hence, the onus lies with the accusers to prove their claims.
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Did Kate Middleton hinted at a divorce after she was spotted not wearing her wedding ring in the controversial Mother’s Day photo?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Kate Middleton Hinted At Divorce By Not Wearing Wedding Ring!
Some websites and people are suggesting that Kate Middleton hinted at a divorce from Prince William, after she was spotted not wearing her wedding ring in the controversial Mother’s Day photo!
Music Mundial : Kate Middleton confirms she didn’t wear her wedding ring in her new photo. Neglect or declaration of divorce?
The new post for Women’s Day of the princess with her three children had a small signal of editing, which she later apologized for, confirming the photo is real and that she was conscious of the lack of her important jewel that symbolizes her union with Prince William.
Harry will have all the fun then : Why isn’t Kate Middleton aka Princess of Wales wearing her wedding ring, though? Has she served divorce papers on Prince William?
Daily Diaries Friday : Prince william wants to divorce kate middleton and that’s why kate doesn’t have a wedding ring
No Evidence Kate Middleton Hinted At Divorce By Not Wearing Wedding Ring!
Let’s take a look at the claims, and see what the facts really are!
Fact #1 : Kate Middleton Edited Mother’s Day Photo
First, let me just give you a quick recap on the Kate Middleton Mother’s Day photo controversy.
In order of Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom, Kensington Palace shared a new photo of Kate Middleton with her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Soon after, multiple photo agencies recalled the photo because it appeared to be a “manipulated” photo. In other words – there were signs that it was edited.
On 11 March 2024, Kate Middleton posted on their official @KensingtonRoyal account that she edited the photo herself.
Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C
To be clear – Kate Middleton never said that she edited out the ring. In fact, she made no mention of her engagement ring!
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 10, 2024
Fact #2 : Photo Was Taken By Prince William
I should also point out that the photo was taken by Prince William. If you look at the original post, you can see that it was labelled as taken by The Prince of Wales.
The exact date was not provided, only that he took it in 2024. So it could hypothetically been taken before her planned abdominal surgery on 16 January 2024.
If they were in the midst of a divorce, I highly doubt Kate Middleton would ask Prince William to take that photo!
Fact #3 : It Was A Mother’s Day Photo!
People are wondering – why isn’t Prince William in the photo? Simply explained – that was a photo for Mother’s Day. It would be very odd if Prince William was in that shot!
In fact, when it was Father’s Day, the couple released a photo of Prince William (alone!) with his three children, taken by portrait photographer, Millie Pilkington.
Does this Father’s Day photo, which was not taken by Kate Middleton, suggest that Prince William wanted to divorce the Princess of Wales??? Of course, not!
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 18, 2023
Fact #4 : Kate Middleton Does Not Always Wear Her Rings
Kate Middleton does not normally wear her engagement ring – the massive (in size and cost!) sapphire ring that she inherited from Princess Diana. Instead, she often wears a Welsh gold wedding band.
Neither were seen in the Mother’s Day photo, but that’s not something shocking, because she was at home when Prince William took that photo. Many people don’t wear their wedding rings at home.
Others have pointed out that it is also possible that Kate removed her ring before her surgery, and had yet to put it back on because of swelling that had not subsided.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Have over a million soldiers been deployed to make arrests across the United States?!
Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Soldiers Are Making Arrests Across The United States!
People are sharing a video on X (formerly Twitter), which appears to show soldiers marching, together with claims that over a million of them are now making arrests across the United States!
GhostEzra : OVER 1 MILLION MILITARY ARE NOW ACROSS THE UNITED STATES TO MAKE ARRESTS
Florentin Patriota Q : OVER 1 MILLION MILITARY ARE NOW ACROSS THE UNITED STATES TO MAKE ARRESTS
Truth : Soldiers Are Not Making Arrests Across The United States!
This is yet another example of fake news circulating on X (formerly Twitter), and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Viral Video Is From January 2021
Let me start by pointing out that the viral video isn’t new. It was actually recorded and posted by CNN’s Manu Raju on 19 January 2021 – more than 3 years ago!
Anyone who claims that this shows a current event in February 2024 is lying to you.
Fact #2 : Soldiers Were Marching To Protect Biden Inauguration
The viral video does not show American soldiers marching to arrest anyone. It actually shows National Guard troops marching into Washington D.C. to protect the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
The troops were deployed in unprecedented numbers to safeguard the capital after the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol just days earlier, on January 6, 2021.
Manu Raju posted the video on both his Instagram and Twitter accounts, with the following descriptions:
Troops marching into the Capitol a day before Biden’s inauguration @ United States Capitol
Fact #3 : US Only Has 1.4 Million Active Military Personnel
As per Statista, the United States has the world’s third largest army with about 1.4 million active military personnel, as of 2022. However, that is made up of the many military branches in the United States:
Army Active Duty : 461,657
Navy Active Duty : 340,065
Army National Guard : 329,705
Air Force Active Duty : 320,421
Army Reserve : 176,171
Marine Corps Active Duty : 174,577
Air National Guard : 104,984
Air Force Reserve : 68,048
Navy Reserve : 55,224
Marine Corps Reserve : 32,599
Space Force Active Duty : 8,000
The US Army alone does not have 1 million soldiers, even if it brought in its entire reserves, as well as the National Guard. So it is literally impossible for “over a million” soldiers to be deployed to make arrests across the United States.
That number available for the US Army to deploy within the United States is far below 1 million, because approximately 171,000 troops are deployed overseas!
Even the approximately 800,000 US Army active, reserve and National Guard troops available in the United States cannot all be deployed, because a significant number has to be retained to man its many bases, and provide logistical or technical support.
It is really silly for anyone to claim that the US military personnel were sent to arrest civilians all across the United States. For what crime? For what purpose? None of that was explained, but yet, many people believed it is true.
All that is utter nonsense, because the United States is not a police state, or under martial law. In the US, criminals are arrested by the state police, or the FBI, depending on the nature of the crime committed. US military members would never be involved in such arrests.
Fact #6 : This Is Just Conspiracy Fake News!
This is just another example of fake news created or shared by conspiracy theorists, like these other examples:
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Does a viral photo show sequentially-arranged stacks of Joe Biden ballots, proving that the 2020 US presidential election was rigged?!
Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Viral Photo Shows Stacks Of Joe Biden Ballots!
People are sharing a photo on X (formerly Twitter), which appears to show stacks of Joe Biden ballots neatly arranged in sequential order, proving that the 2020 US presidential election was rigged!
Trucker Jake : I’ll say this loud enough so the learning impaired liberals in the back can hear.
#MAGA #Trump2024
hrt48 : We were told it was the most secure election ever, that’s because they knew they could come up with as many votes as they needed.
Truth : Viral Photo Does Not Show Stacks Of Joe Biden Ballots!
This is yet another example of fake news circulating on X (formerly Twitter), and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Viral Photo Is A Stock Photo
Let me start by pointing out that the viral photo is actually a stock photo taken by Drew Angerer, and is available on Getty Images as image number 620878242.
Fact #2 : Viral Photo Is From 2016 Election
The viral photo has nothing to do with the 2020 US Presidential election, because it was taken during the 2016 US Presidential election cycle. On 3 November 2016, to be specific.
For the benefit of people who are confused about the two elections, Joe Biden did not participate in the 2016 election, so it is impossible for his name to be on those 2016 ballot papers.
Donald Trump ran against Hillary Clinton in 2016, and won. However, Trump would lose the 2020 election against Joe Biden.
Fact #3 : They Were Test Ballot Papers
In addition – those were not actual ballots. They were test ballots papers that were being scanned on 3 November 2016 to ascertain that the voting machines and ballot scanners were working properly. This was explained clearly in the description of the stock photo in Getty Images:
Polling Machines Are Prepared For Tuesday’s Presidential Election
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 3: Test ballots wait to be scanned at a Board of Elections Elections voting machine facility warehouse, November 3, 2016 in the Bronx borough in New York City. The voting booths, ballot scanners and other supplies will be picked up on Monday and delivered to area Bronx polling places ahead of Tuesday’s election. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Fact #4 : No Evidence Of Systemic Voter Fraud In 2020
Right after the 2020 US Presidential election concluded, 62 lawsuits were filed to contest the election process, vote counting, and vote certification process in 9 states.
Nearly all of those lawsuits were quickly dismissed or dropped due to the lack of evidence, or lack of standing. To date, none of the lawsuits have shown any systemic voter fraud. In fact,
In fact, the conservative group Project Veritas publicly acknowledged on Monday, 5 February 2024, that its claims of ballot mishandling at a Pennsylvania post office in 2020 were untrue. As the Associated Pressexplained:
Project Veritas admits there was no evidence of election fraud at Pennsylvania post office in 2020
The group produced videos in the wake of the 2020 presidential election based on claims from a postal worker in Erie, Pennsylvania, who said he had overheard a conversation between the postmaster and a supervisor about illegally backdating mail-in presidential ballots.
The admission Monday was the latest evidence that Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election were baseless. The former president’s allegations of massive voting fraud have been dismissed by a succession of judges and refuted by state election officials and his former attorney general, William Barr.
Both Project Veritas and O’Keefe said in their statements posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that they are not aware of any evidence or other allegation of election fraud in Erie during the 2020 election.
Fact #5 : This Is Just Joe Biden Fake News
This is ultimately just another example of fake news created about Joe Biden, like these other examples:
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Barack Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, pose in nude photos for his “real” father, Frank Marshall Davis?!
Take a look at the viral photos, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Barack Obama’s Mother Posed In Nude Photos!
People are posting photos purportedly of Barack Obama’s mother, when she posed in nude photos, suggesting that the photographer, Frank Marshall Davis, was his real father, and not Barack Obama Sr.!
Stew Peters : Never forget that this “lady’s” son was the first “black” president of the United States. 🇺🇸
Freedompedia : OBAMA’S mother. Nude pics of OBAMA’S mother is causing a heated debate online.
Patriots Win : Barack Obama’s Mother: Stanley Ann Dunham’s Vintage Nude Photos
No Op Cue : Are Stanley Ann Dunham’s Vintage Nude Photos The Reason Barack Obama Never Mentioned His Late Mother Or Is It Because She Was A White Ashkenazi Khazarian?
Mogan Dane : Prior going w/Obama Sr to Kenya, & birthing Barry in Kenya,
Barry’s momma was sexed up and pimped out by Communist Frank Marshall Davis, who may be Barry’s genetic father.
Frank Marshall Davis Had nude photos of Barry’s momma in his home
Truth : Barack Obama’s Mother Did Not Pose Nude For Men’s Magazines!
This is yet another example of fake news created about former President Barack Obama, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Nude Photos Are Not Of Barack Obama’s Mother
This is really silly, but let me just start by pointing out that Barack Obama’s mother – Stanley Ann Dunham, is not the woman seen in those viral nude photos.
Those nude photos are also not private photos taken by Frank Marshall Davis, because they appeared in the men’s magazine called Exotique!
Fact #2 : Ann Dunham Only Moved To Hawaii In 1960
It is temporally impossible for Ann Dunham to be the woman in those photos, or even be acquainted with Frank Marshall Davis when those photos were taken, because she only moved to Hawaii in 1960.
Those viral photos appeared in the men’s magazine called Exotique in 1958. Stanley Ann Dunham was still living in Washington when those photos were published.
The Dunham family did not move to Hawaii until the summer of 1960 – two years after those photos were published.
The magazine Exotique ceased publication in 1959 – one year before Barack Obama’s mother first stepped foot in Hawaii.
Unless Stanley Ann Dunham had a time machine in the 1960s, it would be impossible for her to travel back in time to pose nude in 1958.
Fact #2 : Posing Nude Isn’t Illegal
Even if Barack Obama’s mother posed nude for men’s magazines, that wouldn’t have been illegal, or wrong.
In fact, former First Lady Melania Trump famously posed nude in the January 2000 edition of GQ magazine, while she was Donald Trump’s girlfriend, Melania Knauss.
I should also point out that these claims about Barack Obama’s mother posing nude for men’s magazines is very old, originating with the 2012 conspiracy movie, Dreams from My Real Father. by conspiracy theorist Joel Gilbert.
Loren Collins did a great job fact checking that very old claim, which you can read here and here.
We may never know who the mystery model is. But the Dunham family didn’t move to Hawaii until the summer of 1960. Unless Ann Dunham had access to a time machine in the 1960s, it simply cannot be her.
Moreover, Joel Gilbert knows this. He found that opera glove photo; it was not circulating the web as an ‘Ann’ photo prior to his videos. He knows it came from Exotique, a magazine that ceased publication in 1959. From WND: “Gilbert found that several of the photos in the collection appeared in a magazine called Exotique, published by pin-up photographer Leonard Burtman, who worked in New York City.”
Thus he knows this picture was published two years before Ann first stepped foot in Hawaii, years before she could have met Frank Marshall Davis. And yet he explicitly claims, multiple times, that the photo was TAKEN at Christmastime 1960. This is not a lie of ignorance or mistake; it is a lie of pure, fully-informed malice.
It is interesting that these old photos and long-debunked claims should resurface in 2024, in the run-up to the 2024 US Presidential Election. Is it because some conservatives believe that Michelle Obama might run for the US Presidency?
Fact #4 : Ann Dunham Would Have Been Underage
Joel Gilbert not only put those photos in his movie, he mailed out more than a million copies to voters in Iowa, Ohio, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Colorado, in an apparent attempt to influence the 2012 US presidential election.
However, Stanley Ann Dunham was born in 1942, and would have been 15 years old – underage, when those photos were originally published in 1958.
If those photos are really of Ann Dunham, it would mean that Joel Gilbert knowingly published child pornography, and illegally distributed them to more than a million people!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Was Boris Johnson’s wife, Carrie Johnson, just exposed as an Aleister Crowley worshipping occult Satanist?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Carrie Johnson Was Just Exposed As Occult Satanist!
People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claims or suggests that Boris Johnson’s wife, Carrie Johnson, was just exposed as an Aleister Crowley worshipping occult Satanist!
Former British PM Boris Johnson’s Wife Exposed as Aleister Crowley Worshiping Occult Satanist
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s wife Carrie Johnson has been exposed an occult Satanist who worships Aleister Crowley, the unabashed occultist and self-described “wickedest man in the world.”
The revelations comes days after Vladimir Putin revealed to Tucker Carlson that Johnson as prime minister scuppered a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths.
Photos of Johnson’s wife engaged in ritual Satanic acts have now emerged, with the former prime minister’s wife pictured next to a man with “Do as thou wilt” and “Big beast” scrawled on his body.
During Johnson’s time as prime minister, Bradshaw capitalized on her public persona by campaigning against single use straws.
Truth : Carrie Johnson Was Not Just Exposed As Occult Satanist!
This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : The Daily Mail Posted Them in 2018
The People’s Voice article claimed or suggested that photos of Carrie Johnson engaging in ritual Satanic acts were revealed “days after” the Vladimir Putin – Tucker Carlson interview was released.
That’s simply not true, because The Daily Mail posted those photos on 12 September 2018 – more than 5 years earlier!
Fact #2 : Photos Were Posted On Carrie Johnson’s Social Media
The photos were not leaked or exposed, because it appears that Carrie Johnson posted them on her own social media account! As per The Daily Mail article:
She may have gone to ground since finding herself at the centre of a political storm, but there was a time when Carrie Symonds was rather less camera-shy, as these pictures show.
Taken from Miss Symonds’s social media posts, they show the 30-year-old former Tory aide, who has been linked to Boris Johnson, in a variety of glamorous poses on holiday, and even starring in a ‘satanic sex cult’ theatre production during her university days.
Fact #3 : It Was A University Play
The photos also do not show Carrie Johnson (born Caroline Louise Beaver Symonds on 17 March 1988) engaging in “ritual Satanic acts” as The People’s Voice article claimed.
The photos showed her acting in a play at Warwick University, where she was a drama student from 2006 to 2009. The theatre production was based on the writings of the self-styled mystic Aleister Crowley, who died in 1947.
Carrie Johnson was just acting in the play, and wasn’t actually engaging in Satanic acts… just like how Tom Cruise was only acting in the Mission Impossible movies, and isn’t actually an agent of the Impossible Missions Force (IMF).
Despite being described as a Satanist, Aleister Crowley stated that he did not consider himself one, and he did not worship Satan, because he doesn’t even believe the Christian worldview that Satan exists!
Fact #5 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Publishing Fake News
The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.
Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.
Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice. Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
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Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
