(AP) – A roundup of some of the most popular, but completely untrue, headlines of the week. None of these stories are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. AP checked these out; here are the real facts:
NOT REAL: JEFFERSON DAVIS STATUE TO BE REPLACED WITH OBAMA LIKENESS
THE FACTS: New Orleans took down its statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis last week as part of the city’s effort to remove monuments to the Confederacy. TDAlliance.com, a spinoff of a Facebook group that spoofs Fox News, posted a story claiming a statue of former President Barack Obama would go up in its place. City spokesman Tyronne Walker says no Obama statue is planned and an American flag will be placed where the Davis statue stood.
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NOT REAL: BREAKING: FBI uncovers evidence that 62 million Trump voters are Russian spies
THE FACTS: The satirical article was republished from The Daily Stormer last week following real headlines of the investigation into the Trump campaign’s connections with Russia. The original piece quoted anonymous sources in the FBI with evidence the voters were KGB agents. One truth in the headline: More than 62 million Americans did cast votes for Trump last Nov. 8 and elected him president.
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NOT REAL: McDonald’s Uses Worm Meat Fillers But Can Legally Call It 100% Beef
THE FACTS: McDonald’s spokeswoman Becca Hary confirms: All its burgers are 100 percent beef, no fillers. The satire site Daily Buzz Live claimed in a widely shared piece that the fast food giant uses earthworms and cow eyeballs in its patties, buying the fillers from a company called “100% Beef.”
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NOT REAL: Clinton Foundation Cargo Ship Raided At Port Of Baltimore Reveals Sick Secret
THE FACTS: An account originally posted by admitted hoax site TheLastLineofDefense.org falsely cites a CNN report that port officials found 14 containers holding 460 refugees “from places like Yemen and Syria.” The Port of Baltimore denied the report on Twitter last week. The Clinton Foundation also said there’s no truth to it.
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NOT REAL: Conservative Icon Clint Eastwood Found Dead In His Brentwood Home
THE FACTS: A two-paragraph piece circulated by multiple sites over the past several weeks quotes the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, which posted no such announcement about the 86-year-old actor-director. The office also would not investigate a death in Brentwood, which is in Los Angeles County. Eastwood, a Republican supporter in the past, is scheduled to teach a master class in an appearance at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival.
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This new weekly fixture is part of The Associated Press’ ongoing efforts to fact-check claims in suspected false news stories.
