MBFC's Daily Vetted Fact Checks for 01/20/2025

Media Bias Fact Check selects and publishes fact checks from around the world. We only utilize fact-checkers who are either a signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) or have been verified as credible by MBFC. Further, we review each fact check for accuracy before publishing. We fact-check the fact-checkers and let you know their bias. When appropriate, we explain the rating and/or offer our own rating if we disagree with the fact-checker. (D. Van Zandt)

Claim Codes: Red = Fact Check on a Right Claim, Blue = Fact Check on a Left Claim, Black = Not Political/Conspiracy/Pseudoscience/Other

Fact Checker bias rating Codes: Red = Right-Leaning, Green = Least Biased, Blue = Left-Leaning, Black = Unrated by MBFC

TRUE	Claim via Social Media: During defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, a senator questioning Hegseth employed a prop sign that misspelled the word military as “miltary.” Snopes rating: True (See Pic) Yes, a US Senator Displayed Misspelled Poster During Hegseth Confirmation Hearing
BLATANT LIE	Claim via Social Media: “The LAFD are using women’s handbags to hold water to put out fires.” PolitiFact rating: False (The footage shows real firefighters in Los Angeles in January, but they are not using women’s handbags. Their gear consists of canvas bags designed to extinguish small fires.) Videos on social media show LA firefighters using professional gear, not ‘women’s handbags’
FALSE	Claim via Social Media: States are required to follow White House half-staff flags order KGW rating: False (The order only applies to flags on federal property.) Biden’s half staff flags order only applies to federal property
FALSE	Claim via Social Media: Is Texas the only state in U.S. history to construct segments of its own barrier along the Southern Border? Gigafact rating: No (In 2022, Arizona’s then-Gov. Doug Ducey had hundreds of defunct shipping containers repurposed into a makeshift border wall. The barrier was constructed partially on national forest land without federal authorization, and the Biden Administration ultimately succeeded in forcing the state to remove the crates.) Fact Brief: Is Texas the only state in U.S. history to construct segments of its own barrier along the Southern Border?
BLATANT LIE	Claim via Social Media: Purports to show Sen. Bernie Sanders wearing a ‘Deport Elon Musk’ T-shirt Check Your Fact rating: False (AI Fake) FACT CHECK: Image Purporting To Show Bernie Sanders Wearing ‘Deport Elon Musk’ T-Shirt Is AI-Generated
FALSE	(International: Australia): A bee venom spray has been endorsed by the Australian Orthopaedic Association. Australian Associated Press rating: False (The association says it has not endorsed the product.) No, bee venom ‘healing’ spray hasn’t been approved by health body

Disclaimer: We are providing links to fact-checks by third-party fact-checkers. If you do not agree with a fact check, please directly contact the source of that fact check.