MBFC's Daily Vetted Fact Checks for 02/17/2025

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

FALSE	Claim via Social Media: It is illegal to display the U.S. flag upside down. KSDK rating: False (It is not illegal to display the U.S. flag upside down.) No, it’s not illegal to display the U.S. flag upside down
BLATANT LIE	Claim via Social Media: Bill Gates said in January 2025 that he would leave the US if the Epstein client list is released. Lead Stories rating: False (He has never said this.) Fact Check: Bill Gates Did NOT Say He ‘Will Leave The USA If The Epstein Client List Is Released’
MOSTLY TRUE	Claim by Lisa Murkowski (R): “Our nation’s tallest mountain … has been called Denali for thousands of years.” Politifact rating: Mostly True (Denali, the name used by Indigenous Alaskans for thousands of years, was officially changed to Mount McKinley in 1917 and restored to Denali in 2015 by the Obama administration. On Jan. 20, President Trump ordered the name changed back to Mount McKinley.) US’ highest mountain called Denali for thousands of years, and Mount McKinley for nearly a century
FALSE	Claim via Social Media: Did Trump Overturn Ban on Forever Chemicals in Drinking Water? Newsweek rating: False (Trump did not overturn the PFAS ban on drinking water that Biden signed into law last year. He withdrew a separate draft rule from the EPA targeting those same chemicals in industrial wastewater.) Fact Check: Did Trump Overturn Ban on Forever Chemicals in Drinking Water?
BLATANT LIE	Claim by Mario Nawfal: Former USAID Administrator Samantha Power’s net worth “skyrocketed” from $6.7 million to $30 million in three years. PolitiFact rating: False (Before serving as USAID administrator from 2021 to 2025, Samantha Power reported a net worth between $10 million and $29.5 million, with assets from her Harvard job, book royalties, and investment gains. While her solely owned assets decreased during her tenure, her combined wealth with her spouse remained stable.) Former USAID head Samantha Power’s wealth didn’t ‘skyrocket’; her wealth largely stayed the same
FALSE	(International: Philippines): Members of the House of Representatives were forced to sign the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte. VERA Files rating: False Solons NOT forced to sign impeach raps vs. VP Sara

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.