The pandemic has been politicized since it hit the U.S. last year, as pundits and politicians debate over state lockdown policies, wearing masks and even media coverage. The Claim Fox News host Tucker Carlson predicted last Thursday that CNN would remove its COVID-19 tracker after President Joe Biden took office. Carlson said, “It is Joe Biden’s first day in office, and you know what that means? CNN can finally take that COVID death ticker off the screen....

The American Rescue Act, the COVID-19 relief package headed to the Senate, is no exception to conservatives’ will to impose measures they see as preventing China from enjoying favors from the U.S. The Claim On Monday, users on Twitter called out Democrats for allegedly blocking an amendment to the COVID-19 stimulus bill that would have prevented China from receiving U.S. taxpayer funds. The chatter stemmed from an article originally published by Breitbart, leading Republicans’ supporters to question Democrats’ loyalties....

At the time of writing, a few posts making the claim have been shared thousands of times on the platform, which banned President Trump permanently last week over a perceived risk of “further incitement of violence.” A number of commentators have labeled Wednesday’s events an “insurrection,” and blamed the commander-in-chief for allegedly inciting protests at a rally earlier in the day. NBC News also reported on Monday that House Democrats plan to charge Trump with “incitement of insurrection” in an article of impeachment....

The Claim Disclose.tv took to Twitter on Tuesday to post: “NEW - Pope Francis is warning that mankind ‘faces a second flood’ if political leaders do not address climate change, in a book released Tuesday,” in a tweet that gained more than 800 likes and 200 retweets. Another user tweeted a similar claim: “Pope Francis warns of a second ‘great flood’ from global warming.” The Facts Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on February 28 released excerpts of “Of Vices and Virtues” in which Pozza, who is the chaplain of the Due Palazzi prison in Padua, published his interview with Pope Francis....

Russia’s missile launcher and warhead movements have come under focus, with reports of an “nuclear train” heading to the Ukraine border and missiles transported through Moscow, though concerns appeared to be largely unfounded. But Russia’s Northern territories and borders are also being closely watched, and recent appearance of military aircraft in the area, once again, fueled fearful speculation. The Claim Media outlets have reported on Wednesday that Russia had increased the number of strategic bombers close to its border with NATO-member state Norway....

The Claim Some users on Facebook and Twitter associated the photo with the Super Bowl performance. User @MetalheadLe wrote, “What a disgusting blatant satanic ritual this halftime show has become. Wtf, why am I seeing falling angels and SATAN on this show? #NFLisSatanic” Another user shared the photo with the same hashtag. The photo appeared multiple times on Facebook, as well. The Facts The photo is from a 2017 concert at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark....

The riot left five people dead, including a Capitol police officer, and delayed the final certification of the 2020 presidential election. Trump addressed a crowd of supporters before the riot and urged them to march on the Capitol, suggesting he would join them, though he returned to the White House after his speech. Democrats and some Republicans have blamed Trump for inciting the riot and called for his removal from office with just 12 days until the end of his term....

Bob Anderson, chief of the Mortality Statistics Branch at the National Center for Health Statistics at the CDC, said false claims put people’s lives in danger. “In this particular instance, this misinformation may cause people to not take this virus serious, not to do their due diligence in terms of preventing the spread,” Anderson told Newsweek. “That’s the biggest risk of misinformation.” The Claim In late November, the student-run Johns Hopkins News-Letter published a story, since retracted, about a study claiming that there have been no extra deaths, known as “excess deaths,” in the U....

The Claim In a press conference on October 19, Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked Psaki about reports of police deciding to “walk off the job” over vaccine mandates. Psaki said: “What was the number one cause of death among police officers last year? Do you know? COVID-19. So that’s something that we’re working to address and police departments are working to address.” The Facts The Officer Down Memorial Page details the causes of deaths in the line of duty among law enforcement officers across the United States....

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has expressed on social media his discontent with the plan that might lower household income eligibility for the third round of stimulus checks. The Claim Sanders took to Twitter on Saturday to post: “Unbelievable. There are some Dems who want to lower the income eligibility for direct payments from $75,000 to $50,000 for individuals, and $150,000 to $100,000 for couples. In other words, working class people who got checks from Trump would not get them from Biden....

Representative Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) took to Twitter and questioned the directive that same day by writing, “This doesn’t sound legal.” That prompted a response from Talking Points Memo Editor Josh Marshall. “Sir, you are aware the Vatican is a sovereign city state, governed by an absolute monarch?” The Claim Disclose.tv on Thursday posted: “NEW - #Vatican to fire any employee who refuses to get a vaccine shot without a valid medical reason,” in a tweet that gained almost 4,000 likes and 2,000 retweets....

In recent months, the legitimate audio chat room app attracted a wave of celebrity users including Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg and SpaceX boss Elon Musk. It also remains invite-only, which means some social media users are willing to pay for access. It has generated significant media headlines and currently has an air of exclusivity, so it’s easy to see why Clubhouse was chosen as a lure by hackers. The culprits of the campaign—whose identities are unknown—were trying to exploit the popularity of the brand to steal login credentials, according to malware researcher Lukas Stefanko of the Slovakia-based antivirus and security company ESET....

Dimitroff's record supports his claim. Atlanta has made at least one trade in each of Dimitroff's six drafts. "We don't sit on our hands," he said. The Falcons have 10 picks, including the No. 6 overall selection, in next week's draft. Dimitroff said he has been gauging the trade market to clear the path for more detailed discussions during the draft. "I've talked to many teams about many things and obviously trade situations come up," Dimitroff said....

One predictor that has an especially good track record of picking the winning team is the “Madden NFL” video game franchise. Most video game simulations of big sporting events such as the Super Bowl are done a single time, and while that’s subject to the same randomness that one game presents in sport, it doesn’t tell the whole story. If a large number of simulations are run, then the actual team that the advanced sim engine believes to have the advantage in a given matchup can be identified....

Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi September 3 Fiction The second novel from Mary H.K. Choi brings together two unlikely lovers in a bodega at 5 a.m. One is famous and desperate for a break, the other a college dropout with few ambitions. But no relationship is easy. Choi released another novel, Emergency Contact, in April. She’s also well known for her nonfiction writing, which is celebrated by many writers....

Just like summer and winter solstices, equinoxes occur as a result of the fact that Earth’s axis is tilted at an angle of around 23.4 degrees relative to the plane of its orbit around the sun. Solstices refer to the moments in time when Earth’s poles are tilted directly towards or away from the sun. When the North Pole is tilted away from the sun, the Northern Hemisphere enters winter—in astronomical terms—while summer in the Southern Hemisphere begins....

Not that he doesn’t look sharp in Kelly green, but the Eagles tight end possesses the kind of multipurpose skill set that would fit in perfectly with Philadelphia’s Super Bowl 52 opponent. Bill Belichick, who has adroitly showcased the versatility of players like Troy Brown and Julian Edelman during his 18-year head coaching tenure in New England, should have foreseen what Burton could become in 2014, when the Patriots worked him out individually at the University of Florida’s pro day....

If the NFL season ended today, they would belong in the basement of the entire league. Good thing they have 14 games for Chip Kelly to get them back closer to the top. MORE: Free-agent QB possibilities for Dallas | Eagles can’t run the ball at all. Here’s why | Week 2 action It also helps the Eagles are now well situated in the NFC East. The Cowboys, after a 20-10 win over the Eagles despite losing Tony Romo to a broken collarbone , are 2-0 and lead the division....

This season, the Eagles won’t be getting to 9-7 for a third consecutive year, but given the sorry state of their weak division, they still have a chance to make the playoffs at 6-9-1. The good news for Philadelphia is that it controls much of its situation, only needing two bits of outside help beyond winning its final two games. Here’s a breakdown of what needs to happen for the Eagles to make the NFC championship tournament again as a No....

The linebacker has re-signed with Philadelphia, the team announced Monday. He agreed to a four-year contract worth $26 million that includes $14 million guaranteed, according to NFL.com. MORE: SN’s free agency tracker | Salary cap watch Graham, 26, was set to become one of the more coveted pass rushers in free agency after the Bills re-signed Jerry Hughes on Monday. Graham registered 5.5 sacks last season — tying a career high — and forced four fumbles....