This week in fake news
Bible sales would not be banned in California under proposed state legislation, contrary to widely shared claims by multiple online sites.
The issue emerged over a bill that seeks to classify selling or advertising gay conversion therapy as a fraudulent business practice in the state.
California's lower chamber, the Assembly, passed the bill last week and sent it to the state Senate. The measure addresses only the sale of conversion therapy services for monetary compensation, according to representatives for its Democratic sponsor, Assemblyman Evan Low. The bill does not mention the Bible. “As it applies to ‘practices’ only, it does not apply to the sale of books or any other kind of goods, and it does not prevent anyone from speaking or writing on the subject of conversion therapy in any forum,” attorney Anthony Sampson, who advised Low’s office on the bill, told The Associated Press in an email.
Among those making the Bible ban claim is Republican Assemblyman Travis Allen, who is running for governor.
In a recent interview, One America News Network asked Allen if the sale of Bibles would be prohibited if the bill passed because the Bible addresses sexual morality.
“Literally, according to how this law is written, yes, it would,” Allen replied. “This is, you know, PC culture, politically correct culture, gone horribly awry. This is really directly hitting at our First Amendment rights as American citizens.” Other examples of fake news reported this week: NOT REAL: Trump Organization Wins Lucrative Contract To Rebuild Syrian Airport
THE FACTS: The U.S. struck one of Syria’s biggest air bases last year with a barrage of cruise missiles, but the company owned by President Donald Trump didn’t win a contract to repair the damage. That story was satire on the breakingburgh site. Trump Organization spokeswoman Amanda Miller wrote in an email to The Associated Press, “This is indeed false.” The story first emerged online after the U.S. struck the Shayrat base in April 2017 and recirculated on social media after another apparent use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government. NOT REAL: George H.W. Bush dies at 93 THE FACTS: A few hoax sites, including one that tried to trick users into thinking it was The New York Times, published a false report of the former president’s death shortly after his wife, Barbara Bush, died this month at 92. Bush was hospitalized April 22, a day after his wife’s funeral, for an infection that spread to his blood, but was recovering. A spokesman for the 41st president said he is “in excellent spirits” and looking forward to travelling next month to his home in Maine for the summer.
NOT REAL: Outrage as newborn HRH The Prince of Cambridge named Mohamed
THE FACTS: The name of the newest member of the British royal family is Louis, not Mohamed. The site tuckered.uk.co, which says on its Facebook page that it publishes satire, came up with that name for the third child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge after the baby was born Monday. By Friday, Kensington Palace announced the baby’s real name: Louis Arthur Charles. Several other sites falsely claimed the baby had died several hours after birth.
Find all AP Fact Checks here: https://www.apnews.com/tag/APFactCheck