A look at what didn’t happen last week
A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories of the week. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:
VP HARRIS’ BOOK NOT INCLUDED IN KITS FOR MIGRANT CHILDREN
CLAIM: A copy of Vice President Kamala Harris’ book is being given to every migrant child in a Long Beach facility housing unaccompanied minors who recently arrived at the border.
THE FACTS: After the New York Post published a story that falsely claimed migrant children were each receiving welcome kits with copies of Harris’ children’s book, “Superheroes Are Everywhere,” the misinformation was picked up by other media outlets and spread quickly on social media.
“White House Denies Knowing Anything about Kamala Harris’ Book Ending Up in Welcome Bags For Illegal Migrant Children in California,” reads the headline of an article by DJHJ Media that was shared on Facebook.
Kevin Lee, chief public affairs officer for the City of Long Beach, told the AP a sole copy of Harris’ book was donated to the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, which opened last month as an emergency facility for children who arrive at the border without their parents. At an April 22 media tour, a Reuters photographer snapped a photo of Harris’ book on a cot next to a backpack, a purple blanket and a set of toiletries.
“The single book you reference is one of hundreds of various books that have already been donated. The book was not purchased by HHS or the City,” Lee said in a statement. Lee also said the children “do not receive a welcome kit,” nor do they receive books. They do get hygiene items and clothes, and can read and play with toys part of the donated inventory, Lee said.
Tuesday, the New York Post updated two stories to reflect there was only one donated copy of Harris’ book. The reporter who wrote the original article, Laura Italiano, resigned. In a tweet, Italiano referred to the article as “an incorrect story that I was ordered to write and which I failed to push back hard enough against.”
RESULTS HAVEN’T BEEN RELEASED IN ARIZONA ELECTION AUDIT
CLAIM: A recount of ballots from Arizona’s Maricopa County in the November 2020 election discovered a quarter of a million illegal votes by Monday.
THE FACTS: No results from the audit, which was ordered by Republicans in Arizona’s state Senate, have been released at this time. Legislators initiated the audit of 2.1 million ballots cast in the state’s most populous county during the November election even though multiple lawsuits and audits found no widespread irregularities, the AP reported.
On Friday, Cyber Ninjas, a cyber security firm contracted by the Senate, began the audit. Cyber Ninjas is run by a supporter of former President Donald Trump who has shared unfounded claims that Biden’s presidential win was illegitimate. The audit is expected to take about three weeks to complete, and the company has reserved the Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the state fairgrounds through May 14 to conduct the recount. On Monday, claims began circulating on social media falsely suggesting the results of the audit were known.
BIDEN CLIMATE PLANS DON’T INCLUDE RED MEAT RESTRICTIONS
CLAIM: President Joe Biden’s plan to combat climate change will require Americans to reduce their meat consumption by 90%, to just 4 pounds of red meat annually or one hamburger per month.
THE FACTS: Biden isn’t coming for your Fourth of July barbecue, despite posts suggesting as much on social media. Last weekend, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called the president the “Hamburglar,” while Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert warned Biden to “stay out of my kitchen,” and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrote that meat restrictions were “not gonna happen in Texas!”
However, Biden’s climate plans have never included those metrics, nor has the president announced any policy restricting meat in American diets. The falsehoods began April 22, when Biden opened a virtual climate summit by announcing his goal to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at least in half by 2030.
The same day, the British tabloid The Daily Mail published a speculative story that suggested “Biden’s climate plan could limit you to eat just one burger a MONTH.” As evidence, the outlet cited a January 2020 University of Michigan study unrelated to Biden that looked at various U.S. diet scenarios and their environmental impact. Fox News falsely linked the study to Biden’s climate policies. The University of Michigan study did not mention Biden, nor did it reference any forthcoming government policies restricting meat consumption.
Fox News anchor John Roberts clarified the network’s reporting Monday, saying the data from the study was accurate, “but a graphic and the script incorrectly implied it was part of Biden’s plan for dealing with climate change. That is not the case.”