Don’t Hold Your Breath for ‘Gender Neutral’ Santa

Trouble viewing? [Click here.]( Daily Debunker 22 December 2018 Recent headlines seem to have fostered the impression that a significant number of people in the United States and UK (between 15 and 18 percent) say they’d prefer to see “gender neutral” representations of Santa Claus. What would that even look like, you ask? We don’t have a clue. But we did learn enough about the opinion poll that spawned the headlines to cast doubt on the reliability of its findings in the first place. For starters, the survey wasn’t conducted by a reputable polling firm, but rather a graphic-design company keen on amplifying public awareness of its brand. On top of that, the questions appear to have been purposely worded to generate maximum controversy. [Read more]( Off for the Holidays Our staff will be taking a well-deserved hiatus next Monday and Tuesday. Look for the next edition of Daily Debunker on Wednesday, 26 December. Happy holidays! Big Gifts Come in No Packaging at All: When you support Snopes.com's fight against misinformation, you are giving back to your (Internet) community. Make a direct contribution today. [Contribute with PayPal]( Rumor Roundup Only Billions Left to Go! Did a GoFundMe campaign to fund a border wall raise millions of dollars within a few days? In the midst of a budget standoff between Congressional Democrats and the White House, some Americans sought to take matters into their own hands. ([True]() Doh! Canada. Did Justin Trudeau transfer Canadian border control to the United Nations? News that spread on social media accused the Canadian prime minister of breaching Canadian sovereignty. ([False]() Tooka Who? Is Tooka Pizinistee the first woman to lead a “muslamic” congregation in the USA? If the U.S. Congress sees such a congregation, it probably won't be led by Lady Gaga. ([False]() Clarkson Silenced? Was Kelly Clarkson fired from “The Voice”? Genuine news articles typically don't contain plugs for scammy diet pills. ([False]() Every Breath You Take. Is California considering a tax on breathing? There are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and satire. ([False]() In the News Justice Ginsburg Has Surgery to Remove Cancerous Growths. The Supreme Court says Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had surgery to remove two malignant growths from her left lung. [Read more]( Aquarium Apologizes for Tweets About Otter. California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium called it a "learning moment." [Read more]( Pope: Church Will ‘Never Again’ Cover Up Clergy Sex Abuse. Francis' demand that abusers turn themselves in to face "human justice" was significant, and echoed his previous demands for mafia bosses and corrupt politicians to convert. [Read more]( Trump Call with Turkish Leader Led to US Pullout from Syria. President Trump rejected the advice of his top aides and agreed to a withdrawal in a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. [Read more]( Death Toll in Czech Mine Explosion Increases to 13. The explosion occurred about 2,600 feet underground. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- You are currently signed up to receive our daily newsletter, the “Daily Debunker.” You will only receive it on the days selected in your preferences center. View your preferences[here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Forward This Email]( Staff Pick Superstitions of the Season. Why do we “deck the halls” with boughs of holly mistletoe? Why do we give presents at Christmas? What’s the origin of caroling? Here’s a brief overview of the history and meaning of some holiday beliefs and traditions. [Read more]( Snopes.com has long been engaged the battle against misinformation and fake news online, an effort we couldn't sustain without the support of our readers. If you'd like to learn more about how you can assist us, click [here](. If you'd like to make a monetary contribution, click the button below. [CONTRIBUTE]( The Latest Group Backing Private Medicare is Funded by Insurance Giants UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, and Humana together account for close to 50 percent of all enrollees in private "Medicare Advantage" plans and stand to benefit as that part of Medicare keeps growing. [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- A Decade-long Rally on Wall Street Looks Like It’s Ending All of the major indexes have lost 16 to 26 percent from their highs this summer and fall. [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- A Blow to Morale: Afghan Generals Worry About US Withdrawal The Pentagon is developing plans to withdraw up to half of the 14,000 American troops serving in Afghanistan, U.S. officials said. [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Did Putin Just Send Two Supersonic Nuclear Bombers to Venezuela? A December 2018 incident was not the first time Russian Tu-160s had been spotted in Venezuela. [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Did Three ‘Muslim Congresswomen’ Refuse to Uphold the Constitution? A meme claims that three Muslim congresswomen were refusing to uphold the constitution and promising to install Sharia law. [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Justice Ginsburg Has Surgery to Remove Cancerous Growths The Supreme Court says Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had surgery to remove two malignant growths from her left lung. [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [View More]( Help us make the Daily Debunker better by providing your feedback [here](. Rumor Has It Have you seen something strange, outrageous or too good to be true, and you're not sure what to believe? 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