'Plandemic' Conspiracy Video Goes Viral

See what Snopes.com is debunking today. [Web Version]( May 9, 2020 Daily Debunker 'Plandemic' Conspiracy Video Goes Viral As its title, “Plandemic,” suggests, a new film about the COVID-19 pandemic now being teased on social media promotes a conspiratorial narrative of events. Its main on-camera subject, Judy Mikovits, bizarrely claims that “wealthy people intentionally spread the virus to increase vaccination rates and that wearing face masks is harmful,” according to a summary in The Washington Post. The film credits Mikovits, a former scientist at the National Cancer Institute, with “naming names of those behind the plague of corruption that places all human life in danger” — but what of Mikovits’ own credibility? Snopes.com’s David Mikkelson reviews the sequence of events that led to her being fired from a prominent research facility and arrested on suspicion of removing materials from there, and Mikovits’ subsequent claims about what really happened. [Read more]( Fact Checks Is This Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Pictured With Man Charged in Ahmaud Arbery’s Killing? This photograph was controversial for a different reason when it first started circulating in 2018. [Miscaptioned]( Did ‘The Simpsons’ Predict Events of 2020 Back in 1993? Coincidences that occur through the repetition of events are not necessarily the same thing as "predictions." [Mixture]( Is This Poplar Fluff Burning in Spain? The "fluff" is actually seeds from poplar trees. [True]( Did Tanzania’s President Expose Faulty COVID-19 Testing by Submitting Non-Human Samples? Viral social media posts claimed Tanzanian President John Magufuli used samples from a fruit, quail, and goat to uncover wrongful testing practices. [Unproven]( Is NYC’s COVID-19 Death Rate at Least 250x Higher Than Tokyo’s? A viral tweet from software engineer John McAfee raised questions about social-distancing measures during the coronavirus pandemic. [Mostly true]( Did Elon Musk and Grimes Say They Named Their Baby ‘X Æ A-12’? An experimental pop star and space-exploring billionaire have a baby together. How unusual can the name choice be? [True]( Send Us a Tip If you see some iffy claims, check before you share. [Submit to Snopes]( In the News Aide to Vice President Pence Tests Positive for Coronavirus An official said staff in the West Wing are tested regularly but much of the vice president's staff — which works next door in the Executive Office Building — are tested less frequently. [Read more]( Official: Strict US Border Policy May Remain as Virus Eases President Trump's opponents have accused him of using the pandemic as a pretext to adopt hard-line immigration policies. [Read more]( Taiwan Baseball Fans Allowed Inside Stadium But Sit Apart After a fanless start to Taiwan's baseball season, up to 1,000 spectators are now allowed in the stands ⁠— albeit spaced apart. [Read more]( Jobless Rate Spikes to Highest Since Great Depression The U.S. unemployment rate hit 14.7% in April. It was at a record low of 3.5% as recently as February. [Read more]( Staff Pick Is This Microsoft Logo/Coronavirus Crop Circle Real? You don't need a field to create a crop circle hoax. [Read more]( Snopes Media Group Inc. 864 Grand Ave #256 San Diego, CA 92109 © 1994-2020 by Snopes Media Group Inc. This material may not be reproduced without permission. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes Media Group. [Manage Preferences]( [Unsubscribe](