This Week: That Equifax data settlement email, Neil Young's homophobic slur, and the "Freedom Convoy's" size

Plus: Experts on the pandemic's 3rd year, a snapshot of state COVID-19 laws, and a small school district's role in the Texas book censorship battle ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [View in Your Browser]( ​ SATURDAY EDITION Snopes Debunker Feb. 4, 2022 This Week: TK Is the Equifax Data Breach Settlement Email Legit? Last month, Google users looked to Reddit and elsewhere to find out if an email for the status of the Equifax data breach settlement was a “scam or legit,” as readers often do after receiving such notices. The email had the subject line, “Equifax Data Breach Settlement (Credit Monitoring Instructions and Activation Code),” and linked to the website, experianidworks.com/equifaxsettlement. It promised a free four-year membership for the credit monitoring service Experian IdentityWorks. Jordan Liles reports. [Read More]( [] [] Fact Checks and Original Reporting Did Neil Young Use Homophobic Slurs When Talking About AIDS? An old quote resurfaced after the musician withdrew his work from Spotify over COVID-19 misinformation. [Read Story.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Is the Video of Pills Burning on Top of a Stove Real? The video showed 10 pills growing into a snake-like form above the flames from the stovetop that might remind some readers of Medusa. [Read Story.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- ‘Freedom Convoy’ Size Exaggerated by Miscaptioned Videos If the "freedom convoy" is as big as people say it is, why are so many videos being miscaptioned to exaggerate its size? [Read Story.]( [] [View Latest Fact Checks]( News [Biden: US Raid in Syria Killed Top Islamic State Leader]( A U.S. special forces raid in northwestern Syria killed the top leader of the Islamic State group, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Punxsutawney Phil Predicts Six More Weeks of Winter]( There will be six more weeks of winter, Punxsutawney Phil predicted as he emerged from his burrow to perform his Groundhog Day duties. [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [New York Times Buys Viral Word Game Wordle]( It listed the purchase price as being in the “low-seven figures,” but did not disclose specifics. [Read More]( [] [View Latest News]( Can You Help Us Out? We rely on support from readers like you. [Support Now]( Editor's Picks Pandemic Year 3: Infectious Disease Experts Weigh In We contacted Johns Hopkins to get a general sense of what people can expect regarding vaccinations and variants going forward. [Read Story.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- A Snapshot of State Laws Governing COVID-19 Vaccines, Masks The full impact of state-issued mask or vaccination policies on infection rates remains unknown. [Read Story.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- How a Small School District Became a Focal Point in the Battle Over Texas Book Censorship A viral photograph showed Granbury Independent School District officials carting books out of the high school library. [Read Story.]( [View Editor's Picks]( Manage Preferences Need to update your email address or how often you get Snopes in your inbox? You can do that by managing your email preferences [Manage Your Preferences]( Unsubscribe You can unsubscribe from all Snopes emails by clicking the link below. Please note, this includes from both paid and free newsletters. [Unsubscribe from Everything]( Snopes Media Group Inc. 864 Grand Ave #256 San Diego, CA 92109 © 1994 - 2022 by Snopes. This material may not be reproduced without permission. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes. ‌