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| - AFP's fact-check service debunks misinformation spread online. Here are some of our recent articles on false claims in the United States: Social media posts and an online article claim a top staffer from Joe Biden's campaign team was arrested for electoral fraud. This is false; court records indicate that the political consultant -- who said the allegations were baseless -- was accused of, but not arrested for, ballot harvesting during a case that was eventually dropped. Houston police, a county representative and a lawyer also confirmed he was not detained. Donald Trump, seeking to overturn results in the presidential election, tweeted that the state of Michigan cannot certify the ballot count. This is false; the state's county canvassing boards had to certify their results by November 17, 2020, which they did, but final validation from the Board of State Canvassers is not due until November 23. In Wayne County, which includes Detroit, canvassers originally divided on party lines and did not certify the results, before reversing course at the last minute and endorsing the outcome. Posts spread by celebrities on Instagram claim suicides have risen 200 percent since pandemic-linked lockdowns in America began. There is no data to support such a statement, despite the well-meaning effort to share a suicide hotline phone number. As vaccine trials show promising results that could eventually suppress coronavirus infections across the globe, claims that over-the-counter products such as vitamins and tonic water are the key to tackling the pandemic resurfaced. None of the mentioned products have been effective in treating Covid-19. 1. 2. 3. 4. afp
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