Latest news with #Snopes
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Investigating claims that E-4B 'Doomsday plane' flight was connected to Israel-Iran conflict
On June 17, 2025, rumors circulated that the U.S. military's so-called "Doomsday Plane" (the E-4B "Nightwatch") had taken flight on a mission related to the Israel-Iran conflict. A U.S. Air Force spokesperson told Snopes that the E-4B had flown a "pre-scheduled mission" within the United States on June 17 that was unrelated to events in the Middle East. A global flight tracking website showed that an E-4B did fly from a base in Louisiana to one in Maryland on June 17, and from Maryland to Nebraska the next day. As of this writing, there is no credible, publicly available evidence that the E-4B flew any mission related to the Israel-Iran conflict on or around that date. On June 17, 2025, a claim (archived) circulated on X (archived) that the U.S. military's E-4B "Nightwatch" — referred to as the "Doomsday plane" — had taken flight, with users suggesting it was related to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. This post (archived) about the purported flight garnered more than 500,000 views as of this writing: (X user @JimFergusonUK) Snopes readers also searched our website for information about the so-called "Doomsday plane." One of the United States' four E-4B "Nightwatch" planes flew on June 17, 2025, but that trip wasn't related to the current conflict between Israel and Iran, a spokesperson for the Air Force confirmed. "The E-4 flew a pre-scheduled mission yesterday, within the United States, that was unrelated to current events in the Middle East," the Air Force spokesperson told Snopes via email. Data from Flightradar24, a global flight tracking website, show that an E-4B operated by the U.S. Air Force flew from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on the evening of Tuesday, June 17, 2025. That same plane flew from Maryland to an Air Force base in Nebraska on June 18, 2025, the flight data show. The Air Force spokesperson did not confirm this was the same flight they referred to, but directed Snopes to this X post (archived) shared on June 18, 2025, that they said contained "more information" about the June 17 flight: One of the photos in the post shows a white plane with a blue stripe and writing above it. That's consistent with the appearance of the E-4B shown in photos on the Air Force website. The E-4B, also known as "Nightwatch," is a "militarized version" of the Boeing 747-200 commercial airplane, the Air Force explains on its website. It essentially serves as a command center for the president, secretary of defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff during war or other emergencies. If there is a national emergency or ground-based command and control centers are destroyed, the plane "provides a highly survivable command, control and communications center to direct U.S. forces, execute emergency war orders and coordinate actions by civil authorities," according to the Air Force. The plane's main deck is divided into six areas — a command work area, conference room, briefing room, an operations team work area, communications area and rest area — and can seat a crew of up to 112 people. It has features that are designed to protect it from the effects of a nuclear blast as well as an "advanced satellite communications system," the Air Force says. The E-4B also transports the secretary of defense and their staff during international travel, ensuring the team stays connected to military command and control structures. In order to "provide direct support" to the president and other defense leaders, at least one E-4B is always on alert 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at one of many selected bases throughout the world, according to the Air Force. For further reading, Snopes investigated whether Iranian state TV announced, "Tonight, a great surprise will occur, one that the world will remember for centuries." We also looked into a video that claimed to show Iranian missiles striking Israel in June 2025. Air Force spokesperson. "Re: Urgent inquiry: Fact check - E-4B Nightwatch." Received by Megan Loe. 18 June 2025. Email Interview. Flightradar24. "Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map | Flightradar24." Flightradar24, Accessed 18 June 2025. X (Formerly Twitter), 18 June 2025, Accessed 18 June 2025. U.S. Air Force. "E-4B." U.S. Air Force, Accessed 18 June 2025.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Unpacking rumor Iranian state TV said, 'Tonight, a great surprise will occur, one that the world will remember for centuries'
A rumor that circulated online in mid-June 2025 claimed Iranian state TV announced, "Tonight, a great surprise will occur, one that the world will remember for centuries." For example, on June 17, an X user posted (archived), "BREAKING: Iranian State TV has said: 'Tonight, a great surprise will occur, one that the world will remember for centuries.'" The post received 12.4 million views, as of this writing. (@unusual_whales/X) Numerous other users also shared this claim, including on Bluesky (archived), Facebook (archived), Instagram (archived), Reddit (archived), TikTok (archived), X (archived) and YouTube (archived). Newsweek, The Gateway Pundit and the Arabic-language website Asharq News (archived), as well as the British tabloids The Daily Mail and The Mirror, reported this news as fact as well. However, searches of the wire services Agence France-Presse, The Associated Press and Reuters found no reports about this matter. Had Iranian state TV made such an announcement, news media outlets worldwide would have reported it as major breaking news. Very few outlets reported the alleged quote, and those that did provided no video or other evidence to support their claims. This rumor possibly originated from an X post appearing on the account Tehran Updates (@TehranDefence) in the U.S. morning hours of June 17. The account displays a bio reading: "Live War updates / This account is not affiliated with any Government entity." According to a search of X, the post featured the earliest record of the text, "Tonight there will be a big surprise and the world will remember it for centuries." The existence of this X post indicated the rumor Iranian state TV made the announcement was likely false. However, Snopes did not attach a fact-check rating to this story because we have not definitively established the truth about this matter. (@TehranDefence/X) Snopes contacted Iran's ministry of foreign affairs by email to ask whether Iranian state TV made the alleged announcement, and will update this story if we learn more information. Users shared this matter amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, with Iran and Israel attacking each other with missile strikes. On June 18, the AP reported Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rejected U.S. calls for surrender, and warned any U.S. military involvement would cause "irreparable damage" to them. The AP also said an Israeli airstrike hit an Iranian state TV studio during a live broadcast. The reporting features a video of the moment of impact. For further reading on the subject of state TV broadcasts, another fact check examined the true claim that Russian state TV aired n*de photos of U.S. first lady Melania Trump shortly after the 2024 election. Barnes, Julian E., et al. "Iran Is Preparing Missiles for Possible Retaliatory Strikes on U.S. Bases, Officials Say." The New York Times, 17 June 2025, Gambrell, Jon, et al. "Israel Strikes Iran's Nuclear Sites and Kills Top Generals. Iran Retaliates with Missile Barrages." The Associated Press, 13 June 2025, "Israeli Strike on Iranian State TV Fills Studio with Dust and Debris during Live Broadcast." The Associated Press, 16 June 2025, "Live Updates: Iranian Leader Warns US That Intervening Would Cause 'Irreparable Damage.'" The Associated Press, 18 June 2025,
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Fox News rumor claims network added 'fake cheering' sounds to Trump's Army anniversary parade speech. Here's the truth
Claim: A video confirms Fox News added inauthentic cheering sounds in the moments before U.S. President Donald Trump's speech honoring the Army's 250th anniversary. Rating: A rumor that circulated online in video form in June 2025 claimed Fox News added inauthentic cheering sounds to its coverage of the moments leading up to U.S. President Donald Trump's speech honoring the Army's 250th anniversary in Washington, purportedly to make his entrance appear more impressive. The speech followed a military parade held on June 14. For example, on June 15, a TikTok user posted a video (archived) titled "PBS vs FOX," allegedly comparing broadcasts by PBS News and Fox News, and claiming that the latter added "fake cheering." The video received more than 1.3 million views. A Threads user's post (archived) with the same video — including the TikTok user's watermark — received over 280,000 views. That was reposted (archived) by another Threads user and received over 3.1 million views. In other words, users were virally sharing the rumor, including on Bluesky (archived), Facebook, Instagram (archived), Reddit (archived), Threads (archived), TikTok (archived) and X (archived) and YouTube (archived). However, Snopes determined this rumor claiming Fox News deceptively added inauthentic cheering sounds to its broadcast was false. Users' posts lacked crucial context, primarily the fact that PBS News and other prominent media outlets also hosted YouTube videos featuring the loud cheers. By email, a Fox News spokesperson specified that their networks utilized two audio-video feeds for the event, including a "network pool feed" that featured less audible cheering and another feed labeled "America250," which was the source of the audio with the louder cheering. Speaking about the rumor, the spokesperson said, "This is a blatantly false smear and nothing was altered whatsoever." Snopes emailed PBS News to ask if they wished to comment on this rumor. We also emailed the America250 organization and the White House asking for confirmation that the officials managing the America250 feed did not manipulate the audio themselves. No matter the answer, it would still be false to claim Fox News added inauthentic cheering sounds. We will update this story if we receive more information. The video comparison users shared pitted a PBS News broadcast using what the Fox News spokesperson referenced as the "network pool feed" against the "America250" feed from FOX 5 New York — not to be confused with the nationally-broadcast U.S. cable news network Fox News. Even so, users commenting under social media posts submitted remarks specifically about Fox News. (The same moment users shared begins in the FOX 5 New York YouTube video beginning at about the 4:40:52 mark.) According to the Internet Archive's TV News Archive website, Fox News, the cable TV network, didn't broadcast the "America250" feed live. Instead, in that specific moment, Fox News aired the quieter "network pool feed" — the same feed depicted in the viral video as PBS News' broadcast. Further, an online search found two previously-live PBS News videos on the PBS NewsHour YouTube channel — one from the "network pool feed" and the other from the "America250" feed. One PBS News video depicted the same clip users shared that lacked the audible cheering sounds. The second PBS News video featured the loud cheering, which begins at the 2:14:07 mark below: Other local and national news media outlets' YouTube channels also hosted the "America250" feed featuring the cheering noises, including for example ABC News, ABC News 4, The Associated Press, C-SPAN, FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth, Reuters and WUSA9. A related false rumor shared on Threads (archived), for example, claimed Fox News "manipulated" audio of the crowd singing "Happy Birthday" to Trump just after his speech. However, a Fox News spokesperson explained that the main network broadcast the network pool feed, which captured the singing in a more audible manner. PBS News broadcast the same audio in which "Happy Birthday" was audible, specifically at the 8:30 mark in this video. According to in 2016, Congress established the nonpartisan initiative America250 — formally the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission — "to plan and orchestrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States." The anniversary takes place on July 4, 2026, 250 years after July 4, 1776. The commission's website (archived) features a leadership team showing members from both the Democratic and Republican parties. The White House website (archived) also hosts a page about its White House Salute to America 250 Task Force. For further reading, a previous fact check examined a rumor that a video showed Trump "waving at no one." America250. "Army 250 Parade | FOX News | June 14, 2025 | 5:00pm-6:00pm PDT." Internet Archive, TV News Archive, 14 June 2025, "FULL SPEECH: President Donald Trump Speaks at 250th Anniversary Parade for US Army." YouTube, ABC News 4, 15 June 2025, "Live: DC Military Parade on Trump's Birthday | Raw, Unanchored Coverage." YouTube, FOX 5 New York, 14 June 2025, "LIVE: Military Parade in DC and 'No Kings' Protests against Trump." YouTube, Associated Press, 14 June 2025, "LIVE: Trump Holds Military Parade on His Birthday for US Army's 250th Anniversary | REUTERS." YouTube, Reuters, 14 June 2025, "LIVE: U.S. Army's 250th Anniversary Grand Military Parade l ABC News Live." YouTube, ABC News, 14 June 2025, "President Trump Remarks at U.S. Army 250th Anniversary Parade & Celebration." C-SPAN, 14 June 2025, "Trump Military Parade LIVE: US Army's 250th Birthday Celebration." YouTube, FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth, 14 June 2025, "WATCH: Army 250th Anniversary-- Full Parade Stream." YouTube, WUSA9, 14 June 2025, "WATCH LIVE: Trump Speaks at Military Parade on Army's 250th Anniversary in Washington, D.C." YouTube, PBS NewsHour, 14 June 2025, "WATCH LIVE: Trump's Military Parade Honoring Army's 250th Birthday Rolls through Washington, D.C." YouTube, PBS NewsHour, 14 June 2025,
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Gavin Newsom Accuses Trump Administration Of Spreading Fake Protest Images
Governor Gavin Newsom has accused the Trump administration of deliberately spreading doctored and misleading images of recent protests in Los Angeles. One image, posted from the Rapid Response account on X for the Department of Defense, allegedly showed burning, graffitied police cars during protests in Los Angeles this week. However, according to fact-checking website Snopes, the image actually showed protests in LA following the death of George Floyd in May 2020. In response, the Governor's office wrote in a post on X: "HUGE DEVELOPMENT: An official Department of Defense account is spreading fake images - from old protests - to justify Trump's illegal militarization of Los Angeles. This isn't just disinformation. It's a propaganda campaign from the Pentagon." Newsweek has contacted Governor Newsom's office and the Department of Defense for comment via email. It comes as protests have erupted in Los Angeles after Trump authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the city following reported violence against law enforcement, specifically ICE agents carrying out deportation raids. Related Articles Republicans Launch Investigation Into Gavin Newsom and Karen BassGavin Newsom Reacts to Donald Trump's 'Unprecedented' Medicaid MoveUS Veterans Oppose Trump's 'Illegal' Takeover Of National GuardMap Shows 21 States Protesting Trump Use of California National Guards 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Breaking down Craigslist ad seeking seat fillers on day of Trump's DC parade
On June 11, 2025, a screenshot of an alleged Craigslist advertisement seeking "seat fillers" for an event in Washington, D.C., on June 14, 2025 — the same day as a military parade on U.S. President Donald Trump's birthday — began to make the rounds on social media. The purported ad read, in part: T-Mellon Events is looking for seat fillers and extras to provide their time for space maximization and attendance perception for an event taking place in Washington DC on June 14th. Extras and Seat fillers will check in on the morning of June 14th at 9:00 a.m. Extras are required to wear Red, White and Blue clothing and will be provided a RED hat to wear. GOLD accessories are acceptable as well. The team will advise the extras where to stand or sit according to the line of sight from a VIP viewing platform area. Extras and Seat fillers will be paid a flat daily fee and will be provided a lunch of fast food and encourage people of color and ethnic groups to sign up for maximum perception control and these individuals will be prominently displayed on the televised broadcast and local viewing screens to be seen by the VIP platform. It also listed compensation as a "flat fee of $1,000 paid in cryptocurrency - Provided by FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT LLC." One X post (archived) that shared the alleged advertisement garnered more than 1 million views and 28,000 likes as of this writing: Posts about the Craigslist ad seeking seat fillers also gained traction on TikTok (archived) and Facebook (archived). Dozens of Snopes readers emailed us and searched our website to ask if the Craigslist ad was real. The ad itself was real and was posted on Craigslist (archived) on June 10, 2025. Snopes was unable to definitively confirm whether the ad was a prank or posted by someone from Trump's camp, which is why we've left this claim unrated. However, several elements of the ad suggest it may have been intended as a joke. First, the company mentioned in the advertisement was listed as T-Mellon Events. Searches for "T-Mellon Events" on Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo and Yahoo did not return any results directing us to the supposed company. Instead, they showed news articles and social media posts about the Craigslist ad. The alleged company name could be a reference to billionaire and Trump megadonor Timothy Mellon, heir to Pittsburgh's Mellon banking family. Snopes also looked into the photo in the ad and found it wasn't taken in the United States. Using RevEye, a reverse image search tool, we found the original image shared by The Associated Press on May 9, 2025, captioned, "Russian servicemen attend the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 9, 2025, during celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II." The ad also said participants would receive a flat fee of $1,000 paid in cryptocurrency, which could be poking fun at Trump's crypto-related ventures. Fight Fight Fight LLC, the company listed in the ad as providing payment to seat fillers, administers Trump's meme coin. A customer support representative for the meme coin's website, told Snopes via an emailed statement: "It's fake, we have nothing to do with it." Snopes reached out to the White House and Craigslist for comment on the ad's authenticity, and will update this story if we receive a response. We also emailed an address associated with the ad and await a response. Social media posts that call out supposed Craigslist ads soliciting paid actors frequently pop up before events connected to Trump. Snopes investigated a Craigslist ad that offered to pay "minority actors" to hold signs at a Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June 2020, and another soliciting actors to play Trump supporters in Phoenix in November 2019. For further reading, Snopes also looked into claims that a Craigslist ad proves the 2025 anti-ICE demonstrations in Los Angeles were orchestrated. "Seat Fillers Needed - June 14th - Constitution Avenue - DC - Talent Gigs - Craigslist." Craigslist, 10 June 2025, Accessed 12 June 2025. Debusmann Jr, Bernd. "Who Is Donald Trump's Reclusive New Mega-Donor, Timothy Mellon?" 21 June 2024, Accessed 12 June 2025. "AP PHOTOS: Russia's Victory Day Parade Begins." AP News, 9 May 2025, Accessed 12 June 2025. Weissert, Will, and Alan Suderman. "Trump Hosts Dinner for $TRUMP Meme Coin Investors, Raising Ethical Concerns." AP News, 22 May 2025, Accessed 12 June 2025. Khalili, Joel. "Trumpworld Is Fighting over 'Official' Crypto Wallet." WIRED, 4 June 2025, Accessed 12 June 2025. Ibrahim, Nur. "Did a Craigslist Ad Seek 'Minority Actors' for Trump's Tulsa Rally?" Snopes, 15 June 2020, Accessed 12 June 2025. Huberman, Bond. "Did a CraigsList Ad Seek Actors to Play Trump Supporters in Phoenix?" Snopes, 22 Nov. 2019, Accessed 12 June 2025. June 12, 2025: This story was updated to include comment from Fight Fight Fight LLC.
