Unverified stories: Examining events that did not occur this week

A recent roundup features some of the most shared but untrue stories of the week. The content included several fake stories that went viral on social media without being verified. For instance, a story circulated on social media, claiming that the Federal Reserve will launch a new program called FedNow that will provide the agency with additional powers to monitor, control or seize bank accounts based on a person’s behavior or political views. However, officials from Fed and banking experts said that FedNow is not providing the agency with additional surveillance and enforcement authorities. They said the service would only replace the outdated system for banks to process electronic payments. Also, a video surfaced on social media showing Vice President Kamala Harris speaking at a rally on reproductive rights at Howard University, which was modified, and shared as if she was incoherently babbling and repeating words out of context. However, the original footage does not contain this quote. Moreover, a social media story claimed that oil is an unlimited resource. However, crude oil supplies are not unlimited, and experts say that humans are consuming oil much faster than it takes to form. Additionally, a picture has been shared on social media, claiming the wreckage of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has been found. But it showed an image of an old Lockheed Martin L1011 Tristar airplane in the Red Sea, which was sunk off the coast of Jordan to create an artificial reef. The original video comes from a scuba diving company in Jordan.