A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week.

Claim

$2.5 billion of American tax dollars has been allocated toward a welcoming center for immigrants coming to the country illegally.

The facts

The conservative blogging duo Diamond and Silk falsely claimed that American tax dollars are set to fund a multi-billion dollar welcoming center for immigrants arriving to the U.S. illegally.

“Shame on any Republican who’s working with the B!den regime to completely destroy the Infrastructure of America,” the pair posted on Twitter and Facebook. “The 2.5 Billion allocated towards a ‘Welcoming Center for Illegal Aliens’ should be allocated towards LEGAL Americans only. After all, it is American tax dollars!”

It wasn’t clear to what the duo’s claim referred, but the closest match in federal legislation is the bipartisan infrastructure bill approved by the Senate on Tuesday. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act gives the General Services Administration about $3.4 billion for “construction and acquisition, and repairs and alterations of border stations and land ports of entry,” with $2.5 billion of that going toward items in U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s five-year plan. CBP confirmed these projects did not include any “welcoming center.” CBP sent the AP a statement noting, “There is no truth to that rumor.” Instead, the bill funds a range of infrastructure improvement projects at land ports of entry, including repairs, expansion and modernization of border facilities that, in some cases, have not been updated in decades.

Claim

A COVID-19 PCR test recently recalled for having too many false positive results was the only COVID-19 test available last spring, so its false results exaggerated the scope of the pandemic and fooled Americans into losing their businesses and their livelihoods.

The facts

The recently recalled COVID-19 test featured in a widely shared video on Instagram and TikTok is a rapid antigen test, not a PCR test, and it was not the only test in use last spring. In fact, it was never authorized by the Food and Drug Administration for commercial distribution. The video falsely suggests that Innova Medical Group’s recall of its own test is evidence the coronavirus pandemic is exaggerated.

The video shows a narrator in front of a screenshot of an FDA notice about the June recall of the test. She claims the test is a PCR test that “started the pandemic” and tricked people into losing their businesses and livelihoods “because of a lie.” However, the FDA notice makes clear the test is an antigen test, not a PCR test.

Claim

Flights across the U.S. are backed up because pilots and crew are walking off boarded flights and refusing to take the mandated vaccine.

The facts

Social media users are sharing a photo of a Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport arrival and departure board with numerous flight delays and cancellations, falsely stating it reveals that pilots are walking off flights in protest of having to get COVID-19 vaccines.

The posts say that pilots and crew are refusing to “take the jab.” The photo with the false claim began circulating recently after weather and operational challenges resulted in delayed and canceled flights. The board showed cancellations for Spirit Airlines, American Airlines and JetBlue Airways. All three airlines contacted by the AP confirmed that the delays and cancellations were a result of weather.

Claim

The Canadian province of Alberta lifted all COVID-19 restrictions after health officials couldn’t provide evidence in court that the virus exists.

The facts

Alberta relaxed its COVID-19 restrictions because the province hit predetermined vaccination goals, not because of a court case. Because of a misrepresentation of what happened in a court case involving Patrick King, a Canadian resident, King is being falsely credited on social media with driving the change. Court records show King was fined in December for violating COVID-19 measures, specifically for gathering in a large group while protesting masks and pandemic restrictions. King, who represented himself in court, sought to challenge the validity of Alberta’s public health rules and requested that the province’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, present papers that discuss the isolation of SARS-CoV-2 “directly from a sample taken from a diseased patient.” In July, the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta quashed the subpoena. The court said the health agency “has no material evidence” that pertains to King’s fine.

Claim

A photo shows Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

The facts

The photo was taken in February 2015 and shows the Republican senator receiving a hepatitis A booster shot. Paul has not received the COVID-19 vaccine. The falsely identified photo circulated widely on Twitter with a video Paul posted Sunday criticizing enforced vaccines, mask mandates and lockdown measures. “We have either had COVID, had the vaccine or been offered the vaccine,” Paul said in the video. “We will make our own health choices.” The photo of Paul receiving the hepatitis A booster was taken at the Capitol physician’s office. Reporter Jeremy W. Peters captured the photo for The New York Times on Feb. 3, 2015.