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Editor's Note: This is a roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out.

THE CLAIM: Airlines recently met to discuss the risks and liability of carrying passengers vaccinated against covid-19 since they could develop blood clots.

THE FACTS: There's no evidence major airlines had a recent meeting to discuss the risks of transporting vaccinated passengers or that flying will trigger extremely rare blood clots associated with some covid-19 vaccines, such as those manufactured by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca.

But a popular Instagram post spread misinformation on that topic.

"Airlines are meeting today to discuss the risks of carrying vaxed passengers due to the risk of clots and the liabilities involved," the false post states. "Oh the irony only the non vaxed can fly."

In response to the post, International Air Transport Association spokesperson Anthony Concil told The Associated Press: "I can confirm that this is nonsense. We do have a medical advisory group that looks at health and air travel issues. This is not an issue on their agenda."

Concil added: "As far as we are aware there are no meetings taking place among airlines on this topic." He also noted the IATA, a trade association for global airlines, is "not aware of any suggestion in medical literature" that the kind of rare blood clots linked to certain covid-19 vaccines has any impact on air travel. In fact, the types of blood clots that people can develop on airplanes, such as deep vein thrombosis, are "totally different" from the rare blood clots a small number of people developed after receiving certain covid-19 vaccines, according to Dr. Elliott R. Haut, associate professor of surgery and a deep vein thrombosis expert at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Haut said the rare blood clots associated with some covid-19 vaccines occur in unusual sites, forming in the veins of the brain or blood vessels in the abdomen.

Scientists noted some people might be experiencing an uncommon immune response, forming antibodies that attack their own platelets. Clots that develop on flights, such as deep vein thrombosis, typically form in the leg and are often the result of people being cramped, not moving around, or pressurization.

"Those are kind of the normal ones," Haut said, noting deep vein thrombosis is relatively common in the U.S. "Travel is one of the associated factors." Airlines for America, an industry trade organization, said in a statement to the AP that vaccines will help boost international travel.

"U.S. airlines have been encouraged by the success of our nation's vaccination program and, as noted in a recent coalition letter, have routinely expressed our belief that widespread vaccination can serve as the foundation for re-opening critical international markets," the statement read.

-- Arijeta Lajka

...

THE CLAIM: Women who have gotten a covid-19 vaccine are receiving letters instructing them to get screened for cervical cancer because the vaccine caused some 1,500 women to develop cervical cancer.

THE FACTS: A viral video making this false claim appears to show a routine letter that reminds eligible women to get regular cervical cancer screenings and is unrelated to covid-19 vaccines.

The video, originally posted to TikTok, features a woman claiming after she received both shots of the Moderna covid-19 vaccine, "a couple months ago," she received a personal letter in the mail warning her to get screened for cervical cancer.

"They said that there's 1,500 women that have cases of cervical cancer now, so they have invited me in to get the screening done again to make sure that I don't have cervical cancer now due to the covid vaccine," the woman says while flashing the letter in front of the camera.

An AP analysis of the text in the letter revealed it matched the text of a form letter sent by Cancer Care Ontario, a division of Ontario Health in Canada. The letter goes out to women across the province to remind them to get regular Pap tests.

"Several months ago we sent you a letter to invite you to get screened for cervical cancer with a Pap test," the letter reads. "Women should have Pap tests once every three years until age 70. This year, cervical cancer will be found in about 1,500 women in Canada and at least one woman will die every day from this disease. The good news is you can take steps to protect yourself from cervical cancer by having regular Pap tests."

The letter does not draw a connection between cervical cancer diagnosis and covid-19 vaccines. Ontario Health told the AP it sends letters to women ages 21 to 70 to remind them to book Pap tests, inform them of Pap test results and remind them when it is time to return for screening. "We can confirm that Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) has not issued any communications to the public relating covid-19 vaccines to cervical cancer diagnoses, or a need to be screened for cervical cancer after receiving a covid-19 vaccine," the agency said.

"We are not aware of any evidence linking covid-19 vaccines to a risk of cervical cancer." Experts confirm there is no known link between the cobid-19 vaccine and cervical cancer, which is typically caused by persistent infection with HPV, a common virus spread through sexual contact.

"There is no reason to alter screening recommendations because of the covid-19 vaccine," said Dr. Sangini Sheth, associate chief of gynecological specialties at Yale Medicine. Sheth said regular cancer screenings and HPV vaccines are important tools to prevent cervical cancer, and some people have delayed these preventive health care visits during the pandemic.

-- Ali Swenson

...

THE CLAIM: The United States military has arrested Dr. Deborah Birx for conspiring with Dr. Anthony Fauci and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to push face masks on Americans during the covid-19 pandemic.

THE FACTS: Birx, former coordinator of the White House coronavirus response, has not been arrested. This false claim spread as real after appearing on a website known for its satire and parody content.

"U.S. Military Arrests Dr. Deborah Birx," reads the headline of the story, which was published Saturday on the website Real Raw News. The story claims Birx was taken into custody because she had conspired with the CDC and top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci "to deceive the American public into believing that face masks were an effective method to mitigate the spread of covid-19."

The bogus story spread to YouTube, Instagram and conspiracy theory message boards, and was shared by internet users including a former Georgia congressional candidate.

Birx has not been arrested, according to Jo Trizila, founder of TrizCom Public Relations, which represents ActivePure Technologies, where Birx currently serves as chief medical and scientific adviser.

In an internet search, no credible news reports suggest there is any truth to the claim. RealRawNews, the website that published the story on Birx, has previously published a slew of debunked claims, including Navy SEALs arrested former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The website includes a disclaimer that its content "contains humor, parody, and satire." Research suggests statewide mask mandates have been effective in slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

-- Ali Swenson

...

THE CLAIM: Election technology firm Dominion Voting Systems lost its lawsuits against attorney Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, former President Donald Trump's personal lawyer.

THE FACTS: Dominion's defamation lawsuits against Powell and Giuliani are ongoing, according to legal records.

In January, Dominion Voting Systems filed defamation lawsuits against Giuliani and Powell, claiming the lawyers falsely accused the company of rigging the 2020 presidential election in favor of Joe Biden.

The suits sought more than $1.3 billion in damages from each party.

Five months later, both cases remain open, according to websites that track legal cases. Still, social media users this week were sharing false claims Dominion's legal efforts had failed.

"ABSENT FROM THE NEWS," read a Monday Facebook post with over 1,000 shares. "Dominion LOST their law suits against Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell."

Lawyers for Giuliani and Powell have both requested through attorneys that the suits be dismissed.

Dominion has opposed those motions. Neither case had a verdict as of Friday. There is no evidence of the widespread fraud that Trump and his allies claimed occurred in the 2020 election. Republican and Democratic election officials certified the election as valid, and a clear majority of Congress confirmed that President Joe Biden won.

-- Ali Swenson

FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2020, file photo, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx speaks during a news conference with the coronavirus task force at the White House in Washington. On Friday, June 4, 2021, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly asserting the U.S. military has arrested Birx for conspiring to push face masks on Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Birx, former coordinator of the White House coronavirus response, has not been arrested. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2020 file photo, Sidney Powell, right, speaks next to former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani, as members of President Donald Trump's legal team, during a news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington. On Friday, June 4, 2021, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly asserting election technology firm Dominion Voting Systems lost its lawsuits against Powell and Giuliani. Dominions defamation lawsuits against the pair are ongoing, according to legal records. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

Editors Note: This is a roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out.

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A look at what didn't happen this week - Arkansas Online

By Jeff Zeleny, Kevin Liptak and Kaitlan Collins, CNN

(CNN) -- President Joe Biden has made final decisions on several high-profile ambassador posts around the world and is poised to announce the first slate of nominees in the coming days as he prepares to set off on his first overseas trip since taking office.

The White House has started notifying countries of the President's choices, officials said, which is one of the final steps before the ambassador nominations are formally made. Extensive vetting, along with a desire to find a diverse roster of candidates, has caused repeated delays but officials said an announcement of the top diplomats could come next week.

"We hope to have more soon," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday, adding that the notification process of officials in host countries was already underway.

A White House official said Friday that it was the administration's goal to make the announcements before the President leaves next week for his first trip abroad. Yet the timeline has been repeatedly moved back, so the official declined to guarantee the goal would be reached.

Top diplomats to China, Japan, Israel, India and several European countries are expected to be among those included in the first wave of ambassador nominees. The list includes several top donors, former senators and their spouses, people familiar with the selection tell CNN.

One of the biggest questions still hanging over the search for US ambassadors is for the Court of St. James, which is the prestigious post in the United Kingdom. It has been the subject of considerable discussion on both sides of the Atlantic, but several officials told CNN they weren't certain whom Biden had settled on or whether a final choice would even be made before Biden is set to visit next week on the first stop of his weeklong tour. Several candidates have turned the post down, which extended the selection process, a person familiar with the matter said.

Nicholas Burns, a career diplomat who has served presidents of both political parties, is expected to be nominated as ambassador to China.

Rahm Emanuel, the former Chicago mayor, Illinois congressman and the first White House chief of staff in the Obama administration, is poised to be nominated as ambassador to Japan.

Tom Nides, a former deputy secretary of state in the Obama administration and a longtime executive at Morgan Stanley, is expected to be tapped as ambassador to Israel. This post has taken on even greater significance in the wake of the ceasefire reached late last month between Israel and Gaza and the expected fall of longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The nominees are subject to confirmation hearings in the closely divided Senate, which means none of the ambassadors are likely to be in their posts before late summer or early fall.

The timing has put the Biden administration behind the pace set by his most recent predecessors and has led to frustration among some State Department officials and top donors, who have been in something of a holding pattern for months. Foreign diplomats in Washington have also privately raised questions about the delays.

Vickie Kennedy, the wife of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, is also a leading contender to serve as ambassador to Germany, people familiar with the process told CNN.

People tracking the process closely, including former ambassadors, donors and State Department officials also say Cindy McCain, wife of the late Sen. John McCain, is expected to be nominated as the US envoy to the United Nations Food Program in Rome.

Denise Bauer, an ambassador to Belgium in the Obama administration and leader of Women for Biden, is poised to be tapped as ambassador to France. And Michael Adler, a Miami real estate developer who has a long friendship with Biden, is expected to be nominated for the post in Belgium.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who served on Biden's vice presidential selection committee, is expected to be selected as ambassador to India.

The President is also considering former Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar for ambassador to Mexico. Former Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill and former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake are also being considered for other posts, people familiar with the matter say, as is Claire Lucas, a top Biden fundraiser and chair of the LGBTQ Victory Institute Board of Directors.

At least two high-level contenders were taken out of consideration in recent weeks, a personal familiar with the matter said, after the vetting of finances and statements on social media emerged as a potential challenge during the confirmation process.

Above all, a senior administration official said, one of the biggest reasons for the delay is that the selection has become something of a game of musical chairs. Several donors or friends of Biden expressed interest in one position, but were offered second choices, given the overall list of nominees.

"Diversity among ambassadors is just as important to the President as diversity in his Cabinet," a White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to talk about the closed-door process. "And that is a process."

Even since Biden has taken office, the political circumstances in several key countries has changed. Israel is the greatest example, with a deadly conflict last month giving way to a ceasefire and likely a new prime minister.

The Biden administration's policy on the Middle East will be scrutinized during confirmation hearings, which are expected to be held later this summer.

From Capitol Hill to the Middle East, the selection of Nides has been the subject of considerable discussion for weeks among close watchers of Israel.

A longtime top Democratic donor, Nides served as chief operating officer at Morgan Stanley before stepping down in 2010 to work under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He returned to Morgan Stanley in 2013 as vice chairman. Nides is married to CNN executive Virginia Moseley, who is senior vice president of domestic newsgathering.

A White House official declined to say whether a formal offer had been extended to Nides or nominees to other countries but told CNN: "We are not commenting on anyone and no one is final until they're announced."

The-CNN-Wire & 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

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Biden poised to announce first slate of ambassador nominees as he eyes first trip abroad - WDJT

The next time you feel sexually harassed in a public space, pin the creep. Literally. With a map on Safecity, a digital platform that collects and analyses crowdsourced, anonymous reports of violent crime, identifying patterns and key insights of sexual violence.

Elsa Marie DSilva, the founder of Red Dot Foundation, is popular for helping women pin the creep on the map. Why? So you can let another woman know that the second railway station gate near Safardarjung Enclave in Delhi has a bunch of creeps who will sexually harass women after 8 pm. Or that the second left near MG Road towards Brigade Road in Bengaluru is a hotspot for such sexual violence.

The website provides maps for every year in the country and you can understand how safe or unsafe your area is and what to do. In April 2021, the website did a #Dhakaldo campaign to get bystander intervention to prevent harassment on the streets. This was part of their Anti-Street Harassment week activities. But how does visually representing ones personal experiences on a map help? It helps to view the problem from a different perspective.

Often the survivor is blamed when she speaks up. When you can show a dataset that highlights a recurring trend, it forces you to demand accountability. Thats what we are trying to do with Safecitymake the invisible visible by bridging the data gap that exists with sexual and gender-based violence. It is a global issue impacting on an average one in three women, yet 80 percent or more never speak up. So the statistics are highly under-reported, says DSilva.

She started Safecity with a couple of friends as an immediate response to the Nirbhaya incident in Delhi in December 2012. The incident was shocking and triggering. I remembered the various incidents that I had faced over the years that amounted to sexual harassmentgroping on a train, witnessing masturbation on a bus, sexual harassment at the workplace. But until then I had never really spoken up. The incident made me reflect on the systemic change that was needed. Lack of data was making the issue invisible. Therefore we launched the crowdmap for anonymous reporting of such violence, says the recipient of the Global Leadership Award by Vital Voices in the presence of Hillary Clinton.

Thus far, Safecitys #PintheCreep is the largest crowd map with over 25,000 personal stories. The data has been used for advocacy in several countries impacting over a million people. DSilva says it has helped to mainstream the conversation and it provides the information in which to hold a dialogue using evidence-based data. The data collected is available open-source for individuals and communities to make their neighbourhoods safer. With information of what kind of incidents happen regularly, you can have better strategies to address the situation. You can also invite your community to help find solutions and work with police or civic officials for better safety. We have had police change beat patrol timings and increase vigilance, elected representatives make budgets available for CCTV cameras and college campus officials strengthen responses to sexual violence prevention.

With lockdowns and curfews across cities, it may look like the creep factor has gone down, but digital violence is an extension of the violence in the physical world. To address this, during the pandemic we hosted workshops on the prevention of online harassment. With Bumble we developed a Stand for Safety guide so that more people can understand the nature of the violence and take measures to prevent it, says the activist listed as one of BBC Hindis 100 Women and the winner of Niti Aayogs

#WomenTransformingIndia award.

CREEPOPEDIA Members of all genders who violate privacy and crosses boundaries

There have been 25,000 creep reports so far. Users can report/pin the violator via Safecity on Android and iOS phones or via a missed call on 9015 510 510

Information is analysed to engage communities to find solutions and hold civic and police officials accountable. The information remains anonymous.

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Concerned about women safety? Here's how you can warn ladies about harassers in your city by 'pinning the creep' - The New Indian Express

Hillary and Bill Clinton were captured in photos enjoying dinner with friends on Manhattan's Upper East Side on Tuesday, May 25 evening. The former presidential pair were seen arriving separately with a Secret Service detail to high-profile restaurant Fleming by Le Bilboquet.

Hillary Clinton reportedly looked glum while sipping her favorite white wine as her husband was deeply engrossed in conversation with Sting's wife Trudie Styler, who was caught resting her head on Bill's shoulder while posing for a group selfie.

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Exclusive photos obtained by the Daily Mail saw the former POTUS rocking a blue suit with a checkered button-down shirt and no tie. Meanwhile, his wife, a former US Secretary of State, wore a three-quarter-length striped wool coat, per the outlet. The famous couple was joined by Trudie and two others in the outdoor seating area of the restaurant. They enjoyed a live conversation and meals at the posh establishment, where entrees reportedly range from $23 to $43.

You can see the photos here.

According to the newspaper, Hillary arrived first at the restaurant at 6.30 pm. Bill arrived in a separate vehicle just a few minutes later, before snapping a few selfies with fans and then heading to the table where his wife was already seated with "a brunette woman and a young man with glasses," who weren't identified. Trudie arrived at the restaurant shortly after.

The merry group of five, at some point, had a waiter take a group selfie. A bystander claimed Hillary did not want to be a part of the photo, per the Daily Mail.

The group was finally seen leaving the restaurant around 9 pm when some well-wishers approached the Clintons for selfies. The couple obliged and took photos, before she and Bill hopped in the same car and went home together.

In 2019, staff at Fleming by Le Bilboquet claimed that their bosses allegedly made them Google the names of guests before handing out reservations. This was allegedly done to ensure the guests were either rich, famous, or both. The posh New York restaurant can accommodate only 50 people across 20 tables inside. Other notable celebrities that have been spotted dining there include Ivanka Trump, Robert De Niro and Paul McCartney.

However, according to a page-long 'Fleming Hostess Reservation Protocol' document, hostesses are required to "pull up each unknown guest on Google." Their staff has previously claimed it's because they "want to keep the restaurant for special people only." But while bosses admitted to carrying out online searches at the time, they vehemently denied it was to filter out diners who weren't rich or famous.

"Yes, we Google people," a waiter at the restaurant told the New York Post at the time on the condition of anonymity. "There are more rich than famous people coming in but we get Robert De Niro, Paul McCartney, Ivanka Trump."

The staff member added that those entering reservations needed to clear it with their manager before confirming their tables. Meanwhile, those who are rejected from the dining list simply don't get their phone call returned, someone who works in the kitchen told The Post.

A rep for Fleming by Le Bilboquet categorically denied the claims. "What the staff is claiming is absolutely not true and whoever said it is making it up," Josh Vlasto told the Post at the time.

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Hillary Clinton looks glum as Bill Clinton cozies up to Sting ...

Hillary Clinton is really drinking in New York Citys post-coronavirus atmosphere.

The former secretary of state was seen using two hands to down a big glass of white wine at a posh Upper East Side restaurant Tuesday evening.

Clinton was enjoying her beverage as she waited at Fleming by Le Bilboquet on 62nd Street near Madison Avenue for her hubby, Bill, and some pals, including rocker Stings wife, Trudie Styler, to arrive.

The 73-year-old former Democratic presidential nominee got to the chic eatery with a team of Secret Service protection around 6:30 p.m., and didnt wait long before her ex-president hubby showed up and took a few selfies with fans before sitting down at their table, according to the Daily Mail.

The former president was dressed in a blue suit with a checkered button-down shirtand no tie, while his wife wore a three-quarter-length striped coat.

The two were filmed chatting and laughing with a brunette woman and a young man in glasses before Styler, 67, arrived.

At one point, a waiter snapped a group photo, though Hillary apparently didnt want to be in it, a bystander told the Mail.

Other photos showed the party engaged in a lively conversation during their meal, with Styler, who married the British rocker in 1992, at one point leaning her head on Bills shoulder.

Well-wishers descended on the Clintons when they left around 9 p.m., according to the report.

The former secretary of state, who was the only one in a mask, was seen taking a selfie with a fan before she and Bill got into a car together.

The chic eatery made waves in 2019, when staffers there told The Post that they were required to Google any unknown guests and make sure they were rich or famous enough to grace the dining room.

Aside from the Clintons, celebrities who have dined there include Paul McCartney, Robert De Niro and Ivanka Trump.

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Bill and Hillary Clinton spotted at posh NYC restaurant with friends - New York Post