Fact-checking claims about taxes on the Mega Millions jackpot, Biden’s limo, and more
By The Associated Press
Posted:
Updated:
Social media users shared a range of false claims this week. Here are the facts: The IRS will not collect nearly $850 million in taxes from the more-than $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was not the first foreign leader to travel in the U.S. presidential limousine called “the beast.” Archaeologists haven’t found the mythological tomb of Osiris near the Nile River in Egypt. And the phrase “Cor ona virus,” written with spaces between parts of the word, does not translate to “heart attack virus” in English.
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. Here are the facts:
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Billion-dollar Mega Millions jackpot won’t trigger $850M IRS bill
CLAIM: The IRS would collect nearly $850 million in taxes from a more-than $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot.
THE FACTS: The winner of the lottery jackpot that sat at $1.1 billion earlier this week, when the claims circulated, would expect to pay at least $135 million in federal income taxes if they choose to receive their earnings all at once, rather than over 30 years.
That’s still far less than the $850 million claimed online.
Amid the frenzy leading up to Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing, social media users shared posts suggesting the lion’s share of such a jackpot will ultimately end up in the federal government’s coffers in the form of tax revenue. No one has hit all six numbers in 25 tries stretching back more than two months. The prize now stands at $1.35 billion — the second highest in the contest’s history — with the next drawing slated for Friday night.
Danielle Frizzi-Babb, a spokesperson for the Mega Millions contest, says lottery winners can choose between receiving their earnings either through annual payments, or all at once. For a $1.1 billion jackpot, that’s a choice between a roughly $569 million lump sum, or annual payments that increase over 30 years, ranging from $16.5 million in the first year to about $68 million in the final year, she explained in an email. The lump-sum payment represents the present-day value of the advertised jackpot, which is based on the total annual payments. Whatever option the winner chooses, the federal tax rate of 24% is automatically withheld from the payments, according to Frizzi-Babb. For the lump sum option, that means about $136.5 million, leaving the winner with a roughly $432 million payout.
The winner would also be subject to additional federal taxes, as well as their state’s income tax, noted Robert Pagliarini, president of Pacifica Wealth Advisors, an investment management and tax strategy firm in Irvine, California. For example, the massive, one-time payout would put the winner into the top federal tax bracket, as lottery profits are considered regular income by the IRS, he said. But even with additional federal taxes factored, Pagliarini estimated the jackpot winner would still end up owing the IRS closer to $210 million if they opted for the lump sum — a far cry from the nearly $850 million suggested by social media users. If the winner opts for the annual payments, the total IRS bill would still only come out to around $444 million, assuming the top federal tax rate remains at 37%, Pagliarini said. “The short answer is those Instagram figures are incorrect,” he wrote.
— Associated Press writer Philip Marcelo in New York contributed this report.
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World leaders have ridden in US president’s limo
CLAIM: When Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador rode in the U.S. presidential limousine sometimes referred to as “the beast,” it marked the first time a foreign leader traveled in the vehicle with a U.S. president.
THE FACTS: Several world leaders have traveled in the U.S. presidential Cadillac, including former Mexican President Vincente Fox, French President Emmanuel Macron, the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
President Joe Biden’s visit to Mexico this week for a summit of North American leaders began with a ride in his heavily armored presidential limousine sometimes referred to as “the beast.” Biden and López Obrador rode together in the vehicle, chatting while driving into Mexico City, the AP reported.
Social media users responded to news reports of the drive with false claims that it was “unprecedented” or abnormal for a foreign president to travel in the presidential limousine. “It’s the first time that a foreign leader travels on board with a U.S President,” one Twitter user wrote. “President Biden and past US presidents travel the world and are met by host leaders, but the protocol is that POTUS always rides alone or with family/staff in the Beast,” wrote another.
But news reports over the years confirm several foreign leaders have shared the vehicle with U.S. presidents. In 2017, then-President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Macron rode together in “the beast” to the presidential palace in Paris, the AP reported. Also in 2017, photos from AP and other news agencies show that Abe rode in the presidential limousine with Trump during a visit to a Florida golf resort. Former President Barack Obama also shared the vehicle with Medvedev in 2010. In response to an AP request for comment, the Secret Service said that “due to the need to maintain operational security, the U.S. Secret Service does not comment on the means, methods or resources used to conduct our protective operations.”
— Associated Press writer León Ramírez in Mexico City contributed to this report with additional reporting from Ali Swenson in New York.
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Archaeologists didn’t dig up a mythological tomb of Osiris
CLAIM: “Scientists Just Found The Tomb Of Egyptian God Osiris Next To The River Nile.”
THE FACTS: No such discovery occurred.
Online posts recycle information about past archaeological findings in Egypt, including the 2015 discovery of a tomb modeled after Osiris’ tomb. A YouTube video that amassed more than 1.7 million views in seven days set off a wave of online rumors that archaeologists in Egypt had excavated the real tomb of an Egyptian god.
“Scientists Just Found The Tomb Of Egyptian God Osiris Next To The River Nile,” the video’s title announced. Social media users reacted to the video with dread, because Osiris is the ancient Egyptian god of the underworld and the deity responsible for judging souls in the afterlife.
However, archaeologists didn’t disturb the ancient burial grounds of Osiris or any other mythological figures, experts in Egyptian archaeology told the AP. No such recent discovery has been reported in the news, and the 28-minute YouTube video features clips about a variety of discoveries over the years, the experts confirmed. “Nothing accurate here; the videos just string together snippets from tombs and temples all over Egypt,” Peter Der Manuelian, professor of Egyptology at Harvard University, told the AP in an email.
For example, the video describes, without mentioning the date, a 2015 discovery of a tomb “constructed in the likeness” of Osiris’ tomb. In that discovery on the west bank of the Nile near Luxor, a Spanish-Italian archaeological team found a tomb that “was not build for Osiris but its architecture mimics the famous Osireion at Abydos which itself partially mimics the plans of the New Kingdom royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings,” according to Lorelei Corcoran, director of the Institute of Egyptian Art & Archaeology at the University of Memphis. “The tomb contains a statue of Osiris but such statues formed the cult focus of other Late Period tombs such as the tomb of Harwa in the nearby Assasif area of Thebes,” Corcoran said. “Recent news seems to be a recycling of this discovery.” An email message left for the lead excavator of the tomb was not returned.
— Ali Swenson
Bettina Hansen
After the discovery of a "lost city" underneath a field in Kansas, people were reminded that a wealth of amazing, ancient information rests under our feet. In the last century, there have been famous archaeological discoveries that have changed our understanding of history and ourselves. Here are some of the most impactful finds ever. (Bettina Hansen/Hartford Courant/MCT)
Yerbolat Shadrakhov
In 2018, Donald Blakeslee, an anthropologist and archaeology professor at Wichita State University, located what he believes are the remains of the lost city of Etzanoa underneath Arkansas City, Kansas. He told the LA Times he suspects the city was home to up to 20,000 people for almost 200 years between 1450 and 1700. This urban hub would upend the traditional belief that Midwestern tribes were scattered nomads. This lost city in Kansas isn't the first time old remains have filled in gaps in American history. (Dreamstime/TNS)
MORT FRYMAN
In 1994, archaeologists excavated the remains of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. They learned about the country's early settlers, the town's trade with the nearby Powhatan Native Americans and the severity of their early hardships, including disease and starvation. (Mort Fryman/Virginian Pilot/TNS)
Antonio Amato
While it is now the name of a popular language learning software, the original Rosetta Stone was a stone slab found in 1799 that proved to be the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics. The stone was inscribed with three versions of a decree issued 196 B.C.: one in hieroglyphic script, one in Egyptian Demotic script and one in Ancient Greek. It allowed researchers translate hieroglyphics for the first time to understand ancient Egyptian writings and culture. (Dreamstime/TNS)
Betty Leung
The discovery of the pristine tomb of King Tutankhamun in 1922 made worldwide headlines and became an international fascination. English archaeologist Howard Carter spent six years searching for the rumored hidden tomb. One of the few not looted by grave robbers, the untouched tomb's thousands of objects and artwork gave researchers a window into ancient Egyptian funeral practices, including mummification and daily life in their society. (Dreamstime/TNS)
Ribe
One of the oldest shipwrecks ever excavated, the Uluburun shipwreck is also one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries in the world, according to National Geographic. Sunk in 1300 B.C. and discovered in 1982 off the coast of Turkey, the wide variety of luxury goods from around the world found on board paints a picture of trading routes and cultural exchange taking place in the Bronze Age. (Dreamstime/TNS)
MN Studio
Older than both Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids, the prehistoric monument of Newgrange in Ireland was built around 3200 B.C. Since 1890, it has been conserved and has been the site of archaeological excavations that revealed its function and how it had been built. The site provides insight into ancient art, technology and religion, including the importance of the winter solstice. On that day each year, a small opening calibrated to the location of the sun allows light to stream inside the central chamber. (Dreamstime/TNS)
Brad Branan
The largest cliff dwelling in North America was built by ancestral Puebloans 700 years ago in what is now Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park. It was through to be abandoned in 1300 and was rediscovered by cowboys looking for stray cattle in 1888. The palace's 150 rooms revealed the tribe's family and community structure, technology and mathematical knowledge, and more. (Brad Branan/Sacramento Bee/TNS)
Jane Wooldridge
Easter Island is one of the most remote islands in the world, and its almost 900 monumental statues, called moai, made by the Rapa Nui people, have captivated the imagination of outsiders. They average 13 feet tall and weigh 14 tons. Though it's generally accepted they were built to honor ancestors and former chiefs, the real mystery was how an isolated, small and seemingly primitive people moved these massive blocks miles from a quarry to their locations across the island. Studying the island revealed things about ancient Polynesian culture and society as well as the ecological rise and collapse of the island's ecosystem. (Jane Wooldridge/Miami Herald/MCT)
Chris Riemenschneider
Built around 1450, Peru's Machu Picchu was lost to the surrounding tropical forests until it was brought back to the attention of the outside world in 1911. This icon of Inca civilization is a testament to their social and religious organization, diet, immigration and trade patterns and their technological developments, such as terrace farming. (Chris Riemenschneider/Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS)
Keri Wiginton
Chinese farmers digging a well in 1974 struck one of the most iconic and important archaeological discoveries in the world. The Terracotta Army is a collection of thousands of soldier sculptures, along with horses, weapons and chariots, buried with Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, to protect him in the afterlife. Other figures found in the tomb include musicians, dancers and acrobats, all with different faces and expressions. According to Smithsonian magazine, the thousands of figures and items in the underground pits are an imitation of the real organization within the Qin dynasty. The army's deterioration also points to the collapse of that dynasty not long after Qin's death. (Keri Wiginton/Chicago Tribune/MCT)
Kristyna Wentz-Graff
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a series of hundreds of ancient religious scrolls discovered along the coast of the Dead Sea between 1947 and 1956. Described as the greatest manuscript discovery of modern times, the scrolls contain books of what Christianity refers to as the Old Testament as well as prophecies, psalms and religious writings not contained in the modern Bible. The scrolls were written in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, which expanded scholars’ understanding of the latter ancient language. They also reveal important developments in the history of Judaism and Christianity. (Kristyna Wentz-Graff/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/MCT)
BILL HOGAN
When the Italian volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D., the ash and magma spewed out buried the ancient Roman port city of Pompeii, entombing thousands of victims and the city's buildings until the site was rediscovered in 1748. These preserved artifacts taught historians so many things about everyday ancient life, from their diets to their health and hygiene. (Bill Hogan/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
Brent Seales
Like its neighbor Pompeii, the ancient Roman city of Herculaneum was also destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. When the city was re-discovered in the 1700s, scientists found a buried library filled with hundreds of preserved papyrus scrolls. Unfortunately, the scrolls were so brittle and burnt that they couldn't be unrolled to read their contents. That is until 2015, when researched developed an X-ray that would allow them to digitally unfurl and read the lost texts. So far the library has proven to contain philosophical texts, but the hope it that there are more first-century Latin texts as well as early Christian writings that could provide more insight into the Roman world. (Brent Seales /Lexington Herald-Leader/MCT)
Manuel Cohen
Immortalized in Homer's "Iliad," the ancient city of Troy is both a literary legend and real-life archaeological site located in modern-day Hisarlik, Turkey. Though it was long debated whether or not Troy was purely a work of fiction, both literary and historic descriptions of its location align with the city found at the present-day site, leading some to believe they're one and the same. Regardless, the area, which was first excavated in 1870 and is still being explored today, bears evidence to the evolution of Mediterranean civilization. (Manuel Cohen/Aurimages via ZUMA Press)
Mircea Bezergheanu
Altamira is a Paleolithic cave located in northern Spain that was discovered in 1868. The cave's detailed drawings were dismissed as fake for decades because of their intricacy and vibrancy, but a 1902 study confirmed their authenticity as dating from 35,000 to 11,000 B.C. The paintings depict fauna of the time period, while early tools were found during excavations of the cave. It's a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the organization describes the drawings as "masterpieces of creative genius" and as "humanity’s earliest accomplished art." In 1940, another preserved series of Paleolithic caves was discovered in Lascaux, France. (Dreamstime/TNS)
García Juan
In 1974, scientists discovered a skeleton in Ethiopia that was more than 3 million years old, then the oldest confirmed early human ever discovered. On top of that, the skeleton was 40 percent preserved, according to the BBC. Nicknamed "Lucy" after the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," the skeleton became one of the most important fossils ever discovered because it revealed a new species of early human ancestors and continues to teach scientists about the course of human evolution. (Dreamstime/TNS)
HO
Olduvai Gorge is a 30-mile stretch in Tanzania that seemingly holds the secrets of human history. The site is where the oldest evidence of the existence of our ancient human ancestors was discovered. The ravine's deposits date back up to 2 million years ago and have yielded more than 60 hominids as well as other teeth, bones and tools, which have all drastically increased our understanding of human evolution. (Dreamstime/TNS)
Don Bartletti
More than 100 natural asphalt pits in the middle of Los Angeles ensnared and fossilized now-extinct Ice Age animals such as saber-toothed cats, dire wolves and giant sloths. The pits contain more than 3.5 million fossils of at least 600 species. They also preserved plants, wood and pollen, allowing scientists to track ancient climate and ecosystem changes. (Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
Gekaskr
This area in Bavaria is famous in geology and archaeology because its layer of Jurassic limestone is ideal for preserving fossil specimens of dinosaurs, dragonflies, plants, insects and more from 155 million years ago. Perhaps the most influential discovery made here was a feather and two Archaeopteryx specimens in the 1860s. With its combination of reptile and bird features, the Archaeopteryx proved to be the "missing link" that illustrated Charles Darwin's then-recently published theory of evolution. (Dreamstime/TNS)
Trahcus
With the vast increase in technology as well as the scientific exploration of previously remote or closed off areas of the world, the modern era is becoming the golden age for archaeological discoveries. For example, according to National Geographic, today’s paleontologists are discovering 50 new species of dinosaurs a year, which is roughly a new species every week. This means we have even more amazing discoveries to come. (Dreamstime/TNS)
Rebecca Hargrove, second from right, president and CEO of the Tennessee Lottery, presents a ceremonial check to John Robinson, right; his wife, Lisa, second from left; and their daughter, Tiffany, left; after the Robinson's winning Powerball ticket was authenticated at the Tennessee Lottery headquarters Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. The ticket was one of three winning tickets in the $1.6 billion jackpot drawing. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Jeffrey Collins
2. $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018 (one ticket, from South Carolina)
FILE-In this Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018 file photo, South Carolina Education Lottery Chief Operating Officer Tony Cooper, left, and KC Mart owner CJ Patel, right, speaks to reporters about the winning ticket sold at the Simpsonville, S.C., store. Nearly everyone in this small town has a theory for the city's billion-dollar mystery: Who won the $1.5 billion Mega Millions jackpot announced last October? (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins, File)
Gregory Bull
3. $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022 (one ticket, from Illinois)
A display for the Mega Millions lottery is seen at a store, Friday, July 29, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
HOGP
4. $1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021 (one ticket, from Michigan)
In this Feb. 26, 2021, photo provided by the Michigan Lottery, attorney Kurt Panouses poses with a check on behalf of the winners of a Mega Millions lottery jackpot in Lansing, Mich. Four people in a suburban Detroit lottery club have won a $1.05 billion Mega Millions lottery jackpot and will share $557 million after taxes. Officials made the announcement Friday, March 12, 2021, nearly two months after the Jan. 22, drawing.(Michigan Lottery via AP)
John Locher
5. $768.4 million, Powerball, March 27, 2019 (one ticket, from Wisconsin)
Jackpots, including the Powerball jackpot, are on display at the Lotto Store at Primm just inside the California border Wednesday, March 27, 2019, near Primm, Nev. The Powerball jackpot soared to a massive $750 million Wednesday. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Josh Reynolds
6. $758.7 million, Powerball, Aug. 23, 2017 (one ticket, from Massachusetts)
Mavis Wanczyk, of Chicopee, Mass., stands with state treasurer Deb Goldberg, left, during a news conference where she claimed the $758.7 million Powerball prize at Massachusetts State Lottery headquarters, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017, in Braintree, Mass. Officials said it is the largest single-ticket Powerball prize in U.S. history. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)
Powerball and Mega Millions lottery and Florida Lotto jackpots are displayed at a retailer, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, in North Miami Beach, Fla. Lottery players will have a shot Friday night at the fifth-largest jackpot in U.S. history after no tickets matched all the numbers in the latest Mega Millions drawing. The big prize for Powerball, the other national lottery game, is $550 million for Wednesday night's drawing. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
A customer makes a purchase, Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, under a sign showing that one of the two winning Powerball tickets in the latest drawing was sold at this 7-Eleven in Sacramento, Calif. The other winning ticket was purchased in Wisconsin and the two winners will split the $632 million jackpot. The winning numbers for the Powerball jackpot drawn Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022 were 6, 14, 25, 33 and 46. The Powerball was 17.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Charlie Neibergall
9. $687.8 million, Powerball, Oct. 27, 2018 (two tickets, from Iowa and New York)
Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich, left, presents a check to Lerynne West, of Redfield, Iowa, center, for her share of a nearly $700 million Powerball prize, Monday, Nov. 5, 2018, at the Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive, Iowa. West was one of two winners of a $688 million jackpot drawn Oct. 27. She'll share the prize with someone who bought the other winning ticket in New York City. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Beth DeFalco
10. $656 million, Mega Millions, March 30, 2012 (three tickets, from Kansas, Illinois and Maryland)
Powerball winners Celeste and Joseph Tamburello display a ceremonial check for $70 Million from the New Jersey Lottery, Monday, March 26, 2012 in Lawrenceville, N.J. They will get a $41.5 million lump sum payout for the cash value ticket, which they bought at the Little Silver Family Pharmacy in Little Silver, N.J. At right is Foster Krupa, New Jersey Lottery marketing manager. (AP Photo/Beth DeFalco)
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Coronavirus doesn’t mean ‘heart attack virus’ in Latin
CLAIM: In Latin, the phrase “Cor ona virus,” written with spaces between parts of the word, translates to “heart attack virus” in English.
THE FACTS: The word “coronavirus” in Latin, even when split up, does not translate to “heart attack virus.”
Social media users are entering additional spaces when translating “cor ona virus” from Latin in Google Translate, which skews results in English.
A recent video circulating on social media claimed that entering “cor ona virus” into Google Translate proved that it translates to “heart attack virus.” In the video, the social media user enters two spaces between “ona” and “virus” to get the result. Without the spaces, Google Translate just repeats “cor ona virus” in Latin to “cor ona virus” in English. One Twitter user shared the video with the hashtags “#vaccinedeaths” and “#VaccineSideEffects.” In the past, social media users have falsely claimed that the COVID-19 vaccine causes heart attacks.
But experts say this is an inaccurate translation from Latin. Adding spaces to “coronavirus” is causing the Google Translate tool to attempt to translate some sections separately. “This equation (cor ona virus = heart (attack) virus) is little more than subliterate nonsense,” wrote Marcus Folch, an associate professor of classics at Columbia University. Folch pointed out that “corona” in Latin translates to “crown” and “cor” translates to “heart,” while “virus” translates to a slimy liquid or poison. And “ona” is not a word in Latin.
Daniel Solomon, a professor of classic studies at Vanderbilt University, told The Associated Press in an email that “ona” is not a Latin word, but the translation could be a confusion with “onus” or “onera,” which means “burden.” Since “cor ona virus” isn’t a word or phrase in Latin, the Google Translate tool is translating some individual root words separately, a spokesperson for Google confirmed to the AP.
— Associated Press writer Arijeta Lajka in New York contributed this report.
