In a speech announcing the framework for a pared-down spending plan, President Joe Biden made some questionable claims: Biden said the plan is “fully paid for,” but some economists believe the White House revenue estimates are a bit rosy and warn that the balanced book relies on expiring spending plans […]
Facts Check
Video Spreads Bogus Claims About Plane Crashes and COVID-19 Vaccines
SciCheck Digest The number of U.S. plane accidents has been about the same this year as it was last year. But posts on social media falsely claim that there has been a significant increase due to pilot reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines. The Federal Aviation Administration says it has seen […]
Republicans Spin NIH Letter About Coronavirus Gain-of-Function Research
Republicans say a letter from a National Institutes of Health official is an admission that the agency funded so-called gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses in China, with some falsely linking the work to the pandemic coronavirus. But the research, which the NIH maintains is not gain-of-function, could not have led […]
FEMA Staff and Contracted Medical Workers Are Required to Follow Vaccine Mandate
SciCheck Digest The Federal Emergency Management Agency is deploying contracted medical workers to understaffed hospitals, where they are required to comply with COVID-19 vaccine mandates. But social media posts falsely claim that “doctors and nurses are being forced to quit over the mandates,” while the workers sent by FEMA are […]
Video: Tucker Carlson Misrepresents Vaccine Safety Reporting Data
Social media posts repeatedly misuse unverified reports to a federal database designed to detect safety issues in vaccines to falsely claim that COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous. In this video, FactCheck.org and Univision Noticias teamed up to debunk misleading statements spread by Fox News host Tucker Carlson. More than 400 million […]
Colin Powell’s COVID-19 Death Followed Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment
SciCheck Digest Former Secretary of State Colin Powell died from complications of COVID-19. Although he was fully vaccinated, he was also 84 years old and was a cancer patient who had undergone treatment for multiple myeloma — factors that put him at higher risk of a serious breakthrough illness. His […]
Trump and Son Whitewash Vaccine Willingness Before Biden
The percentage of Americans who say they would “definitely not” get the COVID-19 vaccine has remained relatively stable since 2020. And the daily number of people getting vaccinations had slid near a low point when President Joe Biden announced sweeping vaccine mandates. Yet, former President Donald Trump and his son […]
Already Had COVID-19? Vaccines Boost Immunity, Not ‘Wipe Out’ Antibodies
SciCheck Digest Studies show the COVID-19 vaccines boost the antibody levels and improve the immune response of those who previously had COVID-19. The vaccines do not “wipe out” the antibodies developed by a person who had recovered from the disease, as social media posts have falsely claimed for months. Full […]
U.S. Is Sending Aid to Independent Groups in Afghanistan, Not the Taliban
Quick Take The U.S. is providing humanitarian aid through several independent organizations in Afghanistan, but not through the Taliban government. Yet an online article falsely claims that the Biden administration will “send the Taliban millions in US dollars,” and repeats a debunked claim about the cost of U.S. military weapons […]
PhRMA Ad Misleads on Medicare Drug Negotiation Legislation
In TV ads, the pharmaceutical industry claims congressional plans to allow the federal government to negotiate drug prices in Medicare would deny beneficiaries’ access to medicines their doctors prescribe. Experts say that’s unlikely, and an inaccurate portrayal of recent legislation. Under current law, the federal government is barred from negotiating […]