In a recent interview on Fox News, Rep. Jim Jordan rattled off several grievances he has with Democrats — including with the Democratic-controlled committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. During his Jan. 3 appearance on “The Ingraham Angle,” Jordan said, “The Jan. 6 committee has […]
Facts Check
Death of Betty White Leads to Swirl of Falsehoods on Social Media
SciCheck Digest TV actress Betty White passed away at age 99 on Dec. 31. Following her passing, various falsehoods appeared on social media about White, including claims that she died after getting a COVID-19 booster shot and that she was the sister of former first lady Barbara Bush. White died […]
FactChecking Claims About the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot
The Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was the culmination of months of false claims about election fraud, including a litany recited by then-President Donald Trump in a speech shortly before a mob stormed the building, temporarily halting the counting of electoral votes in a joint session of […]
Our Most Popular Articles in 2021
On the last day of the year, we look back at the most popular articles that we posted to our website in 2021. For the second consecutive year, COVID-19 tops our list. Seven of the 10 most popular articles were about the pandemic. Here’s the list, in order: Timeline of […]
Early Data on Omicron
As many Americans and others around the globe prepare for holiday travel and get-togethers, the omicron variant continues to be a concern. While the available data on transmission, vaccine effectiveness and severity of disease are still preliminary, here’s what we’ve learned so far. Transmission Omicron has quickly taken over as […]
Increase in COVID-19 VAERS Reports Due To Reporting Requirements, Intense Scrutiny of Widely Given Vaccines
SciCheck Digest Expanded reporting requirements and intense scrutiny of the hundreds of millions administered COVID-19 vaccine doses have driven record reporting of potential side effects to one of the government’s vaccine safety monitoring systems. Social media posts, however, have misleadingly insinuated that the increase in reports means the vaccines are […]
COVID-19 Far More Lethal Than a Cold, Contrary to Suggestion in Viral Video
SciCheck Digest COVID-19 has killed more than 805,000 people in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet a viral video on social media suggests the disease is the same as a “common cold.” COVID-19 is in the same family of some cold viruses, but its […]
‘Santa’ Detained at Unregistered Protest, Not ‘Arrested’ for Mask Violation
Quick Take An increase in pandemic restrictions in Germany sparked a protest at a market, where a man dressed as Santa Claus was briefly detained. Online posts falsely claimed he was arrested for not wearing a mask. But police said he was detained for participating in an unregistered protest. What […]
Facebook Post Recycles Misleading Assessment of Vulnerable and Endangered Species
Quick Take Climate change and other human-caused factors continue to put many species at risk, according to conservation groups. But a social media post misleadingly claims polar bears, whales and koala populations are “recovered” or increasing. All three species remain “critically endangered” or “vulnerable,” the International Union for Conservation of […]
Viral Story Takes Fauci COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Comments Out of Context
SciCheck Digest The COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S. were found to be safe and effective in clinical trials and real-world conditions. Dr. Anthony Fauci did not admit that “Covid Vaccines May Actually Make People ‘Worse,’” as a viral headline misleadingly claims. Fauci’s March 2020 remarks about testing future vaccines […]