Despite a stubbornly high unemployment rate of 6.1% in April — representing 9.8 million people who say they are actively looking for work — many employers are reporting that they can’t find people to hire. Republicans say the $300 a week supplement to unemployment insurance, which for many Americans amounts […]
Facts Check
COVID-19 Vaccine Data Was Peer-Reviewed, Contrary to Meme’s Claim
SciCheck Digest The COVID-19 vaccines have been the subject of peer-reviewed studies that found they were effective and safe, but a meme has been circulating on social media falsely claiming that no such studies have been conducted. How effective are the vaccines? How effective are the vaccines? All of the […]
Caitlyn Jenner Overstates California’s Share of U.S. Homeless Population
As of January 2020, California had a little more than one-quarter of all the homeless people in the United States, according to the most recent federal estimates of homelessness. But Caitlyn Jenner, a Republican candidate to be the state’s next governor, wrongly claimed that California’s portion of the homeless population […]
Story Twists Facts on Diagnosing Breakthrough COVID-19 Cases
SciCheck Digest A viral headline shared on social media falsely asserts that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed testing thresholds to “virtually eliminate” COVID-19 cases among vaccinated individuals. That’s wrong. The threshold in question simply applies to whether or not there is enough virus present in a sample […]
Viral Quote About Elections Misattributed to Trey Gowdy
Quick Take A viral Facebook post falsely attributes claims of widespread voter fraud and “treasonous acts” during the 2020 election to former Rep. Trey Gowdy. But he told us the statement “wasn’t from me.” We tracked the comments to a retired general who has spread unfounded conspiracy theories. Full Story […]
Vaccine Ingredient SM-102 Is Safe
SciCheck Digest The COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna uses an ingredient called SM-102 to deliver the mRNA that carries instructions for how to develop antibodies against the novel coronavirus. A widely shared video is now spreading the falsehood that SM-102 is harmful, but the warning label it shows is for chloroform, […]
Insurance Companies Provide Coverage After COVID-19 Vaccination
SciCheck Digest Insurance companies do not deny claims when someone dies after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the American Council of Life Insurers. But a viral social media post has falsely claimed that beneficiaries of a person who dies after getting the vaccine cannot collect life insurance payments. How […]
China Closes Gap with U.S. on R&D Investments, But Hasn’t Caught Up
China has been rapidly closing the gap with the United States when it comes to research and development investments, experts tell us. But President Joe Biden left the impression in a Michigan speech that the U.S. has already fallen far behind China. “You know, we used to invest more in […]
Mailbag: Gain-of-Function Research
A reader sent us comments on our article on gain-of-function research and whether the federal government helped fund such research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. In the FactCheck Mailbag, we feature some of the email we receive. Readers can send comments to editor@factcheck.org. Letters may be edited for […]
Video Doesn’t Prove Capitol Police Allowed Jan. 6 Protesters to Enter Capitol
Quick Take More than 400 people have been charged in relation to the Jan. 6 events at the U.S. Capitol, and there is ample evidence that many protesters defied and assaulted Capitol Police officers that day. Yet viral social media posts are falsely claiming a video clip proves that “Capitol […]