Facts Check

SciCheck Digest Viral social media posts cite a flawed paper in falsely claiming the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed death certificate procedures and violated federal law, resulting in wildly inflated COVID-19 deaths. The CDC hasn’t altered how death certificates for COVID-19 are filled out, and there is no […]

While discussing ways to quickly determine if people who cross into the U.S. through Mexico are eligible for asylum, Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio claimed that “only about half of them even show up for their court cases” and “only 15% of them qualify” for asylum. But government statistics […]

Quick Take A social media post is spreading baseless claims that the shooter accused of killing 10 people in Boulder, Colorado, came to the U.S. “Illegally from [M]exico and purchased the firearm from a guy that sells stolen guns.” Law enforcement officials say the suspect came to the U.S. from […]

SciCheck Digest Social media posts repeatedly misuse unverified data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System to falsely claim that COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous, and even lethal. But the government database is not designed to determine if vaccines cause health problems. How do we know vaccines are safe? How do […]

President Joe Biden claims the 10-year assault weapons ban that he helped shepherd through the Senate as part of the 1994 crime bill “brought down these mass killings.” But the raw numbers, when adjusted for population and other factors, aren’t so clear on that. There is, however, growing evidence that […]

Quick Take After the Biden administration said it would spend $86 million to temporarily house immigrants at the southern border in hotels, viral posts — including a tweet by Rep. Madison Cawthorn — falsely claimed the White House has directed “zero dollars” to homeless veterans. The American Rescue Plan includes […]

SciCheck Digest A video making the false claim that the Pfizer CEO “refuses” to get a COVID-19 vaccine has been circulating on Facebook. But the pharmaceutical company’s chief executive has said that he’s gotten his first shot. How do we know vaccines are safe? How do we know vaccines are […]

SciCheck Digest Federal officials authorized two mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 after they were determined to be safe and effective against symptomatic illness in clinical trials. But a Texas doctor, in a widely shared video, falsely claims the vaccines don’t provide protection and that they’re actually “experimental gene therapy.” How do […]

In his first press conference since being inaugurated 64 days ago, President Joe Biden got some facts wrong: Biden claimed that former President Donald Trump “eliminated” over $700 million in aid that Biden helped get for Central American countries. That didn’t happen, but the Trump administration did reallocate some money […]

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey exaggerated the rise in people trying to cross the southern border illegally under President Joe Biden, when he said there has been a “460% spike in illegal apprehensions.” As we recently wrote, border apprehensions started to rise prior to the election under then-President Donald Trump and […]