Arielle Zionts

KFF Health News South Dakota Correspondent

8699 Stories Published

26365 Fact-Checks Published

Arielle Zionts, rural health care correspondent, primarily covers South Dakota, where she is based, and its neighboring states and tribal nations. Arielle previously worked at South Dakota Public Broadcasting, reporting on business and economic development. Before that, she was the criminal justice reporter at the Rapid City Journal and a general assignment reporter at Nogales International, on the Arizona-Mexico border. She graduated from Pitzer College in Claremont, California.

Latest Fact-Checks by Arielle Zionts

This chronic illness statistic touted by RFK Jr. and RealFood.gov doesn’t check out February 19, 2026
Comparing tax burdens, New York at (or near) the top of the list February 17, 2026
Epstein files did not ‘expose’ Ellen DeGeneres as a cannibal; claim stems from AI-generated audio February 16, 2026
Savannah Guthrie’s husband, Michael Feldman, is not listed a ‘co-conspirator’ in the Epstein files February 16, 2026
Trump credits immigration enforcement for Minneapolis crime drop. That’s wrong. February 13, 2026
How much more do New Yorkers pay for electricity than the average US consumer? February 13, 2026
Fact-checking Rep. Claudia Tenney on efforts to build Micron’s big semiconductor facility in NY February 13, 2026
Is Donald Trump right that the U.S. crime rate is at its lowest in 125 years? February 12, 2026
Bad Bunny no entregó su Grammy a Liam Conejo Ramos, el niño detenido por ICE, en el Super Bowl February 9, 2026
Image of Bad Bunny in a dress and burning the U.S. flag is AI-generated February 9, 2026

Latest Stories by Arielle Zionts

Fact-check: Is replacing Joe Biden on the ticket ‘unlawful’? Election law experts say it’s not July 22, 2024
United Facts of America: Experts say facts alone won’t bridge the partisan divide September 27, 2022
Would Tom Hanks have qualified for a coronavirus test in the US? March 12, 2020
Fact-checking Donald Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address February 5, 2020
What we know about Shadow, Acronym and the Iowa caucuses February 4, 2020
A new look for the PolitiFact website February 2, 2020
PolitiFact answers the Senate’s impeachment questions January 31, 2020
Has Trump faced more deportation-related court injunctions than his predecessors? February 24, 2026
How much has Donald Trump reshaped the government’s portrayal of Black history? February 19, 2026
Fact-checking Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on her agency’s role in elections February 18, 2026
A protein primer: Why is it important, how much should you eat, how much is too much? February 18, 2026
RFK Jr. made promises in order to become Health Secretary. He’s broken many of them. February 16, 2026
Does the US have stricter ID rules for buying beer than voting? February 16, 2026
Can the chickenpox vaccine cause shingles? We answer questions about the infections and protection February 13, 2026
Casey DeSantis warns of ‘triple-digit’ levels of weed killer in bread. Should you be worried? February 11, 2026
In Context: What Trump got wrong about 2026 Winter Olympics skier Hunter Hess’s comments February 9, 2026
Did Cooper prison settlement release suspect in fatal Charlotte stabbing? February 9, 2026