Chris Nichols

PolitiFact California writer

125 Stories Published

227 Fact-Checks Published

Chris Nichols is the PolitiFact California reporter for Capital Public Radio. For the past dozen years, Chris has worked as a government and politics reporter at newspapers across California. Most recently, he covered the Capitol for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Previously, he worked at the North County Times in Escondido; the Lodi News-Sentinel and the Sonora Union-Democrat.

Areas of Expertise

Latest Fact-Checks by Chris Nichols

Science Does Recommend COVID-19 Vaccine For Young People, Contrary To Larry Elder’s Claim September 11, 2021
No, Calif. Program For Voters With Disabilities Not A ‘Security Concern’ As Larry Elder Suggested August 27, 2021
Kamala Harris Gets It Mostly Right On Claim One-Third Of Small Businesses Shut Down During Pandemic June 7, 2021
No, Gavin Newsom Did Not ‘Just Let 76,000 Inmates Out Of Jail,’ As Recall Candidate John Cox Claimed May 5, 2021
FACT CHECK: Did San Francisco Have ‘Twice As Many Drug Overdose Deaths As COVID Deaths’ In 2020? April 29, 2021
Does California Have ‘One Of The Lowest’ Covid-19 Death Rates In The Nation As Gov. Newsom Claimed? March 10, 2021
Would Congress’ New Voting-Rights Act H.R. 1 Allow ‘Violent Felons’ To Cast A Ballot? March 4, 2021
Yes, California requires signature verification for mail-in ballots and Newsom recall petitions February 16, 2021
GOP House Leader Kevin McCarthy Distorts Job Loss Estimates For $15 Minimum Wage Hike February 11, 2021
No, Facebook Didn’t Try To ‘Shut Down’ Gavin Newsom Recall Effort February 2, 2021

Latest Stories by Chris Nichols

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
PolitiFact California Guide To Misinformation About The Newsom Recall Election August 16, 2021
Kevin Faulconer Wants To Tackle California’s Homelessness Crisis. What Did He Do As San Diego Mayor? July 23, 2021
Are California recall leaders tied to militias and QAnon? We fact-checked Gov. Newsom’s claims March 18, 2021
Sacramento Could Be One Of First Cities To Reform Single-Family Zoning. Here’s How It Would Work. February 25, 2021
After Calling U.S. Capitol Insurrection ‘First Shots Against Tyranny,’ Calif. Lawmaker Backtracks January 12, 2021
No Evidence To Support Claims Californians Fraudulently Voted In Nevada Election November 10, 2020
What To Know Before Voting In-Person In California October 30, 2020
Advice For Making Sure Your Mail-In Ballot Gets Counted In California October 23, 2020
Trump Administration Approves California Fire Assistance, One Day After Rejecting It October 16, 2020
What’s Allowed And What’s Not At Voting Sites In California? October 2, 2020