Latest Stories By Daniel Funke

If you’re not one of the 120 million Americans who have already received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, you may be wondering: Is the shot worth it? And is it safe? You’re not alone. A March poll found that 13% of Americans say they will “definitely not” get vaccinated, with Republicans and […]

Did “60 Minutes” selectively edit video footage of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to portray the state’s coronavirus vaccine in a negative light? That’s what DeSantis and some of his supporters are saying.  The report by “60 Minutes” correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi looked at how wealthy Floridians were among the first to get coronavirus vaccines in the […]

Americans who want to go to concerts, fly on certain airlines or attend weddings in the next few months may have to prove they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19. That approach has recently become a target for online misinformation and political spin. Fox News host Tucker Carlson called the idea of vaccine passports “Orwellian” and said […]

In the early days of the pandemic, a  Facebook page for Earthley promised an easy way to avoid getting COVID-19. The wellness company promoted a Vitamin D cream and an elderberry elixir to strengthen the body’s immune response and “help fight off the possibility of you or your family getting the coronavirus.”  The post appeared […]

The novel coronavirus is no laughing matter. Over the past year, it has killed more than 500,000 Americans, shuttered schools and workplaces, caused an economic recession, and strained the health care system.  Throughout the pandemic, disinformation about the virus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, has been shared worldwide. Since the novel coronavirus first emerged […]

One year ago, Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The NBA suspended its season. About 1,000 Americans were infected, and the World Health Organization declared a pandemic. Today, more than 500,000 Americans are dead from COVID-19. The country is recovering from the worst economic crisis since the Great […]

On one side of the Capitol Hill hallway is a pink and blue flag, a symbol for transgender pride. Directly across is a sign that says: “There are TWO genders: male & female. ‘Trust the science!’” “Thought we’d put up our transgender flag so she can look at it every time she opens her door,” […]

A law credited with birthing the internet — and with spurring misinformation — has drawn bipartisan ire from lawmakers who are vowing to change it. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields internet platforms from liability for much of what its users post. Both Democrats and Republicans point to Section 230 as a law […]

As millions of people lost power amid freezing temperatures in the central and southern Plains, many turned to Google searching for potentially life-saving advice: “How to stay warm without power” “Frostbite pictures” “Signs of hypothermia” Some searchers took their newfound knowledge and shared it on Facebook. “Just saw this. If you have four or five […]

When President Joe Biden took over the White House, his administration resumed a tradition that had gone by the wayside during the Trump years: regular press briefings.  Since Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration, press secretary Jen Psaki has fielded questions from White House reporters in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room nearly every weekday. Journalists […]

Right now, vaccine rollout is a numbers game. The nation has a pretty good idea of how many doses have gone to each state and county. The government’s COVID-19 vaccination dashboard shows how many people have received their second shot — over 5.9 million as of the time we wrote this.  Getting shots in arms […]

One of the newest members of Congress is under intense scrutiny from her own party following her promotion of conspiracy theories and inflammatory comments supporting violence against other lawmakers. At least 67 House Democrats have signed on to a forthcoming resolution that calls for the expulsion of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., from Congress. Others […]