Russia has blocked or restricted access to social media platforms within Russia, made it illegal to use the words “war” or “invasion,” and signed into law jail penalties for anyone who broadcasts or publishes information about the invasion that the Russian government deems to be false. But fact-checkers have also found cases in which Ukraine’s […]
A public reckoning with science in Florida has intensified in recent weeks — led by the state’s top health official. Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo announced Florida would be the first state to recommend against COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children. Ladapo has made it clear he believes the science behind COVID-19 recommendations from the U.S. […]
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, took to Twitter during President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address to critique the speech. Inflation and the economy were a big focus of the tweets, but there were also tweets on Ukraine, the border, and more. Cruz called his commentary “The Real State of the Union.” We took a look […]
In 1991, the World Wide Web was in its infancy, the Soviet Union collapsed and Madonna topped the charts. In the world of Arizona politics, the year marked the beginning of expansive voting by mail. Three decades later, the Arizona Republican Party wants to get rid of voting by mail, despite the fact that it […]
Ukraine’s biological research laboratories have been in the news in recent weeks as Russia, China and a number of media pundits falsely claimed that their existence was proof that the U.S. was partnering with Ukrainian scientists in a “secret” biological weapons program. That’s not true, as PolitiFact reported. The labs do not involve biological weapons […]
As the presidential election approached in 2020, the elections clerk in Boone County, Missouri, had a problem. A federal grant early in the pandemic had helped pay for unexpected election expenses such as plexiglass shields and cleaning supplies at polling places. But that money was now gone, and Election Day was a couple of months […]
So far, the military conflict following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has remained within the borders of Ukraine. But it may not stay there — and if not, there’s a chance of a military faceoff between Russia and the U.S.-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. Ukraine is bordered by four NATO members: Hungary, Poland, Romania […]
Americans these days are intently focused on the price of gasoline. Understandably. Gas prices were already rising after travel and commutes resumed following widespread restraints imposed early in the coronavirus pandemic. During the early months of the pandemic, gasoline prices cratered. When demand for gasoline began to increase again, it pushed the price at the […]
Russia, China and right-wing American media have been spreading false stories about U.S.-backed bioweapon labs in Ukraine. “We confirm facts, unearthed as part of the special military operations, which testify to an emergency attempt to erase evidence of military biological programs,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said March 9. China’s Foreign Ministry tweeted March […]
Russia’s attack on Ukraine has upended energy markets. The U.S. will ban imports of Russian oil. Europe, highly dependent on Russian energy, is aiming to wean itself away from its dangerous neighbor to the east. The basic rule of supply and demand says that if the supply of energy from Russia is cut, demand will […]
When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently unveiled updated COVID-19 guidelines that relaxed masking recommendations, some people no doubt sighed in relief and thought it was about time. People have become increasingly comfortable being out shopping, attending live events, or meeting up with friends at restaurants. And many are ready to cast aside their […]
As Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine has intensified, so has criticism of the U.S. buying Russian oil. On March 8, President Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian energy imports. The announcement followed a bipartisan push from lawmakers — including some who said that American oil production could seamlessly replace the oil formerly imported from Russia. […]