Conservative media outlets and a number of Republican lawmakers are sharing a misleading, abbreviated clip of President Joe Biden talking about gas prices during a recent address. The shortened clip they’re circulating make it seem as though Biden said the high prices at the gas pump in recent months are what Americans should be paying, […]
Each year, PolitiFact awards the Lie of the Year to the most significant falsehood or exaggeration that worked to undermine an accurate narrative. The 2020 designation went to downplay and denial about the coronavirus. We’ve made our selection this year (special report coming next week!) but, before that, we’re asking readers to weigh in. Question: […]
As more indoor venues require proof of vaccination for entrance and with winter — as well as omicron, a new COVID-19 variant — looming, scientists and public health officials are debating when it will be time to change the definition of “fully vaccinated” to include a booster shot. It’s been more than six months since many […]
A PolitiFact reader forwarded us an emailed claim from a leading Democratic fundraising committee that piqued our interest. The email, sent by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on behalf of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, read: “At least 10 people involved in the Capitol riots were just elected to state and local office. At least FIVE […]
When Dr. Mehmet Oz, the surgeon turned television personality, joined the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race as a Republican, he quickly drew fire. It wasn’t for advocating out-of-the-mainstream medical treatments, which he has, but for holding both American and Turkish citizenship. Former Republican political consultant turned Democrat Steve Schmidt tweeted his dismay. “A dual citizen cannot […]
Q: Does the CDC lack data on reinfection among people with natural immunity to COVID-19? A: The CDC does track COVID-19 cases of unvaccinated people who were previously infected and tested positive again. That’s a separate question from a public records request that sought documentation of transmission of COVID-19 by unvaccinated people who are reinfected. The […]
If you want to get a feel for what drives the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, it helps to go back to Bolton, Miss., in 1973. That year, the rural town of about 780 people was on the verge of achieving a milestone of racial equality: A slate of Black […]
Lt. Gov-elect Winsome Sears made four baffling statements about the COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Although Sears and her Republican running mate, Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin, remain opposed to mandatory vaccination, they urged people to get vaccines this fall. CNN’s host, Donna Bash, noted that Virginia schools require a […]
Americans, already weary of a nearly two-years-long pandemic, were dealt a new blow during the long Thanksgiving weekend with the announcement that a new coronavirus variant had emerged. The omicron variant, officially known as B.1.1.529, first surfaced in November in several southern African nations. The new variant set off alarm bells worldwide when public health […]
In November, President Joe Biden signed into law a major infrastructure bill, Democrats sought to deflect criticism over inflation, and the nation argued over rules related to COVID-19 vaccines and critical race theory. At PolitiFact, we are thankful for reader feedback. Here’s a selection of reader reactions sent via email and on our Facebook page, […]
During the busy travel week of Thanksgiving, and amid an unusually big price spike for gasoline, President Joe Biden invoked one of the rarely used powers of his office: ordering the release of millions of barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The idea is to increase the supply of oil and, in […]
The U.S. House passed President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan 220 to 213 on Friday, Nov. 19. The bill now heads to the 50-50 Senate, where it is expected to face unanimous GOP opposition. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, has been critical of the bill, tweeting on Nov. 16: “Hardworking #Iowa taxpayers shouldn’t foot the bill for millionaires to get a tax break, […]