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FactChecking Science in 2016

FactChecking Science in 2016

We look back at some of the more questionable science-related claims from 2016 on topics such as climate change, Zika, GMOs, marijuana and the human mind.

Does Zika Cause Blindness?

Does Zika Cause Blindness?

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid claimed that Zika “affects everyone” — not just pregnant women and their babies — because recent research found that it “causes people to go blind.” That’s false.

Harry Reid’s Wild Exaggerations

Harry Reid’s Wild Exaggerations

In a floor speech, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid made some wildly exaggerated claims about Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s endorsement of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Senate Majority PAC

A Democratic super PAC devoted to regaining a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate.

Video: Climate Change Claims

Video: Climate Change Claims

In this video, FlackCheck.org reviews some of the false and misleading claims about climate change that we have written about for our SciCheck feature.

Climate Change Review

Climate Change Review

With the recent climate change agreement in Paris, we provide here a recap of false and misleading claims about climate change that we have fact-checked in recent years.

The Bear Facts

The Bear Facts

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has said at least twice that climate change is causing bears in the Sierra Nevada mountains to change their hibernation patterns. There is no evidence that climate change is actually having such an effect.

Reid Wrong on Planned Parenthood

Reid Wrong on Planned Parenthood

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid claimed in a floor speech that 30 percent of U.S. women get their health care from Planned Parenthood. That’s false. By one measure, the number is less than 3 percent.

King v. Burwell Fallout

King v. Burwell Fallout

Q: How many people would become uninsured if the U.S. Supreme Court rules against the administration in King v. Burwell?
A: Two independent analyses put the figure at about 8 million, but that’s only an estimate.