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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Debt Limit Q&A

Debt Limit Q&A

Democrats and Republicans are once again in a standoff over a looming debt limit crisis. Congress must raise or suspend the limit on federal borrowing soon or the U.S. government won’t be able to pay its bills. Here we provide the facts on the political dispute.

COVID-19: The Unvaccinated Pose a Risk to the Vaccinated

COVID-19: The Unvaccinated Pose a Risk to the Vaccinated

Q: How do people who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 pose a risk to people who have been vaccinated?

A: An unvaccinated person who is infected with COVID-19 poses a much greater risk to others who are also unvaccinated. But vaccines are not 100% effective, so there is a chance that an unvaccinated person could infect a vaccinated person — particularly the vulnerable, such as elderly and immunocompromised individuals.

Social Media Post on Use of Ivermectin for Refugees Lacks Context

Social Media Post on Use of Ivermectin for Refugees Lacks Context

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of ivermectin as a treatment for arriving refugees to treat parasitic infections. But a social media post by Dr. Simone Gold, a proponent of ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19, references the CDC guidance without accurately explaining the reason why refugees are given the drug. The CDC has warned against using ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19.

Ongoing Clinical Trials Will Decide Whether (or Not) Ivermectin Is Safe, Effective for COVID-19

Ongoing Clinical Trials Will Decide Whether (or Not) Ivermectin Is Safe, Effective for COVID-19

Studies on whether ivermectin is beneficial in treating COVID-19 patients haven’t been conclusive, and health officials have warned people not to self-medicate. But multiple large trials are continuing to assess the antiparasitic drug. Yet, Sen. Rand Paul reportedly said researchers were “unwilling to objectively study” it because of “hatred” for Donald Trump. He later acknowledged studies are being done. Here we review the research.

Experts: No Link Between COVID-19 Vaccines and Erectile Dysfunction

Experts: No Link Between COVID-19 Vaccines and Erectile Dysfunction

Public health officials around the world have explained that erectile dysfunction is not a side effect of COVID-19 vaccines, but a viral tweet from rapper Nicki Minaj has spread the unfounded claim that it is. There is no evidence to support that claim.

No One Pushed ‘Button’ to Prevent Biden from Speaking

No One Pushed ‘Button’ to Prevent Biden from Speaking

There was nothing unusual about the end of a routine press “pool spray” before a private meeting between fire officials and President Joe Biden in Idaho. But conservatives have falsely claimed the video shows someone cut off Biden’s microphone, for fear he was veering off-script.

Q&A on Biden’s COVID-19 Vaccine-or-Test Rule

Q&A on Biden’s COVID-19 Vaccine-or-Test Rule

Here we answer some questions about President Joe Biden’s plan to impose an emergency rule for businesses with 100 or more employees that would require workers to be fully vaccinated or be tested at least once a week.

Social Media Posts Mislead on COVID-19 Vaccines, Deaths in Afghanistan

Social Media Posts Mislead on COVID-19 Vaccines, Deaths in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has implemented a COVID-19 vaccination program and, although administration of vaccines has slowed due to internal armed conflicts, the program is still underway. But some prominent conservative purveyors of misinformation in the U.S. have made false claims about vaccination efforts and the impact of the pandemic in Afghanistan.

CDC: No Warning Issued for Acute Flaccid Myelitis in 2021

CDC: No Warning Issued for Acute Flaccid Myelitis in 2021

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been tracking outbreaks of acute flaccid myelitis — a serious condition mainly affecting children — since 2014. The CDC hasn’t seen a reason for concern this year, but Facebook posts have wrongly claimed that the agency has issued a “warning of polio-like outbreak” this fall. The claim seems to have originated from an outdated news article.

Schumer Falsely Claims ‘All’ Americans Got Out of Afghanistan

Schumer Falsely Claims ‘All’ Americans Got Out of Afghanistan

A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has conceded that the New York Democrat falsely claimed that “all” Americans who wanted to leave Afghanistan “have come out.” Government officials say that fewer than 100 U.S. citizens, and an unknown number of U.S. legal permanent residents, who want to leave Afghanistan are still in the country.