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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Ad Attacking N.C. Republican Senate Candidate Uses His Own (Dated) Words Against Him

Ad Attacking N.C. Republican Senate Candidate Uses His Own (Dated) Words Against Him

In his campaign’s latest TV ad, Democratic Senate candidate Roy Cooper of North Carolina highlights the issue of affordability using direct quotes from his Republican opponent. They are, in fact, direct quotes from Michael Whatley — but they are a bit dated, and some of the comments were more defensible or true at the time when Whatley made them.

Rising Measles Cases Driven by Falling Vaccination, Not Illegal Immigration

Rising Measles Cases Driven by Falling Vaccination, Not Illegal Immigration

Rep. Byron Donalds, a Republican from Florida who is running for governor, has blamed “rampant illegal immigration” during the Biden administration for measles outbreaks. But we found no link to illegal immigration in several recent large outbreaks, and infectious disease experts told us that the main driver of the cases is falling measles vaccination rates in the U.S.

Trump Claims Credit for Drug Price Decline. Experts Say It’s More Complicated.

Trump Claims Credit for Drug Price Decline. Experts Say It’s More Complicated.

President Donald Trump and other administration officials are claiming credit for a recent drop in prescription drug prices, citing deals they’ve struck with drugmakers and the launch of the online direct-to-consumer platform TrumpRx. But experts are skeptical those measures have had much impact on prices overall, and they say other factors likely explain most of the decline.

What We Know About Pennsylvania’s Two ‘Measles-Associated’ Deaths

What We Know About Pennsylvania’s Two ‘Measles-Associated’ Deaths

After the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced two cases of measles-related deaths in one county, the local coroner appeared to contradict the account. And in an ongoing spat with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has alleged that a Shapiro staffer may have even “fabricated” the deaths. We’ll lay out what we know.

Ad Attacking Cooper Makes False Connection to Murder

Ad Attacking Cooper Makes False Connection to Murder

An ad from a super PAC supporting Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley features a heart-wrenching testimonial from the father of a woman who was murdered in 2025. The ad falsely implies the accused murderer was one of the prisoners released during the COVID-19 pandemic when Whatley’s Democratic opponent, Roy Cooper, was governor of North Carolina. Cooper had nothing to do with the accused murderer’s release.

The NRSC’s Weak Ties Between Brown and Deadly Interstate Crash in Ohio

The NRSC’s Weak Ties Between Brown and Deadly Interstate Crash in Ohio

In the Ohio Senate race, a Republican ad blames former Sen. Sherrod Brown for a deadly crash in April on an Ohio interstate in which an immigrant was charged with vehicular homicide. But there’s no evidence of any tie between Brown’s votes on immigration, as the ad suggests, and the suspect in this incident.

Trump’s ‘No Tax on Tips’ Claim Doesn’t Add Up

Trump’s ‘No Tax on Tips’ Claim Doesn’t Add Up

The White House has provided no federal data to support President Donald Trump’s claims that because of his “no tax on tips” policy, “440,000 tipped workers” in Nevada “saved an average of $10,000 on their taxes,” and “130,000 tipped workers” in Georgia “saved an average of more than $7,000 on their taxes.”

Kennedy Distorts Stat in Celebrating Obesity Drop

Kennedy Distorts Stat in Celebrating Obesity Drop

In recent public appearances, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said obesity dropped 3% “in the last year” and suggested the Trump administration deserves at least some of the credit. One poll shows obesity falling by about that much — but the decline happened over several years and began well before President Donald Trump’s current term.