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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Major Themes of the Midterms

Major Themes of the Midterms

Voters are about to get a respite from the political attack-ad onslaught: Election Day is tomorrow. That means no more messages from Democrats attacking Republicans over abortion rights or the future of Medicare; no more Republicans blaming Democrats for inflation or crime. At least for a little while.

What Biden’s Marijuana Pardon Proclamation Does — and Does Not Do

What Biden’s Marijuana Pardon Proclamation Does — and Does Not Do

In early October, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation pardoning certain individuals previously charged with or convicted of simple marijuana possession offenses under federal and Washington, D.C., law. But Biden exaggerated the scope when he claimed he was keeping a promise not to incarcerate those convicted of simple possession charges.

States Determine School Immunization Requirements, Not CDC

States Determine School Immunization Requirements, Not CDC

Vaccines are added to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s immunization schedule after consultation with an outside advisory group and when the benefits outweigh the risks. Contrary to claims from Tucker Carlson and others, the COVID-19 vaccines will not become mandatory in schools just by being added to the CDC schedule. States and local districts make those determinations.

It’s Not News, Nor ‘Scandalous,’ That Pfizer Trial Didn’t Test Transmission

It’s Not News, Nor ‘Scandalous,’ That Pfizer Trial Didn’t Test Transmission

The COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials were designed to study the vaccine’s safety and efficacy in preventing symptomatic disease, not transmission. But online publications now misleadingly present the fact that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was not tested for transmission as a “shocking admission” and proof that the company and the government lied.

Florida’s COVID-19 Vaccination Analysis Is Flawed, Experts Say

Florida’s COVID-19 Vaccination Analysis Is Flawed, Experts Say

The state of Florida recently announced that it was no longer recommending that younger males receive mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, based on an unpublished analysis that purportedly found an increased risk of cardiac-related death following vaccination. But experts who specialize in the unique method used in the analysis say it was not properly done — and even if it had been, the findings would not mean that individuals should not get vaccinated.

Trump’s Faulty ‘Double Standard’ Document Claim

Trump’s Faulty ‘Double Standard’ Document Claim

Former President Donald Trump made a series of faulty comparisons to other past presidents to argue that he was being held to a double standard regarding the FBI’s pursuit of his presidential documents.

Q&A on Omicron-Updated COVID-19 Boosters

Q&A on Omicron-Updated COVID-19 Boosters

Retooled COVID-19 booster vaccines that target omicron subvariants of the coronavirus are now available in the U.S. Here, we answer questions about the new shots.