In a nearly two-hour press conference, President Joe Biden stretched the facts and left out important context on vaccinations, funding for lead pipe removal, child poverty and more.
FactChecking Biden’s Press Conference
Biden’s Numbers
Statistical measures of the president’s term to date.
Partisans Seize on Edited Clip of CDC Director’s Comments on COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, discussed a recent study that found that on the rare occasion when fully vaccinated people died from COVID-19, they often had multiple risk factors for severe disease. But her reference to vaccinated people was cut in a version of the interview — and conservative figures misleadingly claimed she was talking about all COVID-19 deaths.
Fake Article Falsely Links Dr. Sanjay Gupta to CBD Products
CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has reported extensively on the growing popularity of cannabis-based products. But a social media post, which links to a webpage masquerading as a CNN article, falsely claims Gupta is selling cannabidiol gummies. A CNN spokesperson said the content on the page is “completely false” and not from CNN.
Q&A on At-Home Rapid Tests
The demand for at-home, rapid COVID-19 tests — sparked by the fast-spreading omicron variant in December — has continued in 2022. With that demand have come questions about the tests’ efficacy, how to use them and where to get them. We answer those queries and more.
Social Media Posts Continue to Misidentify Justice Sotomayor in Dinner Photo
Politico misidentified Justice Sonia Sotomayor in a photo of a Jan. 7 dinner of Democrats – the same day she participated remotely in oral arguments. Politico corrected the error on Jan. 8. But social media posts continued to wrongly claim Sotomayor attended the dinner and appears in the photo. The woman pictured is Sen. Chuck Schumer’s wife.
Fauci’s Financial Disclosure Forms Are Publicly Available
In a hot-mic moment, Dr. Anthony Fauci called Sen. Roger Marshall a “moron” after the Kansas Republican asked Fauci to publicly release “a financial disclosure form.” Marshall appeared unaware that federal law already requires Fauci to submit annual financial disclosure reports, which are public.
Jan. 6 Conspiracy Theory Centers on Baseless Claim About Ray Epps
James Ray Epps was at the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. But there is no evidence that he was an FBI plant assigned to instigate the riot, as a conspiracy theory — embraced by at least two members of Congress — claims. There is evidence, however, that Epps once held a leadership role in the Oath Keepers, some of whose members have been charged in the attack.
FactChecking the Justices’ COVID-19 Claims
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Jan. 7 challenging the Biden administration’s attempts to expand COVID-19 vaccinations. Here we present the facts on some COVID-19 claims made by the justices.
Jim Jordan’s Beef with Jan. 6 Committee
In a recent interview on Fox News, Rep. Jim Jordan rattled off several grievances he has with Democrats — including with the Democratic-controlled committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.