In his remarks to the nation after signing the latest COVID-19 relief legislation, President Joe Biden stretched the facts, particularly when boasting of the increase in vaccinations on his watch.
FactChecking Biden’s Prime-Time Address
RFK Jr. Video Pushes Known Vaccine Misrepresentations
A video stoking fears of the COVID-19 vaccines in the Black community is being promoted online. But the film repeats misrepresentations about vaccines, generally, and exploits historical cases of unethical medical conduct to suggest without evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe.
SciCheck Video: How Viral Deceptions Spread
In this video, SciCheck reviews a case study of how misinformation spreads online.
FactChecking Barrasso’s Claims About Stimulus Check Recipients
Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming defended his vote against the American Rescue Plan Act, in part, by claiming that the legislation would provide $1,400 stimulus checks to prisoners and “illegal immigrants” who shouldn’t receive them.
Capitol Protesters Were Armed With Variety of Weapons
Conservative social media posts misleadingly claim the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was not an “armed” insurrection, citing FBI testimony that no guns were seized from suspects that day. But 23 people have been charged with having deadly or dangerous weapons during the assault — including a loaded handgun found on a man arrested on Capitol grounds.
Mailbag: Minimum Wage Increase
A reader sent us comments on our article on President Joe Biden’s statements about increasing the federal minimum wage.
Manchin Wrong About How Many States Have $7.25 Minimum Wage
Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia wrongly said “very few … if any” states have a minimum wage at the federally mandated $7.25 per hour. In fact, 21 states do.
Posts Spread Bogus Harris Quote Fabricated on Satirical Site
Posts circulating on social media falsely claim that Vice President Kamala Harris supports deep cuts to veterans’ programs, telling them to “get a job.” It’s a fabricated quotation that originated on a satirical website.
FactChecking Cruz’s Partisan Spin on COVID-19 Bill
Sen. Ted Cruz says 91% of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan “is a partisan wish list” for “Democratic special interests.” But he ignores that Republicans offered an alternative $618 billion bill that included many of the same elements of the Democratic plan, albeit in smaller amounts.
Video Targets Gates With Old Clip, Misleading Edit
In a 2010 TED Talk focused on developing new technologies to drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions, Bill Gates briefly mentioned reducing the rate of population growth. A conspiratorial video circulating on Facebook misleadingly edits Gates’ talk to suggest his “wish” was to depopulate the planet through vaccines.