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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Posts Sharing Mpox Misinformation Recycle Claims from Prior Viral Outbreaks

Posts Sharing Mpox Misinformation Recycle Claims from Prior Viral Outbreaks

Responding to rising mpox cases in Africa, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern on Aug. 14. Social media posts subsequently repeated a plethora of false or baseless claims, including that COVID-19 vaccines cause the viral disease or that the current outbreak is part of a global conspiracy.

Q&A on the Second International Mpox Emergency

Q&A on the Second International Mpox Emergency

Case numbers for the global mpox outbreak have decreased since 2022, but the situation in Africa has noticeably worsened. On Aug. 14, the World Health Organization once again declared an mpox public health emergency of international concern. Here, we answer questions about the current increase in mpox cases, the international public health emergency and what this means for people in Africa and globally.

Trump Clings to Inaccurate Climate Change Talking Points

Trump Clings to Inaccurate Climate Change Talking Points

Former President Donald Trump, who has famously called climate change a “hoax” for many years, hasn’t used the word lately with respect to climate change. But he still clings to some similar arguments, and other claims he makes about climate change haven’t changed much over the years.

Trump Revives — and Further Decreases — His Absurdly Low Estimate of Sea Level Rise

Trump Revives — and Further Decreases — His Absurdly Low Estimate of Sea Level Rise

On the campaign trail this summer, former President Donald Trump has routinely cast doubt on climate change by falsely claiming that the oceans will rise just “one-eighth of an inch over the next 400 years.” He’s previously used the same measurement over a period of 250 years. In fact, the current rate of sea level rise is already a little more than one-eighth of an inch each year.

Bird Flu Pandemic Preparedness Activities Are Not Evidence of a Conspiracy

Bird Flu Pandemic Preparedness Activities Are Not Evidence of a Conspiracy

The circulation of H5N1 bird flu in animals and limited infections in humans have motivated flu preparedness activities, such as stockpiling vaccines. Social media posts have baselessly implied that these efforts are evidence that a new laboratory-derived version of the virus is going to cause a pandemic — or even that there is a conspiracy to release bird flu from a lab.

Trump Misleads on the Cost of Electric Vehicle Chargers

Trump Misleads on the Cost of Electric Vehicle Chargers

In recent speeches, former President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that the Biden administration has spent $9 billion to build only eight electric vehicle charging stations — or even, just eight chargers. That’s not accurate. 

Trump, Social Media Posts Mislead on Olympic Woman Boxer

Trump, Social Media Posts Mislead on Olympic Woman Boxer

Former President Donald Trump falsely claimed Algerian boxer Imane Khelif is “a person who transitioned” and “was a good male boxer.” Khelif was born a woman and has lived as a woman, participating in women’s boxing events for years. Many social media posts made similar claims.

RFK Jr.’s Exaggerations on Chronic Disease in Children

RFK Jr.’s Exaggerations on Chronic Disease in Children

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has given children’s health and the “chronic disease epidemic” a prominent role in his campaign. Diagnoses of a variety of chronic conditions in children have increased in recent decades, but likely not to the extent that Kennedy claims or for the reasons he gives.

Flawed Autopsy ‘Review’ Revives Unsupported Claims of COVID-19 Vaccine Harm, Censorship

Flawed Autopsy ‘Review’ Revives Unsupported Claims of COVID-19 Vaccine Harm, Censorship

COVID-19 vaccination is generally very safe, and except for extremely rare cases, there is no evidence that it contributes to death. Social media posts about a now-published, but faulty review of autopsy reports, however, are repeating an unfounded claim from last summer that “74% of sudden deaths are shown to be due to the COVID-19 vaccine.”