During floor addresses urging Congress to act on President Obama’s $1.9 billion request for emergency funds to combat the Zika virus, a number of senators made claims that were either misleading or lacked context.
What Zika Means for Americans
SciCheck
FactCheck.org’s SciCheck feature focuses exclusively on false and misleading scientific claims that are made by partisans to influence public policy. It was launched in January 2015 with a grant from the Stanton Foundation. The foundation was founded by the late Frank Stanton, president of CBS for 25 years, from 1946 to 1971.
Video: Clinton on Marijuana Research
This week, CNN’s Jake Tapper, with the help of FactCheck.org, fact-checks Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s claim that “you can’t do any research about” marijuana because it’s a Schedule I drug. That’s false.
False Claims About Flint Water
A Michigan health official told Congress that his department’s “initial analysis” showed blood lead levels in Flint children in the summer of 2014 were “within range of years before.” That’s false.
Clinton on Marijuana Research
Hillary Clinton said at a town hall meeting that “you can’t do any research about” marijuana because it’s a Schedule I drug. That’s false. Schedule I classification makes it difficult to conduct research on a substance, but not impossible.
Palin ‘as Much a Scientist’ as Bill Nye?
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin falsely said she is “as much a scientist” as Bill Nye, best known for his children’s show, “Bill Nye the Science Guy.” Nye has multiple credentials that make him more of a scientist than Palin.
White House on Climate, Heat Deaths
In a recent “fact sheet” on the threat climate change poses to human health, the White House cherry-picked data on the estimated number of premature deaths due to future extreme temperatures.
Inhofe Misleads on Bees
Sen. James Inhofe made misleading claims in a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency about the relationship between neonicotinoid pesticides and bees.
Smith Still Wrong About Warming ‘Halt’
Rep. Lamar Smith at a recent hearing claimed a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change “confirms the halt in global warming.” It doesn’t. In fact, the authors of the paper write, “We do not believe that warming has ceased.”
False Claims about ‘Frankenfish’
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she opposes federal approval of genetically engineered salmon “for the health of both consumers and fisheries.” But there is no scientific evidence that suggests GE salmon will pose a significant risk to either.
Video: Male and Female Mosquitoes
FlackCheck.org’s latest video explains the difference between male and female mosquitoes when it comes to transmission of viruses, like Zika.