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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Posts Misrepresent Use of Floodgates at Southern Border

Posts Misrepresent Use of Floodgates at Southern Border

To avoid damage from heavy rains, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials have opened floodgates along Arizona’s border fencing during monsoon season since 2009. But social media users, including Sen. Ted Cruz, shared posts with the misleading claim that the Biden administration opened the gates “by design” to allow illegal immigration.

FactChecking McCarthy’s Impeachment Inquiry Claims

FactChecking McCarthy’s Impeachment Inquiry Claims

Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced on Sept. 12 that he would direct the House to open a formal impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden. We review specific allegations that McCarthy made and where those allegations fall short of the evidence so far.

Biden Wrongly Claims to Have Visited New York City a Day After 9/11

Biden Wrongly Claims to Have Visited New York City a Day After 9/11

Speaking at a military base in Alaska on the anniversary of 9/11, President Joe Biden wrongly said that he visited ground zero in New York City the day after the attack. Biden first visited the site nine days after terrorists flew planes into the twin towers at the World Trade Center.

Trump Walked Back Abortion Statement Misleadingly Used in Biden-Harris Ad

Trump Walked Back Abortion Statement Misleadingly Used in Biden-Harris Ad

As a presidential candidate seven years ago, Donald Trump said women needed to face “some form” of punishment for violating abortion bans — a position he quickly retracted after being criticized. But the former president’s original remark about punishing women is misleadingly featured in an ad from the campaign to reelect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Video Falsely Claims 850 People Died of Myocarditis in Mexico

Video Falsely Claims 850 People Died of Myocarditis in Mexico

Cases of myocarditis have been reported following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination, but they are rare and usually mild. Yet, a viral video distorts news reports to falsely claim 850 people died in Monterrey, Mexico, in June due to myocarditis. The figure comes from a false report of heat-related deaths.

The Problem with Greene’s Warning About ‘Communist Takeover’ of Judicial System

The Problem with Greene’s Warning About ‘Communist Takeover’ of Judicial System

Responding to news that the former national leader of the Proud Boys was sentenced to 22 years for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene commented: “We are witnessing a communist takeover of our judicial system to target political enemies.” But Enrique Tarrio was found guilty by a jury, and the judge who sentenced him was appointed by former President Donald Trump.

Ramaswamy’s Flawed College Fitness Idea

Ramaswamy’s Flawed College Fitness Idea

GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy this week proposed that a physical fitness test be added to the college admissions process as a “simple way” for colleges to diversify. “It’s a fact that those who perform well on math & reading tests tend to perform more poorly on the 1-mile run, and vice versa,” he said. That’s not a fact. In fact, numerous studies show just the opposite.

Video Clip Misrepresents Biden’s Meeting with Israeli President

Video Clip Misrepresents Biden’s Meeting with Israeli President

President Joe Biden met with the Israeli president in July at the White House. A clip from that meeting is circulating online with the false suggestion that Biden was “falling asleep” during the meeting. The full video shows Biden was consulting notecards and wasn’t asleep.

COVID-19 Vaccines Have Not Been Shown to Cause ‘Turbo Cancer’

COVID-19 Vaccines Have Not Been Shown to Cause ‘Turbo Cancer’

People with cancer are particularly vulnerable to severe disease and death from COVID-19. Vaccines provide needed protection. It has not been shown that COVID-19 vaccines cause or accelerate cancer. Nor does a recent paper about a mouse that died of lymphoma “prove” that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine induced “turbo cancer,” contrary to social media claims.