The United States had 589 coal-fired plants 10 years ago, and “we're down to 504. … We are the only nation that has reduced our reliance (on) coal energy."

Joe Manchin stated on November 16, 2021 in a Senate hearing: The United States had 589 coal-fired plants 10 years ago, and "we're down to 504. … We are the only nation that has reduced our reliance (on) coal energy." Carol Miller stated on July 28, 2021 in an article in RealClearEnergy: "We became a net exporter of natural gas in 2017, and until recently, our exports have exceeded our imports." Jennifer Granholm stated on September 8, 2021 in an interview on CNN: "West Virginia University just came out with a study that showed that there will be almost 20,000 jobs created in clean energy in West Virginia if (President Joe Biden’s) agenda is passed." Richard Ojeda stated on August 15, 2021 in a tweet: The United States spent "2 trillion dollars to train and equip the Afghan military over the past 20 years. They fell in a week." X posts stated on August 30, 2021 in on social media: "Near Morgantown, WV, a Moderna shipment truck crashed, hazmat dispatched, airspace shut down and now apparently Emergency Response is claiming the Department of Defense took it over." [...] Joe Manchin stated on November 16, 2021 in a Senate hearing: The United States had 589 coal-fired plants 10 years ago, and "we're down to 504. … We are the only nation that has reduced our reliance (on) coal energy."


“Kamala cast the tie breaking vote to hire 87,000 new IRS agents to go after your tip income.”

Throughout the fall, for instance, Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker sent multiple fundraising emails promising to vote to repeal the fictitious 87,000 new IRS agents if he were elected. (He lost.) In September, Nikki Haley, now a GOP presidential candidate, emailed Walker’s supporters asking for donations by appealing to the same sense of grievance over the IRS funding. "Senator Warnock, votes 96% of the time with Biden, including for open borders, less energy independence, 87,000 new IRS agents, and higher taxes," she wrote. [...] But that hasn’t stopped the conspiracy theories. The 87,000 new IRS agents claim appears to emanate from a May 2021 Treasury Department report that said such an investment is estimated to enable the agency to hire roughly 87,000 employees by 2031. But most of those wouldn’t be agents or necessarily even new positions. The increased funding was designed to cover a range of positions, including IT technicians and taxpayer services support staff, as well as experienced auditors who would be largely tasked with cracking down on corporate and high-income tax evaders. [...] Yet there are few signs that Republicans intend to relent on the misleading claim of Biden hiring 87,000 new IRS agents any time soon. Republican insiders say that it’s expected to be a recurring theme at this weekend’s CPAC conference and beyond.


A Phoenix TV station aired the election results more than a week early.

Claim: Two television stations aired 2012 election "results" early. [...] Even so, it will be interesting to compare the "results" broadcast over two weeks earlier with the actual 2012 returns. [...] Schortgen, Kenneth Jr. "Television Stations in Ohio and Arizona Announce Obama Victory Before Election." Examiner.com. 22 October 2012. The Daily Caller. "CBS News Affiliate Calls 2012 Presidential Race For Obama Weeks Ahead of Election." 21 October 2012.


“Overdose deaths in WV are up 45% from the prior year.”

Overdose deaths in West Virginia have increased by about 45% between calendar year 2019 and calendar year 2020, according to state data. Preliminary data covering a portion of 2021 shows that the increase has recently accelerated further.


“Texas ranks 3rd highest among states for the number of people who have recovered from” the coronavirus.

Ahead of his this announcement, Abbott shared the statement we’re checking and said Texas is the third highest in the nation for the number of people who have recovered from the coronavirus. [...] The raw counts of recovered cases available show that Texas does rank third, but there is a lot to unpack with this data. Abbott’s office did not return a request for comment seeking information about the data behind his statement. [...] The available figures on cumulative COVID-19 recoveries by state show that Texas ranks third — but that data has limitations. For one, just 37 states and Washington D.C. have been recording data on recoveries. Also, different standards are in place for determining whether a patient has recovered.


“Pete Buttigieg is a favorite candidate of Wall Street and the health care industry.”

That’s in part because Wall Street loves a winner, and Buttigieg — who is kicking off a two-day swing through New York City that includes three fundraisers — has been climbing in the polls and leads the pack both in Iowa and New Hampshire. [...] And hedge fund billionaire Paul Tudor Jones, who has predicted the stock market will tank if Warren wins, has called Buttigieg "my man." A review by Forbes found Buttigieg has drawn contributions from 39 billionaires, the third-highest total of active candidates. Buttigieg’s fundraising from Wall Street’s top bank officials is hardly lagging. He’s drawn more than 300 contributions from employees of the top five firms. By contrast, former vice president Joe Biden, another industry favorite, has pulled in roughly 100 donations from employees of the same banks, according to federal campaign records.


“Netflix loses 6 million subscribers within hours of donation announcement.”

"Netflix loses 6 million subscribers within hours of donation announcement: ‘The people have spoken,’" text in an image featuring Harris said in a July 26 Facebook post. The misspelled caption said, "NETFLIX Lost 6 million subscribes within HOURS of political donation $$$$$ to Kamal Harris' platform." [...] We found no evidence to support the claim that Netflix has lost 6 million subscribers as a result of Hasting’s donation. As of April, the company has nearly 270 million subscribers worldwide.


“When we discovered, I discovered, that we were doing many, many, too many stop and frisks, we cut 95% of it out.”

The criminalization of youth of color starts young, with the school to prison — or cradle to grave, according to some — pipeline, through stop and frisk and racial profiling. This society sees black boys as older and more threatening than they are. [...] Ending stop and frisk and other police practices that disproportionately channel poor people and people of color into the city’s jails. Holding officers involved in the shooting deaths of our brothers and sisters fully accountable.


“Wisconsin is 49th in public health spending.”

While public health budgets have shriveled across the country, Wisconsin’s seems to stand out. By one measure, Wisconsin in 2022 ranked 49th among the states in per-capita public health funding — $72 per person per year compared to a national average of $116. Department of Health Services spokesperson Jennifer Miller acknowledged that "compared to the rest of the nation, Wisconsin has been significantly underfunding its public health efforts for years." [...] Gov. Tony Evers has proposed an unprecedented level of public health funding, Miller said. But Republicans who run the Legislature have rejected many of Evers’ spending proposals.


“This year, it's going to be over $1.5 trillion (that we’ve) reduced the debt."

But we’ve chosen a different path: forward, the future, unity, hope, and optimism. (Applause.) I mean it sincerely. We choose to build a better America. [...] We’ve done all this, but then our critics say "inflation." You mean the global inflation caused by the worldwide pandemic and Putin’s war in Ukraine? [...] Well, guess what we did?. We’ve reduced the deficit. (Applause.) The Inflation Reduction Act lowers the deficit by $300 billion over the next 10 years. (Applause.) And that’s on top of the $350 billion I reduced the deficit last year and the $1.5 trillion dollars reducing it this year. (Applause.)


Black Lives Matter protesters outside the White House faced a more militarized response than rioters who assaulted the Capitol.

The rare display of military might outside the seat of American power was only the beginning. "I am your President of law and order," Trump declared in the Rose Garden, just before curfew descended on Washington on the seventh night of national unrest. Trump threatened to deploy "thousands and thousands" of "heavily armed" military personnel to quash the protests. As he spoke, officers fired rubber bullets and sprayed chemicals to disperse demonstrators outside the White House gates. Shortly after, twin-engine UH-60 Black Hawk and UH-72 Lakota helicopters swept just above the tree line over the capital’s streets, buzzing a crowd of protesters with a downwash of air, debris and fuel exhaust in an apparent "show of force," a maneuver used to cow insurgents in combat zones.


“In April last year, our state unemployment rate hit a record low of 2.4%. Last year, Wisconsin had an all-time lowest number of unemployed workers ever in modern history.”

MADISON – The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today released the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) preliminary employment estimates for the month of April 2023, which showed Wisconsin's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to a record low of 2.4%. The total number of unemployed people dropped by 3,700 over the month of April and 13,300 over the year to a new record low of 72,900. In addition, total seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs increased 3,800 over the month of April and 51,500 year-over-year to hit a new record high of 3,003,600. The total jobs number puts the state 9,600 jobs above the pre-COVID-19 peak in January 2020. Wisconsin's record low unemployment rate of 2.4% for April is down 0.1 percentage points from the March rate of 2.5%, which was the previous record low. The state's labor force participation rate increased by 0.2 percentage point over the month to 64.8%. Nationwide for the month of April, the U.S. unemployment rate was 3.4% with a labor force participation rate of 62.6%.


In Georgia, it's "illegal to give people water within 150 feet of a polling place" and "punishable by up to a year in prison."

Georgia passed a law in 2021 that makes it a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in jail, to give water to voters within 150 feet of a polling place.


“A few years back,” Mitchell Stadium in Bluefield, W.Va., “was voted the best high school football field in America.”

In a USA Today contest in 2019, Bluefield’s Mitchell Stadium was voted "America's best high school football stadium" based on nearly 6 million votes cast. In a 2023 ranking of the best high school stadiums in each state, the website Stadium Talk chose Mitchell Stadium as the best in West Virginia.


Project 2025 would not end gay marriage, but it calls heterosexual families 'ideal' [...] "Gay and Married? You won’t be under Project 2025," read a July 13 Facebook post that drew a slash through the phrase "Project 2025." Other posts we saw carried similar doomy messages about gay marriage: Project 2025 will "end marriage equality," "overturn" the right to gay marriage or "ban" gay marriage, they said. During an event hosted by the Center for American Progress, a progressive public policy research and advocacy organization, Texas state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, also warned the plan would "ban gay marriage." [...] Social media posts claimed that Project 2025 would "ban" or otherwise end gay marriage.


“Ron DeSantis is against fracking. He is against drilling”

6 takeaways from second GOP debate: Rivals call out Trump's absence, claw each other "Ron DeSantis is against fracking. He’s against drilling," Haley said. "He always talks about what happens on day one, you better watch out because what happens on day two is when you’re in trouble. Day two in Florida, you ban fracking, you ban offshore drilling." [...] DeSantis campaigned on banning fracking, offshore drilling DeSantis pledged to ban fracking and offshore drilling during his 2018 run for Florida governor.


“Before the pandemic, just over 40,000 were on continuing UI claims. Now, there are well over 100,000 on state or federal UI benefits.”

Department of Workforce Development datashows that in the week ending on March 7, 2020, there were 41,015 unemployment claims statewide. For the week of May 22, 202, there were 127,745 claims.


“100 million ballots (Democrats) prefilled now have the wrong name.”

There are no official ballots for the general election yet. The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee will be determined in a virtual nominating process ahead of the Democratic National Convention in August. State deadlines for receiving the presidential nominee’s name for ballot printing generally fall after that.


"Higher education is one of America's strongest export sectors. Over 1 million international students studied at American universities, (in the) 2018-19 school year. They contributed over $40 billion to the economy.”

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 18, 2019—The number of international students in the United States set an all-time high in the 2018/19 academic year, the fourth consecutive year with more than one million international students. The total number of international students, 1,095,299, is a 0.05 percent increase over last year, according to the 2019 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange. International students make up 5.5 percent of the total U.S. higher education population. According to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, international students contributed $44.7 billion to the U.S. economy in 2018, an increase of 5.5 percent from the previous year. [...] For the tenth consecutive year, China remained the largest source of international students in the United States in 2018/19 with 369,548 students in undergraduate, graduate, non-degree, and optional practical training (OPT) programs, a 1.7 percent increase from 2017/18. India (202,014, +2.9 percent), South Korea (52,250, -4.2 percent), Saudi Arabia (37,080, -16.5 percent), and Canada (26,122, +0.8 percent) round out the top five. Emerging market countries showed some of the strongest growth year over year, especially Bangladesh (+10.0 percent), Brazil (+9.8 percent), Nigeria (+5.8 percent), and Pakistan (+5.6 percent).


Kamala Harris “supported abolishing ICE.”

"Abolish ICE" sounds simple and straightforward. It's short enough to fit on a bumper sticker — as does "Build the Wall," or "Abolish the IRS." It symbolizes Democrats' opposition to Trump's immigration policies, particularly the separation of children and parents at the border. It's a shorthand way to remind lawmakers and the public that Democrats don't like how the president has demonized immigrants — whether they entered the U.S. legally or not. It also expresses the fear and outrage among immigrant communities who feel that ICE is terrorizing their neighborhoods. [...] Many Democrats think that turning the debate away from Trump's immigration policies and back to a fight over which party is stronger on border security is a loser for Democrats. It's why so many Democratic lawmakers refuse to jump on the "Abolish ICE" bandwagon. Even Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders dodged the question, saying only that he wanted to "create policies that deal with immigration in a rational way." Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth said abolishing ICE wouldn't accomplish anything, since even without the agency, Trump would still be setting immigration policy. Although Warren and Gillibrand sided with the "Abolish ICE" push, California Sen. Kamala Harris, another possible 2020 contender, did not. Harris said she wanted to "critically re-examine ICE and its role." Many Democratic strategists were asking why — just when the Democrats were winning the immigration debate — they should adopt a slogan that could backfire on them going into the midterm elections.


Due to U.S. Senate rules, Democrats need "more than a majority ... to codify Roe vs. Wade."

Yes, Democrats do need ‘more than a majority ... to codify Roe vs. Wade’ [...] "Because the U.S. Senate is a minority institution, meaning you don't have to get the most votes and still control the chamber, we need to have more than a majority of Democrats in control to codify Roe v. Wade," state Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, said May 8, 2022, on "Capital City Sunday." [...] "So, even if Democrats had 50 or even 59 votes to codify Roe v. Wade, so long as the filibuster rule remains as is, unified Republican opposition can block the bill," Ornstein said. "Right now, all Republicans are opposed. The Democrats could find a way to alter the rule, as was done for confirmations, by majority, but right now at least two of their own won't agree."


ABC News reporter said “government tried to kill” former President Donald Trump.

ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas did not say the "government tried to kill former President Trump," as shortened social media videos claim. In a report that aired July 24 on "Good Morning America," he used the word "gunman" several times and named the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, whom the Secret Service killed. FBI Director Christopher Wray said the continuing investigation so far has not found that Crooks had any accomplices in the July 13 assassination attempt against Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.


In Afghanistan, “over 100 billion dollars spent on military contracts.”

A Breakdown of U.S. Military Spending in Afghanistan America’s own government watchdog says oversight of the money spent on military efforts in Afghanistan has been poor with hundreds of millions of dollars misspent and corruption rife The U.S. and NATO have promised to pay $4 billion a year until 2024 to finance Afghanistan’s military and security forces, which are struggling to contain an advancing Taliban. Already, the U.S. has spent nearly $89 billion over the past 20 years to build, equip and train Afghan forces.


“New Haven, Conn., had to issue bonds for a bridge after using funds for that bridge to pay for a police misconduct settlement."

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- The bridge that connects West Haven and New Haven at Kimberly Avenue will be known as Officer Robert Vincent Fumiatti Memorial Bridge in honor of the New Haven cop who died in 2007 from complications after being shot in 2002. Police union official Jeffrey Matchett said it's hard to think of a more fitting tribute to Fumiatti since the bridge links his hometown of West Haven with New Haven, which is where he worked. [...] The bridge dedication was in part work of members of the New Haven and West Haven delegations at the state legislature, said state Rep. Stephen Dargan, D-West Haven. Council 15 had approached him and others with the idea.


Says Taylor Swift “announced a fund raising concert with Beyoncé in support of Harris” on July 23.

A recent report about Taylor Swift and Beyoncé joining forces to host a fundraising concert in support of VP Kamala Harris for the 2024 Presidential run went viral online. The news was published on UK Discoverer on July 23 after Joe Biden stepped down from the Democratic Presidential race and endorsed Harris to be the Presidential nominee, on July 21. [...] Ariana Grande, Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, and Jay-Z were reported to be among the other artistes to grace the fundraising concert, as stated by UK Discoverer. The website claimed, Taylor and Beyoncé issued a joint statement addressing the alleged upcoming concert: [...] Fans were really excited after UK Discoverer's article about Taylor Swift and Beyoncé's fundraising concert circulated online. Some believed the news and were looking forward to the show. Unfortunately, there will not be any joint concert.


Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed a law that would “take children away from their parents if the parents don’t want to consent to sex changes.”

Asher Nguyen, a 6-year-old trans girl, looks up at her brother right before Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order to protect access to gender-affirming care in Minnesota. Her father, Hao Nguyen, testified for the Trans Refuge Bill and spoke at the executive order signing. Photo by Grace Deng/Minnesota Reformer. [...] Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order Wednesday barring Minnesota’s agencies from cooperating with other states seeking to prosecute people for traveling for gender-affirming care in Minnesota. At the signing, he called on the Legislature to add additional protections by passing the Trans Refuge Bill. He said he would even travel to other states and use his platform to advertise Minnesota as a welcoming place. [...] "HF146 takes away custody from parents or guardians who deny their children access to gender-affirming health care," said Rebecca Delahunt, assistant director of public policy for the Minnesota Family Council.


My 2018 election was the first time Speaker Robin Vos has lost a Republican-held seat

Robin Joseph Vos (born July 5, 1968) is an American businessman and Republican politician and the 79th speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, serving in that role since 2013. He has been a member of the Assembly since 2005,[1] representing most of the southern half of Racine County.[2] Vos was also president of the National Conference of State Legislatures.[3] [...] Vos has been described as having a significant role in obstructing Governor Tony Evers.[4] After Evers, the Democratic nominee, won the 2018 Wisconsin gubernatorial election, defeating incumbent governor Scott Walker, Vos was the first public official to propose curbing the incoming governor's powers.[6] He claimed it was to restore a balance of power between the governor and the legislature, despite having previously voted to expand gubernatorial power.[37][38] Vos also said the changes were intended to lock in laws passed by Republicans and to prevent the incoming Democratic administration from fulfilling its campaign pledges, particularly a pledge to withdraw Wisconsin from a lawsuit seeking to overturn the federal Affordable Care Act.[39] The Republican-led legislature was called into a December lame duck session and passed laws decreasing the powers of the incoming governor, limiting early voting, and giving the legislature more control. Walker then signed the bills.[40]


There is “$500 billion of unspent COVID money” that can be rescinded.

WASHINGTON — There’s no Republican plan, let alone a bill, to resolve the debt ceiling problem. But some GOP lawmakers are floating one idea to include in a package: rescinding approved but unspent Covid relief funds. Taking back the unused pandemic response money "certainly could" be in a debt ceiling measure to avert default, Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., the chair of the powerful Rules Committee, said. [...] House Republican aides point to government estimates showing $4.61 trillion has been authorized in Covid-19 spending, but $4.12 trillion has been spent. That leaves nearly $500 billion in unspent funds, although a portion of that has been "obligated" to certain pots of money and may be difficult to return to the U.S. Treasury.


Social Media stated on May 30, 2024 in a post: Under federal law, former President Donald Trump’s "felony convictions mean he can no longer possess guns." Bryan Steil stated on November 15, 2022 in Twitter: In Milwaukee, "The (homicide) rate has nearly doubled in the past two years." Everytown for Gun Safety stated on October 10, 2022 in an ad: "Kari Lake is opposed to red flag laws." A Better Wisconsin Together stated on September 12, 2022 in Campaign ad: Says Tim Michels "opposes closing the loophole that allows domestic abusers to buy guns." Levar Stoney stated on June 16, 2022 in a tweet.: "In Virginia, Black people are eight times (8X) more likely than white people to die of gun homicide." Cavalier Johnson stated on April 9, 2022 in TV interview: In a recent year, the Milwaukee Police Department "collected more guns per capita off the streets than in New York." Beth Wessel-Kroeschell stated on January 22, 2021 in public comments: "86% of Americans and 82% of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check." [...] Bryan Steil stated on November 15, 2022 in Twitter: In Milwaukee, "The (homicide) rate has nearly doubled in the past two years."


“The state of Washington has already sent out their ballots” for the 2024 presidential election.

To vote in the next election, you must complete your application by 10/21/2024. You can submit your application: [...] By mail to your county voter registration office, received by 10/21/2024. [...] Deadline Alert: If you plan to vote by mail-in ballot in the 2024 GENERAL ELECTION, your completed application must be received in the county office by 5:00 PM on 10/29/2024. Your voted ballot must be returned by 8:00 PM on 11/05/2024.


The document is the "180 Day Playbook" of a group called Project 2025, and it is the plan of attack – emphasis on the word "attack" – that people surrounding Donald Trump (e.g. Stephen Miller, Mark Meadows) have put together for what they hope will be second Trump administration. [...] - Eliminating the Head Start program. [...] Amazingly, however, Project 2025 calls for "phasing" Title I out of existence and turning the responsibility over to the states. North Carolinians familiar with their General Assembly’s cheapskate approach to funding schools will find that notion laughable.


Former President Jimmy Carter “passed away Tuesday, July 23, at 01:34 am at his home in Plains, Georgia at the age of 99.”

Former President Jimmy Carter, 99, is mourning the death of his beloved wife, Rosalynn Carter, who died on November 19 at age 96. Rosalynn passed away peacefully with her family by her side in the couple’s hometown of Plains, Georgia, according to a news release from The Carter Center. [...] Jimmy Carter was the 39th president of the United States and served as the nation’s chief executive during a time of serious problems at home and abroad. Carter’s perceived mishandling of these issues led to defeat in his bid for reelection. He later turned to diplomacy and advocacy, founding The Carter Center in 1982 with his late wife, Rosalynn. For these efforts, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2002. Carter is the author of more than 30 books, most recently Faith: A Journey for All. He has been in hospice care since February 2023. [...] A devout Christian, Carter was raised Southern Baptist, though he left the Southern Baptist Convention in 2000 after disagreeing with the denomination’s stances that women shouldn’t be pastors and wives should be subservient to their husbands. He and Rosalynn attend Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church, which they joined in 1981 and where they were both deacons. A well-known Sunday school teacher, Carter first began teaching Bible lessons while at the Naval Academy and continued throughout his life. Hundreds of people from across the country flocked to his Sunday school services at Maranatha for decades until he stopped teaching in late 2019.


There are nine states “where Biden’s name can’t be removed and no one can be added. That’s over 130 electoral votes in the toilet.”

And so it will be used as a way to sort of acolyte Republicans--but give me a break. No one in their right mind in this country believes that anybody other than Joe Biden is responsible for 9 million people being here illegally. Just like nobody believes in this country that our economy is in better shape for working people because of Joe Biden.


“Iran has stockpiled 10 times as much enriched uranium as it had” in 2016.

Under a 2015 agreement, Iran limited its enriched uranium to 202.8 kilograms. Trump withdrew the U.S. from the agreement in 2018. International inspectors say Iran now has 2,105 kilograms of enriched uranium.


Kamala Harris “returned” a $5,000 donation Donald Trump made to her campaign in 2011.

President Trump and his daughter Ivanka both made financial contributions to Kamala Harris’s campaign when she was running for reelection as California’s attorney general before she became a senator — and, eventually, as of Tuesday, a Democratic vice-presidential candidate. The donations were originally noted by McClatchy DC when Harris was running for president in the Democratic primaries last year. According to campaign-finance records, Donald Trump donated a total of $6,000 to Harris’s attorney-general reelection campaigns in 2011 ($5,000) and 2013 ($1,000). Ivanka Trump gave Harris’s campaign $2,000 in 2014. In 2015, months after the elder Trump began spreading the baseless birther conspiracy theory about President Obama on television, Harris donated the $6,000 to a nonprofit that advocates for Central Americans’ rights, her presidential campaign manager told McClatchy last year. [...] Harris is far from the only Democratic lawmaker to have gotten money from the Trumps. Both have also donated to New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s campaigns and, from Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, New Jersey senator Cory Booker’s. Donald Trump, who donated mostly to Democrats up until 2011 — including repeated contributions to the campaigns of Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid, and Hillary Clinton — has defended his political donations to both Democrats and Republicans, claiming they were strategic moves to buy influence. Most of the Democrats Trump has donated to at the state or federal level have been in the Northeast, with the exception of Harris, Reid, and a few more in other parts of the country.


"(The) top issue for college students is the economy."

Polling commissioned by Young America’s Foundation found the economy was a top issue of 38% of college students. Wisconsin pollster Charles Franklin said the polling company is reputable, and the questions were even-handed. Other polls, including the Harvard Youth Poll, found economy was the most important issue to young voters, more than abortion.


Says since he took office, the City of Milwaukee has seen the creation of 7,000 new affordable housing units.

Between 1913 and 1917 Milwaukee, Wisconsin‘s population increased by 79,000 people, while the housing stock only increased by about 6,000 units – resulting in a shortage of 7,000 homes. As early as 1910, Mayor Emil Seidel, the first Socialist mayor of Milwaukee, had run on a platform of expanding the amount of low-income housing within the city. But, with his defeat two years later, the idea never moved forward. It was not until 1918 that Mayor Daniel Webster Hoan would again pursue the idea. This would ultimately lead to the development of the first city funded and planned housing project: Garden Homes. [...] The Housing Commission was a ten-man collective of city employees and Milwaukee businessmen that had two goals. The first was to look at how to alleviate the housing problem in the short term, while the second was to look for long-term solutions for Milwaukee‘s affordable housing shortage. After two years of research, the Commission believed they found their answer in a municipally funded and planned cooperative housing development.


“We’ve seen an 800% increase in the Swanton sector, which is the part of the northern border that I represent, in illegal crossings.”

The northern border has seen increases in illegal crossings of varying amounts, depending upon the time periods that are compared. One comparison, highlighted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, shows that there was an 846% increase when a four-month period was compared, year-over-year. Learn more about PolitiFact's fact-checking process and rating system.


“The racial wealth gap is the smallest it’s been in 20 years.”

Why did the racial wealth gap fall so quickly? One reason is the effect the Civil War and abolition had on white slaveowners. Enslaved people had been a huge form of wealth — about 15% of the total wealth of white America in 1860. Hence, their liberation reduced the average wealth of white America, thereby shrinking the racial wealth gap. [...] As inspiring as the story is of an oppressed people embracing freedom and working hard to build a better life for themselves against all odds, it's also important to note that a large part of the reason for the steep decline in the racial wealth gap in these early years reflects some simple math. When one group starts off with basically zero wealth, even tiny gains in wealth look huge. When the denominator (the bottom part of the fraction) of the white-to-Black ratio goes from nothing to something, wealth inequality falls sharply. [...] Despite all the ostensible progress Black Americans made in politics, business, and culture in the mid-to-late 20th and early 21st centuries, the economists find there's been very little progress in closing the average racial wealth gap since 1950. By 1950, the ratio of white-to-Black wealth fell to 7 to 1. Today, it's 6 to 1. For every dollar the average white American has, the average Black American has only about 17 cents. (For those wondering about the median, it's even worse: for every dollar the median white household has, the median Black household has just 10 cents).


“When a basketball player or football or baseball player from another team plays in Wisconsin, that one game's salary, they pay Wisconsin income tax on it. ... So if for some reason we do not have the Brewers in Wisconsin all of those player salaries that generate dollars for the State of Wisconsin go away."

Withholding from professional athletes total in the millions every year. In 2022, withholding from Major League Baseball teams alone totaled about $12.4 million In 2022, taxes from visiting pro athletes in baseball, basketball and football topped $50 million.


“Prices have increased over 17% in the last two years.”

The actual rate of increase over two years is lower, at 12%, though that’s still substantial. Johnson ignored that wages have also increased, lessening the burden, although not as much as prices have.


“We are No. 1 among all large states in having fully vaccinated teenagers. We are No. 2 in all large states for having fully vaccinated five- to 11- year-olds.”

While uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among 12-17 year-olds has increased over time, parents continue to report a more cautious attitude when it comes to vaccinations for children younger than 12. About a quarter (26%) of parents of children between the ages of 5-11 say they will vaccinate their child "right away" once a vaccine is authorized for their age group, as do one in five parents with children under 5. Four in ten parents in each age group say they will "wait and see" how the vaccine is working before having their younger child vaccinated. One-quarter say they will "definitely not" get their 5-11 year-old vaccinated and three in ten parents say the same about their children under age 5. [...] With some schools around the country already open for the 2021-2022 school year and many others set to open later this month, this Vaccine Monitor report examines parents’ views on vaccines and other protective measures in their children’s schools. We find that while most parents of school-age kids say their children attended school at least partially online during the previous school year, a large majority expect school to happen all or mostly in person during the upcoming school year (87% of parents of 12-17 year-olds and 89% of parents of 5-11 year-olds).


“If you look at the hospitalizations at Ruby Memorial in West Virginia, and around the country, 90% to 95% of those hospitalized are unvaccinated.”

Ruby Memorial Hospital confirmed that at the time of the remark, about 90% to 95% of those hospitalized for COVID-19 were unvaccinated. Nationally, statistics from the CDC published both before and after her comment broadly support those percentages.


“2022 was the biggest tourism year ever in West Virginia”

West Virginia, A Must-See Destination for 2022 Lonely Planet has named West Virginia a Top 10 Travel Region for 2022. The state was awarded alongside top global destinations such as Burgundy, France and Shikoku, Japan. Not only was West Virginia in the Top Ten, but it came in at number two! See the full list below and read on to find out what makes this region so special. [...] Lonely Planet says "2022 is the perfect time to discover West Virginia, a still-uncrowded region with unspoiled mountains and unmistakable heritage where the leisurely tempo of Southern small towns converges with the adrenaline sports that attract adventurers from across the continent."


Milwaukee's Marcus Performing Arts Center – where 'The Daily Show' had been scheduled – “was originally located in the ‘soft perimeter,’ they called it, security-wise” but “was shifted, understandably so, to the ‘hard perimeter.’”

Comedy Central’s hit late-night TV series "The Daily Show" will set up shop at the Marcus Performing Arts Center in downtown Milwaukee during the 2024 Republican National Convention, taking place July 15-18. Jon Stewart will be in Milwaukee to host a live broadcast of the show from the Marcus Center on Thursday, July 18, following the convention’s final night of programming. The show will be recorded at the Marcus Center on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with the Daily Show news team sharing hosting duties those nights, according to a news release. [...] "The Daily Show" is doing a full week of shows in Milwaukee during the RNC and Chicago during the 2024 Democratic National Convention (August 19-22) as part of its legacy on-the-ground election coverage, "Indecision 2024."


Says he has issued more pardons than “any Wisconsin governor in contemporary history.”

Press Release: Gov. Evers Grants More Pardons Than Any Governor in Contemporary History State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 12/28/2021 07:30 AM CST FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 28, 2021 Contact: GovPress@wisconsin.gov Gov. Evers Grants More Pardons Than Any Governor in Contemporary History Governor announces another 30 pardons granted, bringing total to 337 MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers announced today that he has granted another 30 pardons, bringing his total number of pardons granted to 337 during his first three years in office. Gov. Evers has now granted more pardons during his first three years in office than any governor in contemporary history. "I’m proud of our work to give a second chance to folks who’ve made amends and paid their debt to society," said Gov. Evers. "These individuals have recognized and acknowledged their past mistakes, and this sends a powerful message of redemption as each of them work to build a brighter, better future for themselves and their communities." The Governor’s Pardon Advisory Board heard from applicants virtually on Nov. 12, 2021, and applications that were selected for expedited review or recommended by the Board were forwarded to Gov. Evers for final consideration.


Kamala Harris has adopted the Nazi-rooted phrase “Strength Through Joy” as her campaign slogan.

The early front-runner for Harris’s main slogan appears to be "We are not going back," a phrase she uttered in reference to Trump’s proposed policies and the Project 2025 proposal from the conservative Heritage Foundation — which Trump has distanced himself from. [...] Another option for Harris’s campaign slogan is "When we fight, we win," which she has said in speeches but also uttered in her first campaign video as she moves to the top of the Democratic Party’s ticket. [...] Two similar phrases, which have both been floated as a slogan, are featured on Harris’s X account header and her campaign website.


“We passed 27 bills last year, which is the fewest since the Depression.”

Only 34 bills were passed last year, according to data. [...] The 118th Congress is on track to being one of the least functional sessions ever, with only 34 bills passed since January of last year, the lowest number of bills passed in the first year of a congressional session since the Great Depression, according to congressional records. [...] Some of the 34 bills last year were not controversial, like the one that renamed Veterans Affairs clinics and one that minted a coin commemorating the anniversary of the Marine Corps.


“The idea that there’s political violence or violence in America like this is just unheard of.”

This past February, Biden sought to dispel that shadow as he stood before Congress to deliver his State of the Union address. "There’s no place for political violence in America," he said. "And we must give hate and extremism in any form no safe harbor." Biden’s speech was punctuated by jeers and name-calling by Republicans. [...] A generation later, political violence in America unfolds with little organized guidance and is fed by a mishmash of extremist right-wing views. It predates the emergence of Donald Trump, but Trump served as an accelerant. He also made tolerance of political violence a defining trait of his party, whereas in the past, both political parties condemned it. At the height of the Patriot movement, "there was this fire wall" between extremist groups and elected officials that protected democratic norms, according to Gallaher. Today, "the fire wall between these guys and formal politics has melted away." Gallaher does not anticipate an outbreak of civil strife in America in a "classic sense"—with Blue and Red armies or militias fighting for territory. "Our extremist groups are nowhere near as organized as they are in other countries." [...] Three realities mark the current era of political violence in America as different from what has come before, and make dealing with it much harder. The first—obvious—is the universal access to weaponry, including military-grade weapons.


"The Trump administration handed out taxpayer dollars to a foreign company. Hundreds of homes and farms were bulldozed, and over $500 million in taxpayer dollars were wasted preparing for Foxconn."

That illusion has had real costs. State and local governments spent at least $400 million, largely on land and infrastructure Foxconn will likely never need. Residents were pushed from their homes under threat of eminent domain and dozens of houses bulldozed to clear property Foxconn doesn’t know what to do with. And a recurring cycle of new recruits joined the project, eager to help it succeed, only to become trapped in a mirage. [...] Foxconn, according to two employees, turned to one of the few remaining friendly prospects: the Trump administration. Woo flew to DC to meet with Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro, who suggested Foxconn become a vendor to the US General Services Administration (GSA), the agency that procures products for the federal government, according to an employee with knowledge of the visit. Foxconn named the initiative Project Red, White, and Blue.


During his tenure as mayor of New York City, “street homelessness decreased by 28 percent.”

Most New Yorkers I talk to do not know this. They say they thought there were fewer homeless people than before, because they see fewer of them. In fact, during the twelve years of the Bloomberg administration, the number of homeless people has gone through the roof they do not have. There are now two hundred and thirty-six homeless shelters in the city. Imagine Yankee Stadium almost four-fifths full of homeless families; about eighteen thousand adults in families in New York City were homeless as of January, 2013, and more than twenty-one thousand children. The C.F.H. says that during Bloomberg’s twelve years the number of homeless families went up by seventy-three per cent. One child out of every hundred children in the city is homeless.


Chris Larson stated on September 10, 2021 in Twitter: The GOP-controlled Legislature has "refused to act on at least 150" appointees of Gov. Tony Evers. Tim Kaine stated on May 24, 2021 in an op-ed on CNBC: "New Haven, Conn., had to issue bonds for a bridge after using funds for that bridge to pay for a police misconduct settlement." Cory Booker stated on February 9, 2021 in a statement: "There is a direct connection between discriminatory policies within the USDA and the enormous land loss we have seen among Black farmers over the past century." Chris Larson stated on November 9, 2020 in Twitter: "Jurisdictions representing about 80% of WI residents have passed referendums or resolutions in favor of fair maps." Chris Larson stated on August 24, 2020 in Facebook post: Police are "20.8 times more likely to kill than be killed by a criminal." Planned Parenthood stated on March 4, 2020 in news release: "If Roe is overturned, Wisconsin has a law on the books that would immediately make abortion a crime." [...] Chris Larson stated on September 10, 2021 in Twitter: The GOP-controlled Legislature has "refused to act on at least 150" appointees of Gov. Tony Evers.


“We're having the largest classes of correctional officers we've ever had before.”

With staggering staff vacancy rates plaguing American prisons, state departments of correction are having to recruit and hire thousands of individuals to serve as correctional officers each year. Among these new recruits are individuals with varying backgrounds and experiences, with most previously working in the service and manual labor sectors. [1,2] With so few individuals coming from occupations related to corrections work (e.g., police, military), the majority of newly hired correctional officers have virtually no experience working within the walls of a prison. [3] [...] With the majority of newly hired officers never having been exposed to prison-related work, correctional training academies are positioned to leave a significant imprint on those who will soon work in our nation’s prisons. [3] Beyond preparing officers to carry out their correctional officer roles, training academies also can create a positive correctional culture and climate that could result in greater longevity on the job. [4] However, the results of our recent study found that training academies are failing in this aspect, with fewer rather than more officers expressing they intend to remain on the job long-term after undergoing training. Thus, what can state departments of correction do to rectify this issue?


New York is "leading the nation with the lowest imprisonment rate of any large state”

New York City, by far the largest city in the state, has an imprisonment rate of 185 per 100,000. This is undoubtedly high, but it is much lower than many other cities across the state. The city of Rochester — the fourth most populous city in the state — with an incarceration rate of 1,051 per 100,000 city residents, is more than 5 times the rate in New York City. Syracuse — the fifth most populous city — has 864 people in state prison per 100,000 city residents, while the city of Albany has an incarceration rate of 917 per 100,000. Other, even smaller cities like Poughkeepsie and Schenectady experience disproportionate incarceration as well.8 [...] The imprisonment rate in Queens County — 121 per 100,000 residents — is lower than 52 other counties in New York. ↩ These five counties are in the top third highest imprisonment rate counties in New York, with incarceration rates ranging from 312 per 100,000 in Montgomery County to 250 per 100,000 in Franklin County. ↩


“Right now, two-thirds of the U.S. Senate is composed of millionaires.”

Years prior, the court dealt another blow to the law meant to limit the power of wealthy individuals. In 2008's Davis v. FEC, the court struck down the Millionaire's Amendment, which allowed opponents of wealthy self-funding congressional candidates to bypass contribution limits. In recent cycles, self-funding candidates such as Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) have found success. [...] Eight of the top 10 most expensive Senate races ever occurred after Citizens United with inflation factored in. With $213 million spent — including $97 million in outside spending — the hotly contested 2018 Florida Senate race is the most expensive ever. The 2016 Senate battle between Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Democrat Katie McGinty was blanketed by $127 million in outside spending. The candidates spent $53 million. [...] That's in contrast to the record numbers of Americans giving money to political candidates in the most recent presidential and midterm election cycles. High-profile candidates for Congress and the presidency rely on armies of small donors to fund their campaigns. But one check from a wealthy donor, such as 2020 Democratic presidential contender Michael Bloomberg's record $20 million gift to the liberal Senate Majority PAC, could effectively neutralize the efforts of thousands, even millions, of small donors.


List shows settlements Donald Trump made to 10- to 13-year-old victims of child sex crimes.

When I read about E. Jean Carroll’s victory in her civil case against former President Donald J. Trump, I couldn’t help thinking about a 13-year-old girl who was also raped, allegedly, by both Trump, and the late Jeffrey Epstein. [...] People wondering how Jeffrey Epstein acquired his enormous wealth may find a clue on page 5 of the lawsuit, filed — and later withdrawn — by Katie Johnson against Donald Trump and Epstein for allegedly raping her when she was 13 years old.


Kamala Harris "co-sponsored, fully sponsored" the Green New Deal.

Donalds told Bream that Harris had "co-sponsored, fully sponsored this radical Green New Deal, which will cost the American people $100 trillion." [...] However, we confirmed through public documentation that Harris did co-sponsor Senate legislation backing the Green New Deal and, to date, still supports the measure’s principles. [...] Rep. Byron Donalds said Harris "co-sponsored, fully sponsored" the Green New Deal.


Project 2025 mandates women carry “period passports” to “track their menstrual cycles” and “monitor pregnancies.”

In a shocking announcement, Trump’s #Project2025 group proposes the implementation of "period passports" for women to track their menstrual cycles. These passports would be mandatory and women would have to present them to police officers during random ID checks to monitor pregnancies. The proposal has sparked outrage and calls for support of Biden-Harris. Stay informed on this controversial development. #WeSupportBidenHarris. BREAKING: Trump’s #Project2025 group says women should be mandated to carry "period passports" that track their menstrual cycles and must be kept up to date, and women must present these to police officers during random ID checks to monitor pregnancies.#WeSupportBidenHarris — Storm (@StormMage18) July 7, 2024 [...] In a shocking development, Trump’s Project 2025 group has proposed a controversial idea that has sparked outrage across the nation. According to a tweet by Storm (@StormMage18), the group suggests that women should be required to carry "period passports" to track their menstrual cycles. These passports would need to be kept up to date and presented to police officers during random ID checks to monitor pregnancies. This proposal has raised concerns about privacy, autonomy, and gender equality.


The Associated Press reported “prosecutors are reconsidering bringing charges against former President Donald J. Trump on child rape and molestation charges.”

Former President Donald Trump is facing dozens of criminal charges and will go on trial several times in the next 18 months. [...] Mr Trump has appeared in court three times already to face other charges and denied them all. [...] Do you have any questions relating to Donald Trump's legal cases?


C-sections are coded as abortions in hospitals.


Under Joe Biden, there are “record numbers of new Black entrepreneurs”

Truth 1: There are "record numbers of new Black entrepreneurs" under Biden’s leadership [...] "...President Biden’s commitment to Black America. Delivering real results for us. The lowest black unemployment rate in history. Black child poverty cut in half. Record numbers of new Black entrepreneurs," the ad narrator said. [...] The ad also stated that America reached "record numbers of new Black entrepreneurs." This claim is also supported by data from the U.S. Census Bureau.


“Disney and Google bought the rights to the first King James Bible.”


Texas and Florida have a “balanced budget” while California is “in debt $54 billion and New York is “in debt $6.1 billion.”

Your Texas lawmakers are required — per the state’s constitution — to pass a balanced budget. They can spend any amount of the surplus before the 2022-23 biennium ends Aug. 31, or they can add all or part of it into the 2024-25 budget. Or they can do nothing with it at all. Exactly how they decide to use this enormous windfall is now the central conversation before the Texas Legislature. [...] Texas’ $32.7 billion surplus is about the size of the budget of South Carolina. It’s larger than the budgets of 24 states. Texas’ overall budget is the third biggest after California and New York, and followed by Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Florida, according to a 2022 survey conducted by the National Association of State Budget Officers.


Says Joe Biden “has issued more executive fiats than anyone in such a short period of time, ever, more than Obama, more than Trump, more than anyone.”

The total number of presidential directives signed by Biden during his first two days in office is greater than the number signed by Trump and Obama over the same period. The available record before FDR isn’t complete enough to definitively say whether Rubio is also right about all presidents, but experts said it’s likely that his claim still holds. It’s worth noting that Biden issued multiple orders directed at a specific issue that’s actively affecting the entire nation: the coronavirus pandemic.


"For 18 months under President Trump, not a single American was harmed in Afghanistan.”

A July 2 Instagram post by conservative activist Brigitte Gabriel said, "For 18 months under President Trump, not a single American was harmed in Afghanistan." The Instagram post included a video clip from "The Sage Steele Podcast," in which U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, told a story about Trump negotiating with Taliban leaders over a U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Hunt said Trump threatened a Taliban leader, saying that if he harmed any American, he would kill him, then said, "Do you know for 18 months, not a single American was killed in Afghanistan?" [...] So, it’s correct that in an 18-month stretch, no U.S. service members were harmed or died in combat. But Gabriel is incorrect to say Trump was in charge during that period.


“WNBA organizers have officially announced an investigation into the referees in all of Caitlin Clark's games for ignoring all dirty actions by her opponents against her.”

There’s no evidence to support this claim.


“Research illustrates a clear correlation between vitamin D deficiencies and (higher) COVID-19 mortality rates.”

U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman touted a correlation between vitamin D deficiencies and COVID-19 deaths, suggesting the supplement may help combat the virus. Early research verifies that correlation, but more work needs to be done. Grothman emphasized that point and didn’t imply vitamin D is a cure for COVID-19.


"Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 returns after 10-year mystery"

March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared off air traffic control radar. Later evidence signaled it likely crashed into the Indian Ocean. Despite an extensive three-year search, the plane has still not been recovered, but debris confirmed to be part of the plane has been found. The flight has not returned.


Racism? ABC News (June 25, 2020) - Gone with the Wind has returned to HBO unaltered. But viewers will hear about its racist stereotyping before they watch it The Guardian (June 25, 2020) - Food brands are phasing out racist mascots. Will sports teams follow? USA Today (June 25, 2020) - Fact check: Racist carnival game featured in 1942 Milwaukee YMCA brochure Battle Creek Enquirer (June 24, 2020) - 'Aunt Jemima' was given key to Albion in 1964. The character, based on a stereotype, is being retired. TODAY (June 24, 2020) - Here's how American brands are changing after facing racial reckoning New York Post (June 23, 2020) - Restaurant changes name from Savage citing ‘troubled history’ with term Fox News (June 22, 2020) - Restaurant changes name from Savage, cites 'troubled history' with term Politifact (June 22, 2020) - Says a 1942 Milwaukee YMCA brochure shows children playing a violent, racist carnival game [...] Vice News (March 23, 2018) - A Michigan college basement is home to the nation's biggest collection of racist objects Snopes (February 26, 2018) - Was a Violently Racist Carnival Game Once Popular in America? Traverse City Record Eagle (February 26, 2018) - Minstrel shows continued into the 70s, 60s mainstay


“R. Kelly has been released from United States of America Federal Prison, Chicago.”

A July 1 Instagram post declares that singer R. Kelly "is out" despite a 30-year prison sentence handed down in 2022 after he was convicted in New York of federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges. [...] Chicago Tribune, R. Kelly back in Chicago’s federal jail ahead of trial next month, July 13, 2022 [...] ABC News, R. Kelly released from jail after arrest for outstanding child support payments, March 9, 2019


Says Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson “called climate change ‘bull----’ during a record heatwave” and “raked in over $700k in fossil fuel cash.”

A video from a 2021 event showed Johnson calling climate change "bull----" Data shows that Johnson has taken over $750,000 in donations from the oil and gas industry But campaign finance reports show that although the industry has donated a large sum to Johnson, other industries are by far larger donors


"President Zelenskyy’s wife orders 4 million dollar Bugatti” in Paris with U.S. tax money.

A website founded by a former US Marine who now lives in Russia has fuelled a rumour that Volodymyr Zelensky purchased two luxury yachts with American aid money. [...] In October, a widely shared claim on social media stated that President Zelensky's wife spent a fortune on jewellery in New York while the Ukrainian president was in the city speaking to the United Nations. [...] The woman showed a receipt dated 22 September, with Mrs Zelensky's name on it and a bill for $1.1m for a bracelet, earrings and a necklace.


The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.”

This is no coincidence. Permissive state and local policies and attitudes have signaled to thieves that San Francisco is a perfect "shopping" destination: a mecca for organized retail crime. In 2014, a statewide law (Proposition 47) reclassified nonviolent thefts as misdemeanors for stolen goods worth less than $950. California’s property crime immediately spiked from below the national average to above it and has continued to grow. And San Francisco, as of 2019, had twice the property-crime rate per resident — 1 in 18 — as the rest of California; not to mention that San Francisco’s rate of violent crime per resident is 50 percent above California’s. [...] These same patterns are afoot here in New York City, where crooks travel from The Bronx, where Duane Reade stores (a subsidiary of Walgreens) are manned by armed guards, to the easy pickings of less-secured Upper West Side locations. As in Frisco, Gotham’s shoplifters steal whatever they can fence. They include ice-cream nabbers, who clear out shelves of Häagen-Dazs cartons to resell to bodegas and individuals for whatever profit they can turn.


"86% of Americans and 82% of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check."

Gun owners and non-owners are also deeply divided on several gun policy proposals, but there is agreement on some restrictions, such as preventing those with mental illnesses and those on federal watch lists from buying guns. Among gun owners, there is a diversity of views on gun policy, driven in large part by party affiliation. [...] Solid majorities of both gun owners and non-owners favor limiting access to guns for people with mental illnesses and individuals who are on the federal no-fly or watch lists (82% or higher favor among each group). In addition, strong majorities favor background checks for private sales and at gun shows (77% among gun owners and 87% among non-owners). The groups are more divided when it comes to three other policy proposals: creating a federal database to track gun sales; banning assault-style weapons; and banning high-capacity magazines. Even so, significant shares of gun owners are open to these proposals. Roughly half of gun owners (54%) say they would favor creating a federal database, and 48% favor a ban on assault weapons. Some 44% of gun owners favor banning high-capacity magazines. Support for these proposals is much higher among non-gun owners, with about three-quarters or more saying they would support each of these proposals.


“The weapons that Ukraine used in the early days of this war to fend off the Russian invasion are the weapons that Donald Trump sent, that Barack Obama and Joe Biden had refused to send.”

Fact check: Did Trump send Ukraine weapons that Obama and Biden withheld? [...] Cotton said that Trump provided "the weapons that Ukraine used in the early days of this war." Russia’s invasion started in February 2022 when Biden was president. [...] Ultimately, both the Trump and Biden administrations sent Ukraine "weapon systems that helped during the 2022 invasion," Janda said.


“New York is one of only 12 states where the average gallon of gas costs more than $2.00.”

That’s because New York is one of only 12 states where the average gallon of gas costs more than $2.00, according to numbers provided by the AAA of Western and Central New York. [...] In New York State, it's $2.18 per gallon, compared to $2.96 a year ago. [...] That's right: she said higher gas prices are just a reality for motorists living in the Empire State. New Yorkers pay $0.65 in taxes for every gallon of gas they buy, and more than $0.45 are state taxes.


Chiefs' Coach Andy Reid "fires 3 top players for anthem kneeling."

Kansas City Chiefs’ Coach Andy Reid didn’t boot his top three players for anthem kneeling [...] "Chiefs' Coach Andy Reid draws line, fires 3 top players for anthem kneeling," said a June 24 Facebook post. [...] SpaceXMania, "Chiefs’ Coach Andy Reid Draws Line, Fires 3 Top Players For Anthem Kneeling: ‘Stand for the Game, Not Against the Anthem,’" February 10, 2024


“It wasn’t all women that lost jobs (in the December jobs report), it was mostly Black and Latina women. In fact, white women gained employment.”

Black women are more likely than white women to report that their concerns and preferences regarding birth were disregarded; women with Medicaid coverage reported inadequate postpartum care and support. [...] Compared with white women, non-Hispanic Black women were more likely to report: [...] As these findings illustrate, different women have different experiences with maternity care, childbirth, and parenting. For example, both Black women and those with Medicaid coverage were less likely than white women and those with private health coverage to say they had autonomy about childbirth decisions and were treated with respect by their providers.


A jury “ordered Disney and Lucasfilm to pay” actor Gina Carano $115 million.

FACT CHECK: Did Gina Carano Win $115 Million In Court Case Against Disney? A post shared on social media purports that actress Gina Carano was awarded $115 million in a court case against Disney. [...] The caption reads, "A Hollywood jury has ordered Disney and Lucasfilm to pay Gina Carano $115 million over Mandalorian firing."


Florida has “the highest” homeowners insurance in the nation.

The industry-funded Insurance Information Institute found that Floridians pay the highest average home insurance premium at $6,000 a year for 2023. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed many bills that aim to reduce litigation and fraud, a driver of high insurance premiums. Industry experts hope the new laws will lead to lower premiums, but that will take time. Hurricane-prone Florida will continue to face high costs.


CNN's David Chalian referred to Michelle Obama as "Big Mike" on air during presidential debate coverage.

David Chalian did not mention Michelle Obama. CNN told PolitiFact that this video was digitally altered with fake audio. In the original June 27 video clip, Chalian discussed the results of CNN polls conducted prior to the debate.


“Today in America, 1 in 3 women of reproductive age live in a state with an abortion ban.”

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, 1 in 3 women of reproductive age — more than 25 million women — would be living in states without abortion access. Banning abortion care will not stop abortion — it will stop safe, legal abortion care. And the cost will be women’s lives. We are in a state of emergency for women’s health. Barriers to reproductive care will only worsen health outcomes and exacerbate disparities and inequities. Fighting to make sure women have access to reproductive health care is more important than ever. No Abortion Bans: Not Now, Not Ever [...] Banned abortion from the time a woman is "known to be pregnant"; no exceptions for rape and incest state could investigate women for miscarriages most punitive ban signed since Roe was decided, charging doctors with a Class A felony and up to 99 years in prison highest cervical cancer mortality rate in the U.S.


“Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Donald Trump not wearing a face mask in public.”

"Two thirds of Americans disapprove of Donald Trump not wearing a face mask in public, and the vast majority supports elected officials being required to wear masks in government buildings," Jackson tweeted. [...] When we reached out to Jackson, he cited an online survey of 1,012 people by Navigator Research, a pollster that works with Democratic and progressive clients. Their poll question asked, "Do you approve or disapprove of Donald Trump’s decision NOT to wear a face mask while in public?" [...] Jackson said "two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Donald Trump not wearing a face mask in public and the vast majority supports elected officials being required to wear masks in government buildings."


“You’ve raised a lot more money than I have, Bernie.”

Sanders had raised roughly $71 million more than Biden through early March, taking account of both money raised by the candidates’ campaigns and by outside groups supporting the candidate. Combined, Sanders and his allied groups have raised more than $180 million, compared with $109 million for Biden and his allied groups. Sanders does have an edge in "small-dollar" donations — those below $200. About 55% of Sanders’ money was raised that way, compared with 36% for Biden.


"Hospitals murdered patients” with remdesivir, a drug banned from Ebola trials because of “53% kill rate.”

A poison is a substance that can cause death or injury. Remdesivir is a drug that has a documented death rate of 53.1%, among many other adverse effects such as kidney and liver damage. [...] On 22 May 2020 Drugs In Context (DIC) published a report titled"The journey of remdesivir: from Ebola to COVID-19". The report was completed on 14 April 2020. The report outlines results of four drugs trialled to treat ebola. Remdesivir resulted in the highest death rate of the four drugs, with a death rate of 53.1%. [...] NIAID was involved in, and provided funding for, the ebola drug trials, and as such was aware of the 53% dealth rate of remdesivir.


In COVID-19 crisis, “only 20% of African Americans had jobs where they could work from home.”

Black Americans continue to be overrepresented in the lowest-paying service and domestic occupations, including taxi drivers and chauffeurs, food servers, and maids and house cleaners [7]. In such works, face-to-face contact with the public is required and social distancing is difficult to maintain. Nor do these jobs permit working from home, denying disproportionately more African Americans opportunities for the social distancing considered essential to mitigating risk [36]. Those who would voluntarily abandon work to reduce exposure to COVID-19 are sometimes denied the opportunity to do so. African Americans’ occupations render them more likely to be considered "essential workers," including grocery store, food service, health care, and courier workers, and they continue to perform their vocations in an environment of greater risk [37]. A recent study demonstrated that African Americans who were at high risk for severe illness for 1.6 time more likely than whites to live in households containing health-sector workers, and 56.5% of Black adults at high risk live in households were at least one worker is unable to work from home, compared to only 46.6% among whites [38]. If these workers become ill, they are less likely to have paid sick leave [39]. The Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) attempted to redress the problem by bringing paid sick leave to those previously without it, but exemptions greatly restricted the scope of new coverage [40]. Thus, COVID-19 capitalizes on the lack of work flexibility and control over working conditions to illuminate a previously neglected source of health-related risk [36].


The atmospheric residency time of carbon dioxide is five years and it is quickly sequestered into plants, marine life, oceans and sediments.

Misleading: The residence time of a molecule of CO2 is not the same as the length of time that human-caused emissions keep the amount in the atmosphere elevated.


El Niño drove record highs in global temperatures suggesting rise may not be down to man-made emissions.

Warming greater than the global average has already been experienced in many regions and seasons, with higher average warming over land than over the ocean (high confidence). Most land regions are experiencing greater warming than the global average, while most ocean regions are warming at a slower rate. Depending on the temperature dataset considered, 20–40% of the global human population live in regions that, by the decade 2006–2015, had already experienced warming of more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial in at least one season (medium confidence). {1.2.1, 1.2.2} Past emissions alone are unlikely to raise global-mean temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (medium confidence), but past emissions do commit to other changes, such as further sea level rise (high confidence). If all anthropogenic emissions (including aerosol-related) were reduced to zero immediately, any further warming beyond the 1°C already experienced would likely be less than 0.5°C over the next two to three decades (high confidence), and likely less than 0.5°C on a century time scale (medium confidence), due to the opposing effects of different climate processes and drivers. A warming greater than 1.5°C is therefore not geophysically unavoidable: whether it will occur depends on future rates of emission reductions. {1.2.3, 1.2.4}


Harvard study finds that wind turbines create MORE global warming than the fossil fuels they eliminate

The study, which looked at just the United States, said that the turbines would cause more warming in the short term this century than the carbon dioxide America spews into the atmosphere would. [...] Wind advocates emphasized that the Harvard study doesn’t show turbines causing global warming, just local heating. [...] "The climate effect of burning fossil fuels is cumulative," Caldeira said in an email. "The longer you run a coal plant, the worse the climate change gets. In contrast, the climate effect of wind turbines is what it is. You build the wind turbine. Climate is affected. But as long as you run the wind turbine, the climate change doesn’t get any worse. So in the long run, as far as the climate is concerned, wind turbines are obviously better than fossil fuels."


A windmill could spin until it falls apart and never generate as much energy as was invested in building it.

A book co-edited by Thomas Homer-Dixon contained a passage stating that windmills "might never generate as much energy as was invested in building [them]." This passage was written by David Hughes. [...] In August 2015, a meme posted to the Google+ group "The Secret Society of Anti-AGW-ACC Cultism," an organization that claims climate change is a hoax, reproduced the words allegedly written by Thomas Homer-Dixon, the Associate Director of the Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation, on the subject of windmills. As his statements were presented in that meme, Homer-Dixon appeared to have asserted that windmills never produce as much energy as is expended in building them: [...] Hughes did write that some windmills might not recoup their energy-construction costs, but he didn't assert, as the meme implied, that no windmills will ever generate as much energy as was invested in building them. In fact, he allowed that a windmill situated at a good location could pay back the energy costs of creating it in under three years, but that aspect was omitted from the memed version of his quote:


Blood pressure tracking apps can replace a cuff

CES 2019: Scientists have developed a blood pressure monitoring app to replace the 100-year-old cuff [...] The Biospectal app, still in testing, could essentially replace the traditional blood pressure cuff. [...] The Biospectal health app wants to replace the blood pressure cuff by letting users take a scientific measurement by putting their finger on their smartphone camera.


Autism and vaccination decreased over the same time period among high-income white households from California, indicating a possible causal relationship

Incorrect: The claim’s implication that reducing childhood vaccination is causally related to a fall in autism prevalence contradicts the wealth of studies that have shown vaccines don’t cause autism. Inadequate support: The claim didn’t provide data showing a decline in vaccination among high-income white families of California. The scientific study cited as supporting evidence in the claim doesn’t contain data related to vaccine coverage either.


Peanut allergies are caused by the peanut oil in vaccines

Factually inaccurate: Peanut oil isn’t an ingredient in vaccines. Risk factors for peanut allergies are unclear, but are commonly linked to age, genetics, and history of other allergies—not consumption of peanut oil. [...] The reel claimed that people are "having peanut allergies because they’ve been jabbed with peanut oil", drawing an implicit link between the alleged addition of peanut oil to certain vaccines in 1961 and a subsequent rise in peanut allergies since that time. [...] Peanut oil was only briefly tested as an adjuvant ingredient in vaccines in the 1960s. It was never approved as an ingredient for public use in vaccines and isn’t an ingredient in vaccines today. Further, there isn’t evidence to support that peanut oil causes peanut allergies; rather, risk for peanut allergy may instead be linked to factors like age, genetics, and other allergies.


If masks were effective and necessary, non-mask wearers should be dead by now

Flawed reasoning: The claim implies that masks are ineffective or useless against COVID-19, otherwise non-mask wearers should be dead. However, protective equipment can be recommended or necessary even against diseases that are not systematically deadly. The claim also forgets to consider that the use of masks reduces the propagation of the virus among the population and thus indirectly limits the risk of exposure of non-mask wearers. [...] In August 2020, a post circulating on social media, which received millions of views, questioned how people who are not wearing face masks in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic have still remained alive. Using the rhetorical technique of "just asking questions", this claim suggests that masks are ineffective or useless against COVID-19. This reasoning is based on the premise that a protective device is only efficient and necessary if 100% of people not using it dies. Such logic is actually flawed and inconsistent with the available knowledge about the disease. [...] Altogether, this shows that being exposed to SARS-CoV-2 does not give a 100% chance of getting infected, and getting infected does not always result in death. Therefore, it is well within expectations that most people who do not wear masks are still alive, and this cannot be used to make conclusions about the usefulness or efficiency of masks.


“Bill Gates’ shoddily-hastened vaccine has been determined to make all animal test subjects get COVID-19 when exposed to the virus“

Bill Gates owns the patent and vaccine for coronavirus. [...] "Isn’t it Amazing that Bill Gates Owns The Patent For Coronavirus and Owns The Vaccine. He is also A Partner n [sic] the Lab In Wuhan China" [...] There is not yet an effective Covid-19 vaccine, although trials of potential vaccines are ongoing. So neither Bill Gates nor the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation own the patent for a Covid-19 vaccine.


“Vitamin D3 is radiated sheep’s wool mixed with chloroform”, “Vitamin D3 IS RAT POISON !!”, “D levels are low because of lack of light and high vitamin A diets.”

A Facebook reel posted in May 2024 referred to vitamin D3 supplements as "rat poison", calling them "radiated sheep’s wool mixed with chloroform". It also asserted that vitamin D levels are only low due to lack of sunlight and "high vitamin A diets" and that only vitamin D3 from the sun is safe. The reel was viewed more than 403,000 times at the time of writing. [...] Vitamin D3 supplements aren’t "radiated sheep’s wool mixed with chloroform" [...] Torrens’ description of vitamin D3 supplements as "radiated sheep’s wool and chloroform" is inaccurate. The process of artificially synthesizing vitamin D3 parallels the process that occurs in the human body upon exposure to sunlight. Specifically, it involves UV irradiation of 7-dehydrocholesterol derived from lanolin—a waxy substance extracted from sheep wool. Lanolin is also used in creams to treat skin irritation due to breastfeeding. Neither sheep wool nor chloroform are ingredients in artificial vitamin D3.


“There is a huge boom in cancer, especially in female breast cancer in the younger ages of 45 and below.”

Official figures for breast cancer cases in 2022 aren’t yet available. However, there is no reason to believe that they will have almost doubled. This claim came from misinterpreting projections that were not comparable to years before 2022. The COVID-19 vaccines have been extensively studied, and there’s no reliable evidence that they increase cancer risk.


5G at 60 GHz “stops the human body and blood absorbing oxygen”; this is what doctors are describing in COVID-19 cases

Incorrect: 5G doesn’t currently use frequencies at 60 GHz, meaning that it cannot be responsible for any observed changes in human health. The electromagnetic frequencies used in 5G don’t deprive the body of oxygen. On the contrary, it is oxygen that absorbs the energy from electromagnetic waves, causing these waves to progressively lose energy with distance. [...] In March 2022, a Facebook reel originating from TikTok that featured conspiracy theorist and former football player David Icke went viral. In it, Icke wrongly claimed that the 60 GHz frequency of 5G "stops the human body and blood absorbing oxygen", an outcome compatible with COVID-19 symptoms. The video received more than 455,000 views on Facebook and 345,000 on TikTok. Other iterations of the same claim also appeared on TikTok. [...] The specific claim that 5G radiation blocks oxygen uptake by the blood and the lungs has no scientific basis and is incorrect, as this review will explain. In fact, the claim has been debunked before by fact-checking organizations.


the concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere has climbed to a level last seen more than 3 million years ago — before humans even appeared on the rocky ball we call home

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing several parts per million each year, and has already reached levels not seen since much warmer climates in the geologic past.


Raw manuka honey kills every bacteria scientists throw at it, including antibiotic-resistant superbugs

This Type of Raw Honey Kills Every Kind of Bacteria, Even Super-Bugs! [...] Manuka Honey Kills MRSA & Other Superbugs: [...] The most exciting difference with the manuka honey that was tested, is that none of superbugs killed by the honey were able to build up an immunity against the honey, which is a common problem with today’s antibiotics.


“sunscreen and then skin cancer, it's a direct correlation”; wearing sunglasses increases the risk of sunburn; sunscreen reduces vitamin D production

It’s also perfectly fine to wear a hat and sunglasses to protect your face and eyes while exposing other parts of your body. Since the head is a small part of the body, it will only produce a small amount of vitamin D. [...] In fact, some studies estimate that sunscreen of SPF 30 or more reduces vitamin D production in the body by about 95–98% ( [...] SummaryIn theory, wearing sunscreen may reduce the ability to produce vitamin D, but short-term studies have shown it has little or no impact on blood levels. That said, it’s unclear whether frequently wearing sunscreen reduces your vitamin D levels in the long term.


Over time, scientists began to develop a more nuanced view of how gases form and act. Not all gases on Earth are greenhouse gases. The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere depends on sources (natural and man-made processes that produce them) and sinks (reactions that remove the gases from the atmosphere). Carbon dioxide is only part of that equation, and only the second most abundant greenhouse gas on Earth. [...] It’s tempting to think that because CO2 has so many counterparts, it’s not worth worrying about. But just because CO2 isn’t the only greenhouse gas doesn't mean it’s not cause for concern. "A lot of people use [greenhouse gases] to downplay the importance of carbon dioxide," says Davis. "That’s the biggest issue we face." Some gases may be more abundant, but none stand alone—and with CO2 rates rising at unprecedented levels, it’s difficult to estimate just how dire the consequences of unchecked emissions of any kind might be.


“New Study Links Pfizer’s COVID Vaccine to ‘Turbo Cancer’”

On 13 July 2023, the website The Florida Standard published an article carrying the headline "New Study Links Pfizer’s COVID Vaccine to ‘Turbo Cancer’". Screenshots of the article’s headline circulated on social media in July 2023, with some users implying that this showed COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe like in this Instagram post. The claim is based on a study published in the journal Frontiers in Oncology in May 2023. [...] In summary, claims that a mouse study by Eens et al. shows COVID-19 vaccination causes "turbo cancer" misinterpret the study’s findings and fail to understand its limitations. The Florida Standard article distorted the conclusions of the study by claiming it showed a "link to ‘turbo cancer’", incorrectly lending readers the impression that the study was relevant to humans. In fact, the study used a vaccine dose that was several hundreds of times greater than the human dose—in short, a dose that is irrelevant to vaccination. The mouse that died of lymphoma also showed signs of illness even before it received the vaccine dose, therefore it is doubtful that the vaccination played a role in causing the lymphoma. Taken together, the study provides no evidence supporting the alleged "link to ‘turbo cancer’", and by claiming otherwise, the Florida Standard article misrepresented the study.


Best available data show sea-level rise is not accelerating. Local and regional sea levels continue to exhibit typical natural variability—in some places rising and in others falling.

Although sea level is rising globally, in some places it is rising more quickly than others, and in some places, sea level is even falling. This type of local- and regional-scale sea level change is what is most important when talking about the impacts of sea level on people and communities and how to plan for and manage those impacts. [...] Alaska is a perfect demonstration of variation in regional sea level change: in some places, sea level is rising, and in others it is falling. Along the southern coast of Alaska, the land is rising two-to-four-times faster than the sea thanks to the region's geology (featuring a collision of tectonic plates and glacial rebound, both causing the land to rise). But along the Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean, other impacts from climate change are already affecting Alaskan communities in the form of increased storm surges, thawing permafrost, saltwater intrusion and coastal erosion. Furthermore, sea ice is now less protective of the coast because so much of it has melted. The result is that storms are stronger, flooding is more frequent, and coastlines are eroding along parts of Alaska's coast.


COVID-19 is caused by snake venom, not a virus; snake venom is in the COVID-19 vaccines and causes miscarriage

Scientific evidence gathered in different laboratories around the world has established that the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19. Pregnant women are at a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 and getting COVID-19 increases the risk of pregnancy complications, including miscarriage. Studies so far have shown that COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at reducing the risk of severe disease and don’t increase the risk of negative pregnancy outcomes. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that pregnant women get vaccinated against COVID-19.


Human-produced carbon might be one of the factors [of climate change], but there’s simply no evidence that it is a significant one.

Human-induced climate change is something that has been happening for many years and Western countries, like the UK, have played a big role in contributing to carbon emissions over the past 200 years. This means that only looking at who the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases are today is an oversimplification of a very nuanced topic. [...] Let’s be clear, CO2 itself does not cause problems. It's part of the natural global ecosystem. The problem is the quantity of CO2 that’s being produced by us as humans; there hasn’t been this level of CO2 in the atmosphere for thee million years.[2] [...] We’re already seeing the devastating effects of climate change on global food supplies, migration, conflict, disease and global instability, which will only get worse if we don’t act now. Human-made climate change is the biggest crisis of our time. It threatens the future of the planet that we depend on for our survival and we're the last generation that can do something about it.


“The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.”

The Amish are a group of traditional Christian people with Swiss origins. They rarely receive vaccines, and they rarely come down with diseases like cancer, autism or heart disease. Coincidence? Let’s dig deeper and find out. [...] The Amish Opt Out of Vaccines and Rarely Develop Autism [...] The vulnerable central nervous systems of the young Amish are spared the onslaught of this volatile toxin thanks to their parent’s unwillingness to believe unquestioningly what they’re told by authorities. As a result, Amish children rarely experience learning disabilities, as well as common US diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.


Study shows myocarditis from COVID-19 vaccination carries serious risk of death

Claim that myocarditis from COVID-19 vaccines carries serious risk of death is based on flawed study [...] It cited the study’s conclusion stating that "COVID-19 vaccination is strongly associated with a serious adverse safety signal of myocarditis, particularly in children and young adults resulting in hospitalization and death". [...] Multiple published studies have shown that the clinical course of COVID-19 vaccine-induced myocarditis is mild for the majority, and contrary to the claims by Rose et al. and The Blaze, don’t entail serious risks of hospitalization and death. Studies have also shown that it is COVID-19—not COVID-19 vaccines—that is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular diseases and other complications. Reliable scientific studies show that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the risks.


Vaccine killed 3.5X more Americans than COVID virus

To date, there have been more than 1.1 million COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at reducing the risk of severe disease and deathWhile the COVID-19 vaccines have been linked to potentially serious side effects, such as a particular blood clotting disorder and myocarditis, the risk of blood clots and heart inflammation is higher after COVID-19 than after the vaccines. Overall, the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines outweigh their risks.


“Mask study published by NIH suggests N95 Covid masks may expose wearers to dangerous level of toxic compounds linked to seizures and cancer”

Mask study published by NIH suggests N95 Covid masks may expose wearers to dangerous level of toxic compounds linked to seizures and cancer - A study published in April found disposable masks can have toxic chemicals - Experts said this could make newly instated mask mandates ineffective - READ MORE: Mask mania sweeps America...AGAIN [...] But a study quietly re-shared by the National Institutes of Health in spring suggests the tight-fitting mask may expose users to dangerous levels of toxic chemicals. [...] A study published in April found that several disposable masks contain more than eight times the US recommended limit of toxic volatile organic compounds (TVOCs)


Pfizer documents confirm that mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations contain graphene oxide

There is no graphene oxide in any part of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccines do not contain any graphene oxide. The ingredient list for both vaccines have been published and tested by outside parties. They were not found to contain any graphene oxide in their formulas, including their lipid nanoparticles. [...] No WHO authorized vaccines produced by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, CanSino, Sinovac, Sputnik V, or Janssen contain graphene oxide. The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine has not yet published a list of its ingredients in a peer-reviewed or open access publication.


“COVID Vaccines Were Never Safe for Pregnant Women, Pfizer’s own data show”

Covid vaccines safe in pregnancy, data shows - Published The UK's Health Security Agency says its analysis, external of English data shows Covid vaccines are safe in pregnancy, reinforcing international evidence. [...] "Every pregnant woman who has not yet been vaccinated should feel confident to go and get the jab and that this will help to prevent the serious consequences of catching Covid in pregnancy," she said.


Red Bull contain cocaine and buprenorphine

FULL CLAIM: "Red Bull's got a positive on buprenorphine, which is a toxin, and cocaine. So that's what we're putting in our bodies when we drink Red Bull" [...] The video showed two people using a saliva drug test on liquid poured from a can of Red Bull, a popular energy drink. The test showed a positive result for the stimulant cocaine and for buprenorphine, a synthetic opioid used to treat opioid dependency. The voices in the video then claimed, "So that’s what we’re putting in our bodies when we drink Red Bull", implying that the beverage contained these two drugs. In 2019 and 2020, Snopes and USA Today debunked similar videos claiming that Red Bull and another energy drink called Bang tested positive for various drugs, including methamphetamine, oxycodone, buprenorphine, and ecstasy using a drug urine test.


The pandemic was planned; respiratory illness surge in New York and China isn’t airborne but due to chlorine and benzene in food and water

Characterization of respiratory illness surge (April-June 2021) post-COVID-19 lockdown - PMID: 34914208 - DOI: 10.1002/ppul.25792 Characterization of respiratory illness surge (April-June 2021) post-COVID-19 lockdown


New England Journal of Medicine “proves” 80% miscarriage rate among vaccinated women; COVID-19 vaccines harm men’s and women’s fertility

FULL CLAIM: New England Journal of Medicine "proves" 80% miscarriage rate among vaccinated women; Many women "will never be able to get pregnant because they had that shot"; "The sperm of inoculated men does not swim. The eggs of inoculated women do not grow into embryos" [...] Northrup’s speech supposedly provided evidence that COVID-19 vaccines harm fertility, particularly in women. However, the data that Northrup cited doesn’t support her claim, as they don’t come from reliable scientific studies but from partial analyses with many critical flaws, as we will explain below. [...] Claims that COVID-19 vaccines cause fertility and pregnancy problems are unsubstantiated and contradict the available evidence. Published studies so far show that COVID-19 vaccines are safe for pregnant women and not associated with pregnancy complications or infertility in men or women. It is COVID-19 itself that increases the risk of pregnancy complications and poses a risk to both the mother and the baby. Contrary to these claims, COVID-19 vaccination helps reduce the risk of harm to the mother and baby.


Queensland Health Researchers find that long COVID doesn’t exist

The Honourable Yvette D'Ath - New research by Queensland Health suggests vaccination could reduce incidence of long COVID - The study was completed when 90 per cent of the state’s population was vaccinated against COVID-19 - Patients surveyed 12 weeks post Omicron infection, in Queensland's highly vaccinated population, reported similar incidence of persistent symptoms as patients who had been infected with influenza In the highly vaccinated population of Queensland, long-COVID symptoms may be no more severe than those seen in influenza, according to new research by Queensland Health. [...] FURTHER INFORMATION - Compared the symptoms of COVID-positive cases and those who tested positive to influenza - The results show long-COVID symptoms can occur in other viral illnesses at the same level of severity - The study is specific to Queensland’s highly vaccinated population and ran between June and September 2022 with more than 3,100 participants


The CDC found a 236% increased risk of autism in African-American boys associated with the MMR vaccine

On 24 August 2014 a CNN iReport claiming intentional suppression of data relating to 340% increased risk of autism among specific populations of African-American boys following MMR vaccinations went viral. The story seemed to disappear mysteriously, further fueling the notion that an intentional coverup was underway. [...] What got lost in the brouhaha over Dr. Thompson's "confession," allegations about a "cover-up" at the CDC, and threats of whistleblower lawsuits was what should have been the main point: Did collected data actually prove that the MMR vaccine produces a 340% increased risk of autism in African-American boys? The answer is no, it did not. [...] For a thorough analysis of the flaws and misinformation associated with the current CDC autism "cover-up" conspiracy theory, we recommend the posts on the subject at ScienceBlogs, which note of the claim at the heart of this matter (i.e, allegedly suppressed proof of a 340% increased risk of autism in African-American boys after MMR vaccination) that:


“No discernible benefit of covid-19 vaccination in pregnancy”; “higher rate of neonatal and all-cause readmissions among babies born to vaccinated mothers”

Getting COVID-19 while pregnant is associated with a higher risk of developing severe disease and pregnancy complications. Abundant data show that vaccination during pregnancy is safe for the mother and the unborn child and effectively reduces the risks of complications from the disease.


“…a virus is not the cause of an illness. It’s a necessary cause […] but it is not the cause.”

Just like other infectious agents, viruses cause disease by disrupting normal cell function. They do this in a variety of ways. Some viruses make repressor proteins that stop the synthesis of the host cell's proteins, RNA, and DNA. Viral activity may weaken cell membranes and lysosomal membranes, leading to cell autolysis. Some viral proteins are toxic to cells, and the body's immune defenses also may kill virus-infected cells. Viruses are classified using a variety of criteria, including shape, size, and type of genome. Among the DNA viruses are the herpes viruses that cause chicken pox, cold sores, and painful genital lesions, and the poxvirus that causes smallpox. Significant RNA viruses that cause human disease include rhinoviruses that cause most common colds; myxoviruses and paramyxoviruses that cause influenza, measles, and mumps; rotaviruses that cause gastroenteritis; and the retroviruses that cause AIDS and several types of cancer.


Each of these ingredients [thimerosal, ovalbumin, formaldehyde, sodium deoxycholate] is a known neurotoxin

Incorrect: Neither ovalbumin (the main protein in egg white) nor sodium deoxycholate is neurotoxic, as the article claims. Both substances are generally safe. [...] This article published in Health Nut News, shared more than 120,000 times, was originally published on the website Complete Health and Happiness. The article discusses the purported dangers of ingredients in the flu vaccine. It claims that the flu vaccine contains several "contaminants", specifically thimerosal, ovalbumin, formaldehyde and sodium deoxycholate, which it labels as known neurotoxins. [...] The other ingredients mentioned in this article, ovalbumin and sodium deoxycholate, are also not known neurotoxins. Ovalbumin is the main protein found in egg white, which is consumed daily by many people in much greater quantities than is found in the flu vaccine, without any ill effects. It can, in rare cases, trigger an allergic reaction, not unlike other food allergies (e.g. peanuts, shellfish).


FULL CLAIM: Vitamin K shots are dangerous because of toxic levels of aluminum; Hepatitis B vaccines contain toxic ingredients; Tylenol causes autism; hospitals aren’t a safe place to give birth [...] The claim that vitamin K shots are dangerous to neonates because they contain toxic levels of aluminum has appeared before, such as in this post by Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine website that often disseminates vaccine disinformation. Similar claims have been reviewed in the past and found to be inaccurate. [...] The claim that vitamin K shots are dangerous because they contain 20,000 times the recommended amount of aluminum is inaccurate. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that the total allowable exposure to aluminum through the intravenous route not exceed five micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day. One microgram is one thousandth of a milligram, or one millionth of a gram.