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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

ACORN and the Census

Q: Is ACORN providing workers for the 2010 census?
A: No. ACORN employees will not be taking the census. The group is one of more than 30,000 "partners" that will help publicize the event.

500 Percent Ammo Tax?

Q: Is Obama planning to increase the federal tax on gun ammunition by 500 percent?
A: No such proposal has been made by the Obama administration. And nobody in Congress has introduced any bill to increase the 11 percent federal excise tax on ammo.

Al Gore’s Mansion

Q: Is it true that Al Gore’s mansion uses significantly more energy than the typical home?
A: The main claim in a chain e-mail was true when the original message began making the rounds in 2007. Since then, the Gores have made several changes to their home.

Third term for Obama?

Q: Is there a move to make Obama eligible for more than two terms as president?
A: A bill that proposes repealing the 22nd Amendment has been introduced, but so far it has very little support.

Obama’s Auto Team & ‘The Laws of Physics’

Q:Did the Obama auto team tell a Michigan engineer the government should change “the laws of physics”?
A: This is another Internet tall tale. The supposed source of the story says he has not even met with the Obama task force.

Obama & Naval Academy swords

Q: Did Obama order a "swordless graduation" at the U.S. Naval Academy?
A: This Internet scuttlebutt is false. Graduating midshipmen have gone without swords at graduation for decades, even when Bush and Cheney spoke.

New Army Policy Against ‘Faith-Based’ Events?

Q: Did Obama issue a policy that “no U.S. serviceman can speak at any faith-based public event”?
A: This claim in a chain e-mail is false. Army officials say there has been no change in policy regarding “faith-based” events. And the event the e-mail refers to wasn’t a “faith-based” one.

Privately Owned Gun Tax?

Q: Would Senate bill 2099 put a yearly $50 tax on each privately owned firearm?
A: There is no such bill. A chain e-mail containing bogus claims refers to a bill that died more than eight years ago.

Georgia Arms

 Q: Did the Obama administration shut down a Georgia ammunition supplier? Is it trying to create an ammo shortage?
A: Georgia Arms still is doing a booming business in reloaded military cartridges. The Pentagon quickly reversed a move to stop selling spent casings.

Sotomayer First ‘Hispanic?’

Q: Would Sonia Sotomayor really be the first Hispanic on the Supreme Court?
A: Depending on your point of view, the late Benjamin Cardozo might be considered “Hispanic.”