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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Letter by a Florida Teacher

Q: Is a letter from an anonymous teacher about illegal immigrants getting school grants true?
A: No. It cobbles together misleading statements to give the impression that illegal immigrants are receiving perks from taxpayers, when, in fact, they are not.

Clinton and the Popular Vote

Q: Did Clinton win the popular vote?
A: Obama won more votes unless you count Michigan, where he wasn’t on the ballot.

Obama’s ‘Dreams of My Father’

Q: Did Obama write that he would "stand with the Muslims" and that he nurses a "pervasive sense of grievance and animosity" toward whites?
A: No. A widely circulated e-mail fabricates some quotes from Obama’s books and twists others.

Robocall Rules

Q: What are the rules on robo-calls?
A: Federal law requires that groups making automated calls identify themselves at the beginning of the call and provide a call-back number. The FEC says that a disclaimer must accompany public communication made by political committees or individuals. However, specific regulations for political robo-calls vary from state to state.

Diesel Fuel and Gasoline Costs

Q: Why does diesel fuel cost more than gasoline?
A: The main reason is rising global demand, but new environmental restrictions and higher federal taxes also are factors.

Farm Bill Funds Distribution

Q: In the farm bill, how much money goes to direct subsidies for farmers, what percentage goes to higher income farmers and how much is allotted for feeding the poor?
A: About $26 billion will be spent on direct payments to farmers over the next five years. We can't give a figure for exactly how much will go to "upper income" farmers, but the income limits are set quite high.

Seating Florida’s and Michigan’s Delegates

Q: What’s going on with Florida’s and Michigan’s delegates to the Democratic convention?
A: The DNC rules committee will meet May 31 to come up with a solution to seating the delegates.

Presidential Eligibility and the Line of Succession

Q: Can a person who is not constitutionally eligible for the office of president be in the line of succession?
A: Such a person can serve in an office that is in the line of succession, but he or she can't become president and would get skipped over if the presidency was vacated.