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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Biden’s Misleading Claims About the Economic Recovery and Unemployment

Biden’s Misleading Claims About the Economic Recovery and Unemployment

When President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law in March 2021, U.S. gross domestic product had increased for three quarters straight, and the unemployment rate had decreased nearly nine percentage points from its pandemic peak. But Biden wrongly credited the Democratic COVID-19 relief bill with rescuing a U.S. economy “in decline.”

Viral Posts Spin Falsehood Out of Denmark’s COVID-19 Booster Drive

Viral Posts Spin Falsehood Out of Denmark’s COVID-19 Booster Drive

Denmark announced a plan for its fall COVID-19 vaccination drive, saying it will offer omicron-specific booster shots to high-risk individuals, including everyone 50 and over. But U.S.-based misinformation peddlers misleadingly suggest that means the shots are unsafe for those under 50. The Danish Health Authority said that is a misinterpretation.

Florida GOP Attacks Crist with Misleading Claims About the IRS and Police

Florida GOP Attacks Crist with Misleading Claims About the IRS and Police

President Biden and Democrat Charlie Crist have said that they don’t support calls to defund the police. And a law that both men supported provides funding for the IRS to potentially hire tens of thousands of new employees — mostly in customer service, not tax auditing, bureau officials have said. But a Florida GOP ad makes distorted claims about both issues.

Commentator Ben Shapiro Didn’t Receive $20K in Federal Loan Forgiveness

Commentator Ben Shapiro Didn’t Receive $20K in Federal Loan Forgiveness

Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro criticized the Biden administration’s decision to forgive some student loan debt. Liberal social media accounts then falsely claimed Shapiro had received a loan of about $20,000 that had been forgiven as part of the federal Paycheck Protection Program. Two other people with the same name had received PPP loans.

Q&A on Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness

Q&A on Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness

The White House announced on Aug. 24 that President Joe Biden will take action this year to cancel thousands of dollars in federal student loan debt for millions of Americans, fulfilling a campaign promise he made during the 2020 election cycle. We answer some of the questions readers may have about the debt relief plan, and address political claims about the impact of the plan.

Widespread Claims Misrepresent Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines

Widespread Claims Misrepresent Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines

As the virus that causes COVID-19 has evolved, the vaccines have become less effective in preventing symptomatic infection while remaining highly effective in preventing severe disease and death. This shift has been misrepresented by anti-vaccine influencers who falsely claim that it means the vaccines don’t work and have been ineffective all along.

Correcting Misinformation About Dr. Fauci

Correcting Misinformation About Dr. Fauci

Dr. Anthony Fauci has announced that in December he will step down from his positions as chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden and as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and its laboratory of immunoregulation. Here are some of the false and misleading claims about Fauci, his work and his public health guidance that we have written about since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020.