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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Images Show IRS Educational Program, Not Training of Agents

Images Show IRS Educational Program, Not Training of Agents

The IRS Criminal Investigation division’s “Adrian Project” educates the public about the IRS through community outreach sessions with high school and college students. Posts on social media are sharing a video from one of the sessions to falsely claim it shows agents in training. The images were posted by a New Jersey university in 2017 and earlier this year.

Crude Oil Prices Down Due to Recession Fears, Contributing to Lower Gasoline Prices

Crude Oil Prices Down Due to Recession Fears, Contributing to Lower Gasoline Prices

President Joe Biden and members of his administration have touted the falling gasoline prices, suggesting that the decrease was because of the president’s policies. But U.S. presidents have little control over the price that consumers pay for gasoline. We look at the reasons for the decline in gasoline prices.

Kathy Griffin Shares Satirical Trump Tweet, But Not Everyone Is in on the Joke

Kathy Griffin Shares Satirical Trump Tweet, But Not Everyone Is in on the Joke

Dozens of former President Donald Trump’s supporters gathered outside his Florida home to protest a recent FBI search of the building. The activity triggered a satirical tweet falsely attributed to Trump’s eldest son, purportedly telling supporters to disperse, and saying, “We have many important people coming through the club and need to keep it clean.”

Social Media, Politicians Make Unfounded Claims of Politicized Mar-a-Lago Search

Social Media, Politicians Make Unfounded Claims of Politicized Mar-a-Lago Search

FBI agents searched the home of former President Donald Trump in Florida on Aug. 8 looking for presidential records and classified materials that were improperly removed from the White House. Social media posts claiming the FBI search was politically motivated have been swirling online, despite there being no evidence that President Joe Biden “had his department of justice’s FBI raid” Trump’s home, as one viral post claimed.

Scott Overstates Tax Increases in Inflation Reduction Act

Scott Overstates Tax Increases in Inflation Reduction Act

The Inflation Reduction Act proposes to raise over $700 billion in new revenues over 10 years to be spent on energy, climate change initiatives, health care and deficit reduction. But not all of those revenues come via higher taxes. More than half comes from health care savings and from beefed up IRS tax enforcement.

Four False Claims About Monkeypox

Four False Claims About Monkeypox

Monkeypox is a viral disease that spreads through close physical contact with an infected person and large respiratory droplets that don’t travel more than a few feet. A recent meme on social media gets the facts wrong about how the virus spreads, its severity and symptoms.

Online ‘Stimulus Loan’ Offers Are Not Related to Government Programs

Online ‘Stimulus Loan’ Offers Are Not Related to Government Programs

Three stimulus payments have been sent to Americans to ease the economic impact of the pandemic. Social media posts are now sharing a false claim about a new, $40,000 federal stimulus loan. But it’s a marketing ploy. The bottom of the web page says, “This is not a government program nor is it government aid, this is an advertorial for a loan service.” 

How Does the Inflation Reduction Act Address Climate Change?

How Does the Inflation Reduction Act Address Climate Change?

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Senate plans to hold its first vote Aug. 6 on the Inflation Reduction Act. An estimated $369 billion over the next 10 years would go toward combating climate change and investing in “energy security.” Here we review some of the climate-focused provisions in the bill.