There were some factual missteps in several nominating speeches by lawmakers as Rep. Kevin McCarthy repeatedly fell short of the votes needed to become speaker of the House.
FactChecking the House Speaker Election
NFL Player Damar Hamlin’s Cardiac Arrest Triggers Unfounded Social Media Claims
Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field and suffered a cardiac arrest moments after taking a hit to his chest during a tackle. While it’s not yet known why his heart stopped, some experts say his condition is most likely due to a heart rhythm problem as a result of that impact. Still, people on social media have baselessly speculated that it was caused by a COVID-19 vaccine.
Our Most Popular Articles in 2022
Before we ring in 2023, we look back at the most popular articles that we posted to our website in 2022.
No Evidence Flu Vaccine Increases Strep A Infections, Contrary to Online Claims
Several European countries have reported an early spike of group A strep infections, mostly among children, including cases of rare but deadly bacterial infections. There is no evidence the increase is being caused by nasal spray flu vaccines, as social media posts baselessly suggest. Flu vaccination may even indirectly prevent strep A.
Social Media Posts Misrepresent FDA’s COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Research
A vaccine safety surveillance study from the Food and Drug Administration has been misrepresented online. The paper did not establish a link between the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and blood clots, as some have claimed — and to date, other, more robust research has not identified such associations.
DeSantis’ Dubious COVID-19 Vaccine Claims
While announcing a request for a grand jury probe into “crimes and wrongdoing” related to the COVID-19 vaccines, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his panel of contrarian experts repeatedly suggested the shots were too risky. But such claims are unsupported and based on flawed analyses.
Autopsy Study Doesn’t Show COVID-19 Vaccines Are Unsafe
To date, the benefits of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination outweigh the risks, which include a rare but increased risk of myocarditis, or heart inflammation. Social media posts, however, are citing a German autopsy study to misleadingly suggest otherwise.
The Facts Underpinning Jan. 6 Committee Criminal Referrals
The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol released a 154-page summary of its final report on Dec. 19 that concludes former President Donald Trump was responsible for a “multi-part plan to overturn the 2020 Presidential election.” Here we will outline the four criminal referrals brought by the committee.
Biden’s Story About Uncle Frank Doesn’t Add Up
President Joe Biden told a detailed story about how as vice president he presented one of his uncles, Frank Biden, with a Purple Heart, which his uncle refused to accept. But the facts of Biden’s story don’t add up.
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