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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Answering Questions About #BeagleGate

Answering Questions About #BeagleGate

Q: Did Dr. Anthony Fauci fund experiments on beagles?

A: Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which has provided grants for medical studies using the dogs as test subjects. But the NIAID denied funding one particular project in which sedated beagles had their heads placed in mesh cages so sand flies could bite them.

How Many Died as a Result of Capitol Riot?

How Many Died as a Result of Capitol Riot?

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol resulted in “almost 10 dead.” Four people died that day, and five others — all law enforcement officers — died days, weeks and even months later. Here we lay out what is publicly known about the circumstances surrounding those deaths.

Why It’s Easy to Misinterpret Numbers of Deaths Among the Vaccinated

Why It’s Easy to Misinterpret Numbers of Deaths Among the Vaccinated

Raw numbers of hospitalizations or deaths among those who are vaccinated are not a good indicator of whether vaccines are effective. If the large majority of a population is vaccinated, it’s not surprising if most deaths are among the vaccinated. But social media posts misuse data from the U.K. to suggest the COVID-19 vaccines don’t work.

Biden Spins Facts on Framework

Biden Spins Facts on Framework

In a speech announcing the framework for a pared-down spending plan, President Joe Biden made some questionable claims.

Video Spreads Bogus Claims About Plane Crashes and COVID-19 Vaccines

Video Spreads Bogus Claims About Plane Crashes and COVID-19 Vaccines

The number of U.S. plane accidents has been about the same this year as it was last year. But posts on social media falsely claim that there has been a significant increase due to pilot reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines. The Federal Aviation Administration says it has seen “no evidence of aircraft accidents or pilot incapacitations” associated with COVID-19 vaccines.

Republicans Spin NIH Letter About Coronavirus Gain-of-Function Research

Republicans Spin NIH Letter About Coronavirus Gain-of-Function Research

Republicans say a letter from a National Institutes of Health official is an admission that the agency funded so-called gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses in China, with some falsely linking the work to the pandemic coronavirus. But the research, which the NIH maintains is not gain-of-function, could not have led to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

FEMA Staff and Contracted Medical Workers Are Required to Follow Vaccine Mandate

FEMA Staff and Contracted Medical Workers Are Required to Follow Vaccine Mandate

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is deploying contracted medical workers to understaffed hospitals, where they are required to comply with COVID-19 vaccine mandates. But social media posts falsely claim that “doctors and nurses are being forced to quit over the mandates,” while the workers sent by FEMA are “exempt.”

FactChecking Biden’s Town Hall

FactChecking Biden’s Town Hall

We spotted a few instances in President Joe Biden’s televised town hall when his answers didn’t square with the facts.

Colin Powell’s COVID-19 Death Followed Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment

Colin Powell’s COVID-19 Death Followed Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell died from complications of COVID-19. Although he was fully vaccinated, he was also 84 years old and was a cancer patient who had undergone treatment for multiple myeloma — factors that put him at higher risk of a serious breakthrough illness. His death does not mean the COVID-19 vaccines don’t work, as many social media posts suggest.