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** FactCheck.org's Weekly Update
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February 22, 2020
** SciCheck
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No Link Between Harvard Scientist Charles Lieber and Coronavirus ([link removed]) Posted on Friday, February 21st, 2020
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Q. Is it true that federal agents arrested Harvard professor Charles Lieber for creating the coronavirus?
A: No. Lieber, a nanoscientist, was charged for lying about his participation in a Chinese recruitment program and his affiliation with a Chinese university. He is not accused of being a spy and has no connection to the new coronavirus.
** FactCheck Posts
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Survey Says: Trump Misleads on Debate Performances ([link removed]) Posted on Friday, February 21st, 2020
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Railing against a Fox News guest who said Donald Trump won the presidency despite poor debate performances, Trump held up a series of opt-in online surveys to misleadingly claim that “polls” showed he “won every single debate.” Scientific polls showed otherwise.
Family Separation Spin in Nevada ([link removed]) Posted on Friday, February 21st, 2020
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A misleading Spanish-language TV ad from a group backing President Trump claims that then-President Barack Obama and then-Vice President Joe Biden “separated families and put children in cages” while it shows images of minors who were temporarily detained after crossing the southern border on their own — without a parent or guardian.
Video: The Ninth Democratic Debate ([link removed]) Posted on Thursday, February 20th, 2020
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We examine four claims from the Feb. 19 Democratic debate in this video.
Bloomberg’s 2016 Remarks on Farmers, in Context ([link removed]) Posted on Tuesday, February 18th, 2020
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The supporters of President Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders claim Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg insulted farmers in a 2016 video. The Bloomberg campaign says the video has been “taken completely out of context.” There is definitely more to Bloomberg’s remarks than the 58-second viral video shows.
Competing Claims on Trump’s Budget and Seniors ([link removed]) Posted on Tuesday, February 18th, 2020
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In what has become an annual Washington exercise, Democrats and Republicans are waging a war of words over the president’s proposed budget and how it would affect programs for seniors. President Donald Trump tweeted that he “will not be touching your Social Security or Medicare” in the budget, while Democrats have charged it does exactly that.
State of the Union Anecdotes Debunked ([link removed]) Posted on Tuesday, February 18th, 2020
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It is customary for presidents to invite guests to the State of the Union address to provide anecdotal evidence that supports the president’s policies. But it turns out President Donald Trump’s speech included misleading descriptions of two such guests.
** Debunking False Stories
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Sanders Didn’t Call for 52% Tax on $29,000 Incomes ([link removed]) Posted on Friday, February 21st, 2020
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A viral post claims, falsely, that Sen. Bernie Sanders at a recent debate called for a tax rate of 52% on incomes of $29,000 or more to pay for his Medicare for All plan. He didn’t. That figure was floated as a potential marginal tax rate for income above $10 million.
Misinformation Outlasts Virginia Gun Bill ([link removed]) Posted on Friday, February 21st, 2020
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A Virginia bill that would have banned the sale of “assault firearms” has been tabled for a year, but misinformation about it continues to circulate online — including a false claim that the state will confiscate guns.
Story Misrepresents Abrams’ Remarks on Electoral College ([link removed]) Posted on Friday, February 21st, 2020
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A story circulating online misleadingly claims Stacey Abrams “boasted that Democrats can ‘jerry-rig the system and go around the Constitution’ to win the 2020 election.” Her comments about moving to a national popular vote system were not about the 2020 election or securing a Democratic victory.
Posts Misidentify Site of Used Needle Pile in Homeless Camp ([link removed]) Posted on Tuesday, February 18th, 2020
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Posts circulating on social media show a pile of hypodermic needles and falsely identify the site as a homeless encampment in Nancy Pelosi’s district in San Francisco. The photo was actually taken at a homeless camp cleanup in Washington state in 2017.
Fictitious Story on Malia Obama’s White House ‘Trinkets’ ([link removed]) Posted on Tuesday, February 18th, 2020
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A story shared on social media falsely claims that Malia Obama was “busted” for selling “trinkets” she stole from the White House. That story originated on a self-described satirical website.
** Ask SciCheck
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No Link Between Harvard Scientist Charles Lieber and Coronavirus ([link removed]) Posted on Friday, February 21st, 2020
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Q. Is it true that federal agents arrested Harvard professor Charles Lieber for creating the coronavirus?
A: No. Lieber, a nanoscientist, was charged for lying about his participation in a Chinese recruitment program and his affiliation with a Chinese university. He is not accused of being a spy and has no connection to the new coronavirus.
** Articles
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FactChecking the Las Vegas Democratic Debate ([link removed]) Posted on Thursday, February 20th, 2020
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Six candidates — including debate newcomer Mike Bloomberg — squared off three days before the Nevada caucuses.
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