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An update from FactCheck.org
Biden addresses IBEW convention in Chicago


** Joe Biden Hones Campaign Message
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President Joe Biden is clearly in campaign mode.

The Democratic president this week ([link removed]) went to fundraisers for the Democratic National Committee on Monday in Potomac, Maryland, and on Wednesday in Chicago. While in Illinois, Biden also visited a farm in Kankakee to discuss food supply and prices, and he spoke in Chicago at the annual convention of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers -- areliable Democratic Party ally ([link removed]) .

On Tuesday, Biden delivered remarks ([link removed]) at the White House on the economy and inflation, contrasting his economic agenda with the "Republican plan." He's talking about Sen. Rick Scott's plan, and some of the more controversial elements of his plan don't appear to have widespread support in the party.

A team of four FactCheck.org reporters and editors vetted the president's remarks on the economy.

Biden, for example, went on the offensive about inflation -- a key issue for the Republicans in 2022.

The president blamed the pandemic and Russian President Vladimir Putin. When asked about whether he bore any responsibility for inflation, Biden said, “I think our policies help, not hurt,” adding that “it’s not because of spending.”

But that’s a matter of debate. Some economists have said that the American Rescue Plan’s federal stimulus money, which, in turn, boosted consumer spending, has contributed to higher inflation. The White House cites other economists who have said the ARP had a small and temporary effect.

Read the full story, "Biden's Economic Spin ([link removed]) ."
HOW WE KNOW
When we need an analysis of the budgetary effects of legislation, we generally turn to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and the bipartisan Joint Committee on Taxation. That's what we did when the president said “not a penny” of the Republican tax cuts in 2017 “was paid for.” A JCT analysis detailed how the tax law raised taxes in order to offset some costs. For example, the JCT estimated that eliminating the deduction for personal and dependent exemptions would raise $1.2 trillion over 10 years. Still, in 2018, CBO estimated that the law would cost $1.9 trillion over 10 years.
FEATURED FACT
On May 2, the Treasury Department announced that it will pay down $26 billion of the public debt in the April-June quarter. That’s the first time since the April-June 2016 quarter that the U.S. has repaid its public debt. But the national debt will continue to climb. In the May 2 announcement, Treasury also said that it expects to borrow $182 billion next quarter (July-September) and that it borrowed $668 billion in the previous quarter (January-March). That means, for the first three quarters of this year, Treasury expects net borrowing to be $824 billion.
WORTHY OF NOTE
Congratulations to our co-founder, Annenberg Public Policy Center Director Kathleen Hall Jamieson, who has been named the recipient of the 2022 Warren J. Mitofsky Award for Excellence in Public Opinion Research.

The award -- named for the late pollster who was dubbed the "father of exit polling ([link removed]) " -- "recognizes Jamieson’s scholarly contributions to our understanding of public opinion, in particular its interrelation with media, in a range of contexts from electoral choice to public health and, presciently, the public’s understanding of science and its importance," the Roper Center said in its announcement ([link removed]) .

In addition to starting FactCheck.org in 2003, Jamieson has authored or co-authored 17 books, including "Creating Conspiracy Beliefs: How Our Thoughts Are Shaped" (2022) and "Cyberwar: How Russian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a President" (2019).

For more, read the APPC press release ([link removed]) .
REPLY ALL

Reader: What is the difference between the Covid-19 vaccine in the bottle with the Purple Cap -vs- the Gray Cap bottle vaccine?

I am elderly, and my (1 thru 3) vaccinations came from the bottle with the Purple Cap. However, I recently changed my primary care physician, and I was given my (4th) vaccination (booster) from a Gray Cap bottle.

FactCheck.org Science Editor Jessica McDonald: Thanks for the question. The two different cap colors refer to different formulations of the same vaccine, the adult version of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

As this New York City Health Department document ([link removed]) explains, the older version came in a vial with a purple cap. This was then replaced with a newer and more stable formulation that comes in a vial with a gray cap.

The more stable formulation uses a different buffer known as Tris, which allows the vaccine to be stored at higher temperatures. Tris buffer was first used in the pediatric version ([link removed]) of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which the Food and Drug Administration authorized in November 2021. We wrote about that in "Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 Vaccine Formulation Tweaked to Improve Stability ([link removed]) ." The buffer change was then also made to the adult version.

The more stable, gray-capped version of the vaccine does not need to be diluted, unlike the purple one, which is why the company changed the cap colors. Cap colors are used to help differentiate products and avoid administration errors (for example, another color, orange, is used for the pediatric vaccine).

In any case, from your description it sounds like you received the right vaccines, so there's nothing to be worried about! Both versions of the vaccine are essentially the same. The buffer change is a minor one that just makes it easier for pharmacies and other providers to store and administer the shots.


** Wrapping Up
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Here's what else we've got for you this week:
* "What Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett Said About Roe at Confirmation Hearings ([link removed]) ": In the wake of the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that indicates the court could overturn Roe v. Wade, some lawmakers have charged that conservative Supreme Court justices led them astray during Senate confirmation hearings. We’ll look at what the three most recent conservative justices had said about Roe.
* "Biden Hasn’t ‘Stopped Abortion,’ Contrary to Social Media Claim ([link removed]) ": A leaked draft opinion suggests that the Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade. Shortly after the document was published, a meme began circulating that falsely claims President Joe Biden has “[s]topped abortion.”
* "Posts Misattribute Phrase ‘Domestic Supply of Infants’ in Draft Opinion on Abortion ([link removed]) ": In a footnote of a draft opinion on abortion access, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito quoted from a 2008 government report on the demand for adoption in the U.S., which used the phrase, “domestic supply of infants.” Posts on social media critical of the opinion have misleadingly suggested that Alito himself came up with the phrase.
* "Post Misrepresents Democrats’ History of Opposing Platform Monopolies ([link removed]) ": Elon Musk’s $44 billion offer to buy Twitter was criticized by several prominent Democrats. But a social media post misleadingly claims Democrats didn’t speak out against companies buying out competitors and creating monopolies until Musk bought Twitter. Democrats have opposed monopoly power and encouraged competition for years.

Y lo que publicamos en español ([link removed]) (English versions are accessible in each story):
* "Casos de hepatitis pediátrica podrían estar relacionados con un adenovirus, no con la vacuna contra el COVID-19 ([link removed]) ": Una serie de casos inexplicados de hepatitis infantil han sido detectados en Estados Unidos y otros países. Todavía no se conoce la causa, pero la principal hipótesis es que están relacionados con una cepa de adenovirus. Al contrario de lo que se ha publicado en las redes sociales, no hay pruebas de que las vacunas contra el COVID-19 estén implicadas. La mayoría de los niños son demasiado jóvenes para incluso poder recibir la vacuna.

Have a question about COVID-19 and the vaccines? Visit our SciCheck page ([link removed]) for answers. It's available in Spanish ([link removed]) , too.
Donate to Support Our Work ([link removed])

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