TV Ads Inflate Biden's Role in Inflation

There are several reasons for high inflation in the U.S., starting with the unprecedented circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic. That's what economists told Managing Editor Lori Robertson. 

But Republican TV ads in midterm races across the country blame one culprit: stimulus spending by President Joe Biden’s administration.

It is true that Biden's American Rescue Plan — a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief measure that included $1,400 checks to most Americans; expanded unemployment benefits; money for schools, small businesses and states — has contributed to high inflation, though economists' estimates vary on how much.

Most of the economists Lori spoke with said the American Rescue Plan should have been smaller or the money spent more slowly. But they also said some level of stimulus was needed, and they noted there were positive economic effects to the measure, too, helping insure a robust recovery.

Read about the causes of inflation and what role the American Rescue Plan has played in Lori's article, "Stimulus Spending a Factor, But Far From Whole Story on Inflation."

Reader: This just showed up in my e-mail. Is there actually a "Life Conception Act" brewing in Congress? if so, can you identify the HB and SB numbers and the 181 sponsors mentioned? 

FactCheck.org: You can find information about the Life at Conception Act of 2021 (S. 99) here. This bill has 18 cosponsors in the Senate. 

You can find information about the Life at Conception Act (H.R. 1011) here. This bill has 163 cosponsors in the House. 

Both bills would ban all abortions after "the moment of fertilization" under Article I, section 8 of the Constitution and section 5 of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. Neither bill makes an explicit exception for rape or incest. 

The Senate bill says that "nothing in this Act shall be construed to require the prosecution of any woman for the death of her unborn child" Similarly, the House bill says that "nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize the prosecution of any woman for the death of her unborn child." (Emphasis is ours).

Additionally, S. 99 states that it shall not prohibit the "use of birth control or another means of preventing fertilization." H.R. 1011 does not address contraception. 

Wrapping Up

Here's what else we've got for you this week:

• "Website Peddles Old, Debunked Falsehood About COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines": An executive at the German pharmaceutical company Bayer referred to mRNA vaccines used against COVID-19 as an example of innovation in biotech at the World Health Summit 2021. But a website post takes the executive’s words out of context to falsely claim he said the vaccines are gene therapy.
• "Biden Claims Too Much Credit for Decline in COVID-19 Deaths": With the U.S. experiencing a major dip in the number of daily deaths as the omicron variant wave runs its course, President Joe Biden has repeatedly boasted that his “approach has brought down COVID deaths by 90%.” That figure is accurate, but experts say the dip is largely attributable to a number of factors outside the president’s control.
• "Post Misleadingly Equates 2016 Democratic Effort to Trump’s 2020 ‘Alternate Electors’": After the 2016 presidential election, some progressive Democrats tried to convince electors for Donald Trump to switch their Electoral College votes to Hillary Clinton. But a conservative commentator misleadingly claimed in a social media post that the Democrats were “calling for alternate electors” — as Trump did after losing the 2020 election.
• "Stacey Abrams on Violent Crime, Defunding the Police": Stacey Abrams, who faces Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in a rematch this fall, correctly accused Kemp’s TV ad makers of “conveniently” editing her comments about defunding the police, but she falsely claimed that the state’s violent crimes went up 55% in 2020. The actual increase was about 5%. 
• "Satirical Amendment Cited in False Claims About Kentucky Abortion Law": The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, allowing laws banning abortion in several states, including Kentucky, to take effect. But social media posts falsely claim Kentucky is considering a law requiring all women of childbearing age to undergo monthly pregnancy testing. The claim stemmed from a lawmaker’s satirical amendment.

• "Afirmaciones infundadas sobre la causa de las afecciones de Justin y Hailey Bieber inundan las redes sociales": La estrella del pop Justin Bieber anunció que padece el síndrome de Ramsay Hunt, una forma de parálisis facial causada por una reactivación del virus que causa la varicela. En las redes sociales se ha afirmado que su dolencia fue causada por la vacuna contra el COVID-19, pero no hay un vínculo establecido entre la vacunación y el síndrome. Algunas publicaciones también han afirmado sin fundamento que la vacunación fue la causa de un accidente cerebrovascular que sufrió la esposa de Bieber, Hailey. 
• "Preguntas y respuestas sobre la viruela del mono": Explicamos qué es la viruela del mono, por qué este brote es inusual, y por qué es importante tomarlo en serio a pesar de que probablemente no evolucione como el coronavirus.