FactCheck.org's Weekly Update

Q: When is the human heart fully developed, and when are heartbeats audible during pregnancy?

A: A developing heart has all of its primary structures after about nine weeks of pregnancy. Some forms of ultrasound can detect cardiac activity in an embryo in the sixth week, but a heartbeat wouldn’t be audible until about 10 weeks on a Doppler fetal monitor.

Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler selectively cited former special counsel Robert S. Mueller’s testimony to misleadingly claim that Mueller said he didn’t indict President Donald Trump only because he couldn’t indict a sitting president. Mueller clarified in his July 24 testimony that “we did not make any determination with regard to culpability.”

While former special counsel Robert S. Mueller reiterated in congressional testimony what he said in his voluminous report on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, politicians reiterated some claims about the inquiry and its findings.

President Donald Trump and his top immigration adviser continue to criticize four progressive Democratic congresswomen known as “the squad,” but some of their claims twist the women’s words.

One reader sent us a comment about what should be included when calculating the cost of generating electricity.

A social media image makes the misleading claim that former special counsel Robert S. Mueller “can’t provide evidence that his probe reached a conclusion.” Mueller reached several conclusions, including that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to damage Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump.

President Donald Trump was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1986, but it wasn’t given for his “work within the black community,” as a popular meme circulating on social media claims.

Fox News is airing the congressional testimony of former special counsel Robert S. Mueller, contrary to social media posts claiming otherwise.

A publication known for spreading “satire” content that confuses social media users attributed a bogus quote about soldiers’ pay to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

A misleading meme states that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez received “about 16,000 votes” while running for office in 2018. She won her seat with 110,318 votes in the general election. She received 16,898 votes in the district’s Democratic primary.

Q: When is the human heart fully developed, and when are heartbeats audible during pregnancy?

A: A developing heart has all of its primary structures after about nine weeks of pregnancy. Some forms of ultrasound can detect cardiac activity in an embryo in the sixth week, but a heartbeat wouldn’t be audible until about 10 weeks on a Doppler fetal monitor.