Relief Benefit

Can hydroxychloroquine be made at home by boiling grapefruit and lemon peels in water? No, that's not true: This claim is "totally false," Dr. Joseph Fortunak, professor of chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences at Howard University, told Lead Stories. "Absolutely hydroxychloroquine CANNOT be made by boiling grapefruit and/or lemon peels in water." The claim appeared as a video (archived here) where…

Did U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, who has made disparaging remarks about government assistance, receive a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for her restaurant Shooters Grill? No, that's not true: a restaurant with a similar name as the Colorado representative's establishment received a PPP loan. The assistance has no connection to her business. The claim appeared in a Facebook post (archived…

Is 92% of the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill going to "foreign entities"? No, that's not true: The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 consists almost entirely of domestic spending, a fact that's confirmed by experts and the legislation itself. The claim is made without sources or evidence. The claim appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) published on March 8,…

Does the recent legislation that funds aid to Americans economically hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic also provide tax dollars for "gender studies" in Pakistan? No, that's not true: Though they were voted on as one package, the COVID relief measures were part of a separate bill that was then bundled together with others to streamline end-of-the-year votes in Congress. The…

Did President Trump invoke the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 as he signed the Covid-19 Relief Bill, forcing Congress to rescind section 230, cut wasteful spending, and to add $2,000 stimulus checks for all Americans? No, that's not true: The Impoundment Control Act does not force Congress to do anything. It was passed in 1974 as a way to limit…

Is this Joel Osteen's house? No, that's not true: The sprawling mansion, shown in a Facebook post, is not Joel and Victoria Osteen's River Oaks, Texas, home. It is the Hidden Hills, California, home of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, according to published reports. The related claims about Osteen's taxes and federal aid are made vaguely and without evidence and…

Do all Canadians get $900 a week and all small businesses in Canada get a $40,000 loan, of which they only have to pay back $10,000 over five years? And did all Canadians previously receive $2,000 a month? Those claims are partially true, but they're missing context: They appear to refer to the country's response to COVID-19, but the funding…

Did President Donald Trump signal that he will "take away your Social Security" with his remarks that he may make a payroll tax deferment permanent? No, that's not true: President Trump signed an order for the deferral of some payroll taxes, which fund Social Security, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he has thrown around the idea of removing the tax…

Can incarcerated people receive the $1,200 economic stimulus check behind bars? Yes, that's true. Prison inmates were previously banned by the IRS from receiving a check from the federal government because they were in jail or prison. A September 24, 2020 ruling by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California ordered the IRS and the U.S.…

Did House Democrats sneak into their $3 trillion stimulus bill tied to coronavirus relief a recess that would keep them out of having to work -- but with fully pay -- until July 21? No, that is not true. HR 6800, which passed the House on May 15, 2020, does not contain the word "recess." Speaker Nancy Pelosi would not…