Fact-checking claims about Arizona's election audit, Moderna vaccine and more
In Arizona, state Republicans are pushing back against claims of election fraud from members of their own party.Top election officials in Maricopa County are criticizing the state’s GOP-controlled Senate for its decision to audit votes from November.”We ran a bipartisan, fair election, that’s every piece of evidence that I’ve ever seen put in front of us. We are operating on facts and evidence presented to this board,” Supervisor Clint Hickman said. Supervisor Steve Chucri said, “The reality is there was doubt cast. So I supported an audit, I supported cooperating with the Senate. What I didn’t support is a mockery. And that’s what this has become” “It’s time to be done with this craziness and get on with our county’s critical business,” Chairman Jack Sellers said. The president of Arizona’s state Senate hired an outside firm run by a Trump supporter to audit November’s election in Maricopa County. In a recent letter, she questioned how the county handled its ballots. But county officials say they did nothing wrong and the firm running the recount is incompetent.President Biden won the county and the state. No evidence of widespread voter fraud emerged in the 2020 election.
A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:
Arizona election database is not missing
CLAIM: The election database in Maricopa County in Arizona has been deleted, seals were improperly broken on boxes that hold the votes, and ballots are missing.
THE FACTS: An unprecedented, partisan audit of the 2020 election in Arizona’s largest county is being used to spread false information about the vote.

FILE – In this May 6, 2021 file photo, Maricopa County ballots cast in the 2020 general election are examined and recounted by contractors working for Florida-based company, Cyber Ninjas at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. On Friday, May 21, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming the election database in Maricopa County, in Arizona has been deleted, seals were improperly broken on boxes that hold the votes and ballots are missing.(AP Photo/Matt York, Pool, File)
Though a partial hand recount and two extra audits found no issues in the election that gave Biden a margin of victory of less than 10,500 votes in the battleground state, Republicans in the Arizona state Senate used their subpoena power to take possession of all 2.1 million county ballots, the machines that counted them and hard drives full of data, and hired a Florida-based cybersecurity firm to comb through it. The firm, Cyber Ninjas, is run by a supporter of former President Donald Trump who has promoted election conspiracy theories.
On May 12, Senate President Karen Fann sent a letter to the chairman of the Republican-controlled Maricopa County Board of Supervisors accusing county officials of deleting election databases. The letter also questioned why there were discrepancies between certain batches of ballots and log sheets, and why broken seals were found in ballot boxes. Trump released a statement echoing Fann’s letter, which also spread on social media. It read, in part: “The entire Database of Maricopa County in Arizona has been DELETED! This is illegal and the Arizona State Senate, who is leading the Forensic Audit, is up in arms. Additionally, seals were broken on the boxes that hold the votes, ballots are missing, and worse.”
At a meeting Monday, county officials refuted the allegations and issued a 14-page response to Fann, calling her accusations “false, defamatory, and beneath the dignity of the Senate.” The letter, along with a separate technical memo, detailed the procedures around the vote and explained how they had been misunderstood by those behind the Senate’s audit. In refuting the claim about deleted databases, the county listed a number of technical mistakes that may have been made by the firms running the audit when they configured a copy of the data and searched for the files in question. Furthermore, Megan Gilbertson, communications director for Maricopa County Elections Department, told The Associated Press that “the county backs up and archives all of its election data.”
On Tuesday, Ben Cotton, the founder of a computer forensics firm working on the audit, told key senators the data in question had been deleted from the server he copied but he also acknowledged he had recovered the data and had access to it — thereby undermining the claim that the database had been permanently destroyed. Seals were not improperly broken on ballots, as was alleged. They were opened before the tabulated ballots were put in long-term storage, which is standard procedure, according to county officials.
As for the allegation that ballots were missing: If a ballot cannot be read by the tabulation machine, it must go through a distinct process to be duplicated and is tracked in a separate set of logs. Liz Howard, senior counsel for the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, said those running the audit are “basically looking at the wrong tracking sheets, the wrong documents.” Election integrity experts who reviewed the county’s documents said the evidence indicates the county followed established protocols, but those conducting the audit lacked professional election experience to understand what they were examining. “Experts have raised concerns over how those conducting this review would not know what they were looking at and that they would draw incorrect and malicious conclusions to support their own agendas,” said Tammy Patrick a former Maricopa County official and senior adviser to the elections program at Democracy Fund. Fann did not respond to a request for comment.
— Associated Press writers Jude Joffe-Block in Phoenix and Terrence Fraser in New York contributed this report.
Moderna vaccine ingredient falsely targeted as unsafe
CLAIM: SM-102 is an ingredient in the Moderna vaccine that is not safe for humans or for veterinary use.
THE FACTS: As millions of Americans receive COVID-19 vaccines, posts online are falsely claiming that an ingredient listed in the Moderna vaccine is unsafe for humans and animals.

FILE – In this Dec. 29, 2020, file photo, Pat Moore, with the Chester County, Pa., Health Department, fills a syringe with Moderna COVID-19 vaccine before administering it to emergency medical workers and health care personnel at the Chester County Government Services Center in West Chester, Pa. On Friday, May 21, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming SM-102 is an ingredient in the Moderna vaccine that is not safe for humans or veterinary use. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
One Instagram user posted a video that compares the ingredient list for the Moderna vaccine with the ingredients in a chemical solution made by the Michigan biotech company Cayman Chemical. Both products list SM-102, a lipid, as an ingredient. The Cayman product comes with a warning that it is to be used for research purposes only and contains chloroform. “It’s unbelievable how many people are just following this blindly, and not doing active research to find out what they are putting into their, and now their children’s body,” the caption on the video reads.
In fact, SM-102 — the ingredient both products have in common — is harmless to people and isn’t what makes the Cayman Chemical solution dangerous. Only the Cayman product contains chloroform, a hazardous solvent. The posts ignore information on the Cayman Chemical safety sheet that lists chloroform as a “dangerous component” and lists SM-102 separately under “other ingredients.” In response to the misleading social media posts, Cayman Chemical released a statement reaffirming that the product being mentioned online is made up of 90% chloroform and 10% SM-102. It is intended for research purposes only. The company has a separate division for products for human and veterinary use.
“While it is a common solvent, chloroform has several known serious hazards,” the company said in a news release. “Neither the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances (RTECS), or the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Classification and Labelling Inventory list any hazards associated with SM-102.” The Moderna vaccine uses SM-102 to deliver the genetic code, or mRNA, of the spike protein that coats the coronavirus into our cells. Experts say there is no need to be concerned about SM-102 in the vaccine. The amount of lipid used in the vaccine is very small, said Lisa Morici, an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Tulane University School of Medicine, in an email. “Our own cell membranes are composed of lipids,” she said. Representatives for Moderna could not immediately be reached for comment.
— Associated Press writer Beatrice Dupuy in New York contributed this report.
Video shows child having epileptic seizure, not COVID-19 vaccine reaction
CLAIM: A video shows a child shaking uncontrollably in response to the COVID-19 vaccine.
THE FACTS: A video of a child with epilepsy experiencing a seizure is being shared online to falsely imply the child is reacting to a COVID-19 vaccination.
The video shows a young boy in an orange and blue shirt trembling as an adult woman soothes him, saying, “Come on, baby” and telling him to breathe. Overlaid text on the clip reads, “But they’re safe right?!” and copies language about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines from the World Health Organization. In a version that amassed more than 2 million views on Facebook, a second video alongside the first shows a woman crying and shaking her head in fear. Taken together, the post falsely implies the child’s physical symptoms are somehow related to the COVID-19 vaccine.
But in a May 6 Instagram post, the boy’s father explains that the child has epilepsy and has experienced seizures since 2009. “No, nothing to do with Covid,” the post reads. In the post, the father does claim that his son’s epilepsy is related to vaccines he received as a young child. But that is not supported by scientific evidence, Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told The Associated Press. “Vaccines do not cause epilepsy,” Offit said.
One side effect of many vaccines is a fever, which can cause seizures in a small percentage of young children, Offit explained. But those seizures, known as febrile seizures, are “short-lived and do not cause permanent harm,” he said. Data on the millions of COVID-19 vaccinations administered so far does not show any link between the vaccines and seizure disorders, Offit said.
U.S. health advisers endorsed the use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in kids as young as 12 last week. The two-dose vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech was studied in more than 2,000 kids ages 12 to 15 and was found to be safe and effective. Children who haven’t been vaccinated should still wear masks and keep 6 feet apart, according to the CDC, which recommends masks for children age 2 and older in public settings and when with people outside their household.
— Associated Press writer Ali Swenson in Seattle contributed this report.
Image of pyramids lit with Palestinian flag is manipulated
CLAIM: A photo shows Egypt projected the Palestinian flag on its Giza Pyramids during the latest war between Palestinian militants in Gaza and the Israeli military.
THE FACTS: An internet search reveals this image was fabricated using a 2014 photo of the pyramids that did not feature the flag projection.

Smoke rises after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza in Gaza City, Tuesday, May 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)
Since fighting broke out between Israel and the Hamas militant group in Gaza on May 10, neighboring Egypt has treated wounded Palestinians and sent trucks carrying humanitarian aid and medical supplies to Gaza. However, Egypt has not shown solidarity with the Palestinians in the form of a light show on its three famed pyramids of Giza, despite a fake image suggesting as much on social media.
The image circulated widely on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter on Tuesday, with captions in both Arabic and English. “Egypt showing the flag of Palestine on the pyramids,” wrote a Facebook user. “Thank you Egypt!” In reality, the widely circulating picture is an edit of a 2014 image of the pyramids that can be found on Wikimedia Commons.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced Israel would halt its offensive against Hamas militants.
— Ali Swenson
Biden did not fake driving electric truck
CLAIM: President Joe Biden was caught fake driving a Ford F-150 Lightning truck during a visit to a Ford safety testing center Tuesday. A man in the passenger seat was operating the vehicle using a second steering wheel.
THE FACTS: An article shared thousands of times on Facebook this week falsely claimed that the president faked his Tuesday test drive of an electric Ford truck at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan.

FILE – In this May 18, 2021 file photo, President Joe Biden stops to talk to the media as he drives a Ford F-150 Lightning truck at Ford Dearborn Development Center in Dearborn, Mich. On Friday, May 21, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming Biden was caught fake driving a Ford F-150 Lightning truck during a visit to a Ford safety testing center Tuesday. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
“WOW! Biden Caught Fake Driving — Someone Else Is Steering Vehicle — It Was All a Stunt!” a headline on the conservative website The Gateway Pundit read. The story misrepresented videos and pictures to claim they showed a passenger in the truck was steering instead of the president.
There’s no truth to these claims, according to Melissa Miller, manager of government and public policy communications at Ford. “There was only one steering wheel in the vehicle the president drove yesterday,” Miller said in an email Wednesday. Photos and videos of the event show that the passenger in the vehicle, who was identified to reporters as a member of Biden’s Secret Service detail, was adjusting a camera that was resting on the dashboard, not operating the car.
Associated Press photos of the inside of the vehicle show the right side of the dashboard was obstructed by a black cloth covering, which car experts say is typical in prototype vehicles before they are released. “Cloth coverings are very common on the interior of prototype vehicles because they’re designed to hide the dashboard from prying eyes before the product is officially released to the market,” said Billy Rehbock, social media editor at the automotive website MotorTrend. The Gateway Pundit did not respond to a request for comment.
— Ali Swenson
A more varied crop of electric vehicles will be available in 2020. Here’s a sneak peek

The 2019 Kia Niro EV is an all-electric compact with plenty of interior space and 239 miles of range.
EPA estimated range: 239 miles
Starting price: $39,545
While also available as a hybrid, the Niro EV is Edmunds’ preference for its smoother, quieter and more pleasant driving experience. It comes fully featured with excellent phone integration and safety technology. You can even get upscale features such as ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The Niro EV is also surprisingly sporty. It accelerates quickly and is stable and nimble when driving around turns. You’ll have a lot more fun driving the Niro EV than a traditional fuel-efficient car. On the downside, the Niro doesn’t offer a whole lot of cargo space. Also, although Kia has marketed the Niro as a crossover SUV, all-wheel drive is not available.

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E is a sleekly styled, all-electric SUV whose lineup ranges from a commuter-friendly long-distance configuration to a performance GT model with 459 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds. Rear-wheel or all-wheel drive is available.
Ford’s estimated range: 210-300 miles
Starting price: $44,995
The Mustang Mach-E is likely going to be the most popular new EV to debut in 2020. This sleekly styled SUV’s lineup ranges from a commuter-friendly long-distance configuration to a performance GT model with 459 horsepower and a 0-60-mph time of 3.5 seconds. Rear-wheel or all-wheel drive is available.
Take a seat inside, and you’ll find a large vertical central touchscreen and digital display ahead of the steering wheel. Those screens will debut Ford’s latest iteration of its Sync infotainment system. In terms of size, the Mach-E slots between Ford’s Escape and Edge SUVs, which means there’s plenty of space for people and cargo. This is a proper family SUV. Look for the Mach-E deliveries to start in the fall.

The 2019 Tesla Model 3 is the most affordable and fun-to-drive Tesla that you can buy right now. In many ways the Model 3 also betters established luxury sedans such as the BMW 3 Series.
EPA estimated range: 250-322 miles
Starting price: $41,190
While Tesla says its new Model Y SUV is coming for 2020, you also have to remember that the company has a poor track record for hitting its deadlines. That leaves the Model 3 as the most affordable and fun-to-drive Tesla that you can buy right now. In many ways the Model 3 also betters established luxury sedans such as the BMW 3 Series. Another big advantage to buying the Model 3, at least compared with other EVs, is the greater ease of long-distance driving thanks to Tesla’s extensive network of fast chargers. But owning a Model 3 can be frustrating at times because of its touchscreen control interface and lack of smartphone integration. Also, Tesla’s range figures tend to be optimistic compared with what you’ll get in real-world driving.

The 2019 Audi e-tron is a midsize electric SUV with two rows of seating and an estimated range of about 204 miles.
EPA estimated range: 204 miles
Starting price: $75,795
You might be dismayed that the e-tron’s EPA-estimate range barely crests 200 miles. But this is still enough for most drivers’ needs.
It’s also pretty easy to overlook considering the e-tron’s other attributes.
Driving comfort is superb thanks to the supportive front seats, smooth ride and quiet interior.
The e-tron also provides effortless acceleration when you need it.
Being an Audi, the e-tron is packed with technology and luxury features. The infotainment system can seem overly complex at times, but in return you get crisp-looking screens, a great sound system and plenty of functionality.

The 2020 Taycan is Porsche’s first EV, and it’s a multitalented one. You can use it just like a regular luxury sedan thanks to its four doors and two trunks, or you can drive it like a sports car and enjoy its rapid acceleration and hunkered-down handling.
Range: 201 miles
Starting price: $105,150
The Taycan is Porsche’s first EV, and it’s a multitalented one. You can use it just like a regular luxury sedan thanks to its four doors and two trunks, or you can drive it like a sports car and enjoy its rapid acceleration and hunkered-down handling. It’s so good that Edmunds has come away thinking that it’s a better buy than the brand’s iconic 911.
Porsche is offering a few Taycan trim levels. The most powerful is the 750-horsepower Turbo S. Yet the base 4S trim level is so thoroughly satisfying that we question the need to spend more. All Taycans have a modern yet familiar interior design and offer enough room in back for 6-foot passengers. Other enhancements, such as a charge port on each fender, make the Taycan compelling.
Published at Fri, 21 May 2021 23:30:00 +0000