Plus Poynter's latest on Nikole Hannah-Jones

This week:  The ABCs on the alpha, beta and delta variants ... Fact-checking inflation and the national debt ... Trump attacks supporters in Wisconsin ... The vaccine microchip video? It was a joke that went viral A weekly note from the editor-in-chief of    (AP) The coronavirus variants: What you need to know You've probably heard public health officials say they're pleased about the dropping rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths due to vaccination in the United States — but that they're also worried about the spread of the delta variant. What is a variant? A variant of a virus is one that has mutated in a way that bolsters its spread or severity compared with the original strain that emerged in Wuhan, China.  The different variants generally produce the same range of symptoms as the original strain of the coronavirus. But the mutations may help the virus spread more effectively from person to person, or have an advantage in sneaking past either natural or vaccine immunity. What variants are circulating in the U.S.? Public health officials have noted four "variants of concern," plus seven other "variants of interest" that are not yet considered as worrisome. There's also the most worrisome of the three official categories — "variants of high consequence" — but no variants of this type have yet emerged.  All four of the "variants of concern" are circulating in the United States, although the reach of some variants is waning while others are gaining ground.  The World Health Organization decided earlier this year to to name the variants after Greek letters both to simplify discussion and to limit the stigma from having a variant named for a country. The alpha variant was first discovered in the United Kingdom. This variant is believed to be about 50% more transmissible from person to person than the original strain.  Other variants are the beta variant, first discovered in South Africa, and the gamma variant, which emerged most aggressively in Brazil. Neither secured a significant foothold in the United States. Finally, the delta variant was identified in India and was the driving force behind India's soaring case rates in the spring of 2021. The delta variant is believed to be more transmissible than the other three variants on this list: After the alpha variant became dominant in the U.K. in March 2021, it took only a few months for the delta variant to knock it from that perch. The delta variant is highly transmissible, but what's less clear is whether the illness caused by any of the variants is more severe. Scientists say more data is needed.  Why is the delta variant so worrisome? The delta variant will soon become the dominant variant in the U.S. within weeks, if it's not there already, due to its unusually high rate of transmission, experts said. That high rate of transmission means COVID-19 is still spreading among the unvaccinated. Tara Smith, a Kent State University epidemiologist, said that already "in places like California, the delta variant appears to make up about 40% of new cases, and it seems to be fueling the outbreaks in Missouri and Oklahoma." The good news: Research suggests that Americans who have received a full course of any of the three vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration — Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson — should feel confident about their degree of protection against all four variants, including delta. The protection is especially strong at preventing hospitalization and death. The bad news:  Vaccination might not prevent mild or asymptomatic infections from the highly infectious variant. That means delta will continue to circulate even among vaccinated individuals and can still cause severe disease in unvaccinated individuals. — Louis Jacobson Share Tweet Forward The Latest from PolitiFact Trump wrong on Wisconsin corruption. Donald Trump claimed that Wisconsin Republican leaders "are working hard to cover up election corruption in Wisconsin." That's wrong. It rates Pants on Fire! If anything, Republican leaders have taken great criticism for the continued efforts to dig into the results of an election that has already seen a recount and numerous legal challenges. Republicans have gone so far as to say they will use taxpayer money to pay a former state Supreme Court justice to oversee an effort led by retired police officers, also to be paid by taxpayers. Critics may say that effort is a ridiculous exercise. But Trump's characterization is entirely wrong. Inflation? It's complicated. U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, said, "We're not even remotely close to a point to say that we're at rising inflation." We rated that Half True. The numbers show short-term inflation, and plenty of economists are weighing in on what that means. But, that doesn't mean that there will be long-term inflation. In fact, economists say, they expect the May number to be a blip in a year when inflation will get back to the near normal or slightly elevated 3% range The national debt? Also complicated. South Carolina Republican Nikki Haley said, "The national debt is now bigger than our economy. That hasn't happened since World War Two — and we're in peacetime." We rated this Half True. In 2020, at the end of the Trump administration, the publicly held debt did exceed 100% of GDP for the first time since World War II. It's down since then. A broader measure, the gross federal debt, which includes funds lent from one part of the government to another, has been above 100% of GDP since 2012, well before Biden became president. Also important to note: Changes in federal debt levels are largely driven by mandatory spending beyond the direct control of any president, and much of the rest has been initiated by lawmakers and presidents from both parties.  Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help   Yes, I support PolitiFact! Make a tax-deductible donation to make this message go away. News from Poynter: Why Nikole Hannah-Jones is going to Howard instead of UNC Award-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones will join Howard University's faculty after controversy about tenure at her alma mater, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Hannah-Jones covered racial injustice for The New York Times Magazine and created its landmark 1619 Project. The dispute over whether UNC would grant Hannah-Jones tenure — something automatically granted to previous holders of the endowed Knight chair Hannah-Jones was offered — sparked weeks of protest both on campus and off. It ended this week with UNC capitulating, but Hannah-Jones ultimately turning down UNC for a new endowed chair at Howard.  Howard said that Hannah-Jones will be a tenured member of the faculty of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications, filling the newly created Knight Chair in Race and Journalism. She will also direct a new Center for Journalism and Democracy.  The news that Hannah-Jones was going to Howard was first reported online by Joe Killian of NC Policy Watch, around the same time Hannah-Jones appeared live with Gayle King on "CBS This Morning." Here are links to Poynter.org's coverage UNC campus expresses regret and sadness — plus defiance toward leadership — over Hannah-Jones' decision to teach at Howard The local reporter who broke the Hannah-Jones/UNC story also got her latest exclusive UNC donor says he has no regrets about his role in the journalism school losing Hannah-Jones UNC granting Hannah-Jones tenure didn't have to be this hard ICYMI: PolitiFact's Jan. 6 investigation Last week, we published a special report about the events of Jan. 6 and the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. PolitiFact journalists have been spending months combing through court filings, news stories, social media posts and other public records. We are in the process of compiling a database of our findings in hopes that it gives us greater insight into the events of this historic day. The story covers our initial findings. Written by reporter Bill McCarthy and researched by the PolitiFact team, it starts with the story of Jeffrey Sabol, a geophysicist from Colorado who had joined hundreds of others attempting to force their way into the U.S. Capitol. If you missed it last week, it's really worth a read.  Quick links to more fact-checks & reports  GOP governors answer Texas' call to send forces to the border. But what is their role   No, players on the US women's soccer team didn't disrespect flag, veteran during national anthem   Chicago mayor is wrong that Cook County criminal courts have been 'shut down' for 15 months   New research finds J&J vaccine has muscle against COVID's delta variant   Federal judge dismisses lawsuit involving PolitiFact Do you smell smoke?  Here's your Pants on Fire fact-check of the week:  Video of a microchip reader finding a chip in a vaccinated woman's arm was first posted as a joke See what else we've rated Pants on Fire this week.  Have questions or ideas for our coverage? Send me an email at holan@politifact.com. Put "Fact-checking" in the subject line. Thanks for reading! Angie Drobnic Holan  PolitiFact Editor-in-Chief  Send this link to your friends so they can sign up for this email! Copyright © 2021 PolitiFact, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website, attended one of our events, or communicated with us. 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