It’s an ad airing frequently on Houston airwaves this election season, targeting Harris County’s Democratic judges and one that caught Houston mayor Sylvester Turner’s attention, as well.

We’ve all heard dos and don’ts when it comes to saving money at the pump. Now, more than ever before, those tips could be important, but are they true?

A hashtag trend on social media has sent our KPRC Trust Index team scrambling to find the truth.

In the wake of Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s controversial statements on Fox, KPRC 2 is digging further into the claim about Black people and vaccination in the U.S.

After circulating on social media, KPRC 2 Investigates took a closer look at one section of a recently passed resolution by Harris County Commissioners. On Tuesday, Commissioners passed a resolution regarding what’s behind rising crime rates.

One month ago, Gov. Greg Abbott announced plans to build a border wall that would be funded, at least partially, through donations.

But, KPRC 2 has discovered other immigrants crossing the border are not always screened for COVID-19 before they’re released. Earlier this week, our partners at Telemundo discovered immigrants released from federal custody, arriving at the Brownsville Bus Station, where the city of Brownsville set up COVID-19 testing. The city told Telemundo, since Jan. 25, 108 migrants tested positive for COVID-19, or about 6% who took the test. The city can’t stop someone from getting on a bus and some COVID-19 positive migrants who spoke to Telemundo said they were headed for destinations across the country. So, the governor’s claim that COVID-19 positive undocumented immigrants are entering the country through the Texas-Mexico border is accurate.

Just a week before, state energy leaders assured the public Texas’ power grid was ready and able to handle the coming storm. ERCOT does not generate power, Texas is supplied with energy by a variety of private companies. In the run-up to this storm, Woodfin said that 94 plants were spot-checked virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions. “Far too many Texans are without power and heat for their homes as our state faces freezing temperatures and severe winter weather. This includes the natural gas & coal generators.”The Texas power grid has not been compromised.

Several Anti-Vaccine groups have released videos claiming some people got Bell’s Palsy after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. We are putting the biggest COVID-19 myths and fears through the KPRC 2 Trust Index with the help of two infectious disease experts. Typically, the life of messenger RNA like this is a few hours.”The Trust Index also considers this to be not true. It’s an MRA vaccine, so it’s impossible to get COVID from this vaccine.”Once again, the Trust Index labels this fear not true. Do you have a question or concern for our Trust Index team to look into?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking reports of reactions to the vaccine through a smartphone app called V-Safe. Let’s take a look at the results and how they stack up when put to KPRC 2′s Trust Index. Voluntary systemThe first thing to remember is that the V-Safe app is a voluntary system. The numbersThe CDC report was first published Dec. 19, five days into the vaccine distribution. Given these limitations of the report, the KPRC 2 Trust Index is rating the results of this CDC report as “be careful.”After reviewing this topic, we've found some issues - Be Careful.

HOUSTON – Pregnant women are slated to be part of the next wave of people eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Studies show that pregnant women are far more at risk of getting far sicker than the average person if they become infected. The KPRC 2 Trust Index asked the question: Is it safe for pregnant women to take the vaccine? But the fact is, that pregnant women were not involved in any of the clinical trials of these vaccines, so the Trust Index says be careful. But it’s considered reasonably safe from the CDC for pregnant women,” Kulkarni said.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Several anti-vaccine social media posts are circulating around the internet claiming the new COVID-19 vaccine made a Tennessee critical care nurse faint shortly after getting the shot. She was surrounded by CHI Memorial medical personnel who assisted in administering the shot. A press conference from WRCB showed Dover receiving the vaccine when she suddenly dropped down to the floor. Some of the posts also claimed that the vaccine is unsafe for humans after the video began circulating of Dover fainting began circulating on Facebook. While the nurse did pass out after receiving the vaccine, she said fainting wasn’t because of the shot.

Reports from Britain and South Africa of new coronavirus strains that seem to spread more easily are causing alarm, but virus experts say it’s unclear if that’s the case or whether they pose any concern for vaccines or cause more severe disease. New variants, or strains, of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been seen almost since it was first detected in China nearly a year ago. Several European Union countries and Canada were banning or limiting some flights from the U.K. to try to limit any spread. The one in the U.K. has the two changes and more, including eight to the spike protein, Gupta said. But vaccines may need fine-tuned over time as changes accumulate, and changes should be more closely monitored, he wrote.

Daily COVID-19 deaths in December are listed on a trending social media graphic showing the 10 deadliest days in U.S. history. RELATED: The chilling story behind the ‘Deadliest Days in American history’ meme (CNET)RELATED: Did 4 of the deadliest days in U.S. history occur in December 2020? (Snopes)Recent daily COVID-19 death totals are among the worst in U.S. history, but the graphic leaves out other terrible days, including the entire Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918. 1, though we couldn’t find daily death totals. The meme shows daily COVID-19 fatalities for several days in early December rival these historic tragedies.

According to the health experts, that means getting the first vaccine available to you. One viewer asked KPRC 2 to confirm whether the government is using the vaccine as a form of control, specifically for female sterilization. “This vaccine has undergone very rigorous testing, it has been tested on a minimum of 35,000 people so we know a great deal about its side effects,” Dr. Philip said. KPRC 2 Health Reporter Haley Hernandez will be tracking some key dates concerning the vaccine over the next few days and weeks. On Dec. 17th, the FDA meets to decide on an “emergency use authorization” for the Moderna vaccine.

Using the KPRC 2 Trust Index, we will review questionable claims being made on social media. Trewinnard, a member of the international team that helped set up our Trust Index System, has monitored elections from all over the world. “It doesn’t really change the minds of the people who’ve already believed it. Our Trust Index team flagged what’s been called the “Sharpiegate” claim as false. What is the Trust Index?

Here are five tips for navigating what could be a deeply confusing and anxious period:Even after states declare, keep in mind that the race isn’t over. You can share any election-related posts you’re seeing with the Trust Index fact-checking team and we’ll get to work on it. Use the Trust Index form to send it to trained fact-checkers for review and possible debunking on a newscast or online. They also helped created Trust Index, our fact-checking team. The Trust Index team fact checks questionable information circulating on social media and in our communities.

A lot of this election has been focused on the pandemic but the virus itself doesn’t identify with a political party. In fact, the virus can cause severe complications in any age group, although the most harm is often to the elderly and chronically ill.KPRC 2 wanted to debunk one myth that’s been thrown around: Masks will go away after the election. So, in any county with 20 or more positive COVID-19 cases, people must wear masks with few exceptions. Although many elements of the pandemic have been politicized, of all the doctors and hospital CEOs interviewed by KPRC 2 Health Reporter Haley Hernandez, none of them anticipate mask orders going away after the election. “It’s not going to go away and God willing we’ll get a vaccine soon.

As Election Day finally arrives it is going to be easy to feel overwhelmed by the volume of information being aimed at every single voter in the country. As polls open here are five things to watch for on Election Day 2020:Many, many reports, photos, and videos of long lines. You can also share what you are seeing with the Trust Index team and we’ll get to work on it. Use the Trust Index form to send it to trained fact-checkers for review and possible debunking on a newscast or online. The Trust Index team fact checks questionable information circulating on social media and in our communities.

You’ve seen the Trust Index fact check dubious claims before, but on Election Day, the team will be monitoring for misinformation in real-time. Fergus Bell and Tom Trewinnard, the founders of Fathm, helped KPRC 2 establish the Trust Index earlier this year. The two will be on hand throughout the election to monitor the misinformation surrounding the 2020 election. So far, the bulk of misinformation in this presidential election has come from claims over mail-in voting. Viewers who are unsure about a claim can flag the Trust Index team to check it out.

Please reach out to us with any questions you have about misinformation this election season:Share: Help fight misinformation. Share questionable claims with Trust IndexMore: How to spot fake news this political season

You’ve seen the campaign ads, mudslinging and muckraking on both sides in the District 22 congressional race. Ad against NehlsKPRC 2 Investigates examined two key sections in each campaign ad -- both produced by outside groups, not the campaigns themselves. We spoke with Adams and political strategist Keir Murray about the campaign ads circulating in the District 22 congressional race. Interactive mapLearn more about the makeup of Congressional District 22 with this information from the U.S. Census Bureau. A look at the primary season in District 22 leading up to the November 2020 election.

HOUSTON – Many of you are leery of letters sent to thousands of homes offering you gas line coverage in case your gas line should need repairs. You’ve asked KPRC 2 to put this program through our Trust Index to find out what it’s all about. Ad“We’ve seen, on average, gas line repairs average around $1500 a repair, which is significant,” said Centerpoint’s Director of Home Services Rick Plummer. If you don’t have at least $1500 saved for emergency repairs, it wouldn’t hurt to sign up for the gas line protection offered by HomeServe and endorsed by Centerpoint. The older your home is, the more likely you might be to have issues with your water or gas lines.

But, a new debate this week surrounds numbers released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about COVID-19 deaths. We put the social media claim to our Trust Index. What CDC COVID-19 data was released? Trust Index ResultsWe put these claims to the Trust Index. Are they listed as COVID-19 deaths?

“Is that accurate?” It’s a question we’re all asking about social media posts and online reports a lot these days. The Trust Index team is here to help.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump claimed accomplishments he didn’t earn on the pandemic, energy and veterans at a Republican convention finale that also heard Black Lives Matter baselessly accused of coordinating violent protests across the country. His shutdown would inflict unthinkable and lasting harm on our nation’s children, families, and citizens of all backgrounds.”THE FACTS: That’s false. You haven’t seen that in a long time.”THE FACTS: Trump seems to be taking credit for lower prices that were the byproduct of a pandemic that has killed more than 180,000 Americans. There’s no evidence that Black Lives Matter or antifa, or any political group for that matter, is infiltrating racial injustice protests with violence. Cotton also played into the convention’s pattern of attributing every questionable action of President Barack Obama’s administration to Biden personally.

CHICAGO (AP) — False claims that Kamala Harris is not legally eligible to serve as U.S. vice president or president have been circulating in social media posts since 2019, when she first launched her Democratic primary campaign. ... It’s not something that we will be pursuing.” Asked point blank if Harris is eligible, Trump replied: “I just told you. I have not got into it in great detail.”A look at the claim:THE CLAIM: Harris is ineligible to serve as vice president or president because her mother is from India and her father is from Jamaica. Trump said Thursday that he “heard” the California senator doesn’t meet the requirements, adding, “I have no if idea that’s right.”THE FACTS: That’s false. Harris was born on Oct. 20, 1964, in Oakland, California, according to a copy of her birth certificate, obtained by The Associated Press.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans tuned into the Democratic National Convention were told Thursday that the higher minimum wage favored by presidential candidate Joe Biden would lift all full-time workers out of poverty. SEN. CORY BOOKER: “Together, with Joe and Kamala in the White House, we’ll raise the minimum wage so no one who works a full-time job lives in poverty.”THE FACTS: That’s an improbable outcome for the $15 minimum wage supported by Biden. Moreover, the report estimated a $15 minimum wage would cost 1.3 million people their jobs because they would be priced out of the market. That finding suggests that a $15 federal minimum would not take all full-time workers out of poverty. Trust IndexThe Trust Index team fact checks questionable information circulating on social media and in our communities.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is muddying the facts about mail-in voting and vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Mail-in ballots are cast in the same way as absentee mail ballots, with the same level of scrutiny such as signature verification in many states. That means they can use mail-in ballots for any reason, regardless of whether a person is out of town or working. Five of those states relied on mail-in ballots even before the coronavirus pandemic raised concerns about voting in person. THE FACTS: Harris, a senator from California, is without question eligible.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Michelle Obama assailed President Donald Trump on Monday for ripping migrant children from their parents and throwing them into cages, picking up on a frequent and distorted point made widely by Democrats. She’s right that Trump’s now-suspended policy at the U.S.-Mexico border separated thousands of children from their families in ways that had not been done before. At the height of the controversy over Trump’s zero-tolerance policy at the border, photos that circulated online of children in the enclosures generated great anger. But prominent Democrats have continued to cite cages for children as a distinctive cruelty of Trump. The Obama administration separated migrant children from families under certain limited circumstances, like when the child’s safety appeared at risk or when the parent had a serious criminal history.

Online outlets masquerading as credible local news websites are increasing across the U.S. ahead of the 2020 election, including in Texas. A report published by the Columbia Journalism Review finds an explosion of “pink slime” news sites, especially in battleground states ahead of the November election. The sites often feature fake authors, who are listed for countless other sites in the network. The network of “pink slime” sites has increased from 450 sites in December 2019, to more than 1,200 in 2020, according to the Tow Center. But to claim to be a source for local news with no local employees or local presence, with automatically generated content and writers that don’t really exist?

HOUSTON – Thousands of people received emails this week about a settlement from Google. This is what we’ve learned:Google has agreed to pay $7.5 million after its social media service Google Plus exposed users’ personal information-- including names, email addresses, occupations, and ages. If you had a Google Plus account between Jan. 1, 2015 and April 2, 2019, you could get up to $12. But the claim form asks for my bank account informationThis request raised a red flag for some people. If you decide not to give up your bank information, Google will use what is left of that $7.5 million to give to a non-profit charitable organization that benefits the public’s interest.

COVID-19 againWe introduced you to Adam Stadler and his wife Audrey in May while discussing the lingering effects of COVID-19. Adam first contracted COVID-19 at the end of March and was eventually treated at United Memorial Medical Center. “The fact that you have corona does not preclude you from getting in trouble again.”Can you get COVID-19 twice? We put Sen. Paul’s claim to the KPRC 2 Trust Index. Since there are still no scientific conclusions regarding a person’s immunity to COVID-19 once recovered, KPRC 2 is marking his statements yellow — be careful with this one.

Is Medicare paying hospitals more for COVID-19 patients? When patients are discharged, hospitals assign them a code on their diagnosis and treatment, and Medicare pays hospitals a set amount based on that code. But when Congress drew up the CARES Act, it created a 20% “add on” for treatment of COVID-19 patients. We rate the claim that hospitals make more money from COVID-19 patients as true. We rate the claim that hospitals are falsely tagging patients with COVID-19 to make money as false.

Your personal Face Mask Exempt Card! Really Posted by Erwin Jackson on Wednesday, June 24, 2020The phony card entitled “FACE MASK EXEMPT CARD” in this post reads, “I AM EXEMPT FROM ANY ORDINANCE REQUIRING FACE MASK USAGE IN PUBLIC. Wearing a face mask poses a mental and/or physical risk to me. FTBAgency.com, the website referenced on the fake mask exemption card. If you have questions, call ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (voice) and 800-514-0383 (TTY).

HOUSTON At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, older people accounted for most of the positive cases. Channel 2 Investigates wanted to know if younger people really are driving the current climb in coronavirus cases. There also have been positive cases for the Houston Texans, the Houston Astros and the Dallas Cowboys. Our average age last week of people that were positive was age 30, the average age of people getting tested was 47, he said. Hays County home of Texas State University reported 875 of 1448 cases are people under 30 this week.

We used our Trust Index to look into this debate and help clear up some confusion about a potential vaccine. In the race to find a COVID-19 vaccine, there is a new spin to an old debate. COVID-19 vaccine won’t be ready soonAs the debate heats up, it could be a while before we even see a COVID-19 vaccine on the market. Also, they are short term antibodies that last for a couple of weeks.”What is the Trust Index? Trust Index is Graham Media Group’s initiative to combat misinformation and provide viewers and readers fact-checked information to share with others.

Trust Index is Graham Media Group’s initiative to combat misinformation and provide viewers and readers fact-checked information to share with others. All sources are disclosed in a Trust Index story on our website. Each Trust Index story receives one of three labels:Trust Index badges include: "It's True," "Be Careful," and "Not True." The designated label is assigned after a claim of information is reviewed through the Trust Index process established in our newsrooms. You can email the Trust Index team at: trustindex@grahammedia.com.

HOUSTON – George Floyd’s death and in the protests and marches that followed, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo has been making the rounds on national media. “Yeah, we looked into it,” said Houston Police Officers Union President Joe Gamaldi. “What our officers were telling us is that it was people of all races that were throwing water bottles, throwing rocks or throwing bricks,” Gamaldi says. “Frankly we don’t care who the race is of the person throwing a rock at our officers,” Gamaldi said. So without further clarification and no evidence to support his claim, we rate this red on the Channel 2 Trust Index.

While Houston’s spread-out geography has helped, it’s not the only reason Houston has fared better than New York City, so far. “The citizens were really accountable and tried to make other people accountable for social distancing and flattening the curve,” she said. “It was scary.”Different factors at playNew York has seen nearly 200,000 COVID-19 cases. But could the city have lowered that number with better social distancing? The higher density, nearly 27,000 people per square mile, makes social distancing a challenge.

Now, the messaging from Harris County Public Health is “keep the distance, stop the spread”. That seems like a reasonable answer since the goal is to stop the pandemic, even if the virus is unstoppable. “I like the message because you know ‘flatten the curve’ is a little abstract for people,” he said. What is the Trust Index? We rate this a yellow on our Trust Index for “be careful.” Keeping the distance slows the spread and may eventually stop the pandemic, but that’s not as catchy.

The drug Hydroxychloroquine has not been proven to help with coronavirus. I'm not going to get hurt by it.”We put claims about Hydroxychloroquine through the Trust Index and found it’s not a proven treatment for the coronavirus. “I have declined to prescribe it for COVID19,” said Dr. Septimus. Not enough evidence to prove it helpsWhen it comes to this drug helping fight COVID-19, we rate it "red" on our Trust Index. Dr. Septimus said the only way he thinks it is safe to take this drug to treat coronavirus is in a highly controlled scenario, like a trial.

HOUSTON – A Houston woman reached out to KPRC 2 after she said her friend signed up on a website to get an extra $800 stimulus payment. Kelly Thomas said the website asks for your social security number. When her friend typed his in, he got a message that he was approved for the extra $800 bonus. “Is there really an extra $800 out there for everybody?” Thomas asked consumer expert Amy Davis. He is now out a $300 because that is what he paid for Lifelock since he gave someone his social security number.

HOUSTON From the number of infections to total deaths, theres no shortage of COVID-19 models that are trying to predict whats going to happen with the coronavirus. KPRC 2 Investigative Reporter Joel Eisenbaum put these models through the Trust Index. RELATED: Weeks earlier than expected: April 19 named new projected peak date for coronavirus in TexasOn April 1, total deaths predicted by August 4 in Texas were 6,392. Trust Index: Be CarefulSo can you trust the COVID-19 prediction models? So we rate this be careful on the Trust Index.

Anyone else finding themselves spending more time than usual on social media, considering the coronavirus pandemic? But like most things, Facebook is whatever you want to make it. You don’t have to give up on social media in general, or even Facebook in particular. The social media giants say they’re working hard behind the scenes to remove bot accounts and build a better platform. In the meantime, here are some simple yet effective things you can do to make your own Facebook interactions less contentious and more civil.

“Is that accurate?” It’s a question we’re all asking about social media posts and online reports a lot these days. The Trust Index team is here to help.

Graham Media Group is announcing the launch of Trust Index, a new initiative to combat misinformation campaigns targeting local media. “We are providing timely training and processes to our six newsrooms to help in the fight against misinformation campaigns attacking local news.”Graham Media Group is partnering with Fathm, a global leader in the fight against misinformation. “It is fantastic to be working with an organization like Graham Media Group, which is putting a high-priority focus on such an important initiative,” Bell said. Later this year, Bell will complete newsroom training sessions for all Graham Media Group stations. Increasingly, the industry is seeing coordinated campaigns designed to trick local newsrooms into reporting false or misleading stories.