Yes. The federal Strategic Petroleum Reserve had 347 million barrels of crude oil as of July 2023. The last time the reserve was in that range was in July 1983.
Author Archives: Tom Kertscher / Wisconsin Watch
Tom Kertscher joined as a Wisconsin Watch fact checker in January 2023 and contributes to our collaboration with the The Gigafact Project to fight misinformation online. Kertscher is a former longtime newspaper reporter, including at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who has worked as a self-employed journalist since 2019. His gigs include contributing writer for Milwaukee Magazine and sports freelancer for The Associated Press.
Was the Maine mass shooting the first in the US in 2023 done with an AR-15-style rifle?
No. Five mass shootings with AR-15-style rifles preceded the Maine mass shooting in 2023.
Are most of the 2 million people in Gaza not members of Hamas?
Yes. In the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel, news organizations reported that Hamas members comprise about 30,000 of the 2 million people in the Gaza Strip.
Have more than 100 people on the terrorist watchlist tried to enter the US during the Biden administration?
Yes. Since President Joe Biden took office, more than 200 non-U.S. citizens on the federal terrorist watchlist tried to enter the U.S. between legal ports of entry and were stopped by Border Patrol.
Did US House speaker candidate Jim Jordan help Donald Trump try to overturn the 2020 presidential election result?
Yes. The U.S. House Jan. 6 committee report said Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, “was a significant player” in President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Did nearly 100,000 people in the Afghanistan evacuation come to the US unvetted?
No. Following the Afghanistan evacuation that began in summer 2021, more than 76,000 Afghans came to the U.S. after being vetted, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Would the four suburban counties taxed to build the Milwaukee Brewers stadium provide local tax money for stadium improvements?
No. Legislation to provide $546 million in public funds for American Family Field improvements would not require contributions from the suburban Milwaukee counties of Ozaukee, Racine, Washington and Waukesha.
Would the $546 million funding bill for the Milwaukee Brewers’ stadium remove all local government appointees to the stadium board?
Yes. Legislation to provide $546 million in public money for American Family Field improvements in Milwaukee would remove all local government appointees to the stadium’s board of directors.
Have polls shown 70% of Americans believe same-sex marriage should be legal?
Yes. A May Gallup poll found 71% of U.S. adults said same-sex marriage should be valid, matching the result from one year earlier.
Had Iran received $6 billion that was released by the U.S. as of the start of the Israel-Hamas War?
No. The U.S. unfroze $6 billion in Iranian funds held in a South Korean bank, but Iran had not received the money when Hamas attacked Israel.
Did the U.S. have an ambassador to Israel at the start of the Israel-Hamas War?
No. The position of U.S. ambassador to Israel was vacant as of Oct. 11, 2023.
Does the Republican plan for the Milwaukee Brewers stadium give away $600 million ‘for nothing’?
No. The Milwaukee Brewers would contribute $100 million toward renovations at American Family Field, extend the team’s lease on the stadium until 2050 and pledge not to relocate under a bill proposed by Republican state lawmakers.