C. Eugene Emery Jr.PolitiFact Rhode Island reporter
C. Eugene Emery Jr. is a reporter for The Providence Journal and a founding staff member of the Journal's PolitiFact team. Since joining the Journal in 1975, he has been a science and medical writer, covered municipal governments throughout the state, and managed The Journal’s Massachusetts bureau. He was part of the Journal’s Commerce & Consumer team, then its Breaking News team, before joining the PolitiFact Rhode Island staff. Emery has a bachelor of science degree in biology and a bachelor of arts degree in political science, both from Brown University.
The latest Truth-O-Meter items from C. Eugene Emery Jr.
Rhode Island "didn't ratify the 13th Amendment to the Constitution to pay federal income taxes. So Rhode Island doesn't even have to pay federal income taxes."
"Rhode Island has a [inmate] recidivism rate of over 60 percent."
"RIPTA has really some of the fullest buses for its transit agency size around the country."
"The average student comes out of college hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt."
Since Gina Raimondo took office, investment fees on the state's pension portfolio "have gone up from about $12 million annually to about $50 million."
"If you are black or brown, you are nine times more likely to be stopped and frisked" in New York City.
Historically, the Social Security tax has been assessed on about 90% of U.S. income. Now it captures 83% because there's been such a growth of income among the highest earners.
Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev is buried "not far" from President Kennedy’s grave.
"Two years ago Providence alone spent $50,000 a year notifying the school department" about residents in the state's sex offender registry.
In Cranston, it costs $5,000 to $6,000 to send out community notifications on just one Level 3 sex offender.
Recent stories from C. Eugene Emery Jr.
Gun claims examined by PolitiFactRI often misfireThe push for tougher gun control legislation continues in the General Assembly Tuesday, April 9, as state officials hold a news conference at the State House to promote a package of bills covering such issues as background checks, firearms safety, weapons sales and modifying penalties for existing gun laws.
Fact-checking claims on guns and gun violenceWhen it comes to guns and gun violence, the rhetoric includes both fact and fiction.
Fact-checking claims on guns and gun violenceWhen it comes to guns and gun violence, the rhetoric includes both fact and fiction.
PolitiFact's oddest fact-checks of 2012The Truth-O-Meter has a sense of humor (we swear) so we occasionally do light-hearted or downright odd fact-checks. Here are some of the more unusual fact-checks we did in 2012.
Fact-checks of Christmases pastNot even the holiday is exempt from political claims! Here are a few fact-checks from our archive for your stocking.
Before you vote, check the Truth-O-MeterOver the last several months, candidates have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to build themselves up and knock their opponents down. There have been attacks and counterattacks, scary TV ads, robo-calls and oversized campaign fliers clogging our mailboxes -- in other words, the fuel that sent our Truth-O-Meter into overdrive. Just in the weeks since the September primary, we issued two dozen rulings on claims made by candidates for federal and statewide offices. Not surprisingly, many were way off base. And -- perhaps surprisingly -- many were true. With the election just two days away, we decided to take a look back at some of our campaign rulings to help voters make up their minds. Here’s a sampling from key races:
Before you vote Tuesday, check the rulings The lively and occasionally bizarre primary fight between U.S. Rep. David N. Cicilline and business man Anthony Gemma in the 1st Congressional District has generated enough claims and counter-claims to keep our Truth-O-Meter spinning for weeks. But because the primary vote is Tuesday, we have taken a short break on fact-checking until the dust clears and the winners are picked. Meanwhile, as voters make up their minds, we thought we’d reprise some recent rulings in the 1st District race. Here’s a sample:
Checking the Truth-O-Meter readings for Cicilline, GemmaThe first major debate of Rhode Island's 2012 election season takes place Tuesday night at Rhode Island College as Democrats David Cicilline, the incumbent from the 1st Congressional District, and Anthony Gemma, the businessman making his second try for the seat, go head to head in an event co-sponsored by WPRI-TV and The Providence Journal. The PolitiFact Rhode Island team decided to use the occasion to revisit how the two candidates have scored on the Truth-O-Meter.
It's True! We're two years old!Believe it or not, it's been two years since we published our first PolitiFact Rhode Island Truth-O-Meter ruling. On June 25, 2010, we joined a partnership with PolitiFact.com that has grown to include eleven states. Since then, we’ve published 230 Truth-O-Meter rulings, checking claims from politicians, talk-show hosts, bloggers, e-mailers, labor leaders and even a billboard. Our goal remains the same: to help readers separate fact from fiction in the public discourse. For the record, here’s our scorecard so far: True: 44. Mostly True: 30. Half True: 37. Mostly False: 32. False: 55. Pants on Fire: 32. Remember, If you see or hear a claim you’d like us to check, please send it to politifact@providencejournal.com.
The 38 Studios controversy: Of software sales and film creditsCurt Schilling's 38 Studios and his deal with the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation are in the news amid questions about whether the fledgling software company is in financial trouble. One option the company is reportedly seeking is taking advantage of the state's tax credit system for movie, television and video game productions. PolitiFact Rhode Island has examined claims made about the EDC deal and film tax credits in the past. In light of the debate, we thought it might be useful to remind readers what we found.
We want to hear your suggestions and comments. Email the Rhode Island Truth-O-Meter with feedback and with claims you'd like to see checked. If you send us a comment, we'll assume you don't mind us publishing it unless you tell us otherwise.
