Tampa Bay Times Washington Bureau Chief and editor of PolitiFact
Bill Adair is the Editor of PolitiFact and the Washington Bureau Chief for the Tampa Bay Times, formerly the St. Petersburg Times. He has worked in Washington since 1997 and has covered Congress, the White House, the Supreme Court, national politics and aviation safety. Adair is the author of "The Mystery of Flight 427: Inside a Crash Investigation," a behind-the-scenes account of how the National Transportation Safety Board solved one of the biggest mysteries in aviation. He is the winner of the Everett Dirksen Award for Distinguished Coverage of Congress and the Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi Award. He lives in Arlington, Va. with his wife and three children.
The latest Truth-O-Meter items from Bill Adair
AIDS was transmitted to humans because "one guy" had sex with "a monkey" and then started "having sex with men."
Congressman Scott DesJarlais "is spending his one year anniversary on vacation -- only working 6 days in all of January."
"We balanced the budget with the 1997 Balanced Budget Act, and ultimately had four consecutive balanced budgets."
Says Newt Gingrich said "Spanish is the language of the ghetto."
The United States is no longer "top nation in the globe on infrastructure," having fallen to 15th.
Says he eliminated an EPA rule that treated spilled milk like it was oil.
A typical married couple "will contribute $119,000" into Medicare but will "receive $357,000 in Medicare benefits over their lifetimes."
"Tennessee’s grocery tax is one of the highest in the nation."
Says Newt Gingrich’s contract was with "the lobbyists at Freddie Mac."
Recent stories from Bill Adair
Examining 'Don't Say Gay' bill sponsor's claims about AIDS, gay men, risks of sexual activityState Sen. Stacey Campfield, R-Knoxville, caused quite a stir with controversial assertions about origin of AIDS, risks of gay sex vs. straight sex and much more. We put one claim on the Truth-O-Meter on Friday, but wanted to share what our research turned up on some of the others, as well.
Men, monkeys and the origin of AIDSPolitiFact Tennessee explores the controversial claim of a state senator that AIDS was transmitted to humans because "one guy" had sex with "a monkey" and then started "having sex with men."
In Context: Romney's comments on whether he cares for the very poorMitt Romney's comments about the poor have stirred up a fuss. Here's the full exchange, part of our new "In Context" series to show you controversial remarks without editing.
No, Martin Luther King was not a RepublicanRepublicans around the country are repeating a claim that MLK was a member of the GOP. We check with King's biographer and some history books and find it's not true.
Fact-checking the CNN debate in FloridaThe CNN debate in Jacksonville was a contentious affair. We put some of the claims to the Truth-O-Meter.
Fact-checking the CNN debate in FloridaThe CNN debate in Florida was a contentious affair. We put some of the claims to the Truth-O-Meter.
Fact-checking the State of the Union addressPresident Barack Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday night seemed to be as much about political positioning as it was a report on his progress.
Tuning the Truth-O-MeterWe explain how we decide on a Truth-O-Meter rating and why we changed a rating on a jobs claim.
PolitiFact Florida: Fact-checking the Tampa Republican debateWe continue fact-checking the GOP debate at University of South Florida.
Fact-checking the State of the Union addressThe president makes his annual address to a joint session of Congress. We put some of his claims to the Truth-O-Meter.
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