Amy Sherman: writer, editor, researcher

After spending two decades in journalism, including 13 years as a reporter at the Miami Herald and seven with PolitiFact, I launched my career as a freelance writer. I am available for news reporting, fact-checking and writing or editing corporate materials. I can be reached at 954-665-9035 or amysherman72@yahoo.com.

 

I have written news articles or fact-checks on a variety of topics including health care, immigration, foreign policy, legal issues, education policy and the environment.

ENVIRONMENT

Gov. Scott’s misleading claim earned a “Pants are on Fire” rating: Rick Scott says we have ‘record funding’ for the environment in Florida

President Obama’s fish tale: Do the fish swim in the streets of Miami at high tide, as Barack Obama said in Paris?

Debunking a falsehood about climate change: Warmest year on record a hoax because of margin of error? That’s wrong

CRIME/GUNS

Gators vs. Guns: Are alligator attacks more common than ‘attacks’ by those with a gun permit in Florida?

Loss of voting rights for felons: Samantha Bee says buying weed or tampering with an odometer or lobster trap are felonies

Homicide and race statistics: A look at statistics on black-on-black murders

HEALTH CARE

Florida mandates vs. Obamacare: Marco Rubio says Florida mandates coverage of more conditions than Obamacare

Distortion about vaccines: Ben Carson says pediatricians realize need to cut down number and proximity of vaccines

Republicans shaped Obamacare:  Rick Scott misleads about the inventors of Obamacare by ignoring Republicans’ roles

IMMIGRATION

A Pants on Fire about undocumented immigrants: Donald Trump wrongly says the number of illegal immigrants is 30 million or higher

Falsehood about Trump’s border wall: Donald Trump says of course Mexico can pay for the wall — because of the trade deficit

Defining hate groups: Is the Center for Immigration Studies a hate group, as the Southern Poverty Law Center says?

LEGAL ISSUES

Counting votes: The electoral college vs. the popular vote: Could states do an end-run around the current system?

Death penalty: Has the U.S. Supreme Court banned all state laws that make execution mandatory for murderers?

Illegal immigrants’ rights: Do undocumented immigrants have Constitutional rights?

EDUCATION

History of college tuition: Was college once free in United States, as Bernie Sanders says?

Florida’s Hispanic students: Jeb Bush says Florida’s Hispanic students perform ‘the best’ of any Hispanic group in U.S.

Debunking myth about ‘Islamic indoctrination:’ Did the U.S. Education Department introduce an Islamic indoctrination program for public schools?

STATE GOVERNMENT

Voter registration security: Is online voter registration more secure? Florida state senator says yes

Stand Your Ground law: Self-defense deaths in Florida have increased dramatically since ‘stand your ground’ became law in 2005, lawmaker claims

Sea-level rise spending: Is Florida spending $350 million to deal with sea-level rise?

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Airbnb’s local impact: Does Airbnb decrease housing values, as Miami Beach mayor says?

Miami-Dade floats inaccurate water boast: Miami-Dade has nation’s highest-quality tap water’

Arrest of chef for the homeless: Jack Seiler says Arnold Abbott, 90-year-old, wasn’t taken into custody for feeding the homeless

ELECTIONS/VOTING RIGHTS

Roger Stone’s Pants on Fire claim: No, Hillary Clinton did not meet with Broward elections supervisor Brenda Snipes

Voter purge: U.S. Rep. Hastings says Florida’s noncitizen voter purge is a “backdoor poll tax”

Presidential debates: Democratic debates set to ‘maximize exposure,’ Wasserman Schultz says, but evidence is dubious

FOREIGN POLICY

Hillary Clinton’s Flip Flop: Did Hillary Clinton change position on the Cuba embargo?

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson’s meeting with Chavez: A ridiculous statement in Republicans’ radio ad says U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson ‘supports murders’

Trump’s position on Israel: Would Donald Trump be ‘neutral’ on Israel and its enemies?

FAKE NEWS DEBUNKED

Sarah Palin’s viral image: Sarah Palin’s Facebook meme on climate accord uses unrelated photo of Florida House

Sheriff’s comments on race: Did a Florida sheriff say ‘blacks should learn to act like white people in order to stay alive?’

Debunking claim about Debbie Wasserman Schultz: Headline states that Debbie Wasserman Schultz headed to a mental hospital, but that’s not true

POP CULTURE, SPORTS, ETC

Ricky Martin’s faulty Spanish lesson: Glee says the Census Bureau projects the majority of Americans will use Spanish by 2030

Dildo dis goes flaccid: Alcee Hastings’ Texas dildo claim doesn’t hold up

Super Bowl impact: Dolphins lobbyist says Super Bowl L is a ‘$500 million impact to Florida’