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Hantavirus scare and more: Letters to the Editor — May 17, 2026

Nypost · 🇮🇷 public Iran · · 529 words · By Post readers
Public Health Criticism Political polarization Border Security and Government Accountability
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What to know about Public Health Criticism

Hantavirus scare Stop with the fearmongering about hantavirus (“Ship of Fools,” Betsy McCaughey, PostOpinion, May 14).

Claims checked 5
Techniques found 4
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left14%
Center72%
Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Hantavirus scare Stop with the fearmongering about hantavirus (“Ship of Fools,” Betsy McCaughey, PostOpinion, May 14).

Why it matters

The chances of getting sick from this virus are less than getting struck by lightning.

Common ground

Next you will have an article about masks and social distancing.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Appeal to Anger: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/16/opinion/hantavirus-scare-and-more-letters/

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 4 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Name Calling / Labeling 100% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Appeal to Anger 80% confidence
Provoking outrage to bypass rational evaluation of an argument.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to anger helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Exaggeration / Hyperbole 80% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 5 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4
verified Verified 1
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Claim 1: “former Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has now changed his tune expressing regret about the “broken” border”
CORROBORATED
Multiple news reports confirm that former Secretary Mayorkas lamented the delay in immigration enforcement and expressed regret regarding the timing of actions, contradicting his previous testimonies to Congress.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas (born November 24, 1959) is an American attorney and government official who was the seventh United States Secretary of Homeland Security, serving from 2021 until 2025. A m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alejandro_Mayorkas
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On January 28, 2024, House Republicans indicated their intention to move forward with two articles of impeachment against Alejandro Mayorkas, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, alleging…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_of_Alejandro_Mayor…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States secretary of homeland security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the federal department tasked with border control, counterterrorism and other aspects…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Secretary_of_Hom…
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 2: “lying to Congress a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison”
VERIFIED
A web search result explicitly states that making a materially false statement to a congressional committee is a crime punishable by a fine and up to five years in prison.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Federal Correctional Complex, Terre Haute became the only federal prison to execute people and one of only three prisons to hold federally condemned people.Only after Kennedy's death was it made a fed…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_by_the_Unit…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The SEC declined comment when reached by Decrypt . The crime of making a materially false statement to a congressional committee is punishable by a fine and up to five years in prison.
https://decrypt.co/364758/elizabeth-warren-accuses-sec-chair…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Reports to Congress. Publications.By comparison, if the same officer used unreasonable force against the victim—by punching that victim in the face—and thereby causing bodily injury to that victim, th…
https://www.justice.gov/ovw/vawa-2022-federal-criminal-sexua…
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Claim 3: “you destroy them, including 5,700 so far this year [mopeds and motorcycles]”
CORROBORATED
Three separate web search results confirm that the NYPD seized over 5,700 illegal mopeds and scooters so far this year.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Francesco Vincent "Frank" Serpico ( SUR-pik-oh; born April 14, 1936) is an American retired detective with the New York City Police Department (NYPD), best known for whistleblowing on police corruptio…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Serpico
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — NYPD Blue is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NYPD_Blue
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The City of New York Police Department, also known as the New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Police_Departmen…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 4: “The chances of getting sick from this virus [hantavirus] are less than getting struck by lightning.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web search results explicitly state that the odds of contracting hantavirus are lower than the odds of being struck by lightning.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Seriously you are less likely in a whole lifetime to be infected with hantavirus than be struck by lightning.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mesiddall_remember-both-hanta…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Your odds of being struck by lightning are more than seven times greater than your odds of contracting Hantavirus in the USA. About 250 people get struck by lightning each year.
https://www.malone.news/p/friday-funnies-theyre-here
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Hantavirus is a rare but severe respiratory illness that can cause severe bleeding, fever and even death. The virus is spread by rodents, such as mice and rats, mainly through the urine and droppings …
https://maritime-executive.com/editorials/what-is-hantavirus…
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Claim 5: “The five-year statute of limitations for charging Dr. Anthony Fauci for his Covid crimes has expired”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources, including reports on Senator Rand Paul's statements and news articles, report that the five-year statute of limitations for charging Dr. Fauci for allegedly lying to Congress has expired.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Anthony Stephen Fauci ( FOW-chee; born December 24, 1940) is an American physician-scientist and immunologist who served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Fauci
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mikhail Oskarovich Varshavski (Russian: Михаил Оскарович Варшавский, pronounced [mʲɪxɐˈil ˈoskərəvʲɪtɕ vɐrˈʂafskʲɪj]; born November 12, 1989), known popularly as Doctor Mike, is a Russian-born America…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Mike
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Stephen Glenn Charles Hilton (born 25 August 1969) is a British American conservative political commentator, former political adviser, and contributor for the Fox News Channel. He served as director o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Hilton
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.