PolitiFact Florida

Eight Republican presidential candidates — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — sparred over foreign aid, abortion limits and climate change in the first GOP primary debate. PolitiFact and WLRN fact checked their statements.

WLRN and PolitiFact will be live fact-checking candidates’ claims about their records and their attacks on Democrats, President Joe Biden and one another during Wednesday night's debate, which begins at 9 p.m. Here is what you need to know ahead of it.

PolitiFact rounded up some of the claims that could resurface as Republican presidential candidates take the stage in Milwaukee on Aug. 23. Trump announced he will not be participating in the debate, citing his lead in the polls.

With record-setting temperatures worldwide this summer, cities are confronting the problem of “urban heat islands,” areas that experience higher temperatures because of dense building and lack of green space.

Although Biden has signed legislation and taken executive actions intended to curb climate change, he has not signed a formal emergency declaration. It's prompted many environmental groups to take that step.

Former President Donald Trump misrepresented Gov. Ron DeSantis’ position. DeSantis was lukewarm about the tariffs Trump imposed on China but not outright opposed.

Vice President Kamala Harris said some states have tried "to ban teaching Latino and Hispanic history." Her spokesperson cited two examples — and one of them doesn’t back up her claim.

Although immigration authorities nationwide have encountered migrants nearly 7 million times during Biden’s presidency, that doesn’t mean 7 million people have crossed into the country. Customs and Border Protection’s data tracks events, not people.

A misleading Instagram post claimed Florida is poised to prohibit COVID-19 vaccines because they are bioweapons. There's no evidence that state officials have announced any steps to ban them.

Florida’s new immigration law includes penalties for employers who hire people who aren’t legally authorized to work in the U.S. Although, seasonal workers are not specifically mentioned in the law.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed multiple bills that could lead to lower premiums in the future. For now, Florida homeowners face the highest insurance bills.

Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis said, "The agencies and government have grown 50% since 2019." By the commonly used outlays measure, his claim is close. We found it half true.