The historic wildfires burning across Oregon have led to hazardous air quality in some parts of the state. 

According to the CDC, wildfire smoke can irritate your lungs, cause inflammation, affect your immune system, and make you more prone to lung infections, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.  

We had our VERIFY team look into whether pulling federal money out of certain cities actually falls within the president's power.

The facts are that 94 percent of people had a least one other factor contributing to their death, and that is how COVID-19 generally works.

 COVID-19 test kits are being mailed to random homes. Are they legitimate? 

Several high ranking officials from the White House to Attorney General Willaim Barr have said three federal agents were likely permanently blinded after protestors pointed lasers at them.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown's new mask requirements went into effect July 24, 2020, and many people still have questions about who the new rules apply to.

The KGW VERIFY team received this question:

As a customer riding TriMet Public Transit System, I have noticed that drivers do not enforce mask coverings to riders refusing to wear masks. Can service be denied to these individuals just as service can be denied by a business? -April

Cristin Severance, KGW investigative reporter, reached out to TriMet spokesperson Tia York for the answer.

KGW continues to get questions related to COVID-19 testing and data, including how the state comes up with its daily numbers. Oregon Health Authority officials said each person is counted as a new case, not each test.

There is some confusion in with Oregon residents on what the difference between a social gathering and a social get-together is and what it means for social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak.  KGW Investigative Reporter Cristin Severance breaks it down in this KGW VERIFY podcast.

Governor Brown's office told KGW: "The new gathering limit applies only to indoor social get-togethers. Churches, businesses, and venues must follow the health and safety guidance and occupancy limits already established for those types of buildings." (Source: Governor Kate Brown's Office)