Watch the video of our weekly livestreamed conversation.Continue reading Rank Punditry Edition »
Here are the latest articles published by U.S. fact-checking sites:
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Astronaut Karen Nyberg Faking Visit To International Space Station — It’s Someone Else
Does a video on social media show NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg faking a visit to the International Space Station (ISS) in front of a green screen? No, that's not true: In the original version of the clip, the narrator never identifies the
Truth or Fiction?→ Texas Journalists Rally to Save Progressive Magazine
The staff at the progressive Texas Observer magazine has raised more than $219,000 in an effort to stay open, less than a week after its managing board unilaterally voted to shut the publication down. The online fundraising effort, created on March 27
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Castor Oil Compresses NOT Proven To Cure Breast Cancer Or Tumors
Are castor oil compresses a proven effective treatment for tumors and breast cancer? No, that's not true: There is no scientific evidence that suggests castor oil has therapeutic benefits beyond its approved laxative properties. Claims th
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – These are not real photos of a Vladimir Putin arrest
Images show “Putin has been arrested.”
The Dispatch→ Kamikaze Chris
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on November 19, 2022, in Las Vegas. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)Would a Christie candidacy be good or bad for Trump?Continue reading Kamikaze Chris »
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Ruby Bridges’ Movie Banned in Florida School
On March 28 2023, popular posts on Reddit and Twitter referenced a controversy over a movie about Ruby Bridges at an elementary school in Florida. Journalist Judd Legum published a Twitter thread about the film Ruby Bridges, and summarized the events
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – Grindr didn’t threaten to identify Republican politicians who use its app
“The gay dating app Grindr says if Florida doesn’t stop passing homophobic and transphobic laws, they’ll reveal every Republican legislator and party official who secretly uses the app.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence ‘Gays’ Commit 45% Of Child Sexual Abuse
Do gay men and gay women make up 2 percent of the world's population but commit 45 percent of all sexual assaults against children? No, that's not true: Experts in the field say there is not a greater risk that gay people will be child mo
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Images Of ‘Arrested’ Putin Are NOT Authentic
Do viral images of Russian President Vladimir Putin actually show him being arrested? No, that's not true: The "photos" were created by AI-based software, and, as of this writing, Putin is not under arrest, despite a warrant issued by the
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Taliban Sent ‘Real Tweet’ Claiming To Have ‘Second-Largest Collection Of Humvees Behind’ US
Does a "real tweet" from a Twitter account called "Taliban Public Relations Department, Commentary" proclaim that Afghanistan has the second-largest collection of Humvees behind the United States? No, that's not true: There is no proof th
The Dispatch→ Dispatch Live: Rank Punditry Edition
Join our weekly livestreamed conversation.Continue reading Dispatch Live: Rank Punditry Edition »
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: Did Silicon Valley Bank Donate More Than $73 Million to Black Lives Matter?
A Silicon Valley Bank logo in Tempe, Arizona, on March 14, 2023. (Photo by Rebecca Noble/AFP/Getty Images) Claims are circulating online that Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) donated more than $73 million to the Black Lives Matter nonprofit organization befo
PolitiFact→ Tweets – A ban of TikTok? So far, that’s talk. The app isn’t banned for the U.S. public.
“Congress has officially banned TikTok.”
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Another false ‘Sam Hyde’ meme circulates after Nashville, Tennessee, shooting
The Nashville, Tennessee, school shooter was Samantha Hyde.
Poynter→ MediaWise’s Teen Fact-Checking Network expands to Brazil and Germany
The social-first digital media literacy program MediaWise of the nonprofit Poynter Institute is expanding its Teen Fact-Checking Network internationally. The TFCN was launched in 2019 with a goal of reaching […] The post MediaWise’s Teen Fact-C
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Photos Of John Fetterman Do NOT Show Evidence That He Has Been Replaced By Body Double
Do recently released photos show some inexplicable changes to John Fetterman's appearance -- evidence that a clone has been substituted for the real senator from Pennsylvania? No, that's not true: Fetterman has been out of the public eye
The Dispatch→ House Republicans Clash Over Immigration
Rep. Tony Gonzales speaks on the steps of the Capitol in 2021. (Photo by Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)Plus: GOP senators respond to Trump’s rhetoric, a Democrat wants other senators on the record on gun bills, and Blinken misses McCa
Truth or Fiction?→ Google Maps ‘Shooting in Nashville’ Marker
Following the March 27 2023 Covenant School shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, a purported Google Maps screenshot referencing the incident was shared to Reddit’s r/ABoringDystopia: Dystopian Maps Alert. Welcome to the US. by u/take
The Dispatch→ Voters Will Have the Final Say on Alvin Bragg
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)Will the Manhattan district attorney come to regret his investigation of Donald Trump?Continue reading Voters Will Have the Final Say on Alvin Bragg »
PolitiFact→ Tony Evers – Evers’ Brewers stadium funding proposal is not exactly a bipartisan plan
The money for upgrades to the Milwaukee Brewers stadium in Evers’ budget is "a bipartisan plan."
Health Feedback→ Vaccination recruits both the innate and adaptive immune system; COVID-19 vaccines are safe for children
REVIEW In May 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 12 to 15. The FDA later extended its authorization for children from five to 11 in October 2021 and from six months of age
Poynter→ What the pope’s Balenciaga puffer jacket says about AI and misinformation
This weekend, we may have seen the first big artificial intelligence misinformation moment — featuring the pope and a puffer jacket. An image allegedly showing a swagged-out Pope Francis in […] The post What the pope’s Balenciaga puffer jacke
The Dispatch→ France Rages Over Pension Reforms
Youth in France take part in a demonstration Tuesday after the government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP) (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images)‘It’s perhaps not the moment to take a
The Dispatch→ Free Speech Re-Education Camp
We sure do like our buckets. Continue reading Free Speech Re-Education Camp »
The Dispatch→ Dave McCormick Poised to Mount Another Senate Run
Pennsylvania GOP Senate Candidate Dave McCormick speaks during a rally on May 16, 2022. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)The former U.S. Senate candidate shores up support from Pennsylvania Republicans.Continue reading Dave McCormick Poised
The Dispatch→ Israel Sidesteps a Crisis—For Now
Protesters block a road during a rally against the Israeli government's judicial reform in Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 27, 2023. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)Benjamin Netanyahu delays his judicial re
The Dispatch→ Grasping at Nuclear Straws
Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 25, 2023. (Photo by Gavriil Grigorov/ Sputnik/AFP/Getty Images)Vladimir Putin is trying to manipulate the West by deploying weapons to Belarus.Continue reading Grasping at Nuclear Straw
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Did Trump release a ‘bombshell’? No, Stormy Daniels quickly recanted this 2018 letter
“Trump just shared a bombshell letter from Stormy Daniels debunking DA Bragg's case.”
PolitiFact→ TikTok posts – Alvin Bragg didn’t say he would drop charges against Donald Trump; this video’s a deepfake
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced that his office “has decided to drop all charges against Donald Trump.”
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, this photo doesn’t show a John Fetterman body double. Here’s why.
Photo shows Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman has a body double.
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Video of robot attacking people is computer-generated parody. 29 people did not die
“At a top robotics company in Japan this week, four robots being developed for military applications killed 29 humans in the lab.”
The Dispatch→ You Say You Want a Revolution
Former US President Donald Trump speaks during a 2024 election campaign rally in Waco, Texas, March 25, 2023. (Photo by Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP/Getty Images)The Republican primary features two models of disruption. Continue reading You Say You Want a Revo
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘Samantha Hyde’ Was NOT Identified As Suspected Shooter In Nashville — It’s Another ‘Sam Hyde Is The Shooter’ Hoax
Was "Samantha Hyde" positively identified as the suspected shooter in the Nashville Covenant School shooting? No, that's not true: According to local police, it was Audrey Elizabeth Hale. Posts on social media were based on a long-running
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Ohio State University Advising Students Against Voting in Person on Election Day for Reasons Related to Financial Aid?
On March 27 2023, journalist Sam Levine tweeted about Ohio State University’s purported warning to students about “voting in person on election day” and their financial aid packages: Wow — Ohio State University is advising stu
Full Fact→ No evidence Covid-19 vaccines have killed thousands of children
An Instagram post wrongly claims that no “healthy” children have died from Covid-19, and that the vaccines have killed thousands.
Truth or Fiction?→ Sun Tzu ‘Rule Over Ashes’ Quote
On March 25 2023, Facebook page “The Other 98%” shared a quote attributed to Sun Tzu; several individual Facebook users followed suit with various iterations of the phrase and attribution: An evil man will burn his own nation to the ground
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Grindr Did NOT Threaten To ‘Reveal Every Republican Legislator And Party Official Who Secretly Uses’ The LGBTQ+ Dating App
Did the LGBTQ+-focused dating app Grindr threaten to "reveal every Republican legislator and party official who secretly uses" it, if "Florida doesn't stop passing homophobic and transphobic laws"? No, that's not true: The original wordin
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: The World Economic Forum Did NOT Say ‘It’s Time to Legalize Sex And Marriage With Animals To Promote Inclusion’
Did the World Economic Forum suggest that governments decriminalize bestiality? No, that's not true: The claim came from a story that used a fake screenshot of a non-existent article. No credible source published reports confirming that t
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘Pope Drip’ Image Is NOT Real — Photo of Pope Francis In White Puffer Coat Is An AI Creation
Did Pope Francis appear walking on the street wearing a high-fashion white puffer coat? No, that's not true: This image is one of a series of four AI-generated images which were posted on the subreddit forum r/midjourney, "an official sub