Your weekly roundup from Washington, D.C.
Here are the latest articles published by U.S. fact-checking sites:
PolitiFact→ Supreme Court strikes down use of primary law Donald Trump used to impose tariffs
Justices strike down law Trump used to impose wide tariffs
Full Fact→ Are 350 ‘illegal boat migrants’ living in Gorton and Denton?
A leaflet being shared by Reform UK as part of its by-election campaign in Gorton and Denton claims that “350 illegal boat migrants” live in the constituency.
Full Fact→ AI-generated pictures of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest shared online
In the wake of the arrest of the former prince on Thursday morning, AI-generated pictures depicting him being led away by police officers have been circulating on social media.
The Dispatch→ What’s at Stake in Hungary’s Election?
Plus: The Board of Peace meets in D.C., Trump mulls striking Iran, and Captain Kirk is putting out a metal album.
Full Fact→ Videos showing ‘burning’ snow do not prove it is fake
Viral videos claiming snow is fake because it turns black and doesn't melt are false. Experts told Full Fact these are normal reactions caused by soot from lighters and sublimation.
Full Fact→ Viral quote misattributed to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum recirculates
We can find no evidence that President Sheinbaum warned US President Donald Trump that America will “beg us” to tear down a wall between the two countries.
The Dispatch→ The FCC’s Fight with Stephen Colbert
The Fairness Doctrine revival.
The Dispatch→ Vaccine Development and the Costs of Uncertainty
The FDA’s flip-flop on a new flu shot prompts fresh concern in the pharmaceutical industry.
The Dispatch→ How the Navy Prepared to Fight the Japanese Empire
The U.S. military viewed a Pacific war as a possibility years before Pearl Harbor and gamed out how to wage it.
The Dispatch→ What a Trans Shooter Doesn’t Mean
We can’t simply equate a trans identity with violence.
The Dispatch→ A Footnote on Jesse Jackson
The civil rights icon was haunted by two ghosts: one of his mentor, and one of the man he could have been.
The Dispatch→ Depleted Savings and Plummeting Sales: The American Casualties of Trump’s Tariffs
A Supreme Court ruling on Trump’s emergency tariff powers will only help American small businesses so much.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Image Of Ex Prince Andrew And Meghan Markle — It’s AI
Is a grainy image of former Prince Andrew and Meghan Markle in intimate postures authentic? No, that's not true: The image is "99% AI slop," the creator of the image wrote on their X.com account. Blocky pixelations and a faint red ring ar
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Chelsea Clinton Did NOT Post "Close but no cigar Trump!!!" — It’s A Fake Screenshot
Did Chelsea Clinton tweet, "Close but no cigar Trump!!!" while claiming there was a conspiracy to disparage her father's name? No, that's not true: This is a fake screenshot. Chelsea Clinton never posted a tweet with this loaded satirical
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Victor Wembanyama, Other Celebrities Did NOT Reward Arena Worker With A White Pickup Truck For Helping Him– Foreign Clickbait
Did NBA player Victor Wembanyama, or NFL players Jeremiyah Love, Jalen Hurts, or Micah Parsons, reward Maria Thompson with a pickup truck or SUV after she helped him when he was having car trouble? No, that's not true: This story is a cop
The Dispatch→ The Iran Disaster
A civic and political calamity in the making.
The Dispatch→ Can Trump Take Credit for Lower Oil Prices?
Despite his promises of cheap energy, the president’s aggressive foreign policy is preventing an oil market crash.
PolitiFact→ Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – This chronic illness statistic touted by RFK Jr. and RealFood.gov doesn’t check out
Says “90% of health care spending treats chronic disease.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Seattle Seahawks Did NOT Decline a White House Invitation
Did the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks refuse an invitation to the White House? No, that's not true: There's no evidence the team has been invited to Washington for a reception with President Donald Trump or that the team has refuse
The Dispatch→ Trump’s $18 Trillion Fantasy
The president’s math on foreign investment doesn’t add up.
FactCheck.org→ A Pre-SOTU Guide to Trump’s Economic Claims
In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has made a series of claims about the economy, a topic that should feature prominently in his State of the Union address to Congress on Feb. 24. “We have the hottest country anywhere in the world,̶
PolitiFact→ How much has Donald Trump reshaped the government’s portrayal of Black history?
How much has Trump reshaped the portrayal of Black history?
The Dispatch→ Justice Alito’s Next Moves
Plus: An argument with no meat on the bones.
The Dispatch→ Who Gets Warner Bros.?
Plus: The FDA will now review Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine, the U.S. continues to move forces to the Middle East, and a very good boy joined in on Olympic skiing.
Full Fact→ Princess Anne’s husband hasn’t announced he’s ‘donating his entire fortune to charity’
Full Fact→ Ed Miliband hasn’t resigned as Energy Secretary over ‘Mandelson-Epstein scandal’
Posts liked thousands of times on Facebook falsely claim Ed Miliband has resigned from the government.
Full Fact→ Old photos of Jeffrey Epstein edited to look like he was recently spotted in Israel
Images supposedly showing Epstein in Israel recently are actually old pictures that have been edited to add grey hair and a beard.
The Dispatch→ Trump Accounts, Not Baby Bonuses
For family policy advocates, the second Trump administration has yielded mixed results so far.
The Dispatch→ ‘Sanctuary’ for Whom?
Sanctuary policies strain taxpayers and shield illegal immigrants with criminal records.
The Dispatch→ In Defense of Sanctuary Cities
Refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities is constitutionally protected and morally just.
The Dispatch→ Trump Attempts a Tightrope Walk on Selling AI Chips to China Without Boosting Its Military
The president’s plan may be an attempt to thread an ‘impossible needle.’
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Swift and Kelce Did NOT Announce On Livestream They Are Spending $250 Million To Uncover Truth In Giuffre Case — Foreign Clickbait
Did Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift announce on a livestream that they are spending $250 million to find the truth in the Virginia Giuffre case? No, that's not true: Neither the celebrity couple nor news organizations said anything about it
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show President Trump Kissing Nicki Minaj
Is this a real video of President Donald Trump kissing Nicki Minaj? No, that's not true: The black-and-white "security camera" footage purporting to show them kissing exhibits clear signs of AI manipulation, including unnatural facial ble
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: There’s NO Proof LifeTouch School Photos Put "You And Every Other American Kid … In The Epstein Files" — Mathematically Impossible, Since LifeTouch Only Accounts For 25% Of School Photos
Did school picture contractor LifeTouch put "you and every other American kid" in the Epstein files? No, that's not true: There's no evidence that all 49 million American schoolchildren are in the Justice Department's files. The company n
The Dispatch→ Carr Crash
The Colbert ‘equal time’ kerfuffle is a perfect Trumpist fiasco.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Elon Musk DID Tweet ‘I Agree With The Teachings Of Jesus’
Does a legitimate screenshot show that Elon Musk in February of 2026 wrote "I agree with the teachings of Jesus," in an X post? Yes, that's true: The X owner did post that message on his verified account. The screenshot does not alter his
The Dispatch→ On ‘White Culture’
The latest poisonous example of horseshoe theory.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO TMZ Story About Zelensky Buying Diddy’s Mansion For $61 Million — Nothing On Their Site
Did tabloid news outlet TMZ publish a report saying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy bought a Los Angeles mansion belonging to Sean "Diddy" Combs for $61 Million? No, that's not true: Using TMZ's search box, Lead Stories found no s
PolitiFact→ Fact-checking Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on her agency’s role in elections
Fact-checking Kristi Noem on DHS role in elections