Did Karoline Leavitt say the Melania Trump movie sold more tickets than Star Wars? No, that's not true: The creator of the post stated that they made it up as satire. The White House press secretary did not say the movie about President D
The Dispatch→ Grandeur Amid Decline
Populists, institutions, and prestige.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Fake Image Showing Bill Clinton, Jeffrey Epstein, And Mira Nair Holding Baby Zohran Mamdani Originated From A Satire Account
Were Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein photographed with Mira Nair holding her baby son, Zohran Mamdani? No, that's not true: This image is fake and was posted on X by an account carrying a parody disclaimer. The fake image has a discreet
PolitiFact→ Trevor Noah joked about Trump having visited Epstein's island, but documents don't show that
Trevor Noah’s comment about Trump and Epstein, explained
PolitiFact→ Donald Trump – Donald Trump wrong that 92% of Minnesota Somalis don’t work
Among Somalis in Minnesota, “92% of them don’t work.”
PolitiFact→ X posts – No, these aren’t real photos of Zohran Mamdani with his mother and Jeffrey Epstein
Images show New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as a child with his mother, Mira Nair, and Jeffrey Epstein.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Elon Musk’s Emails With Jeffrey Epstein Do Not Show He ‘Rejected Epstein’s Invitation To His Island’
Do emails exchanged between Elon Musk and Jeffrey Epstein and made public in January 2026 show that Musk rejected Epstein's invitation to his private island? No, that's not true: Emails show Musk and Epstein planned holiday visits at the
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Zohran Mamdani’s Mom WAS Mentioned In Epstein Files
Does the name of Mira Nair, the mother of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, appear in the Epstein files? Yes, that is true: Lead Stories located an email that mentions her appearance at an afterparty for one of her films. The event occu
Full Fact→ Picture of child with cancer edited to include Nigel Farage
An image which has gone viral on Facebook and supposedly shows the Reform UK leader fulfilling a child’s “final wish” by visiting them in hospital isn’t real.
The Dispatch→ The Simple Case for Arresting Don Lemon
And the less simple case against.
The Dispatch→ Can Markets Restrain Trump?
Plus: Trump nominates Kevin Warsh to replace Jerome Powell, Don Lemon is arrested, and we love Prune, the award-winning Japanese capybara.
The Dispatch→ Learning to Govern Ourselves | Interview: Ben and Jenna Storey
Hurrah for republican education!
The Dispatch→ Scapegoating Investors Won’t Lower Home Prices
President Trump buys into a persistent myth about home ownership.
The Dispatch→ DHS vs. the Courts
Court records in immigration enforcement cases show a pattern of distortions and violations of legal orders.
The Dispatch→ How Ideology Limits Love
The internet laser-focuses on statistics and anecdotes to optimize romance. But real love comes from neither.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: No Email In Epstein Files With Satoshi Nakamoto Telling Epstein To ‘Go F*ck Yourself’ Replying To Island Invitation
Is there an email conversation between Jeffrey Epstein and Satoshi Nakamoto in the released "Epstein Files" that has Nakamoto telling Epstein to "Go fuck yourself"? No, that's not true: A search of the "Epstein library" for the phrase "De
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Email From Jeffrey Epstein About Satoshi ‘Pseudonym’ Or ‘Little Digital Gold Mine’ In Released Epstein Files
Is there an email from Jeffrey Epstein to Ghislaine Maxwell in the released "Epstein Files" that talks about project "Bitcoin" and "our little digital gold mine"? No, that's not true: A search of the released files does not bring up anyth
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Claim That Encrypted Messages Were Found On Alex Pretti’s Phone Showing He Was A ‘Key Player’ In Planning Chaos Is Fake Viet Spam
Did police find encrypted messages on Alex Pretti's phone that showed the ICU nurse was a "key player" in coordinating a plan to create the chaos that led to him being shot to death by federal agents in Minneapolis? No, that's not true: A
The Dispatch→ The Monthly Mailbag With Ross Anderson
It’s our TMD editor’s turn to answer your questions.
The Dispatch→ Truth and Its Consequences
How to not puppet narrative-driven rage-baiting and conspiracy theories.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO ‘Baal’ Bank Account In Jeffrey Epstein Bank Transfer Document To JP Morgan — Likely Scanning Error
Does a document in the Epstein Files show he had a bank account named "Baal", a demonic figure? No, that's not true: One document that looks like a scanned in fax or document with bank transfer details has the words "Baal. name" in it on
The Dispatch→ What We Got Wrong in January
A list of corrections issued by The Dispatch last month.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: No Video Emerged Of Alex Pretti Talking About How He Kicked Out A Federal Agents’ SUV Taillight — Claim Is Viet Spam
Has a video interview of Alex Pretti talking about how he kicked out the taillight of an SUV used by federal agents emerged and sent "shockwaves through the public"? No, that's not true: No such video has been found. The quotes are all ma
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO ‘Epic Island Vacation’ Email Thread With Elon Musk In Epstein Files Released In January 2026
Was there an email thread with Elon Musk and Jeffrey Epstein discussing an "epic island vacation" included in the latest release from the "Epstein Files" as implied by a viral image? No, that's not true: No email with the phrase "epic isl
The Dispatch→ Our Best Stuff on the Fallout From a Killing in Minneapolis
The administration responds to political pressure after the death of Alex Pretti.
The Dispatch→ Pulchritudo Vincit Omnia
Early American sculpture, ‘Moby-Dick,’ and the virtues of South Florida.
The Dispatch→ The Party of Face-Eating Leopards | Ruminant
Hatred of the EU is not enough.
The Dispatch→ Mysteries Foreign and Domestic
A new novel delves into mothering and translation.
The Dispatch→ ‘Heated Rivalry’ Goes Back to the Basics
The storytelling in the much-discussed ‘gay hockey show’ is actually quite traditional.
The Dispatch→ Will the Modern Family Break, or Bend?
When family memory meets the modern age, emotional bruises don’t heal as easily.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Photo Does NOT Prove ICE Agent Stole The Bracelet He Was Wearing, As Social Media Post Suggests
Does a photo of an ICE agent show evidence he is wearing a gold bracelet he stole from a man in Minnesota? No, that's not true: While this photo of an ICE agent appears to be real. It does not provide any evidence that the agent is wearin
The Dispatch→ Rights and Wrongs
When right is left and left is right.
The Dispatch→ Ballot Harvest
The FBI’s raid on Fulton County’s election office was inevitable.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Of Man Smoking In Minnie Mouse Costume Is NOT At A Disney Park — Unauthorized Character In Las Vegas
Does a video show a Disney park character in a Minnie Mouse costume smoking and giving the middle finger during a break? No, that's not true: Videos online show this same man in the same suit standing on the Las Vegas Strip, where people
The Dispatch→ Founders Town Hall: Dante’s Circle of Congress
Tune in to our special livestreamed conversation.
PolitiFact→ Trump leaders say Minnesota officials withhold detained immigrants from ICE. Is that true?
Fact-check: Do Minneapolis and MN cooperate with ICE?
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows Man In McDonald’s During Toronto Earthquake — It’s AI
Is a video that shows a man who is unhappy when his french fries are spilled in a McDonald's during an earthquake in Toronto real? No, that's not true: The short clip was created by an artificial intelligence tool, according to an AI-gene
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Trump Did NOT Make The Melania Movie Mandatory In History Courses, Did NOT Spell Her Name ‘Melanie’
Did U.S. President Donald Trump write on Truth Social that the documentary about his wife, Melania, will become mandatory in history classes, while calling her "Melanie"? No, that's not true: No such post could be found on his account. Le
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘Chair Chase’ Video Of ICE Agents Chasing Huge Hand Giving ‘The Finger’ On Minneapolis Street Is NOT Real — AI Made This Joke
Is a video showing ICE agents chase a man, who is sitting in an office chair covered by a large hand "giving the middle finger," down a Minneapolis street real? No, that's not true: The short video originated on social media accounts that
Full Fact→ Posts on social media incorrectly name Green Party by-election candidate
Multiple posts on social media have falsely claimed that a former parliamentary candidate, Melissa Poulton, was chosen as the Green candidate in Gorton and Denton.