The claim originated from an anonymous Russian Telegram account.
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, Elon Musk didn’t say the Boeing Starliner astronauts ‘won’t come back’
Says Elon Musk said, “The Boeing Starliner’s stranded astronauts are not with us anymore,” and “they won’t come back.”
PolitiFact→ Social posts target Democrats’ vote on migrant offenders bill. Here’s why they say they opposed it.
Did 158 Democrats vote against a bill that would bar from the U.S. migrants who have committed sex offenses and domestic abuse? That was the vote count, but there’s more to this story than online posts are sharing. Here’s some context.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Birth Certificate ‘Quote’ Is NOT From Woodrow Wilson
Is a quote describing birth certificates as enslaving tools really found in Woodrow Wilson's private papers or those of his adviser Edward Mandell House? No, that's not true: Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library staff said they found no s
PolitiFact→ Threads posts – No, Mark Cuban didn’t move his operations to California because he ‘can’t operate in red states’
“Mark Cuban shifts company from Texas to California: ‘Can’t operate in red states.’”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: House Resolution 7 Will NOT Require Women To Get Permission For Birth Control, Abortion
Will House Resolution 7 force women to get permission from their husbands, fathers or priests to use birth control or have an abortion? No, that's not true: The legislation wouldn't require women to get anyone's consent for reproductive h
The Dispatch→ Claims About Donations to Trump’s Inaugural Fund Are Missing Context
Some donors didn’t contribute to Biden’s fund, but the outgoing president received big donations from other companies.
PolitiFact→ Threads posts – Claim Denmark offered to buy U.S. and give free health care originated as satire
After Donald Trump offered to buy Greenland, “Denmark clapped back saying they’d buy the USA, give us free healthcare, and actually make America great again.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: UK Taxi Driver NOT Sentenced To 7 Years Because Of ‘Social Media Posts’ — From Other Offenses
Was a man in England sentenced to 7½ years in jail just because of his social media posts? No, that's not true: He was sentenced based on charges involving violence, according to the police organization handling his arrest. The man, a ta
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: LA Fire Department Did NOT Ask Public For Help In Fighting Wildfires On January 7, 2025
Did the Los Angeles Fire Department ask "anyone with firefighting experience" to assist in fighting wildfires in the area on January 7, 2025? No, that's not true: The department said it is "NOT requesting assistance from the public" in a
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, the New Orleans Saints aren’t replacing Mickey Loomis with former quarterback Drew Brees
“DEAL DONE: New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson make(s) a handshake deal of $789.5 million contract with former Saints QB Drew Brees as new general manager following Mickey Loomis departure…”
The Dispatch→ Some of My Big 2025 Questions
What the year might bring regarding U.S. productivity, manufacturing, and China’s economy.
PolitiFact→ Viral image – No, this isn’t a video of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs riding a motorcycle in prison
Video shows Sean “Diddy” Combs “riding a bike in jail.”
Full Fact→ Keir Starmer video calling some Savile claims ‘slightly frivolous’ is deepfake
A video is being shared on social media with claims it supposedly shows Mr Starmer saying some claims in the Jimmy Savile investigation were “slightly frivolous”.
PolitiFact→ Does crowdsourced fact-checking work? Experts are skeptical about Meta’s plan
As Meta ends its partnership with U.S. fact-checkers, CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the company will adopt a Community Notes model similar to X, where fact-checkers say misinformation often goes unchecked.
Full Fact→ How many children have been the victims of grooming gangs in the UK?
A widely shared estimate that a million children have been victims is not reliable, but the true total remains unclear.
The Dispatch→ A Near-Nuclear Iran Awaits Trump
The incoming administration weighs options to foil a regionally weakened Tehran’s nuclear advances.
Health Feedback→ New study from Brazil doesn’t show that COVID-19 vaccines increase risk of death in the long term
REVIEW Since their rollout in December 2020, the safety of COVID-19 vaccines has been a frequent target of misinformation. Science Feedback repeatedly addressed claims about the alleged dangers of these vaccines, showing that many such assertions we
The Dispatch→ Cross and Country
Where have all the WASPs gone?
The Dispatch→ The ATF Is an Arbitrary Regulator
Part 3 in a series.
The Dispatch→ Has World War III Begun?
Not yet, but the international order is bifurcating.
PolitiFact→ Grok AI – Grok said Biden rescinded a Medal of Freedom from ‘Trump’s campaign manager.’ That’s Pants on Fire!
President Joe Biden rescinded a Medal of Freedom given to Trump’s “campaign manager, Bradley Birkenfeld, in 2021.”
The Dispatch→ Saving Face
Trump, Facebook, and free expression.
The Dispatch→ Claims About Deficits Under Trump Are Missing Context
Debt accumulation usually derives from policies implemented before a president takes office.
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – Posts falsely claim mystery disease outbreak, state of emergency in China
China has “a mystery disease outbreak” and has declared a “state of emergency.”
PolitiFact→ Donald Trump – Congress certified Trump’s 2024 win. The next day, he falsely said votes were still being counted.
“They’re still counting the (2024 election) vote in some areas.”
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Did Elon Musk acquire Boeing? No, that’s a baseless claim
“Elon Musk has just acquired Boeing.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Actual UFOs Over Alaska Escorted By Military Aircraft — It’s Animation
Did someone in Alaska capture video in early January 2025 showing military jets flying in formation alongside saucer-shaped UFOs? No, that's not true: The UFO video was originally posted on YouTube in October 2023 and the account it came
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NASA Video Does NOT Show UFO At International Space Station
Did a NASA livestream authentically capture a "UFO" or "mysterious craft" before the stream was "abruptly cut," suggesting an intentional disruption to the video? No, that's not true: NASA told Lead Stories that the footage showed the Dra
PolitiFact→ Viral image – No, this isn’t an authentic video of Nancy Pelosi falling in the Capitol
Video shows U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., falling.
New York Times→ Fact-Checking Trump’s Press Conference at Mar-a-Lago
The president-elect made inaccurate claims about his predecessor’s energy policies and repeated familiar falsehoods on a number of topics.
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, the Cowboys’ head coach isn’t taking over as head coach for the 49ers
Mike McCarthy “to take over as Head Coach for the San Francisco 49ers."
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FBI DID Unlock Phone Of Alleged Trump Shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks, In July 2024
Have investigators been unable to unlock the phone of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman in the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, as of January 6, 2025? No, that's not true: The FBI announced in July 2024 that they had successfully
FactCheck.org→ Our Partnership with Meta Is Ending
Meta is ending its partnership with U.S. fact-checking organizations, such as ours, but we’d like to reassure our readers: FactCheck.org isn’t going anywhere. Our journalists will continue to provide nonpartisan coverage of false and misleading po
Lead Stories→ Meta Ends Third-Party Fact-Checking Partnership in the U.S.
Lead Stories was surprised and disappointed to first learn through media reports and a press release about the end of the Meta Third-Party Fact-Checking Partnership of which Lead Stories has been a part since 2019. On January 7, 2025, Joe
PolitiFact→ Meta ending third-party fact-checking partnership with US partners, including PolitiFact
Meta will end its eight-year partnership with independent American journalists, including PolitiFact, to identify false information and hoaxes on its platforms.
Full Fact→ Full Fact responds to Meta ending support for US fact checkers
Fact checkers refute allegations of bias in Meta’s ‘disappointing backwards step’ to end fact checking partnerships
The Dispatch→ Mozambique Reels from Post-Election Chaos
An opposition leader’s imminent return could intensify the widespread unrest.
The Dispatch→ Are PysOps Free Speech?
Will American justices squander the singularity?
The Dispatch→ The ATF Is a Tax Collector
Part 2 in a series.