Does a video show members of the European Parliament giving a standing ovation to the U.S. decision to permit Ukraine to strike deeper into Russia with U.S.-supplied weapons? No, that's not true: The post's caption mislabels the content o
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE CNN Video Shows Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau Crying Over Trump’s Proposed Tariffs
Does a CNN video show Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau crying in response to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pledge in November 2024 to slap tariffs on Canadian exports to the U.S.? No, that's not true: The video is from 2017 an
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Photo Does NOT Show Coffins Of 18 British Special Forces Killed In Ukraine
Does a photograph posted on X genuinely show the coffins of 18 British Special Forces being returned after they were killed in Ukraine? No, that's not true: The photo predates the Russia-Ukraine war by over a decade. It was taken in 2006
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Tom Hanks Did NOT Say He Was Leaving US — Originated From Satirical Source
Did actor Tom Hanks withdraw his 2025 Oscar nominations and leave the United States, saying "I've had enough" in an Instagram video? No, that's not true: This story comes from a self-described satirical website whose About Us page announc
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, Elon Musk did not announce a Tesla motor home
“Elon Musk reveals Tesla 2025 motorhome for under $17,000!”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Mexican President Did NOT Say Trump Tariff Threat Is Why Migrant Caravans No Longer At Border
Did Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum say that migrant caravans will no longer reach the U.S. border from her country in response to President-elect Donald Trump's threat of tariffs? No, that's not true: Sheinbaum actually said migrant
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – An old Trump campaign video with a plan for free college is mischaracterized online as new policy
Video shows President-elect Donald Trump announcing “free college education” in November 2024.
PolitiFact→ Viral image – No, abortion clinics haven’t warned of bankruptcy because of a Democratic ‘sex strike’
“Abortion clinics warn they’ll go bankrupt if Democrat ‘sex strike’ continues.”
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Smallpox was officially eradicated in 1980. It doesn’t need to be held in check by vaccines.
Smallpox was “never eradicated, it’s held in check by vaccines,” and RFK Jr. would eliminate coverage for the smallpox vaccine.
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – No, the CDC doesn’t recommend seven COVID-19 vaccine doses for 6-month-olds
“The CDC says that little 6 month old babies must get SEVEN doses of the Covid vaccine in order to be considered fully ‘up to date’ on their vaccinations.”
The Dispatch→ No, Trump Is Not ‘Constitutionally Disqualified’ From Returning to the White House Under the 14th Amendment
The Supreme Court ruled in March that states could not independently disqualify public officeholders.
Full Fact→ Viruses are real and you can ‘catch’ them
Despite claims to the contrary, viruses are real and have been sequenced many times.
Full Fact→ Picture of woman holding abortion rights sign has been edited
The original picture was posted in March 2023 with a handwritten sign in Spanish that translates to “I am the mother of the girl you will never touch”.
PolitiFact→ Threads posts – Marjorie Taylor Greene quote about Matt Gaetz, Congress members originated on satire account
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said “if every member of Congress had to resign for doing what Matt Gaetz has been accused of, Democrats would have a supermajority.’"
The Dispatch→ Happy Thanksgiving
On gratitude, conservatism, and The Dispatch.
PolitiFact→ Threads posts – Did Texas gift 355,000 acres of land to Trump for deportation camps? No, the offer was way smaller
“Texas just gifted Trump 355,000 acres for deportation camps.”
Full Fact→ No, Pfizer’s CEO did not say his company’s goal was to halve the global population
A video of Albert Bourla speaking has been edited to make it sound as if Pfizer wants to depopulate the world.
Full Fact→ Video of MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow becoming emotional on air unrelated to Elon Musk
A video clip which appears to show the American MSNBC TV host reacting to an item about Elon Musk is actually from 2018 and totally unrelated to the billionaire.
Full Fact→ Citric acid is not hidden in food to ‘poison’ the population
Almost 2,000 people have shared a post suggesting there is a plot to lower the “population’s vitality” by hiding citric acid “poison” in food.
Health Feedback→ Margarine and plastic are chemically unrelated substances, contrary to persistent online claim
REVIEW In November 2024, the claim “margarine is one molecule away from plastic” circulated on Facebook and Instagram. platforms, sometimes boosted by otherwise credible media. The gist of the claim is that margarine is essentially plastic, and
Full Fact→ Keir Starmer did not tell UK citizens to leave the country if they disagreed with Labour
A clip circulating online is from a 2023 speech, and Sir Keir Starmer’s comments were directed at Labour party members unhappy following changes made to tackle antisemitism within the party.
Full Fact→ List of organisations supposedly leaving X is mostly wrong
All but three of the organisations on the list are active on the platform and have posted within the last week.
Full Fact→ General election petition data doesn’t show it’s been signed with MPs’ names thousands of times
The petition page data actually shows the number of signatories from each MP’s constituency.
Full Fact→ Flash flooding clip in Athens is from September 2024, not ‘yesterday’
A clip showing flood water running down a street has been shared widely on social media with claims it shows scenes from Athens in November.
Full Fact→ Image of Benjamin Netanyahu in hospital is likely AI generated
An image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fake and was likely created using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Full Fact→ Audio clip of Joe Biden saying he ‘removed Imran Khan from power’ is not real
The clip has been circulating across social media platforms with many people seemingly believing Mr Biden said he removed former Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, from office.
The Dispatch→ Happy Thanksgiving!
Some good eats, fond memories, and reflections on all The Dispatch crew is thankful for this year.
The Dispatch→ Gratitude
Goldberg gives thanks.
The Dispatch→ Using Section 230 as a Roadmap to Protect Platform Openness
The new Congress can help shape the structure of online ecosystems to better serve consumers.
The Dispatch→ What Voters Really Want Is Competence
Elites exacerbate our divisions while the exhausted majority just wants a functional government.
The Dispatch→ Elon Musk, the EPA, and a Decision Worth Billions
Tesla stands to gain if the federal agency extends California’s electric vehicle rules.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Italian Prime Minister Meloni Did NOT Say Italy Opposes Biden Permitting Ukraine To Use US Weapons To Strike Inside Russia
Did Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni say Italy opposes President Joe Biden's policy change that permits Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to strike deep into Russia? No, that's not true: There is no publicly available
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar Does NOT Use Apples Coated in ‘Apeel’
Did the recipe for Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar change after the company was purchased by Katy Perry -- and now, in partnership with Bill Gates, is the vinegar brand using "Apeel apples," which contain trans fats? No, that's not true: This r
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Vaccines Do NOT Cause Liver Flukes; Parasites Come From Contaminated Food, Water, Not Vaccination
Do vaccinations cause liver flukes in the human stomach? No, that's not true: Vaccine experts contacted by Lead Stories called the notion "science fiction" and "nonsense." Liver flukes are parasites you can get from eating contaminated fo
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs Did NOT Say They Are Boycotting Pride Nights
Did the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs say they are boycotting Pride Nights? No, that's not true: Neither the Steelers nor the Chiefs have publicly stated they were boycotting Pride Nights. The post saying so did not offer any
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Disney Did NOT Say It Was Adding Kamala Harris To The Hall Of Presidents
Did Disney say it was adding Kamala Harris to its Hall of Presidents? No, that's not true: The story originated from self-described satire and parody website Mouse Trap News, which says on its site, "We write fake stories about Disney Par
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Has NOT Spent $7.5 Billion To Build Only 8 EV Charging Stations
Has the Department of Transportation under Secretary Pete Buttigieg spent $7.5 billion on only eight EV charging stations? No, that's not true: Much of the money set aside for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program has yet t
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tracis Kelce didn’t quit X and call it a ‘toxic waste dump’
Says Travis Kelce quit X and called it a “toxic waste dump.”
The Dispatch→ ‘Emergency’ Room
Major questions about Trump’s tariff threat.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Navy SEAL Team Did NOT ‘Hunt’ MS-13 Members In Los Angeles — Navy Denied
Did a Navy SEAL team based in California start "hunting MS-13 members in the greater Los Angeles area" and have they already "eliminated" 50 members of MS-13? No, that's not true: The U.S. Navy told Lead Stories that there was "no truth"