Does a photo authentically show rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs' home being destroyed by the January 2025 Los Angeles fires? No, that's not true: This is not Combs' house. Rather, the photo shows an Ohio mansion that burned down in 2014, predat
The Dispatch→ Viral Claims About Vaccine Side Effects Are Misleading
An old filing from Pfizer is being misrepresented.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Post’s Video Clips Do NOT Show Real Footage Of LA Fires
Do various video clips in a social media post show authentic footage of the Los Angeles County wildfires burning in January 2025? No, that's not true: These clips show evidence of being generated by artificial intelligence. We could not l
PolitiFact→ Threads posts – No, this still isn’t proof former President Barack Obama was born in Kenya
Image shows former President Barack Obama was born in Kenya.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: California Did NOT Delay Oregon Firetrucks For Emissions Testing
Did California delay firetrucks sent by Oregon due to concerns over emissions standards? No, that's not true. A spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection told Lead Stories, "No emissions or SMOG testing wa
Full Fact→ Plane crash video not linked to fires in LA
The footage actually shows a plane that crashed in Chile in January 2024.
The Dispatch→ Equipment Donations to Ukraine Did Not Hinder L.A. Firefighting Efforts
The surplus gear that the LAFD sent had already been replaced by newer equipment.
Full Fact→ Has the OECD said the UK is on track to become the ‘fastest growing economy in Europe’?
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy claimed the OECD is “confident” this is the case, but it actually projects several European countries will have higher growth than the UK in 2025 and 2026.
The Dispatch→ Foreign Distractions
Trump’s stated designs on Greenland and Panama aren’t about strategic locations or trade.
The Dispatch→ Fires Continue to Rage in Los Angeles
For Californians, finger-pointing by public officials adds ‘insult to injury’ amid the ongoing disaster.
The Dispatch→ Trump’s White House Prepares to Exert Its Strength on a GOP Congress
Expect a concentrated focus on the 2026 midterms—and beyond.
The Dispatch→ An Idol of Autonomy
How the push for medical aid in dying distorts our understanding of life.
The Dispatch→ How Early Christians Became a Family
Plus: What will happen to Syria’s religious minorities?
The Dispatch→ Can I Call You Brother? Sister?
How language shapes relationships in Christianity.
The Dispatch→ Will the World Protect Syria’s Religious Minorities?
The new regime in Damascus brings questions and opportunities.
The Dispatch→ Our Best Stuff on January 6, Global Unrest, and the ATF
Plus, wildfires devastate Los Angeles.
The Dispatch→ Deadly Demosclerosis
Remnant-brandt and The Dispatch Masters
The Dispatch→ Useless at Best, Murderous at Worst
Adam Kirsch’s ‘On Settler Colonialism’ captures the futility of the anti-Israel ideology—but undersells its danger.
The Dispatch→ Three Interpretations of ‘Nosferatu’
An allegory, a nightmare, and a gateway.
Internet Archive→ President Biden Remarks on December Jobs Report & Economy : CSPAN : January 10, 2025 8:35pm-8:58pm EST
President Biden delivered remarks on the December 2024 jobs report, which showed the unemployment rate lowering to 4.1% after 256,000 jobs were added in the final month of the year. He also discussed new sanctions on Russian gas, his economic record, a
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: LA Mayor Karen Bass Did NOT Slash LAFD Budget Before January 2025 Wildfires — Budget Increased by 7%
Did Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and the city council cut the fire department's budget before the January 2025 wildfires? No, that's not true: While the initial 2024-25 budget for the Los Angeles Fire Department reduced spending by about
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Weather Channel Did NOT Show Human Remains On Live Broadcast About January 2025 California Wildfires
Did the Weather Channel show human remains on live TV reporting on California wildfires in January 2025? No, that's not true: The channel denied this, saying it was debris. In response to Lead Stories, its representative shared an image f
PolitiFact→ Threads posts – If wildfires leave blue items unburned, does it prove directed-energy weapons were involved? No
“Blue items that survive” California wildfires are “indicative of DEW's (Directed Energy Weapons)”
The Dispatch→ Urban Dismay
Cities decline when leaders put lofty visions ahead of competent governance.
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Video doesn’t show a man saving a bunny from the 2025 California wildfires. It’s from 2017.
Video shows a man saving a bunny during the 2025 Los Angeles fires.
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Blame Claims About Wildfire Response
Este artículo estará disponible en español en El Tiempo Latino. As wildfires continued to rage in Southern California, President-elect Donald Trump took to social media with several false and misleading claims casting blame on California’s
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Gordon Ramsay Did NOT ‘Boot’ Lia Thomas Out Of His Restaurant Saying ‘I Don’t Let Woke People Dine Here’ — It’s From Satire Article
Did celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay kick athlete Lia Thomas out of his restaurant, saying, "I don't let woke people dine here"? No, that's not true: This story originally appeared on a website with a satire disclaimer that's known for publis
The Dispatch→ Left Behind
Senate Democrats move right on immigration.
PolitiFact→ Social Media – The Hollywood sign wasn’t on fire as of Jan. 10. This image is fake
Image shows the Hollywood sign was on fire as of Jan. 8.
PolitiFact→ New Meta content rules let users call LGBTQ+ people ‘mentally ill.’ Here’s what medical experts say.
Meta released new community standards that let Facebook, Instagram and Threads posts call LGBTQ+ people “mentally ill.” Being gay or trans is not a mental health disorder, medical experts say. Here are the facts.
PolitiFact→ Fact-check: Los Angeles fires fuel falsehoods, including by Trump about water management
President-elect Donald Trump blamed California’s devastating wildfires on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s water policy, and social media users revived Trump’s past criticism of the state’s forest management. We took a closer look at the claims.
The Dispatch→ No, Dam Removal Is Not Responsible for Los Angeles Water Shortages
Southern California does not receive any water from the Klamath River, where dams were removed.
PolitiFact→ Viral image – No, this isn’t an authentic video of Snoop Dogg, Dr. Mehmet Oz, promoting lung disease treatment
Video shows Dr. Mehmet Oz and rapper Snoop Dogg promoting treatment for chronic lung diseases.”
PolitiFact→ X posts – No, this video doesn’t show directed energy weapons being used amid the Los Angeles wildfires
Video shows directed energy weapons starting fires in California.
The Dispatch→ What’s Next for TikTok?
Does the TikTok ban violate the First Amendment?
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Photo Shows Melania Trump Holding President Jimmy Carter Funeral Program Upside Down
Is a photo that shows Melania Trump holding the President Jimmy Carter funeral program upside down authentic? No, that's not true: The image of President-elect Donald Trump's wife at the January 2025 funeral for Carter holding a program u
PolitiFact→ Can Donald Trump vote, travel internationally or own a gun after New York felony sentence?
President-elect Donald Trump received his felony sentence Jan. 10. He retains his right to vote in Florida, but loses the right to own a gun. Some countries’ rules bar entry for felons, but their leaders can make exceptions.
PolitiFact→ Viral image – No, this Nevada high school didn’t issue a ‘masturbation notice’ to students
McQueen High School in Nevada issued a “masturbation notice” to students.
PolitiFact→ Viral image – No, actor Tom Hanks didn’t die in a ‘fatal’ New Year car accident
Actor Tom Hanks died in a “fatal car accident.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Wildfires DON’T Always Burn Trees Along With Cars
If a wildfire destroys cars, must it always destroy nearby trees as well? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found other examples of wildfires sparing trees while nearby cars and houses were incinerated. Experts explain that trees generall