Elon Musk takes Washington.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Elizabeth Warren Quote About Constitutional Right to See What Happens With Tax Dollars Is Real
Is there evidence Senator Elizabeth Warren said "There is nothing in the constitution that says ordinary Americans have a right to see what we're spending tax dollars on." on January 30, 2025? No, that's not true: A review of news sites,
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Photo Does NOT Show USAID Money Found At Zelenskyy’s House — Shows 2007 Mexico Drug Bust
Does a photo of stacks of banknotes sitting in a room or basement show USAID money found in the house of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy? No, that's not true: The photo has been online since 2007 and shows money discovered in a dr
New York Times→ Fact-Checking Claims About USAID Funding
Trump administration officials have misled about how the aid agency is spending its funding, in an effort to cite widespread “waste.”
The Dispatch→ Democrats Are Out of Ideas
Partisanship is a helluva drug.
The Dispatch→ The Work of Celebration
The ‘mental load’ that’s worth it.
The Dispatch→ An Ethics of Inquiry
The philosopher Agnes Callard wants you to ask questions.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Article Describes Elon Musk Helping Child — Clickbait Story With Fictional Origin
Did an article accurately report that Elon Musk bought a gift for a child whose mother, a Starbucks cashier, was "struggling to buy a gift for her daughter"? No, that's not true: An article linked in the post that made this claim included
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Tel Aviv University Did NOT Get $581 Million From US Taxpayers; Official Data Shows Under $6 Million
Did Tel Aviv University get $581 million from American taxpayers? No, that's not true: The school received less than $6 million in U.S. government funds, an official website shows. A nonprofit data expert told Lead Stories that most of th
The Dispatch→ The Democrats’ Dilemma
Their problems run deeper than messaging.
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Elon Musk reposted a comment that said he “toppled” the USAID. He didn’t originally post it
“Elon Musk officially cancelled USAID and fired all the staff. In his words, ‘we just toppled one of the biggest globalist terror organizations in history.’”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: George Floyd Statue Was NOT Removed From National Mall In DC — It’s In New Jersey
Was the George Floyd statue removed from the National Mall in Washington in February 2025? No, that's not true: The National Park Service told Lead Stories that it had never erected a statue of Floyd on the National Mall. The image used i
The Dispatch→ The Elon Opportunity
Democrats inch toward a strategy.
PolitiFact→ Donald Trump – Trump claimed ‘60 Minutes’ replaced Harris’ interview answers. That’s not what the transcript shows.
CBS News and “60 Minutes” “replaced” former Vice President Kamala Harris’ interview answers “with completely different, and far better, answers, taken from another part of the interview.”
FactCheck.org→ Trump Wrong About U.S. Rank in Education Spending and Outcomes
Este artículo estará disponible en español en El Tiempo Latino. As justification for dismantling the federal Department of Education, President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that U.S. schools are “ranked 40 out of 40” in educat
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – No, US Army Black Hawk helicopter not the same model as chopper in Kobe Bryant’s crash
The U.S. Army helicopter in the Jan. 29 plane collision was the same model of helicopter in the 2020 Kobe Bryant crash.
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – Unfounded claims that plane crashes were human sacrifices for the Super Bowl spread online
Recent plane crashes in the United States were “human sacrifice rituals” for the Super Bowl.
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – You need to calm down. Taylor Swift has not been banned from attending this year’s Super Bowl
“Breaking news: Taylor Swift officially banned from Super Bowl 2025.”
The Dispatch→ No, Moderna Did Not Create Its COVID Vaccine Two Years Before the Pandemic
Social media claims are false.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Trump Administration Is NOT Giving Every Adult In US $18,000
Is the administration of President Donald Trump giving every adult in the United States $18,000? No, that's not true: As of February 7, 2025, the administration had made no such announcement. A post claiming it did directed viewers to a n
PolitiFact→ Threads posts – No, Elon Musk didn’t say Italians, Japanese should stay in their respective countries
“Elon Musk says Italians should stay in Italy and the Japanese in Japan.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Mexican President Did NOT Say She Thought Americans Encouraged Felons, Rapists To Come To US Since That’s Who They Chose As President
Did Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum say she thought Americans encouraged felons and rapists to come to the United States since "that's what they chose to be their president"? No, that's not true: There is no evidence Sheinbaum made su
PolitiFact→ Viral image – No, this webpage isn’t evidence of the Trump team ‘trolling’ Kamala Harris
An image of a website error code shows the Trump administration “trolling” former Vice President Kamala Harris.
PolitiFact→ Social Media – No, this graphic isn’t proof that USAID paid Chelsea Clinton $84 million
Graphic shows that the U.S. Agency for International Development paid Chelsea Clinton $84 million.
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – No, USAID didn’t pay Hollywood actors millions of dollars to visit Ukraine
An E! News report said USAID paid millions of dollars to sponsor American celebrity visits to Ukraine.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence NATO Sending Troops To Greenland To Defend It From US
Is NATO sending troops to Greenland to defend it from the United States? No, that's not true: A NATO official called the claim "unfounded," and, additionally, there's no evidence of deployment due to threats from Donald Trump. However, so
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Initial reports that people survived Potomac plane crash aren’t proof the ‘story isn’t adding up’
Early reports of four survivors show “this DC plane crash story isn’t adding up.”
PolitiFact→ Marco Rubio – Marco Rubio supported USAID as a senator. As secretary of state, he backs gutting it.
On support for U.S. Agency for International Development
Full Fact→ Question Time ‘slip of the tongue’ on Trump voters
Full Fact→ Has the UK promised to give Ukraine £3 billion a year for the next 100 years?
The money is part of a 100 Year Partnership Declaration, but has been promised until 2030/31 and for “as long as needed to support Ukraine”.
PolitiFact→ Do Elon Musk and DOGE have power to cut spending, close agencies?
Is the Department of Government Efficiency a real government agency? Can it cut spending and close agencies? Legal experts told us they see little constitutional or legal support for the idea that the executive branch can act alone to overturn what Con
PolitiFact→ Trump ordered a hiring freeze. Did it include air traffic controllers as Rep. Jasmine Crockett said?
The White House said its federal hiring freeze never included air traffic controllers. But before the Jan. 29 helicopter and jet crash, the controllers union and some lawmakers said it was unclear whether the freeze affected them.
Full Fact→ Picture of Mexican president wearing a ‘Make America Mexicana Again’ hat is fake
The image was likely generated using artificial intelligence.
Full Fact→ Photo of Nadia Whittome MP with ‘rapists welcome’ placard has been edited
The image circulating on social media shows Ms Whittome, among others, at a Stand Up To Racism demonstration in October 2024, but the text on the placard has been edited.
Climate Feedback→ Cattle have numerous impacts on Earth’s climate and natural environments, despite misconceptions
Key Takeaways: There were 1.5 billion cattle on Earth in 2022 – that’s more cattle than there are people in any single country right now; Cattle production emits greenhouse gases both through enteric fermentation (i.e., gas produced from digestion
The Dispatch→ Syria’s New Government Takes Shape
The Syrian president gestures at democracy, but experts advise caution.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Story About Arrest Of USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong Originated On Site With Satire Disclaimer
Did a story about JAG arresting Phyllis Fong, the USDA inspector general who defied her dismissal by President Donald Trump, originate on a news website? No, that's not true: The story first appeared on Real Raw News, a site with a legal
The Dispatch→ Bluffing with Bravado
‘America’s great now, thank you.’
The Dispatch→ Born Against
Whatever these people are, it's not conservative.
The Dispatch→ GOP Senators on the Fence Fall Into Line
Meetings, a letter, and calls from J.D. Vance erode initial opposition to Trump’s Cabinet nominees.