On institutional reform and W**drow W**son dolls.
The Dispatch→ Elon Musk’s God Complex
His favorite motto, ‘vox populi, vox dei’ is theological nonsense and a dangerous lie.
The Dispatch→ If TikTok Is Banned, What Happens Next?
The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on the constitutionality of a law to ban the app or force its sale.
The Dispatch→ Thanks, Obama
Supermensch.
The Dispatch→ They Left for Their Own Country by Another Path
On the Magi—and us—this Christmas.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NYPD Has NOT Released ID Of Woman Set On Fire On Subway Car As Of December 24, 2024
Has the New York Police Department released the identity of a woman set on fire on a New York subway car as "Amelia Carter" as of December 24, 2024? No, that's not true: An agency spokesperson told Lead Stories that as of this writing, th
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Elon Musk Did NOT Purchase Boeing As Of December 24, 2024
Did Elon Musk say that he bought Boeing? No, that's not true: Musk did not announce the purchase on X, and Boeing published no such information as of this writing. No information about this supposed post has been reported on the website o
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Toronto Menorah Did NOT Get Deliberately Knocked Down On December 19, 2024
Did a menorah get deliberately knocked down on December 19, 2024, in Toronto, as a social media post implied? No, that's not true: Toronto police confirmed to Lead Stories that a car accident resulted in the menorah being knocked down tha
FactCheck.org→ ‘The Truth Matters’
During my time at FactCheck.org, I’ve saved a lot of emails and more than a few handwritten notes from grateful readers. I’ve taped some of those notes to the bookcase above my desk. “Thank you for researching facts,” one says. “The truth
The Dispatch→ Happy Holidays from The Dispatch!
What we’re reading this Christmas.
The Dispatch→ Origins of the Federal Constitution
An Advisory Opinions Christmas Special.
The Dispatch→ Trump Sows Disorder as Only He Can
The drama over the passage of a spending bill followed a familiar Trump playbook.
The Dispatch→ A Fulsome End
The American people do not have a good sense of ‘enough.’
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows Elon Musk Promoting Barbara O’Neill Remedy For Erectile Dysfunction, Prostatitis
Does an authentic video show Elon Musk promoting a Barbara O'Neill remedy for erectile dysfunction and prostatitis? No, that's not true: Two AI detection tools found that the video was likely manipulated using AI technology. Lead Stories
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Spain Did NOT Experience US-Style Shutdown For 10 Months In 2016
Was the 2016 months-long Spanish political crisis the same as a government shutdown in the U.S.? No, that's not true: Spain, unable to form a new government at the time, did not experience a gap in national funding, and most government se
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Screenshot Shows Donald Trump Called Elon Musk A ‘Two Bit Car Salesman’ On Truth Social
Did President-elect Donald Trump call Elon Musk a "two bit car salesman" in a post shared on Truth Social? No, that's not true: Lead Stories searched Trump's Truth Social account and found that he did not share such a post as of this publ
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Truth Social Post Shows Donald Trump Telling Elon Musk To ‘Stay In Your Lane’
Did President-elect Donald Trump tell Elon Musk to "stay in your lane" in a post shared to Truth Social? No, that's not true: This supposed post was fabricated. Lead Stories checked Trump's verified Truth Social account and did not find s
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Germany Did NOT Decriminalize Child Pornography Possession In 2024
Did Germany decriminalize the possession of child pornography in 2024? No, that's not true: Possession of child pornography in Germany remains a crime as of this publication. However, in some cases, German lawmakers in May 2024 reduced th
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Suspected German Christmas Market Attacker Did NOT Say ‘Allahu Akbar’ On Arrest Video
Did a Saudi Arabian immigrant suspected of driving his car into shoppers at a German Christmas market say "Allahu akbar" during a video of his arrest? No, that's not true: Lead Stories reviewed the full 52-second video of a German law enf
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Jim Carrey Was NOT Dead As Of December 15, 2024
Has actor Jim Carrey died as of December 15, 2024? No, that's not true: The actor was seen alive in public following the publication of an article that reported his supposed death. The website that published this article contained other a
The Dispatch→ Sympathy for the Devil
There’s no logic to Joe Biden’s clemency for killers.
The Dispatch→ There Are No Lost Causes
Syria has nowhere to go but up.
PolitiFact→ Here are PolitiFact’s top 10 most read politician fact-checks of 2024
PolitiFact’s most read fact-checks of politicians in 2024 answered questions about the presidential candidates’ records on debt and inflation. Here were our 10 top politician fact-checks of 2024.
The Dispatch→ Congress Avoids A Shutdown
The negotiations tested President-elect Donald Trump’s hold on the Republican conference.
The Dispatch→ Syria, Taiwan, and the New Jersey Drones
Plus: Why Ulysses S. Grant is the greatest military leader.
The Dispatch→ Khamenei’s Brilliant Failure
His strategy against Israel and the United States was working—until Hamas attacked Israel.
The Dispatch→ John Curtis Is Romney’s Successor, Not Necessarily His Follower
Utah’s new junior senator wants Trump to succeed, but vows to vote his principles.
The Dispatch→ Christmas and Hanukkah: Distinct Holidays With a Common Challenge
Plus: How the fourth Sunday of Advent bestowed the name of a Dispatcher’s daughter.
The Dispatch→ When Christmas and Hanukkah Collide
How has commercialization influenced these two holidays?
The Dispatch→ How We Named Our Daughter
A story for Advent and Christmas.
The Dispatch→ Our Best Stuff From the Week We Somehow Avoided a Government Shutdown
How Elon Musk and Donald Trump disrupted the proceedings.
The Dispatch→ Give That Woman a Ham
The year in pictures—and award-winning cutlines.
The Dispatch→ Joe Biden’s Roadside Library
Jonah’s intellectual wish list.
The Dispatch→ Commercial Possibilities
Is the culture turning rightward?
The Dispatch→ America’s Dueling Christmas Narratives
What ‘White Christmas’ and ‘Black Christmas’ can teach us today.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show New Jersey Drone ‘Spraying’ — It’s Jetliner Contrail
Does a video captured by a New Jersey resident show a drone spraying something in the sky? No, that's not true: The video showed a commercial Boeing 777 jetliner gradually descending as it nears the end of a transatlantic flight from Lond
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Weapon Fired At NJ Drone — FAKE Gunfire Added To Original Clip
Does an authentic video show a weapon being fired at a drone in New Jersey in mid-December 2024? No, that's not true: The earliest version of the video shared on social media doesn't include gunfire or video effects. Robert Earl White, wh
The Dispatch→ Revenge of the Nerds
How seriously should we take the floor revolt by House fiscal hawks?
The Dispatch→ Get Us Off This Roller Coaster
Government isn’t a thrill ride.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Samir El Hydeouchi NOT Identified As The Driver In Magdeburg Christmas Market Attack — Sam Hyde Hoax
Was Samir El Hydeouchi identified as the suspect in the December 20, 2024, vehicular attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany? No, that's not true: At the time this fact check was written, the suspect was taken into custody and