Is Social Security out of money for payouts to be made starting June 1, 2025? No, that's not true: This was implied by a post on Threads that did not cite any official document, did not link to expert analysis or provided no financial rec
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Article Excerpt Says Baseball Player Juan Soto Joined Mets Due To Pro-Trump Views Of Yankees Teammates
Does a genuine news article accurately report that baseball player Juan Soto joined the New York Mets partly due to the pro-Trump views of his former Yankees teammates? No, that's not true: Soto's agent, Scott Boras, told Lead Stories suc
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: New York Times Did NOT Publish Opinion Column With Headline ‘The Glorification Of Luigi Mangione Is Inherently Anti-Israeli’
Did The New York Times publish an opinion article titled, "The Glorification of Luigi Mangione Is Inherently Anti-Israeli"? No, that's not true: A representative of The New York Times told Lead Stories that the organization "did not publi
FactCheck.org→ Posts Wrongly Conflate U.S.-China Prisoner Swap with Biden’s Recent Pardons
Este artículo estará disponible en español en El Tiempo Latino. Quick Take President Joe Biden granted pardons and commutations to more than 1,500 individuals on Dec. 12. Social media posts wrongly claim those pardoned included a Chinese nati
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Brian Thompson From UK Did NOT Die In Ambulance ‘Held Up By Anti Tax Activists’– He Never Existed
Did a man named Brian Thompson from Romford, U.K., die in an ambulance after "anti tax activists" blocked the roads with "Lamborghini tractors"? No, that's not true: The image of the supposedly deceased man on social media was AI generate
PolitiFact→ Biden’s big clemency move and a prisoner swap with China: Here are the facts
After President Joe Biden announced dozens of pardons and commutations Dec. 12, critics pointed to clemency given to a Chinese man convicted in a child pornography case. That move was part of an earlier deal with China to free U.S. prisoners.
The Dispatch→ The Two Populisms
Jacobins, law and order, and murder.
The Dispatch→ When Crazy Begets Crazy
We need both the Republican and Democratic parties to get right again.
PolitiFact→ Threads posts – These photos don’t show the mysterious, unidentified drones reported in New Jersey since November
Photos show mysterious drones reported flying over parts of New Jersey in November and December 2024.
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – Edited video shows Mitch McConnell with bandaged head
Video shows Mitch McConnell appearing in a press conference with a bandage around his head.
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Fakers gonna fake: No, Taylor Swift and Elon Musk aren’t promoting energy-saving devices together
Images show Taylor Swift with Elon Musk promoting a household energy consumption reduction device.
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – Social media post mischaracterizes Sen. John Thune’s comments about potential Social Security cuts
“After meeting with Elon Musk, Republican leader Sen. John Thune announces plans to cut Social Security.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Talking About Nancy Pelosi
Does a video show UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson talking about working with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi? No, that's not true: The Brian Thompson in the video is a different person. The Thompson in the video is an entrepreneur;
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Videos Do NOT Show Armed Drones In New Jersey Firing Weapons In December 2024 — It’s A Marine Helicopter, Military Confirms
Do videos in a social media post show drones firing weapons in New Jersey in December 2024? No, that's not true: A military spokesperson at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst told Lead Stories that both videos show a "U.S. Marine helicopter
The Dispatch→ Was Trump Impeached for Investigating Hunter Biden?
Viral claims are missing context and do not accurately describe the first Trump impeachment.
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, 600 bodies weren’t discovered in North Carolina because of Hurricane Helene
Six hundred body bags were “filled the first day” of Hurricane Helene recovery in North Carolina.
PolitiFact→ Viral image – No evidence ex-Syrian President Bashar Assad is opening an eye clinic in Russia
“Dr. Assad will return to ophthalmology after being deposed as president of Syria and plans to set up an eye clinic in Russia.”
Full Fact→ Clip from Kentucky shooting range misleadingly shared as scenes in Syria
The clip has been shared on social media with claims it shows Syrian government forces firing at the rebel group HTS in the city of Hama.
Full Fact→ Health secretary’s claims on smoking aren’t supported by the evidence
The health secretary is wrong to say most smokers will never be able to quit.
Full Fact→ Full Fact AI supports African fact checkers in year of elections
Half the world’s population lives in a country that held an election in 2024. Over 70 countries went to the polls, making it a busy year for fact checkers.
The Dispatch→ What’s Next For Ukraine?
As Trump and Zelensky make nice, Biden pushes weapons out the door.
Full Fact→ Clip shows US Navy testing, not pirates being shot at
The clip has more than 2,000 shares on social media with claims it shows pirates being shot at.
The Dispatch→ Private School Che Guevara
Luigi Mangione is no folk hero.
The Dispatch→ History Will Not Have Mercy on Joe Biden
The defining qualities of Joe Biden the political man were arrogance and dishonesty.
The Dispatch→ Child Identity Theft Is a Huge Problem. The Solutions Are Simple.
The Social Security Administration and the IRS just need to do their jobs.
The Dispatch→ No Labels Shrugs Off 2024 and Looks Ahead to Midterms
Despite its dashed hopes of fielding a third-party presidential ticket, the group is forging ahead.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Mitch McConnell’s Head Was NOT Bandaged After Fall At Senate Republican Lunch In December 2024 — Old Clip Was Edited
Does an authentic video show Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in December 2024 with a large white bandage around his head, standing mute at a lectern, when a woman asks if his head is "OK after that fall"? No, that's not true: An
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Nicotine Does NOT Cure Or Dissolve Brain Tumors, Is Linked To Health Risks
Does nicotine eliminate brain tumors? No, that's not true: A brain cancer expert from the University of Nebraska Medical Center said nicotine doesn't help and may actually reduce a person's chances of recovering from brain tumors or cance
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Prove Existence Of Program That ‘Literally’ Deposits $20,000 Into Bank Accounts To Pay Off Credit Card Debt
Does a video on social media offer any evidence of a program that gives people $20,000 so they can use the money to pay off their credit card debt? No, that's not true: The clip only showed two images of some bank account transactions of
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Oprah Winfrey Said She Is Leaving US Over 2024 Presidential Election Results
Did Oprah Winfrey say she was leaving the U.S. in response to the 2024 presidential election results as a social media post claimed? No, that's not true: She was still in the U.S. hosting a podcast event at her California home after this
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Trump Said ‘I’m Naturally Selfish’
Did Donald Trump say, "I'm naturally selfish, and the idea of representing the interests of others is alien to me"? No, that's not true: The statement is part of a supposed 1990 quote attributed to Trump that has been on social media sinc
The Dispatch→ The Ascension of the Silicon Valley Mafia
David Sacks’ role as Trump’s AI and crypto czar is another sign of tech leaders’ political awakening.
PolitiFact→ Threads posts – No, Texas didn’t criminalize pride flags in classrooms
“Texas declares bringing a pride flag to the classroom a crime.”
The Dispatch→ Jailbreak
On the resignation of Christopher Wray.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: George Clooney Did NOT Leave US Permanently For UK Because He ‘Can’t Take The Red Wave Anymore’
Did George Clooney leave the United States permanently for England after Donald Trump was elected president in 2024, with Clooney saying he "can't take the red wave anymore"? No, that's not true: This originated from SpaceX Fanclub, a Fac
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Real ‘Drone Over’ New Jersey — Video Was Digitally Created
Does a video shared to X in early December 2024 authentically show a drone flying over New Jersey? No, that's not true: The original poster described the video as having been "created digitally." It was shared online after unexplained "po
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘Pro-Vaccine’ Surgeon Did NOT Die Of COVID-19 Vaccine-Related Heart Attack
Did South African trauma surgeon Dr. Vicky Jennings die after "suffering a sudden heart attack" related to COVID-19 vaccination, as implied by social media posts? No, that's not true: Jennings' colleague and head of department told Lead S
PolitiFact→ Threads posts – No, Elon Musk didn’t say he’s running for California governor
“Elon Musk said he might run for governor of California.”
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, this isn’t an authentic video of Kevin Costner, Dr. Mehmet Oz, discussing lung disease treatment
Video shows actor Kevin Costner and Dr. Mehmet Oz discussing treatment for chronic lung diseases.
The Dispatch→ Did Pete Hegseth ‘Visit the 9/11 Memorial in His Underwear’?
A viral claim is false. Hegseth visited Ground Zero after a charity swimming event to honor veterans.