The Biden administration is offering only “$770 for people who lost everything” in the Los Angeles wildfires.
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – No, the FBI didn’t arrest the owner of a company purportedly responsible for the Los Angeles fires
“The FBI has arrested the owner of the company responsible for the fires in Los Angeles.”
PolitiFact→ Viral image – No, images of trees standing amid wildfire destruction aren’t evidence of directed energy weapons
Trees still standing amid wildfire damage in the Los Angeles area are evidence of directed energy weapons.
The Dispatch→ Nature Isn’t Healing
Corporate cronyism is bad all the time.
PolitiFact→ Viral image – No, this image doesn’t show Elon Musk, Taylor Swift at a production facility
Photo shows Elon Musk and Taylor Swift visiting “production facilities” for an energy-saving device.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Of Wildfire Burning In Hollywood Is NOT Real — AI Generated Scenes
Does a video show real wildfire scenes of firefighters in rugged terrain, fire raging and a suburban neighborhood in California? No, that's not true: This video on Facebook is AI generated. Lead Stories tracked the source of a clip in thi
The Dispatch→ Peak Trump
How long will the honeymoon last?
PolitiFact→ Fact-check: Senate confirmation hearing for Pam Bondi, attorney general nominee
We fact-checked the Senate confirmation hearing for Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump’s pick for attorney general. She said there was a peaceful transfer of power in January 2021, ignoring the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and misled about Trump’s 2021 call
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – Clip doesn’t show ‘Israeli tourists celebrating’ Los Angeles fires. It shows a 2024 Switzerland fire
Video shows “Israeli tourists celebrating” the Los Angeles wildfires.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: January 2025 LA Wildfires NOT Part Of ‘Smart City’ Project
Were the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires intentionally set to implement "smart city" technology across Los Angeles? No, that's not true: While the cause of the wildfires had not been determined at the time of writing, the "smart city"
PolitiFact→ Fact-check: Did California Gov. Gavin Newsom cut $100 million in fire prevention?
Following social media posts, Gavin Newsom said it was a “ridiculous lie” that he cut $100 million for fire prevention. The 2024-25 budget did cut wildfire funding, but that followed increases during a budget surplus.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Chuck Norris Did NOT Die In Car Accident As of January 15, 2025
Did a post on Facebook confirm that actor Chuck Norris died in a "fatal car accident" in January 2025? No, that's not true: Norris' attorney told Lead Stories that the post was "not correct" and that he had spoken with Norris the day this
PolitiFact→ Social Media – This image of an Oscar statuette destroyed in Los Angeles fires is AI-generated
An image shows Robert Redford’s Oscar statuette destroyed in the Los Angeles wildfires.
The Dispatch→ Viral Post Depicting Voting Tallies in Recent Elections Is Misleading
The graphic is outdated and cites incorrect voting tallies for each presidential election year.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: List Of MPs Did NOT Show Votes Against Deporting ‘Foreign Rapists’ — It Represents 2020 Letter Signatories
Does a list show the names of U.K. members of Parliament who voted against deporting "foreign rapists"? No, that's not true: The names on the list do belong to MPs, but it's not a voting list about legislation to deport rapists. Instead,
FactCheck.org→ $770 Payments Are Just One Form of Federal Aid to L.A. Fire Victims
Este artículo estará disponible en español en El Tiempo Latino. Quick Take President Joe Biden said victims of the California fires are eligible for a $770 payment for necessities like food and fuel. Social media posts misleadingly suggested
Health Feedback→ The human metapneumovirus (hMPV) has been circulating for decades and isn’t a side effect of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
REVIEW In January 2025, a claim began circulating online that Pfizer had “disclosed” human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infections as a side effect of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Human metapneumovirus is a respiratory virus that causes sympt
The Dispatch→ Assessing Claims That Russia Offered Sanctuary to California Fire Victims
One Russian governor did make an offer, but there are some caveats.
PolitiFact→ Threads posts – Cloud seeding can cause rain, but not somewhere as dry as Los Angeles right now
“If they wanted to stop the fires they would make it rain.”
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, Oprah Winfrey didn’t say she’s leaving the United States before inauguration day
“Oprah Winfrey announces she will leave America before January 20.”
FactCheck.org→ Competing Claims on California Fire Budget
Este artículo estará disponible en español en El Tiempo Latino. On social media, President-elect Donald Trump amplified a claim that California Gov. Gavin Newsom slashed the state’s fire budget by $100 million just months before the outbre
The Dispatch→ Los Angeles’ Destruction Was Fueled by Bad Policy—and Bad Incentives
Insurance regulations, land management, and other policies didn’t cause the fires but have made things worse.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Jake Sullivan Did NOT Say ‘Unexpected Event’ Could Keep Biden In Power During Press Briefing
Did Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser under President Joe Biden, say that an "unexpected event" that could keep the president in power is "totally possible"? No, that's not true: Those quotes appeared in a social media post tha
The Dispatch→ Claims About Hurricane Damage in North Carolina Are Mostly True
Social media posts seek to remind people of the losses caused by Hurricane Helene.
PolitiFact→ Social media is overridden with scams about a payment from the government. This one is legitimate.
Unlike online scams that ask you to click a link to receive a government payment, giveback or stimulus check, the IRS announced a legitimate automated payment of up to $1,400 to eligible people — no action required.
Full Fact→ Viral clip does not show passengers praying before Azerbaijan Airlines crash
The footage was actually taken during an Air Algérie flight that landed safely in September 2024.
PolitiFact→ Tony Evers – Does Wisconsin have record-high budget balances under Tony Evers?
“After 30 years of Wisconsin's checking account running a deficit, we've ended every fiscal year I've been governor with a positive balance. Today, we have a $4.5 billion positive balance, and a record-high balance in our state savings account."
Full Fact→ Image of supercar surrounded by flames in Los Angeles is digital creation
The picture has been circulating on social media, alongside captions that imply it’s a real scene from the US wildfires.
The Dispatch→ A Genocide Declaration in Sudan
Ongoing atrocities and worsening famine push the northeast African country to the brink.
The Dispatch→ Crisis in California
How do we fix this?
The Dispatch→ The South China Sea Comes to a Boil
Why now, what are America’s interests, and what are Trump’s options?
The Dispatch→ Senators Scrutinize Hegseth in Committee Hearing
Trump’s pick for defense secretary deflected queries about his character, but stumbled on geopolitics.
The Dispatch→ Acquiring Greenland Is a Good Idea. Threatening Force to Do So Is Not.
On Donald Trump’s expansionist rhetoric.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Welsh Refugee Council Did NOT Create Video Featuring Schoolgirls, Nor Was It Made To ‘Entice Migrant Men’
Did the Welsh Refugee Council create a video involving schoolgirls to "entice migrant men to come to Wales"? No, that's not true: The group said, "We did not create or commission the video currently being circulated." The Welsh government
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Trump Did NOT Post Map Of Finland On Truth Social
Did President-elect Donald Trump post a map of Finland on Truth Social? No, that's not true: A manual review of his account did not show such an entry as of this writing, January 14, 2025. The map in question did not correctly reflect cur
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Red-Roofed House Is NOT Real Home Unscathed By Los Angeles Fires — Google AI Image
Did a white home with a red roof survive a wildfire that leveled every other home in a Los Angeles neighborhood? No, that's not true: This aerial view does not show a real neighborhood impacted by the January 2025 fires in Los Angeles Cou
FactCheck.org→ How Trump May Be Able to Stop Biden’s Ban on New Offshore Drilling
Este artículo estará disponible en español en El Tiempo Latino. President-elect Donald Trump said that when he takes office he will “immediately” reverse President Joe Biden’s recent executive action making 625 million acres of
The Dispatch→ Letting It Rip
The era of cultural deregulation.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Of Unauthorized Drones Over White House On January 13, 2025
Did unauthorized drones fly over the White House on January 13, 2025? No, that's not true: The Civil Air Patrol, which was running drone exercises in the Washington area from January 13 to 15, 2025, told Lead Stories, "There were no unaut
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – Videos on social media show LA firefighters using professional gear, not ‘women’s handbags’
“The LAFD are using women’s handbags to hold water to put out fires.”