What's driving down US overdose deaths?
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Millie Bobby Brown Did NOT Say Being Deported Is ‘Not The End Of The World’ And ‘There’s A Literal Genocide In Gaza.’ — Fake Quote
Did Millie Bobby Brown say that being deported is not the end of the world, and that "there's a literal genocide in Gaza"? No, that's not true: The fake quote attributed to Brown originated from an account that frequently posts fake quote
PolitiFact→ Donald Trump – Trump says the U.S. leads China ‘by a lot’ in AI. Experts say that lead is measured by a few months
In artificial intelligence, “We're leading China by a lot.”
The Dispatch→ Dispatch Politics Roundup: The District of Cold
Your weekly roundup from Washington, D.C.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NBA Star Anthony Edwards Did NOT Donate $514,000 Game Check To ICE
Did NBA star Anthony Edwards donate a $514,000 game check to ICE? No, that's not true: The account that posted the message is run by a writer for 'The Simpsons' using the name "Gene Parmesan," a character from 'Arrested Development.' Edwa
The Dispatch→ Paying for Power in the Age of AI
Will consumers foot the bill for booming energy demand?
Full Fact→ Currys is not offering a new Xbox for £3 as reward for completing a survey
Currys has said the offer being shared in Facebook posts and adverts is not a genuine one from them.
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Aspirin Use and Doctors’ Recommendations
President Donald Trump has said on multiple occasions in recent months that he takes a “large” dose of aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease. His comments could perpetuate a common misperception, so we wanted to clarify the current science and
Full Fact→ What did Reform UK candidate Matt Goodwin say about Manchester in 2023?
Reform UK has accused Labour of sharing a misleading video featuring past comments from its Gorton and Denton by-election candidate.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Parody X Post Telling J.D. Vance To ‘Go F*ck A Couch’ Not From Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s Actual X Account
Did Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey tell Vice President J.D. Vance to "go fuck a couch" in an X post? No, that's not true: Vance did quote a real post from Frey on X in a discussion about law enforcement and other people needing to feel safe
The Dispatch→ Will DHS Funding Cause a Shutdown?
Plus: FBI raids Fulton County election hub, the Fed holds interest rates stable, and Nicki Minaj is a Trump stan.
The Dispatch→ What’s Next for TikTok
Great job all around, guys. Great work, Congress.
The Dispatch→ The Allure of Magical Realism
The administration’s National Defense Strategy is heavy on politics and skimps on policy.
The Dispatch→ In the Shadow of the Islamic Republic
The regime in Iran is on the verge of collapse. But it needs a push.
The Dispatch→ An Unpopular Populist Fights On
In a coastal Georgia enclave, a local woman is fighting to preserve her version of the past. Her neighbors see things differently.
The Dispatch→ Principle Insurance
The Second Amendment for me, but not for thee.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Alex Pretti Was NOT Fired From Hospital For Inappropriate Behavior Months Before He Was Killed By Feds — It’s Viet Spam
Was Alex Pretti fired over complaints of inappropriate conduct with patients three months before federal agents fatally shot him on a Minneapolis street? No, that's not true: The claim was started by a spam factory based in Vietnam that u
The Dispatch→ The Fall Gal
Firing Kristi Noem would be a simulacrum of accountability.
PolitiFact→ Jared Moskowitz – Under Trump, more FEMA disaster assistance applications are in limbo for longer
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s “backlog of unanswered disaster assistance applications has exploded to the largest in its history.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Democratic Candidate For Ohio Attorney General Elliot Forhan DID Say ‘I’m Going To Kill Donald Trump’ In TikTok Video
Did Elliot Forhan, a Democrat running to be Ohio's attorney general, post a video on TikTok in which he says "I'm going to kill Donald Trump"? Yes, that's true: Forhan, who served one term in the Ohio legislature, shared a 41-second-long
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: CBS Did NOT Report Kazmierczak, Alleged Attacker Of Congresswoman Omar, On Payroll At Winery Co-Owned By Omar’s Spouse
Did "CBS Investigative News" report that the man arrested after spraying a liquid on Congresswoman Ilhan Omar at a Minneapolis town hall meeting was on the payroll of a winery co-owned by her husband? No, that's not true: There's no recor
FactCheck.org→ As ICE Arrests Increased, a Higher Portion Had No U.S. Criminal Record
While the Trump administration insists that it is targeting the “worst of the worst” in its immigration enforcement, it has not provided information to substantiate that, and the data that is available suggests the claim has become less ac
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Image Shows Ilhan Omar Posing With Attacker Anthony Kazmierczak As If Promoting Fiji Water — AI-Generated, It Originated From Parody Account
Did Ilhan Omar pose smiling with Anthony Kazmierczak who was holding up a bottle of Fiji water and flashing a cash fan? No, that's not true: This AI-generated image is one of several published by an X account. The account has a disclaimer
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Of Alex Pretti’s Gun Misfiring In ICE Agent’s Hand Is NOT Just ‘AI-Enhanced’ — It’s ‘AI-Generated’
Does a video showing a muzzle flash, smoke, and sparks from a bullet hitting pavement accurately show the handgun taken from Alex Pretti misfiring just before he was fatally shot by ICE agents in Minneapolis? No, that's not true: The shor
PolitiFact→ JD Vance – JD Vance wrong that Minneapolis ranks No. 1 in unauthorized immigrants.
"Right now we're focused on Minneapolis because that's where we have the highest concentration of people who have violated our immigration laws."
Full Fact→ Fake Argos promotions claim Samsung Galaxy phones sold at 99% discount
Facebook posts and adverts say the offer can be claimed by completing a short survey.
Full Fact→ Viral video of man dumping rubbish in water was filmed in Mumbai, not London
The false claim has more than 8,000 shares despite Mumbai landmarks being clearly visible in the background.
Full Fact→ Green Party by-election bar chart claim is misleading
An image shared by the party and its leader Zack Polanski claims figures from a projection show “only the Greens can stop Reform” in Gorton and Denton, even though the model suggests Labour will win.
The Dispatch→ Why Is Crime Down in America?
Plus: Lawmakers call for Noem’s removal, the FAA is blamed for last year’s fatal Washington plane crash, and elephants get contraceptives.
Full Fact→ No, Argos isn’t selling Nintendo Switch 2s for less than £5
Argos has confirmed this isn’t a genuine offer, despite posts being shared on social media claiming otherwise.
The Dispatch→ The States and Federal Government are Coequal | Interview: Matt Franck
Constitutional penumbra.
The Dispatch→ Worse Than Lying
The Trump administration doesn’t care what the truth is in the Alex Pretti killing.
The Dispatch→ Europe Stood Up to Donald Trump. What Next?
The damage done to the transatlantic relationship will not be easy to fix.
The Dispatch→ Thom Tillis and the Power of a Single Senator
As his Senate career winds down, can the North Carolina Republican throw a wrench in the chamber’s gears?
The Dispatch→ The Cost of Silence
Enough.
The Dispatch→ Let’s Be Honest About Public Health Guidance
How to think about two different sets of recommendations from RFK Jr.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Alex Pretti’s Nursing License Was NOT Expired When He Was Fatally Shot By Ice Agents — Good Until April
Was Alex Pretti's nursing license expired when he was shot to death by ICE agents on a Minneapolis street on January 24, 2026? No, that's not true: The Minnesota Board of Nursing's online credential search webpage showed Pretti's register
The Dispatch→ Thin ICE
A surprise retreat in Minneapolis.
PolitiFact→ X posts – Social media users spread AI-manipulated image of Alex Pretti holding gun
An image shows Alex Pretti holding a gun, not a phone, while pinned by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.
FactCheck.org→ Patel’s Remarks Conflict With Minnesota Gun Law
Minnesota allows individuals with a permit to carry a gun in public, concealed or not, and there is no state law against having a gun while at a demonstration. That contradicts FBI Director Kash Patel’s claim suggesting that “you cannot br