Confused about what a grand jury does? Wondering what happens when a former president is arraigned? Here’s our guide to the legalese surrounding the historic indictment of Donald Trump and what happens next.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Confirmed Link Between Antidepressants And ‘90% Of School Shootings’
Are school shootings proven to be caused predominantly by the attackers taking antidepressants? No, that's not true: No credible source has confirmed this claim since it was published in 2012. The claim reappeared in a post on Instagram o
PolitiFact→ No evidence of growing trend of trans radicalization or terrorism, experts say
After police said the perpetrator in a March 27 school shooting in Nashville was transgender, some claimed the trans movement was radicalizing people. But experts have seen no sign of that.
FactCheck.org→ Bogus Norm Macdonald Tweet Circulates in Aftermath of Nashville Shooting
Quick Take A tweet posted years ago by the late comedian Norm Macdonald has been altered to falsely claim that he’d commented on the possibility of a transgender school shooter back in 2016. A search of Macdonald’s account s
Truth or Fiction?→ Lauren Boebert ‘We Are Not A Democracy’ Quote
On March 30 2023, a screenshot shared to Reddit suggested Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) said of the United States that “we are not a democracy”: She is so dumb by u/DaFunkJunkie in WhitePeopleTwitter No date
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘QAnon Shaman’ NOT Released Early From Prison Because Of ‘Video Evidence Showing That January 6 Was A Hoax,’ ‘Inside Job’
Was Jacob Chansley, the Capitol rioter better known as the "QAnon Shaman," released early from prison to a halfway house "following video evidence showing that January 6 [2021] was a hoax" and an "inside job"? No, that's not true: The Bur
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: Has Donald Trump Been Indicted?
Former President Donald Trump (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) After weeks of speculation—Donald Trump issued a statement on March 19 claiming he would be indicted on March 21—and disinformation—social media users shared AI-generated deepfake
The Dispatch→ A Lot of Hot Air
Former President Donald Trump at a rally in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)Everyone is reacting predictably to Trump’s indictment even before we know the actual charges. Continue reading A Lot of Hot Air »
PolitiFact→ ¿Qué cuenta como un tiroteo masivo? La definición varía
En Español: Después de un tiroteo masivo en una escuela de Nashville, han surgido debates sobre las causas de esos tiroteos y cuantos han habido este año. El número exacto varía, dependiendo de las organizaciones que les dan seguimiento.
Truth or Fiction?→ San Jose Police Union ‘Grandma’ Charged in Federal Fentanyl Shipping Probe
A top official in the police union representing officers in San Jose, California was accused by federal officials of using union resources as part of a scheme to import a synthetic “analogue” to fentanyl. According to a statement from the U
Poynter→ Vast gaps in fact-checking across the US allow politicians to elude scrutiny
This story was first published on the Duke Reporters’ Lab website. The candidates running last year for an open seat in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District exchanged a relentless barrage of scathing […] The post Vast gaps in fact-checking acr
Logically→ This image does not show a recent Russian attack on a NATO base; it was taken in Syria in 2021
Full Fact→ Viral figures on benefit fraud and tax evasion are wrong
Posts on social media make a series of specific claims about losses from benefit fraud and tax evasion, and the number of people investigating both.
Full Fact→ Facebook post appealing to find missing dog’s owner is a hoax
The photo used in this post comes from a genuine post about a lost dog being found.
Health Feedback→ No evidence that a carnivore diet leads to “90% reduction in all diseases” or treats diabetes
REVIEW In March 2023, several posts on social media platforms (like this and this) shared a video that discussed several alleged benefits of adhering to a carnivore diet. The video was an excerpt from an address by diet blogger Mikhaila Peterson at
The Dispatch→ The Trump Indictment Danger
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks at a press conference in January. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)The move may cut a meandering path through the law to punish an unpopular former president.Continue reading The Trump Indictmen
Full Fact→ Comparison of minimum wage and state pension incomes is out of date
A Facebook post comparing the amount someone paid minimum wage earns with the state pension uses figures which are out of date, and lacking important context.
Health Feedback→ Mucus doesn’t cause arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and other conditions; cold weather doesn’t “detox” the body of excess mucus
REVIEW A widely-shared Facebook video, which originated on TikTok, made several claims about the role of mucus in causing various diseases. As this review will explain, mucus may be a symptom of some diseases but it is not the cause. Mucus is releas
Health Feedback→ No evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines cause “shedding”; Pfizer trial protocol doesn’t admit that vaccine shedding occurs
REVIEW One of the myths about the COVID-19 vaccines is that they cause vaccinated people to shed spike proteins. This claim circulated in the first half of 2021, often combined with the claim that COVID-19 vaccines interfere with the normal menstrua
The Dispatch→ Congressional Republicans Rally Around Trump After Indictment
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy speaks to reporters in the U.S. Capitol. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)House GOP leaders reaffirm their pledge to investigate the Manhattan district attorney. Continue reading Congressional Republi
Full Fact→ Mammogram radiation levels aren’t comparable with nuclear bomb
An old video contains false claims about the amount of radiation in mammograms and the effect of screening on death rates.
AllSides→ FactChecking Trump’s Rally, Fox Interview
https://www.factcheck.org/2023/03/factchecking-trumps-rally-fox-interview/ In his first 2024 campaign r
Logically→ George Soros did not give $1 million to the prosecutor behind Trump’s indictment
Logically→ No, Senator Ted Cruz didn’t tweet the same message after every mass shooting incident in the U.S.
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – El ejército polaco no ha entrado en la frontera rusa
“Enorme ejércitos polacos de 100 mil … entran en la frontera rusa”.
Logically→ California State Senator Scott Wiener did not pose with a book titled ‘How to Legally Kidnap Children’
Logically→ The Covenant school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee was not a false flag
The Dispatch→ Trump Indicted
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Happy Friday—and stop the count! Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories Turkey’s parliament voted to approve
Logically→ All UPI transactions will not be charged from April 1, 2023
Logically→ Norm Macdonald did not tweet about the possibility of a transgender person committing a mass shooting before his death
Logically→ Twitter users have falsely claimed a photograph shows a hospital room used to care for a victim of the recent shooting in Nashville
Washington Post→ How Kevin McCarthy manipulated Biden’s words on debt talks
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy tweeted a misleading mash-up of Biden quotes from 2011.
The Dispatch→ Trump Indicted
Will this help or hurt Trump's polls?Continue reading Trump Indicted »
The Dispatch→ The Debate Around a Bill to Ban TikTok, Explained
Sens. Mark Warner and John Thune introduce the Restrict Act at the U.S. Capitol. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)The RESTRICT Act has bipartisan support, but critics say it may not work as intended.Continue reading The Debate Around a Bill to B
The Dispatch→ Lawmakers Eye a Fix for Child Labor Problems
U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)A new bipartisan bill would up civil fines for the first time in 85 years.Continue reading Lawmakers Eye a Fix for Child Labor Problems »
The Dispatch→ The Washington Post Misfires—Again
A man fires an AR-15 a a shooting range on October 12, 2019, in Greeley, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)Its series on the AR-15 is error-ridden propaganda.Continue reading The Washington Post Misfires—Again »
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Young Man In Viral Screenshots Is NOT Nashville Shooter
Is the young man pictured in this collection of screenshots the Nashville school shooter, shown before a purported gender transition? No, that's not true: The young man in one of the photos is from Pennsylvania and was not involved in the
The Dispatch→ Did Ron Get Rolled?
(Photo by Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images)He fights! But does he win?Continue reading Did Ron Get Rolled? »
Truth or Fiction?→ 2013 Video of Pat Robertson Discussing Transgender People Resurfaces
On March 29 2023, amid escalating attacks on transgender people, journalist Miguel Petrosky shared a clip of far-right televangelist and disinformation purveyor Pat Robertson purportedly espousing a message of tolerance: This video of Pat Robertson
FactCheck.org→ Posts on Social Media Use Different Photos of Fetterman to Boost Bogus Claim
Quick Take Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman has been hospitalized since Feb. 15 for treatment of depression, an aftereffect of a stroke. Social media posts use two photos of Fetterman — taken years apart — to falsely claim the Democrats