Quick Take Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on April 4 to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records to conceal alleged hush money payments. Social media posts misleadingly claim Trump is “facing up to
The Dispatch→ An Update on Ukraine
Ukrainian soldiers are seen on the frontline of Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Photo by Muhammed Enes Yildirim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Fighting continues in Bakhmut as Ukrainian forces prepare for a possible spring counteroffensive.Continue reading
Poynter→ Don’t fall for these fake Donald Trump mug shots. He didn’t take one
Supposed mug shots of former President Donald Trump have circulated on social media for weeks, beginning after his March 18 Truth Social post announcing his impending arrest. In some pictures, he’s wearing […] The post Don’t fall for th
Health Feedback→ Kaposi’s sarcoma is an opportunistic cancer that occurs in advanced AIDS patients; it’s not caused by poppers
REVIEW In 2021, an estimated 650,000 people died of AIDS-related illnesses worldwide. When untreated, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infections progress to a chronic condition known as Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or AIDS. AIDS is potentia
The Dispatch→ The Voters Are Trying to Tell You Something
A difficult week for the GOP. Continue reading The Voters Are Trying to Tell You Something »
The Dispatch→ Texas’ Bad Bet on Gambling
The croupier holds poker cards in his hands at a table in a casino. (Photo from Getty Images.)State-cartel gambling doesn’t provide the path to economic prosperity its backers claim.Continue reading Texas’ Bad Bet on Gambling »
The Dispatch→ The Middle East Braces for a Nuclear Iran
Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Beijing, China, on Thursday. (Photo by Iranian Foreign Ministry/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Saudi Arabia eyes dip
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘Easter’ Does NOT Have Etymological Link To Babylonian Deity And Infant Sacrifices
Did the tradition of Easter and egg-dying originate as a celebration of Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of fertility and sexuality? No, that's not true: Easter is related to the Germanic Ostern, a Christian holiday that celebrates the deat
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: CNN Did NOT Cut Off Benjamin Watson Because He Spoke About Jesus During Brooke Baldwin Interview
Did CNN cut Benjamin Watson off in mid-sentence during an interview because the NFL star started talking about Jesus? No, that's not true: Watson, who was at the time a tight end for the New Orleans Saints, was interviewed via satellite f
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Appearance Of ’33 COVID Cases’ Phrase In Multiple News Clips Does NOT Prove Pandemic Conspiracy
Does a string of edited-together U.S. news clips with the words "33 COVID cases" in one form or another in each prove that COVID-19 and the pandemic were fabricated or orchestrated? No, that's not true: The cherry-picked soundbites -- all
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Poster Does NOT Show A Real War Recruiting Campaign Launched By Ukraine In The U.S. To Target Low-Income Populations
Does a viral snapshot of a poster portray authentic recruiting efforts of Ukraine to encourage the homeless and welfare recipients in the United States to join the fight against Russia? No, that's not true: The rumor was promoted by Kreml
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – Those tweets are fake. Florida doctor didn’t say COVID vaccines were ‘actual poison’
A doctor tweeted that she doesn’t regret giving the COVID-19 vaccine, “even if it turns out I injected you with actual poison and you only have days to live.”
The Dispatch→ Pardon Me?
Former President Donald Trump sits with his attorneys inside the courtroom during his arraignment on April 4, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Timothy A. Clary/Getty Images)The politics of clemency for Donald J. Trump.Continue reading Pardon Me? »
Truth or Fiction?→ New Study is Last Call for Disinformation about ‘Healthy’ Moderate Drinking
A new study by Canadian researchers not only sheds corrective light on previous studies on the effects of alcohol — it also pierces through decades of folklore and corporate messaging on the subject. “It’s often been thought that wine
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Woke Free Tampons’ and ‘Period Poverty’ in the United States
On April 5 2023, a Reddit user shared a link about “woke free tampons” and “period poverty” to the subreddit r/politics: Teens, experts say free period products in schools isn’t ‘woke’ — it’s
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Zelenskyy Did NOT Say He Won’t Take A Call From Chinese Leader Xi Jinping
Did Volodymyr Zelenskyy announce that he would "no longer take a call from Xi Jinping?" No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the Ukrainian president made the comment about Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Lead Stories previously debun
FactCheck.org→ Biden’s 2022 Remarks Not Related to Trump Indictment, Contrary to Online Posts
Quick Take Social media posts and former President Donald Trump are sharing an edited video of President Joe Biden to make the unfounded claim that Biden “is coordinating these Trump indictments.” Biden’s comments, mad
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – Report doesn’t prove COVID-19 vaccines caused excess deaths
Report proves that COVID-19 vaccines caused 300,000 excess deaths in 2022.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Manhattan DA Arrested — Video Just Shows Alvin Bragg Leaving His Office
Does this video show Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, arrested? No, that's not true: Video used in a claim is from The Associated Press (AP) and in reality the AP caption is, "Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg seen leaving office" on
Full Fact→ Traffic cameras in Leeds city centre cannot ‘capture faces’
A video on Facebook claims that “scanners” have been positioned on lamp posts in Leeds to capture pedestrians’ faces.
Full Fact→ New speed cameras with a limit of 72mph haven’t been set up on the M1 or M25
Claims that cameras enforcing a maximum speed of 72mph are being activated have been shared online.
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: Image of Donald and Melania Trump With Stormy Daniels Has Been Altered
A digitally altered image is circulating online purporting to show Donald and Melania Trump alongside Stormy Daniels, who has alleged she had a sexual encounter with Donald Trump in 2006. The original photograph was taken of the Trumps at the 2005 Fas
Full Fact→ Video clips don’t show Buzz Aldrin admitting he never went to the Moon
Three out-of-context interview clips have been shared as apparent evidence the astronaut never walked on the Moon.
PolitiFact→ Tom Fitton – No, former President Donald Trump is not ‘officially a political prisoner’
“President Trump is officially a political prisoner.”
Full Fact→ London is not ‘55% non-white’
Data from the 2021 Census shows it’s closer to 46%.
Full Fact→ 5G isn’t going to activate Marburg virus hidden in vaccines
There’s no evidence for false claims on social media stating Marburg virus is hidden in the Covid-19 vaccine and will be activated by 5G.
Logically→ Old speech by President Joe Biden misrepresented, falsely linked to former President Donald Trump’s indictment
Logically→ Donald Trump falsely claimed that crime rates in Manhattan have reached record levels
Full Fact→ The Government did not spend £37 billion on the NHS Test and Trace app
A post on Instagram has claimed that £37 billion was “wasted” on the NHS Test and Trace app when it actually cost about £35 million in its first year.
The Dispatch→ Chicago Has a New Mayor
Brandon Johnson speaks after being projected winner as mayor Tuesday in Chicago. (Photo by Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images)Plus: Wisconsin has a new Supreme Court justice.Continue reading Chicago Has a New Mayor »
Poynter→ Fact check: Donald Trump’s post-indictment speech at Mar-a-Lago
Hours after appearing in a Manhattan courtroom devoid of television cameras, with limited photography and encircled by agitated protesters in the streets outside, Donald Trump returned home to Mar-a-Lago, his luxurious […] The post Fact check: D
Logically→ A video has been heavily edited to claim President Joe Biden is a pedophile.
Logically→ Congresswoman Lauren Boebert did not tweet, “If they charge President Trump for his crimes, they could charge any of us for our crimes”
The Dispatch→ Back to the Basement
Punditry time.Continue reading Back to the Basement »
The Dispatch→ Cracking Down on Immigration or Religious Liberty?
(Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)A group of evangelicals says a sweeping immigration proposal in Florida would trample their ministry.Continue reading Cracking Down on Immigration or Religious Liberty? »
The Dispatch→ TikTok’s D.C. Influence Campaign
U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman participates as TikTok content creators gather outside the Capitol to voice their opposition to a potential ban on the app on March 22, 2023. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Under scrutiny from Congress,
The Dispatch→ Malice Toward All?
Tucker Carlson. (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images)Whatever happens in Dominion’s lawsuit against Fox, it has exposed the network’s contempt for its viewers.Continue reading Malice Toward All? »
Logically→ No, U.S. President Joe Biden Did Not Make Transphobic Comments in an Official Speech
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Joe Biden Stepping On Cat — Squeal Was Digitally Added
Does a video clip on social media contain genuine audio of President Joe Biden stepping on a cat that squeals in response? No, that's not true: According to an official White House transcript, Biden stumbled over a floor wire at a New Yor
The Dispatch→ Crime and Punishment
Former U.S. President Donald Trump sits with his attorneys inside the courtroom for his arraignment proceeding on April 4, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Hirsch-Pool/Getty Images)Fantasy politics in Manhattan and Wisconsin. Continue reading Cr