Reflections on the final season of HBO’s ‘Succession.’ Continue reading The Peril of Greatness »
The Dispatch→ Whodunit, Japanese Style
A review of Yukito Ayatsuji’s 'The Mill House Murders.' Continue reading Whodunit, Japanese Style »
The Dispatch→ Erdoğan’s Impending Victory and Turkey’s Future Course
The country is likely to stay on its increasingly authoritarian trajectory and remain an unreliable NATO ally. Continue reading Erdoğan’s Impending Victory and Turkey’s Future Course »
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Ancient Treasures Looted From Tomb Of Gilgamesh — Fake Mummy From 2008
Were treasures from the tomb of Gilgamesh discovered just before the Iraq war and did the U.S. military or Hillary Clinton cover it up? No, that's not true: This video is footage of one of several fake mummy hoaxes that have occurred over
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Who’s driving this thing? Social post exaggerates electric grid’s remote capability
Electric vehicles are a "giant computer that can be controlled remotely from some cloud-based central grid."
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: People In LA Who Commit Violent Crimes Will NOT Be ‘Set Free On As Of Today’
Will people in Los Angeles who have committed violent crimes be "set free" as of May 24, 2023? No, that's not true: A court injunction was scheduled to go into effect in Los Angeles County on May 24, 2023, that reinstated a no-bail policy
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NASA Did NOT Report That Snake Plants Will Improve Air Quality In A Home
Did a NASA study find that snake plants, a type of houseplant, improve air quality in your home while you sleep? No, that's not true: A public affairs officer for NASA told Lead Stories that NASA has not made this claim and that the resul
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Golden Globe ‘Ethics Board’ Did NOT ‘Cancel Whoopi Goldberg’s Lifetime Achievement Award’ — Story Is From A Satire Site
Did the Golden Globes "ethics board" cancel prominent actress Whoopi Goldberg's Lifetime Achievement Award? No, that's not true: This story originated from a self-described satirical website aimed at trolling conservatives. No corporate s
The Dispatch→ Book Banning Ain’t What It Used To Be
Content curation isn’t the same as fascism. Continue reading Book Banning Ain’t What It Used To Be »
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, Adam Schiff did not get fined $16 million
“Adam Schiff just got served” with a $16 million fine for Russia collusion investigation.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Problems In Specific Teeth Do NOT Harm Other, Specific Body Parts
Can a problem with one tooth cause health issues in another, otherwise unrelated organ as a result of "a link" or "meridian" connecting the two? No, that's not true: This claim derives from an unproven theory that is not backed up by any
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – Evidence does not support claim that Gates went to Epstein’s Island, much less ‘37 times’
Says Bill Gates visited Jeffrey Epstein’s Island "37 times"
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, 50 politicians weren’t taken to a bunker
“50 U.S. politicians who received satellite phones were taken to an undisclosed government bunker facility to ensure a Continuation of Government.”
The Dispatch→ Tim Scott Gets a Leg Up From DeSantis’ Stumble
The senator from South Carolina benefited from excellent timing this week. Continue reading Tim Scott Gets a Leg Up From DeSantis’ Stumble »
PolitiFact→ MAGA Inc – Pro-Donald Trump PAC ad misleads about Ron DeSantis’ stance on border wall
“Ron DeSantis voted against the wall.”
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Claim of 1 million Ukrainian soldiers dead has no official backing
"1,000,000 Ukraine soldiers wiped out”
The Dispatch→ Does Anything Matter?
Two thoughts on the Republican primary. Continue reading Does Anything Matter? »
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Facebook posts claiming that Walmart’s giving $500 refunds are scams
“If you shopped at Walmart in 2022, you could be entitled to a $500 refund!”
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No evidence North Korea is evacuating its capital. Claim stems from unconfirmed 2017 report
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un “just ordered the evacuation of the capital city.”
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Eugenicist Victim Blaming’: Disability Experts Criticize Story Painting COVID-19 as Near ‘Endemic’
A San Francisco television station’s story about an “endemic” phase to the COVID-19 pandemic alarmed disability experts and advocates. The story, aired by KGO-TV on May 22 2023, features Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine an
PolitiFact→ Joe Biden – Joe Biden offers misleading description of his role in four-nation “Quad” group
Said he was “able to convince India, Australia, Japan, and the United States to form an organization called the Quad to maintain stability in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea."
Truth or Fiction?→ Anthony Bourdain on Henry Kissinger
On May 26 2023, multiple accounts shared a quote attributed to celebrity chef and travel correspondent Anthony Bourdain, on the topic of former American diplomat Henry Kissinger and his legacy in Cambodia: Henry Kissinger turns 100 by
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Walt Disney World Did NOT Replace US Flags With LGBTQ+ Pride Flags — It’s A Satirical Post
Did Walt Disney World remove "all American flags" and replace them with "the Pride flag" to honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) rights? No, that's not true: As of May 25, 2023, the Walt Disney Company had not annou
FactCheck.org→ mRNA Vaccines Protect Against COVID-19 Mortality, Contrary to Misleading Posts
SciCheck Digest Numerous studies have shown the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective in preventing severe disease and death from COVID-19. But some social media posts are citing a criticized study that focuses on overall mortality to false
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – ‘Breaking’ news about U.S. Navy destroyer firing at Iranian ship is from 2017
U.S. destroyer recently fired at an armed Iranian ship.
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – Social media post misleads with Los Angeles County list of ‘zero-bail’ policy exceptions
A list shows violent crimes in Los Angeles that “people will be set free on as of today.”
Full Fact→ Reports of deadly rattlesnake found in UK and Ireland are false
Hoax Facebook posts claim the same snake has been found in multiple locations in the UK and Ireland.
PolitiFact→ TikTok posts – Did US military let migrants cross the border illegally? Claims mischaracterize border footage
Video shows a U.S. military member opening a border gate and allowing immigrants to enter the country illegally.
The Dispatch→ The ‘X-Date’ Cometh
Plus: A Q&A with Rep. Mike Gallagher on China policy. Continue reading The ‘X-Date’ Cometh »
Full Fact→ Spain’s High Court didn’t call Covid-19 a ‘bioweapon’
A document released by the Health Ministry in 2021 said that it did not have its own culture of the virus. This was misinterpreted in a blog and on social media.
Full Fact→ Sunglasses don’t cause sunburn
A social media post claims that sunglasses prevent melanin production, increasing the risk of sunburn. This is an incorrect description of the process of tanning.
Full Fact→ No evidence pictured dog has really been found at different locations across the UK
The same image has been shared with similar text in local Facebook groups around the country and abroad.
Full Fact→ ‘Illegal immigrants’ don’t get an average £26,000 a year in benefits
An image shared on Facebook offers a misleading comparison between state pension payments and benefits given to “illegal immigrants”.
The Dispatch→ Trailing Trump, DeSantis Comes Out Swinging
Plus: Republican spending groups pick their horses for West Virginia Senate Seat. Continue reading Trailing Trump, DeSantis Comes Out Swinging »
PolitiFact→ TikTok posts – No, DeSantis no firmó una ley que prohíbe exhibir la bandera de Puerto Rico en público
Ron DeSantis "firmó una ley para prohibir exhibir la bandera de Puerto Rico en público".
The Dispatch→ New Book Club Episode: A Conversation With David Grann
First discussion of the summer season. Continue reading New Book Club Episode: A Conversation With David Grann »
Logically→ Video of Hillary Clinton endorsing Ron DeSantis is a deep fake
Full Fact→ Hoax posts about missing ‘William Daniels’ shared widely on Facebook
Identical posts have been shared across the UK.
AllSides→ FactChecking Ron DeSantis’ Presidential Announcement
https://www.factcheck.org/2023/05/factchecking-ron-desantis-presidential-announcement/ Florida Gov. Ron
PolitiFact→ Kelda Helen Roys – It’s true: Infertility treatment is often excluded from insurance coverage
Infertility is treated differently than other issues and "often excluded from insurance coverage"