Florida Gov.Ron DeSantis speaks during an event on March 30 in Smyrna, Georgia. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage / AFP) (Photo by ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images)The Florida governor is comfortable exercising power but less steady on the campaign trail
The Dispatch→ Cleveland Rocks
Grover Cleveland. (Photo by Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG/Getty Images)The nation’s 22nd and 24th president is underappreciated. Continue reading Cleveland Rocks »
The Dispatch→ The Dispatch Monthly Mailbag with Andrew Egger
Andrew answers questions about his beloved St. Louis Cardinals, his alma mater, and how easy it is to play guitar.Continue reading The Dispatch Monthly Mailbag with Andrew Egger »
The Dispatch→ The Left, Right, and Religious
A life divided in two. Continue reading The Left, Right, and Religious »
The Dispatch→ …But Was It a Crime? (Live From Harvard)
Don't let your clients plead to things that are not crime.Continue reading …But Was It a Crime? (Live From Harvard) »
The Dispatch→ Our Best Stuff From the Week the Trump Indictment Came Down
A Secret Service agent stands outside of Mar-a-Lago, home of former President Donald Trump, in Palm Beach, Florida, on April 1, 2023. Trump is expected to surrender to authorities in New York to face charges over a hush-money payment to adult film star
The Dispatch→ Making Money, Not Watches
(Oyster Perpetual Day-Date, 36mm, Everose gold ©Rolex/Ulysse Fréchelin.)Rolex’s new designs show how the company is more interested in creating online clout and scarcity than watches.Continue reading Making Money, Not Watches »
The Dispatch→ Are We Having Fun Yet?
(Tyrel Jackson Williams, Ryan Hansen, Zoë Chao, Martin Starr, Adam Scott, and Ken Marino in 'Party Down' season 4. Image via IMDb.)The revival season of ‘Party Down’ is worth watching.Continue reading Are We Having Fun Yet? »
Washington Post→ The incendiary claim that George Soros ‘funded’ Alvin Bragg
Republicans keep dragging billionaire George Soros into the Trump indictment, even though any links between him and District Attorney Alvin Bragg are tenuous.
Lead Stories→ Lead Stories Launches AI-Powered FactGPT Fact Checking Chatbot
As you could tell by the date, this was an April Fools' joke and we didn't really launch a mad conspiracy-spewing AI bot. Hope you enjoyed it! Colorado Springs - Award-winning fact checking organization Lead Stories is proud to announce t
The Dispatch→ Trumpster Fire
Everyone's being an idiot.Continue reading Trumpster Fire »
The Dispatch→ Silicon Valley Bank’s New Ownership, Explained
(Photo Illustration by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images)The new deal won’t end the federal government’s involvement in the SVB failure. Continue reading Silicon Valley Bank’s New Ownership, Explained »
The Dispatch→ The New Stanford Prison Experiment
Cyclists ride by Hoover Tower on the Stanford University campus. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)The free speech circus came to Stanford.Continue reading The New Stanford Prison Experiment »
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, solar companies are not required to give away solar panels, and beware of offers of free panels
Solar companies “have to give solar panels away for completely no net cost.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show European Parliament Member Using Cocaine During Meeting
Does a social media video show a European Parliament member sniffing cocaine during a public meeting? No, that's not true: The man seen in this video is a former German politician who was never a European Parliament member. Also, he is le
The Dispatch→ Remember, You Asked For This
Supporters of former President Donald Trump protest near Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, on March 31, 2023. (Photo by Giorgio Viera / AFP/Getty Images)Five ways to think about the Trump indictment.Continue reading Remember, You Ask
FactCheck.org→ No Evidence Offshore Wind Development Killing Whales
Q: Is the development of offshore wind energy farms in the U.S. killing whales? A: Whales have been dying at an unusual rate along the Atlantic Coast since 2016, often from ship strikes or entanglements with fishing gear. Federal agencies and exper
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, a credit card measuring people's carbon footprint isn't part of a government plot
DO Black credit card is part of a government plot to control people’s lives.
The Dispatch→ Goopy Infowars
Gwyneth Paltrow speaks during In goop Health Summit in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images)When both sides try to peddle the same garbage in different packaging.Continue reading Goopy Infowars »
PolitiFact→ Social Media – Footage does not show that Nashville, Tennessee, shooter swapped shoes
The Nashville shooter was wearing different pairs of shoes before and after being killed.
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – Yes, the UK banned handguns after a 1996 school shooting. There have been no others since
“The UK has had ZERO school shootings since” it changed its gun laws after a 1996 school shooting.
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Deepfake video alters Ron DeSantis’ speech and skews his political record
Video shows Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis saying he made certain political choices because “that’s where the money is.”
PolitiFact→ What is an indictment and what does it mean for Donald Trump?
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