The apparent pictures of Pope Francis have been shared tens of thousands of times.
Full Fact→ Covid-19 is not a ‘simple flu’
A Facebook post calling for an investigation into the Covid-19 pandemic falsely claims the government “knew” the virus was a “simple flu”.
The Dispatch→ Deities and Demigods
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg leaves his office as the grand jury continues to hear evidence against former President Donald Trump on March 22, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)The Manhattan district attorney tries t
The Dispatch→ Will Donald Trump’s Attacks Sink Ron DeSantis?
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to Iowa voters on March 10, 2023. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)Plus: Two Democratic visions for Chicago’s future meet in next week’s mayoral runoff. Continue reading Will Donald Trump’s Attacks Sink Ron De
Logically→ No, Punjab Police didn’t release a photo of Amritpal Singh Sandhu with long hair
Full Fact→ Emergency alert won’t ‘access personal data’
False claims about the emergency alert the government is testing in April are spreading online.
The Dispatch→ House Passes Parental Rights Bill
Students in a classroom. (Via Getty Images)Plus: A March Madness update after an exciting weekend of games. 🏀☘️Continue reading House Passes Parental Rights Bill »
Poynter→ Trump said violent crime in Manhattan is ’now at a record level.’ It’s nowhere near record.
As he awaits a possible indictment in New York City, former President Donald Trump has taken to his social media platform, Truth Social, to preemptively criticize Manhattan District Attorney Alvin […] The post Trump said violent crime in Manhatta
The Dispatch→ It’s Time to Krauthammer the Curriculum
Students on the William & Mary campus, October 25, 2021, in Williamsburg, Virginia. (Photo by Julia Rendleman/Washington Post/Getty Images)One solution for fixing the anti-intellectualism of the nationalist right.Continue reading It’s Time to Kra
The Dispatch→ Refugee Admissions Still Slumping Under Biden
A group of migrant families from Central America walk alongside the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico in January 2023. (Photo by Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images)Lawmakers and advocates lament historically low numbers, despite
The Dispatch→ Our Best Stuff on Donald Trump, Joe Exotic, and the Xi-Putin Summit
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on March 4, 2023, in National Harbor, Maryland. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)Plus: Deepfakes are here and it’s going to get crazy.Continue reading Our Best Stuff on Donald Trump, Joe E
PolitiFact→ Fact-checking Trump’s false and misleading claims in Waco, Texas, rally
In a rally in Waco, Texas, Donald Trump repeated false and misleading statements about his presidential record, the 2020 election and the Green New Deal.
The Dispatch→ Two New Members Only Podcast Episodes Available Now
The latest episodes of The Dispatch Book Club and High Steaks are out now.Continue reading Two New Members Only Podcast Episodes Available Now »
The Dispatch→ Socrates and Xi Jinping Go Into a Bar
A review of ‘Plato Goes to China: The Greek Classics and Chinese Nationalism.’Continue reading Socrates and Xi Jinping Go Into a Bar »
The Dispatch→ Protecting the King
('Agent Elvis' image courtesy of Netflix © 2023.)A review of Netflix’s ‘Agent Elvis.’Continue reading Protecting the King »
The Dispatch→ Willem Dafoe’s Creative Destruction
‘Inside’ is an intriguing film that lacks thematic depth.Continue reading Willem Dafoe’s Creative Destruction »
The Dispatch→ A Man for All Treasons
Release the socks.Continue reading A Man for All Treasons »
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Trump Did NOT Receive A Full-Grade Military And Constitutionally Regulated Inauguration Ceremony On January 20, 2021
Did the military sendoff for Donald Trump on January 20, 2021, and Air Force One's departure at nearly noon that day mean that Trump actually was inaugurated for a second term as president of the United States? No, that's not true: The of
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Pictures of Fauci Arrest Are NOT Real Photos But AI-Generated Images
Do images circulating on social media show press photos of Anthony Fauci under arrest and in police custody? No, that's not true: Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has not been arrest
Truth or Fiction?→ A Recent History of George Soros Conspiracy Theories
If you have spent any time on the internet since 2016 — and who hasn’t? — you’ll be familiar with right wing bugbear George Soros, an extremely rich philanthropist who donates generously to liberal and progressive causes, and i
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: These Photos Do NOT Disprove Rising Sea Levels In New York Between 1898 And 2017
Do the photos in a post that purportedly depict the Statue of Liberty in 1898 and 2017 prove that sea levels aren't rising? No, that's not true: Without detailed information about tides and sea conditions at the moment each photo was take
FactCheck.org→ Stormy Daniels Said 2018 Letter Denying She Had Sex With Trump Is a ‘Lie’
Quick Take Porn actor Stormy Daniels maintains that she had sex with Donald Trump in 2006. Daniels said a letter she signed under pressure in 2018, claiming the affair “never happened,” was a “lie.” But some conservatives ar
FactCheck.org→ Memes Make False Equivalence Between Clinton, Trump and Payments to Women
Quick Take Former President Bill Clinton settled a sexual harassment lawsuit with Paula Jones in a case that was a matter of public record. Former President Donald Trump made a secret payment to porn actor Stormy Dan
Truth or Fiction?→ Donald Trump Holds Rally in Waco, 30 Years After Waco Siege
On March 24 2023, an Imgur account shared a tweet about former United States President Donald Trump staging a rally in Waco, Texas, from his niece Mary Trump: Donald has a rally in Waco this Saturday [March 25 2023]. It’s a ploy to remind his cu
FactCheck.org→ Q&A on Grand Jury Investigation of Trump in New York
The week came and went and former President Donald Trump was not charged with a crime by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, as Trump had predicted. But a grand jury in Manhattan is expected to reconvene on March 27 and continue its work on
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Child Protective Services Is NOT A ‘For-Profit Corporation’ Without Jurisdiction Or Authority
Is Child Protective Services a "for-profit corporation" that has no legal power to make demands or exercise authority "over you and your children"? No, that's not true: No public Child Protective Services (CPS) agency is registered in the
The Dispatch→ Man Up
Sen. Ted Cruz. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)We’re suffering an epidemic of childishness.Continue reading Man Up »
The Dispatch→ When Should Children See a Nude Statue?
David, by Michelangelo. (Photo by Roberto Serra - Iguana Press/Getty Images)David, democracy, ding-a-lings.Continue reading When Should Children See a Nude Statue? »
Truth or Fiction?→ Afroman Raided, Sued by Police for Using Footage
On March 24 2023, the most popular post on Reddit’s r/all was a post about musician Afroman — who made a music video out of a botched raid of his home by Ohio law enforcement — being sued by officers for “emotional distress
PolitiFact→ Janet Protasiewicz – Kelly did unrecuse himself in voting case, but never got the chance to decide the matter
As a sitting Supreme Court justice, Daniel Kelly recused himself from a case, then “he pocketed $20,000 in contributions” from the plaintiff and family members and “unrecused himself so he could judge the case.”
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: Photos of Donald Trump Being Arrested Are Fake
Images are circulating online that purport to show the arrest of former President Donald Trump by New York police officers. The images are not authentic. They were produced using Midjourney, an artificial text-to-image generator that has the capacity
PolitiFact→ Donald Trump – Donald Trump exaggerates Manhattan crime levels in attacks on DA in Stormy Daniels case
Violent crime in Manhattan is "now at a record level."
The Dispatch→ Republicans Know the 1-2-3s of Trump Scandals
Former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Quad City International Airport, March 13, 2023, in Moline, Illinois. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/Washington Post/Getty Images)Attack, minimize, and move on.Continue reading Republicans Know the 1-2-3s
Full Fact→ Photo doesn’t show police finding six skeletons in Wales
A Facebook post falsely claims that at least six skeletons have been found by police in Wales.
Full Fact→ Photo doesn’t show interior of ‘chemtrail plane’
Posts claiming that a photo shows the inside of a “chemtrail plane” have circulated online for many years. It’s actually a system for fighting forest fires.
Logically→ The COVID-19 pandemic was manufactured by authoritarian elites to kill people.
Full Fact→ Emergency Alerts won’t match personal data with information collected during the pandemic
A Facebook post falsely claims that the government’s new Emergency Alert service will collect data from someone’s phone.
Full Fact→ Are UK nationals a minority in the modern slavery statistics?
The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour MP Jess Phillips clashed over the modern slavery figures during PMQs—but who was right?
Full Fact→ The government doesn’t spend £17 million a year subsidising food in Parliament
Thousands of people have shared a claim about cheap food in the House of Commons on social media.
The Dispatch→ McCaul Pushes for State Department’s Afghanistan Docs
Rep. Michael McCaul speaks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing Thursday. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)Plus: A researcher calls for Congress to sanction Xi Jinping.Continue reading Mc