“After meeting with Elon Musk, Republican leader Sen. John Thune announces plans to cut Social Security.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Talking About Nancy Pelosi
Does a video show UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson talking about working with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi? No, that's not true: The Brian Thompson in the video is a different person. The Thompson in the video is an entrepreneur;
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Videos Do NOT Show Armed Drones In New Jersey Firing Weapons In December 2024 — It’s A Marine Helicopter, Military Confirms
Do videos in a social media post show drones firing weapons in New Jersey in December 2024? No, that's not true: A military spokesperson at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst told Lead Stories that both videos show a "U.S. Marine helicopter
The Dispatch→ Was Trump Impeached for Investigating Hunter Biden?
Viral claims are missing context and do not accurately describe the first Trump impeachment.
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, 600 bodies weren’t discovered in North Carolina because of Hurricane Helene
Six hundred body bags were “filled the first day” of Hurricane Helene recovery in North Carolina.
PolitiFact→ Viral image – No evidence ex-Syrian President Bashar Assad is opening an eye clinic in Russia
“Dr. Assad will return to ophthalmology after being deposed as president of Syria and plans to set up an eye clinic in Russia.”
Full Fact→ Clip from Kentucky shooting range misleadingly shared as scenes in Syria
The clip has been shared on social media with claims it shows Syrian government forces firing at the rebel group HTS in the city of Hama.
Full Fact→ Health secretary’s claims on smoking aren’t supported by the evidence
The health secretary is wrong to say most smokers will never be able to quit.
Full Fact→ Full Fact AI supports African fact checkers in year of elections
Half the world’s population lives in a country that held an election in 2024. Over 70 countries went to the polls, making it a busy year for fact checkers.
The Dispatch→ What’s Next For Ukraine?
As Trump and Zelensky make nice, Biden pushes weapons out the door.
Full Fact→ Clip shows US Navy testing, not pirates being shot at
The clip has more than 2,000 shares on social media with claims it shows pirates being shot at.
The Dispatch→ Private School Che Guevara
Luigi Mangione is no folk hero.
The Dispatch→ History Will Not Have Mercy on Joe Biden
The defining qualities of Joe Biden the political man were arrogance and dishonesty.
The Dispatch→ Child Identity Theft Is a Huge Problem. The Solutions Are Simple.
The Social Security Administration and the IRS just need to do their jobs.
The Dispatch→ No Labels Shrugs Off 2024 and Looks Ahead to Midterms
Despite its dashed hopes of fielding a third-party presidential ticket, the group is forging ahead.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Mitch McConnell’s Head Was NOT Bandaged After Fall At Senate Republican Lunch In December 2024 — Old Clip Was Edited
Does an authentic video show Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in December 2024 with a large white bandage around his head, standing mute at a lectern, when a woman asks if his head is "OK after that fall"? No, that's not true: An
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Nicotine Does NOT Cure Or Dissolve Brain Tumors, Is Linked To Health Risks
Does nicotine eliminate brain tumors? No, that's not true: A brain cancer expert from the University of Nebraska Medical Center said nicotine doesn't help and may actually reduce a person's chances of recovering from brain tumors or cance
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Prove Existence Of Program That ‘Literally’ Deposits $20,000 Into Bank Accounts To Pay Off Credit Card Debt
Does a video on social media offer any evidence of a program that gives people $20,000 so they can use the money to pay off their credit card debt? No, that's not true: The clip only showed two images of some bank account transactions of
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Oprah Winfrey Said She Is Leaving US Over 2024 Presidential Election Results
Did Oprah Winfrey say she was leaving the U.S. in response to the 2024 presidential election results as a social media post claimed? No, that's not true: She was still in the U.S. hosting a podcast event at her California home after this
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Trump Said ‘I’m Naturally Selfish’
Did Donald Trump say, "I'm naturally selfish, and the idea of representing the interests of others is alien to me"? No, that's not true: The statement is part of a supposed 1990 quote attributed to Trump that has been on social media sinc
The Dispatch→ The Ascension of the Silicon Valley Mafia
David Sacks’ role as Trump’s AI and crypto czar is another sign of tech leaders’ political awakening.
PolitiFact→ Threads posts – No, Texas didn’t criminalize pride flags in classrooms
“Texas declares bringing a pride flag to the classroom a crime.”
The Dispatch→ Jailbreak
On the resignation of Christopher Wray.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: George Clooney Did NOT Leave US Permanently For UK Because He ‘Can’t Take The Red Wave Anymore’
Did George Clooney leave the United States permanently for England after Donald Trump was elected president in 2024, with Clooney saying he "can't take the red wave anymore"? No, that's not true: This originated from SpaceX Fanclub, a Fac
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Real ‘Drone Over’ New Jersey — Video Was Digitally Created
Does a video shared to X in early December 2024 authentically show a drone flying over New Jersey? No, that's not true: The original poster described the video as having been "created digitally." It was shared online after unexplained "po
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘Pro-Vaccine’ Surgeon Did NOT Die Of COVID-19 Vaccine-Related Heart Attack
Did South African trauma surgeon Dr. Vicky Jennings die after "suffering a sudden heart attack" related to COVID-19 vaccination, as implied by social media posts? No, that's not true: Jennings' colleague and head of department told Lead S
PolitiFact→ Threads posts – No, Elon Musk didn’t say he’s running for California governor
“Elon Musk said he might run for governor of California.”
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, this isn’t an authentic video of Kevin Costner, Dr. Mehmet Oz, discussing lung disease treatment
Video shows actor Kevin Costner and Dr. Mehmet Oz discussing treatment for chronic lung diseases.
The Dispatch→ Did Pete Hegseth ‘Visit the 9/11 Memorial in His Underwear’?
A viral claim is false. Hegseth visited Ground Zero after a charity swimming event to honor veterans.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Selena Gomez Was NOT Dead As Of December 12, 2024
Did actress and singer Selena Gomez die in early December 2024 as an anonymously published article announced? No, that's not true: Gomez was alive as of December 12, 2024 as evidenced by public sightings and social media posts. The articl
PolitiFact→ Charlie Kirk – In 1898, the Supreme Court ruled that the 14th Amendment grants citizenship to people born in the US
The 14th Amendment “has never been challenged at SCOTUS.”
The Dispatch→ Will DOGE Cut Billions From Veterans’ Health Care Benefits?
Elon Musk has proposed defunding programs with expired authorizations, but Congress controls appropriations.
The Dispatch→ Millions of ‘Missing’ American Men Aren’t Really Missing
Why that’s important.
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, Taylor Swift didn’t end her Eras Tour by insulting Elon Musk
Taylor Swift vowed to leave Elon Musk’s “toxic app X,” during the final moments of her Eras tour, calling him “rich, talented but heartless and immoral.”
Full Fact→ The UK government hasn’t classified all porridge as ‘junk food’
There is a two-stage process for defining a “less healthy” food or drink product. Although porridge is “in scope” of the legislation it would also have to score highly on the Nutrient Profiling Model.
Full Fact→ Picture of baby with head in cast is from the US, not Gaza
An image of a child has been shared more than 4,000 times with claims it shows the “reality” of Gaza, but it is actually unrelated to the conflict in the Middle East.
PolitiFact→ Jay Rothman – Would the UW System’s $855 million budget request bring Wisconsin closer to the national average?
“The Universities of Wisconsin are 43rd out of 50 states in the nation, in terms of public support for our universities. The $855 million (budget request) gets us up to average.”
Health Feedback→ Claim that 79.4% of SIDS deaths occurred on same day as vaccination misinterprets CDC study
REVIEW A slew of social media posts published early in December 2024 implied that sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) was caused by vaccines. A similar claim was made by Jodie Meschuk, who describes herself as a “Autism-turnaround expert” and
Health Feedback→ AI-generated videos promote false herbal cure for COPD, a currently incurable lung disease
REVIEW In early December 2024, videos promoting a “revolutionary pill” that allegedly cured chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) “within three days” went viral on Facebook. The videos featured public figures like Fox
The Dispatch→ New Details Tie Suspect to CEO Brian Thompson’s Murder
Meanwhile, the alleged killer is being applauded online.