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.
The Dispatch→ Genes of the Fathers
Is everyone Jewish and gay?
The Dispatch→ Shooting Down the Spirit of Aloha
Disrespecting the Second Amendment.
The Dispatch→ Meet the Witches of Bucha
A volunteer unit made up almost entirely of women defends Kyiv’s airspace.
The Dispatch→ For Israel, Assad’s Fall Brings Opportunities and New Threats
Syria’s takeover by Islamist rebels represents a power shift in the region.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s View On Vaccines Is NOT Only That ‘They Should Be Studied’
Is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s only stated position on vaccines that they should be studied "like any other pharmaceutical product" as a social media post claims? No, that's not true: In 2023, Kennedy said, "There's no vaccine that is ... saf
The Dispatch→ Against ‘But …’
Murder is wrong, period. So is abusing power.
PolitiFact→ Threads posts – No, a McDonald’s employee isn’t getting a $500,000 reward for tip on UnitedHealthcare CEO’s shooter
“A $7.20 an hour McDonalds employee … now gets a cool 1/2 million dollar reward” for helping police find the suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter.
The Dispatch→ Making Way for Kakistocracy
Will Trump’s nominees be confirmed?
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Authentic Photos Do NOT Show Prince Harry Kneeling, Apologizing To Prince William, The Composite Image Is Likely AI-Generated
Does a photo show Prince Harry kneeling at Prince William's feet, apologizing to his brother and accepting a new title? No, that's not true: Multiple AI detectors found that this image was 100 percent likely to be AI generated. Lead Stori
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – ‘Leaked recording’ of Ghana Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia making disparaging remarks inauthentic
“Leaked secret recording” captured Ghana’s Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia calling Ghanaians “gullible and weak-minded.”
PolitiFact→ Mike Johnson – Mike Johnson’s Pants on Fire claim that 1% of federal employees are ‘actually working in the office’
About 1% of federal employees are “actually working in the office.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: World Leaders Did NOT Sign World Economic Forum Treaty Introducing ‘Age of Death’ Laws
Did world leaders sign a treaty proposed by the World Economic Forum that requires government approval for someone to live past a certain age? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that suggests the Forum has made any such proposal. I
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Photo Does NOT Show Looting After ‘Not Guilty’ Verdict In Jordan Neely Chokehold Death
Does a photo show looters in a Target store after a New York jury found Daniel Penny not guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely? No, that's not true: This photo of looters in a Target store was take
PolitiFact→ Instagram posts – This drug helps manage infections and prevent AIDS, but claims it’s a ‘cure’ are not supported
“New $40K AIDS cure is nearly 100% effective and requires two shots yearly.”
FactCheck.org→ Fox News Commentator Had Aggressive Cancer Before COVID-19 Vaccines Were Available
Este artículo estará disponible en español en El Tiempo Latino. SciCheck Digest Fox News health commentator Dr. Kelly Powers was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in July 2020, months before COVID-19 vaccines we
PolitiFact→ Threads posts – No, this image does not show a collection of pornographic videos found at Bashar Assad’s palace
Photo shows pile of X-rated DVDs found at former Syrian president Bashar Assad’s palace.
FactCheck.org→ Posts Falsely Question Citizenship of Trump’s Children Under His Birthright Plan
Este artículo estará disponible en español en El Tiempo Latino. Quick Take President-elect Donald Trump has renewed his call to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. whose parents are not in the country legally. Online post
Health Feedback→ COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers produced more than 11 billion doses in 2021
REVIEW A Facebook reel from early December 2024 claimed that the math of COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing didn’t “add up”, alleging that it would take decades to produce enough vaccine doses to vaccinate the world population. The reel is a repos
The Dispatch→ Did Hobby Lobby Stop Selling Hanukkah Merchandise?
The claims are true but old. The company cited business reasons for discontinuing some holiday offerings.
Full Fact→ How has the number of immigration returns changed under Labour?
Sir Keir Starmer claimed there’d been 9,400 returns and that is a 30% increase compared to last year, but there doesn’t appear to be published data to back the second part of this claim up.
The Dispatch→ Political Unrest Rocks NATO Ally Romania
A pro-Russian independent candidate, a TikTok campaign, and annulled results.
The Dispatch→ Impeach?
We’ve screwed this up.
Full Fact→ ‘Edward Snowden’ article on HAARP is satire
Claims that Mr Snowden has revealed the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program’s “sinister agenda” stem from a joke article published in 2013.
The Dispatch→ Nippon Purchase of U.S. Steel Could Hinge on Trump
The president-elect opposes the deal, but advocates believe personal engagement could change his mind.
The Dispatch→ Mitch McConnell’s Final Act
Will the longtime Republican leader be a thorn in Trump’s side?