The point of a film review isn’t just to rehash the plot or critique the acting, but to examine its themes, the ideas it explores, the questions it asks. The recently released Godzilla vs. Kong asks a question I’ve never seen a movie ask be
AFP Fact Check→ This image has been shared since February 2021 in connection to another protest in Pakistan
An image has surfaced in Facebook and Twitter posts which claim it shows tear gas shells used against protesters marching for justice after the deaths of four teenagers in the Pakistani town of Janikhel in March 2021. The claim is false; the image emer
The Dispatch→ The Remnant of Misfit Onlookers
Today’s Ruminant features Jonah amid a group of silent watchers, staring at him while on mute in a Zoom meeting as he speaks to himself for an hour in the basement of an undisclosed location. On the docket today: Jonah returns to one of the most
Snopes→ Texans QB Deshaun Watson Under Investigation by Houston Police
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is accused of sexual assault and harassment in lawsuits filed by 21 women, is being investigated by police after a report was filed regarding the NFL player, officials said.
Snopes→ The Easter Bunny Tale: Fun Fiction or Harmful Myth?
Three major fantasy characters pervade Western culture: Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny.
Snopes→ Chocolate Easter Eggs Were Once a Rare Luxury
For almost a century after the first ones were produced in the 1870s by Fry’s and Cadbury’s, chocolate eggs were a luxury product.
Snopes→ EXPLAINER: Analyzing Use of Force by Police Officers
As former Officer Derek Chauvin stands trial in George Floyd's death, a central question is whether he followed the Minneapolis Police Department's guidelines on the use of force.
Snopes→ MMA Fighter Has Finger Severed in Match; Doctors Reattach It
A mixed martial arts fighter had his finger severed during a match in Philadelphia, but doctors were eventually able to reattach it.
Snopes→ EXPLAINER: What Does Georgia’s New GOP Election Law Do?
The sweeping rewrite of Georgia's election rules represents the first big set of changes since former President Donald Trump's repeated, baseless claims of fraud following his presidential loss to Joe Biden.
Snopes→ California to Allow Indoor Gatherings As Virus Cases Plummet
The decision is a sharp turnaround from the slow pace California has taken on lifting restrictions, and comes as the governor urges people to continue being vigilant about wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Archaeologists Did NOT Find A Million-Year-Old Underground Complex Made By Humans
Did archaeologists find a one million year-old artificial underground complex? No, that's not true: the archaeological site in question consists of approximately 3,500 well-studied underground chambers across various complexes, which exte
Snopes→ Photo Shows Sealed Super Mario Bros. Game Sold for $660,000
Its selling price far exceeded the $114,000 that another unopened copy that was produced in 1987 fetched in a Heritage auction last summer.
Snopes→ Did April the Giraffe Die?
April rose to viral fame after her pregnancy and birth were livestreamed in 2017.
Snopes→ Officer Killed in Attack Outside Capitol an 18-Year Veteran
William “Billy” Evans joined the department in 2003 and was a member of its first responders unit.
Snopes→ Did Melania Trump Celebrate Her 56th Birthday in 2021?
A routine review of content labeled satire.
Snopes→ Did a Car Plow Into Taco Bell Employees in Waldorf, MD?
The driver in a video appeared to ram a crowd of people, some of whom were identified as Taco Bell employees.
Snopes→ Few in GOP Rush to Defend Matt Gaetz Amid Sex Trafficking Probe
The political peril for conservative Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz deepened as the often outlandish, Trump-styled provocateur appeared politically isolated amid a federal sex-trafficking investigation.
Snopes→ RUMOR ALERT: Suspect in US Capitol Car Attack Was Follower of Nation of Islam?
NBC News cited law enforcement sources who identified Noah Green and his political views.
FactCheck.org→ TV Ad Distorts Facts on Federal Voting Rights Bill
A TV ad from a conservative group distorts the facts about the “For the People Act,” a voting rights bill approved by the Democratic-controlled House and now in the Senate. The ad, paid for by Restoration Action, says: “No more voter ID.
Snopes→ Did Marjorie Taylor Greene Pose by ‘Fort Pelosi’ Sign Outside US Capitol?
The congresswoman was criticized for posting the picture after a driver crashed through a fence surrounding the Capitol in April 2021 and killed a police officer.
Snopes→ Did Boehner Tell Ted Cruz ‘Go F*ck Yourself’ in New Audiobook?
The former speaker of the U.S. House blamed some of the off-script vulgarities on his wine consumption.
AllSides→ Is Nike Producing ‘Satan Shoes’ With Lil Nas X?
https://factcheck.thedispatch.com/p/is-nike-producing-satan-shoes-with Viral social media posts in the
AllSides→ NPR Corrects Claim that Hunter Biden Story Was ‘Discredited’ by Intelligence Community
https://www.mediaite.com/news/npr-corrects-claim-that-hunter-biden-story-was-discredited-by-intelligence-community/
AFP Fact Check→ Easter not derived from name of ancient Mesopotamian goddess
Social media posts say the word Easter is derived from Ishtar, the name of the Assyrian goddess of sex and fertility -- a claim that resurfaces yearly around the Christian holiday. But historians say it is in fact thought to come from the old German wo
Snopes→ Did Jill Biden Mispronounce the Spanish Phrase ‘Si Se Puede’?
The first lady was visiting the first headquarters of the United Farm Workers union.
FactCheck.org→ Flawed Report Fuels Erroneous Claims About COVID-19 Death Toll
SciCheck Digest Viral social media posts cite a flawed paper in falsely claiming the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed death certificate procedures and violated federal law, resulting in wildly inflated COVID-19 deaths. The CDC hasn
The Dispatch→ WaterGaetz
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Snopes→ Sleeping Octopuses Might Experience Fleeting Dreams
Color-changing patterns in snoozing octopuses are characteristic of two alternating sleep states – a quiet sleep state and an active sleep state.
The Dispatch→ Mick Mulvaney and the Reasonable Nutjobs
In a wide-ranging conversation spanning from his time working in the Trump White House, to his early days as a leader in the House Freedom Caucus (which we learned was supposed to be called the “Reasonable Nutjob Caucus), Mick Mulvaney talks with
Snopes→ Did Kanye West Buy Spotify?
The rapper was rumored to have replaced all music on the platform with his own.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: The CDC Did NOT Report Twice As Many Vaccine-Related Deaths In 2021 As In The Past Decade
Did the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report there are nearly twice as many vaccine-related deaths so far in 2021 than all the vaccine deaths this past decade? No, that's not true: The CDC has made no such statemen
Snopes→ Is the ‘Bumble Bee Owl’ Real?
There was plenty of buzz about this photo on social media.
Snopes→ MLB Moving All-Star Game in Response to Voting Restrictions
Major League Baseball moved the All-Star Game from Atlanta's Truist Park, a response to Georgia's enacting a new law last month restricting voting rights.
Snopes→ Lieutenant: Kneeling on Floyd’s Neck ‘Totally Unnecessary’
“If your knee is on a person’s neck, that can kill him,” said the head of the Minneapolis Police Department’s homicide division, Lt. Richard Zimmerman.
Snopes→ Did Border Patrol Find $60K Worth of Fentanyl in Burritos?
News websites published reports of a remarkable discovery along the California-Mexico border in March 2021.
Snopes→ Did Gender Reveal Stunts End in Plane Crashes in Cancun and Texas?
These wouldn't be the first such tragedies.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Third Bridge Spanning The Chesapeake Bay Is NOT In Planning Stages: It’s April Fools’
Did Jeff Bezos agree to pay for a six and a half mile long bridge in Maryland in exchange for the rezoning of some land to build an Amazon distribution center and drone launching facility? No, that's not true: A short film produced by Que
Snopes→ Car Rams 2 Officers at Capitol Barricade; Driver Shot Dead
Both Capitol Police officers were taken to the hospital, with at least one in serious condition.
Snopes→ Does Disneyland Sell a Pickle Corn Dog with Panko Crust?
The snack purportedly comes with a side of peanut butter.
Snopes→ No, This Video Doesn’t Show Actors Posing as ‘Dead Rona Bodies for the News’
A video showing a man in a body bag smoking a cigarette was taken out of context.