Has the New York Police Department released the identity of a woman set on fire on a New York subway car as "Amelia Carter" as of December 24, 2024? No, that's not true: An agency spokesperson told Lead Stories that as of this writing, th
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Elon Musk Did NOT Purchase Boeing As Of December 24, 2024
Did Elon Musk say that he bought Boeing? No, that's not true: Musk did not announce the purchase on X, and Boeing published no such information as of this writing. No information about this supposed post has been reported on the website o
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Toronto Menorah Did NOT Get Deliberately Knocked Down On December 19, 2024
Did a menorah get deliberately knocked down on December 19, 2024, in Toronto, as a social media post implied? No, that's not true: Toronto police confirmed to Lead Stories that a car accident resulted in the menorah being knocked down tha
FactCheck.org→ ‘The Truth Matters’
During my time at FactCheck.org, I’ve saved a lot of emails and more than a few handwritten notes from grateful readers. I’ve taped some of those notes to the bookcase above my desk. “Thank you for researching facts,” one says. “The truth
The Dispatch→ Happy Holidays from The Dispatch!
What we’re reading this Christmas.
The Dispatch→ Origins of the Federal Constitution
An Advisory Opinions Christmas Special.
The Dispatch→ Trump Sows Disorder as Only He Can
The drama over the passage of a spending bill followed a familiar Trump playbook.
The Dispatch→ A Fulsome End
The American people do not have a good sense of ‘enough.’
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows Elon Musk Promoting Barbara O’Neill Remedy For Erectile Dysfunction, Prostatitis
Does an authentic video show Elon Musk promoting a Barbara O'Neill remedy for erectile dysfunction and prostatitis? No, that's not true: Two AI detection tools found that the video was likely manipulated using AI technology. Lead Stories
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Spain Did NOT Experience US-Style Shutdown For 10 Months In 2016
Was the 2016 months-long Spanish political crisis the same as a government shutdown in the U.S.? No, that's not true: Spain, unable to form a new government at the time, did not experience a gap in national funding, and most government se
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Screenshot Shows Donald Trump Called Elon Musk A ‘Two Bit Car Salesman’ On Truth Social
Did President-elect Donald Trump call Elon Musk a "two bit car salesman" in a post shared on Truth Social? No, that's not true: Lead Stories searched Trump's Truth Social account and found that he did not share such a post as of this publ
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Truth Social Post Shows Donald Trump Telling Elon Musk To ‘Stay In Your Lane’
Did President-elect Donald Trump tell Elon Musk to "stay in your lane" in a post shared to Truth Social? No, that's not true: This supposed post was fabricated. Lead Stories checked Trump's verified Truth Social account and did not find s
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Germany Did NOT Decriminalize Child Pornography Possession In 2024
Did Germany decriminalize the possession of child pornography in 2024? No, that's not true: Possession of child pornography in Germany remains a crime as of this publication. However, in some cases, German lawmakers in May 2024 reduced th
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Suspected German Christmas Market Attacker Did NOT Say ‘Allahu Akbar’ On Arrest Video
Did a Saudi Arabian immigrant suspected of driving his car into shoppers at a German Christmas market say "Allahu akbar" during a video of his arrest? No, that's not true: Lead Stories reviewed the full 52-second video of a German law enf
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Jim Carrey Was NOT Dead As Of December 15, 2024
Has actor Jim Carrey died as of December 15, 2024? No, that's not true: The actor was seen alive in public following the publication of an article that reported his supposed death. The website that published this article contained other a
The Dispatch→ Sympathy for the Devil
There’s no logic to Joe Biden’s clemency for killers.
The Dispatch→ There Are No Lost Causes
Syria has nowhere to go but up.
PolitiFact→ Here are PolitiFact’s top 10 most read politician fact-checks of 2024
PolitiFact’s most read fact-checks of politicians in 2024 answered questions about the presidential candidates’ records on debt and inflation. Here were our 10 top politician fact-checks of 2024.
The Dispatch→ Congress Avoids A Shutdown
The negotiations tested President-elect Donald Trump’s hold on the Republican conference.
The Dispatch→ Syria, Taiwan, and the New Jersey Drones
Plus: Why Ulysses S. Grant is the greatest military leader.
The Dispatch→ Khamenei’s Brilliant Failure
His strategy against Israel and the United States was working—until Hamas attacked Israel.
The Dispatch→ John Curtis Is Romney’s Successor, Not Necessarily His Follower
Utah’s new junior senator wants Trump to succeed, but vows to vote his principles.
The Dispatch→ Christmas and Hanukkah: Distinct Holidays With a Common Challenge
Plus: How the fourth Sunday of Advent bestowed the name of a Dispatcher’s daughter.
The Dispatch→ When Christmas and Hanukkah Collide
How has commercialization influenced these two holidays?
The Dispatch→ How We Named Our Daughter
A story for Advent and Christmas.
The Dispatch→ Our Best Stuff From the Week We Somehow Avoided a Government Shutdown
How Elon Musk and Donald Trump disrupted the proceedings.
The Dispatch→ Give That Woman a Ham
The year in pictures—and award-winning cutlines.
The Dispatch→ Joe Biden’s Roadside Library
Jonah’s intellectual wish list.
The Dispatch→ Commercial Possibilities
Is the culture turning rightward?
The Dispatch→ America’s Dueling Christmas Narratives
What ‘White Christmas’ and ‘Black Christmas’ can teach us today.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show New Jersey Drone ‘Spraying’ — It’s Jetliner Contrail
Does a video captured by a New Jersey resident show a drone spraying something in the sky? No, that's not true: The video showed a commercial Boeing 777 jetliner gradually descending as it nears the end of a transatlantic flight from Lond
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Weapon Fired At NJ Drone — FAKE Gunfire Added To Original Clip
Does an authentic video show a weapon being fired at a drone in New Jersey in mid-December 2024? No, that's not true: The earliest version of the video shared on social media doesn't include gunfire or video effects. Robert Earl White, wh
The Dispatch→ Revenge of the Nerds
How seriously should we take the floor revolt by House fiscal hawks?
The Dispatch→ Get Us Off This Roller Coaster
Government isn’t a thrill ride.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Samir El Hydeouchi NOT Identified As The Driver In Magdeburg Christmas Market Attack — Sam Hyde Hoax
Was Samir El Hydeouchi identified as the suspect in the December 20, 2024, vehicular attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany? No, that's not true: At the time this fact check was written, the suspect was taken into custody and
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: House Democrats NOT Only Ones To Vote Against Spending Bill
Did only House Democrats vote against a spending bill on December 19, 2024, that would have kept the government open until March 2025? No, that's not true: While 197 Democrats voted no, so did 38 Republicans. The bill required a two-third
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Agenda: Taxes
Este artículo estará disponible en español en El Tiempo Latino. In addition to extending the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, one of his signature achievements in his first term, President-elect Donald Trump has proposed a long list of tax cuts, from elim
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows Car-Sized Drone Or Flying Object In Las Vegas
Does a video shared to Instagram authentically show a car-sized drone or flying object flying over the Las Vegas Strip? No, that's not true: The original video was posted to TikTok with a caption stating, "This video was created digitally
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, the federal government is not offering a $2,200 holiday stimulus payment
Residents in states across the U.S. are eligible for a $2,200 holiday stimulus payment.
PolitiFact→ Viral image – No, this isn’t an authentic video of Reba McEntire, Dr. Mehmet Oz, discussing lung disease treatment
Video shows Dr. Mehmet Oz and singer Reba McEntire promoting treatment for chronic lung diseases.