Latest Stories By Amy Sherman

Republicans who criticize voting by mail often cite a report from more than a decade ago co-written by former President Jimmy Carter that included a warning about absentee voting. “Absentee ballots remain the largest source of potential voter fraud,” stated the 2005 report by a commission co-chaired by Carter and James Baker III, former President […]

In his first address to the United Nations General Assembly as president, President Joe Biden said the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and other threats present world leaders with a stark choice at “the dawning of what must be a decisive decade for our world.” “We’re challenged by urgent and looming crises, wherein lie enormous opportunities, […]

As state legislatures across the country adopt a host of voting restrictions, Senate Democrats are pushing legislation that would bring more uniformity to voting by mail and early voting. The nearly 600-page Freedom to Vote Act represents a major overhaul of federal voting policies, though it does not go as far as the For the […]

In the days leading up to the California recall election, former President Donald Trump alleged without evidence that the California recall election was rigged on behalf of Gov. Gavin Newsom, echoing falsehoods from the 2020 election. About a week before the Sept. 14 election, Trump told Newsmax that the election was “probably rigged.” He went […]

President Joe Biden’s statements about Afghanistan, misinformation about COVID-19 and political discussions about inflation continue to be frequent topics of our fact-checking. Here’s a selection of reader reactions in emails and on our Facebook page to our fact-checks, lightly edited for length and clarity. Readers can email us fact-check ideas and feedback at truthometer@politifact.com • • • […]

U.S. officials are working on one of the largest airlifts in U.S. history ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline to leave Afghanistan. The evacuation effort includes American citizens as well as thousands of refugees and Afghans who helped the U.S. military over two decades of war. Images and footage have shown hectic conditions inside and […]

President Joe Biden’s Aug. 16 speech on Afghanistan — after the Taliban took over —  highlighted a tough foreign policy issue that some people haven’t paid attention to recently. Here, we’ll answer common questions that Biden’s speech raises and note where his claims lack evidence or context. What was the U.S. mission in Afghanistan? Figure […]

Nationwide, before parents drop off their children at the start of the school year, one important task on their to-do list is to submit the required proof of vaccinations.  But one vaccine is noticeably absent from the list of state-mandated vaccines for school enrollment: the COVID-19 vaccine, which has been available to children ages 12 […]

If you have to show a photo ID to buy a beer, board a plane or pick up a ticket at will call, shouldn’t you have to show one to cast a ballot? Doesn’t our democratic process deserve at least that level of security? So goes a familiar argument for voter ID requirements. The argument […]

The delta variant now represents more than 83% of new coronavirus cases in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. And a new study in China says that people infected with the delta variant have a viral load of about 1,000 times higher than patients earlier in the pandemic. “The delta variant […]

Falsehoods about the 2020 election results, voting laws and misinformation about COVID-19 continue to be frequent topics of our fact-checking. Here’s a selection of our reader reactions in emails and on our Facebook page to our fact-checks, lightly edited for length and clarity. Readers can email us fact-check ideas and feedback at truthometer@politifact.com Some readers […]

As President Joe Biden seeks to enact national voting rights legislation, he has turned his attention to attacking new state laws that he says will restrict voting. ​​”This year alone, 17 states have enacted — not just proposed, but enacted — 28 new laws to make it harder for Americans to vote,” Biden said during […]