Latest Stories By Louis Jacobson

Showing 205-216 of 1255 items

How state abortion laws changed after the Dobbs decision reversed Roe v. Wade

Almost a year ago, the Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, which since 1973 had established federal protections for abortion access up to the point of fetal viability. In the year since, the national abortion access landscape has changed significantly. By PolitiFact’s count, 25 states have banned abortion or tightened restrictions […]
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Why are federal plea deals common? Because the odds of acquittal at trial are low

The news that presidential son Hunter Biden reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors on tax and gun charges outraged allies of former President Donald Trump, who argued that it represented a double standard. According to news reports citing anonymous sources, Hunter Biden had tentatively agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges, for […]
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Vivek Ramaswamy outside Florida courthouse

Can GOP candidates pardon Donald Trump if they win? Can Trump pardon himself?

On the presidential campaign trail, Republican candidates are weighing in on whether they would pardon former President Donald Trump if he is convicted of charges stemming from unlawful possession of classified documents. One candidate, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, has offered a full-throated pledge that, if he wins the presidency, he would pardon Trump. Other GOP candidates […]
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Some GOP hopefuls want to honor Confederate Braxton Bragg with US base. Here’s what to know.

In early June, a sprawling U.S. Army base in North Carolina shed the name it was given in 1918 — Fort Bragg — and was formally renamed Fort Liberty.  The name change was prompted by a federal law, passed in 2020 after protests over George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis, to rename military bases that had […]
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Tattoo, 8-14-2020

Pence’s point on gender-affirming care for minors ignores parental consent rules for tattoos

Twice in the past few weeks, former Vice President Mike Pence has offered a model for determining whether minors should be able to receive gender-affirming care: the laws that govern whether minors can get a tattoo. Pence, who is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, raised the idea in a May 24 Scripps News […]
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Trump in Bedminster, N.J. No. 2, 6-13-2023

Fact-checking Donald Trump’s Bedminster speech following documents indictment

It was political and legal déjà vu. Former President Donald Trump was indicted. Days later, he was ushered into a nondescript courthouse where he entered a not guilty plea, mostly hidden from the public. He cruised from the courthouse, boarded his private jet and flew to one of his resorts. He ended the night by […]
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Trump en el escenario de Greensboro, N.C., 6-10-2023

Verificando lo que Donald Trump dijo a Americano Media sobre su caso de los documentos clasificados

El expresidente Donald Trump se presentó el 13 de junio a una corte federal en Miami para enfrentar 37 cargos en relación a la investigación de los documentos clasificados encontrados en su propiedad Mar-a-Lago en Palm Beach, Florida. Antes de eso, el 12 de junio, Trump habló con la periodista Carinés Moncada, en una entrevista […]
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Biden classified documents location 1-10-23

How do Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s classified documents cases compare?

As former President Donald Trump prepared to be arraigned on charges related to his handling of classified documents, some supporters complained that Trump has been indicted by a special counsel while President Joe Biden hasn’t. Information about Biden’s documents broke Jan. 9 when CBS News reported that Biden’s lawyers had discovered documents, some with classification […]
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Why Espionage Act charges don’t mean prosecutors are accusing Donald Trump of spying

One of the defenses offered by allies of former President Donald Trump following his federal indictment is that he’s no spy; so why is he being charged like one? Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., made this argument June 11, on both ABC News’ “This Week” and Twitter. “President Trump will have his day in court,” said […]
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The Trump documents indictment: Which charges are most serious? Can he still run in 2024?

The investigation took months, but it’s official: Former President Donald Trump has been indicted in a case centered on federal documents he took to Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach, Florida, resort. The indictment, formally released June 9, includes 37 counts against Trump, some of which are shared with his personal aide at Mar-a-Lago, Walt Nauta.  Of […]
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Where do Republican presidential candidates stand on Ukraine?

On many issues, voters won’t hear much variation in what Republican presidential candidates say on the campaign trail. Rarely do members of the growing GOP primary field break from party orthodoxy on taxes, health care, energy and immigration. But there is one issue that has prompted a robust debate among GOP candidates: how the U.S. […]
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Fact-checking Ron DeSantis’ 2024 presidential campaign kickoff on Twitter Spaces with Elon Musk

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis’ presidential announcement lurched before it launched — technical problems had the Twitter Spaces audio cutting in and out for 15 minutes, sometimes leaving long silences. When the audio finally steadied, DeSantis promised success. “If you nominate me, you can set your clock to Jan. 20, 2025, at high noon,” he said, […]
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Showing 205-216 of 1255 items