Mailbag: ‘I am now starting to question your perspective’
It’s spring. The flowers are blooming, and so is the PolitiFact email inbox. Here’s a rundown of recent comments, complaints and compliments from readers.
Martha Stewart to Donald Trump: Can there be obstruction of justice with no underlying crime?
In the 24 hours after William Barr's letter on the Mueller report was released, some commentators took issue with the implication that someone can’t be tried for obstructing justice if there is no underlying crime. We decided to take a closer look.
Was the U.S. on the brink of war with North Korea before Trump? A review of the evidence
Was the United States on the verge of war against North Korea during the presidency of Barack Obama? Donald Trump has said he thinks so.
7 questions about the Green New Deal
You may have heard a lot recently about the "Green New Deal," championed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and co-sponsored by more than 60 Democratic members of the U.S. House. But what’s it all about? Let’s take a closer look.
Why it feels like wages aren’t outpacing inflation, even though they are
Democrats like to talk about struggling families who find wages aren’t keeping up with the cost of living. But our fact-checking has found that the economic data clashes with their argument.
Trump disagrees with his own intelligence team. We catalog the differences
During testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, several intelligence officials testified about security threats to the United States in a way that was sometimes at odds with what President Donald Trump has said. It didn’t take long for Trump to push back against them on Twitter.
Kamala Harris: Criminal justice reformer, or defender of the status quo? The record is mixed
Early in her run for president, Sen. Kamala Harris has crafted an image as a ‘progressive prosecutor,’ one who championed criminal justice reforms. But does her record as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general match that image? PolitiFact California examined her past and found a mixed record of reform-minded achievements and places she wasn’t so progressive.
The upcoming Senate votes to end the shutdown: A closer look
A pair of votes are scheduled in the Senate for Jan. 24 -- either of which could end the partial government shutdown after nearly five weeks. But what are in these two measures -- one from the Republicans and the other from Democrats? And is there any likelihood of passage? Here’s a rundown.
Your questions about the government shutdown, answered (part 2)
We recently asked readers what they wanted to know about the government shutdown. In a previous installment, we tackled questions about missed work and pay for government employees. Here, we’ll address the legislative process and how the border wall proposal prompted the shutdown.
Your questions about the government shutdown, answered
We recently asked readers what they wanted to know about the government shutdown. Now, we offer some answers.
Fact-checking Jim Justice’s state of the state address
Gov. Jim Justice delivered his third State of the State address tonight, proposing the elimination of a state tax on Social Security benefits, a 5 percent pay raise for state employees including teachers, and millions of dollars more for substance abuse and other social services. PolitiFact West Virginia took a look at the accuracy of a few of Justice’s statements in the speech. We will analyze additional statements from the speech in the coming days.
Explaining Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s 70 percent marginal tax rate idea
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., had barely been sworn in before she attracted widespread attention for floating significantly higher maximum tax rates on CBS’s 60 Minutes. Let’s take a closer look at what she said, and what it could mean.