Latest Stories By Louis Jacobson

Showing 121-132 of 1260 items

Fact-checking Joe Biden on inflation, the deficit and consumer confidence in the State of the Union

March 8, 2024

As president, Joe Biden saw the economy endure 40-year-high levels of inflation. But during his 2024 State of the Union address, he took a victory lap on the reduced inflation rate, job creation and other economic metrics. “I came to office determined to get us through one of the toughest periods in our nation’s history,” […]

George Santos at State of the Union at the Capitol, 3-7-2024

Yes, George Santos can attend the State of the Union, walk House floor despite being expelled

March 8, 2024

Surprise guests are a feature of the president’s State of the Union address. President Joe Biden’s March 7 speech had a big one, though not one invited by the president: former Rep. George Santos, who was seen mingling with his former Republican colleagues a little more than three months after the House expelled him.   This […]

Fact-checking Joe Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address

March 8, 2024

Facing a challenging path to reelection amid low favorability ratings and public wariness over the economy, President Joe Biden used his 2024 State of the Union address to take a fighting posture. He repeatedly drew contrasts with his presumptive Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, and occasionally sparred with GOP lawmakers in the audience. “This […]

Why do so many Americans think the economy is bad when the data says otherwise?

March 6, 2024

Talk about a disconnect. Unemployment is near record lows. Job creation is robust. The economy is growing, driven by healthy consumer spending. And the stock market has hit record highs. Yet surveys show that Americans are disgusted with the economy. And President Joe Biden, seeking reelection in November, is feeling the public’s agitation.  Biden has […]

The deficit has fallen under Joe Biden. It’s still higher than before the pandemic.

March 5, 2024

President Joe Biden has often touted that his administration has cut the federal deficit, sometimes communicating that record more accurately than others. At campaign fundraisers in December and February, he told audience members that on his watch, the deficit fell by “$7 billion.” The actual decline is more than $1 trillion, not billion.  He used […]

The Biden-versus-Trump economy: Who did better on inflation, jobs, gasoline prices and more?

March 4, 2024

Get ready: In the 2024 presidential race, the candidates will talk about the economy. A lot. We know because it’s already happening. Incumbent President Joe Biden has touted the rapid growth of jobs on his watch. His predecessor and front-runner for the Republican nomination, Donald Trump, has focused on the four-decade-high inflation that peaked in […]

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce on the field in Baltimore, 1-28-2024

A poll found 1 in 5 believe in covert Taylor Swift effort to help Biden win. What does that mean?

February 20, 2024

A January Fox News segment promoted the bubbling conspiracy theory that singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is a government operative whose mission is bolstering President Joe Biden’s reelection chances. Now a poll shows a significant percentage of Americans are buying the false claim. Monmouth University Polling Institute’s mid-February survey of 902 adults found that nearly 1 in […]

What happens if Joe Biden or Donald Trump leaves his party’s ticket?

February 20, 2024

The available evidence suggests Joe Biden and Donald Trump will face each other for the presidency in November.  They are 81 and 77 years old, respectively. Trump is facing up to four criminal trials that could theoretically land him in prison. Also, some states are trying to keep Trump off their ballots for his role […]

Robert Hur at the White House, 7-27-2017

Fact-checking Sunday show spin on the special counsel’s findings on Joe Biden’s classified documents

February 13, 2024

The special counsel report on President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents was a major discussion topic on the Sunday morning political talk shows.  The president’s critics played up Special Counsel Robert Hur’s description of Biden’s allegedly poor memory; defenders countered that such details were inaccurate, out of bounds for such a report, or both. […]

Biden speaks at White House for documents presser story, 2-8-2024

Biden classified documents: What special counsel report says about ‘willful retention’

February 9, 2024

Just hours after the release of a special counsel’s report on a document-retention case, President Joe Biden called a prime-time press conference to applaud the counsel’s decision not to prosecute him and to rebut the report’s suggestion that aging has left him with “a poor memory.” Biden said media reports were misrepresenting the special counsel’s […]

Biden won’t be charged in classified documents case, but special counsel report questions his memory

February 9, 2024

A special counsel investigating President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents concluded that no criminal charges were warranted. However, Robert Hur in his final report criticized Biden’s practices in handling sensitive documents, saying he had found evidence that Biden had “willfully retained and disclosed classified materials” as a private citizen after he served as vice […]

Supreme Court building in Washington, 2-7-2024

U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on removing Donald Trump from ballot. Here’s what to know.

February 8, 2024

In a case with implications for the 2024 presidential election, the U.S. Supreme Court heard historic oral arguments Feb. 8 that former President Donald Trump should be removed from Colorado’s presidential primary ballot. The Colorado Supreme Court in December ruled that Trump was ineligible to be on the ballot because of his actions on Jan. […]

Showing 121-132 of 1260 items