Latest Stories By Louis Jacobson

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Voting in Maryland

PolitiFact’s guide to understanding public opinion polls

As the 2020 election pushes ahead, voters will be seeing poll results in their news feed — lots of them. But not all polls are created equal, and it can be hard to put the results into the proper context. PolitiFact participated in a workshop hosted by the Poynter Institute (which owns PolitiFact) on understanding election polling. Here are some suggestions about what voters should pay attention to when reading polls.

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Sondland listening to Schiff

Fact-checking the Gordon Sondland impeachment hearing about Trump, Ukraine

Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, testified that he was following orders of President Donald Trump to pursue a quid pro quo with Ukraine involving an investigation of a company that hired the son of Vice President Joe Biden, and many officials knew about it.

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Sondland tight

There was a quid pro quo, Gordon Sondland says in testimony for Trump, Ukraine impeachment inquiry

In perhaps the most significant testimony so far in the House’s impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, testified that he was following orders of the president to pursue a quid pro quo with Ukraine involving an investigation of a company that had once hired the son of Vice President Joe Biden. 

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Williams Vindman impeachment

Fact-checking the Trump impeachment hearings: Vindman, Volker, Morrison and Williams

Americans, for the first time, heard sworn public testimony Nov. 19 from two officials who listened in on the July 25 call between President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

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Volker in hallway

Who is Kurt Volker? What to listen for in his impeachment testimony

Kurt Volker, the former special representative to Ukraine, is scheduled to testify publicly as part of the House’s impeachment inquiry on the afternoon of Nov. 19. Here's what to listen for.

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Cargo ship in Miami

PolitiFact’s guide to understanding tariffs and international trade

Breaking with decades of United States policy favoring free trade, President Donald Trump has pursued an agenda favoring tariffs as weapons in a widening trade war. How did we get here? Let’s take a closer look.

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Bribery shutterstock

Impeachment and bribery: What you need to know

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., attracted wide notice when she used the word "bribery" to refer to the allegations against President Donald Trump after the first day of public impeachment hearings.

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George Kent testifying

Who is George Kent?

George Kent’s extensive background as a career diplomat, his specialist in Ukrainian and Russian issues, and his expertise in anti-corruption work made him a closely watched witness in the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.

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The impeachment inquiry: What to expect from public hearings and beyond

The House impeachment inquiry begins heating up this week, with several key observers of President Donald Trump’s interactions with Ukraine scheduled to speak publicly under oath for the first time. That makes it a good moment to recap the House impeachment process -- where we are now, and what lies ahead.

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Trump for impeachment and re-run

Could Donald Trump be impeached, removed and run for re-election? It’s possible

Could President Donald Trump be impeached, removed from office -- and then run again for president in 2020?

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Did George Washington run businesses as president?

President Donald Trump said a precedent exists for an active businessman like himself serving as president -- his legendary first predecessor, George Washington.

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No evidence photo of Trump watching Baghdadi raid was staged

PolitiFact investigated the context of the viral image of Trump watching the Baghdadi raid.

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Showing 529-540 of 1255 items