If a student group voices support for a foreign terrorist organization, is it breaking the law? That’s what Gov. Ron DeSantis argued after Florida banned Students for Justice in Palestine from operating chapters on the state’s college campuses. “You have a right to go out and demonstrate, but you can’t provide material support to terrorism,” […]
PolitiFact, the Poynter Institute’s fact-checking website, has named Katie Sanders as its editor-in-chief. Sanders, 35, has served as managing editor since 2018. She succeeds Angie Drobnic Holan, who in July was named director of the International Fact-Checking Network. Poynter Institute President Neil Brown made the announcement in a meeting with the PolitiFact staff Thursday morning. […]
The stumping and stomping of the 2024 presidential election are here. Amid the rallies, debates and rhetoric, voters are trying to discern truth. The Poynter Institute and PolitiFact, its Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism arm, will help people separate fact from fiction at this year’s United Facts of America. Register for the free event here. The three-day […]
Since U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., won the Oct. 25 election for House speaker, the public has gotten a crash course on the previously low-profile member of Congress. As details of his political life emerged, a social media influencer claimed in a viral video that he has been affiliated with a hate group. Johnson previously […]
Some Republican lawmakers are flagging Hamas’ attack on Israel as an example of why more security is needed at the southern U.S. border. Hamas militants breached a border fence and attacked Israeli villages bordering the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7. “Potential terrorists are attempting to cross our southern border. In September alone, 18 illegal immigrants […]
After House Republicans unanimously voted for Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., as the new speaker, Democratic politicians pounced on them for choosing someone who defied democratic norms after the 2020 presidential election. Johnson aligned himself with Donald Trump and congressional Republicans who sought to overturn legitimate results ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the […]
A liberal group says former President Donald Trump has promised more than two dozen “insane” actions if he reclaims the White House, including rounding up all homeless people, pardoning Jan. 6 defendants and ending the war in Ukraine within 24 hours. MeidasTouch Network, a liberal news website, shared an Oct. 21 Instagram reel that highlights […]
After President Joe Biden announced the U.S. will send $100 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank, critics countered the plan would ultimately help the Hamas leaders who, on Oct. 7, launched surprise attacks in Israel that killed 1,400 people. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., called the idea of giving aid to Gaza […]
Hours after federal filings showed entrepreneur Elon Musk offered about $43 billion to buy Twitter, Musk told a Vancouver TED Talk audience about his vision for the social media platform. “My strong intuitive sense is that having a public platform that is maximally trusted and broadly inclusive is extremely important to the future of civilization,” […]
Editor’s note, Nov. 14, 2023: A few weeks after we published this Oct. 20 story (Headline: Israel-Hamas war: How politicians, media outlets amplified uncorroborated report of beheaded babies), we learned that we neglected some available information that would have shaped our reporting differently. We are reviewing the additional information and plan to publish a new […]
Video footage of beams of light pulsing through the night sky prompted speculation about the potential use of a new weapon in the Israel-Hamas war — the Iron Beam. “Breaking: Israel activates new energy based iron beam system in taking out missles (sic) heading towards Tel Aviv,” read the caption of an Oct. 15 Instagram […]
Shortly after a deadly blast at a Gaza hospital, a pro-Israel social media influencer posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the blast was caused by an airstrike from Israel. He then deleted the post, raising suspicions among social media users about what or who caused the blast. “Israel military leader deleted tweet saying (Israel Defense […]