Latest Stories

An updated COVID-19 booster shot is now available, as strains of the coronavirus continue to spread. President Joe Biden said Sept. 6 that the updated boosters are meant to provide the strongest protection against the omicron strain, which didn’t exist when the original vaccines were developed in 2020. On. Aug. 31, the U.S. Food and […]

The 2022 midterm campaign will barrel to a close eight weeks from now, on Nov. 8. What does history tell us about what to expect? And could 2022 diverge from historical patterns? Here, we answer those questions.  Historically, what usually happens in midterm elections? Since at least the mid-1800s, the party that controls the White […]

What do the COVID-19 vaccine, superstar musician Prince and lizards have to do with Queen Elizabeth II?  Nothing. But conspiracy theorists claim otherwise. After the news broke Sept. 8 about the queen’s death, social media erupted with baseless rumors — some wacky enough to make us do a double-take. Here are five we’ve debunked so […]

After much debate in 2018, Floridians decided to amend the state’s constitution so certain felons — once out of prison — could regain the right to vote. Floridians were persuaded that felons who did not commit major crimes, such as murder or sexual assault, should have a say in issues that affect everyday life. Four […]

Allegations of domestic violence on the part of the candidates continue to roil the toss-up U.S. Senate race in Georgia, which could determine which party controls the chamber. We’ve fact-checked allegations against Republican Herschel Walker related to police reports and court records from 2001 to 2008. Now, Walker is putting the spotlight on the Democratic nominee, […]

As life-preserving medical technology advanced in the second half of the 20th century, doctors and families were faced with a thorny decision, one with weighty legal and moral implications: How should we define when life ends? Cardiopulmonary bypass machines could keep the blood pumping and ventilators could maintain breathing long after a patient’s natural ability […]

As the November midterm elections near, political candidates and TV ads are pushing inaccurate and misleading claims about immigration. And according to an NPR/Ipsos poll, a significant number of Americans believe these falsehoods.  About 1,000 adults in the U.S. were asked whether they believed a variety of claims about immigration, including whether there was an […]

The ongoing crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, is a dramatic reminder of the fragility of Americans’ water supply systems. When recent flooding overloaded the city’s already hobbled water treatment plant, tap water became unsafe to drink for the city’s 180,000 residents, more than 80% of whom are Black. The city no longer has enough water pressure […]

In a prime-time speech in front of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, President Joe Biden called on Americans to “stop the assault on American democracy” by Republicans who deny the results of the 2020 election. In an unusual pattern for his presidency, Biden mentioned the name of his predecessor, Donald Trump, several times in the speech, warning […]

Calling all fact-checking aficionados: The second annual United Facts of America online festival kicks off at the end of September. United Facts of America will be live-streamed from Washington, D.C., on Sept. 27, 28 and 29. The three-day online festival of fact-checking, hosted by PolitiFact and the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, will feature discussions […]

PolitiFact Wisconsin’s fact checks in August 2022 offered readers a smorgasbord of topics, from a Trump endorsement to defunding police and even a bit of bull.  Welcome to a tweaked version of our High Five feature.  Each month we’ll include some of the most-clicked items, of course, but also some others that are especially relevant […]

Después de que el Representante Charlie Crist asegurara su nominación como el candidato demócrata para la gubernatura de Florida, el Partido Republicano del estado transmitió un anuncio atacando el apoyo de Crist hacia el Presidente Joe Biden.  El anuncio político de 30 segundos, el cual fue publicado en español e inglés, liga a Crist con […]