An independent experimental fact-checking site, exploring and advocating ways to make fact-checking better.
“According to DeMint: women want to be forced to have ultrasounds.” —Melissa Ryan, digital director for EMILY’s List Overview The claim from EMILY’s List borrows a fabricated absurdity circulated by progressive sites. The Facts An email from EMILY’s list contained the following: Former Senator and current President of the Heritage Foundation Jim DeMint went on Meet the Press…
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Editor’s note July 28, 2013: The following is a revised version of a fact check first published on July 14, 2013. An entry in our Corrections section describes the reason for the changes. “[The Affordable Care Act] has already saved consumers billions.” —Nancy Metcalf, Consumer Reports, June 21, 2013 Overview The Consumer Reports claim ignores all the…
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“It is unconstitutional, and it is dangerous to the health and safety of American women.” —Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D—Calif. Summary Unconstitutional? Unclear. The Facts The decision of House Republicans in June 2013 to pass a bill restricting abortion led to a common response from Democrats: The bill is unconstitutional. The response from the Democrats’ chosen spokesperson in the…
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Last week we published a fact check of President Obama’s claim that the vast majority of Muslims reject the extremist terrorist ideology. The president described that ideology as seeing the U.S. in conflict with Islam and viewing violence against civilians as a fitting response to that conflict. The president also stated that Muslims make up the group most often victimized…
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“[S]ome extremists [believe] that Islam is in conflict with the United States and the West, and that violence against Western targets, including civilians, is justified in pursuit of a larger cause. Of course, this ideology is based on a lie, for the United States is not at war with Islam. And this ideology is rejected by the vast majority of…
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A May 28 press release announcing a new study of PolitiFact pushed the issue of selection bias in fact checking to the political front burner this week. The response from PolitiFact’s founder and editor, Bill Adair, provides a perfect avenue for highlighting some of the worst aspects of that fact check operation. The study, from the Center for Media and…
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What about (Ohio state senator Maag’s broader point — that Medicaid expansion under Obamacare would result in more deficit spending? … But the facts, projections and law, as they exist today, do not support his claim. We rate it False. —PolitiFact Ohio Overview PolitiFact Ohio uses specious reasoning in its rating of a Republican lawmaker from Ohio. The Facts…
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“The Affordable Care Act is bringing the cost of health care in our country down in both the public and private sector. And that is what is largely responsible for the deficit coming down.” —House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, May 13, 2013 Overview A logic deficit undermines Pelosi’s claim about the budget deficit. The Facts House Democratic Leader Nancy…
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“And whenever insurance premiums go up, you’re being told it’s because of Obamacare — even though there’s no evidence that that’s the case.” —President Barack Obama, May 10, 2013 Overview Perhaps the president misspoke. The ACA has a number of features that experts agree will raise premium costs. The Facts President Obama made his remarks about the ACA in…
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Pardon the “Sound of Music” pun. The liberal blogosphere is once again agog at the inadequacy of PolitiFact’s rating system. Tennis great Martina Navratilova claimed 29 states lack legal protections against job discrimination over sexual orientation. Specifically, she stated a person could be fired for either being gay or simply because the boss thinks they’re gay. PolitiFact noted a few…
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