Your weekly fact-checks
#Elections2026
This week's election: 2026 Laotian parliamentary election
Electionguide.org
Election Date: 22/02/2026
Laos is a one-party state governed by the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP), with no permitted opposition or independent election monitoring. In the 2021 election, the LPRP won nearly all seats, and for the 2026 election, the National Assembly expanded from 164 to 175 seats.
#TrumpCheck
FactCheck.org
False: Trump and Musk said that the “Pennsylvania sent out 1,823,148 mail-in ballots but received back around 2.5 MILLION mail-in ballots.”
Trump and Musk amplified a debunked claim that Pennsylvania sent out 1.8 million mail-in ballots in 2020 but counted 2.5 million, implying fraud. Official data shows this mixes primary and general election figures, with 2.67 million ballots approved and 2.27 million cast in the general election.
Snopes
False: The construction of U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom was halted by a federal judge in mid-February 2026.
As of this writing, a federal judge has yet to rule on the legal status of the construction project. In a social media post, Trump stated that the project is moving "ahead of schedule," while a White House spokesperson told us that the project is still in the "demolition phase."
PolitiFact
Half-True: "The crime rate now is the lowest it's been since 1900. That's 125 years."
Murders, overall violent crime and property crime are at their lowest rates in decades, but it’s unclear whether they are at record lows going back 125 years.
#Politics
India Today
Mostly False: Ballot papers being counted the night before polling day for the 2026 Bangladesh elections.
The postal ballot in this video features the Awami League’s boat symbol. It did not appear on any ballot this year as the party was barred from contesting elections.
Snopes
False: The U.S. Department of Justice's documents released in January 2026 pertaining to Jeffrey Epstein contain evidence that Ellen DeGeneres is a cannibal.
Social media claims that January 2026 U.S. Department of Justice Epstein files reveal Ellen DeGeneres as a "prolific cannibal" are false, as no documents link her name—mentioned in innocuous contexts like news clips and emails—to any cannibalism references. Separate file mentions of "cannibal" or "cannibalism" (e.g., media digests, emails about jerky) appear unrelated and do not involve DeGeneres or wrongdoing by her.
Snopes
True: The U.S. Department of Justice's documents released in January 2026 pertaining to Jeffrey Epstein reference cannibalism and accuse Epstein, or his inner circle, of engaging in "ritualistic sacrifice."
Snopes verified that the DOJ's trove of documents released on Jan. 30, 2026, contain such allegations and references. We did not investigate the legitimacy of the accusations themselves. The allegations, in part, stemmed from a purported interview between FBI officials and an anonymous man in 2019. They were unsupported by any credible evidence.
#Economy
PolitiFact
Mostly-True: “New Yorkers pay 49% more than the national average for electricity.”
Federal data from November 2025 shows that this is correct for residential and commercial users. Costs for industrial and transportation users were also above the national average, but not as dramatically.New York’s electricity costs are below those of most New England states, but higher than two mid-Atlantic states, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
#Conflicts
India Today
False: Assam Rifles soldiers captured by militants in Manipur.
This image, shared virally has been altered using an AI tool. There are no credible reports of Assam Rifles soldiers being captured by militants in Manipur.
StopFake
False: Ukrainian athlete Vladislav Heraskevych’s helmet bears terrorist symbols and portraits of military personnel.
Russian outlets falsely claimed that Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladislav Heraskevych’s Olympic helmet displayed terrorist symbols and Ukrainian soldiers, framing it as war propaganda that justified an IOC ban. In fact, the helmet is a memorial piece bearing portraits of 22 Ukrainian athletes, including children, killed by Russian attacks, contains no violent or political symbols, and its design was confirmed as compliant and non-discriminatory by Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee, though Heraskevych was still disqualified for insisting on wearing it.
#Nordics
Tjekdet
Falsk: Den danske kongefamilie er nu blevet knyttet til nye afsløringer i Epstein-filerne.
Svindlere har brugt falske Facebook-annoncer og artikler, der omtaler Danmarks kong Frederik og kronprinsesse Mary i falsk forbindelse med Jeffrey Epstein, til at lokke folk ind i investeringssvindel. Danske faktatjekkere har bekræftet, at artiklerne ligner BT's design, men er falske. Kong Frederik nævnes kort i Epsteins filer, men kongefamilien benægter, at han nogensinde har mødt Epstein.
#WTF?! What The Fact of the week
Snopes
True: The Four Seasons total landscaping sold out concert tickets off the back of 2020 election publicity.
In 2021, Philadelphia’s Four Seasons Total Landscaping—made famous by Rudy Giuliani’s 2020 press conference for the Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign—held a punk concert featuring Laura Jane Grace and Brendan Kelly. Tickets sold out in just 17 minutes, with a second show added that also sold out quickly. The landscaping company had turned its viral notoriety into a quirky event venue.
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