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The Newsroom runs PolitiFact Illinois, the local arm of the nationally renowned, Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-checking enterprise that rates the truthfulness of statements made by governmental leaders and politicians.

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PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Durbin Mostly on Track with Claim on Illinois Deportations

Illinois’ senior senator said fewer than 20% of individuals deported from Illinois were charged with a serious crime. Federal data supports that, but it comes with a few caveats.
Oct 27, 2019 2:00 PM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: No, 30% of the Nation’s Poor Don’t Reside in California

Speaking about Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan to tax income at graduated rates in Illinois, Republican state Rep. Mark Batinick criticized another state with a similar tax system, claiming California is home to a third of those living in poverty nationwide. That's way off.
Oct 20, 2019 2:00 PM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Are Chicago Public School Teachers Among the Nation’s Highest Paid?

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the pay increase the city is offering Chicago’s teachers would add to compensation that already exceeds what most other school districts in the country pay.
Oct 11, 2019 6:00 AM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Durbin Mostly on Target with Claim about Police Support for Expanding Background Checks

Speaking about legislation that would require background checks for all gun sales, Illinois’ senior senator said not only does the public overwhelmingly support it — police officers do too.
Oct 4, 2019 12:00 PM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Bernie Sanders Says 49% of ‘New’ Income Goes to the Top 1%

The presidential candidate told a crowd of Chicago Teachers Union members that the nation’s richest 1% are seeing nearly half of all income growth. That’s an updated version of an even more striking figure he’s used in the past.
Sep 29, 2019 2:00 PM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Trump Policies Duckworth Cited Haven’t Hurt Housing Access — Yet

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth blasted President Donald Trump for a series of policies she said have exacerbated the nation’s homelessness crisis. But none of the plans she cited have been implemented, a point she acknowledged on social media following our inquiry.
Sep 20, 2019 10:30 AM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Evidence Shows Most of the Men in Famous 'Declaration of Independence' Painting Were Slaveholders

In a viral tweet, a Chicago documentary filmmaker used red dots to indicate 34 of the 47 founding fathers depicted in the painting held slaves. That checks out.
Sep 10, 2019 11:00 AM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Lightfoot Stretches the Numbers on Downstate Public Safety Pension Funds

Chicago’s mayor said she hopes to raise a “call to arms” on the condition of local pensions across Illinois. To underscore her point about the need for action, she cited a heavily inflated figure.
Sep 8, 2019 2:00 PM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Does Science Say Time Is Running Out to Stop Climate Disaster?

Congressman Sean Casten claimed most climate scientists agree the planet will face an irreversible ‘worst case scenario’ if climate change isn’t tackled within the decade. That oversimplifies a more nuanced consensus among experts.
Sep 1, 2019 2:00 PM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Are Handguns Used to Commit Nearly All Murders?

Following recent mass shootings, Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger voiced his support for certain forms of gun control. Asked if he’d back an assault rifle ban, however, he cited a statistic that stretches the facts.
Aug 15, 2019 4:00 PM

PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Durbin Mostly on Track with Claim on Illinois Deportations

Fact-Check: No, 30% of the Nation’s Poor Don’t Reside in California

Fact-Check: Are Chicago Public School Teachers Among the Nation’s Highest Paid?

Fact-Check: Durbin Mostly on Target with Claim about Police Support for Expanding Background Checks

Fact-Check: Bernie Sanders Says 49% of ‘New’ Income Goes to the Top 1%

Fact-Check: Trump Policies Duckworth Cited Haven’t Hurt Housing Access — Yet

Fact-Check: Evidence Shows Most of the Men in Famous 'Declaration of Independence' Painting Were Slaveholders

Fact-Check: Lightfoot Stretches the Numbers on Downstate Public Safety Pension Funds

Fact-Check: Does Science Say Time Is Running Out to Stop Climate Disaster?

Fact-Check: Are Handguns Used to Commit Nearly All Murders?