Tuesday Afternoon Breaking Updates with Ben 9/15/2026

What it claims

Claims

1. 1Can’t tellChapter Advisory, LLC represents 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide.The only sources giving the 50-organization, 18,160-product figure are copies of Chapter's own disclaimer text (sources 3 and 6), which are circular and not independent records. Chapter's later disclaimer (source 5, published 2026-10-31) gives 15,778 products, but it is the company's own page, postdates the 2026-09-15 claim, and does not establish what the count was on that date, so the claim cannot be graded. The claim also matches the post's passage, so no extraction departure applies.7 sources →
2. 2Mixed99% of people over the age of 50 already have the virus that causes shingles.The core point that most adults over 50 carry the varicella-zoster virus is supported, but the specific 99% figure appears only in GSK's own promotional material and a GSK-campaign article, while a U.S. Pharmacist piece attributes a different figure ('over 90%') to the CDC. Sources on the same claim therefore disagree on the number, and the 99% figure is not independently corroborated. The claim matches the post's wording, so no extraction departure applies.7 sources →

   ▶ 1:37

3. 3OpinionThe MeidasTouch host considers the Trump regime a wrecking ball and an authoritarian regime that is inflicting suffering on Americans.A judgement, not a statement of fact. It has no true or false answer.

   ▶ 3:37

4. 4TrueDonald Trump stated on social media that he intends to turn the White House into a palace.Multiple sources, including a primary archive of Trump's Truth Social post, show he called the White House a 'Palace' in a September 2026 post about his helipad renovation, and headlines describe him boasting about turning it into a palace. The sources show him saying it is now a palace rather than stating an explicit intention, a minor wording difference that does not change the core claim.7 sources →

   ▶ 4:39

5. 5TrueKash Patel was cross-examined by members of Congress on September 15, 2026.Multiple independent reliable outlets (AP, Politico, CBS News, CNN, Reuters) and the Senate Judiciary Committee's own hearing page confirm FBI Director Kash Patel testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 15, 2026, where Democrats and Republicans questioned him sharply, so "cross-examined by members of Congress" is supported. The extraction matches the post, which refers to the same day it was posted.6 sources →

   ▶ 6:52

6. 6TrueTreasury Secretary Besant was cross-examined by members of Congress on September 15, 2026.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (spelled 'Besant' in the claim and post) testified before the House Financial Services Committee on September 15, 2026, and was questioned at length by members of Congress, including Rep. Pressley and Democrats on the panel. The claim's 'cross-examined' wording matches the post's phrasing, and the 'Besant' spelling is a typo for the same official, not a different referent.5 sources →

   ▶ 6:58

7. 7TrueDonald Trump is taking actions against Canada.As of 2026-09-15, the US had imposed 50% Section 338 tariffs on Canadian goods (effective August 22) and on September 8 announced import bans on Canadian alcohol, motorcycles and dairy, so the claim that Trump was taking actions against Canada is supported; the claim is a vague paraphrase of the post's 'what he's doing to Canada' and the sources confirm the core action. Later developments (November trade-deal talks) do not make the September claim false.5 sources →

   ▶ 10:42

8. 8TrueDonald Trump is taking actions at the Kennedy Center.As of 2026-09-15, multiple tier1 sources (BBC, AP, Reuters) show Trump, as chairman of the Kennedy Center board, was taking actions there: the board voted to close the venue for two years, and he announced the closure and pushed to add his name to the building. The claim is a broad, general statement of present action and matches the passage's referent; later reporting (closure announced for July 4 start, Nov 1 coverage) shows continued action but does not change the September 15 state.6 sources →

   ▶ 10:46

9. 9TrueThe Houthis are making gains in Yemen and taking over western Yemen.As of 2026-09-15, multiple reliable sources report Houthi territorial gains that included taking control of much of western Yemen's Red Sea coast, including Mocha, Dhubab and Perim Island, so the claim holds. The post's wording of 'all of western Yemen' is an overstatement the extracted claim dropped; no source says the Houthis held all of western Yemen, and later reports (Oct–Nov) describe government counteroffensives retaking parts of the coast.7 sources →

   ▶ 14:35

10. 10MixedThe Houthis are striking refineries in Yamboo, western Saudi Arabia, and Abqiaq, eastern Saudi Arabia.As of 2026-09-15, sources show Houthi-linked attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, including the Jazan refinery and shipping near Yanbu, but they attribute the Abqaiq attack to Iran-backed Iraqi militias rather than the Houthis. Later October sources report Houthi claims of strikes on Abqaiq and Yanbu facilities, but those postdate the claim and are unconfirmed by Saudi authorities; the claim's refinery framing for Yanbu is also not stated in the September sources.7 sources →

    ▶ 14:51

11. 11FalseA meeting involving Netanyahu, Mossad, CENTCOM, and Saudi Arabia has taken place in Saudi Arabia over the past 48 hours.The record shows a CENTCOM-Saudi meeting in Jeddah on Sept 14, 2026, within the 48-hour window, but no Netanyahu or Mossad involvement. The reported Netanyahu-Mossad meeting with Saudi representatives took place in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Sept 27, well outside the window, so the claimed combined meeting in Saudi Arabia is not supported.8 sources →

    ▶ 15:28

12. 12FalseDonald Trump revealed that the United States lost in a war to Iran.No source shows Trump saying the US lost to Iran. Trump repeatedly claimed victory (AP, March; PolitiFact, April; CBS, October), and the loss framing comes from critics such as Rep. Kamlager-Dove and a Washington Post analysis, not from Trump.6 sources →

    ▶ 17:08

13. 13Can’t tellAnsarallah discovered that Saudi Arabia had 80% more troops in Mocha than were actually present.The sources do not report any Saudi troop count in Mocha, so the 80% figure cannot be checked; the claim also departs from the passage, which says MBS claimed 80% more troops than were present, not that Ansarallah discovered Saudi Arabia had 80% more troops. The closest source, a CNN-based report, describes Yemeni government battalions at about 20% of their official manpower, which concerns different forces.6 sources →

    ▶ 17:43

14. 14MixedDonald Trump's tariffs and trade wars caused the current economic issues in the United States.Sources support that Trump's tariffs have raised consumer prices and failed to deliver the promised manufacturing revival, but they also attribute the inflation and economic strain partly to the US-Israel war with Iran and its oil-price effects, and they report GDP growing at about 2.2%. The record supports tariffs as one contributor to current economic issues, not as the sole cause, so the claim's implied exclusive attribution is contradicted; the claim also drops the extracted post's 'purely' qualifier, which is graded normally. The verdict is about 2026-09-15, and later sources (Oct 2026) describe the same mix of causes.9 sources →

    ▶ 19:35

15. 15MixedCountries are withdrawing tens of billions of dollars from United States bond markets.The claim that countries are withdrawing tens of billions of dollars from US bond markets as of 2026-09-15 is partly supported: sources show foreign official holders cut Treasury holdings by tens of billions (e.g., $50.4B drop in July, foreign holdings down from $9.487T in February to $9.248T in July) and a $26.3B emerging-market outflow in September, but the Sept. 2026 sources do not clearly isolate a September withdrawal from US bond markets specifically, and the data mix government and private investors and often measure different periods. The 'countries' framing reads more as a mix of official and private flows, so the verdict is mixed.7 sources →

    ▶ 20:54

16. 16MixedThe current 30-year fixed mortgage rate in the United States is 7.17%.As of 2026-09-15, the sources give competing 30-year fixed averages that bracket the claimed 7.17%: Bankrate's daily figure of 7.37% on Sept 15 (WSJ), Freddie Mac's 6.95% (Sept 17) and 7.03% (Sept 24), and MBA's 7.12% for the week ended Sept 18. The claimed figure falls within this range, so the sources neither confirm nor refute it precisely, and it does not match any single source's figure. The claim also matches the post's wording and extraction, so no departure from the passage is involved.Minor detail. The sources confirm the claim; only a minor detail differs, such as a name's spelling, a title's wording or a rounding.7 sources →

    ▶ 21:08

17. 17Can’t tellDonald Trump is stealing Venezuela's resources and assets.The sources document a real U.S.-Venezuela oil deal giving the U.S. control of 17 fields and a stake in a firm, but whether this amounts to 'stealing' is a contested characterization rather than a checkable fact: critics (Raw Story, FAIR, The Week) call it theft or plunder, while Energy Secretary Wright said 'We're Stealing Venezuelan Oil' headlines are 'not true at all.' The post itself only reports Trump saying 'I get to steal,' so the extracted claim states as fact what the passage presents as a quote and the poster's opinion.7 sources →

    ▶ 21:50

18. 18TrueTreasury Secretary Bessent was unable to identify the location of money flows related to a Venezuela deal during cross-examination.Coverage of the September 15, 2026 House hearing reports Bessent saying he could not testify whether Venezuela-related cash flows reach US persons and could not identify the US bank holding the funds, which matches the claim's core assertion. The claim is a faithful paraphrase of the post, and the only detailed support comes from a tier3 outlet and an unrated video transcript, so confidence is capped.3 sources →

    ▶ 21:56

19. 19TrueThe Supreme Court blocked a plan by Donald Trump to have the U.S. Postal Service create a system for collecting state ballots using Trump barcodes and voter lists.The Supreme Court declined to let the Postal Service enforce Trump's mail-ballot rule, leaving in place a lower-court block, and the rule required states to submit voter lists and use barcoded envelopes. The claim's "Trump barcodes" wording is the post's rhetoric, not a sourced detail, but the core assertion is supported by multiple tier1 and tier2 sources.6 sources →

    ▶ 24:39

20. 20Can’t tellRoger Ailes and others created a plan over 40 years to build a right-wing propaganda environment to insulate the next Nixon.Sources document that Roger Ailes devised a 1970 media plan for Republicans, titled "A Plan for Putting the GOP on TV News," and that he built a long-running media career for conservatives over roughly 40 years. No source addresses the claim's stated purpose, that the plan was meant to insulate the next Nixon, and the "others" who allegedly hatched it are not named. The claim's motive element is therefore not checkable against these sources.8 sources →

    ▶ 26:28

21. 21TrueSelectQuote has been operating for nearly 40 years.SelectQuote was founded in 1985, and its own investor presentation and a 10-Q filing describe the company as operating for about 40 years ('40+ years in operation'; 'nearly 40 years' for the insurance distribution business). The claim matches the post's wording and no source contradicts it, though one company page says '35 years ago', an inconsistency that does not reverse the claim.5 sources →

    ▶ 28:58

22. 22TrueSelectQuote has helped over 2 million people find insurance coverage.SelectQuote's own history page says it has helped more than 2 million customers secure life insurance coverage, and its FY2025 10-K says it has helped over seven million since 1985, so the claimed figure is a conservative lower bound. Both sources are company materials rather than independent records, and the extraction faithfully reflects the ad's wording.2 sources →

    ▶ 29:00

23. 23Can’t tellMost supplements absorb at less than 16%.The only source giving the 16% figure is The Absorption Company's own marketing page (credibility 0.40), which is the same company promoting the products, so it cannot independently corroborate the claim. No independent source measures absorption across supplements in general, so the claim is unverifiable, though the NIH data on vitamin A suggests some supplements absorb far more than 16%.7 sources →

    ▶ 30:19

24. 24Mixed77% of Americans take supplements daily.The 77% figure matches one 2024 Ipsos/Amway survey reporting daily supplement use, but that source is a low-credibility secondary blog. Other sources report 71% regular use (Harris), 78% currently taking supplements for health (Pew, 2026, not daily-specific), 73–77% general use (CRN, 2019–2020), and 57.6% past-30-day use (CDC NHANES), so the figure depends on the measure used. The claim is consistent with the post's wording, and none of the sources is a clean match for daily use at 77%.5 sources →

    ▶ 30:27

25. 25MixedAmericans spend about $60 billion per year on supplements.The roughly $60 billion figure is supported by an NIH-attributed estimate (about $60B in 2025) and by an NIH ODS summary of about $61B on multivitamins and fortified foods, but other sources range from $20-30B and $30B to $69.3B and above $130B, so the figure falls inside a wide, measure-dependent range. The claim is faithful to the post, which said 'about $60 billion per year on supplements'.6 sources →

    ▶ 30:27

26. 26FalseOver 95% of Americans are nutrient deficient.The claim that over 95% of Americans are nutrient deficient is contradicted by the CDC's Second Nutrition Report, which found less than 10% of the U.S. population had deficiencies for the indicators it measured. The 95% figure appears only in unrated sources and in dietary-intake data showing inadequate intake, which is a different measure from biochemical deficiency; the claim departs from neither the post's wording nor its date, and the sources are checked as of 2026-09-15.6 sources →

    ▶ 30:27

27. 27TrueDonald Trump claims he reduced drug prices by 600% and 800%.Sources show Trump repeatedly claimed drug price cuts of 600% and 800% (CNN, HuffPost, and a primary White House transcript), so the claim that he made these claims is supported. The percentages themselves are mathematically impossible and fact-checkers rejected them, a point the summary notes but which does not bear on whether he made the claim.9 sources →

    ▶ 32:09

28. 28MixedSports team owners can fully deduct the value of their sports team over a 10-year period while the asset appreciates.The core claim holds: sources confirm that team owners can amortize the purchase price of a team while the team's value rises. But the claim's 10-year period is contradicted by multiple sources that describe a 15-year schedule, and 'fully' overstates a deduction that covers roughly 90 to 100 percent of the price. The claim matches the post's wording, so it is not an extraction addition; as of 2026-09-15, the 15-year rule was still in force.7 sources →

    ▶ 34:22

29. 29MixedThe United States is providing $3 billion in additional funding to Benjamin Netanyahu for the purchase of 5,000-pound bombs.The sources support a real U.S. arms package for Israel of about $2.8 billion, mostly financed through Foreign Military Financing, but they contradict the claim's details: the bombs are 2,000-pound munitions, not 5,000-pound, and the money goes to Israel's government rather than to Netanyahu personally. The sale was also reported as planned and not yet final as of 2026-09-15.7 sources →

    ▶ 35:39

30. 30MixedThe United States government authorized a $2.8 billion sale of 40,000 2,000-pound bombs.The $2.8 billion package of 40,000 2,000-pound bombs is well documented across sources, but whether it was 'authorized' is disputed: AP and Reuters describe a planned sale that is not yet final, while the Boston Globe and NYT-citing reports say the administration approved it. The extraction's 'largest single sale' phrasing is in the post, but the claim itself drops it, which is a faithful paraphrase.6 sources →

    ▶ 36:01

31. 31TrueThe board of the Kennedy Center voted to close the building for safety and reconstruction purposes.Multiple tier1 sources (Reuters, AP) and tier2 outlets (NPR, PBS, WaPo) report that the Kennedy Center board voted on September 15, 2026 to close the building for renovations and safety reasons, with Trump's Truth Social post citing safety and reconstruction. Later filings (Sept 17) describe a separate temporary closure for public-safety reasons, but that does not make the September 15 board vote claim false; the board vote itself is confirmed.8 sources →

    ▶ 36:43

32. 32MixedDonald Trump contributed $17 million to the Kennedy Center to keep it operational.The sources support that about $17 million raised by Trump was placed in the Kennedy Center's accounts to keep it running, but they do not establish that Trump personally contributed the money. Trump said he had given it to an endowment, while a DOJ filing says it was 'raised by' him and internal documents tie it to a foundation whose donors are undisclosed. The claim's 'contributed' wording goes beyond what the record shows, and the situation changed after 2026-09-15 without contradicting the claim as of that date.8 sources →

    ▶ 37:23

33. 33TrueThe United States national debt has surpassed $40 trillion.The claim that the US national debt surpassed $40 trillion is supported by multiple sources: the Treasury reported total public debt of $40.047 trillion on August 18, 2026 (Washington Post, Reuters, CNN), and by 2026-09-15 the debt was above $40 trillion (about $40.1 trillion at 9/15 per coverage of the September figures). The extracted claim ('over 40 trillion') matches the post's own wording, and the debt remained above $40 trillion afterward, so the state on the posted date is confirmed.6 sources →

    ▶ 39:17

34. 34Can’t tellDonald Trump's FBI failed to take appropriate action regarding the individual who shot at him in Butler, Pennsylvania.The post attacked Joe Biden's FBI, not Trump's FBI, so the extracted claim departs from the passage by changing the actor. Sources show the current FBI under Trump-era leadership releasing new Butler information and reporting that the shooter acted alone, but none establish that Trump's FBI failed to act appropriately.5 sources →

    ▶ 40:47

35. 35Can’t tellDonald Trump redacted records related to the Butler, Pennsylvania shooting.The sources confirm that the FBI released heavily redacted Butler shooting records obtained by Judicial Watch through a FOIA lawsuit, but none says Donald Trump personally redacted anything, and the post's claim that Judicial Watch sued Trump misdescribes a FOIA suit against the FBI. The claim's attribution of the redactions to Trump himself is therefore not established either way.5 sources →

    ▶ 42:21

36. 36MixedDonald Trump is covering up the Epstein files.The sources support that the Justice Department has not released about three million pages of Epstein files and that Democrats and commentators allege a deliberate cover-up involving Trump, but the cover-up characterization rests on partisan reports, a Tucker Carlson claim, and a White House denial, with no authoritative body finding a cover-up. As of 2026-09-15 the withholding was reported, while the government had released some files, so the verdict is mixed rather than true.11 sources →

    ▶ 42:28

37. 37TrueUkraine is striking Russian oil refineries.As of 2026-09-15, the sources show Ukraine was conducting an ongoing campaign of drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, with an IEA analysis published 2026-09-11 reporting a refinery hit on average once every three days in the first eight months of 2026. Later sources (Reuters, Bloomberg) confirm the campaign continued, though a mid-October pause followed, which does not change the September 15 state of affairs.5 sources →

    ▶ 44:35

38. 38TrueVolodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine would stop attacking Russian infrastructure if Russia stops attacking Ukrainian infrastructure.Multiple tier1 sources (BBC, Ukrainska Pravda, Kyiv Independent, NDTV) report Zelensky stating that Ukraine would stop striking Russian oil refineries if Russia stops attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure, so the conditional statement is supported. The claim's broader phrasing 'Russian infrastructure' versus the sources' 'Russian oil refineries' is a scope difference, and the sources describe this as a conditional offer, not an agreed deal as the post implies.7 sources →

    ▶ 44:39

39. 39TrueThe U.S. Ambassador to NATO stated that Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries have put pressure on global diesel and oil prices.Multiple sources report that Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, said on Fox News on 2026-09-15 that taking capacity out of global energy markets, as Ukrainian strikes on Russia do, 'has put pressure on diesel and oil generally.' The claim is about what he stated, so it holds; analysts and other officials dispute that the strikes were the main cause of the price rise.6 sources →

    ▶ 45:16

40. 40TrueDonald Trump promised during the 2024 election campaign to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of the election.Multiple tier1 sources confirm that during the 2024 campaign Trump repeatedly pledged to end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours, including saying he would have it settled before taking office after winning the election. Trump's later 2025 claim that he was 'being a little bit sarcastic' does not change what he said during the campaign.6 sources →

    ▶ 46:06

41. 41TrueDonald Trump promised during the 2024 election campaign to cut electricity prices by half after the election.Multiple reliable sources quote Trump's 2024 campaign pledge to cut energy and electricity prices in half, including an Asheville speech (Aug. 14, 2024) and a Pennsylvania rally (late Sept. 2024). The post says 'after the election' while the sources frame the timeline as 'within 12 months of taking office,' a peripheral difference that does not change the core promise.5 sources →

    ▶ 46:10

42. 42TrueDonald Trump stated during the 2024 campaign that he would reduce gasoline prices to below $2 per gallon.Multiple sources confirm that during the 2024 campaign Trump promised gasoline below $2 a gallon, quoting his September 2024 Economic Club of New York speech. The sources also show that promise was not met, but that does not affect whether he made it.6 sources →

    ▶ 46:13

43. 43MixedDonald Trump's handling of COVID-19 caused the inflation that followed in the second year of the Biden administration.The sources show inflation peaked in June 2022, within Biden's second year, so the timing holds. They attribute the surge mainly to the pandemic, supply disruptions, energy prices and the Ukraine war, and they say pandemic-era relief from both Trump and Biden likely contributed. Economists quoted by CNBC say neither Trump nor Biden is to blame, so the claim that Trump's COVID handling caused the inflation is only partly supported. The post posed this as a rhetorical question, and the extraction states it as a causal assertion.7 sources →

    ▶ 50:00

44. 44Can’t tellThe average senior on Medicare is overpaying by more than $1,000 a year for their coverage.No source reports the National Council on Aging stating that the average senior overpays by more than $1,000 a year for Medicare coverage, so the claim cannot be graded. The overpayment figures in the sources concern payments from Medicare to Medicare Advantage plans, not seniors' own overpayments, and the claim's wording matches the post's passage faithfully.6 sources →

    ▶ 53:07

45. 45Can’t tellOne in ten seniors on Medicare is overpaying by $2,000 or more for their coverage.None of the provided sources reports the claimed figure that one in ten Medicare seniors overpays by $2,000 or more. The post attributes the statistic to the National Council on Aging, but the NCOA material in the sources (sources 7, 8 and 9) does not contain it, and the Joint Economic Committee findings (sources 5 and 11) measure a different quantity, a $212 per-enrollee Part B premium increase. The sources neither confirm nor refute the claim, so it cannot be graded in either direction.4 sources →

    ▶ 53:17

46. 46MixedOnly about 10% of seniors on Medicare are on the plan that fits their needs best.The only source giving a current-style figure is an unrated NCOA article (published 2026-07-08) citing an economist study that about 10% of seniors chose the optimal Medicare Advantage plan, which matches the claim. A 2018 NCOA/Clear Choices report on Part D shows the best-plan share at 11% in 2006 falling to 2% by 2009, so the figure depends on the measure (Medicare Advantage vs Part D) and the period, and none of the sources measure the share as of 2026-09-15 directly. The claim's extraction matches the passage, and the 'only about 10%' framing is consistent with the sources' direction.3 sources →

    ▶ 53:20

47. 47Can’t tellFolks who found a new plan with Chapter saved an average of $1,100 on healthcare costs.The only sources giving the $1,100 figure are Chapter's own marketing page and a Chapter co-founder's interview, both of which report savings from self-reported consumer estimates the company collected. No independent or authoritative source verifies or disputes the average, so the claim cannot be graded in either direction.5 sources →

    ▶ 54:08

48. 48TrueThe Republican party holds a majority in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.As of 2026-09-15, Republicans held majorities in both chambers: the Senate at 53-47 and the House at 218 Republicans plus one independent who sides with them, against 214 Democrats with two vacancies. The claim is a faithful extraction of the passage's 'Republicans control the Senate and the House', and later coverage through November 2 shows the same arrangement.7 sources →

    ▶ 54:47

49. 49MixedKash Patel stated that applicants who engaged in bestiality were victims of bestiality because they were forced to do so.Patel did defend the policy as protecting trafficking victims forced into bestiality, and The Nation quotes a garbled version of him saying applicants who engaged in bestiality 'were victims... because they...'. But NBC and the Independent report he distinguished voluntary participants, saying 'if he voluntarily did it, sure' they should be disqualified, so the claim that all applicants who engaged were victims because they were forced is contradicted by his own qualification.7 sources →

    ▶ 59:10

50. 50TrueThe President claimed he won the 2020 election three times.Multiple sources document Trump repeatedly saying he won three presidential elections, including the 2020 race he lost, so the claim that he claimed to win 2020 three times is supported. The sources also show that the underlying assertion is false: Biden won 2020, and the fact-checkers reject the claim.5 sources →

    ▶ 59:41

51. 51TrueThe FBI Director stated that the FBI is focused on helping victims of bestiality become FBI agents.On 2026-09-15 FBI Director Kash Patel told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the hiring change was meant to let victims of bestiality, specifically those who were trafficked, apply without automatic disqualification, which supports the claim's core. The claim drops the trafficking qualifier and the fact that voluntary participants remain disqualified, and 'become agents' overstates 'be considered for employment', but the sources do not contradict the central assertion. The claim matches the post's wording, so it is not an extraction addition.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:01:46

52. 52FalseTreasury Secretary Besant spent over $10 billion to lower the yield on the 10-year bond.The claim that Bessent spent over $10 billion on the 10-year yield is contradicted by the record: the Treasury buyback was capped at $6 billion, and the operation actually bought only $5.19 billion. The $10 billion figure comes from Rep. Himes's hearing question, not from any Treasury record, and the post's 'some 10 billion, plus or minus' is the same figure the claim repeats.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:02:13

53. 53MixedThe 10-year bond yield rose from 4.8% to 5.04% following the Treasury Secretary's intervention.The figures hold up: the 10-year started near 4.8% and peaked at about 5.04% around September 15, 2026, and the rise did occur after the Treasury's buyback intervention. But the sources show the buybacks were meant to lower yields and yields rose anyway, driven mainly by oil-fueled inflation fears, so the causal reading 'rose because of the intervention' is not supported.4 sources →

    ▶ 1:02:21

54. 54Can’t tellThe current 30-year Treasury yield is 5.5%.No source gives the 30-year Treasury yield for 2026-09-15 itself. Nearby figures bracket it: Treasury par yields were about 5.25–5.27% in early September, and Reuters reported 5.48% on September 24 as a multi-decade high, so 5.5% is plausible but not confirmed for the claim date. The extracted claim matches the post's own figure, so there is no extraction departure.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:03:06

55. 55Can’t tellCurrent mortgage rates are 7.17%.No source reports a mortgage rate of 7.17% on or near 2026-09-15. Sources show a September average of 7.03% (Bank Rate Monitor) and a 30-year Freddie Mac rate of 7.28% on Oct. 1, so 7.17% falls inside the range but is not confirmed for the claim's date. The extracted 'Current' wording is a faithful paraphrase of the passage's 'Mortgage rates are 7.17%.'6 sources →

    ▶ 1:03:12

56. 56Can’t tellThe Treasury Secretary had 90% redemptions from his funds when he was on his own.None of the provided sources mention 90% redemptions from any personal fund run by the Treasury Secretary, so the claim cannot be graded in either direction. The sources cover Treasury debt operations, Mnuchin-era CARES Act funds, and general money market fund redemptions in 2020, none of which addresses this claim.4 sources →

    ▶ 1:04:49

57. 57MixedGas prices are up 52% since the war with Iran started.The rise in gas prices is well supported, but the 52% figure matches only the May 2026 peak (CBS: $4.54, up 52% from $2.98). As of mid-September, AAA-based reporting put the increase at roughly 44-45% ($4.29 vs. about $2.98 pre-war), so the 52% magnitude does not hold on the claim's 2026-09-15 date. Gas was still up well over 40%, so the claim is off on magnitude rather than direction.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:05:56

58. 58MixedWorking people are paying 20% more for utilities now than they were five years ago.Direction is supported: nominal electricity and utility rates rose over 2021–2026 across several sources. The specific 20% figure, however, falls below most reported nominal increases (roughly 27–45% for electricity), and the record shows only about 3% national growth in inflation-adjusted terms over 2019–2025, so the magnitude depends on the measure used. The claim was made 2026-09-15, and the sources cover that period.8 sources →

    ▶ 1:06:21

59. 59FalsePeople are paying over three times more on health insurance than they were five years ago.The claim that people pay over three times more on health insurance than five years ago is contradicted by KFF data showing employer family premiums rose about 28% over five years, roughly in line with wages and inflation, and ACA benchmark premiums rose about 26% in one year ($497 to $625). The 'three times' magnitude is grossly off, though the 114% ACA premium increase for subsidized enrollees in 2026 is a single-year figure, not a five-year one. The 'five years ago' timeframe is carried over from the post's preceding utilities sentence.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:06:32

60. 60MixedChina has reserves of over 1.5 billion barrels of oil as of 2025.The sources disagree on China's stockpile size. The EIA, the primary estimate, puts government and commercial crude inventories at nearly 1.4 billion barrels as of December 2025, Axios reports 1.397 billion, and Reuters gives a range of about 1 to 1.4 billion, so 'over 1.5 billion' falls outside the authoritative estimates. Only a Hanke quote and a secondhand LinkedIn summary of third-party data cite 1.5 billion or more, and the Hanke figure is commentary that echoes the same claim. The claim is faithful to the post's wording, so no extraction departure applies.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:07:58

61. 61TrueThe United States Navy has stopped 100 commercial ships heading into Iran.US Central Command statements in May and September 2026 say the Navy-led blockade has redirected or diverted 100 commercial vessels tied to Iranian ports, most recently 100 over the past 60 days as of September 12, 2026. The claim's word 'stopped' is looser than the military's 'redirected,' and 'heading into Iran' understates that the blockade covers ships entering and leaving Iranian ports, but no source contradicts the core figure.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:10:23

62. 62FalseThe United States has not enhanced oil production in Venezuela.The claim that the U.S. has not enhanced Venezuelan oil production is contradicted by sources showing U.S.-linked deals expanding output: Chevron's expansion, the NABEP agreement, and rising production in the fields involved. The extraction is faithful to the post, and the picture held as of 2026-09-15, when Chevron's expansion had been announced and the U.S. Embassy was crediting the deals with expanded production.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:11:57

63. 63MixedDonald Trump created an oil company with Hegesiph within the Defense Department.The sources support that Trump announced an oil deal creating a joint venture in which the Pentagon's Office of Strategic Capital takes a stake, and that Defense Secretary Hegseth co-signed the agreement. However, they describe the company as a private firm incorporated in Barbados with the Pentagon as a minority partner, not an oil company located within the Defense Department, and the claim's 'in the Defense Department' framing departs from that.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:12:37

64. 64TrueDonald Trump stated in July 2026 that more than 13 billion dollars had been paid for the war from Venezuelan assets.Trump's July 27, 2026 remarks aboard Air Force One are documented in the official transcript and by CNBC: he said the U.S. had taken in more than $13 billion from Venezuela and that 'we paid for that war many times over.' The claim accurately reports that statement; the $13 billion figure itself traces to a Financial Times estimate, which the sources note the administration never fully explained.4 sources →

    ▶ 1:13:54

65. 65TruePresident Trump stated on July 27 that the United States is taking in billions of dollars from Venezuela to pay for war costs.Multiple outlets report that Trump said on July 27, 2026, aboard Air Force One that the U.S. had taken in '$13 billion from Venezuela? I think even more than that. We've paid for that war many times over.' That supports both the claim that the U.S. is taking in billions from Venezuela and that he tied those proceeds to paying for the war costs.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:14:54

66. 66TrueThe Department of War has an oil deal with Venezuela.The White House fact sheet and a joint State and War press release both describe a deal with Venezuela-linked oil producer NABEP, and the Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital is set to take a 35% stake in NABEP's parent company. The claim matches the passage's wording, and the deal was in place on 2026-09-15. Later sources note disputes over the deal's terms and legal questions, but they do not dispute that the deal exists.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:15:05

67. 67TrueThe Department of the Interior is taking control of Venezuelan gold sales.The sources support the core claim that Interior is directly involved in Venezuelan gold sales: Interior Secretary Burgum brokered and signed an agreement to sell up to 1,000 kg of Venezuelan gold, and reported bringing $100 million of gold to the U.S. However, the sources show that the formal licensing was done by Treasury (OFAC General License 51), and export revenue is reported to flow to Treasury accounts, so "control" is a broader characterization than the record fully establishes. The claim also drops the post's framing that Interior "said" this, but the content is graded as stated; the claim as of 2026-09-15 matches the sources.8 sources →

    ▶ 1:15:44

68. 68TrueThe Netherlands pulled billions of dollars worth of gold from the United States.Multiple tier-1 outlets (AP, BBC, NYT) report that the Dutch central bank moved billions of dollars' worth of gold out of the United States (New York Fed holdings) and North America to London between March and August 2026. Some of the movement was from Ottawa, and part was sold in New York and repurchased in London rather than physically shipped, but the core claim that the Netherlands pulled billions of dollars of gold from the US holds.4 sources →

    ▶ 1:18:53

69. 69TrueThe Environmental Protection Agency is removing rules that limit greenhouse gas emissions from coal and natural gas power plants.Multiple tier1 and primary sources (AP, Reuters, EPA fact sheet, Federal Register, Harvard EELP) confirm that on September 14, 2026, the EPA finalized repeal of most 2024 greenhouse gas standards for coal- and gas-fired power plants, which is before the claim's 2026-09-15 date, so the claim held as of that date. The claim's wording matches the passage's own statement that the EPA is getting rid of these rules; the Federal Register publication and effective date (Nov. 16, 2026) are later developments that do not change the claim's status on the posting date.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:19:52

70. 70TrueThe Environmental Protection Agency intends to prevent future administrations from enacting regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.Multiple tier1 and tier2 sources (AP, Reuters, NBC, Politico, LA Times) report that on September 14, 2026 the EPA repealed greenhouse gas limits on coal and gas power plants and proposed a separate step to prevent future administrations from regulating power plant climate pollution, which matches the claim's core assertion as of the 2026-09-15 post date. The claim's wording is a faithful paraphrase of the passage, and the 'today' in the post resolves to the September 14 announcement.4 sources →

    ▶ 1:20:25

71. 71TrueThe speaker is 41 years old.The post is from the MeidasTouch podcast's 'Ben' broadcast, and source [0] identifies Ben Meiselas as the MeidasTouch host, so the speaker is Ben Meiselas. Several unrated profiles give a May 19, 1985 birth date, which makes him 41 on 2026-09-15, though other low-credibility profiles list 36, 37, or 40 and no tier1 source states his age directly.8 sources →

    ▶ 1:23:20

72. 72TrueThe MidasTouch Network offers daily recaps from Ron Filkowski to subscribers of its Substack.The sources show MeidasTouch's Substack/midasplus.com subscription promising daily recaps from Ron Filipkowski (spelled 'Filkowski' in the claim; the sources spell it 'Filipkowski', the same person). All supporting material comes from the company's own promotions and podcast transcripts, so it is directionally clear but not independently corroborated; the June 2026 transcript suggests the offer was still running near the 2026-09-15 claim date.3 sources →

    ▶ 1:27:48

73. 73FalseThe new season of Dexter: Resurrection is streaming on the Paramount Plus premium plan.As of 2026-09-15, the new season (Season 2) of Dexter: Resurrection was not yet streaming; sources published in late October say it premiered Friday, Oct. 30 on Paramount+. The Premium-plan element is supported, since sources say the series requires a Paramount+ Premium subscription, but the central 'now streaming' assertion is contradicted.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:28:55

74. 74FalseTom Fitton of Judicial Watch sued Donald Trump to obtain records related to the Butler, Pennsylvania shooting.The sources show Judicial Watch sued the U.S. Department of Justice in 2025 under the Freedom of Information Act over FBI records on the Butler, Pennsylvania shooting, not Donald Trump. The records-lawsuit part of the claim holds, but the named defendant is wrong, which changes what the claim describes.4 sources →

    ▶ 42:12

75. 75MixedOver 30,000 people are dying every month on the battlefield in the Russia-Ukraine war.The 30,000-per-month figure matches reported Russian casualties (killed, wounded, and missing) in 2026, but not deaths: CSIS puts Russian battlefield fatalities at roughly 400,000–450,000 over about 52 months, around 8,000–9,000 per month, so 'over 30,000 dying every month' holds only under the casualty measure. The figures also come largely from Ukrainian General Staff estimates that independent sources have not verified.6 sources →

    ▶ 45:34

76. 76TrueJared Kushner stated at a Yalta conference that the war in Ukraine would end if Ukraine agreed to Russia's non-negotiables.Kushner's remarks at the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv (Sept. 11) said that if Ukraine withdrew to Putin's territorial line, 'we have the rest of the deal set up,' and that Ukraine does not want to do that, so territory is the central obstacle. The claim's wording ('non-negotiables', 'the war ends') is a paraphrase, and the sources do not say the war would end outright, but the core assertion holds as of 2026-09-15.6 sources →

    ▶ 46:42

77. 77TrueKash Patel changed FBI hiring regulations to remove the automatic disqualification for applicants who engaged in bestiality.Multiple tier-1 sources, including Reuters and AP, report that Patel testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that he changed FBI hiring standards so bestiality is no longer an automatic disqualifier. The claim's core assertion is supported; the sources add that he framed the change as protecting trafficking victims, a detail the claim omits but does not contradict.6 sources →

    ▶ 56:53

78. 78TrueDonald Trump launched a war with Iran that has lasted six months.The claim that Trump launched a war with Iran that has lasted six months is supported: AP, Reuters, BBC, WaPo and USA Today all report the US-Israel war began February 28, 2026 under Trump and was still ongoing at the six-month mark (late August 2026), with no end in sight as of September 15. The claim is a faithful extraction of the passage's core assertion, and later coverage (through November) confirms the war was still continuing, so no change since the posting date undermines it.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:05:43

79. 79TrueKPMG has been hired to audit disbursements of Venezuelan assets.Multiple sources report that State Department officials, including Secretary Rubio and a State Department witness testifying to Congress, said KPMG was hired to audit or track Venezuelan oil revenue spending, which supports the claim as of September 2026. The support is secondhand reporting of official statements, and no KPMG audits had been published, so the claim's hiring element is established but its audit work is not publicly documented.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:14:04

80. 80TrueSecretary Rubio stated that the audit of Venezuelan asset flows would include Qatari flows.Rubio's January 28, 2026 Senate testimony, as reported in multiple sources, said a retrospective audit would cover the funds routed through the Qatari account, though he added that the audit process had not been finalized. The claim's core assertion is supported, and the post's 'Qatari flows' wording matches the sources.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:14:26

81. 81Can’t tellDonald Trump is lying about a Venezuela oil deal to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve salt caverns.The sources show that as of September 2026 the SPR was at its lowest level since the early 1980s and that refilling it with Venezuelan oil was expected to take years, which makes the post's 'it's not happening' plausible. However, whether Trump was 'lying' is a claim about intent that no source can establish, so the extracted claim cannot be graded as true or false.5 sources →

    ▶ 22:46

How it persuades

• InsinuationHints at wrongdoing it never states, or states and disownsa different breed of justice, each clue building to a bigger storyI can't tell you where the money is. The Treasury Secretary wouldn't answer where the money is, where the money flows areThere's Qatari bank accounts where a lot of this money is going
• ExaggerationFigurative inflation carries the claimThis is a form of psychological torture.This wrecking ball that is the Trump regimeWhat Trump has unleashed is hell, objectively, in my view, in every aspectif you actually did the big Scooby-Doo reveal and you took off their their terrestrial bodies, and demons popped out of themIt's like a Saddam Hussein moment in many waysThese royal families, they're like they're like Eric and Don and Baron.and 4 more in the polygraph

What it’s built on

• Hidden knowledge · insider revelationA suppressed truth only the awake can seea more honest truthI'm going to do everything I can to report accurately, to lead the news cycle with the truthAll of the stuff that they've been doing is projection and confession.
• Conspiracy · deep stateSecret coordination by powerful actorscovering up the Epstein filesbeing the deep stateMAGA influencers, a lot of them are feds, and they turn out that they're secret feds. They're the deep state.Saudi Arabia and Netanyahu's CENTCOM planning, plotting, sharing intelligencecreate a right wing propaganda environment to insulate the next Nixon.
• DistrustDistrusts the government as a wholethe Trump regime and their propaganda networkthe executive branch refuses to take care that laws are faithfully executed.the other media and institutions were like, oh, what do we do here?crooked Joe Biden's FBI

Sources

Related posts

• Letters from an American · Sep 15, 2026September 14, 2026 News broke about a Russian oligarch spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding, The inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security released a report detailing violations of standards at the now-closed detention camp in theAlso says: The Environmental Protection Agency is removing rules that limit greenhouse gas emissions from coal and natural gas power plants.1 false1 mixed16 true
• The Dan Bongino Show · Sep 16, 2026In this episode, I cover newly publicized information about the Butler, PA assassination attempt, FBI Director Kash Patel's hill hearing that went viral and a new plan for AI's future. 1776 Live Club: No purchase necessary. Must be 18+ legal resident of (50) U.S. or D.C. Ends 12Says something close: The FBI under Director Kash Patel does not allow individuals who have engaged in bestiality to be employed as FBI agents.5 false14 mixed8 can’t tell34 true
• Strict Scrutiny · Sep 15, 2026Kate, Leah and Melissa hop on to break down the Supreme Court’s decision to block the Trump administration’s Postal Service regulation announcing it would not deliver mail-in ballots unless states adopted a bunch of last-minute, unnecessary, burdensome, and impossible policies goSays something close: The Supreme Court blocked a Trump administration regulation regarding the United States Postal Service and mail-in ballots.2 mixed6 can’t tell29 true
• Letters from an American · Sep 13, 2026September 12, 2026 Judge J. Michael Luttig published a warning about how Republicans could refuse to seat elected Democrats after the midterm elections, Speaker Mike Johnson has the power to replace the current House clerk with a MAGA loyalist who will refuse to list Democrats onSays something close: Donald Trump claims he won three presidential elections.2 mixed16 true
• The MeidasTouch Podcast · Oct 27, 2026On this episode of the MeidasTouch Podcast, Ben, Brett, and Jordy break down the Trump Justice Department's latest criminal complaint against former FBI Director James Comey, filed as his daughter Maurene Comey wins a court ruling ordering her reinstatement and back pay. The brotSays something close: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent managed a $4 billion fund that experienced 90% redemptions.6 false17 mixed9 can’t tell49 true
• The Health Ranger Report · Oct 22, 2026Stay informed on current events, visit www.NaturalNews.com - Fuel Emergencies Declared in 7 States (0:00) - Why America Can't Produce Enough Diesel (5:19) - New Iran Strikes and a Decade of Darkness (8:05) - One-Year Food Kits and Food Storage Tips (12:31) - The Democrat Plan tSays something close: Donald Trump launched a war against Iran.9 false7 mixed18 can’t tell46 true
• The Parnas Perspective · Oct 6, 2026Aaron Parnas reports on breaking news of, including a look at Trump's remarks today, Cornell University protests erupt, and much more! ---------------------- Chapter compares every Medicare plan nationwide for free to recommend coverage based on your doctors, prescriptions, andSays something close: Chapter Advisory, LLC represents 50 organizations that offer 18,160 Medicare products nationwide.1 mixed1 can’t tell7 true
• The NPR Politics Podcast · Sep 29, 2026Voters are already voting in this year's midterms. With Election Day just five weeks away, we take a look at how things are going so far in an election cycle filled with confusion and questions about voting by mail and potential federal interference in election processes. This eSays something close: The Supreme Court blocked an executive order from the Trump administration that sought to change mail voting processes and give the U.S. Postal Service new abilities to decide who to deliver mail ballots to.2 mixed23 true
• The Briefing with Jen Psaki · Sep 24, 2026September 23, 2026 - Jen Psaki points out that the last time Donald Trump lost his cool and tried to ban a member of the news media from the White House he had just been clobbered by a blue wave midterm and his political power was at a nadir. Polling shows him to be even worse ofSays something close: The Supreme Court previously blocked Donald Trump's attempt to have the Post Office take over the electoral process.1 mixed2 can’t tell42 true
• Americast · Sep 16, 2026The US president has lashed out at the US Supreme Court for blocking his plans to end the right for all Americans to vote by mail in elections. But will Donald Trump find a different way to get around the ruling before this November’s midterm elections? Back in March, the presideSays something close: The US Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration's plans to end the right for all Americans to vote by mail in elections.5 false5 mixed19 true