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** DeSantis Enters the Presidential Race
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Ron DeSantis announced this week what many have suspected for quite a while: He’s running to become the Republican nominee for president in 2024.

The Florida governor, who was reelected to that position in November, launched his presidential campaign in a Twitter Spaces livestream that had more than a few technical difficulties. He later sat down for a prime-time interview with former Rep. Trey Gowdy on Fox News.

A team of four FactCheck.org staffers reviewed his remarks.

They found that he exaggerated claims about his record, such as when he said that Florida “eliminated critical race theory.” There is little or no evidence that it was being taught in public schools.

In addition, he made distorted claims while attacking the Biden administration, like when he blamed "woke ideology" for the military's recruitment struggles. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said a 2022 survey found that was "relatively low on the list of barriers to service."

We also wrote about claims he made about crime, abortion and climate change.

Read the full story, "FactChecking Ron DeSantis' Presidential Announcement ([link removed]) ."
HOW WE KNOW
In fact-checking Sen. Tim Scott's announcement speech, FactCheck.org Managing Editor Lori Robertson used U.S. Customs and Border Protection data on the number of encounters CBP has had with people on the Terrorist Screening Dataset, commonly called the watchlist. She found that CBP has encountered more people on the terrorist watchlist trying to enter at legal ports of entry on the northern border in recent years than those apprehended trying to cross the southern border illegally. Read more ([link removed]) .
FEATURED FACT
The U.S. labor force participation rate for men 16 and older has been declining for decades. In a 2021 report, an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond wrote that “the general consensus of research” was that rate had been falling for several reasons, including “a shift in U.S. industry structure, a decline in male educational attainment, delayed family formation, the rise of substance abuse, and heavy use of video games.” The aging of the male population also was a factor. Read more ([link removed]) .
WORTHY OF NOTE
We usually use this space to celebrate our work. But this week, we received some heartbreaking news that we want to share with those who support the fact-checking community.

On May 21, Emine Yilmaz Ozsoy was senselessly attacked ([link removed]) on a New York City subway platform at 6 a.m. while on her way to work. Ozsoy, a Turkish born freelance illustrator, is the wife of Ferdi Ozsoy ([link removed]) , who is the acting director of the International Fact-Checking Network ([link removed]) . Emine was pushed into a moving train and suffered a spinal cord injury ([link removed]) that left her paralyzed.

Her family has started a GoFundMe page ([link removed]) that so far has raised more than $150,000.
REPLY ALL

Reader: Hi, this is just an email for a request of information as to who funds your org? What investment firms or private interests or maybe government? Who has any sway over your editorial policy?

FactCheck.org Director Eugene Kiely: We provide quarterly and annual financial reports ([link removed]) on our website.

Our policy is to disclose the identity of any donor who contributes $1,000 or more. We also disclose the total amount, average amount and number of individual donations.

In 2015, Inside Philanthropy praised our disclosure policy ([link removed]) for “exemplifying nonprofit transparency.”

“FactCheck.org is totally transparent about its funding sources — going so far as to list a detailed breakdown of financial support by every quarter, the same standard expected of political campaigns and party committees,” it wrote. “So, quite apart from its stated mission, FactCheck.org is making a contribution by exemplifying nonprofit transparency.”

We take no money from investment firms or the government. We do not accept funds from corporations with the exception of Facebook, which provides funding as part of Facebook’s initiative to debunk viral deceptions, and Google, which provided a one-time grant to support our COVID-19 coverage in 2020. No one has any sway over our editorial policies.

If you would like to donate, credit card donations may be made through our “Donate” page ([link removed]) , which is managed on our behalf by the University of Pennsylvania.

If you prefer to give by check, send to: FactCheck.org, Annenberg Public Policy Center, 202 S. 36th St., Philadelphia, PA 19104-3806. The University of Pennsylvania’s tax ID number is 23-1352685.


** Wrapping Up
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Here's what else we've got for you this week:
* "FactChecking Tim Scott’s Presidential Campaign Announcement ([link removed]) ": Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina announced on May 22 that he will seek the Republican nomination for president in 2024. We reviewed his speech — and an exclusive NBC News interview he did shortly after — and found that he made a few claims that were false, misleading or lacked important context.
* "Young Children Do Not Receive Medical Gender Transition Treatment ([link removed]) ": Families seeking information from a health care provider about a young child’s gender identity may have their questions answered or receive counseling. Some posts share a misleading claim that toddlers are being “transitioned.” To be clear, prepubescent children are not offered transition surgery or drugs.
* "CNN Says Future Town Halls Will Include Live Audiences, Contrary to Online Posts ([link removed]) ": CNN was criticized by some for hosting a town hall with Donald Trump and a live audience that expressed strong support for the former president. Online posts now wrongly claim CNN will have “no more live audiences at town halls.” CNN said the claim is “fabricated” and plans a live audience at a town hall with Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley in June.

Do you like FactCheck.Weekly? Share it with a friend! They can subscribe here ([link removed]) .
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