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Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Popular Alien

Stories, checked. Grounded in the record.

Latest verdicts

Contradicted"Power in America will be down for 90 days. The only Americans who will have electricity during that time will be those who hold the United States Asset Reserve." — words put in Trump's mouth in an AI-altered video posted Nov. 6, 2026, by the Facebook and Instagram account Shythechosen under the caption "TRUMP CONFIRMS NO POWER FOR 90 DAYS"Matches record"Three suspected Iran-backed terrorists plotted an attack on a British air base housing American troops using vans carrying barrels of fuel, according to a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday by the Justice Department (DOJ)." — Fox News, Brittany Miller, Nov. 10, 2026Matches record"In a review released by the National Park Service in August, the administration acknowledged that the arch would have 'adverse' effects on as many as 42 historic sites." — CNN, Aleena Fayaz, "Kennedy family sues to block Trump's arch," Nov. 10, 2026Contradicted"So it can't be a Learjet. A Learjet would take up half the bloody road. That's not taking up half the road. It is a drone or a missile." — unnamed Facebook user in a Nov. 2, 2026 video, as quoted by AAP FactCheck; the post had been viewed more than 920,000 timesMatches record"In Trump v. United States, the case in question, the court ruled that former presidents have absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within their core constitutional powers and at least presumptive immunity for other official acts. The justices ruled that former presidents have no immunity from prosecution for unofficial conduct." — Robert Schmad, Fox News, Nov. 10, 2026, reporting Justice Sonia Sotomayor's wish to see the ruling overturnedMissing context"He failed to win the speakership when he topped out at 200 votes – shy of the 218 required – and the conference removed him as its nominee, eventually landing on now-Speaker Mike Johnson." — Aaron Blake, CNN analysis, "Jim Jordan's long, fraught path to lead the House GOP," live updates, Nov. 10, 2026Contradicted"Abdul El Sayed has failed the background check required for classified Senate briefings. The denial blocks him from any session that involves sensitive national security information." — X account @TrumpNews_Baby (posting as "Jonathan Gregory"), Nov. 8, 2026, in a wire-style post viewed about 2.7 million timesMatches record"Following investigations, France is now in a position to attribute these destructive actions to Iran: they were carried out by SHAHID KAVEH, an offensive cyber unit affiliated with the Electronic Warfare and Cyber Defense Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," the ministry continued. — Greg Norman-Diamond, Fox News Digital live updates, Nov. 10, 2026, reporting that France's foreign ministry said Oct. 11-12 attacks hit the refrigeration controls of more than 700 retail sites

“"Democrats now control the governor’s office and both chambers of the state legislature in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Nevada. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, already enacted by 18 states and Washington, D.C., has 222 electoral votes pledged to it — 48 short of the 270 needed to take effect. If the four states join, their combined 50 electoral votes would push the compact to 272 and activate it. Arizona could push the total to 283 if Democrats ultimately gain control of both chambers there." — Fox News, Alec Schemmel, Nov. 8, 2026”

Missing context

The claim: “"Democrats now control the governor’s office and both chambers of the state legislature in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Nevada. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, already enacted by 18 states and Washington, D.C., has 222 electoral votes pledged to it — 48 short of the 270 needed to take effect. If the four states join, their combined 50 electoral votes would push the compact to 272 and activate it. Arizona could push the total to 283 if Democrats ultimately gain control of both chambers there." — Fox News, Alec Schemmel, Nov. 8, 2026”

Why we rated it this way: The National Conference of State Legislatures lists the same 18 states plus D.C. and the same 222 pledged electoral votes, 48 short of the 270 needed for the compact to take effect. The National Archives' current allocation, used for the 2024 and 2028 presidential elections, assigns Michigan 15 votes, Pennsylvania 19, Wisconsin 10, and Nevada 6, which add to 50, and Arizona 11, which would bring a 222-plus-50 total to 283. NBC News, citing the Associated Press, reported Democrats won trifectas in those four states. The missing piece is Arizona: Fox's Nov. 8 story still treated control of "both chambers there" as unsettled, but the AP had already called the Arizona House on Friday, Nov. 6, after calling the Senate earlier in the week, and KTAR reported Democrats were on track for a 20-10 Senate supermajority and a 37-23 House majority.

See the evidence

What would change our rating: An official Arizona canvass reversing Democratic control of either legislative chamber, or a correction showing the compact's pledged electoral-vote total is not 222, would move this verdict.

Fox News, Alec Schemmel, “Democrats’ midterm sweep opens path to bypassing Electoral College by 2028,” Nov. 8, 2026

Our read

The National Conference of State Legislatures lists the same 18 states plus D.C. and the same 222 pledged electoral votes, 48 short of the 270 needed for the compact to take effect. The National Archives' current allocation, used for the 2024 and 2028 presidential elections, assigns Michigan 15 votes, Pennsylvania 19, Wisconsin 10, and Nevada 6, which add to 50, and Arizona 11, which would bring a 222-plus-50 total to 283. NBC News, citing the Associated Press, reported Democrats won trifectas in those four states. The missing piece is Arizona: Fox's Nov. 8 story still treated control of "both chambers there" as unsettled, but the AP had already called the Arizona House on Friday, Nov. 6, after calling the Senate earlier in the week, and KTAR reported Democrats were on track for a 20-10 Senate supermajority and a 37-23 House majority.

Broadcast

Picture to come

Nov 8, 2026, 11:30 AM CST

Sources

Script

Narration script. If a face or a voice delivers this, the anchor is synthetic.

Midday Check. Fox News says Democrats now have trifectas in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Nevada, and that if those states join the National Popular Vote compact its pledged electoral votes would rise from 222 to 272. Those numbers match the official tally, but Fox treated Arizona's legislative control as still hypothetical after the Associated Press had already called both chambers. Verdict: missing context.

Corrections

None on file.