The Record · weekly wrap-up
The Week in Grades
Aug 31–Sep 6, 2026 · 203 reports fact-checked, averaging a B+
Every week Clad wraps up what its fact-checks found: the best- and worst-graded coverage, the claims most disputed by the evidence, and the stories that were covered heavily from one side. This is the same review the Sunday newsletter carries — kept here for the record.
Of the 203 lean-scored reports this week, 44 leaned left, 85 read centered, and 74 leaned right.
Top of the Class, Bottom of the Barrel
See all →Best graded this week
Most disputed claims
This Congress is the most successful and productive since 1979
Disputed by data showing record-low enacted laws (~38-70 in first year per WaPo/C-SPAN); high on House passage and CRA use but low on overall statutes compared to 1979+ Congresses. Read the full report →
APOE4 gene variant makes carriers about 20 times as likely to get Alzheimer's; I have two copies so I'm just as likely
Two APOE4 copies increase risk ~10-15 fold per major studies (NIA, Alzforum); lifetime risk is elevated but not near-certain (~60% by 85), and phrasing conflates odds ratio with absolute likelihood. Read the full report →
El-Sayed is the most anti-American candidate; he took Hasan Piker, who said America deserved 9/11 and that streets should run red with capitalist blood, in front of kids at universities
Piker made the 9/11 remark; multiple fact-checkers (Snopes, PolitiFact, Reuters, FactCheck.org) confirm it has been misattributed to El-Sayed, who has disavowed it as 'dumb' and said America did not deserve 9/11. Read the full report →
No evidence Moroccan authorities orchestrated or carried out the Ceuta border surge; intelligence rules out state actors like Morocco, Russia, or Israel
Sanchez's direct claim; contradicted by CENIF police report showing Moroccan agents guiding migrants and most promoters using Moroccan phones (El Español, Euractiv, Politico reports). Read the full report →
There is no possible reason someone would support nine except to freeze the current majority achieved by suspect maneuvers.
Raskin explicitly rejected this characterization in the clip, arguing multiple reasons exist but the amendment locks in a partisan court; Johnson appears to have paraphrased or exaggerated Raskin's prior statements. Read the full report →
Blindspots
Ukraine & Russia drew 5 reports this week, and the coverage leaned heavily toward the right — if you only watched one network, you likely got one side.
Conservative Party drew 5 reports this week, and the coverage leaned heavily toward the right — if you only watched one network, you likely got one side.
Venezuela oil deal drew 4 reports this week, and the coverage leaned heavily toward the left — if you only watched one network, you likely got one side.