Recent stories from Jim Verhulst

Medicare and Social Security: What you paid compared with what you get

Readers asked us to calculate how much people get back from Medicare and Social Security after they paid their taxes while working. We check it out in a special report.

Federal spending on old and young, by the numbers

In his inaugural address, President Obama said we should not have to choose "between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future." We look at current numbers on federal spending.

You can handle the truth

Neil Brown, editor of the Tampa Bay Times, says the recent controversy over fact-checking is all about power.

Obama's wartime presidency

We assess President Obama's ongoing record in Iraq and Afghanistan

Books: 'The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Religion and Politics'

We talk with social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt about politics and fact-checking.

Switching sides on the individual mandate

As the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the health care law, we recall the flip-flops behind the debate. Some Republicans used to love it; Barack Obama was against it.

FACTSHEET: Reducing the national debt

We look at a range of ideas for reducing future deficits and getting the federal debt under control.

Why facts matter

In an essay, PolitiFact editor Bill Adair explains why facts are important — and why we nitpick.