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Kash Patel's Olympics flight cost, State of the Union & Alysa Liu

Kash Patel's Olympics flight cost, State of the Union & Alysa Liu

Plus: Tune out claim about Stephen Colbert's impromptu 3 a.m. broadcast

February 26, 2026

THURSDAY EDITION

Snopes Debunker

FBI Director Kash Patel, an Indian American man, wears a white USA hockey long-sleeved shirt while looking over a plexiglass barrier.

Investigating claim Kash Patel's flight to Milan cost taxpayers $400K

Social media users claimed FBI Director Kash Patel's trip to Italy, where he celebrated the U.S. men's national hockey team winning Olympic gold, cost taxpayers $400,000.

Patel's trip was paid for with taxpayer money, since his position requires him to travel via private jet. Reporter Jack Izzo broke down what we were able to verify about the rumor.

President Donald Trump, a white man, is wearing a black suit while looking slightly to the left. He is standing behind a microphone.

Did Trump say he'd send 'criminals or people that don't work' elsewhere if he could?

Trump made the statement during a speech meant to honor "American lives tragically taken by criminal illegal aliens," according to the White House.

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Two iamges of Ghislaine Maxwell, a white woman, are pictured. On the left, she is wearing a black shirt and holding a microphone. On the right, she is wearing glasses and raising her left hand while sitting at a table. The right image has a watermark, "@GOPoversight."

Was Ghislaine Maxwell replaced with body double in prison? What we know

Maxwell testified before the U.S. House Oversight Committee via video conference, sparking rumors about her appearance.

A Black man holds a sign reading "Black people aren't apes" at the 2026 State of the Union address. He is standing among a crowd of people.

Why Rep. Al Green held 'apes' sign protesting Trump at 2026 State of the Union

Green was citing a racist video portraying the Obamas as apes that Trump's Truth Social account posted — then deleted — earlier this month.

U.S. Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu holds her gold medal.

Did Olympian Alysa Liu say she no longer believes in pronouns, pro-LGBTQ+ stance? Here's the truth

Liu has a close, public friendship with fellow Olympic gold medalist Amber Glenn, an openly queer woman and LGBTQ+ advocate.

Staff pick

Stephen Colbert, a white man, smiles while staring at a camera. He is wearing a black suit.

Tune out claim about Stephen Colbert's impromptu 3 a.m. broadcast

Posts claimed Stephen Colbert unexpectedly started a livestream at 3 a.m. because he had received a threatening message from a powerful politician — with the implication that the threat came from Trump.

Reporter Jack Izzo has the details about why you should tune out the rumor.