The presidential campaign is in full swing, and there’s lots of information – and misinformation – out there. We hope to help readers sort fact from fiction. To that end, the Sun Journal is adding a new occasional feature to our opinion page beginning Saturday.

The “Checking the facts” feature researches the claims that are being made during the presidential election with an eye toward accuracy, fairness and documentation. The analysis of political ads, statements and other campaign activities is provided by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

According to the center’s Web site, it is nonpartisan and nonprofit, and it accepts no funding from political parties, labor unions, political action committees and the other players on the national political scene.

The center, which is well-respected for its research, has created a team of four to investigate election activities this year. The goal for the work is “to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics” and “apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.”

The research team includes Brooks Jackson, a veteran reporter with the Associated Press, Wall Street Journal and CNN; and Dr. Kathleen Jamieson, a professor at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, who has written extensively on the press, politics and presidential campaigns. Two researchers round out the staff: Jennifer Ernst and Seth Goldman.

More information about the project is available at FactCheck.org.

We will run the Annenberg reports occasionally in the space normally reserved for syndicated columnists.

Powerball arrives

Powerball tickets go on sale today.

We have no real problem with consumers buying a dream with a dollar lottery ticket. Nonetheless, it’s a good time to remind all would-be multimillionaires about the Powerball facts.

Maine added Powerball as a way to raise money for its general fund. The new lottery, which expands gambling in the state, is expected to raise $9 million a year. The state has become addicted to gambling money.

There are 30 states and territories that participate in the lottery. Jackpots start at $10 million and can grow quickly. The biggest prize has topped more than $300 million.

The odds of winning are astronomical. Someone who plays a $1 ticket has one chance out of more than 120 million of winning the big prize. A person is about 171 times more likely to be struck by lightning in a given year (1/700,000), according to the National Weather Service.

As a retirement plan, Powerball is a miserable failure.

But, like wishing wells, a $1 tossed away is a reasonable price for imagining what if – as long as wishers, that is, recognize that happiness cannot be won in a game of chance and that the lottery takes from most people a lot more than it ever gives.