Is a video showing a suspect climbing on top of an SUV to taunt police during a car chase in Los Angeles authentic? No, that's not true: The original footage of the car chase, captured by a local news station, does not show the driver climbing onto the roof of a white SUV to dance and taunt police in L.A.…
Was Iran soccer player Mohammed Mohebi deported from the U.S. following the June 15, 2026, FIFA World Cup game against New Zealand? No, that's not true: When contacted by Lead Stories, the Department of Homeland Security denied the online speculation. Lead Stories found no credible media reports that Mohebi had been deported. The claim appeared in a post (archived here…
Did a viral image really show what was printed on the t-shirt worn by Sean Strickland as he was escorted from a United Fighting Championship (UPC) viewing party near the White House? No, that's not true: Other images from the scene don't show him wearing a "TRUMP IS IN THE EPSTEIN FILES" t-shirt. A spokesperson for a law enforcement agency…
Were 675 ballots for former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt found in a dumpster in "San Recto"? No, that's not true: San Recto is not a city or community in California. Lead Stories found no credible news reports or other reliable evidence that such an incident occurred, and the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office likewise found no evidence…
Did Shanekka Renee Johnson, who said in a video that she was paid $5 on "Skid Row" to vote for Karen Bass for Los Angeles mayor, actually vote for Bass? No, that's not true: Information obtained from the Los Angeles County Registrar's office confirmed that Shanekka Renee Johnson, age 39, could not cast a vote for Bass since she is…
Did a late-night ballot drop of 24,000 votes give Spencer Pratt no votes in the Los Angeles mayor race and is that evidence of fraud in the vote counting? No, that's not true: The Los Angeles Times explained there was a one-minute lag between its receipt of the Associated Press automated feed of thousands of Pratt votes and the counts…
Did an Emerson poll show Spencer Pratt leading Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayor's race on May 28, 2026? No, that's not true: Emerson College Polling told Lead Stories "no such poll exists" and the social media post making the claim used "made up numbers." The organization last conducted a poll for the mayor's race in mid-May, and Bass…
Could a man who claimed in a viral video that he had a stack of unclaimed ballots mailed to voters who had moved use them to vote for Spencer Pratt for mayor of Los Angeles as he claimed? No, that's not true: The ballots appeared to be for a precinct in West Hollywood, which is a separate city from Los…
Does a real photo show former first daughter Sasha Obama wearing a MAGA hat? No, that's not true: There is no credible evidence that she was ever photographed wearing a MAGA hat. Evidence shows the image is an altered version of a photograph first published online by a celebrity news agency on July 22, 2025. It also shows signs of…
Are social media posts claiming celebrities "went live at 3 a.m." with a message saying they received a threat meant to silence them real? No, that's not true: None of the celebrities named in the posts made any such statement. The claims came from AI-generated Facebook posts produced by a spam operation managed from Vietnam. Among the false posts Lead…
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