California

Is a post by Rep. Jack Kimble warning that members of Congress don't even make "$200k per year in Congress despite working nearly 140 days" from a real member of Congress? No, that's not true: The Rep. Jack Kimble account on X.com is a parody account. However, the replies to these posts indicate people are often tricked by the messages…

Is a video that shows an elderly Michael Jackson sitting on a bus in Brazil legitimate? No, that's not true: The video was originally posted by an account with a bio that states it is an artificial intelligence portal. An AI-generated content detection tool rated the video 94.2% likely to be AI-generated. Jackson died in 2009 and Lead Stories obtained…

Did actor Matthew McConaughey say or write that "if Kamala Harris had become president of the U.S., Trump would be in prison"? No, that's not true: The actor's representatives told Lead Stories that it was a fake quote. Such words did not appear on McConaughey's social media accounts or in credible media reports. The claim appeared in a post (archived…

Did California Governor Gavin Newsom really criticize a real Truth Social post that depicts Donald Trump touting a crypto-only casino with the same name as Trump's closed Atlantic City casino, Trump Castle? No, that's not true: There are two distinct fakes. First, Trump had never, as of May 6, 2026, posted on Truth Social about "trumpcastle.net". The screenshot of that…

Are Facebook posts claiming to show "a simple stone marker" where three U.S. states converge real? No, that's not true: These images and text, which do not reflect real geography, are clickbait posts made with artificial intelligence tools. The Facebook pages used to distribute them impersonate local interest groups in each state, but are managed from Bangladesh. Among the false…

Was Cole Tomas Allen, the man accused of shooting at attendees at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner, on the payroll of the Democratic National Committee and several California Democratic politicians, including Nancy Pelosi, Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris and Adam Schiff? No, that's not true: A DNC spokesperson, a Newsom spokesperson, and a Pelosi spokesperson all told Lead Stories the…

Are viral posts real that claim Cole Allen, the suspect in the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting, worked as a security staff member for sports teams? No, that's not true: The false claim is part of an AI-generated series of articles and posts created by a spam operation managed from Vietnam. Fake fan pages are used to target North American…

Are viral posts real that claim Cole Allen, the suspect in the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting, worked as a driver for dozens of celebrities? No, that's not true: The false claim is part of an AI-generated series of articles and posts created by a spam operation managed from Vietnam. Fake fan pages are used to target North American and…

Did Cole Allen, the suspect in the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting, work as a production crew member on films and tours for a dozen actors and musicians? No, that's not true: The false claim is part of an AI-generated series of articles and posts created by a spam operation managed from Vietnam. Fake fan pages are used to target…

Does a real MSNBC report identify the suspect in the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting as "Kohl Jackson" with a picture? No, that's not true: The post is not authentic. MSNBC no longer exists; it was officially rebranded as MS NOW on Nov. 15, 2025, as part of a spin-off from NBCUniversal. Multiple news outlets identified the suspect as Cole…