Does a real photo show a puffer parka filled with beer that can be sipped via a straw in the Tsingtao-labelled jacket's collar? No, that's not true: A major U.S. distributor of the popular Chinese beer brand told Lead Stories they have seen no such promotional product. Reverse image search shows no other photos in the wild of such a…
Did President Trump ask the Transportation and Commerce departments to introduce 15-year car loans as a way to make vehicle ownership for all a reality? No, that's not true: A meme making the claim is apparently satire inspired by Trump's real proposal to extend home mortgages to 50 years. There is no official statement from the White House and no…
Is a federal employee described as an "ICE agent" in social media posts now wanted by law enforcement for his involvement in a Chicago shooting? No, that's not true: No court records say that such an arrest warrant was issued. An attorney for the injured woman, charged with interfering with on-duty U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agents, confirmed to Lead…
Did singer Addison Rae accidentally leave a ChatGPT prompt in a "Thank You" letter for the Grammys? No, that's not true: A fake screenshot of such a message originated on a satirical account on X. The "Drop Pop" account is known for posting jokes at the expense of various celebrities and is clearly labeled as satire. The supposed message appeared…
Did U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy say in a Fox News interview in November 2025 that "Pilots need to stop depending on air traffic controllers. They need to suck it up and go with their gut feelings"? No, that's not true: There is no video, documentation, or reporting to support the claim Duffy said this, but such a controversial statement…
Does an often reposted viral video show a timelapse of "16 hours of spinal cord development" in a human embryo? No, that's not true: The video actually shows the development of the nervous system of a zebrafish as recorded by researchers from Wisconsin. The video is often reposted without that bit of information omitted, leading many people online to believe…
Does real CCTV footage capture schoolchildren kneeling on prayer mats and repeating the Muslim declaration of faith, "Allahu Akbar", as viral social media posts claim? No, that's not true: The low-quality clip seemed to have been distorted to conceal the evidence it was AI-generated video. For example, the clip showed the instructor rising from her knees to sit on a…
Did New York City's Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani, his team or any credible media outlets announce that the incoming city administration plans to convert Trump Tower into a homeless shelter? No, that's not true: Lead Stories did not find a confirmation supporting the existence of such a plan on the pages officially affiliated with Mamdani. No credible media outlets reported the…
Did NYC Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani announce a bitcoin tax on all New Yorkers just days after the Nov. 4 election? No, that's not true: This is a made-up story with no verifiable details. The text in the post appears to be AI-generated. There are no legitimate news reports about Mamdani announcing a bitcoin tax. The story originated in a November…
Does a real video show Trump supporters lined up at the community food bank without their red MAGA hats on? No, that's not true: The video was labeled as AI-generated by the TikTok creator that posted it. The video also bears the watermark of the AI video generating app Sora along with the TikTok account handle. The fake video (archived…
Lead Stories is a fact checking website that is always looking for the latest false, misleading, deceptive or inaccurate stories, videos or images going viral on the internet.
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