Does the size difference between two bars in a White House chart of U.S. steel production show the actual rate of growth from 2024 to 2025? No, that's not true: The bar representing 2025 is twice the size of the 2024 bar, which visually suggests a 100% increase. That's the result of what statisticians call a "truncated axis" that tends…
Is there an email conversation between Jeffrey Epstein and Satoshi Nakamoto in the released "Epstein Files" that has Nakamoto telling Epstein to "Go fuck yourself"? No, that's not true: A search of the "Epstein library" for the phrase "Dear Jeffey" from a viral image showing the supposed email only returns a single result with a different document. Other details in…
Was there an email thread with Elon Musk and Jeffrey Epstein discussing an "epic island vacation" included in the latest release from the "Epstein Files" as implied by a viral image? No, that's not true: No email with the phrase "epic island vacation" appears in the released documents. The phrase "deal withthis . thanyou" visible in the image doesn't appear…
Did U.S. President Donald Trump write on Truth Social that the documentary about his wife, Melania, will become mandatory in history classes, while calling her "Melanie"? No, that's not true: No such post could be found on his account. Lead Stories searched an archive of Trump's posts, which did not produce any evidence that the viral image showed a real…
You might have seen or heard rumors about ICE agents being deployed at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy, to help provide security. The Lead Stories Rome office looked into what is actually happening, so you know what is going on if you see social media posts about it. Agents from the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI),…
Did NBA star Anthony Edwards donate a $514,000 game check to ICE? No, that's not true: The account that posted the message is run by a writer for 'The Simpsons' using the name "Gene Parmesan," a character from 'Arrested Development.' Edwards made a comment about ICE in Minnesota that was criticized for not being more forceful against the raids, but…
Did Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey tell Vice President J.D. Vance to "go fuck a couch" in an X post? No, that's not true: Vance did quote a real post from Frey on X in a discussion about law enforcement and other people needing to feel safe calling 911, but the reply suggesting intercourse with a piece of furniture came from…
Was Alex Pretti fired over complaints of inappropriate conduct with patients three months before federal agents fatally shot him on a Minneapolis street? No, that's not true: The claim was started by a spam factory based in Vietnam that uses artificial tools to publish fake articles promoted by Facebook pages also managed from Vietnam. The article named the wrong hospital…
Does a video showing a muzzle flash, smoke, and sparks from a bullet hitting pavement accurately show the handgun taken from Alex Pretti misfiring just before he was fatally shot by ICE agents in Minneapolis? No, that's not true: The short video was created by an artificial intelligence tool, although based on a real video of that moment. The social…
Does a video show ICE agents raiding a man's home without a warrant after he shouted about ICE's treatment of his neighbor, saying they "ain't supposed to smack him like that"? No, that's not true: The video shared in January 2026 with claims it showed ICE agents was recorded by Nick Pettit from the porch of his Columbus, Ohio, home…
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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