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Does a real screenshot show U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner of Maine made "German WW2 references" in sexual messages? No, that's not true: The image originated on social media accounts known for their satirical content. There is no evidence that such an exchange ever took place between Platner and anyone else, and Lead Stories found no credible news coverage documenting…

Is a video that shows a diver jumping into the water in a spiked shark-proof suit authentic? No, that's not true: There are several signs the video is AI, including a missing oxygen tank for the diver and sharks biting the metal spikes without any injury. Additionally, an AI detection tool concluded that the video was likely AI-generated. The shark-proof…

Does a confrontation video of a kilt-wearing electrician who threatened to "shut this whole m-----f----- down" really show the power went out after he stormed off? No, that's not true: An early copy of the video uploaded to TikTok on May 27, 2026, shows the man making the threat and leaving, but it does not show the power going out.…

Does a viral video actually show a group of people attempting to set a Yorkshire church on fire in broad daylight? No, that's not true: The clip showed a place of worship in Mexico, not the U.K. Images of the church in Mexico match with the appearance of the church in the clip. The claim appeared in a post (archived…

Did The Wall Street Journal report that U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner of Maine called his penis "Mein Furher" in a message to a woman? No, that's not true: That expression doesn't appear anywhere in the article reviewed by Lead Stories, and no credible evidence shows that Platner made such a statement. The purported quote is fabricated, and the phrase…

Does a real video show President Donald J. Trump's name being removed from the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts after a judge ordered the name to be removed? No, that's not true: While a judge did order the removal, a viral social media clip that showed the letters being taken down while a crowd cheered was…

Is the quote attributed to an unidentified Muslim man that says, "Christians, you're no longer allowed to say Merry Christmas, it's offensive to Muslims" real? No, that's not true: An AI detection tool concluded that a video of the man saying Christians are no longer allowed to say Merry Christmas because it is offensive to Muslims likely contained AI-generated content.…

Does a viral post on social media offer any verifiable information confirming that a four-year waiting list for superyacht purchases is entirely made up of Ukrainian officials? No, that's not true: No posts making such a claim included any specific, verifiable data. The man who was the first to spread the rumor refused to disclose the name of the shipbuilder…

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…

Does a real video contain "new audio" which reveals President Donald Trump has "worsening incontinence"? No, that's not true: The audio track of a video was edited to add farting noises and text captioning which are not part of the original video. The altered video was first published on TikTok by a joke account where it is no longer publicly…