Ai

Is the story of a Memphis man arrested for scratching off every scratch-off ticket at a Germantown Exxon station real? No, that's not true: Lead Stories did not find any records corroborating the tale, which originated on social media platforms. Two AI detection tools concluded the text was AI-generated. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published by @Soaringeagle45…

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…

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 viral image of a banner about Jimmy Savile a real photo from the May 16, 2026, anti-immigration rally in London? No, that's not true: Lead Stories didn't find credible news organizations that published the image as part of their rally coverage. Three online AI detectors said the picture was likely generated by AI. The claim appeared in a…

Did a data center cause a power outage at Six Flags Over Texas in May 2026? No, that's not true: A representative for Six Flags said a construction crew struck an underground power line, causing the outage. There's no evidence that any of the major regional data centers in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area had anything to do with the…

Was a video clip on social media of Rikki Doolan singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" taken from the livestreamed YouTube recording of singing at the "Unite The Kingdom" rally in London? No, that's not true: The audio of the clip on social media seems to have another human or synthetic voice dubbed over the original singing. Most of the video…

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…

Is this a real photo of Robert De Niro wearing a T-shirt that says "Obama are you coming home soon? The babysitter is weird" and flipping off the camera in front of Trump Tower? No, that's not true. De Niro's rep told Lead Stories the photo was "fake." An online detection tool rated the photo of De Niro with his…

Was a "New York Clean Car Act" signed into law that will ban washing and detailing cars in New York State starting in July 2028? No, that's not true: There are no credible news reports or official government announcements showing that such a measure was ever enacted. A review of New York State legislative records also found no evidence of…

Does a viral image show a real post by Donald Trump stating that "nobody knows God better" than him and that "nobody is loved more by God" than him? No, that's not true: The post did not match the appearance of his real posts on Truth Social. Early versions of the rumor were published with satire and meme hashtags. The…