Does a real image show the "claw" hand of a police officer arresting fatally stabbed student Henry Nowak in Southampton, England, in December 2025? No, that's not true: The image circulating on social media is an edited screenshot from a video released by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. Lead Stories reviewed the original video and found that at…
Does a viral post confirm that James Talarico "spent three full years in school pretending to be a girl named 'Jeannine'"? No, that's not true: The speculation originated from a known self-described satire network. No credible media outlets published reports showing any proof of the rumor. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published by @mcafeenew on X on…
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…
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