Does a real video show a large container ship listing and capsizing in front of bystanders on another craft? No, that's not true: This video is AI-generated. It was originally posted by an account that describes itself as posting "AI Videos Daily." The containers shown in the video do not shift realistically as the ship begins to roll, and the…
Is a video showing a statue of Jesus the Redeemer being erected on the Mount of the Cross in Al-Qaa, Lebanon, real? Yes, that's true: The video shows the installation of a statue of Jesus the Redeemer in the Lebanese village of Al-Qaa in the Bekaa Valley. Lebanese media reported that the statue was erected in March 2026 on Jabal…
Did Carol Burnett and other celebrities say Donald Trump "has been abused and lied about since taking office" and "stood like a lion against a pack of jackals"? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Burnett and the others ever said that about Trump. The claim was an example of so-called "Viet Spam" campaigns of nearly identical made-up…
Does a video on social media show what posts described as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, "hiding in schools thinking Israel won't bomb them"? No, that's not true: It's not real footage. The clip was made with generative AI from a photo that predated the Feb. 28, 2026, U.S.-Israel attack on Iran, as well as the following escalation. The claim…
Do the Epstein files reveal that Ellen DeGeneres and hundreds of Hollywood VIPs ate Stanley Kubrick at a satanic ritual? No, that's not true: There are no reports in the Epstein files released by the Department of Justice that claim DeGeneres or anyone else ate Hollywood director Kubrick at a satanic ritual. The article does not cite any sources for…
Did President Donald Trump post a message about a "Hormuz Peace Board" on his Truth Social account on March 16, 2026? No, that's not true: No post including the phrase "Hormuz Peace Board" could be found on Trump's Truth Social account. There is no evidence online that the president ever shared a post accusing Presidents Obama and Biden of starting…
Is a video showing Erling Haaland, a Manchester City footballer, reciting the shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith, and converting to Islam, real? No, that's not true: An online AI video detection tool determined that the clip is 100% "likely to be AI-Generated."A separate tool found that the video showed signs of having been created or modified using AI tools…
Does the screen of the coffee shop register in a video recently shared by Benjamin Netanyahu show a date stamp from 2024? No, that's not true: Lead Stories examined the highest resolution version of Netanyahu's video. The date stamp visible on the register's screen reads "15/03/2026." The claim appeared in a March 15, 2026, post by the X account @merlinscapital…
Is a video showing a Politico report claiming Germany is preparing to take in 400,000 Palestinian refugees real? No, that's not true: There are no reports from Politico or any other news organization that Germany plans to take in hundreds of thousands of refugees, Palestinian or otherwise. In addition, an online AI detection tool determined that the audio in the…
Does a viral image show Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shaking hands with Israeli Defense Forces soldiers in March 2026 amid rumors of his death? No, that's not true: The photo has been online since 2018. As of this writing, no credible media outlet has reported that Netanyahu was wounded or killed in the most recent round of escalation in…
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