Lead Stories
US icon US UK icon UK EU icon Europe & EU Democrats icon Blue Feed Republicans icon Red Feed Deepfakes icon Deep fakes Breaking icon Breaking News

Election Poll

  • Lead Stories Goes To Brussels: Statement Made During Public Hearing Of European Parliament 'Democracy Shield' Committee

    Analysis

    On June 3, 2025 I was invited to make a statement during a public hearing at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium organized by the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield. The hearing was titled "Enforcement of the EU Digital Rulebook and political advertising in the context of foreign interference: understanding Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) and disinformation…

    • Jun 4, 2025
    • by: Maarten Schenk
    Lead Stories Goes To Brussels: Statement Made During Public Hearing Of European Parliament 'Democracy Shield' Committee Full Text
  • New Pope, New Conspiracies, But At The Speed Of Social Media

    Analysis

    ROME - That puff of white from atop the Sistine Chapel has long been a starting gun for conspiracists. With a new character in the story, they proclaim they alone tell the truth about dark forces playing pontifical puppeteers. These stories humans tell to make simple sense of complex events move ever faster, now that there's money to be made…

    • May 9, 2025
    • by: Raffaella Menichini
    New Pope, New Conspiracies, But At The Speed Of Social Media Fighting Fakes
  • Fact Check: Wisconsin Did NOT Run Out Of Ballots 'In Red Areas' On State Supreme Court Election Day In 2025

    Fact Check

    Did Wisconsin run out of ballots in Republican-leaning "red areas" on the day of the State Supreme Court election on April 1, 2025? No, that's not true: The shortage affected only the City of Milwaukee, election officials told Lead Stories. In the last three federal elections, the city supported Democratic candidates. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published…

    • Apr 2, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
    Fact Check: Wisconsin Did NOT Run Out Of Ballots 'In Red Areas' On State Supreme Court Election Day In 2025 Blue Areas
  • Fact Check: Far-right AfD Party Did NOT Get 'Massive Majority' In German Mock Election For Students -- Post Shows Result From One Polling Place

    Fact Check

    Did Germans students participating in a mock federal election known as U18, for people under 18, overwhelmingly vote for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, resulting in a sweep by a "massive majority" in every polling district? No, that's not true: A graph shared on social media shows the results of one polling place. While the AfD did win…

    • Feb 17, 2025
    • by: Sarah Thompson
    Fact Check: Far-right AfD Party Did NOT Get 'Massive Majority' In German Mock Election For Students -- Post Shows Result From One Polling Place One School
  • Fact Check: January 2025 Study Did NOT Conclude Ozempic Causes Blindness

    Fact Check

    Did a study published in January 2025 definitively establish a link between Ozempic and blindness, as was implied in a post on X? No, that's not true: The study was a small observational analysis of just nine patients that did not establish that the weight-loss drug caused blindness but instead found an association between the two. In other words, it…

    • Feb 11, 2025
    • by: Madison Dapcevich
    Fact Check: January 2025 Study Did NOT Conclude Ozempic Causes Blindness Not Causation
  • Fact Check: Trump Executive Order Did NOT Overturn Purported National 'Plastic Straw Ban' -- No Such National Ban Exists

    Fact Check

    Did an executive order signed by President Donald Trump reverse "the plastic straw ban"? No, that's not true: No such national "ban" was enacted by Congress. Trump's order counters policies of former President Joe Biden aimed at gradually phasing out single-use plastic items in the future, which affected only the operations of federal agencies. While some localities do have restrictions…

    • Feb 11, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
    Fact Check: Trump Executive Order Did NOT Overturn Purported National 'Plastic Straw Ban' -- No Such National Ban Exists Fed Govt Only
  • Fact Check: Spain Did NOT Experience US-Style Shutdown For 10 Months In 2016

    Fact Check

    Was the 2016 months-long Spanish political crisis the same as a government shutdown in the U.S.? No, that's not true: Spain, unable to form a new government at the time, did not experience a gap in national funding, and most government services were delivered as usual. In the U.S., shutdowns are triggered by the absence of an adopted permanent or…

    • Dec 23, 2024
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
    Fact Check: Spain Did NOT Experience US-Style Shutdown For 10 Months In 2016 Spain≠US
  • Fact Check: NO Evidence Of Ballot Cheating During Orange County, California, Bomb Threat Livestream Interruption Or Any Other Time In November 2024

    Fact Check

    Was there ballot cheating during a bomb threat search when the vote-counting livestream went offline in Orange County, California, in November 2024? No, that's not true: The Orange County registrar of voters told Lead Stories that "the ballots always remained secure under the custody of the Sheriff's Department." There's also no evidence of fraud at any time during the ballot-counting…

    • Dec 10, 2024
    • by: Ed Payne
    Fact Check: NO Evidence Of Ballot Cheating During Orange County, California, Bomb Threat Livestream Interruption Or Any Other Time In November 2024 Secure Ballots
  • Fact Check: Elon Musk's Starlink Did NOT Play Role In Counting Votes In 2024 Election

    Fact Check

    Did Elon Musk's satellite-based high-speed internet system Starlink play any role in counting or uploading votes in the U.S. election that could have allowed for potential vote manipulation or cheating? No, that's not true: Election security experts told Lead Stories that there's no evidence of vote tampering involving Starlink. U.S. voting systems are managed by county and state offices on…

    • Nov 11, 2024
    • by: Ed Payne
    Fact Check: Elon Musk's Starlink Did NOT Play Role In Counting Votes In 2024 Election Not Connected
  • Fact Check: South Carolina Poll Workers Cannot Press Buttons For Voters During Curbside Voting

    Fact Check

    Does a viral video discussing poll workers bringing "machines" to voters' cars prove "election cheating" in Florence, South Carolina? No, that's not true: The head of the local elections board told Lead Stories that the video is "misinformation." Voters with disabilities, the elderly and those who can't stand in line for a long time may vote using a curbside machine.…

    • Nov 5, 2024
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
    Fact Check: South Carolina Poll Workers Cannot Press Buttons For Voters During Curbside Voting Officials: No
1 2 3 4 5

About Us

EFCSN International Fact-Checking Organization

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.
Spotted something? Let us know!.

Lead Stories is a:

  • Verified signatory of the IFCN Code of Principles
  • Verified EFCSN member

Follow us on social media

WhatsApp Tipline

Have a tip or a question? Chat with our friendly robots on WhatsApp!

Add our number +1 (404) 655-4223, follow this link or scan the image below with your phone:

@leadstories

Subscribe to our newsletter

* indicates required

Please select all the ways you would like to hear from Lead Stories LLC:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website.

We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.

Most Read

  • Fact Check: Nancy Pelosi Did NOT Face $350 Million Lawsuit From 500 January 6 Defendants, in June 2025 Satire Origin

    Fact Check: Nancy Pelosi Did NOT Face $350 Million Lawsuit From 500 January 6 Defendants, in June 2025

    Fact Check

    • Jul 2, 2025
    • by: Lead Stories Staff
  • What We Know About a Viral Video That Claims ICE is Throwing Deported Immigrants Off Planes and Into the Ocean What We Know

    What We Know About a Viral Video That Claims ICE is Throwing Deported Immigrants Off Planes and Into the Ocean

    Fact Check

    • Jul 2, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
  • Fact Check: Video Of Big Woman Jumping Off And Sinking Boat IS NOT Real -- A Deepfake  Deep Fake

    Fact Check: Video Of Big Woman Jumping Off And Sinking Boat IS NOT Real -- A Deepfake

    Fact Check

    • Jul 1, 2025
    • by: Alan Duke
  • Fact Check: Pro-Trump Cuban Singer is NOT 'Janet Correa', Whose Husband Later Faced Deportation Wrong Person

    Fact Check: Pro-Trump Cuban Singer is NOT 'Janet Correa', Whose Husband Later Faced Deportation

    Fact Check

    • Jun 24, 2025
    • by: Lead Stories Staff
  • Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Incinerators Being Installed At 'Alligator Alcatraz' Facility In Florida -- Old Video From Minnesota Old Footage

    Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Incinerators Being Installed At 'Alligator Alcatraz' Facility In Florida -- Old Video From Minnesota

    Fact Check

    • Jul 4, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
  • Fact Check: Spoof 'Oscar Mayer Freedom Franks' Image Originated On Satirical Account Posting Fake Products Freedom Satire

    Fact Check: Spoof 'Oscar Mayer Freedom Franks' Image Originated On Satirical Account Posting Fake Products

    Fact Check

    • May 24, 2025
    • by: Maarten Schenk
  • Fact Check: Population of 'Tremont, Nevada' Did NOT Disappear in 1954 -- Town Never Existed Horror Fiction

    Fact Check: Population of 'Tremont, Nevada' Did NOT Disappear in 1954 -- Town Never Existed

    Fact Check

    • May 29, 2025
    • by: Lead Stories Staff

Most Recent

  • Fact Check: AI Video Did NOT Show 'White Auroras' Over Norway -- Generated With AI AI Phenomenon

    Fact Check: AI Video Did NOT Show 'White Auroras' Over Norway -- Generated With AI

    Fact Check

    • Jul 4, 2025
    • by: Maarten Schenk
  • Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Incinerators Being Installed At 'Alligator Alcatraz' Facility In Florida -- Old Video From Minnesota Old Footage

    Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Incinerators Being Installed At 'Alligator Alcatraz' Facility In Florida -- Old Video From Minnesota

    Fact Check

    • Jul 4, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
  • Fact Check: Image of 'Alligator Alcatraz' With A Moat Is NOT Real -- AI Photo No Moat

    Fact Check: Image of 'Alligator Alcatraz' With A Moat Is NOT Real -- AI Photo

    Fact Check

    • Jul 3, 2025
    • by: Alan Duke
  • Fact Check: Old Video Screencap Shows White House 'Turned All Red' -- 2022 Event For Gun Violence Awareness 2022 Screencap

    Fact Check: Old Video Screencap Shows White House 'Turned All Red' -- 2022 Event For Gun Violence Awareness

    Fact Check

    • Jul 3, 2025
    • by: Maarten Schenk
  • Fact Check: Video Game Footage Does NOT Show Actual Downing Of Israeli Plane -- Footage NOT Released by Iran Game Video

    Fact Check: Video Game Footage Does NOT Show Actual Downing Of Israeli Plane -- Footage NOT Released by Iran

    Fact Check

    • Jul 3, 2025
    • by: Maarten Schenk
  • What We Know About a Viral Video That Claims ICE is Throwing Deported Immigrants Off Planes and Into the Ocean What We Know

    What We Know About a Viral Video That Claims ICE is Throwing Deported Immigrants Off Planes and Into the Ocean

    Fact Check

    • Jul 2, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
  • Fact Check: Nancy Pelosi Did NOT Face $350 Million Lawsuit From 500 January 6 Defendants, in June 2025 Satire Origin

    Fact Check: Nancy Pelosi Did NOT Face $350 Million Lawsuit From 500 January 6 Defendants, in June 2025

    Fact Check

    • Jul 2, 2025
    • by: Lead Stories Staff

Share your opinion

Share Tweet
Home About IFCN Code of Principles How we work Satire Policy Privacy Policy Corrections Policy Corrections Archive Contact
Български English Espanol Magyar Română Русский Slovensky Українська

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.
Spotted something? Let us know!.

Lead Stories is a:

  • Verified signatory of the IFCN Code of Principles
  • Verified EFCSN member
IFCN logo EFCSN logo
© 2015-2024 Lead Stories LLC - All rights reserved.

Lead Stories

  • Home
  • Fact Check
  • US icon US
  • UK icon UK
  • EU icon Europe & EU
  • Ireland icon Ireland
  • Canada icon Canada
  • War icon War 🇷🇺 & 🇺🇦
  • Coronavirus icon Corona Virus
  • Democrats icon Blue Feed
  • Republicans icon Red Feed
  • Deepfakes icon Deep fakes
  • Breaking icon Breaking News
  • Elections icon Elections 2024
  • Business
  • Current Events
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • International
  • Politics
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Society
  • Technology
  • Corrections
  • Analysis
  • Explainer
  • Satire