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: Clickbait Robert Plant Story About Texas Flood Donation Illustrated With AI-Generated Photo -- Contradictory Details AI Image

    Fact Check: Clickbait Robert Plant Story About Texas Flood Donation Illustrated With AI-Generated Photo -- Contradictory Details

    Fact Check

    • Jul 14, 2025
    • by: Maarten Schenk
  • Fact Check: Chelsea FC Did NOT Post Photoshopped Image Removing Trump From Trophy Raising Scene At FIFA Club World Cup Final Not Official

    Fact Check: Chelsea FC Did NOT Post Photoshopped Image Removing Trump From Trophy Raising Scene At FIFA Club World Cup Final

    Fact Check

    • Jul 15, 2025
    • by: Maarten Schenk
  • Fake News: Florida Man Did NOT Convince Two Female Officers To Have A Threesome Instead Of Giving Him A Ticket

    Fake News: Florida Man Did NOT Convince Two Female Officers To Have A Threesome Instead Of Giving Him A Ticket

    Fact Check

    • Jun 20, 2018
    • by: Maarten Schenk
  • Fact Check: AI Photos Of Father Ben With Down Syndrome And Son Noah Are NOT Real -- Clickbait AI Images

    Fact Check: AI Photos Of Father Ben With Down Syndrome And Son Noah Are NOT Real -- Clickbait

    Fact Check

    • Jul 11, 2025
    • by: Maarten Schenk
  • Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Trump Stealing a Club World Cup Player's Medal It Was a Gift

    Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Trump Stealing a Club World Cup Player's Medal

    Fact Check

    • Jul 16, 2025
    • by: Lead Stories Staff
  • Fact Check: Jane Doe V. Donald J. Trump And Jeffrey E. Epstein Lawsuit Filing Is NOT Proof Trump Is A Rapist No Legal Proof

    Fact Check: Jane Doe V. Donald J. Trump And Jeffrey E. Epstein Lawsuit Filing Is NOT Proof Trump Is A Rapist

    Fact Check

    • Aug 14, 2020
    • by: Alan Duke
  • Fact Check: FAKE 'Sheriff Larry Leda Applying For Green Card For Mexican Rescue Team' Video Misspells Name -- No Media Reports Not Reported

    Fact Check: FAKE 'Sheriff Larry Leda Applying For Green Card For Mexican Rescue Team' Video Misspells Name -- No Media Reports

    Fact Check

    • Jul 13, 2025
    • by: Maarten Schenk

Most Recent

  • What We Know About Claims That Jasmine 'Jassy' Witherspoon Died in Camp Mystic Floods What We Know

    What We Know About Claims That Jasmine 'Jassy' Witherspoon Died in Camp Mystic Floods

    Fact Check

    • Jul 18, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
  • Fact Check: Video Claimed To Show Woman Arrested For Growing Lettuce Is NOT Authentic Police Bodycam Footage Staged Scene

    Fact Check: Video Claimed To Show Woman Arrested For Growing Lettuce Is NOT Authentic Police Bodycam Footage

    Fact Check

    • Jul 18, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
  • Fact Check: Viral Image Is NOT Trump Drawing For Jeffrey Epstein Described By WSJ -- Artist's Recreation "Recreation"

    Fact Check: Viral Image Is NOT Trump Drawing For Jeffrey Epstein Described By WSJ -- Artist's Recreation

    Fact Check

    • Jul 18, 2025
    • by: Maarten Schenk
  • Fact Check: Inconsistent Story About Found Missing Hikers Sarah Bennett And Andrew Miller -- Fake Images, Bogus Newspaper Quote Fake Details

    Fact Check: Inconsistent Story About Found Missing Hikers Sarah Bennett And Andrew Miller -- Fake Images, Bogus Newspaper Quote

    Fact Check

    • Jul 18, 2025
    • by: Maarten Schenk
  • Fact Check: FAKE Statement From Astronomer CEO Andy Byron Laments How 'Private Moment Became Public' at Coldplay Concert Fabrication

    Fact Check: FAKE Statement From Astronomer CEO Andy Byron Laments How 'Private Moment Became Public' at Coldplay Concert

    Fact Check

    • Jul 18, 2025
    • by: Lead Stories Staff
  • Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show 2025 Texas Floods AI Creator

    Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show 2025 Texas Floods

    Fact Check

    • Jul 17, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
  • Fact Check: Photo Of Trump Kissing Elite Model Look Participant Is NOT Authentic Not A Real Pic

    Fact Check: Photo Of Trump Kissing Elite Model Look Participant Is NOT Authentic

    Fact Check

    • Jul 17, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko

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