Illinois

Are Facebook posts about plans to build $3.8 billion stadiums for 34 NFL, MLB, NBA, and college sports teams that would transform their cities into global destinations real? No, that's not true: Dozens of nearly identical posts were generated by artificial intelligence tools and distributed by a spam network managed from Vietnam. With the exception of a new stadium for…

Did police discover the body of an elderly woman in a Pima County suburb with clothing found at the scene that closely resembled what Nancy Guthrie was wearing before her disappearance? No, that's not true: "This is not factual," the public information officer for the Pima County Sheriff's Department told Lead Stories. As of February 5, 2026, "TODAY" show host…

Was Evan Kilgore the federal agent who shot and killed U.S. citizen and registered nurse Alex Pretti during an immigration enforcement raid in Minneapolis? No, that's not true: Kilgore denied he worked for immigration enforcement agencies and threatened to sue those who spread the claim on social media. Lead Stories found nothing suggesting that the conservative commentator had built a…

Did a Marcus Holloway serve twenty years in prison for a murder he didn't commit when his wife Sarah was finally discovered alive after being held captive by a Chicago neighbor all those years? No, that's not true: There is no record of a real crime in Chicago matching these details. The fake story appeared across social media published by…

Did Walmart announce that it would shut down 23 "neighborhood markets" locations in New York City due to the "tax system Mamdani has planned"? No, that's not true: As of this writing, Walmart has no stores of any type in New York City. The earlier variations of the claim showed a satire label linking it to the self-professed liberal troll…

Is a federal employee described as an "ICE agent" in social media posts now wanted by law enforcement for his involvement in a Chicago shooting? No, that's not true: No court records say that such an arrest warrant was issued. An attorney for the injured woman, charged with interfering with on-duty U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agents, confirmed to Lead…

Was Fox News host Brett Baier correct when he declared Chicago has "the highest murder rate of all the big cities" during an interview with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker? Yes, if you compare US cities with official populations over 1 million. Pritzker asserted Chicago ranks below 30th, but did not provide a citation for that number. Lead Stories found that…

Did Nike or Under Armour donate face masks and clothing to ICE agents involved in arresting undocumented immigrants in the United States? No, that's not true: The TikTok host making the claim gave no supporting information about how he confirmed the claim. Lead Stories found no evidence to support the claim and several red flags raising questions about the credibility…

Does a viral video show a "Massive Tornado Hits Springfield Illinois Today July 20, 2025"? No, that's not true: That video clip has been online since at least July 2024. It showed news coverage of Typhoon Yagi striking China's island province of Hainan. The mislabelled video was posted July 20, 2025 to TikTok (archived here) on the @disaster.world1 account, titled…

Does a viral image show "a 27-year-old man from Jackson, Mississippi," who was arrested in early July 2025 "after allegedly hacking into the Hinds County Human Services system and approving every single application for food stamps"? No, that's not true: Variations of this recycled rumor have been circulating on the internet at least since 2020. No credible media organization reported…