Illinois

Does a viral image prove that the newly elected U.S.-born Pope Leo XIV is a "registered Republican" from Will County, Illinois? That omits some context: According to the Will County Clerk's Office file, the new Pope did vote in Republican primaries in the past, but that doesn't make him a "registered Republican" because Illinois does not require eligible voters to…

The conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor is set to start on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. It is a centuries-old ceremony entrenched in secrecy and powerful rituals, which strikes the world's imagination. This year, 135 cardinals from 71 countries across the five continents (of which Pope Francis has appointed 108, and 12 come from countries that never had a cardinal…

Did wrestler Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock, threaten to "punch" Elon Musk on X in March 2025, if the tech billionaire "doesn't leave America alone"? No, that's not true: A review of Johnson's posts doesn't confirm he ever published what was attributed to him. The claim originated from an obscure clickbait website whose disclaimer said that it "assumes…

Are people in various communities in the United States and England being warned about an 18-year-old known as Russell Robinson or Dycorrian Wayne Lofton knocking on doors and attacking people after he gains their trust? No, that's not true: Facebook posts calling on readers to be vigilant and lock their doors used mugshots of unrelated people. The posts are part…

Is there a legitimate warning circulating about a man named "Talavera, Benjamin" on the run and charged with stabbing to death someone's two Caseyville, IL neighbors, two Pensacola, FL neighbors, two Portage, IN neighbors? No, that's not true: Despite what viral social media posts say, the person in the photos is not named Talavera or Benjamin and is not wanted…

Does a video clip capture what was happening inside an Air India plane that was forced to return to Chicago on March 5, 2025, due to out-of-order toilets? No, that's not true: The video predates the incident by two months. It started circulating on social media in early January 2025. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on…

Are several social media posts truly expressing concern over an actual missing teen named "Natallia Goodman"? No, that's not true: "Natallia Goodman" was supposedly missing in multiple locations, indicating that this is a made-up story. The posts spreading the information are part of a common social media real estate scam. One instance of the claim appeared in a post (archived…

Does a video show a Coca-Cola truck found "full of children" being trafficked? No, that's not true: "It's fake news," a spokesperson for the Davenport, Iowa, Police Department told Lead Stories. The video shows the Davenport Police Department toy drive held December 14 and 15, 2024, the spokesperson confirmed. The police department shared multiple images from the event showing their…

Does a photograph shared on Facebook genuinely show a "horrific accident" in which "at least 135 people died after a truck collided with a bus"? No, that's not true: While the photo is real it was first shared to X on June 14, 2021, following a chemical plant fire in Illinois. Nobody was killed at the time of that fire.…

Does a post on social media prove that a "male relative who recently started identifying as a 'woman' received two ballots for the election" in McHenry County, Illinois, in 2024? No, that's not true: The post's images of envelopes had labels that said they had applications for ballots, not mail ballots themselves. The post also didn't prove that the envelopes…