Society

Did lawmakers in the United States pass new legislation in March 2025, allowing women to retire at the age of 52, with monthly payments of $4,850, regardless of their previous occupations? No, that's not true: neither the White House website, nor any federal government website, contained mentions of any such law. A Google News search also yielded no relevant entries.…

Did a man named "Arnold Bushman" light himself on fire to protest "Disney making the little mermaid black"? No, that's not true: A tweet from October 2024 with that claim was screenshotted and went viral again in early 2025. However the image in the post showed a man named Aaron Bushnell who immolated himself in February 2024 to protest the…

Does a viral video prove that someone in the audience at a Kennedy Center concert yelled "Kill that Vice!" at U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance as he entered the concert hall? No, that's not true: The sentence in question is not clearly audible in the viral recording. When played at a reduced speed, it appears to end with "light" or…

Is there a legitimate warning circulating about a girl named "Amy Sharp" allegedly on the run and charged with the murder of a baby named "Courtney Chatfield"? No, that's not true: Despite what viral social media posts say, the girl is not on the run in various locations and she was not charged with murder. The posts are part of…

Did Elon Musk announce that he had acquired MSNBC for $900 million to "put an end to toxic programming?" No, that's not true: A search of Musk's X account did not show this announcement from him on the days leading up to publication of the claim. As of March 14, 2025, no reliable news outlets were reporting what would have…

Is a viral Facebook post legitimately warning people about an "18 year old boy known as MONICO ORONA" who supposedly stabbed "Ryan Tyler" and "Chloe Tyler" to death? No, that's not true: There are dozens of such posts going around, all mentioning different locations, and the mugshot used in the posts actually shows a man with a different name who…

Does a social media post stating "Never seen anyone fall off harder" show how Michelle Obama looks in March 2025? No, that's not true: The image in the viral social media post has been edited. The altered promotional Image for "IMO," a podcast featuring Michelle Obama and her older brother Craig Robinson, has the faces of the two hosts switched.…

Is a warning about a woman "going around neighborhoods" and "stealing packages" legitimate and does sharing a viral message on Facebook help expose and hold her accountable? No, that's not true: The recent viral warnings use images that appear to be several years old. The posts are part of a common social media scam that tricks people into liking or…

Is Nate Vance -- who criticized the Trump administration's reduction of support for Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion -- Vice President JD Vance's cousin? Yes, that's true: Nate Vance is the first cousin of JD Vance. His father, Jim Vance, is the brother of JD Vance's mother, Beverly. Nate Vance detailed the family connection on social media, and online records…

Does a viral image authentically capture the exterior of the Kennedy Center under the second Trump presidency? No, that's not true: A picture of banners reading "President Trump Welcomes You" is not a real photograph. It is a digitally created illustration that was made by Victoria Sunday for The Daily Beast. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on…

Is there a legitimate warning circulating about a girl named "Totten Skylar Rose" allegedly on the run and charged with the murder of a baby named "Courtney Chatfield"? No, that's not true: Despite what viral social media posts say, the girl is not on the run in various locations and she was not charged with murder. The posts are part…

Are Muslim immigrants the reason why there are piles of garbage in the neighborhoods of Birmingham, England? No, that's not true: Refuse workers in Birmingham, England, are "taking all out indefinite strike action" starting on March 11, 2025. They began striking in January over job cuts, and for better pay. The garbage piles up because it is not being hauled…

Did President Trump post a message on Truth Social that showed a slashed-through upside-down pink triangle symbol that looked like the badge used in Nazi camps to identify those imprisoned as being homosexual? Yes, that's true: The image appeared as the social media preview card when Trump posted a link to a Washington Times opinion piece about military recruitment ads.…

Did "Democrat NGOs" set fire to Tesla Cybertrucks in Seattle on March 9, 2025? No, that's not true: The Seattle Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives told Lead Stories they are still investigating the overnight fires as of March 10, 2025. There is no evidence provided in a social media post that the fires on…

Did ICE detain British national Becky Burke on the Canadian border? Yes, that's true: A spokesperson for the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, asked by Lead Stories specifically about Burke, confirmed a "British national" was being detained in the United States. The tourist had spent at least 10 days in detention as of March 9, 2025, according to her…

Did a story about two "gender critical feminists" being treated in hospital after a "serious altercation" in a public bathroom originate as real news? No, that's not true: A satire account made it up as a joke and claimed it happened because both thought the other was transgender. The post dated back to April 2024 but screenshots of it have…

Does a photo shared to X authentically depict Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina? No, that's not true: The image in question has been edited to exaggerate the politican's eyes, mouth, and facial features. Her official portrait, posted on her Congressional profile online, does not share these same characteristics. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on…

Does a video show conditions in Durban, South Africa in March 2025? No, that's not true: The video in the post was recorded in the aftermath of protests and unrest in July 2021. The same video was posted on X on July 15, 2021 carrying the same caption with which it was posted on X in March 2025. The claim…

Did the group known as the "Patriot Front" disband the day after Kash Patel started as FBI Director or shortly after Christopher Wray resigned from that position? No, that's not true: As of this writing, the group's website is still active. So is their Telegram channel, where they were actively publishing updates. There have been several claims the group has…

Did Representative Jasmine Crockett "completely fabricate" the statistic that "80% of the most violent crime are by white supremacists" as a viral post said? No, that's not entirely true: Crockett appears to have badly misquoted a statistic that originated in a 2023 ADL report, altering the meaning. The statistic was about "domestic extremist-related murders" in the United States in 2022,…