&Quot;America'S Last Line Of Defense&Quot;

Were NFL referees given authority to disqualify football players who kneeled during the U.S. national anthem? No, that's not true: The claim is from a satirical website whose articles Lead Stories has debunked before. Lead Stories found no actual news articles mentioning such change to the authority of NFL referees. The claim appeared in a post on Facebook (archived here)…

Did Michael Jordan say that kids who "can afford $8 cups of coffee" can also afford "to pay their own student loans" as a viral post on Facebook said? No, that's not true: the quote first appeared on a Facebook page that is part of a network of self-described satire websites and pages known for publishing made-up stories. If a…

Did Hope Walz, daughter of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, receive $82,000 in student loan forgiveness despite her parents being worth $138 million? No, that's not true: The claim originates from a website that clearly labels its work as satire, parody and fiction. The claim is not based on any factual evidence, nor is her parents' reported net worth anywhere near…

Did Netflix's stock drop almost 40 percent after a "big campaign donation announcement"? No, that's not true: The story originally came from a network of satirical websites and Facebook pages. A representative for Netflix confirmed public records showing the company's stock had not dropped 40 percent. Reed Hastings, Netflix's co-founder and executive chairman, did make a major personal donation to…

Is Garth Brooks selling his bar and leaving Nashville, Tennessee, saying, "I get no respect in this town"? No, that's not true: The site that originally posted the claim says its satirical articles are "not meant to be taken seriously." Brooks' bar is open and will host a holiday event on July 4, 2024. Brooks' website states that as of…

Did Team USA lose $60 million in endorsements after Caitlin Clark was not placed on the 2024 USA Basketball Women's Olympic Team? No, that's not true: the Indiana Fever WNBA player is indeed not on the team but the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee told Lead Stories that the claim about losing endorsements is "not true." A representative of…

Did Caitlin Clark replace Brittney Griner on the Team USA women's Olympic basketball team due to rule-breaking by Griner? No, that is not true: The website the claim originated from is self-described as satirical and says on its "About Us" page that its content is "the freshest fake news." As of publication date, rookie sensation Clark had not been offered…

Did movie star Clint Eastwood return all six of his Oscars and denounce Hollywood as "morally bankrupt?" No, that's not true: The account that made the claim is part of a network of self-described "parody, satire and tomfoolery" websites that completely make up stories. Eastwood has only won five Academy Awards and there are no reputable news outlets reporting that…

Did the U.S. Olympic Committee say that American swimmer Lia Thomas, the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA swimming championship Division I title, is "welcome to try out for the men's team," as a post on Facebook claimed? No, that's not true: The spoof article that made the claim was published by SpaceX Arena, a satirical website. SpaceX…

Did actor Vin Diesel pull his $1 million annual donation to Boy Scouts of America while being quoted as saying, "It's no longer the organization I know and love"? No, that's not true: A representative of The Boy Scouts of America organization told Lead Stories this claim is "patently false." This fake quote came from a post on the Facebook…