&Quot;Russia&Quot;

Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy react to his August 2025 meeting at the White House by suggesting that Donald Trump rejects a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, believing it would hurt his chances of winning the Nobel Peace Prize? No, that's not true: Official government webpages of the Ukrainian president don't contain such a statement. Lead Stories could not find…

Is a video of Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni describing President Trump being a "mix of sweat and flatulence" and "a giant moving biogas pit" authentic? No, that's not true: The video includes a disclaimer that reads "Creator labeled as AI-generated" on the TikTok channel where it originated. It has been widely shared on social media platforms by other accounts…

Does a viral screenshot show a real post by California Governor Gavin Newsom's Press Office asking Russia to release the Epstein files if they "are listening"? No, that's not true: The satirical post which also mentions "Big Balls" appears to be a Truth Social post and the account that supposedly published it does not exist there. The message also didn't…

Did U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi successfully sue American basketball player Brittney Griner, preventing the athlete from participating in the Olympic Games? No, none of that is true: No credible media organization ever reported that, as of August 19, 2025. When Lead Stories checked specialized legal resources, those searches showed no confirmation that such a lawsuit ever existed. The claim…

Did a Russian visitor named Ivan Stepanov rescue a tranquilized bear that was drowning in Lake Tahoe? No, that's not true: The dramatic story shared on social media is ripped off from the real-life heroics of Florida wildlife biologist Adam Warwick, who pulled a tranquilized bear from the water in a Florida harbor in 2008. The photos used in a…

Has the woman photographed wearing a pink hijab posing next to a swastika been identified as Linda Sarsour, senior advisor of the Zohran for NYC campaign? No, that's not true on two counts. Linda Sarsour is not the senior advisor of the NYC mayoral campaign of Zohran Mamdani -- the "senior campaign advisor" is Zara Rahim. The photo of the…

Did a California aquarium collapse, killing 50 people, as was claimed in a viral Instagram reel? No, that's not true: A disaster of that magnitude and novelty would have been a worldwide news story and there is no record of such an event in news publications in or out of California. The Instagram account that posted the video consists of…

Did former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warn President Donald Trump that he should not think that "the Mossad alone has a video archive of his past depravities"? No, that's not true: The quote was attributed to "Russia media" by a website that claims to be in Israel, but appears to be managed in Ukraine. Lead Stories could find no evidence…

Does a recently resurfaced old video show Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un refusing to drink after making a toast? No, that's not true: The original video from the 2019 North Korea-Russia summit shows the world leaders toasting each other and those beside them, and then both taking a sip of their drink. The edited version of this video appeared…

Does a viral video show tsunami waves caused by a July 29, 2025 earthquake off Russia's eastern coast hitting California's coast? No, that's not true: The Los Angeles Times described the tsunami waves as "modest". California emergency management officials reported none of the kind of flooding and destruction shown in the viral video and had lifted warnings by midmorning on…