&Quot;The Dunning-Kruger Times&Quot;

Did the Red Cross report that "conservative charitable donations outweigh liberal donations by over 78%"? No, that's not true: This post came from a self-described satire Facebook account. The website attached to this account has a disclaimer that says, "Nothing on this page is real." The photo appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook on October 9, 2024. The…

Did singer Kid Rock bring millions of dollars in supplies to North Carolina for disaster recovery shortly after Hurricane Helene? No, that's not true: The website that reported on this has a satire disclaimer and is known for publishing made-up stories. The website's About Us page says, "Everything on this website is fiction." The claim appeared in a post (archived…

Has Taylor Swift said that she wishes she could take back endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz during the 2024 presidential election cycle? No, that's not true: The singer has made no such statement and her endorsement Instagram post is still up. The website that reported on the comment has a satire disclaimer and is known…

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…

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…

Was actress Kathy Griffin "thrown off the red carpet" at the Met Gala in 2024? No, that's not true: This claim appeared on an America's Last Line of Defense Facebook account, listed under a "satire/parody" category. Lead Stories has previously debunked many other satirical claims by entertainment websites, such as The Dunning-Kruger Times, in the America's Last Line of Defense…

Did the Country Music Hall of Fame make a statement announcing that it would not consider Taylor Swift for induction because her music "is bubblegum, not country"? No, that's not true: The story came from a satirical website but then was reposted on social media without a disclaimer indicating that it was not a real news article. Lead Stories found…

Did swimmer Lia Thomas say she's leaving the United States for a "More Tolerant Country"? No, that's not true: This claim originally appeared in an article on a satirical website known for publishing fabricated content. The website where this claim originated has a disclaimer that reads, "Everything on this website is fiction." The claim reappeared in an article (archived here)…

Did professional wrestler and actor John Cena lose four sponsors "worth millions" after "humiliating himself" at the Oscars? No, that's not true: This claim is from an article on a satirical website known for publishing fabricated content. This website has a disclaimer that reads, "Everything on this website is fiction." The claim appeared in an article published by The Dunning-Kruger…

Did "Budweiser brands" not get invited to The Great American Beer Festival for the first time since 1982? No, that's not true: A representative from The Great American Beer Festival told Lead Stories that this claim was "incorrect." There is also a sentence in the article making this claim that says that what the satire site posts is not "necessarily…