&Quot;Climate Change&Quot;

Did an image shared widely in July 2025 show an authentic screenshot of a German weather forecast? No, that's not true: The image was edited to make it more dramatic. No lava appeared in the original footage. The claim appeared in a June 30, 2025, post on X (archived here). It read: Jeeeeezus, if you think the climate propaganda is…

Were there actual news reports about Nancy Pelosi's vineyard receiving $14 million from USAID for "experimental farming"? No, that's not true: The story originated in a meme from a satirical Facebook page. The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made-up content. The meme appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) published by the…

Was a "mysterious fog" spotted in various areas of the world in late December 2024 something that cannot be explained? No, that's not true: There have been several regions that experienced heavy fog in late December, but there is no evidence that it is anything other than naturally occurring fog. One medical sociologist wrote in an article that social media…

Are Progress 2028 ads on Facebook authentic ads supporting Kamala Harris' presidential campaign? No, that's not true: These ads are not affiliated with the campaign or its supporters; instead, a conservative group paid for them to misrepresent her stance on controversial issues like gun buy-back programs and fracking. A Harris campaign aide told Lead Stories that Progress 2028's ads lie…

Did former CIA Director John Brennan reveal that the U.S. government uses Stratospheric Aerosol Injection, a hypothetical geoengineering technology, to control the weather? No, that's not true: A full video of his 2016 speech shows that Brennan said no such thing. He was discussing his interest in technologies that could potentially reverse climate change; he did not say that these…

Does a video shared on Facebook genuinely show underwater HAARP devices surrounding Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall? No, that's not true: The video shows a coral restoration project in the Florida Keys, two marine scientists told Lead Stories. The antenna-like objects seen in the video are part of that coral reef rehabilitation project. A version of the claim…

Does Project 2025 call for closing the National Hurricane Center? No, that's not true: Nowhere in Project 2025's book, "Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise," does it say that. Instead, it calls for a review of the National Hurricane Center's work. It does recommend breaking up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which includes the National Weather Service, under which…

Does an authentic screenshot of the FOX Business website show FOX reporting that "Tim Walz's Communist Agenda" includes unsupervised female health decisions and school lunches for unemployed minors? No, that's not true: It's satire but several online commenters interpreted as a real screenshot. The image was posted previously to a subreddit focused on U.S. political humor. The claim appeared in…

Did data from December 2023 show that Arctic sea ice had soared to its "highest level for 21 years," thus disproving global warming and climate change? No, that's not true: The blog that made this claim cherry-picked genuine data, a senior research scientist told Lead Stories. While it is true that the total area of the Arctic Ocean covered by…

Did Vice President Kamala Harris suggest that young people "should not have children due to climate change," as implied by a post on X? No, that's not true: In the clip, she described how "young leaders" define climate anxiety. She did not suggest that young people "should not have children." A version of the claim appeared in a post on…