Does a viral video really show a cop on his first day on the job trying to remove a black man from a courtroom until it turns out he is the judge? No, that's not true: The video appeared on a Facebook page associated with a company that rents out sets where influencers can film videos. The "courtroom" is one…

Are Los Angeles's massive traffic jams gone because of the mass deportations of illegal immigrants that are under way? No, that's not true: Google Maps showed lots of red and orange on Los Angeles highways, indicating clogged traffic, during the evening rush hour on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. A map screenshot purportedly of the previous evening's rush hour included in…

Does a viral video authentically capture a gorilla lifting a baby to bring it to its mother? No, that's not true: A search for the clip's origin revealed it was initially published by an account specializing in AI generated content. A closer look at the post showed several abnormalities that are generally associated with the videos created by algorithms, not…

Did Kansas City Chiefs Coach Andy Reid publicly say that he will pay for the funerals of the Texas flood victims? No, that's not true: No credible media organizations reported that. The claim followed the pattern seen in other unsubstantiated rumors about celebrities that began to circulate on the internet shortly after the natural disaster. The claim appeared in an…

Does a viral video document ICE agents seizing undocumented children from foster care to deport them? No, that's not true: It's a montage of unrelated clips about alleged juvenile crimes, disorderly behavior at school and other situations with no apparent connection to immigration roundups. The video's narrator provides no dates, places, case numbers or other information to permit independent corroboration…

Did Elon Musk post on X that Steve Bannon is named in the Jeffrey Epstein files? Yes, that's true: Musk posted the claim as a comment when he reposted an X post by Roger Stone, which also included a 2024 article about Bannon's relationship with Epstein. Musk and Bannon have been feuding on social media in recent weeks following Musk's…

Did Ohio State football coach Ryan Day donate more than $3.5 million dollars to victims of the 2025 Texas floods? No, that's not true: No credible media organization reported that, nor did Day himself. The viral claim emerged from a website that didn't disclose the editorial team behind it and warns its readers that it functions "without warranty of any…

Did tennis star Coco Gauff donate $3 million to support Texas flood victims? No, that's not true: The story was spread by unreliable clickbait websites on Facebook. There were no media reports about such a donation and Gauff's social media accounts did not make any mention of it either. The story appeared in an article (archived here) where it was…

Did the rapper Jelly Roll release a new song called "Angels Don't Pack Their Bags", as a tribute to the victims of devastating flooding in parts of Texas, in July 2025? No, that's not true: We found no trace of any new song, of any name, on Jelly Roll's official website or social media accounts. A widely-shared blog post contained…

Did rock guitarist Eric Clapton announce he would pay funeral expenses for the families of those killed in devastating flooding in parts of Texas, in July 2025? No, that's not true: We found no corroboration for a blog post that was shared widely and also claimed Clapton would be providing other forms of compensation. Social media posts supposedly praising Clapton…