Fact Check

Is a video that shows UFOs or drones in Maryland in December 2024 authentic? No, that's not true: The creator of the video admitted he "made a fake UFO video with AI." The original video is listed on the creator's account on TikTok under the tab "AI creations" and is set to music from the TV show "The X-Files." The…

Does reporting by the entertainment weekly "Variety" suggest that ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos is "expected to be fired" from the network after its settlement with President-elect Donald Trump? No, that's not true: ABC News told Lead Stories that he signed a new deal with the network after it settled a defamation case with Trump. No information about his supposed…

Did Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum propose annexing Guatemala so it would become the "33rd state" in Mexico? No, that's not true: The rumor about Mexico annexing Guatemala was first debunked by Mexican outlets during the previous president's administration. Lead Stories found no actual news reports that confirmed the purported "annexation" plan under the new administration in Mexico. The claim appeared…

Did Rep. Dan Crenshaw share a post on X that included inflammatory language boasting of "over 300 confirmed kills," as an image on the platform suggested? No, that's not true: The quote is known colloquially as the "Navy Seal Copypasta," a phrase used to mock aggressive rhetoric online. The supposed screenshot of Crenshaw's post shows signs of manipulation, including its…

Did a draft continuing resolution or spending bill in late 2024 include a 40 percent salary increase for members of Congress? No, that's not true: The proposed December 2024 temporary funding package included a 3.8 percent pay raise, which would increase their annual salary from $174,000 to $180,600 if approved. Under the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 Congress is allowed…

Does a video on Threads show drones over the United States in 2024? No, that's not true: The video predates the 2024 wave of drone sighting reports. The clip has been online since at least 2022 and was described as showing drones spraying disinfectant in China at the time. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Threads on…

Did the Biden administration spend $3 billion to procure just 93 electric mail trucks? No, that's not true: A Postal Service spokesperson told Lead Stories that Congress approved $3 billion to purchase 66,000 electric postal delivery vehicles, many of them arriving by 2028. According to USPS records, as of December 13, 2024, 24 electric vehicles had been delivered with another…

Did the NFL abruptly fire three referees who officiated the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams for their involvement in the largest bribery scheme in NFL history? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the NFL fired any referees amid a bribery scandal following a game between the two California teams as of…

Does a viral photo show the Altoona McDonald's employee who made the 911 call to report a sighting of Luigi Mangione in Pennsylvania? No, that's not true: The photo shows a comedian from New York. A profile on Facebook that contained the original version of the image also placed that person in New York, not Pennsylvania. The claim appeared in…

Did an authentic ABC newscast state that "in 2.5 years of war, about a million Ukrainian soldiers have died"? No, that's not true: TrueMedia's AI detector found "substantial evidence" that the voice heard in the social media post was created by artificial intelligence. The ABC video was originally about wounded Ukrainian soldiers receiving prosthetic legs from a nonprofit. The claim…

Did Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum threaten to deport 2 million American immigrants if President-elect Donald Trump sends migrants back to Mexico? No, that's not true: Lead Stories could not find any news reports or press releases from the Mexican government mentioning such a statement. In November of 2024 Sheinbaum posted to X that Mexico's position on the issue of migration…

Did some employees poop in the Lamborghini of a CEO who cancelled the worker's Christmas bonuses -- and then did everyone at the company resign in unison? No, that's not true: This fictional yarn is from a creator who calls his content, "60 Second Sitcoms." He further describes his videos as satire. The story spread from a December 14, 2024,…

Have authorities released the gender identity of the suspected shooter at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, as of December 17, 2024? No, that's not true: Police have used the pronouns "she" and "her" multiple times when referring to the suspect but have stated publicly that they do not know whether she was trans, as some posts on social…

Does a video show a Coca-Cola truck found "full of children" being trafficked? No, that's not true: "It's fake news," a spokesperson for the Davenport, Iowa, Police Department told Lead Stories. The video shows the Davenport Police Department toy drive held December 14 and 15, 2024, the spokesperson confirmed. The police department shared multiple images from the event showing their…

Does a video show a "drone down" in New Jersey? No, that's not true: This footage shows the wreckage of a small plane that crashed on Interstate 684 in Greenwich, Connecticut, on December 12, 2024. There were two people on board the plane, but only the pilot survived. The video appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook on December…

Did police identify Samuel Hyde as the shooter at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin? No, that's not true: At a press conference on December 16, 2024, the Madison police chief identified the shooter as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow "who went by the name Samantha." Since 2015, internet trolls have recycled a hoax claiming that "Sam Hyde is the…

Did an authentic image show Bono and Bob Geldof waving Israeli flags? No, that's not true: AI detection tools found that the image was generated using AI technology. The image first appeared on a self-described "fake news" and "satire" account on X. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X on December 17, 2024. It said: Make songs…

Are the drones reportedly seen over New Jersey and New York being used to track nuclear material in the country? No, that's not true: The National Nuclear Security Administration's emergency team told Lead Stories it doesn't use drones to detect nuclear or radiological materials. In a joint statement on December 16, 2024, the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Federal Aviation…

Does a photo show basketball star LeBron James kissing an unidentified man in Paris? No, that's not true: A reverse image search showed that the men in the photo are a couple who go by the screen name "TeeAndDrew." An online news search for any credible evidence that the event described in the post actually happened came up empty. The…

Does a photo show a young Hunter Biden, injured from a car wreck, as his father Joe Biden was sworn in as U.S. senator from Delaware in 1973? No, that's not true: Although Hunter Biden was present at the swearing-in ceremony, the child in the photo is his older brother, Beau Biden. Both of Biden's sons had sustained injuries in…