Society

Was a teddy bear found at a bus station in California wrapped in real human skin in July 2025? No, that's not true: An artist in South Carolina claimed responsibility for the creation and said it was made using latex. "Dark Seed Creations" said they recently sold the bear to someone in Victorville, California, but they were unaware it would…

Did ICE arrest Mexican nationals who helped flood recovery efforts, and did Texas Gov. Greg Abbott say "I support ICE deporting the Mexicans who helped during the floods"? No, that's not true: A viral TikTok video contained a fabricated story about ICE "aiming weapons" at the rescuers and "loading them into vans". A clip of Abbott contained fake audio and…

Is a viral video a real news report about a "Sheriff Larry Leda" saying he'd apply for a green card for the Mexican rescue team that saved his family? No, that's not true: The footage in the viral video came from a press conference during which the phrase "green card" was not said and the caption in the video spelled…

Did FBI Director Kash Patel declassify records detailing Hillary Clinton's and Vladimir Putin's ties to the 'James Comey Scandal'? No, that's not true: The viral rumor originated from a comedian's page. Neither the FBI nor credible media organizations said anything about the purported "trove" of "intelligence documents". The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on July…

Did a widely-shared video show a real Mexican soldier speaking to camera and saying "We're to help the people of Texas"? No, that's not true: The clip was produced using AI. The video contained telltale glitches such as the soldier's name badge reading "MEXICIO" instead of his name, and a small watermark in the corner of the video signified that…

Do viral photos really show a father with Down syndrome named Ben and his son Noah? No, that's not true: According to several detection tools the images were generated using artificial intelligence. Several variations of the pictures are making the rounds, but none of the ones reviewed by Lead Stories are real. An example of such an image could be…

Did U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren suggest that Mollie Tibbetts' family has "to remember we need to focus on real problems like illegal immigrants not being able to see their kids"? No, that's not true: The viral meme distorted Warren's 2018 comments on the case in which an undocumented worker was charged and later convicted of the 20-year-old woman's murder. During…

Did Sky News publish a headline that read "Ice agents quitting in droves due to low morale, doxxing fears"? No, that's not true: The headline did not appear on the website of Sky News at the time of writing. It appears to have originated as a meme from the "South Dakota Department of Propaganda", a website with a satire disclaimer.…

Does a viral video show Israeli soldiers celebrating the 2024 release of comrades who had been detained in connection with charges that nine soldiers had raped a Palestinian at a desert prison camp? No, that's not true: The video was first posted to X on November 10, 2023 and depicts a rowdy party unrelated to the Sde Teiman camp rape…

Did Italy withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, following the path of the United States? No, that's not true: As of this writing, the most recent version of the document, updated July 9, 2025, still names Italy as one of the treaty's participants. Neither the authorities nor credible media organizations reported the purported withdrawal. The claim appeared in a post…

Did a widely-shared video show an argument between a police officer and four undercover FBI agents on an airplane? No, that's not true: The people in the video were simply acting out a scripted scenario. The page that posted the sketch routinely publishes similar scripted scenarios, and is affiliated with Network Media, a company that rents out film sets to…

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 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 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…

Did Eminem donate $50 million "for Texas Flood Victims" and travel to any sites impacted by the natural disaster? No, that's not true: No credible media organizations reported that, as of July 7, 2025. The AI-generated text of the claim was initially published by a website that, according to its self-description, offers services "with all faults and defects without warranty…