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Did George Clooney leave the United States permanently for England after Donald Trump was elected president in 2024, with Clooney saying he "can't take the red wave anymore"? No, that's not true: This originated from SpaceX Fanclub, a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer: "We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real." The first comment under the post included…

Did world leaders sign a treaty proposed by the World Economic Forum that requires government approval for someone to live past a certain age? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that suggests the Forum has made any such proposal. Instead, the organization has offered ideas on how countries can help their aging populations stay healthy and productive. The…

Does an image on social media authentically show Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a ventilator in a hospital? No, that's not true: The picture shows a person with a differently shaped ear. Lead Stories analysis found other inconsistencies that strongly suggested digital manipulation. The image has been on social media since at least 2023. The picture reappeared in a…

Can people in the state of Washington vote using a fake name by using a website set up for visually impaired voters to print out a ballot and sending it in? No, that's not true: Registered voters with impaired vision in King County, Washington, can mark and print their ballots from their home computer. Other counties in the state allow…

Did Donald Trump call British protesters to join a march on the U.K. parliament in October 2024? No, that's not true: A video that purported to have narration by Trump showed signs that it was not authentic, according to several AI detectors. Lead Stories found no credible sources confirming that Trump ever said the words attributed to him. The claim…

Is an image of a catastrophic plane crash on a bridge authentic? No, that's not true: The image is a digital art creation by Canadian graphic designer Steve McGhee. The original piece of art titled "All Is Lost - Redux" was altered to make it harder to trace its origin through a reverse image search. The claim appeared in a…

Did "leaked reports" say George Soros paid ABC moderators $1 million each to fact check Donald Trump during the September 10, 2024, presidential debate? No, that's not true: The story came from a website whose satire disclaimer reads: "These articles are meant to be humorous and are often entirely made up." No credible evidence of "leaked reports" or such payments…

Is a social media post saying that a girl "approximately 3 years old" was found by "Deputy Amy Braidley" authentic? No, that's not true: This is a bait-and-switch post that sends readers to a real estate ad. Lead Stories has previously debunked similar posts with a 3-year-old being found in different locations across the country, each time by a deputy…

Did a World Economic Forum report confirm that upwards of 6 billion people of Earth's 8 billion occupants will die in 2025, as online outlet The People's Voice said? No, that's not true: the only "report" cited by The People's Voice to support that statement is an old population-reduction prediction of a much smaller size by a website named Deagel.com…

Was Thomas Jolly, "the artist who created the Olympics opening ceremony," hospitalized after being hit by lightning? No, that's not true: The viral claim was based on a fake screenshot of a nonexistent AP article. Lead Stories found no actual news reports or any evidence that such a lightning strike happened. The claim appeared in a reel on Facebook on…