Cancer

Did former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg open "America's first 100% free homeless hospital"? No, that's not true: The picture purporting to show the opening ceremony was AI generated. No credible news organizations published any reports about it. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook, where it was published on November 23, 2025. PETE BUTTIGIEG JUST…

Has Preston Kennedy, the 43-year-old son of Senator John Nealy Kennedy of Louisiana, been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer? No, that's not true: Sen. Kennedy's son is 29, not 43. He was born six years after his parents' 1990 marriage. There are no reports of a cancer diagnosis on Kennedy's social media timelines or in the news media. The…

Is it public knowledge that author J.K. Rowling has cancer? No, that's not true: There have been no official announcements or evidence-based reporting that Rowling has cancer. The viral rumor on social media appears to have started with a sarcastic joke made at the author's expense. An example of the baseless claim about Rowling's health can be seen in a…

Is this a real video of Presiden Trump saying the far right doesn't exist and that "the left" is "poking a sleeping bear with sticks" in remarks on Charlie Kirk's death? No, that's not true: The viral clip contained AI generated sound that doesn't match the original footage published by the White House and was published by an account the…

Did Chris Hayes publicly announce he is stepping down or pausing hosting his show "All In" due to his wife's health? No, that's not true: No credible news organizations reported that. Viral posts on social media tied the purported decision to the supposed cancer diagnosis of the TV host's spouse, allegedly also publicly discussed by the couple, but Lead Stories…

Did a "first population-wide peer-reviewed study" confirm that COVID-19 vaccines cause "turbo cancers"? No, that's not true: The study referred to its results as preliminary. The corresponding author told Lead Stories that more research is needed to confirm the findings about cancer among those vaccinated against COVID-19. The claim appeared in an article (archived here) published on The Gateway Pundit…

Is a video of cartoon character Cartman standing next to President Trump while criticizing him for things like stealing from a cancer charity and bankrupting casinos and wondering why someone would vote for "this bag of shit" real? No, that's not true: The video showing Cartman saying he doesn't "give a flying fuck" about Trump not taking a paycheck or…

Does a viral video really document Donald Trump pointing at minor girls as they walk by him and Ghislaine Maxwell? No, that's not true: A leading deepfake expert says the video used "motionizing" software, which is widely available, to turn authentic photos into video of something that did not happen. The original version of the cropped photo used to create…

Does a composite image shared on social media authentically show two elderly brothers in 2025, holding a single surviving photo of them and their mom, Gracie, taken in 1952? No, that's not true: The composite image contained multiple inconsistencies that are characteristic of AI generated content. Two online AI detectors confirmed that. The claim appeared in a post (archived here)…

On June 3, 2025 I was invited to make a statement during a public hearing at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium organized by the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield. The hearing was titled "Enforcement of the EU Digital Rulebook and political advertising in the context of foreign interference: understanding Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) and disinformation…