Deep State

The conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor is set to start on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. It is a centuries-old ceremony entrenched in secrecy and powerful rituals, which strikes the world's imagination. This year, 135 cardinals from 71 countries across the five continents (of which Pope Francis has appointed 108, and 12 come from countries that never had a cardinal…

Is a video of President Trump threatening to "erase Pakistan" if it attacks India authentic? No, that's not true: The video uses old footage of Trump from before he was President and added an AI generated audio track. In the fake audio Trump can also be heard saying he will "warn China" and that he loves "Indian people". The video…

Is a mugshot showing Judge Hannah Dugan in a grey polo shirt in front of a height chart real? No, that's not true: The image of the Milwaukee Judge who was arrested by the FBI for allegedly obstructing ICE agents appears to have been generated using generative artificial intelligence image makers. Two AI detection services rated the image more than…

By Raffaella Menichini, Lead Stories Deputy International Teams Manager (Rome) and Lead Stories staff A nine-day mourning period has begun with the death of Pope Francis, who died on Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, according to a statement released by the Holy See Press Office. The cause of death, declared by the Vatican's Directorate of Health…

Does a viral clip show authentic archival footage of U.S. President Ronald Reagan telling a story about his conversation with a child who wanted to solve homelessness? No, that's not true: Two AI detectors found that the clip utilized AI generated sound. The video recycled the recording of Reagan's last presidential address from the Oval Office, but in reality, he…

Did basketball star Caitlin Clark reject a "$15 Million Offer" from Elon Musk? No, that's not true: Musk did not make the public statement the story said he did. It also contained several phrases from almost identical false stories about Dawn Staley and Patrick Mahomes that went viral earlier this month. Viral claims on social media were often accompanied by…

Did The Washington Post publish a statement from President Donald Trump threatening sanctions against the government of Philippine President Bongbong Marcos over the arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte? No, that's not true: No such report existed on the Washington Post's website at the time this was written and neither Trump nor the White House have made any statement…

Did President Trump post a message on Truth Social that showed a slashed-through upside-down pink triangle symbol that looked like the badge used in Nazi camps to identify those imprisoned as being homosexual? Yes, that's true: The image appeared as the social media preview card when Trump posted a link to a Washington Times opinion piece about military recruitment ads.…

Did ICE detain British national Becky Burke on the Canadian border? Yes, that's true: A spokesperson for the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, asked by Lead Stories specifically about Burke, confirmed a "British national" was being detained in the United States. The tourist had spent at least 10 days in detention as of March 9, 2025, according to her…

Did White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announce on Fox News that tech billionaire Elon Musk left the U.S. after revealing "a secret at-home method that can reverse diabetes for good"? No, none of that is true: Paid ads circulating on Facebook used voice-cloning technology to mimic the speech of public persons. No credible sources reported the purported "news," and…