Election

Did The Atlantic publish an op-ed saying that ending racism is worth a rise in sexual assaults by migrants? No, that's not true: As of this writing, the magazine's website did not show such an article. No other credible media outlet mentioned the purported story, and a supposed screenshot of it was a digital fabrication. A spokesperson for The Atlantic…

Did Wisconsin run out of ballots in Republican-leaning "red areas" on the day of the State Supreme Court election on April 1, 2025? No, that's not true: The shortage affected only the City of Milwaukee, election officials told Lead Stories. In the last three federal elections, the city supported Democratic candidates. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published…

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 wrestler Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock, threaten to "punch" Elon Musk on X in March 2025, if the tech billionaire "doesn't leave America alone"? No, that's not true: A review of Johnson's posts doesn't confirm he ever published what was attributed to him. The claim originated from an obscure clickbait website whose disclaimer said that it "assumes…

Did actor Richard Gere leave the United States after Donald Trump became president and did he vow "never to return"? No, that's not true: The actor announced the move as far back as April 2024 when Joe Biden was still President and the national conventions still had to happen. The stated reason for the move was that Gere's wife is…

Does a "loophole in U.S. law" legally grant permission to noncitizens to vote in federal elections if they believe they are U.S. citizens? No, that's not true: A professor specializing in election law told Lead Stories that what was referred to on social media as a "loophole" described such a narrow exception that "it's hard to imagine whom it might…

Did Fox News broadcast a segment about a "revolutionary device that's healing the world" named "Tesla Ionic Care" and "backed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and President Donald Trump"? No, that's not true: The TV channel denied that. Three AI detectors showed that the viral video with the Fox News logo contained AI-generated content. The claim appeared in a post…

Does a viral post prove that 84% of electronic devices spotted at the joint Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rally in Colorado can be definitively linked to Kamala Harris campaign events and protests for other causes? No, that's not true: The post didn't offer a replicable analysis of the data. Two organizations mentioned in it among the supposed sources said…

Did Elon Musk announce that he had acquired MSNBC for $900 million to "put an end to toxic programming?" No, that's not true: A search of Musk's X account did not show this announcement from him on the days leading up to publication of the claim. As of March 14, 2025, no reliable news outlets were reporting what would have…

Did DOGE find a nonprofit that was being paid $18 million per month? Yes, that's true: An NBC San Antonio investigation confirmed that a local nonprofit was being paid $18 million per month by the federal government for migrant family facilities, as the social media account of conservative media personality Laura Ingraham posted. The nonprofit said in a statement they…