Fema

Does a photo circulating on social media show "Rohondra Williams," the New York probation officer purportedly assigned to Donald Trump's case? No, that's not true on both counts: The woman in the photo is not named Rohondra Williams and she is not a New York probation officer. The photo shows Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Cmdr. Nikole Pilkington. That department issued…

Were there 37 presidential candidates killed during Mexico's 2024 election cycle? No, that's not true: There were killings, but the victims were not running for president. A second claim implying the CEO of Blackrock was somehow involved in a plot because he was in a picture with president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum and not with other candidates is demonstrably false because there…

Do photos of sunflowers facing away from the sun prove the sun has been replaced? No, that's not true: Mature sunflowers do not follow the sun throughout the day, a sunflower farmer told Lead Stories, and also a scientific study shows. Only young sunflowers track the sun across the sky over the course of the day, so photos that show…

Did White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre field a question on the topic of alleged Ukrainian manifestations of Nazism from a reporter during a press briefing? No, that's not true on both counts: The reporter did not ask this question, and Jean-Pierre did not respond to such a question. An AI-generated voiceover has been added to authentic video footage from…

Did U.S. Marines forcibly block the Federal Emergency Management Agency from providing tornado relief in Omaha, Nebraska, in April 2024? No, that's not true: A Pentagon duty officer told Lead Stories that this claim is false. It originally showed up in an article on a website that regularly publishes fabricated content. The claim appeared in an article published by Real…

Did a video showing a man asking a city council to legalize sports gambling after he made money betting on transgender athletes capture a real-life, authentic story? No, that's not true: The man participated in the production of a comedy show hosted by a comedian known for orchestrating bizarre appearances at various public meetings. Both men spoke on the same…

Did U.S. Marines rescue 11 children who were purportedly imprisoned in Kansas by the Federal Emergency Management Agency? No, that's not true: A Pentagon duty officer told Lead Stories that this claim is false. Also, this claim appeared in an article on a website that regularly publishes fabricated content. The claim appeared in an article published by Real Raw News…

Is In-N-Out Burger leaving California "over wage hikes and woke policies"? No, that's not true: This article originated from a website that labels itself satire. The site has a disclaimer that describes it as part of a network of "parody, satire, and tomfoolery." There is no evidence to support the claim that the fast food restaurant is leaving California amid…

Was a Trump supporter in New Jersey attacked in early April 2024 because of his political beliefs? No, that's not true: Middletown Township, New Jersey, police told Lead Stories "there is no political tie-in" in the sledgehammer attack on Rocky Granata, who is known for driving around in an RV adorned with pro-Donald Trump and Make America Great Again messages.…

Did a guest on the talk show "The View" tell actress Whoopi Goldberg, one of the show's co-hosts, that she was "full of shit"? No, that's not true: A self-described social media personality named Damon Imani, who has appeared in previous Lead Stories fact checks, edited himself into an episode of "The View" for satirical purposes. Imani does not appear…