Fact Check

Does a viral image authentically show a "1930 Russian/Soviet 'Tarantaika'"? No, that's not true: The picture was likely AI generated. The same picture was previously falsely claimed to have been a "restored 1875 chuckwagon" and Nicola Tesla's invention. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on Facebook on May 26, 2025. It opened: 1930 Russian/Soviet 'Tarantaika' (Boneshaker). The…

Did Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger write the warnings about the Big Beautiful Bill that have been attributed to them in a viral post? No, that's not true: Kinzinger took to social media to call it out as a fake. The words in the meme do not match public statements or social media posts by the two former Republican members…

Did Disney World announce it will remove all American flags from its parks and replace them with other flags? No, that's not true: The rumor originated from a self-described parody website, Mouse Trap News. It specializes in publishing made-up stories about Disney. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook where it was published on May 27, 2025.…

Did former House Speaker Nancy refuse a judge's demand that she hand over proof that she organized the "J6" riot at the U.S. Capitol? No, that's not true: The "report" originated from a site that creates fake news stories in hopes conservatives will embarrass themselves by posting them as if they were true. The post included a prominent "Satire" label…

Did California's first female architect Julia Morgan design a reinforced concrete tower in 1904 that survived a 1906 San Francisco earthquake? Yes, that's true: The "El Campanil" bell tower on the Mills College campus in Oakland was undamaged by the magnitude 7.9 quake that devastated the area. The success of Morgan's pioneering use of concrete reinforced by steel was key…

Did a widely-shared video authentically show an "emotional support kangaroo" denied entry to a plane, as the animal's owner argues with gate staff? No, that's not true: The clip originated on an Instagram account that produces AI-generated content. The text on the kangaroo's boarding pass, and the non-existent language spoken by the humans in the video, were clues that the…

Did American Idol winner Jamal Roberts turn down a Tesla ad from Elon Musk in an upcoming music video? No, that's not true: A viral article about such a rejection did not name any verifiable sources or offer any quotes to back that up. It also claimed there had been a "media frenzy" about the issue but no media outlets…

Did a widely-shared video authentically show an argument on a bus after a Black man rested his feet on a white woman's wheelchair? No, that's not true: The clip was in fact a sketch, and showed actors following a script. The account that originally posted the video regularly produces fictional content with the stated aim of "starting conversations". The video…

Does a social media video authentically show a flight attendant with a "ripped bloody shoulder" on the top platform of the airstair when French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife arrived at Hanoi International Airport on May 25, 2025? No, that's not true: Footage of that moment captured by credible news agencies showed a scarf or patch on her shoulder.…

Does a video shared on social platforms show an authentic Arctic woolly snake discovered by researchers in Antarctica? No, that's not true: The video was created by an artificial intelligence tool, not by a camera that recorded real people handling a real creature, according to an AI detection tool used by Lead Stories. A search online for information about the…

Did basketball star Caitlin Clark publicly refuse to advertise Tesla on her Indiana Fever jersey in May 2025? No, that's not true: A post promoting that rumor contained several fabricated quotes attributed to both Clark and Tesla owner Elon Musk. We found no corroboration for the story, or the claim that Clark had threatened to reveal damaging secrets about Musk.…

Did a widely-shared image of a bearded man show the individual arrested in Liverpool after a car drove into a crowd of celebrating soccer fans in May 2025? No, that's not true: Merseyside Police confirmed to Lead Stories that the photo doesn't show the man arrested in that case. That person was described as a "53-year-old white British man from…

Does ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's sell a flavor called "From the River" featuring a Palestinian flag on the packaging? No, that's not true: A viral image which also showed people with "Press" on their clothes carrying watermelons and cameras was generated using artificial intelligence. Ben & Jerry's website featured no such flavor or packaging. The viral image appeared…

Did President Donald Trump address a 2025 Memorial Day message to "scum" and "USA hating judges"? Yes, that's true: Trump posted the lengthy message on Truth Social on the morning of May 26, 2025. Both critics and supporters of Trump re-posted it. The message was presented as real in a May 26, 2025, post on Facebook (archived here). The caption…

Did Barron Trump, son of President Trump, get married to Spanish crown princess Leonor and was all of this documented in a lavish wedding video? No, that's not true: A youtube account named "Lovely Trump Family" put out several videos purporting to show such a dream wedding but they all carried disclaimers saying they were generated using artificial intelligence. In…

Did singer Bruce Springsteen cancel his "Atlantic City Summer Concert Series" over low ticket sales after "blowback" over his on-stage comments about President Trump? No, that's not true: That claim originated on a satirical Facebook page and no such concert series ever existed. The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made-up content. The…

Is Harvard launching free college courses on basic U.S. government understanding and "how to recognize a dictatorship" or a "dictatorship takeover" in response to recent actions from the Trump administration? No, that's not true: According to a Harvard spokesperson the "edX" program has existed since 2012 and it takes about 12 to 18 months to create a new course, so…

Does a viral video authentically show a "Polish Pilot" landing a Boeing 737 on just one wheel? No, that's not true: The footage of the plane, which also featured a "Mentzen 2025" campaign ad and a "Polski Pilot" logo, was created in a video game. The TikTok channel that originally published it said it was created in the "X Plane…

Are "Oscar Mayer Freedom Franks" featuring red, white and blue sausages a real product? No, that's not true: A viral image of such wieners was created as a Fourth of July joke in 2023 by an Instagram account that says it creates "original memes, mashups & fake products". A search on Oscar Mayer's website did not show any such product…

Did FBI investigators find 14 pardons and 11 executive orders signed by autopen that Joe Biden was unaware of? No, that's not true: A meme making that claim originated on a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer. The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made-up content. The meme appeared in a Facebook post…