Is this real dash cam video showing a truck driver cooking curry at 90 mph just before crashing into other vehicles and killing three people on California's I-10? No, that's not true: The California Highway Patrol, which investigated the accident and released the original dash cam video, had not seen the "cam 2" version, according to a CHP spokesman. The…
Does a photo show demolition done to the White House by Barack Obama to install an indoor basketball court? No, that's not true: A black and white photo shows the West Wing expansion project conducted by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1934. Obama did install a basketball court in 2009, 75 years after the photo was taken, but it did not…
Does a viral video really show a mother of six's rant about her "food stamps" and housing benefits being cut from $4,300 per month to $19 per month? No, that's not true: The woman appearing in the video has previously said she posts the rants as satire and they are not real. That dollar amount greatly exaggerates what is available…
Does a photo show a well-dressed French detective working the case of the Crown Jewels stolen from the Louvre? No, that's not true: The original poster later said it was a "fantasy version" she did not regret posting. There is no indication that this man is a detective working this case. The viral photo, and one other from the same…
Did Disney offer a $60 million deal to dozens of celebrities to produce a documentary about Charlie Kirk, which they all turned down, including the widow of the late conservative activist, Erika Kirk? No, that's not true: None of that is real. The posts were an example of copypasta, which is a batch of text copied and pasted repeatedly on…
Is a video of an ICE agent deporting his own mother authentic? No, that's not true: The account that posted the video clearly labeled it "AI-generated parody - not real footage." The video shows signs it was produced by generative AI, such as scrambled symbols instead of clear letters on an officer's vest. The story appeared in an October 17,…
Is a video showing dogs trying to steal honey by poking a beehive with a stick and getting stung authentic? No, that's not true: The video was posted on a TikTok account that says it publishes "high quality 3D animated shorts". According to a specialized detection tool the video was likely made using AI. The footage also contained several glitches…
Did the United States have no children's hospitals in the 1960s and 1970s, when comedian Rob Schneider was a child? No, that's not true: The first children's hospital was opened in Philadelphia in 1855, with 26 operating by 1895, according to an academic paper. Hospitals opened in the 1960s include St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. The claim originated…
Did Steven Tyler start a $1 million cat sanctuary called "Whiskers & Wings", in October 2025? No, that's not true: That widely-shared story, and the image that came with it, did not portray real events. We found no record of any such announcement on Tyler's social media profiles, or in news archives. The story appeared in an October 20, 2025,…
Did convicted killer Bryan Kohberger's sister, Melissa Kohberger, write a book about his murder of University of Idaho students that is for sale on Amazon? No, that's not true: The attorney for the Kohberger family told Lead Stories that Melissa Kohberger has not published anything relevant to her brother's case. Amazon told Lead Stories the book has been removed for…
Does a photo show Pam Bondi with Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein? No, that's not true: The image being widely shared across social platforms with the claim it shows the future Attorney General Bondi with Trump and Epstein is real, but the blonde woman is Belgian model Ingrid Seynhaeve, according to the photo agency that owns the photograph. The Getty…
Did Donald Trump (or another famous person) dismiss the achievements of Dick Van Dyke (or some other celebrity) by saying, "He's just a dancer." (or some other talent)? No, that's not true: This story about a broadcast studio turning into a "televised earthquake" is nothing but a formulaic structure to pair the names and pictures of some famous people for…
Do viral videos show an authentic disclaimer warning people that what they are about to see is a "trampling incident" during the 2025 Oktoberfest and that this footage is not appropriate for audiences below 18 years old? No, that's not true: The banner saying that is engagement bait. Those videos do not show what the warning says they do. No…
Did Marco Rubio confirm Rosie O'Donnell's passport was revoked after she forfeited her American citizenship? No, that's not true: The story originated on the "America's Last Line of Defense" Facebook page, which is self-described as satirical. The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made-up content. There were no actual news stories about this.…
Did Burkina Faso reverse its September 2025 ban on LGBTQ+ conduct, as of October 21, 2025? No, that's not true: There were no national or international news reports about that. The purported "unbanning" was not mentioned on relevant government websites in Burkina Faso, either. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on October 20, 2025. It…
Did researchers discover a shocking display of primate intelligence when a band of chimps in the Congo began wearing masks to hide their faces when they were raiding local markets? No, that's not true: This story appeared spontaneously on social media from an account bearing the disclaimer, "story (noun) - an account of imaginary or real people and events told…
Was Adam Sandler announced as the headliner of the Turning Point USA Super Bowl halftime show? No, that's not true: No evidence accompanied the claim that the Hollywood star was announced as the headliner for Turning Point USA 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. The TPUSA website does not have any information about any performers for the show as of publication…
Did the U.S. approve a new law or a policy mandating that all hospital patients receive DNA testing before going home? No, that's not true: There are no actual news reports about such a policy or law. Answering Lead Stories' questions, a major U.S. hospital refuted that claim, too. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on Facebook…
Did Snapchat management issue a warning to all users that there had been an update to the terms of use requiring users to forward a warning message to twenty people in two hours or their account would be deleted? No, that's not true: The viral copy-paste hoax is not real and should not be passed along. There was, at the…
Does a picture widely shared on social media authentically show partial demolition of the East Wing of the White House in October 2025? Yes, it does: The photo was first published by the Washington Post.. The image showed no signs of generative AI or other inconsistencies characteristic of recycled unrelated visuals. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published…
Lead Stories is a fact checking website that is always looking for the latest false, misleading, deceptive or inaccurate stories, videos or images going viral on the internet.
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