Society

Did a social media post correctly report that anti-ICE protesters at a hotel in Minneapolis started "beating up the staff because two ICE officers were staying there" and that local police were absent from the scene? No, that's not true: A receptionist told Lead Stories that the hotel's employees weren't harmed and that the police were present during the protest.…

Is the image of a man dressed in drag a real photo of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old man shot and killed by ICE agents in Minnesota? No, that's not true: The person shown wearing a silver skirt and bra with rainbow-colored hair while holding a beer is Kyle Wagner, a self-described Antifa supporter in Minneapolis. That photo is unrelated to…

Was Evan Kilgore the federal agent who shot and killed U.S. citizen and registered nurse Alex Pretti during an immigration enforcement raid in Minneapolis? No, that's not true: Kilgore denied he worked for immigration enforcement agencies and threatened to sue those who spread the claim on social media. Lead Stories found nothing suggesting that the conservative commentator had built a…

Did President Trump post on Truth Social that "HE HAD A GUN, ONLY CRIMINALS CARRY GUNS ON OUR STREETS, WE NEED LAW AND ORDER" as a viral screenshot claims? No, that's not true: The image, which also contained the signature "Thank you for your attention to this matter" catchphrase, did not show a real post from Trump's Truth Social account.…

Are the stories of Helen Keller's life achievements just a made up scam? No, that's not true: A vague conspiracy aims to erase the well-documented life achievements of Helen Keller. The American author and social activist was both deaf and blind from an illness in early childhood. She was a public figure who traveled and mainly communicated through an interpreter…

Is a five-year-old Minnesota boy's father a "criminal illegal alien" who abandoned him in a running car at their home, running away when confronted by Immigration & Customs Enforcement officers? Here's what we know so far: School officials who were at the scene Jan. 20, 2026 when the boy and his father were taken into custody say that's not true.…

Was Nekima Levy Armstrong visibly crying in anguish in a Department of Homeland Security photo of her arrest by the FBI for her role in a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota? No, that's not true: The photo of Armstrong's arrest posted by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem showed Armstrong's face as composed and expressionless. About one half hour…

Did your favorite sports star "shock fans" or "shake" the league by "publicly" or "flatly" refusing to wear an LGBT Rainbow Armband because it would turn the game "into a political circus"? No, that's not true: The claim was made about at least 95 football, soccer, basketball, baseball, and hockey players in posts published on dozens of fake Facebook fan…

Is a video showing an ICE agent entering a classroom at California State University, San Bernardino, legitimate? No, that's not true: The clip was generated using AI. A Sora watermark appears several times, indicating it was created with the generative AI tool. There are no credible news reports that an ICE agent entered a California university classroom as part of…

Have Rowan Atkinson and Mia Khalifa reportedly been dating since summer? No, that's not true: This story is clickbait -- there are no reports from credible sources that the two celebrities are dating. Khalifa has denied the rumor on social media, posting, "guys I am dating a fool but it's not mr bean". The false rumor appears in a post…

Did TV host Johnny Carson comfort dying woman Barbara Martinez while taping the March 17, 1983, episode of NBC's Tonight Show? No, that's not true: Social media posts about it did not include the actual recording of the purported event, sharing an AI-generated image instead. Lead Stories found no credible sources ever mentioning the supposed dance, and the Library of…

Was Enoch Burke arrested again in 2026 for refusing to use "they" pronoun for a student? No, that's not true: Burke was arrested outside Wilson's Hospital School in Multyfarnham, Ireland on Jan. 19, 2026 for again violating a court order that he stay away from the school. Irish newspapers operating independently of one another reported that the High Court which…

Does a video show a real scuffle in front of a Grand Central Market between a Cherokee woman and an ICE Agent? No, that's not true: This video is AI-generated and was recaptioned for additional ragebaiting effect. It is one of a series of AI-generated videos made with the same, or nearly identical prompts that show a similar clash in…

Did real news video show Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers being outrun by a viking in a wheeled bathtub, or a dancing "Techno Viking", on a Minneapolis street? No, that's not true: No real news outlet broadcast either video, which would have been newsworthy and fodder for talk shows, if real. The clip of a dancing "Techno Viking" originated from…

Did Tom Hanks broadcast a program in 2026 about Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse and trafficking of Virginia Giuffre titled "Finding The Light?" No, that's not true: There has been no broadcast schedule and no real news report that such a show aired and attracted an audience of millions. There is no public record of Hanks or anyone else promoting a…

Did ABC News anchor David Muir "snap" in an on-air tirade against Trump, predicting martial law and no midterm elections? No, that's not true: This story is clickbait. David Muir never said this on-air. The story originated on a clickbait website linked from a Facebook page styled to attract Muir's fans but with no affiliation to the news anchor or…

Did researchers associated with Harvard University create a 3D model of Mansa Musa, the 14th-century ruler of the Mali Empire? No, that's not true: This image does not show a forensic and digital reconstruction of Mansa Musa. It is a rendering of Kanye West. This joke is a variation of an online theme that has circulated for years, presenting the…

Did Proud Boys founder Enrique Tarrio say he works for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement? No, that's not true. Tarrio sarcastically replied to a tweet claiming his name appeared on a leaked list of ICE employees, but later clarified that he does not work for the agency. The claim originated from a January 13, 2026, post by Tarrio on his…

Are Tom Brady and Erika Kirk reportedly dating? No, that's not true: For them to be "reportedly dating," there would need to be reports. The only report that the two are dating is a post from the Hoops Crave account, which has a parody disclaimer. The fake gossip appeared in a post (archived here) published on X by @hoopscrave on…

Does real bodycam video show a local policeman demanding that a Brinks truck driver open the cargo hold of a truck that was "a federal asset"? No, that's not true: The video is watermarked "A.I. BodyCam VIDEOS" by the page that posted it, which says in its page bio that it creates "fictional...Dramatic, scripted bodycam vids." The font of the…