Is a meme that shows a mugshot of a woman accused of herding goats through a Walmart while drinking margaritas from a jug a real news story? No, that's not true: The original meme appears to have originated on a satire account. The mugshots used in various posts are either of real women who were arrested for unrelated charges or AI-generated images.
Did German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung report that Saxony-Anhalt Minister-President Sven Schulze was somehow connected to abduction of three Afghan children? No, that's not true: A search across the Süddeutsche Zeitung website showed no such report. Lead Stories found no articles on other news websites mentioning the story either.
Does a real video show a bike rider swerving toward pedestrians before being pushed to the ground? No, that's not true: An AI detection tool concluded that the video showing the incident was generated using artificial intelligence, assigning it a 97.4% confidence score. The video also contains visual glitches that are common indicators of synthetic media.
Is a video claiming to be from the Daily Express reporting that U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham plans to bring 4,000 migrants from Ceuta into the United Kingdom real? No, that's not true: The Daily Express did not produce the video or publish such a report. The fake story also appeared on a website designed to mimic the newspaper's real site.
¿Es cierto que un video muestra cómo agentes del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) caen desde un segundo piso mientras realizan un operativo para capturar a un inmigrante? No, esto no es verdad: en el comunicado oficial del Servicio de Alguaciles de los Estados Unidos y en la entrevista de Steven Lewis, el alguacil federal del Distrito Este de Misuri, donde ocurrió el operativo, no se menciona que fuera de inmigración ni que agentes de ICE hayan participado. No existen comunicados de ICE que los vinculen con este operativo.
Is a video real that shows a woman violently falling down stairs, seemingly pushed by something supernatural, after a cat passes by? No, that's not true: The video is clearly marked "made with AI." An online detection tool rated the video as 76% likely to be AI-generated.
Did the U.S. Census Bureau find that more than 24,000 noncitizens voted illegally in the 2020 election and that means president Trump won the election? No, that's not true: While President Donald Trump claimed that a Census Bureau analysis "proves" more than 24,000 noncitizens voted illegally and that means he won the election, the report does not say that. It says that more than 24,000 of 128,000,000 registered voters the Census Bureau could analyze matched government immigration and visa records for which no indication of citizenship could be found, but it does not say who they voted for and the total numbers are smaller than the margin of victory.
Does a viral video show people trying to enter the Spanish city of Ceuta from Morocco in August 2026? No, that's not true: The video is older than that, showing an event that began in late July. It has been online since at least July 31, 2026.
Did a motorcycle owner really catch a Jewish man on camera in the act of stealing pennies from the motorcycle's under-seat storage compartment? No, that's not true: The man portraying the penny thief is a comedian, Shloime Field. His Instagram account, which is labeled "Comedian", features skits parodying cultural stereotypes.
Is a drop in Dan Bilzerian's vote tally evidence of cheating on behalf of Rep. Randy Fine in Florida's 6th Congressional District Republican primary on Aug. 18, 2026? No, that's not true: Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart told Lead Stories that the election night results reported to the Florida Department of State were always accurate, but an issue with the online public display of the results occurred after a candidate withdrew from the race the day before the election. She said the display issue was fixed within 20-30 minutes.
Does a Ring video show Rep. Randy Fine, Florida's Sixth District congressman, looking through a mailbox while delivering a campaign flyer? Here's what we know so far: A Ring video dated Aug. 16, 2026, shows a bearded man wearing sunglasses and Randy Fine campaign garb, including a "Defend the Border" cap, standing on the porch of a home and holding a campaign flyer. After ringing the doorbell, he turns to his left and flips through the mail in a letterbox on the wall. An official campaign video posted Aug. 18, 2026, shows a bearded Fine wearing the same outfit, minus the sunglasses. A police report on the incident includes Fine's name.
Did Nick Shirley tell Joe Rogan he was going to investigate the "Clinton body bags" list? No, that's not true: The story originated from a network of Facebook pages with satire labels. Shirley, a conservative influencer, has never been a guest on "The Joe Rogan Experience."
Was a video showing a terrified woman pleading for help as she is tortured in a tank filling with water from the Epstein files or from the movie "The Cell"? No, that's not true: The video was a scene from a 2016 Egyptian TV show called "The Exit Series." The video clip went viral on social media in February 2026, shortly after a large batch of files about Jeffrey Epstein was released by the Department of Justice, but there is no record of this video in the Epstein files or in the news.
Does a real story report that actor George Clooney expects to be exempt from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's "wealth tax"? No, that's not true: The claim originated on a Facebook page known for posting satirical content. The page carries the disclaimer, "We post only SATIRE stories. Nothing on this page is Real," and describes itself as a source of satire, humor and witty remarks.
Did the official White House X account post a map with the Strait of Hormuz circled, calling it a new U.S. territory? Yes, that's true: The White House did post a screenshot of a message posted by President Donald Trump of a map of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump originally posted the graphic, with a banner that read "NEW U.S. Territory," on his Truth Social account on Aug. 18, 2026. The claim appeared in an Aug. 18, 2026, post on X account @WhiteHouse (archived here). It read:
Чи заявляв Зеленський про те, що літні канікули в Україні продовжать ще на місяць -- до 1 жовтня? Ні, це неправда: жодного офіційного рішення, що підтверджувало б ці слова, немає. А відео із Зеленським, використане в соцмережах, є дипфейком.
Вярно ли е, че България е останала без обучени пилоти, които да управляват новодоставените ѝ изтребители F-16 Block 70, и че само един МиГ-29 охранява въздушното пространство на страната? Не, това не е вярно: България разполага с няколко сертифицирани пилоти, обучени в САЩ, които могат да управляват този тип изтребител. Охраната на въздушното пространство на страната се осъществява от повече от един изтребител МиГ-29.
Recognizing false claims and fake videos shared on social media is a challenge for U.S. voters as the 2026 midterm elections approach. That is why Lead Stories and several other fact-checking organizations active in North America are joining forces in a first-of-its-kind collaboration: a joint newsletter sharing their best election-related work. It features an overview of fact check articles that examine viral false claims, as well stories about AI-generated images and videos. Sign up at https://leadstories.com/USMidtermsNewsletter to have it emailed to you every week.
Este adevărat că România deține 60 la sută din rezervele de apă ale Uniunii Europene? Nu, nu este adevărat: procentul de 60 la sută provine dintr-un studiu de piață din 2011, referitor la apa minerală îmbuteliată. Datele oficiale arată că, dimpotrivă, România se situează sub media europeană (2.144,8 m³ de apă dulce regenerabilă pe cap de locuitor pe an), față de o medie a statelor UE de circa 8.000-9.000 m³ pe cap de locuitor, adică aproximativ un sfert din media europeană), iar cea mai mare parte din apa care îi traversează teritoriul nici măcar nu se formează pe teritoriul românesc.
Did Donald Trump refer to the servicemembers deployed at USS Lincoln as "suckers and losers"? No, that's not true: His account on Truth Social didn't show the purported post. Neither an archive of his posts nor credible media reports mentioned the entry in question.
Did the BBC actually publish a news article reporting that the U.S. Department of Agriculture listed the fictional nation Wakanda as a free-trade partner? Yes, but it is not recent: The incident occurred in 2019, which is when the BBC article was released. Additionally, the Wakanda mistake was due to a testing error, not to a genuine belief by the agency that Wakanda is real.
Is a video that shows Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez saying "the fruit or the color" when asked to spell "orange" authentic? No, that's not true: It is an AI-manipulated video of the congresswoman from a popular meme. The footage is from a 2018 interview she did with Stephen Colbert, where she was not asked to spell "orange."
Did "border czar" Tom Homan say that Rama Duwaji, wife of New York City mayor Mamdani, had threatened to have him "disappear" if he came to New York? No, that's not true: The story originated from a network of Facebook pages with satire labels. There were no actual news reports about such a threat.
Does a real story report that Chelsea Clinton is taking a plea deal from Scotland Yard and getting fined £1.2 million? No, that's not true: The claim originated on a Facebook page known for posting satirical content that carries the disclaimer, "Nothing on this page is real." The image in the original post also bears the same warning label. Lead Stories found no credible news coverage of any such report.
Did President Donald Trump order sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln to sign nondisclosure agreements before coming ashore? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the president issued such an order. The claim appears to have originated with a Facebook account that identifies itself as "political parody" and "satire" in its posts and profile description.
A Tisztelet és Szabadság Párt (TISZA)-kormány az Alaptörvény tizenhetedik módosításával tényleg szavazati jogot adott a menekülteknek azért, hogy bebetonozhassa a hatalmát? Nem, ez nem igaz: A Magyarországon élő elismert menekültek választójogát a 2026 júliusában elfogadott Alaptörvény-módosítás nem érintette. Ezeknek az embereknek már 1989 óta alkotmányos joguk szavazni a helyhatósági választásokon, az országgyűlési vagy Európai Parlamenti választásokon azonban nem.
¿Es verdad que el presidente Donald Trump se despertó durante un evento en la Casa Blanca al escuchar el sonido de un pedo? No, esto no es cierto: las grabaciones originales de la reunión del 11 de mayo de 2026 en el Despacho Oval no incluyen ese sonido. El audio fue añadido digitalmente a la versión del video que circuló en redes sociales a principios de agosto de 2026.
Does a video that shows political commentator Hasan Piker saying America should resume lynching Black people show him giving his own opinion? No, that's missing context: The words in question were not Piker's own, he was reading a comment. The original version of the deceptively edited clip shows Piker criticizing someone else's comments, not making the argument for lynching himself.
Did Euronews report that a "Ukrainian gunman" shot and killed three NATO soldiers during the August 2026 military drill held in Latvia? No, that's not true: There is no such report on the news organization's website nor its social media accounts. Also, the Latvian army issued a statement explicitly denying this.
Does a real video show Abdul El-Sayed and Ms. Rachel talking to kids about Israeli "colonizers"? No, that's not true: An AI detection tool concluded that the video showing the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan was generated using artificial intelligence, assigning it a 100% confidence score. The video was posted by an account that self-describes as an AI media platform, "Mostly satire, always entertaining."
Did Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham say she was considering retirement after her controversy with DiJonai Carrington of the Chicago Sky? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Cunningham ever publicly stated that she was considering retirement. The claim is not supported by any official announcement from the team or by information on the Fever's website.
Does a video show a migrant eating a rat in Europe? No, that's not true: The video does show a person eating a rodent, but it was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2024. It does not show a migrant in Europe as claimed in social media posts during the 2026 migrant influx in Ceuta, Spain, an autonomous city on the north coast of Africa that borders Morocco.
Does a real video show a helicopter landing upside down and then flopping over in a field while bystanders watch in the distance? No, that's not true: The Hive Moderation content detection tool determined the video was 95.2% likely to be AI-generated. After a visual inspection, Lead Stories found several AI characteristic glitches in both visual continuity and human behavior within the video.
Did American actor Sylvester Stallone say talking to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was "like listening to a high school girl"? No, that's not true: The claim originated from a page with a satire label that specifies everything on it is fictional. No credible media outlets reported the nonexistent story.
Does a real photo show athletes wearing medals flipping the bird at President Donald Trump's back during the Patriot Games on Aug. 11, 2026, in Geneva, Ohio? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Trump was ever flipped off by the young athletes sitting behind him during the event. The image contains visual inconsistencies commonly associated with AI-generated content.
Este adevărat că seceta care afectează nivelul fluviului Dunărea este falsă și orchestrată de autorități prin manipularea barajelor pentru a obliga statul să cumpere energie electrică din Ucraina? Nu, nu este adevărat: întreaga Europă resimte de la începutul verii o perioadă de secetă și caniculă, iar aceasta afectează mai multe râuri și fluvii din Europa, precum Rinul din Germania și Padul din Italia. Nivelul apelor Dunării a ajuns, pe 6 august 2026, la minimul istoric din 1985, adică 1.400 de metri cubi pe secundă.
Does a real image show Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York in a revealing sports bra? No, that's not true: The image is a manipulated screenshot from a video posted to her Instagram account, digitally altered to make the sports bra appear more revealing than it actually is. In the original video, Ocasio-Cortez is wearing a high-neck, full-coverage sports bra.
¿Es verdad que este video muestra el rescate de un joven de entre los escombros tras el terremoto del 10 de agosto de 2026 en Colombia? No, esto no es verdad: el video fue publicado inicialmente el 30 de junio de 2026, más de un mes antes. Las publicaciones de esa época lo describen como uno de al menos 250 rescates realizados por los Ángeles de la Autopista después de los terremotos en Venezuela del 24 de junio de 2026.
Does a real video show a landlord forcibly evicting a tenant while new tenants are already waiting on the doorstep? No, that's not true: The video is scripted entertainment content by a production company. The production watermark has been blurred out on the video posted on X, hiding the entertainment origin of the video.
Have you seen viral videos showing elaborate movie sets of small-scale cities and landscapes where the crew creates special effects -- explosions and natural disasters -- in front of a blue or green screen? Lead Stories has spotted a number of such videos recently and found that many of them were created using artificial intelligence. They do not show real people working on a real special effects movie set, but are AI-generated entertainment capitalizing on interest in how special effects are done.
Does a real screenshot show a White House X post with "Nintendo Lives Matter" and images of what appear to be George Floyd and former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the image ever appeared on the White House's X account. An AI detection tool found a SynthID watermark, indicating the image was generated using OpenAI tools, while another concluded that it was extremely likely to be AI-generated, assigning it a 99.8% confidence score.
Did a real sports journalist named "Marc Jacobs" report that Russell Westbrook was signing with Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel? No, that's not true: There was no evidence that Westbrook, a 37-year-old NBA free agent, had signed with the Israeli professional team as of Aug. 12, 2026. The claim came from a fake sports reporter on a parody account, citing a story that does not exist.
Does a viral video actually capture a father punching a person who followed his daughter home? No, that's not true: The clip originated from a channel on YouTube that warned viewers not to take its contents too seriously. Reverse image searches did not show credible media organizations distributing the video of the supposed incident.
Did the Indiana Fever fire head coach Stephanie White on Aug. 10, 2026? No, that's not true: The claim is not supported by any official announcement from the team and was not found on the Fever website. In addition, White appeared at the team's media availability on Aug. 10, 2026, alongside two of her players.
Have you seen viral videos of what look like female robots marketed on social media as girlfriends for human men? Lead Stories has spotted a number of such videos recently and found that many of them were created using artificial intelligence. They appear to be engagement bait aimed at exploiting sexual desires in certain audiences.
Does a real color photo show English schoolchildren praying before their morning milk in 1944? No, that's not true: The original photo is real, part of the archives of the Imperial War Museums, but it's black and white. The photo has been enhanced and colorized -- the features of some children's faces have been enhanced and the style of the cups reimagined.
Do studies show an 81% or 82% miscarriage rate in pregnant women vaccinated against COVID-19 in the first trimester? No, that's not true: The numbers are a long-running misrepresentation of early safety data on how mRNA COVID-19 vaccines affected pregnant people. The 81% and 82% figures come from miscalculating percentages from early, incomplete data -- no study actually found those miscarriage rates.
Вярно ли е, че премиерът Румен Радев е обявил 35 процента намаление на цените на тока и водата в България, влизащо в сила от 1 август 2026 г.? Не, това не е вярно: държавният орган, който отговаря за регулирането на цените на тока и водата, не е одобрявал или обсъждал подобно намаление, а премиерът Радев не е обявявал такива мерки. С решение на същия регулаторен орган цените на електроенергията и топлата вода поскъпват, а не поевтиняват.
Was the sound of a fart part of a White House event with President Donald Trump? No, that's not true: The original recordings of the May 11, 2026, Oval Office meeting didn't feature it. The sound was digitally added in the version of the video shared on social media in early August 2026.
Does a real video show Chicago Sky player DiJonai Carrington saying Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham should be charged with assault for nearly pulling off her wig? No, that's not true: The video is AI-generated. An online detection tool found the video was 81.4% likely AI-generated. There are no credible news reports of Carrington making the accusation against Cunningham.