Does a video show a real incident where a flight attendant pulls a blanket off a woman who says she has a baby, revealing a lynx on a plane? No, that's not true: The video is a skit created by online content creators. The social media acc
Here are the latest articles published by U.S. fact-checking sites:
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Of Subway Line Collapse In Taiwan Was Made With AI
Does a real video show an actual subway line collapse that happened in Taiwan? No, that's not true: the Hive Moderation AI detection tool rated the video as 99.9% likely to be AI-generated. There are no credible sources that have reported
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: La Repubblica Did NOT Report French Politician And Le Pen Rival Édouard Philippe Bought Villa In Sicily For 15 Million Euros
Did Italian newspaper La Repubblica publish an article saying that one of the 2027 French presidential candidates, Édouard Philippe, acquired a villa for 15 million euros? No, that's not true: The newspaper denied it. Lead Stories found
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows Nancy Mace Dancing And Grimacing In Sexy Black Dress
Is there a real video of Rep. Nancy Mace dancing and grimacing in a sexy black dress? No, that's not true: The original video was posted by a comedian on Instagram. The video has been doctored to add Mace's face and arm tattoos to the foo
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Videos Do NOT Show Migrant Toppling Cross Or Burning Church In Ceuta, Spain — Separate Incidents, Different Countries
Do videos show a migrant toppling a cross and a burning church in Ceuta, Spain? No, that's not true: Neither video used to support the claim is from the Spanish enclave. The first shows an incident from July 2026 in West Bengal, India, wh
Full Fact→ No, Argos isn’t selling a garden storage bench for as little as £3
Full Fact→ Reform corrects claim that ‘rising’ share of Universal Credit went to foreign nationals
Reform’s Making Welfare Work report said government data shows the share of Universal Credit paid to foreign nationals ‘rose to’ 15.5% in January 2026.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Story Of Woman Herding Goats Through Walmart While Drinking Margaritas From A Jug Is A Meme
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 mugsho
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Süddeutsche Zeitung Did NOT Accuse Sven Schulze Of Imprisonment, Abuse Of Afghan Minors
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
FactCheck.org→ Americans for Prosperity
Political leanings: Conservative/libertarian 2024 total spending: $178.6 million for the hybrid PAC alone Americans for Prosperity, a “social welfare” organization, along with Americans for Prosperity Action and
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows Bike Rider Swerving Toward Pedestrians, Getting Pushed To Ground
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, assign
FactCheck.org→ American Bridge 21st Century/AB PAC
Political leanings: Democratic/liberal 2024 total spending: $97.4 million American Bridge 21st Century is a liberal hybrid PAC that conducts opposition research and runs ads to aid Democratic candidates and organizations. Since 2019, its off
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Daily Express Video Reports Andy Burnham Plans To Bring 4,000 Migrants From Ceuta Into UK
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 pu
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Misleading Crime Drop Claims
In announcing the latest FBI annual report on nationwide crime, President Donald Trump wrongly cast the decline in crime in 2025 as a dramatic turnaround and made misleading claims about the impact of his administration’s policies. Speaking
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows Woman Violently Falling Down Stairs Due to Something Supernatural After Cat Passes
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
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Census Bureau ‘Beginning Analysis’ Did NOT Find Over 24,000 Potential Noncitizens Voting In 2020 Election Affected Outcome
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 analysi
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Migrants From Morocco Trying To Cross Into Spanish Ceuta In August 2026
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,
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Scene Of A Jewish Man Stealing Pennies From A Motorcycle Seat Is a Skit — He Is A Comedian
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 Inst
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Drop In Dan Bilzerian Vote Tally Is NOT Evidence Of Cheating On Behalf Of Randy Fine — It Was Caused By Display Error
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 Lenha
Full Fact→ Indonesian earthquake video compilation includes old clips from Philippines and Taiwan
Old clips taken from earthquakes in Taiwan and the Philippines have been shared as part of a video compilation of the recent Indonesian earthquake.
Full Fact→ Starbucks never pledged to hire 10,000 Muslims
In 2017 then-CEO of Starbucks Howard Schultz pledged to hire 10,000 refugees globally, not specifically Muslims.
Full Fact→ Old videos of 2025 Philippines earthquake shared in aftermath of recent Indonesia quake
A video of a room of young people reacting to an earthquake has been shared alongside captions suggesting it was filmed during the 15 August Indonesia quake.
Full Fact→ Is the government on course to end rough sleeping?
On his first day as Prime Minister, Andy Burnham promised to end rough sleeping.
Lead Stories→ What We Know About Ring Video Showing Man Looking Through Mailbox While Holding Campaign Flyer for Rep. Randy Fine
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 sunglasse
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Nick Shirley Did NOT Tell Joe Rogan He Was Going To Investigate ‘Clinton Body Bags’ List — It’s Satire
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
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Glass Water Tank Torture Video NOT From Epstein Island — Was From 2016 Egyptian TV Series
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 "T
FactCheck.org→ RFK Jr. Falsely Claims New Evidence Supports Splitting MMR Vaccine
Following an executive order that called for breaking up the combination measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that a “recent” study “just came out” that “very strongly su
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Report Says Clooney Expects To Be Exempt From Mamdani’s NYC ‘Wealth Tax’
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 car
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: White House DID Post Map Showing Strait of Hormuz Is New U.S. Territory — Also on Truth Social
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
Full Fact→ The Cancer Act 1939 doesn’t make it ‘illegal to cure cancer’
Posts being shared online falsely claim a 1939 law makes it a criminal offence for medical practitioners to advise patients on potential cancer cures.
Full Fact→ Video of migrant saying he wants money, free house and English woman has been edited
A video of a migrant in Tunisia has been altered to make it appear as if he is talking about wanting money and a free house in England. In the original clip he says no such thing.
Lead Stories→ Fact Checking Midterms: North American Fact Checkers Launch Weekly Newsletter
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 join
Full Fact→ Telegraph updates Covid vaccines article following study retraction
An article reporting research that wrongly suggested Covid-19 vaccines might be fuelling a rise in excess deaths has now been amended.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Trump Post Referred to Servicemembers At USS Lincoln As ‘Suckers And Losers’
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 ment
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: BBC DID Report That USDA Listed Wakanda As Trade Partner — But The Mistake Was An Accident From 2019
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 art
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows AOC Saying ‘The Fruit Or The Color?’ When Asked To Spell ‘Orange’
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
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Tom Homan Did NOT Say Rama Duwaji Had Threatened To Have Him ‘Disappear’ If He Is In New York City — Duwaji Did NOT Say That At All
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 l
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Report Says Chelsea Clinton Made Plea Deal With Scotland Yard, Was Fined £1.2 Million
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 disc
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Trump Ordered Sailors Aboard USS Abraham Lincoln To Sign NDAs Before Coming Ashore
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 or
Full Fact→ Smear test brushes are safe
Online posts imply smear tests are dangerous due to the gas used to sterilise medical devices. But swabs disinfected in this way do not pose a danger to patients.