Does a video clip posted on social media prove that an airline pilot made an in-flight announcement referring to the "Gulf of America"? No, that's not true: The video provides no proof that what appears to be an airplane cabin is in an ai
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Trump Called Selena Gomez ‘Third Amigo’ In Truth Social Post
Did President Donald Trump call actress Selena Gomez "the third amigo" in a Truth Social post? No, that's not true: There was no such post on the social media platform Truth Social. A search of Google News brought up no news reports confi
PolitiFact→ How do U.S. deportation flights work, what happens when countries refuse to accept them?
In the past few days, a crucial part of Donald Trump’s promise to carry out mass deportations — the deportations — have faced hurdles. We examined how deportation flights work and what happens when countries don’t accept deported migrants.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Article Does NOT Prove WEF ‘Demanded’ That General Public Get ‘Mass-Vaccinated’ Twice A Year With mRNA
Does an article prove that the World Economic Forum "demanded" that the general public be "mass-vaccinated" twice a year with "long-acting mRNA injections"? No, that's not true: The organization told Lead Stories this was "entirely false.
The Dispatch→ No, Trump Did Not Repeal Insulin Price Cap for Medicare Recipients
The $35 monthly cap was enacted by federal legislation and cannot be undone via executive order.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Elon Musk’s Name IS Listed On Patents Along With Other Inventors
Does Elon Musk not "do" patents as claimed in a Facebook post by NeuroVigil chairman and CEO Philip Low? No, that's not true in at least several documented cases: a search of the U.S. patent office website showed 14 patent documents with
Full Fact→ Amazon is not giving away iPads to over-50s in partnership with Age UK
A Facebook post making this claim includes a link to a webpage that includes the Amazon logo and asks for personal information and payment details, but is not actually related to the company.
PolitiFact→ Common Cause – Yes, Wisconsin makes it harder to vote than most other U.S. states
Wisconsin makes it more difficult for its citizens to vote than almost any state in the nation.
Full Fact→ Facebook warnings about dangerous couple are fake
Posts shared to local buy and sell groups falsely claim the couple are on the run in various locations across the UK, after killing three female police officers.
Lead Stories→ Lead Stories Awarded $100,000 ENGAGE Grant To Build Fact Check Labeling Service for Bluesky
Colorado Springs, Colo. - Lead Stories is proud to announce we won a $100,000 ENGAGE grant from the IFCN's Global Fact Check Fund for our project proposal to build a fact check labeling service on the Bluesky social network. The project
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: California Denies US Troops Entered California To Turn On Water — Says Federal Government Restarted Federal Water Pumps
Did U.S. troops enter California under "emergency powers" from President Donald Trump to turn on water from the Pacific Northwest, in January 2025? No, that's not true according to state authorities: The U.S. military did not enter the st
The Dispatch→ Will Trump Bring Russia and Ukraine to the Table?
Russia is making slow but costly gains as the U.S. president vows to meet with Vladimir Putin ‘soon.’
The Dispatch→ Officer-Created Danger
Plus: Anti-evil talismans are en vogue.
The Dispatch→ Baseless SLAPP Suits Threaten the Speech Rights of all Americans
Why FIRE is defending Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer against Donald Trump.
The Dispatch→ Why Tulsi Gabbard’s Confirmation Hearing Actually Matters
A president’s Cabinet picks usually sail through. This one may not.
The Dispatch→ Colombia, Tariffs, and Deportation Flights, Explained
Why the South American ally drew Donald Trump’s wrath.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Of Headline Saying ‘Why Didn’t The Unvaccinated Do More To Warn Us’ — And NO Evidence Of Any Such Article
Is there an authentic article with a headline that reads, "They knew: why didn't the unvaccinated do more to warn us?" No, that's not true: There is no evidence that an article with this headline was ever actually published on a website.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Social Media Posts Do NOT Accurately Represent Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects As Of January 2025
Do social media posts share the real side effects of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine as of January 2025? No, that's not true: The post lists 'adverse events of special interest' that researchers are required to report if they happen during drug
The Dispatch→ Moving Beyond Guilt
Elon Musk and the politics of shame.
PolitiFact→ Threads posts – No, this proposed constitutional amendment wouldn’t give former President Barack Obama a third term
A proposed constitutional amendment “would allow anyone to run for a 3rd term. Including — Barack Obama.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Trump Did NOT Redirect $2 Billion From ‘Welfare For Illegals’ To NC As Of January 27, 2025 — Originated On Satirical Site
Did President Trump redirect $2 billion meant for welfare programs for undocumented immigrants to the residents of North Carolina during the first week of his second term in 2025? No, that's not true: This claim is from a self-described s
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, Michael Jordan did not call for a ban on pride flags in sports and schools
“BREAKING NEWS: Michael Jordan calls for ban on pride flag in sports and US school system.”
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, Trump didn’t sign an executive order to eliminate income taxes
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to replace the IRS with the External Revenue Service, eliminating tax returns and income tax.
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – Google Maps images saying "help" in LA is handiwork of a trespasser, not linked to human trafficking
The words “help” and “trafico” in a Google Maps aerial view of Los Angeles are connected to human trafficking.
The Dispatch→ Assessing Claims About Trump’s Revocation of an LBJ Executive Order
Discrimination-based hiring practices are still prohibited by the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Michael Jordan Did NOT Call For A Ban On The Pride Flag From US Schools And Sports — Article Is From Self-Described Satire Site
Did basketball great Michael Jordan call for a ban on the pride flag from U.S. schools and sports? No, that's not true: The website that published the article has a satire disclaimer and is known for publishing fabricated content. The art
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Bill Gates Did NOT Say He ‘Will Leave The USA If The Epstein Client List Is Released’
Did Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist, publicly say in January 2025 that he "will leave the USA if the Epstein Client List is released"? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no credible reports to support Gates' suppo
PolitiFact→ Facebook posts – No, Whoopi Goldberg, Megan Rapinoe and Taylor Swift aren’t leaving the country
“Whoopi Goldberg, Megan Rapinoe and Taylor Swift decide to leave the United States.”
The Dispatch→ House Resolution 7 Does Not Require Spousal Permission for Women to Seek Health Care
The resolution includes no such language and would not be an enforceable law if passed.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: 2023 Photo of Swastika Spray-Painted on Tesla in Austria Predates 2025 Elon Musk Controversy
Is a photo of a swastika spray-painted on a Tesla car in Austria related to current events involving Elon Musk in 2025? No, that's not true, the photo has been online since at least 2023. It showed just one car out of 19 that were damaged
PolitiFact→ Tracking Donald Trump's campaign promises: How much progress did he make in Week 1?
It’s been a week since President Donald Trump took office and began issuing a flurry of executive orders aimed at keeping his 2024 campaign promises. Most of Trump’s executive orders don’t keep his promises on their own.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Eric Trump Did NOT Post Tweet Threatening ‘Gloves Are Off’ To Those Defying ‘American Golden Age’
Did President Donald Trump's son Eric Trump post a message on X about the "American Golden Age" and threaten "the gloves are off" to those who "defy" it? No, that's not true: Social media posts that claimed Eric Trump deleted the post "wi
Health Feedback→ Grapefruit can cause negative effects when mixed with certain antidepressants, such as sertraline (Zoloft)
REVIEW A Facebook post from 13 January 2025 claimed that eating grapefruit while taking antidepressants “could cause an overdose, amongst other complications”. The post was shared more than 2,000 times. As we will explain below, there is an elem
Full Fact→ Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has not been attacked in prison
An audio recording making this claim is being shared widely on social media.
Full Fact→ Video of migrants attempting to break through US-Mexico border is not recent
The clip has been shared after President Trump’s inauguration with misleading captions that imply it’s recent—but the event occurred in March 2023.
Full Fact→ Video supposedly showing Taylor Swift calling LA fires ‘divine retribution’ has been altered
A clip which is circulating on social media does not show a real interview, and has likely been altered with AI.
PolitiFact→ What a US exit from the WHO means for global health
America’s planned stepback from the World Health Organization, ordered by President Donald Trump, may curtail efforts to provide lifesaving health care and fight deadly outbreaks, especially in lower-income countries.
The Dispatch→ Contempt of the Courts
Why Donald Trump’s pardons are worse than Joe Biden’s.
Full Fact→ Norway is not boycotting 2026 World Cup qualifiers with Israel
Posts on Facebook have falsely claimed the Norwegian football team is refusing to play its matches against Israel.
The Dispatch→ Trump’s White House and the New Artificial Intelligence Era
Feuds between tech CEOs highlight the difficulty of regulating and incentivizing AI development.