Does a video show how multiple laser beams scanned the ground in the instant before the Venezuela earthquakes struck? No, that's not true: One clip in the video was published on TikTok on March 18, 2026, months before earthquakes struck V
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Photo Shows Pride Rainbow Flags On Field Ahead Of Iran-Egypt World Cup Match — It Is AI-Generated
Is this a real photo showing Pride rainbow flags on the field ahead of the Iran-Egypt World Cup game in Seattle on June 26, 2026? No, that's not true: The image is AI-generated, an online detection tool identified it as such by detecting
Full Fact→ Senior doctors didn’t say social media was as bad for children as smoking
The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges compared the profession’s reaction to social media with its reaction to smoking. It didn’t say both were equally harmful.
PolitiFact→ Mike Collins – Was Jon Ossoff the ‘deciding vote’ in 2022 Inflation Reduction Act passage? We examine.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff “cast the deciding vote for the inflation disaster,” referring to the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
Full Fact→ SEA LIFE London Aquarium is not offering ‘young explorer kits’ as survey reward
Full Fact→ Image of Thai police officers ‘undercover wearing drag’ is fake
A viral image supposedly showing a group of Thai police officers after an undercover sting was actually edited using AI.
PolitiFact→ America 250: Why do Florida officials call the state ‘the 14th colony’?
America 250: Why some call Florida the ‘14th colony’
PolitiFact→ From booze-filled parties to mail ballots: how did American voting actually evolve?
How U.S. elections have changed over 250 years
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Posts Claiming Sarah Palin, Michelle Obama, Or Other Celebs Wore ‘Probably The Smallest Bikini In The World’ Are NOT Real — AI Slop From Macedonia
Are social media posts claiming that Sarah Palin, Michelle Obama, or other celebrity women wore "probably the smallest bikini In the world" real? No, that's not true: The images used in the posts were created with artificial intelligence
PolitiFact→ Fact-checking Florida Republicans’ Sunshine State Showdown
Fact-checking Florida Republicans’ Sunshine State Showdown
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Trump Has NOT Posted An Image Of Reflecting Pool Showing Him Together With Epstein In June 2026
Did Donald Trump post an image of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool showing him and Jeffrey Epstein together? No, that's not true: Lead Stories manually reviewed his account on Truth Social for the period between June 1 and June 26, 20
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Photo Labeled With Recycled Caption ‘Bengali Woman Carrying A British Merchant’ And Dated 1903 Was Made With OpenAI Tools
Does a real photo from 1903 show a "Bengali woman carrying a British trader" depicting "the height of British colonial rule in the Indian subcontinent"? No, that's not true: The image is fake. OpenAI's verification tool detected the image
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Photo Does NOT Show Officer In Montreal Shooting — Victim Was NOT A Rabbi
Does a photo show a police officer who reportedly shot a rabbi during a shooting in Montreal in late June 2026? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the woman in the image is a member of the Montreal police; she is Dasha Nekraso
PolitiFact→ Tommy Tuberville – Is the bipartisan housing bill for “a lot of people that are here illegally”?
Says benefits of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act are “going to go to a lot of people that are here illegally to build houses for them.”
PolitiFact→ Tommy Tuberville – Is the bipartisan housing bill for “a lot of people that are here illegally”?
Says benefits of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act are “going to go to a lot of people that are here illegally to build houses for them.”
Lead Stories→ Prebunk: Yucky Videos Of Indian Street Food Stalls Taste Like Fakery — Cooked Up With Artificial Intelligence
Have you seen viral videos showing people making Indian street food using their feet or other body parts or pouring dirty water in it? Lead Stories has spotted a number of such clips recently and has found that many of them were created u
PolitiFact→ Looking into the Reflecting Pool: We examined Trump’s vandalism claims
Examining Trump’s claims of Reflecting Pool vandalism
PolitiFact→ Looking into the Reflecting Pool: We examined Trump’s vandalism claims
Examining Trump’s claims of Reflecting Pool vandalism
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows Two Towers Crashing Into Each Other During Venezuela Earthquakes
Does a video show two towers crashing into each other during the Venezuela earthquakes on June 24, 2026? No, that's not true: An AI detection tool determined that the video was 98.6% "likely to be AI-generated" and appears to be a 3D phys
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: AI-Enhanced ‘Reflecting Pool Dipper’ Images Do NOT Reliably Identify Suspect
Do real, clear images show a person wanted in connection to the "destruction" of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, known as the "Reflecting Pool Dipper"? No, that's not true: The images, while based on real footage, are enhanced with
PolitiFact→ Move Indigo – Yes, New Yorkers with second homes in the Empire State can choose where they want to vote
New York state law allows citizens with dual residences to choose where they want to vote.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Image Shows Alyssa Thomas Smiling As She Fouls Caitlin Clark In WNBA Game
Does a real image show Alyssa Thomas smiling as she fouls Caitlin Clark during a WNBA game on June 22, 2026? No, that's not true: No video or photographic evidence shows Thomas smiling while over Clark. The image also originated from a vi
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Fake Video Shows A Man In A Muslim Mob Spray Painting A Butcher Shop Window In England — AI-Generated With Many Glitches
Does a real video show an angry group of Muslims in England shouting "Unclean" and defacing a butcher shop with graffiti? No, that's not true: The Hive Moderation AI-generated content detection tool determined with 75.9% confidence the vi
Full Fact→ What progress has Keir Starmer made on Labour’s ‘first steps for change’? Our Government Tracker’s verdict
Our tracker’s monitoring Labour’s delivery of its pledges. In the week the PM announced his resignation, here’s what it tells us about some of Labour’s most prominent promises.
Full Fact→ Video of ‘British Muslims’ marching for ‘halal standards’ is an AI fake
The video, which claims to depict massive crowds that have ‘shut down London’ with a march demanding halal food standards, has hundreds of comments from people who mistakenly believe it to be real.
Full Fact→ Image of queueing traffic does not show people leaving Crimea over fuel shortages
A picture is circulating on social media with false claims it shows a traffic jam of cars trying to leave Russian-annexed Crimea over fuel shortages. But it’s actually from Armenia.
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Unsupported Claims About Reflection Pool Vandalism
President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed vandals for damaging the new blue lining of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which is now peeling, as well as for algae in the water. But the administration has not provided evidence to back up the pre
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Quotes Not From Lionel Messi About 100-Year-Old Fan — Came From ‘Fan Account’ Not Argentine Soccer Player
Did the Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi speak at length about his emotions upon seeing a woman holding a "100 year old Messi fan" banner in the stands? No, that's not true: While a centenarian in the stands really did hold up a sign fo
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: WNBA Did NOT Say Caitlin Clark Would Get Technical Foul For Lifting Her Knee Toward Alyssa Thomas — Day After Game Thomas Gets Foul, 1-Game Suspension
Did the WNBA say Caitlin Clark would get a technical foul for lifting her knee toward Alyssa Thomas during a game? No, that's not true: The WNBA did not release such a statement immediately after the game. There are no statements on any o
PolitiFact→ Graham Platner – Platner says Collins sided with Trump to cut Medicaid, SNAP and help the rich. That’s False.
Sen. Susan Collins “sided with Trump, giving billionaires and corporations a hand out, paid for by cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.”
PolitiFact→ Colombia's fast voting results aren't proof of cheating in California elections
Why Colombia, California elections don’t compare
PolitiFact→ Donald Trump – Donald Trump exaggerates 401(k) gains during his second term
In the past 13 months, “The typical 401(k) … is up almost $30,000.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Harry Kane Did NOT Say He Lost Control of His Body During Ghana Match After Witch Doctor’s ‘Curse’
Did England football star Harry Kane say he lost control of his body during the Ghana World Cup match after a witch doctor's "curse"? No, that's not true: In post-match interviews, Kane never mentioned any physical problems, but instead d
Full Fact→ What does the new 22% charge mean for stocks and shares ISAs?
Changes to stocks and shares ISA rules announced this week have caused widespread confusion online.
PolitiFact→ Why dermatologists are excited about bemotrizinol, the newest sunscreen ingredient to enter the US
US sunscreens enter a new age with bemotrizinol
Full Fact→ No, Amazon is not selling HP laptops for £3
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Photo Does NOT Show Officer From Montreal Shooting — The Image Is Likely AI-Generated And Victim Was Not A Rabbi
Does a photo show the police officer who reportedly shot a rabbi during a Montreal shooting in late June 2026, carrying a rifle and wearing a uniform? No, that's not true: The image displays multiple indicators of AI generation and also a
Lead Stories→ Viral Video Of Littered Street In Paris — What We Know
Does a viral video of a littered sidewalk represent a typical street in Paris? Here's what we know: It does show a street in the French capital, but it's a rather remote location known for law enforcement raids against unauthorized flea m
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Altered Photo Of Tray Liner Under McDonald’s Breakfast Shows Charlie Kirk Lookalike — Not Real
Was Charlie Kirk, or a person strongly resembling him, pictured in a job recruiting ad printed on a McDonald's tray liner? No, that's not true: The McDonald's job recruiting tray liner is real, but the model in the original photo does not
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Clip Does NOT Show Victims From Hot Air Balloon Accident In Brazil — Different Ride In Initial Footage
Does the opening clip of a video with a screaming woman in a hot air balloon show footage from the accident in Brazil where an "entire family" was killed? No, that's not true: That clip shows Casey Cleaver during a different hot air ballo