Did multiple people, ranging from anti-Trump protesters to a granny in pink, climb to the top of the Empire State Building on the same day, displaying different messages? No, that's not true: Those images and videos were AI-generated, acc
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows A Machete-Wielding Migrant On A Small Boat Yelling ‘This Is the End of England!’
Does a real video show a machete-wielding migrant yell, "This is the end of England!"? No, that's not true: This AI-generated video was made using a still frame from another video. Several glitches in the video point to it having been mad
PolitiFact→ Will the end of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians mean a caregiving crisis?
Will ending TPS for Haitians lead to a caregiving crisis?
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Dutch Soccer Coach Ronald Koeman Did NOT Go On Racist Rant During 2026 FIFA World Cup Press Conference After Loss To Morocco — It Is AI-Generated
Did Dutch soccer coach Ronald Koeman go on a long, racist rant during a 2026 FIFA World Cup postgame press conference after his team lost to Morocco? No, that's not true: The video was posted by an account that self-describes as the "Numb
PolitiFact→ Abdul El-Sayed – Senate candidate Mike Rogers didn’t make millions as pharma lobbyist, despite Abdul El-Sayed’s claim
Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers “took a $14 million payout as a pharma lobbyist.”
FactCheck.org→ Democrats’ and Republicans’ Screwworm Blame Spin
Politicians of both political parties have blamed either the Trump or the Biden administration for the arrival of the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating fly that affects the cattle industry, in the U.S. after decades of eradication. But experts say t
Full Fact→ No evidence viral picture of ‘migrant lorry’ stopping on M62 is real
The image, apparently showing men disembarking a lorry in the middle of a motorway, has been shared thousands of times, but a digital watermark suggests it was created or at least edited with AI.
PolitiFact→ From Johnny Appleseed to Claudette Colvin: 5 surprisingly true American history facts
Five surprisingly true American history facts
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows Military Dog Jumping Barrier After Seeing Former Handler At TSA Checkpoint
Does a real video show a military dog jumping a barrier after seeing his former handler at a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that this particular scene took place. The video is
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Dubious Claim that Birthright Citizenship Could Still Be Overturned with Legislation
After the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship, the president called on Congress to end it through legislation, saying a “long and unwieldy” constitutional amendment
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: OK Magazine Did NOT Publish Video Claiming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Booked $8,000 OnlyFans Private Session With Transgender Model During G7 Summit
Did OK! Magazine publish a report that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz booked an $8,000 OnlyFans private session with a transgender model during the Group of Seven summit? No, that's not true: A viral video with their branding was not ac
PolitiFact→ Trump allies blame birthright citizenship for ‘birth tourism.’ How often does it happen?
What is ‘birth tourism’ and how often does it happen?
Lead Stories→ Prebunk: AI Videos Of Disrespected Old Veterans Disrespect Reality — Don’t Let Patriotic Ragebait Bully You Into Sharing
Have you seen viral videos showing older veterans being disrespected or bullied by authority figures? Lead Stories has spotted several such videos recently and found that many were created using artificial intelligence. These videos do no
PolitiFact→ A patient got the weight loss medication retatrutide before FDA approval. How does that work?
A primer on retatrutide and compassionate use
PolitiFact→ Donald Trump – Donald Trump overstates Supreme Court ruling on transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports
“The United States Supreme Court just ruled against men playing in women’s sports."
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows A Transparent Squid ‘The Real Invisible Man Of The Ocean’ — Made With Google AI
Does a real video show a live transparent squid and the organs inside its body? No, that's not true: Google's Gemini detected SynthID signals, determining the video was made with Google AI. There is a type of squid known as a glass squid,
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Satirical Video Of Woman ‘Accidentally’ Attending Pride Fest Does NOT Show Real-Life ‘Christian Influencer’
Does a video featuring a "Christian Influencer" who "accidentally" attended an LGBTQ+ Pride Month event document a real-life story? No, that's not true: The clip was initially published with a satire disclaimer. Its creator previously sai
Full Fact→ Photo of Andy Burnham edited to include several women wearing Islamic dress
The real image of Andy Burnham’s return to Parliament was posted by Labour’s Deputy Leader, Lucy Powell MP, and does not feature several women at the front in Islamic dress.
PolitiFact→ ‘Let facts be submitted to a candid world’: Thoughts on journalism, fact-checking and the US at 250
Facts for ‘a candid world’: Journalism and the US at 250
New York Times→ Fact-Checking Trump’s Inaccurate Accounts of U.S. History
We fact-checked the president’s colorful — and inaccurate — accounts of American history from the Battle of Gettysburg to the Unabomber.
Lead Stories→ Prebunk: Digging Into AI Videos Of Secret Bunker Construction — Deep Wish Fulfillment Fantasy
Have you seen viral videos showing timelapse construction of secret bunkers, underground rooms or hidden lairs out of wild materials and objects that would give the builders a safe place to hide to survive a catastrophic event? Lead Stori
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows Pregnant Woman Attacked On Subway In NYC
Does a viral video show a real robbery attempt of a pregnant woman on the New York City subway? No, that's not true: The video contains hallmark signs of AI. Three online detectors confirmed that the clip is a product of generative AI. Th
Lead Stories→ Claims About Halal Meat At Aldi UK: What We Know
Is it true that Aldi UK does not sell Halal meat, as viral posts claim on social media? The chain did say so for many years on its accounts on social media. However, in Feb. 2026, Aldi UK implied that it was selling halal items at some st
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: DECEPTIVELY Reversed Video Appears To Show ‘Japan Fans Destroy Stadium After Defeat By Brazil’ — They Were Really Cleaning Up
Does a video show Japanese soccer fans "destroy stadium after defeat by Brazil"? No, that's not true: The video has been reversed -- when played forward it shows scenes of Japanese fans collecting litter after the match with the Netherlan
Full Fact→ Defence spending not set to increase by an ‘extra’ £270 billion
This figure refers to the Ministry of Defence’s total budget for the period of the Spending Review, and does not refer to year-on-year increases to this budget.
Full Fact→ No, sunscreen doesn’t cause skin cancer
Posts on social media have misunderstood a scientific study, which explains that people who use more sunscreen may well be exposed to more cancer-causing sunlight.
Full Fact→ Toy company not selling inflatable ‘bounce houses’ for £2
Facebook posts falsely claim Smyths Toys is selling inflatable bouncy castles in exchange for filling out a short survey.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Trump Posted AI-Generated Photo Of Golden Eagle ‘Gifted’ To White House For 250th Birthday
Did a real photo posted by President Trump show a golden eagle gifted to the White House for its 250th birthday, hanging from the columns in front of the balcony? No, that's not true: The image is AI-generated; one online detection tool i
Full Fact→ Videos of people giving their views on immigration are AI fakes
Videos supposedly showing members of the public talking about their views on immigration aren’t real—they’ve been generated using AI.
Full Fact→ Video does not show police ‘seizing’ mannequin for ‘offending Pakistani community’
A video that appears to show police officers loading a mannequin into a van is from a protest in November 2025 against the government’s decision to ban Palestine Action, and has nothing to do with the Pakistani community.
Full Fact→ Teenager did not die after arrest at Sheffield protest
A video of a 17-year-old being detained by police has been shared with false claims that he died.
Full Fact→ Video of Royal Navy officer discussing migrant Channel crossings is fake
A video circulating on Facebook which appears to show a navy officer saying small boat crossings are a violation of sovereignty isn’t real. It’s been generated with AI.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: REAL Photo On Stage At Freedom 250 Concert Shows Only A Handful Of People Reflected In Mirror Sunglasses
Is a photo that shows a small crowd reflected in mirror sunglasses from a person on stage at the Freedom 250 concert authentic? Yes, that's true: The photo that shows a small crowd reflected in mirror sunglasses of a man on stage with Cel
PolitiFact→ Ohio’s GOP governor said it’s ‘absurd’ to call Haiti safe, experts agree
Trump administration’s unsupported claims about Haiti safety
PolitiFact→ Fact-checking 5 videos that falsely depict scenes from Venezuela’s earthquakes
This isn’t footage from Venezuela’s June 24 earthquakes
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Images Show FIFA President Gianni Infantino Attending Two Simultaneous Matches In Different Cities
Do real images show FIFA President Gianni Infantino attending two World Cup games that took place simultaneously in different cities? No, that's not true: The photos have been edited to give the appearance that he was present at two match
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows Fan Running Onto Field To Hug Messi At The World Cup — It’s AI
Is a video that shows a fan running onto a soccer field to hug Lionel Messi at the 2026 FIFA World Cup authentic? No, that's not true: An AI detection tool determined that the video was 51.7% "likely to be AI-generated." There are multipl
Lead Stories→ Prebunk: AI Videos Of Rooftop Infinity Pools Collapsing Are Splashy Engagement Bait — Just AI Wasting Water
Have you seen viral clips showing people dying from "overfloating" the edge of infinity pools or from falling down from the top of the building after a collapse of the pool's transparent walls? Lead Stories has spotted a number of such vi
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: EDITED Video Of Erling Haaland Eating And Scaring Himself — Is A Face Swap Of A Chinese Slapstick Comedy Video
Did Norwegian soccer player Erling Haaland scare himself when he saw his reflection in a mirror as he was eating at a restaurant? No, that's not true: The video was digitally edited with a face swap program. The original video does not sh
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Of ‘Laser Beams’ Falsely Linked To Venezuela Earthquakes Was Published On TikTok Months Before The Quake
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