Is the video of actor Mel Gibson criticizing Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass fake? No, that's not true: The video first appeared on Raymond Arroyo's podcast in the summer of 2025 during the wave of anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles. Six AI-det
FactCheck.org→ GOP Ad Attacks Ossoff’s Vote Against Trump Tax Cuts
A Republican TV ad cherry-picks parts of last year’s budget reconciliation law, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, to overstate the impact of the law or distort Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff’s record. The ad from One Nation never ment
FactCheck.org→ RFK Jr.’s Faulty Claim that U.S. Measles Response Is ‘Better’ Than ‘Any Other Country’
When asked about the largest surge in measles in over 30 years, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly claimed that the U.S. is doing or has done “better … than any country in the world” in controlling outbreaks
Full Fact→ Monzo bank hasn’t launched its own online casino site
Social media posts are advertising a new ‘Monzo slots’ casino, but the bank has confirmed that this is not a genuine offering from the company.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ALTERED Video Does NOT Show David Byrne Criticizing Ed Sheeran In Real Life
Does a viral video capture musician David Byrne actually telling singer Ed Sheeran that "it's time to make a musical change"? No, that's not true: The video was not a real recording of the conversation between the two. It originated from
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows Foods From Europe And America Compared — Video Is AI-Generated
Does a real video show a woman named Consuela Herrera performing side-by-side comparisons between food from Europe and America? No, that's not true: This video is AI-generated. The account on Instagram where the video originated is labele
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows Masked Police Officers Walking Around Polling Station, Looking At How People Are Voting
Does a real video show masked police officers walking around in a polling station and looking at how people are voting? No, that's not true: There is no credible evidence that this incident ever occurred, and there have been no news repor
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Mugshot Resembling Jennifer Lopez Does NOT Show Minnesota Woman Cyrena Anne Quast
Is a mugshot that looks like Jennifer Lopez the real mugshot of a woman arrested for shoplifting in Minnesota? No, that's not true: The mugshot used in a post by the New York Post on X was generated with AI to look more like Jennifer Lope
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Ed Sheeran Did NOT Donate Concert Tickets To Veterans After Macklemore Palestine Controversy — It Is Satire
Did Ed Sheeran donate concert tickets to veterans after fans requested refunds over Macklemore's removal from his tour for pro-Palestine statements? No, that's not true: The rumor originated from an account on Facebook that explicitly say
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Muslim Man Was NOT Proven To Have Spiked Millie Taplin’s Drink — Essex Police Say Claim Is ‘Deliberately False’
Was it proven that a Muslim man spiked Millie Taplin's drink in an Essex, England, nightclub on her 18th birthday in 2021, paralyzing her? No, that's not true: Essex Police told Lead Stories there is "absolutely nothing" in the case that
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Old Ed Sheeran Video Does NOT Show Him Performing Since His Band Quit — Filmed in 2022 At Wembley Stadium
Does a video show Ed Sheeran playing a concert alone with a "loop station" after his backing band Beoga quit? No, that's not true: The video footage shows Sheeran in concert on July 1, 2022 at Wembley Stadium in London. Beoga published a
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Of Indian Air Force MiG-29 Crashing And Ejecting Pilot Is Actually War Thunder Gameplay
Does a real video show an Indian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet crashing into the runway, scraping the tarmac in a hail of sparks before the pilot ejects? No, that's not true: The video is from the online combat game War Thunder. There is a
Full Fact→ Scottish council corrects outdated asylum seeker support figure
Stirling Council’s website wrongly claimed asylum seekers in catered accommodation receive a weekly payment of £8.86.
FactCheck.org→ Midterm Ads Clash Over GOP Law’s Impact on Rural Healthcare
As the midterms approach, ads supporting Democrats and Republicans are making competing claims about how President Donald Trump’s signature domestic policy law will impact rural healthcare. Ads backing Republican candidates have highlig
Full Fact→ Edited video of South Tower on 9/11 circulates again
An altered video of the South Tower attack is circulating again, implying no plane hit the building on 9/11. But the video has been edited to remove the plane.
Full Fact→ Apprenticeship starts have risen—not fallen—under this government
In a debate in the Commons, Conservative shadow minister Bradley Thomas compared data for the latest nine-month period with the whole year of 2023/24, making it sound like apprenticeships had fallen.
Lead Stories→ Prebunk: AI-Generated Earthquake Posts About Various U.S. States Causing Tremors Online — Shake-And-Rattle Grip On Reality
Have you seen viral posts showing a map graphic with information about tremors felt all around a state? Lead Stories has spotted a number of such posts recently and found that many of them were created using artificial intelligence. The m
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: John Roberts, Amy Coney Barrett Have NOT Both Disclosed ‘Gifts’ From George Soros Foundation
Did Supreme Court justices John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett both disclose "gifts" from the George Soros Foundation? No, that's not true: The claim originated on a Facebook page known for posting satirical content that carries the discla
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Parents Have NOT Gone Public To Complain About Child Deaths Under Lindsay Clancy’s Nursing Care
Did parents go public to complain about child deaths under the nursing care of Lindsay Clancy? No, that's not true: There is no credible evidence that any parents have publicly complained about their children dying while under Clancy's ca
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Dolly Parton’s Family Did NOT Deny Taylor Swift Request To Headline Tribute Concert — It Is Satire
Did Dolly Parton's family deny Taylor Swift's request to headline a tribute concert honoring the late singer? No, that's not true: The story originated from a network of self-described satire websites that place multiple disclaimers on th
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Gavin Newsom’s Winery Did NOT Receive ‘State Wildfire Payout’ — It Got A Private Settlement With Hundred Acre
Did California Governor Gavin Newsom's winery receive a state wildfire payout after a 2025 fire? No, that's not true: "The claim is FALSE," Newsom's office told Lead Stories. PlumpJack Group reached a private settlement with Hundred Acre
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Of Truck Pushing Car From Railway Crossing Does NOT Document Real Event
Does a viral video claiming to capture a truck pushing car from a railway crossing with closed barriers actually show a real-life situation? No, that's not true: When it was first posted on social media, the clip was marked as containing
Full Fact→ No, the NASA astronauts killed in the 1986 Challenger disaster are not still alive
Social media posts are being shared promoting conspiracy theories that the 1986 space shuttle crash was faked and that deceased crew members are out living secret lives.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Trump Kissing Woman, Possibly Natalie Harp, on Golf Course — What We Know
Is there proof a photo showing President Donald Trump kissing a woman, possibly his aide Natalie Harp, while golfing is real? Here's what we know: There is no verifiable information, such as a photographer, subjects, date or location asso
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows Natalie Harp Grinning Over Trump’s Shoulder — AI-Generated
Does a real video show aide Natalie Harp grinning behind President Donald Trump while he was speaking at the NATO Leaders Summit in Turkey? No, that's not true: The six-second video circulating on social media was made with AI. Only the f
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Sen. Roger Marshall DID Sue More Than 700 Of His Own Patients, Protester Interrupted JD Vance To Say — New York Times Analysis Of Court Records
Is a protester's claim at a JD Vance campaign event for Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas that Marshall sued his own patients true? Yes, that's true: Marshall is a Republican seeking re-election in the November 2026 midterms. During his decad
FactCheck.org→ Paxton’s AI-Heavy Ad Leaves Out Context of Talarico Remarks About Christianity
In the Texas Senate race, Republican candidate Ken Paxton is running an ad that features an artificial-intelligence version of James Talarico, Paxton’s Democratic opponent, repeating several statements the real Talarico made about religion and g
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Henry Cavill Has NOT Been Announced As Next 007 James Bond — Claim Originated On Parody Account
Has "Superman" actor Henry Cavill been announced as the next James Bond? No, that's not true: The account that posted the claim is a parody account. There are no credible reports of Cavill starring in the next 007 film installment as of p
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Nikki Haley Did NOT Say She Wants To Bring Palestinian Refugees To The U.S. — She Called It ‘A Total Lie’
Did former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley say she wants to bring Palestinian refugees to the United States? No, that's not true: Haley called the claim "a total lie" on her official X account. Also, no credible eviden
Full Fact→ Fake image of Nepal house goes viral
A widely seen image of a house that survived the floods in Nepal is actually an AI-generated fake.
Full Fact→ False claims Bill Gates wrote an article on depopulating the earth with ‘forced vaccines’ recirculate
Several incorrect posts claiming that Mr Gates wrote an article about using vaccinations to control the population have been shared online.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: AI Image of Trump Wetting Chair After Meeting With Irish President Catherine Connolly — NOT Real Photo
Is an image of President Donald Trump appearing to have wetted himself after meeting with Irish President Catherine Connolly a real photo? No, that's not true: It's from an AI-generated meme. No officially released images showed such a sc
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘Foreign Press’ Did NOT Report Irish President Refused To Sit Near Donald Trump Due To ‘Fecal’ Odor
Did the 'foreign press' report that the Irish president insisted on being seated away from Donald Trump because he was emanating a disgusting 'fecal' like odor? No, that's not true: There are no credible reports that Catherine Connolly re
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Image Shows Natalie Harp Smiling With Prominent Teeth And Gums — Image Is AI-Altered
Does a real photo accurately portray Natalie Harp smiling? No, that's not true: A real image has been altered with AI tools to elongate Harp's teeth and expose her gums. A visual comparison between the altered image and the original, as w
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE AI-Generated Images Marked July 1985 Shows Trump and Epstein On Yacht In Swim Briefs
Did a real photo from July 14, 1985, recently surface that shows Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein together on a yacht wearing swim briefs? No, that's not true: At least two images surfaced online on Sept. 11, 2026, one with an AI label. C
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE AI-Generated Image Shows Putin BRICS Selfie — Posted By Russian Embassy In South Africa
Is the viral selfie featuring Russia's Vladimir Putin surrounded by BRICS leaders an actual photo documenting the group's summit in September 2026? No, that's not true: Three online detectors ruled that it was made by AI. Lead Stories did
Full Fact→ London’s white population has not ‘plummeted to 34%’
Census data doesn’t support this claim—this percentage is closer to the figure for white British people in London, not white people generally.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Image of Trump Clearing Rubble at Ground Zero After 9/11 Is AI-Generated
Does a viral image authentically document President Donald Trump's efforts to clear the rubble at the 9/11 site? No, that's not true: Three online tools said it was generated by AI. In particular, one tool detected an invisible watermark
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Image of Dead Osama Bin Laden Was Made Using Image From ‘Black Hawk Down’ — No Real Images Made Public
Does a grainy green night vision photo show Osama bin Laden after he was shot and killed by U.S. Navy SEALs? No, that's not true: This image was made by adding bin Laden's face to a still image taken from the movie "Black Hawk Down." This
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Kim Jong Un Called For Benjamin Netanyahu Arrest
Did North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un call for Benjamin Netanyahu to be arrested in September 2026? No, that's not true: There are no credible news reports that Kim made an announcement calling for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to be a