Fact Check

Does a blue pulse moving from east to west on a Doppler radar map show some sort of "storm pumping" weather modification or HAARP activity? No, that's not true: The radar reflectivity time lapse animation shows that radar signals have picked up the presence of millions of birds in flight who began their southward migration after the sun set. As…

Does a viral video show a real instance of a delivery drone dropping a car battery through the windshield of a parked car? No, that's not true: An auto repair business created the video as an April Fool's Day marketing stunt. The video has been on the repair shop's YouTube channel since 2015. Few, if any, civilian drones available in…

Is Clifford Thomas Phillips Jr. the suspect in the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis? No, that's not true: The shooter has been identified by law enforcement officials as Robin Westman. He died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The name Clifford Thomas Phillips Jr. was already circulating on social media before the shooting in Minneapolis happened. In social media…

Is Sam Hyde the perpetrator of a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis? No, that's not true:A viral post recycled the meme in circulation since 2015 that casts the comedian Sam Hyde as an attacker after mass shootings in the U.S. or abroad. No credible media organization reported that anyone named "Sam Hyde" was connected to the events in…

Is there any evidence for a story being spread online about "Olena K.", a Ukrainian anti-corruption official who supposedly defected to Europe and revealed real-estate corruption involving President Zelenskyy worth $1.2 billion ? No, that's not true: The story did not contain any verifiable details or documents and no media reported on the supposed events. The London Telegraph, the website…

Is a video of cartoon character Cartman standing next to President Trump while criticizing him for things like stealing from a cancer charity and bankrupting casinos and wondering why someone would vote for "this bag of shit" real? No, that's not true: The video showing Cartman saying he doesn't "give a flying fuck" about Trump not taking a paycheck or…

Did Walmart fire an executive who was taking $30,000 daily in kickbacks from an Indian staffing agency in an H-1B visa scandal? No, that's not true: Walmart denied the reason they fired anyone had to do with H-1B visas or a kickback scandal. The outlet that amplified the news posted a disclaimer saying they had not received verification from Walmart…

Was Michael Jackson's son caught on a livestream saying his father is still alive? No, that's not true: The man in boxing influencer Ed Matthews' video is not Michael Jackson's son. In a longer clip the man identified himself as Parker, and says that his father was Michael Jackson's best friend. He did not say that Jackson is still alive,…

By: Dean Miller, Nick Muller Does a social media post's photo prove citizens of Turkey, Syria, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan are banned from nightclubs in Japan? No, that's not true: The photo of a chart of passport covers doesn't even match the countries listed in the post. Further, no credible news organization or embassy has reported such a ban…

Did a grocery store cashier refuse to serve a customer wearing a red Trump hat and Trump shirt because she disagreed with his politics? No, that's not true: This video is a staged skit produced by Network Media, a YouTube channel and company which helps digital creators to monetize their content. The grocery store skit is posted with credit to…

Is this a real screenshot of a Truth Social post from President Trump where he says he won't release the Epstein files in order to protect Bill Clinton? No, that's not true: The viral image originated on a Facebook account with a satire disclaimer and did not actually show Trump's Truth Social handle. It contained several hints that were hard…

Did Eminem, Jelly Roll & Billie Eilish announce a 2026 tour titled "The Last Showdown?" No, that's not true: There is no proof that these artists announced this tour. There are no publicly available tickets or presale tickets on concert tickets websites. There is a new trend of AI generated posts about concerts that don't actually exist, featuring huge names…

Did retired Gen. Mark Milley tell troops being deployed to U.S. cities in August of 2025 that they "do not report to a dictator", as posts on social media claim? No, that's not true: Milley's remarks were made in September of 2023, almost two years before President Donald Trump sent the National Guard to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Milley,…

Did Florida ban "The Diary of Anne Frank" from public library shelves? No, that's not true: A graphic version of Anne Frank's diary was removed from school library shelves in Escambia County, Florida, after a complaint that it minimized the Holocaust with the inclusion of Frank's description of her private thoughts about sex. A group that tracks book bans recently…

Does an authentic video document "fake HOA police" trying to arrest a Black man but finding out he is a feared agent of the FBI? No that's not true: The video is a production of a social media account that uses AI to produce videos. The account states the stories they share are not real but ones that "everyday people…

Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy react to his August 2025 meeting at the White House by suggesting that Donald Trump rejects a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, believing it would hurt his chances of winning the Nobel Peace Prize? No, that's not true: Official government webpages of the Ukrainian president don't contain such a statement. Lead Stories could not find…

Did country music legend George Strait reject a $500 million deal from Elon Musk to endorse Tesla? No, that's not true: This is a fake story designed to get people to click on a link to a website. This identical fake story, with the same fake quote, keeps getting recycled with different celebrity names attached. The fake story appeared in…

Does a real soldier appear in uniform in the "Troops Against Trump" video, asking "I swore an oath to defend the constitution...What happened to us?" No that's not true: The video is the production of a social media account that labels itself a satire producer. In addition to the account's disclosure that it uses AI to produce videos, there are…

Does the Constitution of the United States say, in Article II Section 4, "If the president is impeached for treason, the vice president and all civil officers shall be removed."? No, that's not true: The quote appearing in a social media post is not accurate. Article II Section 4 of the Constitution reads, "The President, Vice President and all civil…

Was Arthur MacWaters fired as the Chief Marketing Officer of Cracker Barrel? No, that's not true: A viral social media post containing a fake LinkedIn screenshot showing several previous positions at companies involved in controversial rebranding efforts was meant as a joke. According to his real LinkedIn bio MacWaters never held the position. The claim appeared as a post on…