The daily check-in

Trending, checked.

Twice a day we pull the posts going viral on TikTok, Instagram, X and Facebook and run them through the record. Each entry is a published verdict — what we found, why, and the sources behind it.

77 checks

Did a video show panic-buying in Saudi Arabia due to war-related shortages?

X · @MADIBA1150270: 2,969 likes, 250 replies; Arabic versions @rashiduae31 205 likes/134 replies, @SwtLamy 122 likes (hashtag #الشعب_السعودي_ينهار); Misbar fact-check (Arabic + English) 18 Oct

False

The video is authentic footage from the documented opening of a supermarket in Mecca in late August 2025; it does not show current, war-driven panic-buying or shortages in Saudi Arabia. The post's caption misrepresents the clip and is misleading.

ConflictEconomyView details→

Did Russia carry out a large attack on Ukraine’s energy sector?

X · 11,167 likes, 1,101 replies (X syndication, 17 Oct); embedded by Kyiv Independent, Spiegel, El Espanol, Open, tvn24 on 17 Oct

True

The video and Zelenskyy’s caption report a large Russian strike on Ukraine’s energy sector (overnight Oct 16–17, 2026) that hit more than 15 generation/transmission facilities; this is confirmed by multiple reputable news outlets and Ukrainian authorities, and emergency restoration work was reported as underway.

ConflictEconomyView details→

Did Trump Waive All Sanctions on Russia Under the Graham Act?

X · 7,425 likes, 454 replies (X syndication, 17 Oct); quotes the order text posted by @Fritschner; story led Euronews, El Pais, Spiegel, Open on 17 Oct

True But

The post correctly reports that President Trump used the Graham Act's waiver authority to suspend or waive new sanctions and tariffs required by the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act on Oct. 16, 2026. Saying he "waived all of the sanctions" is an overbroad characterization: the action suspended or exempted many of the law's new measures but did not eliminate existing sanctions imposed under prior authorities.

PoliticsConflictView details→

What did Marine Le Pen say about Ukraine aid?

X · 5,185 likes, 677 replies (X syndication, 16 Oct); follows Le Pen's pledge to stop aid and Zelensky's FT reply; covered by franceinfo, BFMTV, Boursorama, Ukrainska Pravda, Kyiv Independent; Sud Radio guest says real aid is 'a few hundred million'

True But

The video is authentic CNEWS footage of Marine Le Pen making the statements quoted in the caption. Independent news outlets reported the same remarks: she offered to speak with Zelensky, said France "no longer has the means" and cited about €6 billion per year, and has said financial aid would stop six months after a possible election win.

PoliticsEconomyView details→

What did Nickolay Mladenov say about Gaza's goods coordination?

X · 204 likes / 143 replies (syndication 16 Oct); Hamas publicly rejected Mladenov's position (Al Jazeera 16 Oct); JPost, ynet, i24, Asharq Al-Awsat, JFeed coverage; Gaza trucking union disputes COGAT account

True

TRUE — Multiple reputable news organizations report that Nickolay Mladenov posted that he received a letter from COGAT saying private-sector merchants in Gaza have suspended coordination for commercial goods citing threats/forced taxation by Hamas; the claim is supported by contemporaneous reporting.

ConflictEconomyView details→

Did the PP oppose increasing pensions?

X · 1,912 likes, 1,178 replies (X syndication, 16 Oct); Newtral coverage 15 Oct during the 29N general-election campaign

True But

The video is authentic and correctly points out that the PSOE government (Zapatero) announced a pension freeze in 2010 and that the PP publicly supported IPC-based revalorisation in 2020; however the clip's broad claim that the PP 'always' voted to raise pensions omits important context (the 2013 PP-era revaluation framework and minimum 0.25% rule) and is therefore partly misleading.

PoliticsEconomyView details→

Does this video show oil tankers stuck in the Strait of Hormuz?

X · 3,463 likes (X syndication, 16 Oct); Lead Stories 16 Oct

Misleading

The video appears to be authentic airplane-window footage of a dense anchorage but is misattributed by the caption. Visual/contextual evidence and contemporaneous reporting indicate the clip more closely matches the eastern Singapore anchorage, so using it to claim 'all the oil [is] stuck in Hormuz' is misleading.

ConflictEconomyView details→

Did the IRGC claim control of the Strait of Hormuz?

X · Covered by CNN Arabic and Gulf News live blog 15-16 Oct; IRGC mine claim carried by Tehran Times; 297 likes on the Arabic post

True

CENTCOM’s Arabic post correctly reports that Iran’s IRGC has been claiming control of the Strait of Hormuz and its denial is corroborated by multiple independent news outlets reporting CENTCOM’s statement that U.S. forces and partners continued to facilitate vessel transits; the broader control situation remains contested because attacks and disruptions have continued.

ConflictEconomyView details→

Did Trump claim inflation is down to 1.7%?

X · Wide mainstream pickup 15 Oct: CNN, MS NOW, Raw Story, Political Wire; clip 282 likes

Misleading

The video appears to show an authentic rally clip of Donald Trump making numeric claims about inflation. His statement that inflation is "1.7%" is only true under a narrow, three‑month annualized core CPI measure and is therefore a cherry‑picked statistic; his reference to "19%" is false. Overall the remarks are misleading.

PoliticsEconomyView details→

Did Britain outgrow France and Germany since Brexit?

X · ~2.9K likes, 253 replies; part of the live row over the Burnham government Brexit reset

True But

The video appears to be authentic footage of a public interview repurposed with political captioning. The caption’s core numeric claim — that the UK has grown faster than France and Germany since Brexit — is supported by a parliamentary citation of cumulative growth figures for the 2021–present period, but the statement omits method details (exact dates, real vs per-capita growth, and other analyses that reach different conclusions), so it is partly true but lacking important context.

EconomyPoliticsView details→

Did federal agents search Ilhan Omar's home for financial disclosures?

X · Trump Truth Social post 13 Oct; Fournier repost ~9.6K likes; Fox News, Gateway Pundit, WND, PJ Media coverage

True But

The video is an authentic Fox News segment in which Jeanine Pirro (identified as the U.S. Attorney for D.C.) says her office is examining Rep. Ilhan Omar's financial disclosures. Federal agents did search a D.C. residence associated with Omar on Oct. 12, 2026; reporting of a large jump (to as high as $30 million in disclosure ranges) and a later much smaller reported range is accurate but simplified by the post's caption.

PoliticsEconomyView details→

Did a ballistic missile strike Saudi Aramco headquarters in Dhahran?

X · 2,648 likes on the primary; the coalition's 'intercepted' counter-post has 9,768 likes; picked up by ZeroHedge, Cedar News, Bloomberg video

True But

Reputable wire reporting and official Saudi statements confirm that an Aramco administrative building in Dhahran was targeted on Oct 13, 2026 and that a limited fire resulted; the X post's core claim (the headquarters was struck) is broadly supported, but the attached video has not been independently verified to show the impact and some early reports left open whether the building was hit directly or damaged by falling debris.

ConflictEconomyView details→

Did Trump promise $5,000 to all adult citizens if Republicans win in 2026?

X · Trump's X video: 76K likes, 9.4K replies (syndication, 2026-10-13). Mediaite, Newsweek, Independent, Daily Kos, UNILAD and Fox coverage on 12 Oct; Mediaite collected critics' reactions ('How can this be legal?').

True But

The video is authentic and shows President Trump publicly promising that, if Republicans win both the House and Senate in the 2026 midterms, he will give every adult U.S. citizen $5,000; news outlets and archived posts corroborate the clip. The pledge is a contingent campaign promise (future outcome) and cannot be confirmed as an action until the electoral condition is resolved and any implementing legislation or mechanism is enacted.

PoliticsEconomyView details→

Did the Federal Reserve confirm Trump's tariffs caused soaring prices?

X · 1,171 likes, 68 replies on @RepMcGovern post

Misleading

The photo is an authentic White House image of President Trump holding a 'Reciprocal Tariffs' chart (April 2, 2025). The tweet overstates the Federal Reserve's position: Fed officials and Fed research say tariffs have contributed to higher prices but do not 'confirm' that Trump’s tariffs are directly and primarily responsible for broadly 'soaring' inflation.

EconomyPoliticsView details→

What did Trump say about Zelensky and the refineries?

X · 43,091 likes (syndication, 11 Oct); covered by RedState, Mediaite, Raw Story, CBS News, Daily Beast

True But

The video is authentic pool footage of President Trump speaking to reporters on October 10, 2026; his statement that 'we told Zelensky... don't hit the refineries' and the quoted 'he better damn well stop' are accurately represented and widely reported. Some of Trump's broader claims about Zelensky's motives or ability to end the war are political opinion, not verifiable facts.

ConflictPoliticsView details→

What did Andy Burnham say about the Triple Lock and pensions?

Facebook · More than 18,000 likes and thousands of comments on the Facebook post; also covered by Express

True But

The Facebook caption accurately reassures that the state pension will continue to increase annually; reputable government and news sources confirm Andy Burnham announced on 29 Sep 2026 that the triple lock will be maintained until April 2030 and adjusted thereafter so pensions are still uprated (with the wage-growth element removed).

PoliticsEconomyView details→

Did BMW withdraw its offer of an official car for Rausch?

X · von Storch post 12,123 likes; AfD lead candidate Siegmund's follow-up 20,164 likes (syndication, 10 Oct); 'Dienstwagen', 'BMWs', 'Tesla', 'Lada', 'Leasingvertrag' trending on X in Germany (trends24); wide pickup (Tagesspiegel, WiWo, web.de, Auto Bild)

True

True — multiple reputable German news outlets report (via Die Zeit and regional reporting) that BMW withdrew a leasing offer for Tobias Rausch's official Landtag car on the day he was elected Landtag president; BMW has declined to comment publicly.

PoliticsEconomyView details→

Did Trump announce a deal with Putin for diesel supply?

X · RapidResponse47 screenshot 25,241 likes; EricLDaugh 11.8K likes (X syndication, 10 Oct); Mediaite, Daily Beast, Newsweek, CBC, Le Devoir pickup; Bluesky trending

True But

The text in the image reproduces a real announcement President Trump posted on Truth Social on Oct 9, 2026 claiming a deal with Putin for Russian diesel supplies; multiple reputable outlets and a Kremlin statement corroborate that the call occurred and that Moscow said it was willing to supply oil/products, but the exact volumes and delivery schedule Trump listed have not been independently confirmed. The image appears to be a repackaged screenshot and may misattribute platform/UI.

EconomyPoliticsView details→

Did the U.S. Department of Labor suspend PERM processing for large IT firms?

X · 26.2K likes on Benny Johnson post (syndication); quote-posted 'Ruh roh' by Labor Dept Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito (2.4K likes); covered by Times of India, Hindustan Times, WION, News18

True But

The post mixes fact and hyperbole: it correctly reports that U.S. authorities suspended PERM (green-card) processing for several large IT firms on Oct 8, 2026, and Indian markets did suffer sharp declines around the same time. However, it is incorrect to say the H-1B program itself was suspended, and saying the market 'completely COLLAPSED' is an exaggeration that overstates causation.

EconomyPoliticsView details→

What is Angela Rayner's plan for empty homes?

YouTube · Express exclusive with Esther McVey plus its own YouTube video; no view count available

Misleading

The video's headline 'Angela Rayner's Plan to STEAL YOUR HOUSE' is misleading. Labour announced reforms to allow councils to take over management of long-term empty homes after a reduced vacancy period (six months), but this is not a transfer of property ownership; the video's framing exaggerates and omits key legal safeguards and details.

PoliticsConsumerView details→

Will you be able to see fuel prices on Google Maps?

X · PM's own post: 15,583 likes and 23,712 replies (syndication API, 8 Oct ~14:40Z). Backlash posts quoted by HuffPost UK: @JamesMelville 2,951 likes, @augusteprompt 3,184. 'Google Maps', 'Fuel Duty', '20% VAT', 'Cut VAT' trending on X UK (trends24).

True

Andy Burnham’s post accurately announces that, from 8 October 2026, near real-time petrol and diesel prices in the UK are visible on Google Maps; this is confirmed by an official UK government press release the same day. The other statements in the post (global events pushing up costs, intent to help) are consistent with the press release and political messaging.

EconomyPoliticsView details→

Is Starlink licensed in over 165 countries according to Elon Musk?

X · 25,912 likes on the post within about an hour (verify.py); follows Musk's 7 Oct 'oligarchs blocking Starlink' post; India's Ministry of Communications called the claim 'baseless and misconceived'; front-page coverage in India Today, HT, Dawn, Deccan Herald

Misleading

The post mixes accurate, unverified and misleading elements. SpaceX/Starlink reports licensing in roughly 164 countries (not clearly over 165), Starlink obtained a key Indian licence in June 2025 but is reported to still be awaiting security clearances and spectrum, and the government's official response rejects Musk's suggestion that private oligarchs (e.g., Ambani) are blocking Starlink.

TechnologyEconomyView details→

Did the US Secretary of State say Iran lost control of the Strait of Hormuz?

YouTube · Said at an Athens press conference on 7 Oct. Covered by The National, Al-Monitor ('Rubio says Iran lost Hormuz. Has it?'), IBTimes, A News and Iran International. IRGC adviser Naqdi says the strait is closed. Kpler: Gulf exports 18.3m bpd vs a pre-war average of 18m

True But

The caption accurately reports a statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on October 7, 2026; independent ship‑tracking data cited by major news outlets show Gulf oil flows recovering to near prewar levels, supporting Rubio's claim that Iran no longer has exclusive control of the Strait of Hormuz, though Iranian officials dispute that and attacks on shipping continue.

ConflictEconomyView details→

Are the Sam's Club receipts showing prices from 1983 and 2026 real?

X · 9,577 likes (X syndication)

False

The image circulating on X that compares a 1983 Sam's Club receipt with a 2026 Sam's Club receipt is fabricated. Fact-checking found incorrect addresses, a historical logo mismatch, arithmetic errors on the receipts, and an AI-detection result — together these indicate the image was generated or manipulated and does not provide authentic evidence of past or present prices.

EconomyConsumerView details→