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.

51 checks

Did the BBC call protests in France mostly peaceful?

X · Inevitable West post 8,931 likes (syndication); Richard Tice (Reform deputy leader) repeat 19 Oct 3,631 likes; Fox News, Breitbart, RedState, Western Journal, GB News pieces; BBC gave GB News a statement 19 Oct

True But

The BBC did describe the weekend demonstrations as "mostly peaceful" (BBC Paris correspondent James Waterhouse) while its broadcast showed footage of burning vehicles and clashes; that juxtaposition occurred and is accurately criticised by the post, but the caption's claim that an 'entire city' was 'up in flames' overstates the documented scale.

OtherPoliticsView details→

Did student protesters burn down the Eiffel Tower?

X · 2,222 likes, 376 replies (X syndication, 19 Oct); Community Note says the footage is CGI (per MEAWW)

False

The video is a digitally created/CGI visual-effects clip that has been circulated as if real; reputable fact-checkers and reverse-clip searches show the footage originated earlier as VFX and there is no evidence the Eiffel Tower burned. The caption's claim is false.

OtherView details→

Did a wooden cross fall on a priest during mass in Guayaquil?

X · @MinMedio post: 6,313 likes, 428 replies (syndication). @Osint613 English repost: 1,874 likes, 280 replies. Picked up 18 Oct by g1, O Globo, Metrópoles, Newsweek, The Sun, Marca, Gulf News, GhanaWeb, Tuko and others.

True

A video shows a wooden cross detaching and falling during a mass in Guayaquil; multiple reputable outlets and the Arquidiócesis de Guayaquil confirm that the priest, identified as Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, died after the incident on 17 October 2026.

OtherDisasterView details→

Can Sally Rooney's books no longer be sold in the UK?

X · 5,257 likes (X syndication). The story is still building on 16-17 Oct: Irish Times reports NI sales surging, RTE says an Irish minister is 'shocked', FT ran 'No, Sally Rooney's books are not banned from the UK', plus Al Jazeera and NPR.

True

The post's factual claims are supported by credible reporting: Sally Rooney and her publisher Faber have said her works will no longer be supplied in the UK and she cannot receive UK royalties because of her stated support for the proscribed group Palestine Action; reports also note thousands of arrests connected to enforcement of the proscription.

PoliticsCrimeView details→

Is JD Vance scheduled to visit Pope Leo XIV?

X · 4,567 likes / 693 replies on X (syndication, 17 Oct); Lead Stories fact check 16 Oct

False

The image is an authentic portrait of JD Vance, and the pope's surgery and lung cancer diagnosis are real. However, the assertion that JD Vance is set to visit Pope Leo XIV is false: the claim originated from a parody X account and no official or reputable news source confirms such a visit.

PoliticsOtherView details→

Did Pope Leo XIV undergo surgery at Gemelli Hospital?

Instagram · El Sabueso: IG post with 73,200 interactions, 11K comments, 1,600 reposts, also on X and Facebook; separately checked by Chequeado, Newtral (SynthID detected), Malaespina, ChurchPop 15-16 Oct; Facebook copies in a fake Vatican News group (Open, Mimikama 16 Oct)

True

The Instagram post correctly reports that Pope Leo XIV was admitted to Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Hospital on 13 October 2026 for surgery to remove a lung nodule; this is confirmed by the Holy See Press Office and multiple reputable news outlets.

HealthTechnologyView details→

What happened to Hassan Karim at Six Flags Over Georgia?

X · 1.75K likes, 174 replies (X syndication, 15 Oct). Six Flags death is still in the news: Newsweek and NY Post follow-ups on 15 Oct as the park reopens.

True But

Confirmed: Cobb County Police and multiple reputable news outlets report that 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was ejected from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia on Oct 12, 2026, and died. The video’s broad claims align with official accounts, though one detail (which family member rode with him) is reported inconsistently across outlets.

OtherDisasterView details→

Did Bally Bagayoko Become the First Black and Muslim Mayor of Saint-Denis?

X · Tommy Robinson post 35.5K likes/737 replies; Javier Negre's Spanish version ('ley sharia prohibiendo el alcohol') 18.7K likes/537 replies (syndication counts, 15 Oct). Maldita fact-check 15 Oct says it is a municipal order limiting takeaway alcohol sales in one zone and time window.

Misleading

The video is authentic and shows Bally Bagayoko, the mayor elected in March 2026, announcing a local ordinance restricting takeaway alcohol sales near Saint‑Denis station; mainstream outlets corroborate the announcement. The caption's historical claim about his election is accurate, but the allegation that he 'joined the invader riots last week' is unverified and appears to be an inflammatory, unsupported accusation.

PoliticsOtherView details→

Did Nick Sortor amplify a false claim about James Talarico?

X · ChristopherHale post 10,529 likes/306 replies (syndication 13 Oct); Derrick Evans post also cited as widely circulated; Hindustan Times explainer 13 Oct

True But

The post correctly identifies Nick Sortor as one of the influencers who amplified a false claim about James Talarico and accurately highlights that Sortor has an active in‑state warrant/absconded probation status and prior DUI-related convictions. Some phrasing in the caption overstates or conflates charges (e.g., charging vs conviction for 'harassing a police officer' or 'stalking a woman'), so details require caveats.

PoliticsOtherView details→

Did archaeologists find Noah's Ark in Turkey?

X · Al Jazeera says the clips got 40M+ views; the TikTok creator 'themaniac' alone has 25M+. Celal Ciftci post: 2,982 likes and 639 replies (syndication, 13 Oct). Copy-paste English versions on X ('VERY IMPORTANT Turkey...').

False

The post's claim that archaeologists in Turkey 'found Noah's Ark' is false. The short excavation-style video used to support the claim has been identified by verification tools and fact-checkers as fabricated / AI-generated, and the actual scientific work at the Durupınar site remains under analysis without any authenticated discovery.

ScienceOtherView details→

Did a Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 execute a missed approach at LAX?

X · 7,137 likes, 236 replies; Daily Mail and Mirror ('inches from disaster') 11 Oct

Can't Verify

The video is authentic and shows a Lufthansa 747-8 performing a late go-around from LAX runway 24R on October 10, 2026; reporting and the livestream indicate the tail came close but did not strike the runway and the aircraft landed safely minutes later.

OtherView details→

Did a passenger threaten to blow up Southwest Airlines Flight 2094?

X · 15,857 likes (X syndication, 2026-10-10); Lead Stories fact check 9 Oct · resurfaced

Misleading

The video is authentic footage from March 6, 2026 showing a Southwest flight diverted to Atlanta and law enforcement removing a passenger; the October 9, 2026 post recycles that footage and falsely frames it as a new incident and falsely claims the removed passenger was a Muslim who threatened to blow up the plane. Authorities found no credible threat and no charges were filed.

CrimeOtherView details→

Did Trump announce a multi-billion dollar investment involving Anduril Industries?

X · 939 likes on Siskind; ABC News deleted its report per Fox News; WH rebuttal from Alexa Henning ('1789 Capital does not have a major stake in Anduril')

True

The post accurately summarizes an ABC News analysis: President Trump announced a roughly $6.6 billion investment involving Anduril on Oct. 6, 2026, ABC reported that 1789 Capital (where Donald Trump Jr. is a partner) participated in a June 2025 investment and that Anduril has subsequently accounted for about 135 government contracts totaling roughly $1.8 billion. Major outlets corroborate the announcement and ABC's reporting.

PoliticsOtherView details→

Did 1,739 illegal migrants land on UK shores this week?

X · 8,976 likes, 1,870 reposts, 910 replies (X syndication, 9 Oct); reposted by @reformparty_uk; Farage YouTube upload 'Farage reacts to shocking Home Office figures' has 122K views (YouTube RSS)

True But

The video is authentic and the headline numeric claim (1,739 small-boat arrivals in the referenced week) is supported by Home Office figures as reported by multiple news outlets. However, assertions about the migrants' demographics and a claimed terrorism link are not supported by public evidence, and some of the comparative averages depend on date ranges and are framed for political effect.

PoliticsOtherView details→

Was Navi Pillay announced as the winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize?

X · 991 likes in ~2.5h; Neuer's companion post 2,166 likes; 'Navi Pillay' / 'Nobel Peace Prize' trending on X in ZA and IL (trends24) and on Bluesky

True But

Nobel committee announcements that Navanethem 'Navi' Pillay won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize are confirmed by primary sources. UN Watch published a same-day denouncement quoting whistleblower Emma Reilly accusing Pillay of complicity with respect to Uyghurs and alleging the UN gave dissidents' names to China; that denouncement is reported by UN Watch and social reposts but has limited independent mainstream corroboration at the time of this check.

PoliticsOtherView details→

Did Columbia University's dining hall serve 'October 7th Blush Sauce'?

X · 4.0K likes (syndication); Fox News pickup

True

The posted photograph accurately shows a Columbia Dining menu board labeled "October 7th Blush Sauce" on October 7, 2026; multiple outlets reported the image and Columbia Dining said the date was a template/printing error and the signs were removed.

OtherView details→

Did the Ottumwa City Council open a meeting with a prayer to Satan?

X · Libs of TikTok post 43,528 likes; Riley Gaines reaction 23,999 likes (verify.py); Fox News, Blaze, Twitchy coverage

True

Verified. The city's official meeting recording and multiple independent news reports confirm that at the Ottumwa City Council's Oct. 6, 2026 meeting a scheduled invocation by Matt Dalbey included the phrases 'Dear dark father' and ended 'It is done. Hail Satan.' The Libs of TikTok caption accurately describes the recording.

PoliticsOtherView details→

Is there a gold-plated, naked Donald Trump statue in the European Parliament?

X · 10,304 likes (X syndication, 2026-10-08); Twitchy write-up 2026-10-07; Snopes fact-check published 2026-10-07 ('Do photos show gold statue of naked Trump at European Parliament?')

True

Verified: the photograph shows a real satirical sculpture by Jens Galschiøt called The Orange Plague that was installed and displayed inside the European Parliament in Strasbourg in early October 2026. The post's factual claims about the statue and its location are correct; the poster's moral judgement is an opinion.

PoliticsOtherView details→

Are there secret night flights arriving at Manchester Airport?

X · Davies post 7,411 likes; Oakeshott post 12,255 likes (X syndication); MEN says the post was 'widely shared'; MEN fact-check 6 Oct, Yahoo/PA 5 Oct

False

A published 'whistleblower' interview claims secret night flights carry 200–300 people into Manchester Airport; local investigation and aviation experts say the claims are false or implausible and the photo used as evidence is misattributed, so the post's central allegation is not supported.

PoliticsOtherView details→

What did Ben Shapiro say about protests disrupting his film production?

X · 18,387 likes on Shapiro post; follow-up 9,654 likes (X syndication); HuffPost and Mediaite coverage

True But

Most factual elements of Ben Shapiro's tweet are supported by contemporaneous local reporting: producers alleged threats and disruptions, hired security, the Livingston City Commission temporarily suspended the film permit and then reinstated it after a public hearing in early October 2026. The tweet's causal claim that commissioners 'backed down because we threatened to sue' is plausible (a demand letter and First Amendment arguments were part of the record) but not definitively established as the sole reason for reinstatement.

PoliticsOtherView details→

Did Kalif Raymond Pray to Allah During the National Anthem?

X · 5,285 likes / 1,167 replies on X; second post 1,268 likes / 1,032 replies; Blaze pickup

Misleading

Video shows Chicago Bears receiver Kalif Raymond kneeling in a prayer posture during the national anthem (confirmed by multiple social videos and write-ups). The post's caption that he was "praying to Allah" and that this is inherently "massive disrespect" is misleading: there is no evidence he was praying to Allah, and Raymond has publicly referenced Christian faith in prior appearances.

SportsOtherView details→

What is the nostalgia wave for 2016 in 2026?

X · 2.3M+ TikTok posts; featured by The Cut and Commercial Appeal; sustained viral trend with throwback photos and cultural comparisons

True

The video's central claim — that early 2026 saw a cross-platform nostalgia wave labelled "2026 is the new 2016," including a ~450% spike in TikTok searches for '2016' and tens of millions of videos using a '2016' filter — is supported by contemporaneous reporting and TikTok-cited metrics in reputable outlets.

OtherView details→

Did Ronald Koeman use abusive language in a press conference?

TikTok · Multiple old videos (Moscow 2026, past Houthi attack footage) falsely circulating as recent Oct 2026 attacks. BoomLive fact-check identifies specific videos and sources. Yahoo News and Al-Monitor coverage of false framing. TikTok category active with misinformation. · resurfaced

Misleading

The video uses authentic-looking press-conference footage of Ronald Koeman after the Netherlands’ 1-1 (Morocco won on penalties) Round-of-32 exit, but its abusive, xenophobic lines (in the provided transcript/subtitles) are not supported by reputable coverage and appear to be added or manipulated. Koeman did defend his tactics, but he did not—according to mainstream reporting—use the extreme language shown in the TikTok.

ConflictOtherView details→

Did Google update its satellite images for Gaza?

X · Barry Andrews MEP post: 1.8M views; Ali Abunimah: 4.1M views; Linda Mamoun: 721K views; Al Jazeera thread: 82.2K views; Mastodon trending with 173+ shares across 170 accounts Oct 1-2

True

TRUE — Google has published updated satellite imagery of Gaza that is visible on Google Maps/Google Earth and multiple independent news organisations reported that those images show widespread destruction and neighbourhoods reduced to rubble.

ConflictOtherView details→