MEBRO · DISINFO DESK
Investigations
Long-form dossiers on the hoaxes, deepfakes, and death rumors that go viral — each one stamped with a verdict and printed with every source on the record.
Politics & Money
Trump Praised 25 Gas Stations as One “Freedom Fuel” Brand. The Records Show They Don’t Share an Owner.
President Trump praised 25 gas stations as one “Freedom Fuel” brand selling $3.47 gas — but the records we pulled show they don’t share an owner, and no filing says who funds the below-cost price.
FILED JUL 10, 2026 · UPDATED JUL 18, 2026 · 23 SOURCES
Viral Misinformation
The Empire State Building Climbers Flew One Banner About Love — The "Political" Flags Going Viral Are AI Fakes
Two real daredevils scaled the Empire State Building on July 1, 2026 and unfurled one banner about peace — but the viral images showing "Donald Trump is a pedophile" and other political flags atop the spire are AI-generated fabrications.
FILED JUL 10, 2026 · UPDATED JUL 10, 2026 · 10 SOURCES
Technology & AI
The $890M AI Fabrication Factory: How a YouTube Channel Invented a Stephen Miller Offshore Scandal
Mebro investigates how an AI-powered YouTube channel fabricated viral claims that Rep. Thomas Massie 'exposed' Stephen Miller funneling $890M through Cayman Islands accounts — a complete hoax that spread to Threads, X, TikTok and Facebook.
FILED JUL 6, 2026 · UPDATED JUL 11, 2026 · 26 SOURCES
Viral Misinformation
The Somali Daycare Fraud Panic: How a YouTuber's Unsubstantiated Claims Triggered Mass Detentions and Two Deaths
Nick Shirley's viral YouTube video claimed Somali-run Minnesota daycares were committing billion-dollar fraud. State investigators found children present at 8 of 9 named centers. The unsubstantiated claims triggered $185M in frozen funds, more than 4,000 detentions, and two Americans killed by federal agents.
FILED JUL 9, 2026 · UPDATED JUL 11, 2026 · 25 SOURCES
Science & Health
African Tetanus/Polio Sterilization Claims: Recycled Conspiracy Theories Debunked
Comprehensive fact-check of recycled conspiracy theories claiming WHO and UNICEF vaccines caused mass sterilization in Africa.
FILED JAN 2, 2026 · UPDATED JUL 11, 2026 · 15 SOURCES
Viral Misinformation
Russell Brand Is Not Dead: Anatomy of a Celebrity Death Hoax
How an ambiguous tribute post, a grief-coded photo, and engagement-hungry algorithms turned a living man into trending obituary fodder.
FILED MAR 13, 2026 · UPDATED JUL 8, 2026 · 29 SOURCES
Technology & AI
AI Deepfake Voice Scam Epidemic: 1 in 4 Americans Targeted
How $5 voice-cloning tools and a 1,300% fraud surge are overwhelming detection systems and the regulatory response.
FILED MAR 2, 2026 · UPDATED JUL 8, 2026 · 30 SOURCES
Science & Health
No, Earth Will Not Lose Gravity in August 2026: A 50-Year-Old Hoax Returns
The viral “Project Anchor” claim is a recycled hoax traceable to Patrick Moore’s 1976 BBC April Fool’s prank — supercharged by AI deepfakes and a real solar eclipse.
FILED FEB 18, 2026 · UPDATED JUL 11, 2026 · 60 SOURCES
Investigative reports — not user-submitted fact-checks.