Do images from the September 29, 2020, presidential debate show that Joe Biden was wearing a communications device, perhaps to receive tips on what to say? No, that is not true. Social media posts are making this claim after a rosary, worn by Biden around his wrist in remembrance of his son, was seen poking from his sleeve -- and…
Did Pepsi omit "Under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance on a new can design? No, that's not true: This is a false claim that has been circulating since the early 2000s when it was Dr Pepper that released a can with the phrase, "One Nation...Indivisible." The Pledge of Allegiance actually ends, "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and…
Did Joe Biden say, "if you're going to vote, vote early and vote often"? No, that's not true: During the first 2020 presidential debate, the Democratic nominee encouraged Americans to vote, but he did not use that phrase, which is a well-worn quote that's been around for decades, if not longer. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published…
Did The New York Times pay zero federal income tax in 2017 on earnings of $111 million? It's entirely possible, but open to interpretation: Public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission include tax estimates. While those estimates may be an accurate representation of what a company pays, they may not be, especially given the fact that tax changes in…
Do photos show President Donald Trump with a "neural stimulator device" on his scalp under his hair? No, there's no evidence that's true: Even assuming the photographs are real, which we don't, the images are not suggestive of such a device, a neural device expert told Lead Stories. The claim appeared in a post (archived here), published on Facebook on…
Does not getting tested for Covid 19 make the disease disappear? Are the elderly the only people dying? Are Democratic governors intentionally infecting them? No, no and no. Those are not true: You will have the disease regardless of whether you get tested. You just won't have an official diagnosis that you have it. All age groups are dying from…
Did Joe Biden wear an IV or a wire up his sleeve during the Presidential Debate in Cleveland on September 29, 2020? No, that's not true: viral photos making that assertion or just questioning what is up Biden's sleeve actually show a rosary Biden wears in remembrance of his late son Beau. The rosary has a tiny medallion attached to…
Is it true that Joe Biden was wearing a wire during the first presidential debate with Donald Trump on Sept. 29, 2020? No, that is not true. Not only is there no evidence to back up a claim making the rounds on social media, a blow-up of a moment captured on camera clearly shows that the supposed "wire" was a…
Did Moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News or someone on his team give former Vice President Joe Biden a crib sheet ahead of debate #1 with President Donald Trump? No evidence nor provenance was supplied by the Republican operative who made the claim on an Iowa radio show to substantiate that before it was amplified by several other outlets. The…
Did Joe Biden call service members "stupid bastards" during a speech that was recorded on camera? Yes, but that claim is missing context. A viral claim implies Biden disrespected members of the military when he made the remarks at a military base in 2016. Then-Vice President Biden was making a joke when he called the service members "stupid bastards" when…
Did the officers involved in the raid that killed Breonna Taylor get no criminal charges because the Taylor family accepted the $12 million settlement from the city of Louisville? No, that's not true: The civil suit settlement and the criminal charges (or lack thereof) brought against the officers are separate and not dependent on each other. The grand jury that…
Does a letter from Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe support the claim that Hillary Clinton planned "the Russia hoax" against Donald Trump in July 2016? No, that's not true: Director Ratcliffe wrote in a letter to Sen. Lindsey Graham dated September 29, 2020, that the information was "Russian intelligence analysis" and the U.S. intelligence community "does not know the…
Did Breonna Taylor's mother buy herself a Bentley and an $800,000 home with her share of the $12 million Louisville paid to settle her wrongful death claim? No, that's not true: The City of Louisville had not, as of Sept. 29, 2020, paid out the settlement and no nearby Bentley dealer reported any sales of the luxury automobile into Kentucky…
Does posting a legal notice to Instagram regarding permissions you grant the platform change the terms of service a social media user agreed to when they signed up for an account? No, that's not true: This notice is a made up argument with no legal value. It is an evolution of a long running copy/paste privacy hoax that has been…
Did the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention downgrade COVID-19, rating it less fatal than seasonal flu? No, that's not true: The Sept. 10, 2020, document used as "proof" clearly states it is not a source of COVID data, and that it was created with multiple variables to help hospitals and public health officials build mathematical simulations to test…
