Is Enfamil, an infant formula brand, harming and killing babies during the U.S. baby formula shortage of 2022? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Enfamil poses such a threat to babies. Although there was a widespread baby formula recall in the United States in 2022, Enfamil products were not a part of the recall. The claim appeared…
Did the now-suspended COVID vaccine mandate for flight attendants cause a shortage in staffing that was to blame for widespread June 2022 flight delays? No, that's not true: None of the airlines that responded to inquiries by Lead Stories blamed the previous vaccination requirement for impacting summer operations. The federal government stopped enforcing the vaccine mandate in December 2021. The…
Does a picture of a grieving girl hugging a tombstone stem from the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict? No, that's not true. The photograph first appeared on a Georgian-language website in January 2019. The original image contained a Georgian-language inscription, but it was cut out from the later versions of the picture, adding more ambiguity about where the photograph was taken. The…
Did Kentucky legislation require women to submit a doctor's statement about whether they are pregnant? No, that's not true: An amendment in 2019 to an abortion "trigger bill" that would outlaw abortion in Kentucky was proposed as a protest. The amendment was "totally satire," said state Rep. Mary Lou Marzian in 2022. It did not become law. The claim appeared…
Had Joe Biden resigned the presidency as of June 28, 2022? No, that's not true. There was no such announcement from the White House, nor any reporting from credible outlets. The claim appeared in a Facebook video posted June 27, 2022 under the title "JOE BIDEN JUST RESIGNED FROM THE WHITE HOUSE". This is what the post looked like on…
Can people target U.S. Supreme Court justices with Internet Protocol (IP) addresses found on social media? No, that's not true: The IP addresses superimposed over the smiling photos of the five judges who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade do not appear to be associated with any of the justices. The high court opinion on abortion was announced on June…
Did NASA hand over control of the International Space Station (ISS) to Russia after a Russian official threatened to crash it into Earth? No, that's not true: A NASA spokesperson told Lead Stories that a long-established ceremonial change of command "does not represent overall control of ISS. That remains unchanged with the crew." There was no threat to "crash it…
Did the police chief for Uvalde, Texas, Consolidated Independent School District, make political contributions to President Joe Biden and Beto O'Rourke, candidate for governor of Texas in 2022 and a former U.S. representative for the state? Not that Lead Stories could find: Although individuals with the name "Pedro Arredondo" and the name "Peter Arredondo" donated to Democratic causes, none of…
Do microwaves "basically" destroy "every food value in the food" they cook, "turning it into a toxin"? No, that's not true: A representative of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told Lead Stories that these claims are false. Multiple news outlets have similarly debunked these claims since at least 2006. The claims appeared in an Instagram video post on June…
Did the Supreme Court rule that border agents can search homes within 100 miles of the border without a warrant? No, that's not true: Although agents have significant authority within the so-called 100-mile border enforcement zone, their powers do not include the right to search homes without a warrant. A June 2022 Supreme Court decision made it much more difficult…
Is it true that Russia destroyed a NATO base in the Ukrainian city of Ochakiv? No, it's not true. Not a single NATO facility has ever existed in Ukraine. The Ochakiv naval base belongs to Ukraine, not NATO. While it was reported that Russians shelled the base on more than one occasion, a video of its purported destruction contains unrelated…
Do American children receive up to 72 doses of recommended childhood vaccines between birth and 18? No, that's not true: Using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule, Lead Stories could not match that number. We counted around 60 doses of recommended vaccines, which includes annual flu shots and two COVID-19 shots with a booster.…
Is mixing four drops of oregano oil in water a good natural antibiotic? No, that's not true: Joan Salge Blake, a clinical nutrition professor at Boston University, told Lead Stories that this mixture is not an antibiotic. Abbey Sharp, a registered dietitian, also told us that while oregano oil has some antimicrobial properties, it should not be used as a…
Does an "official study" confirm that COVID-19 shots increase the risk of infection from the virus? No, that's not true: One of the authors of the study, Laith Jamal Abu-Raddad, said the article uses several numbers from the report out of context. "Our study confirms that vaccines protect," he told Lead Stories in a June 24, 2022, email. The claim…
Did Fox News publish an article with a headline describing a "'They/Them'" summer? No, that's not true: Fox News never published such an article. An image showing the headline appears to actually show a counterfeit version of an authentic Fox News article. The claim appeared in an Instagram post on June 22, 2022. The post includes what looks like a…
