Did Gov. Ron DeSantis argue with Sean Hannity about the FBI's role in the search of Donald Trump's Mar-A-Lago home? No, that's not true: Video purporting to show the Florida governor defending the FBI search in a FOX News segment with Hannity and Trump daughter-in-law Lara Trump is altered. Video of DeSantis arguing with a reporter at a news conference…

Is there a facility where baby formula is being destroyed in order to create or prolong a baby formula shortage? No, that's not true: The logo that appears on a dumpster pictured in a TikTok video is that of Imperial Western Products. The company has several divisions, some of which recycle and refine a variety of materials for different purposes.…

Is the IRS trying to arm all its employees? No, that's not true: A job posting from the IRS Criminal Investigation unit, which carries firearms, does refer to carrying firearms. However, the unit consists of only 2,100 law enforcement agents, according to a spokesperson. In comparison, during fiscal year 2021, the IRS used close to 80,000 full-time equivalent positions for…

Were 1 in every 25 clients of Germany's largest health insurer, Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), treated for side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine in 2021? No, that's not true: Only one of the four diagnosis codes (ICD) for billing health insurers used to come up with the ratio was specific to COVID vaccination. Two of the other three codes could pertain…

Is this an accurate list of 25 taxes that didn't exist 60 years ago? No, that's not true: The list includes taxes that have been around since long before 1962. For example, federal taxes on tobacco and alcohol date as far back as the 18th century, as do property taxes. Other taxes, like the Social Security tax and sales tax,…

Did former President Barack Obama take 30 million pages of documents, including some secret nuclear papers, from the White House to Chicago when he left the presidency and then refuse to return them? No, that's not true: The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) did ship 30 million pages of documents to a secure NARA facility in Chicago, but they…

Does Amazon host a charity event at the end of the year and distribute random unclaimed Amazon packages for $1.95? No, that's not true: An Amazon spokesperson wrote to us saying that Amazon will sell returns to third-party buyers if the items can't be resold. The buyers then sell such liquidated products to their own customers. The link in this…

Is a photograph real that shows Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein, partying with the judge who approved the FBI warrant to search former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence? No, that's not true: It's been altered. The original photo, previously published by several media outlets in December 2021, shows Maxwell with Epstein, not the judge. The claim appeared…

Is the IRS opening a "sniper school"? No, that's not true: The IRS Criminal Investigation unit declared to Lead Stories that there is no such school opening. The claim was made in an article on a website known for fictitious content. The claim was originally found in an article (archived here) published on August 10, 2022, and titled "IRS to…

Is an online video advertisement that implies people can rapidly lose weight by wearing a "slimming patch" on their skin realistic? No, that's not true: This is a misleading ad. A bariatric surgeon who also serves as a spokesperson for The Obesity Society told Lead Stories, "there is not enough scientific evidence to prove that slimming patches work." Another weight…