&Quot;New York City&Quot;

Are all lakes man-made to cover up ruins of an ancient civilization? No, that's not true: While there are some man-made lakes, ponds and reservoirs, lakes are also naturally formed features created over time through several geological processes, including glacial runoff, river erosion, volcanic activity and groundwater changes. The basis of the claim that "all lakes are man-made" stems from…

Did an LED billboard at the corner of 42nd Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan feature the words "Glory to Urine" against a waving blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag to welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to New York City for the United Nations General Assembly meeting on September 19, 2023? No, that's not true: This video is not current or authentic. Shots…

Did "undercover NYPD" officers "arrest two young people for sleeping on the concrete blocks a short distance from Times Square"? No, that's not true: the persons in question were not trying to sleep in a noisy, well-lit area on top of concrete blocks. A spokesperson for the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information at the New York City Police…

Does a video of the South Tower at the World Trade Center in New York City exploding without a plane crashing into it during the 9/11 attacks mean that bombs were the reason the buildings exploded? No, that's not true: The video has been edited to remove the hijacked United Flight 175 plane hitting the South Tower on September 11,…

Does a BBC report from September 11, 2001, saying World Trade Center Building 7 (WTC 7) fell more than 20 minutes before it actually did prove a conspiracy? No, that's not true: There's no evidence of a WTC 7 conspiracy. The discrepancy in the reporting of WTC 7's collapse time, after the Twin Towers' collapse, can be explained by the…

Is cayenne pepper "the most powerful blood thinner"? No, that's not true: A cardiologist told Lead Stories it's not the most powerful blood thinner and there is no evidence cayenne pepper is more effective than the drugs scientists have tested and have proven work on large groups of people. The claim appeared with a video on Facebook (archived here) on…

Are sunglasses "bad for your eyes" because they trick the brain into believing the sun isn't that hot, thus leading to more severe sunburn? No, that's not true: There is no evidence to substantiate this claim. Lead Stories spoke to the American Academy of Ophthalmology and two board-certified dermatologists who all told us this claim was false and that individuals…

Did a dark and menacing stormcloud rotate over the New York City harbor, threatening to form a tornado? No, that's not true: This video of turbulent cloud effects is the work of a TikTok video creator and tutor, @insanepatient2. It was posted online in 2022. Although labeled as New York City, the edited footage actually shows the fabricated stormcloud over…

Does a "Hollywood report" about Angelina Jolie accompanied by a photo of what appears to be the actress in a hospital bed "confirm" anything about the star? No, that's not true: The post and link to a website gives no information about Jolie and only states, "she has now been confirm as" without any other details. The image appears to…

Did a young woman blindside former vice president Mike Pence while he was walking in a parade, hitting him squarely in the back of the head with a water balloon? No, that's not true: The video shows the Stewart Manor 4th of July Parade in Hempstead, New York, where throwing water balloons is part of a long standing tradition --…