Health

Was a man named "François Faivre", the supposed surgeon who "announced Brigitte Macron's transgender transformation," found dead in Paris in June 2026? No, that's not true: Lead Stories searched the French national registry of the deceased but found no exact matches. The claim came from a video showing AI-generated people that has resurfaced on the internet multiple times since 2025.…

Did Inter Miami player Germán Berterame die as a result of a collision seen in a video of a match against Montréal on July 25, 2026? No, that's not true: Berterame collapsed on the field after being struck in the head by Efraín Morales' elbow in the 70th minute of the match. He spent the night at Montréal General Hospital…

Does a viral image of actor Elliot Page actually show him on the August 2026 Men's Health magazine cover? No, that's not true: The magazine told Lead Stories it didn't publish such a cover. The picture shared on social media originated from a self-described satire account, but later variations removed the watermark linking the image with that account. The claim…

Did U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. say, "Infertility is genetic. If your parents couldn't have kids, then you won't either"? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Kennedy ever made this statement, either seriously or as a joke. Variations of this phrase circulated as a joke online for nearly four years before…

Have you seen viral images of an "activist" talking to a middle-aged farmer, paired with the caption claiming to describe their dialogue? Lead Stories has spotted a number of such pictures recently and has found that many of them were created using artificial intelligence. They do not show real people or situations. This article is part of a series of…

Did President Donald Trump make a post on Truth Social asking Markwayne Mullin if ICE detention centers could be used to lock up communists? No, that's not true: Viral images that appear to show such a post are fake; there is no such message on Trump's actual account. It likely originated as satire because the message also attacked people for…

Did Congressman Jack Kimble actually speak with his friend, Senator Mitch McConnell on July 7, 2026? No, that's not true: Congressman Jack Kimble does not exist. The rumor about the supposed conversation came from a page that has been known as a satire account for years. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X by @RepJackKimble on…

Did Sen. Mitch McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao, go to China after he was hospitalized following a "cardiac arrest"? No, that's not true: Chao, a former U.S. transportation secretary, was already in China when her husband was taken to the hospital on June 14, 2026. She met with university officials in Shanghai on June 12, 2026. McConnell's office has not disclosed…

Is a review of an unpublished draft study a statistically valid analysis comparing chronic disease outcomes in vaccinated versus unvaccinated children? No, that's not true: The analysis is based on a 2020 draft study that was never published because an internal review identified "serious flaws in the data and methodology," according to Michigan-based Henry Ford Health System. Public health and…

Did author and media personality Jordan Peterson die in early June 2026? No, that's not true: At the time of publication, no evidence suggested that Peterson had died. None of his social media accounts or mainstream news organizations had reported on his supposed death. The claim appeared in a post published on X on June 4, 2026 (archived here). It…