Government Benefits

Does a purported bodycam video authentically show an "Officer Miculitzki" stopping a blind black man on the street and calling his cane a dangerous weapon? No, that's not true: The video originated on a Youtube channel that says it publishes scripted content. Copies of the video went viral on social media without that disclaimer present. The video (archived here) was…

Does the February 2025 House budget resolution specify an $880 billion unilateral cut in Medicaid funding? No, that's not true: On February 25, 2025, the House passed its proposed budget, a resolution that directs the House Energy and Commerce Committee to make $880 billion in budget cuts to many programs under the committee's jurisdiction, one of which is Medicaid.…

Did Tel Aviv University get $581 million from American taxpayers? No, that's not true: The school received less than $6 million in U.S. government funds, an official website shows. A nonprofit data expert told Lead Stories that most of the money reported in the school's tax return under "Contributions and grants" is "likely Israeli government funding." The claim appeared in…

Is the administration of President Donald Trump giving every adult in the United States $18,000? No, that's not true: As of February 7, 2025, the administration had made no such announcement. A post claiming it did directed viewers to a nongovernment website that did not mention any federal program passing out $18,000 checks. The claim appeared in a post on…

Do homeowners have "only six days left" to claim $52,000 in homeowner relief from a program President-elect Donald Trump initiated in January 2025? No, that's not true: A misleading video touts a nonexistent program to entice people to enter their personal information on a website. There is no record of a program as described, or of Trump saying, "Give our…

Does a list show the names of U.K. members of Parliament who voted against deporting "foreign rapists"? No, that's not true: The names on the list do belong to MPs, but it's not a voting list about legislation to deport rapists. Instead, they are cross-party signatories to a 2020 letter raising concerns about Home Office plans to deport 50 people…

Were social media posts genuinely warning the public in late 2024 about Robert Thibodeau, who was being called a "serial killer on the run" in communities over 2,500 miles apart? No, that's not true: Tipton County, Tennessee, Sheriff Shannon Beasley responded to one of these posts, shared in that area, stating, "This is a scam and NOT TRUE." Through a…

Did the recipe for Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar change after the company was purchased by Katy Perry -- and now, in partnership with Bill Gates, is the vinegar brand using "Apeel apples," which contain trans fats? No, that's not true: This rumor is false about products from two different companies. Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar does not use apples coated with…

Can a person get a concealed carry gun permit 100 percent online by just answering six simple questions? No, that's not true: To get the promoted New Hampshire Non-resident Pistol/Revolver License, the customer must still fill out the application and pay for one. Ads promising a Concealed Carry Permit "100% online" are misleading, actually offering an unnecessary "pre-qualifying" service. The…

Did former CIA Director John Brennan reveal that the U.S. government uses Stratospheric Aerosol Injection, a hypothetical geoengineering technology, to control the weather? No, that's not true: A full video of his 2016 speech shows that Brennan said no such thing. He was discussing his interest in technologies that could potentially reverse climate change; he did not say that these…