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Was the Obamas' personal chef writing a tell-all book before his "mysterious death"? No, that's not true: There is no proof shown in a video making the claim that Tafari Campbell was writing a book about the former president and first lady at the time of his death near their Martha's Vineyard home. The video purports to be from "Inside…

Did Bloomberg publish a story saying that former President Barack Obama was a "middle man" for the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein at J.P. Morgan? Did Obama help the disgraced financier to foster ties with the banking institution? No, that's not true: Bloomberg did not write anything remotely similar in August 2023. The claim on social media distorted a Bloomberg…

Did Fox News report that California's Gavin Newsom is the first governor to call for a bill to remove Donald Trump from the ballot in his state? No, that's not true: "The Governor did not say this," Newsom's spokesperson told Lead Stories. And there is no evidence Fox News reported that the Democratic governor was the first to say there…

Did U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine, a physician, describe mothers as "egg producers" during her August 6, 2023, visit to an LGBTQ+ clinic in Alaska? No, that's not true: None of the sources describing this supposed remark use a direct quote or a recording to prove it was said, and a clinic manager confirmed to Lead Stories…

Does a video show former President Donald Trump visiting the Hawaiian island of Maui in August 2023 to comfort survivors of the devastating wildfires there? No, that's not true: The footage of Trump is from 2019, when Trump visited Alabama following a tornado. As of August 19, 2023, he had not visited Maui after its wildfires. The claim appeared in…

Did Hawaii Gov. Josh Green announce in mid-August 2023 that the state will take ownership of Lahaina to convert it into "a smart city"? No, that's not true: The governor discussed a range of measures aimed at protecting housing security for local populations in response to people's concerns about displacement in the aftermath of wildfires. The claim appeared in a…

Was the 2023 Hawaii Digital Government Summit scheduled with the purpose of turning Maui into "the first smart island," "governed by AI" and was the August 2023 wildfire started to create a crisis to be solved by AI? No, that's not true: As of this writing, the event's website did not show any Maui-specific sections or outline any plans to…

Have Stephen King's book sales dropped 70 percent since he "went woke"? No, that's not true: The claim appeared in an article on a satirical website known for publishing fabricated content. The claim originated in an article published by The Dunning-Kruger Times on August 13, 2023, titled "Stephen King's Book Sales Have Dropped 70 Percent Since He Went Woke" (archived…

Does the state of Georgia have 2.2 million "phantom voters" on its voter rolls, a situation that could lead to widespread voter fraud? No, there's no evidence that's true: A woman making this claim in a video on social media provided just four examples of people she says were recorded incorrectly as having voted. A spokesman for the Georgia Secretary…

Did actor Tom Selleck speak out in support of country music star Jason Aldean, saying, "I'm from a small town," as of August 10, 2023? No, that's not true: This claim appeared in an article on a satirical website known for publishing fabricated content. Multiple credible media outlets have also reported that Selleck was born and raised in big cities…

Is Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis challenging former President Donald Trump to prove his accusation that she had a relationship with a gang member or face additional charges? No, that's not true: There is no publicly available evidence as of August 10, 2023, to substantiate a social media post making that claim. Willis directly addressed the accusations and…

Did Illinois Gov. Jay Robert "J.B." Pritzker sign a law that will allow "illegal immigrants" to become police officers and sheriffs' deputies? No, that's not true: Neither DACA recipients nor lawful permanent residents -- the two categories of noncitizens who were allowed to join law enforcement under the new law -- are in the United States as "illegal" immigrants. Unlike…

Did Michigan State Police find "tens of thousands of fake registrations" in an October 2020 voter fraud investigation? No, that's not true: The assertion made in the headline of the article making the claim is not supported in the body of the story, nor in the police report it's based on. The Michigan Department of Attorney General told Lead Stories…

Does the U.S. public education system no longer teach the Declaration of Independence? No, that's not true: American public schools still teach the Declaration of Independence as a foundational document in American history and government. It is typically included in curriculum materials and is often studied in history, civics and government classes. The Declaration of Independence holds significant importance in…

Does a study by University of Colorado medical researchers show that the "vast majority of humanity has gotten the COVID-19 vaccine via "shedding," meaning the vaccine spread from person to person? No, that's not true: The study's lead author told Lead Stories that the social media post making this assertion "does not properly reflect the findings of our study." Also,…

Were a U.S. Army major and a command sergeant major arrested after recruiting 250 soldiers into a private army "whose mission was to suppress civil insurrection if Joseph Biden wins the 2024 presidential election"? No, that's not true: This claim was posted by a well-known and frequently debunked publisher of fake news. The claim appeared in an article (archived here)…

Did producers for ABC's talk show "The View" rescind an invitation to Jason Aldean to be a guest on the show after he surprised them by accepting their disingenuous offer? No, that's not true: This article was published by The Dunning-Kruger Times, a publication from the satire network America's Last Line of Defense (ALLOD). The website has a clear disclaimer…

Did President Joe Biden brag that he has "ended cancer as we know it"? No, that's not true: He said that if he could accomplish one large goal, it would be ending cancer. It was clear from the context that he was not claiming cancer had ended under his administration. The statement was made during a White House speech in…

Did President Joe Biden take away $250 million in funding for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) that is dedicated to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs)? No, that's not true: The Biden administration has provided funding to HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions (MSIs) during his presidency. The federal government, however, does not provide any funding to HBCUs through the…

Did Tafari Campbell, the Obamas' personal chef, suffer "blunt force trauma" prior to his July 2023 drowning death? No, that's not true: The Massachusetts State Police told Lead Stories that there were "no external trauma or injuries" observed in Campbell after his body was found in Edgartown Great Pond near former President Barack Obama's home on Martha's Vineyard. The claim…