Is "The Great Reset" a secret plan masterminded by global elites to limit freedoms and push radical policies? No, that's not true: It's the name of a public policy initiative the World Economic Forum (WEF) launched in response to the COVID-19 crisis. The phrase has been hijacked by conspiracy theorists who believe an evil cabal is using the pandemic as…

Did President Joe Biden threaten to "nuke law-abiding American citizens" while speaking about the U.S. Constitution's second amendment? No, that's not true: Biden was discussing the "right of the people to keep and bear Arms" provision, which some gun rights advocates interpret to mean that American citizens have the right to keep weapons of war in order to challenge a…

Does a list show "brave border agents who have died during the 90+ days Kamala Harris refused to visit border communities"? No, that's not true. The list is of customs and border patrol agents who died in the 100 years prior to 2021. Not a single person on the list passed away in the 90 days prior to June 27,…

Did U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris serve tacos featuring her likeness to journalists aboard Air Force Two during a recent visit to the U.S.-Mexican border? No, that's not true: the claim clearly played off of the recent criticism Harris received for serving cookies shaped in her likeness to journalists. The claim appeared in an Instagram post (archived here) published on…

Did Vice President Kamala Harris order the deportation of a reporter who asked her a tough question during a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border? No, that's not true: The reporter, identified in the video making the claim as FOX News White House correspondent Peter Doocy, is an American citizen born in Washington, D.C., and he cannot be deported from the…

Is this video correct in its claim that the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Report System (VAERS) delivers data proving 6,000 people were killed by COVID vaccines? No, that's not true: The VAERS website repeatedly warns users against making faulty assumptions based on the VAERS list of reports. As the VAERS webpage itself explains, the list of reports is a wide-open,…

Does Stacey Abrams own 16% of a firm that counted votes in Fulton County, Georgia? No, that's not true: The claim is in reference to a company called Happy Faces, which was contracted by the county to provide staffing for the 2020 election. CEO Michael Hairston told Lead Stories that he owns 100% of the business. "There are no outside…

Was Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, arrested by U.S. Navy SEALs on June 1, 2021? No, that's not true: Not only is there no credible information about such an arrest, but Fauci has made several telecommunications and public appearances since June 1, 2021 and federal law bars the U.S. military from taking…

Is Bill Clinton facing a military tribunal for crimes of "murder, sex crimes against minors, treason, theft of government property"? No, that's not true: A Pentagon duty officer confirmed to Lead Stories that this claim was "Not true." The originator of the claim has a disclaimer on their website to tell readers they are not a legitimate news source. The…

Did Vice President Kamala Harris host a private dinner at her residence that excluded Black leaders without explanation? No, that's not true: although the dinner that Harris hosted on June 15, 2021 was attended almost exclusively by non-Black and white women, that is because the invitees of the dinner were current women U.S. Senators -- none of whom are Black.…

Does this colorful graphic chart, with a footnote that the data was sourced from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fairly represent the impact of vaccines on vaccine-preventable diseases? No, that's not true: By carving off the prevaccine years, the chart de-emphasizes the sharp reduction in death by infectious diseases. And by calculating the mortality as a portion of…

Does a viral Facebook video provide any information about the crimes alleged in its headline? No, that's not true: The video is a newscast from cable channel One America News Network that does not mention any of the charges against President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden that are the subject of its headline. The claim appeared in the…

Is DeAnna Lorraine currently running against Nancy Pelosi in California? No, that's not true: Despite claims in a meme posted in April 2020 that went viral again in June 2021, Lorraine is not currently running in any type of election against Nancy Pelosi. Lorraine did attempt a primary challenge against Pelosi in March 2020 but ended up in fifth place…

Does this video prove there is no COVID-19 pandemic and that public health measures and vaccination campaigns are all part of a well-planned conspiracy that "globalists" planned 10 years ago to seize power and profit? No, that's not true: These recycled conspiracy theories are offered without citing specific peer-reviewed research by scientists with relevant expertise and/or clinical experience treating COVID.…

Were major federal buildings in Washington, D.C. -- including the Federal Bureau of Investigation's headquarters -- shut down on June 14, 2021? No, that's not true: The FBI confirmed that its headquarters have been open. Other buildings such as the White House and the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) headquarters were not abandoned at the time either. The…

Did the first case of postmortem study of a patient vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 find viral RNA in every organ of the body? No, that's not true: Researchers found viral RNA in seven of the nine organs they analyzed. "This is not even the majority of all human organs," the study's authors wrote to Lead Stories. The claim was one of…

Does this video say that the Senate has declared "Corona is a lie" and the media are covering up the truth? No, that's not true: The Senate has made no such statement. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and four colleagues, shown in the video, can't speak for the entire Senate, plus they don't say "Corona is a lie" or "the media…

Has former CIA Director John Brennan been hanged at Guantanamo Bay? No, that's not true: A spokesperson at the Defense Department told Lead Stories that this is "completely false." The claim appeared in an article published by Real Raw News on June 14, 2021, titled "John Brennan Hanged at GITMO" (archived here). Real Raw News has a disclaimer on their…

Did the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issue a report that compared how states voted in the 2020 presidential election with their vaccination rates? No, that's not true: There is no such report, according to a CDC spokesperson. That said, the agency does collect and release vaccination statistics and it's easy enough for anyone with internet access to…

Were President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both out of the country at the same time in June 2021? No, that's not true: although there appears to be no law stating that at least one has to remain in the country while the other is abroad, Biden and Harris have not been out of the country at the…