Was water in the Hudson River boiling? And was bubbling related to a nuclear power plant that was supposed to be nearby? No, neither claim is true: The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) told Lead Stories via email that the power plant shown in the post is not nuclear, but a natural gas power plant. DEC is…

Is monkeypox the same thing as modern-day leprosy or the condition mentioned in the Bible? No, neither is true: Whether using the biblical or today's medical definition, leprosy is very different from monkeypox. "In ancient times, leprosy was a 'catchall' term for any disease that particularly affected the skin," according to The Leprosy Mission International. In an email to Lead…

Is an online video advertisement showing women rapidly losing weight due to wearing a piece of jewelry realistic? No, that's not true: This is a misleading ad. A bariatric surgeon who also serves as a spokesperson for The Obesity Society (TOS) told Lead Stories, "There is no scientific evidence to prove that anything you wear will help achieve any meaningful…

Is it fact that viruses have never been isolated and there is no measles virus? No, that's not true: Scientists first isolated a virus in the 1890s. And a Persian doctor published written accounts about measles disease in the late 800s. In 1912, measles became a "nationally notifiable disease" in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control…

Is there still a mystery surrounding the bright red glow under the clouds seen by a pilot flying over the north Pacific Ocean? No, that's not true: Pilot Dustin Maggard spotted the red glow on July 16, 2022. Although there was initially some question about what caused the glow, experts verified that there were commercial fishing boats in the area…

Did a study find potentially disease-causing bacteria and fungi on face masks? Yes, that's true, but the study's authors only made one recommendation based on their findings and that was for immunocompromised people to avoid repeated use of masks to prevent infections. In an email to Lead Stories, study author Ah-Mee Park, an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology…

Are Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) weather cameras offline along the entire coastline of the lower 48 states? No, that's not true: In an email to Lead Stories, the FAA said it has no weather camera systems in those areas. Hundreds of sites are operational as part of the agency's weather camera program. More than 200 cameras are being used in…

Did rainwater collected in a man's backyard show dangerously high levels of barium in lab test results conducted for a 2007 TV station investigation about "chemtrails"? No, that's not true: The lab results for the test sample did not show an unsafe level of barium. The reporter made an error converting the units of measure used in the lab report…

Is monkeypox an airborne disease that causes paralysis? No, that's not true: While its transmission might occur during prolonged face-to-face contact, the particles do not stay in the air for long and thus it cannot be classified as an airborne disease, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) says. Experts interviewed by Lead Stories said that monkeypox has been…

Did COVID vaccine trials skip animal testing and go straight to people because all the animals were dying? No, that's not true: In an email to Lead Stories, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said, "The claim is completely false. All authorized and approved COVID-19 vaccines underwent animal studies." The claim appeared in an Instagram post and video on…

Does swollen plastic packaging mean chicken is bad and growing bacteria? No, that's not true: According to Tom Super, the senior vice president of communications at the National Chicken Council, this "is a USDA-approved packaging process, and there is no food safety concern." The claim appeared in a Facebook post with a video on July 31, 2022, under the title…

Do COVID-19 vaccines create "engineered biostructures" inside human arteries? No, that's not true: There's no evidence that happens. In an email to Lead Stories, Dr. John R. Su with the Immunization Safety Office of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said, the "CDC is unaware of any evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause the human body to create 'engineered…

Does Fireball whiskey contain antifreeze or propylene glycol? No, that's not true: It contains neither, according to the company, which states on its website: "All versions of Fireball, both in the U.S. and the rest of the world, are 100% PG (propylene glycol) free." The claim appeared in a Facebook post on July 24, 2022. Alongside a caption that reads:…

Did the Smithsonian Institute admit to destroying thousands of giant human skeletons? Did the U.S. Supreme Court order the Smithsonian to release classified documents that would prove this? No, neither are true: A representative for the Smithsonian told Lead Stories that the claim that they've destroyed thousands of giant human skeletons was not true. There are no press releases from…

Is the most common form of vitamin B12 in the world "toxic"? No, that's not true: Cyanocobalamin, the vitamin B12 form in question, is used as the most common supplement form of vitamin B12 and is not considered "toxic" by the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements. The claim appeared in a Facebook reel published on July 28,…

Were two fighter jets filmed escorting a saucer-shaped flying object over a mountain? No, that's not true: These special effects were computer generated. The video was originally uploaded to YouTube by the channel called oondyla. It has posted other special effects videos and includes a disclaimer on their channel that reads, "This channel is intended for entertainment purpose only. It…

Did a doctor take over eight minutes to gingerly remove a "parasite" from a woman's scalp? No, that's not true: This video is the creation of sword swallower and content creator Juliette Electrique, who works with Las Vegas entertainment promoter and viral social media content entrepreneur Rick Lax Productions. Electrique's Facebook page is marked as Satire/Parody. In the past the…

Are disposable COVID-19 testing swabs that have been sterilized using ethylene oxide (EO) gas considered carcinogenic and dangerous when used daily? No, that's not true: Only minuscule amounts of EO remain after processing. Matthew J. Arduino, a senior adviser for the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told Lead Stories, "Cancer is…

Does a photo show an electric vehicle charging station powered by a diesel generator? No, that's not true: The photo of a charging station in the short-term parking area of the El Paso, Texas, International Airport does show a generator near the charging station, but it is not powering the station. The two are not connected, according to the company…

Did a child named Susey who was completely paralyzed with cerebral palsy, "no different than a statue," become completely healed and acquire the "intelligence of a college student" when she was only 8? Was she granted scholarships where she studied surgery, medicine and neurology and in her first year after graduation cured 4,000 patients? No, none of that is true:…