Did PETA call for an immediate ban of the Instagram page @SavageHunts? No, that's not true: This fake tweet is a publicity stunt, to promote and circulate the name of an Instagram page about hunting. PETA is a U.S.-based animal rights organization, and while the organization is opposed to hunting, this tweet was not sent out from the verified PETA…

Is the Norwegian government facing an indictment for crimes against humanity related to its handling of the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true: According to the Norwegian government, there is no information about an indictment. The claim appeared in an article published by GreatReject.org -- a website that asserts "There are no conspiracy theories, they are all true" -- on…

Does a video featuring Michael Flynn and Thomas McInerney contain only factual and proven statements? No, that's not true: The video recycles, without repairing, multiple false claims about COVID-19 and the 2020 election that have already been debunked. This fact-check considers seven such claims, including the allegation that COVID-19 was a "deliberate biological attack," that the vaccines for the virus…

Is tilapia boneless, bad for you and can't be overcooked? No, that's not true: This meme has several false and misleading statements, though some of its original language has been toned down. The original version surfaced on Facebook in March 2017. This post, published April 5, 2020 (archived here), is captioned: Why I never buy Tilapia. This is what the…

Did a woman named Titania McGrath post a tweet demanding that dog owners stop using gendered terms like "good boy" and "good girl"? No, that's not true: The @TitaniaMcGrath account is a satirical jab at "wokeness." McGrath is a fictional character made up by comedian and columnist Andrew Doyle. All kinds of people have been fooled by the account: They…

Does this photo show someone's great-grandma who was a pioneering flight attendant in 1914? No, that's not true: It's actually a picture of the pop star Britney Spears on set for her music video, "Toxic." An example of the claim appeared in a tweet (archived here) from April 4, 2021 on Twitter. The picture included a caption that read: My…

Are zombies created by COVID-19 and do the world's richest people drink the blood of tortured children? No, that's not true. A guest on the show of disgraced televangelist Jim Bakker, conspiracist Stephen Quayle, peddles multiple untrue claims about COVID-19. Lead Stories has previously debunked claims Quayle has made as well as claims about zombies, COVID-19 and accusations that the…

Did an 8-year-old boy named Lucas Armitage shoot and mutilate a home intruder? No, that's not true: The 2009 clip is a production of The Onion satirical digital media company and that child is just an actor. The clip also contains a watermark in the bottom left-hand corner that reads "FORJOKES," another Instagram account that posts humorous content. The claim…

Is Kory Terrell the spelling bee champion for the state of Texas? No, that's not true: Several years ago, the young man won the spelling bee competition at his school, Davila Middle School, in Bryan, Texas. Its mascot is the Texans, and its competition is known as the Davila Texan Spelling Bee (archived here). Apparently confusing "Texan" with "Texas," some…

Is Brie cheese made with unpasteurized milk illegal in the U.S., while a machine gun with six rotating barrels is legal? No, that's an exaggeration that leaves out important context and relies on semantics. Both Brie and machine guns are regulated. Since 1986 federal law has forbidden importation of French Brie, a soft unaged cheese made with unpasteurized milk. But,…