Did Colin Powell, the first Black secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, commit suicide? No, that's not true: That claim is not supported by any news coverage of his death, by any statements from his family or officials or by any medical evidence. The Associated Press and other news organization stated that Powell died from…

Will the U.S. Navy force members of its elite Sea, Air and Land (SEAL) teams who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 to pay back millions for training? Not exactly: It is possible that they would have to dish out recoupment of training costs, but it is dependent on their involvement in applicable programs. And that applies to all Navy personnel, not…

Ed Payne is a writer and fact-checker at Lead Stories. He is an Emmy Award-winning journalist as part of CNN's coverage of 9/11. Ed worked at CNN for nearly 24 years with the CNN Radio Network and CNN Digital. Most recently, he was a Digital Senior Producer for Gray Television's Digital Content Center, the company's digital news hub for 100+…

Did Spain's high court confirm that COVID-19 does not exist? No, that's not true: The Spanish Ministry of Health was not taken to court, there was no hearing and the "proof" offered is an informational reply letter the government issued to the public to answer a question from a COVID-denier group. The government agency does NOT say that the virus…

Was Hunter Biden hanged at Guantanamo Bay on October 15, 2021? No, that's not true: A duty officer at the Pentagon told Lead Stories, "this is false." Also, this claim was made on a self-described satirical website whose disclaimer says it publishes articles like this one for "entertainment purposes." Lead Stories debunked a separate, similar article from the same site…

Does Public Health England (PHE) data suggest that COVID-19 vaccines cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)? No, that's not true: The data is misinterpreted, and a spokesperson from the United Kingdom Health Security Agency -- which was one of the organizations that replaced PHE in October 2021 -- confirmed that COVID-19 vaccines do nothing of the sort. The claim appeared in…

Did U.S. authorities find Brian Laundrie, fiance of the late Gabby Petito, alive in Mexico? No, there's no evidence of that: The site where the claim was made, Conservative Beaver, is known for creating false stories that are bound to get attention and go viral as a result. There is no evidence from any reputable news organization or law enforcement…

Is the October 2021 backlog of cargo ships off Los Angeles' harbors caused by the "California truck ban"? No, that is not true: Multiple organizations in the supply chain have confirmed the long wait times at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports are due to a shortage of drivers, a burst of global shipping and other factors. The truck…

Can an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine given to a woman cause changes in the DNA of a baby she is carrying and result in a "mutant baby" born with extra limbs or other deformities? No, that's not true: The mRNA in COVID vaccines does not enter the nucleus of human cells, where the DNA is, and does not alter the DNA…

Can you intentionally transmit HIV without legal consequence in California? No, that's not true: Although the action was reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, experts told Lead Stories that it is still punishable by law. The claim appeared in an Instagram post on October 6, 2021. It features a screenshot of a tweet that reads: In California you can…