Does this photo show the San Andreas fault? And is the San Andreas Fault 132 kilometers long and 32 kilometers deep? No, none of that is true: This is a photo from a trail in Canyonlands National Park in Utah, not of the San Andreas Fault in California. Also, the San Andreas Fault is more than 800 miles long. The…

Does placing a wet towel near the cutting surface when slicing onions prevent crying by absorbing the irritating enzymes released? No, there is no evidence that this cooking hack works better than any other methods. The reason why slicing onions makes cooks cry is a complicated reaction between various enzymes released from the onion's sliced cells that form to produce…

Do Denzel Washington and Dr. Ben Carson endorse a brain pill that boosts a person's IQ and focus level? No, that's not true: Carson's representative told Lead Stories "he does not take this," and Washington's representative told Lead Stories that claims he is a supporter or spokesperson for a "brain supplement that increases intelligence and ability to focus" are "fake."…

Would Washington state police reforms prevent officers from chasing a violent suspect? No, that's not true. A series of new laws do not prohibit police officers from pursuing a violent criminal even if they didn't witness the initial violent crime. A new law specifically allows peace officers to pursue someone in a vehicle if they are suspected of committing a…

Were Democrats the original "anti-vaxxers" less than a year ago? No, that's not true: Old tape of three Democratic leaders appearing to say they didn't support the COVID-19 vaccine is clipped. Partial footage doesn't tell the whole story. The leaders' full comments made clear they supported the vaccine and would recommend others get it, assuming scientists and public health professionals…

Did a woman's husband break her foot with a baseball bat when he saw what he thought was a snake come out from under the blanket? No, that's not true: These two photos are not related. The photo of a bandaged foot was published in a medical article in 2016; the injured was a man who dropped a cutter on…

Is Mark Twain the person responsible for the now famous quote about politicians and diapers needing to be changed often and for the same reason? No, that's not true: There is no record of Mark Twain having written or said this quote. Many versions of the sentiment with similar construction have been recorded in print by various authors in the…

Was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley recently arrested? No, that's not true: Milley attended a press briefing after a video making this and other false claims appeared on a Facebook account that pretends to be from two QAnon influencers. The claim appeared in a video published on Facebook (archived here) by a "MEL K Charlie…

Does a podcaster's online video prove there are no SARS-CoV-2 variants, that there's no pandemic and that COVID-19 isn't a novel disease? No, that's not true: coronavirus conspiracist David Martin's claims fly in the face of the established medical consensus, which recognizes SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as a novel coronavirus, and has documented the emergence of several variants…

Is "medical error" the third leading cause of death in the United States? No, that's not proven: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not include "medical error" in the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States. For one thing, given the lack of a precise medical or legal definition for "medical error," it's difficult to…