Has a political action committee proved that Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert had two abortions and worked as an unlicensed escort? No, as of June 19, 2022, the allegations about the anti-abortion Republican congresswoman, made in a press release from the American Muckrakers political action committee, include no independent verification or documentation. The allegations are corroborated only by what the PAC…

Is it true that at the beginning of June 2022 Poland annexed Ukraine? No that's not true. Such posts on social networks began to appear after the publication of a press release from the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, in which the alleged state contract for the construction in Poland of a backup data processing center of the Ukrainian tax service…

Do plants produce oils that provide effective natural sun protection and do sunscreens cause cancer? No, neither is true: "There is no evidence that they afford even close to adequate protection," board-certified dermatologist Julie K. Karen, M.D., told Lead Stories. Sunscreens do not cause cancer and "have been shown to substantially reduce UV-induced damage and skin cancer," she said. The…

Will this test, which asks you to stare at a flashing blue dot to see if surrounding yellow dots disappear, tell you if you have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD? No, that's not true: Experts consulted by Lead Stories say ADHD cannot be diagnosed in the way this test describes. The diagnosis requires a licensed clinician and well-defined criteria. The test…

Did the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG) change the method of execution from hanging to a gunshot to the head? No, that's not true: A spokesperson for Navy JAG told Lead Stories on a June 17, 2022, phone call that this claim is false. According to deathpenaltyinfo.org, the only military execution is lethal injection. The military death penalty…

Did nearly 100 food processing plants mysteriously explode in 2022? Did 10,000 cattle in Kansas die mysteriously too? No, neither of those claims are true: Lead Stories determined the food processing explosions claim was false -- because there were no explosions. There were some fires, as a previous Lead Stories fact check found, but they were not caused by arson.…

Do Kansas ranchers have no idea what might have killed hundreds or thousands of cattle during an extreme heat wave and believe their feed or water was poisoned? No, that's not true: The cause of death is not a mystery to the people in the industry. The cattle died after days of high temperatures, high humidity, nights that did not…

Did the city of Miami sponsor a gun buyback program in support of Ukraine? Yes, that's true: The June 18, 2022, event is being used to get guns off the street and also to support Ukraine. Donations are going to the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), according to the city's website. The claim appeared in an Instagram post on…

Is a Mayo Clinic doctor misdiagnosing Trump supporters' healthy pregnancies? No, that's not true: The tweet making the claim originated from a fake account and this claim has been refuted by the Mayo Clinic since 2018. The claim appeared in an Instagram post on the account of the conservative Young America's Foundation on June 14, 2022. The caption opens: Sickening.…

Is Bill Gates the "first man to bring computers into this world," and is he worth "trillions and trillions"? No, that's not true: A social media video post purporting to be sharing "the truth about Bill Gates" makes those claim but offers no proof for them or any of the many other claims the narrator makes about Gates or various…