Did House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson say that "Every woman has a duty to birth at least one able-bodied worker"? No, that's not true: Johnson's director of media affairs told Lead Stories that he "never said anything of the kind." Johnson made reference to "able-bodied workers" during a congressional hearing in 2022, but did not say the words attributed…

Did former basketball star and current media personality Shaquille O'Neal promote a stimulus check card? No, that's not true: The video making this claim uses a fake voice. O'Neal did not actually contribute his likeness or his voice to an advertisement for the so-called stimulus check card. The claim is the latest effort in a continuing scam to deceive online…

Does a video of a non-laboratory test using the T-Square brand oral fluid drug test prove that Red Bull energy drink contains the drugs buprenorphine and cocaine? No, that's not true: There is no way to confirm that the people featured in a video shared on social media used the drug test correctly and used an uncontaminated cup to hold…

Does a video on social media show a "hack" that will "slash your gas expenses"? No, that's not true: This video fails to deliver what is promised in seven minutes of drawn-out instructions on how to make a nonfunctional contraption. How the gas savings might occur is never disclosed. Furthermore, a safety professional with the National Fire Protection Association advises…

Did a "Prague newspaper" publish an article referring to Canada as a "confederacy of fools" and describing its prime minister, Justin Trudeau, as "the prince of fools" in 2023? No, that's not true: The purported quote is a years-old repurposed fragment of text whose authorship has never been verified. In the past, the same quote was used to criticize other…

Did Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's psychiatrist commit suicide in 2023? No, that's not true: This claim was published in 2010 by a blog that labeled its content "News, Commentary and Satire," and it was recirculated online in 2023. There is no evidence that Netanyahu's psychiatrist, if he has one, committed suicide in 2023. The claim appeared in an article…

Did Russia bomb "a cloning lab" in Ukraine's Donetsk, occupied by Russia in November 2023? No, that's not true: The website that published the claim relied on a fictitious single source, and that site carries a disclaimer saying it publishes "humor, parody and satire." No credible media organization reported the purported "news." The claim originated in a article (archived here)…

Does a video show a large billboard ad of an ABC News "Stand With Ukraine" message being replaced with a "Stand With Israel" message in New York City's Times Square district? No, that's not true: This video of the intersection of 50th Street and 7th Avenue has been edited to show a fake advertisement. The real illuminated billboard display at…

Did actor Anthony Hopkins endorse a Medicare program that allows senior citizens to use a flex card to pay their expenses? No, that's not true: A voice resembling Hopkins was used in a video about a Medicare program that doesn't exist. Lead Stories could not find any evidence that Hopkins has endorsed this on his social media accounts or on…

Does a video show a Gaza man giving "an Oscar-worthy performance for the camera" with fake injuries? No, that's not true: According to translated audio, the footage shows a group of people saying that the man's wounds are not as serious as they could be, in an apparent effort to reassure a relative or friend. Viral posts spreading the claim…