Does a viral map claiming that identical tallies turned New York predominantly blue in the gubernatorial race with ">99%" votes allegedly counted prove election fraud? No, that's not true: Even three days after the video with the map was supposedly recorded, not a single news source showed the counted votes reaching the 99 percent benchmark. By then, the Republican candidate…

Did an ancient civilization in Africa build a nuclear reactor two billion years ago that was more advanced than a modern nuclear reactor and ran on 100-percent pure water? No, that's not true: About two billion years ago, in the area now known as the Oklo region of Gabon, Africa, several conditions existed that enabled a naturally produced chain reaction…

Did the U.S. Army Cyber Command find evidence that immigrants lacking permanent legal status in Colorado used fraudulent state identification cards to vote for Democrats in the 2022 midterm elections? No, that's not true: The claim originated on a webpage that is known for publishing satirical, fake takes on real people and issues in U.S. news and politics. The claim…

Does McDonald's use a toxic insecticide named Methamidophos, or Monitor, on the potatoes used for fries? No, that's not true: A spokesman for Lamb Weston, one of McDonald's primary potato suppliers, denied the claim to Lead Stories. Use of Monitor in the United States was "voluntarily cancelled" in 2009. The claim about McDonald's fries appeared in a video on YouTube…

Were Dominion Voting System tabulators the machines that caused problems in Maricopa County, Arizona on Election Day, November 8, 2022? No, that's not true: "Runbeck is our printer vendor," Maricopa County Elections Department Communications Director Megan Gilberston told Lead Stories. "It was not the Dominion Voting System tabulators." Runbeck Election Services, Inc.'s spokesperson confirmed to Lead Stories that it had…

Did the U.S. military find "evidence of election fraud amid fizzled red wave"? No, that's not true: This claim was made on a website known for publishing fabricated content. The claim originated in an article published by Real Raw News on November 9, 2022, titled "Military Finds Evidence of Election Fraud Amid Fizzled Red Wave" (archived here). It opened with…

Is the Dutch government planning to cancel its membership in the World Economic Forum, the Swiss-based international public policy organization? No, that's not true: The claim is based on a press release by a radical-right opposition party in the Belgian region of Flanders, not the Netherlands. The release says Flanders' leadership wants to tighten cooperation with the WEF, not withdraw…

Does a photograph show the Democratic candidate for governor of Arizona, Katie Hobbs, walking through a ballot-counting center in Maricopa County, the state's largest voting district? No, that's not true: A spokesman for Maricopa County told Lead Stories that the woman in the photo is a party election observer. The claim appeared in the comment for an image on Twitter…

Is the consumption of seed oils the leading cause of blindness in the world? No, that's not true: The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) told Lead Stories that eating seed oils does not cause blindness, and there are no definitively proven adverse eye effects related to the consumption of seed oils or linoleic acid. The claim appeared in a TikTok…

Do incorrect numbers posted to on-screen graphics during a live streamer's coverage of Election Night prove there was election fraud in the 2022 Pennsylvania governor's race? No, that's not true: Those graphics are not produced by election officials and are not official results. They are a live-streaming broadcaster's responsibility. Anchors during a live broadcast of Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN)…