Did Pfizer "admit" there is no vaccine approved by the Food & Drug Administration for use in the United States in a recorded phone call? No, that is a misrepresentation. The FDA granted approval on August 23, 2021, of the vaccine known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, now also marketed under the name Comirnaty. This vaccine is approved for individuals…

If products were made in the United States, would the U.S. cargo ship backlog -- spurred in part by the COVID-19 pandemic -- be inconsequential? No, that's not true: Not only does the U.S. produce its fair share of products, but trade is vital to the country's economy. The claim appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) on October 10,…

Does the first episode of "COVIDLAND" prove its claims that hospitals were not taxed by COVID-19 caseloads, death statistics were inflated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and that the PCR test is unable to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus accurately? No, that's not true: Each of these claims, woven into the theory that a global cabal faked a…

Did a Delta pilot, who had recently received the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, die suddenly during a flight? Did this cause the plane to make an emergency landing at another unspecified airport sometime in the first 10 days of October 2021? No, that's not true -- a Delta Air Lines spokesperson says the claim is false, and the…

Did former President Jimmy Carter chastise American Christians with a rebuke that starts: "STOP saying that you want a country based on Christian values"? No, that's not true: According to comedian and creator of the quote, John Fugelsang, the saying has been misattributed to President Carter since 2013. The Carter Center also told Lead Stories that they "have no record…

Did President Joe Biden cut funding for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) by $30 billion? No, that's not true: The Biden administration originally proposed more than $90 billion in funding for HBCUs, tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) and minority-serving institutions (MSIs). That proposed funding was significantly cut by Congress, not the Biden administration. The claim appeared in a Facebook…

Are Amtrak employees walking off the job because of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate? No, that's not true. The cancellation of two trains on a route in the Northeast on October 10, 2021, were not due to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, Amtrak told Lead Stories. A trainworker union officer confirmed that, saying no members of Transport Workers Union of America had…

Did United Airlines lose 40% of its employees because of the vaccine requirement the airline put in place? No, that's not true: A United Airlines spokesperson told Lead Stories that 99.5% of United Airlines employees have chosen to get vaccinated. However, less than 240 employees are in the process of being "separated from the company." That is approximately 0.36% of…

Did the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps convict Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, of sexual assault against six women and then sentence to him to death for said crimes? No, that's not true: An on-duty public information officer at the Pentagon told Lead Stories that this claim was "Completely false." This claim was made on a self-described…

Did the Supreme Court in the U.S. rule that the COVID-19 "pathogen is not a vaccine", is unsafe and "must be avoided at all costs," and has the court canceled "the universal vax"? No, that's not true: The United States Supreme Court has not issued a ruling regarding COVID-19 vaccines, according to the court's published opinions. The claim appeared as…

Does Fox News require vaccinations for all employees? No, that's not true: A Fox News spokesperson shared with Lead Stories an internal memo that was sent out companywide in August 2021, stating that "all employees must enter their vaccine status" and wear masks in some situations. Subsequently, Kevin Lord, executive vice president of human resources at Fox News parent Fox…

Are fully vaccinated people unable to spread COVID-19 if they are infected? No, that's not true. President Joe Biden incorrectly stated that vaccinated healthcare workers cannot spread the coronavirus if they are infected after receiving their full doses. According to the Centers for Disease Control, "vaccinated people can still become infected and have the potential to spread the virus to…

Did World Trade Center Building 7 (WTC 7) collapse due to a controlled explosion right after the collapse of the first two World Trade Center buildings in New York City on September 11, 2001? No, that's not true: Investigators found no evidence of such an explosion and specialists found it was caused by fire. All the World Trade Center buildings…

Were all commercial flights to and from Washington, D.C., canceled on October 11, 2021? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that happened. Flights still were moving as planned in the morning and early afternoon on October 11, according to the Reagan International Airport arrival and departure page, as well as the Dulles International Airport arrival and departure page…

Did Joe Biden say that he was not the president? Yes, but he said it before he was elected president: During a campaign rally in March 2020, Biden, who was responding to hecklers, said that he was not the president at the time, which was true because the incumbent was then-President Donald Trump. The claim appeared in a manipulated video…

Does the blood of vaccinated people look visibly darker than the blood of people who were not vaccinated and is this the result of hemoglobin depletion? No, that's not true: This video provides no evidence to back up this claim. According to the public relations director of Hoxworth Blood Center there is no difference in the appearance of blood between…

Does a collection of "new studies" on COVID-19 prove vaccines are not working as claimed? No, that's not true: The claim rests on the false premise that vaccine makers and public health officials promised 100% prevention. No responsible scientist made such a promise. Quite the opposite: Medical and public health experts cautioned early in the pandemic that no vaccine against…

Does drinking out of a water bottle that's been left in a hot car give people breast cancer due to dioxin exposure? No, that's not true: Dioxins can give people cancer, but dioxin is not found in the plastics used to bottle water, be they hot or cold. BPA, which is found in the plastic of water bottles, may be…

Do "slap a teacher" challenge videos exist on TikTok? No, that's not true: Lead Stories has done an extensive search of TikTok and can find no proof that there are videos of students recording themselves slapping a teacher, then posting it on the site as of October 8, 2021. While there have been several school districts that claim students have…

Would a ballot initiative proposed in Oregon ban all animal meat and replace it with "'synthetic meat'" and "lab 'plant based protein'" that are "lab grown Petri dish vats of cells"? No, that's not true: Animal meat alternatives -- which are plant-based, not cell-based -- would not replace animal meat if Oregon voters adopted Initiative Petition 13. The proposed IP13…