Fact Check

Was Jacob Chansley, aka the "QAnon Shaman," led through the Capitol by police the entire time he was in the building on January 6, 2021? No, there's no evidence that's true: Chansley broke into the building, where he ignored repeated requests to leave and was -- at least for a time -- alone, according to court documents, some video footage…

Were the victims of an Arkansas plane crash on their way to East Palestine, Ohio, to test the water, soil and air after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed there? No, that's not true: The five victims, employees of CTEH -- an environmental consulting firm -- were headed to a metals plant in Bedford, Ohio, according to a CTEH spokesman.…

Did Albert Einstein say, "I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots"? No, that's not true: Archival experts told Lead Stories that there is "no evidence" of such a quote having come from Einstein. Lead Stories found no record of this quote after searching several databases and archival records…

Are transgender people and gender fluidity "products" of modern Western civilization? No, that's not true: Non-binary gender expression in many communities across the globe throughout history has been documented and researched. Professor Lisa Duggan told Lead Stories that even though people of earlier epochs did not necessarily conceptualize themselves through the optics of present-day terms, the phenomena are not modern…

Was a massive "sandy UFO" caught on camera? No, that's not true: This footage is not real; it's special effects graphics in the 2022 sci-fi horror movie "Nope," directed by Jordan Peele. A short video clip was published on Instagram by @yeshuachoseyou on March 7, 2023. It was captioned: yeshuachoseyouHUGE SANDY UFO CAUGHT ON CAMREA ‼️😱🛸🔥 #sand #ufo #ufos #rapture…

Did a "confidential source" find more than 250 million "humanoid aliens" living on the moon? No, that's not true: NASA told Lead Stories they have not yet found any sound evidence of extraterrestrial life. The key word "humanoid" implies that these aliens are similar to humans. Since humans can't survive on the moon, "humanoid aliens" would also not be able…

Are the "Sandford Police" in the U.K. looking for information on the identity of the driver of a red car allegedly committing a "Dangerous Driving offence" by stopping for a three-legged dog crossing the street and having a motorcycle smash into them? No, that's not true: The "Sandford Police" Twitter account that posted the call for information is satirical. The…

Can taking black sesame seeds heal "all chronic illnesses after 100 days"? No, that's not true: There are no cures for many chronic illnesses, from heart disease to cancer to diabetes, and the simple treatment of eating black sesame seeds is not medically proven to heal "all chronic illnesses after 100 days." The claim appeared in a post published on…

Was "vitamin" B17 prohibited for its "cancer-killing properties"? No, that's not true: The only thing it is known for is its ability to cause cyanide poisoning, not to treat cancer. Also, what social media refers to as a "vitamin" is not a vitamin. The claim appeared in a video published on Facebook on March 1, 2023. A male narrator began:…

Does Children's Hospital of Philadelphia offer "gender-affirming" support, including surgical or hormonal procedures, directly to children as young as 3 years old? No, that's not true: The hospital's Gender and Sexuality Development Program offers "psychosocial and medical support for gender nonconforming, gender expansive and transgender children and youth up to age 21 and their families." However, in pre-pubescent children below…

Did a 2020 Australian study find dangerous levels of heavy metals in pink Himalayan salt? No, that's not true: Although the study found metal contaminants, all pink salt samples in the study -- with the exception of one, from Peru -- were within safe and allowable limits. The claim appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) on March 2, 2023.…

Is Migrante rescatado en Frontera N.A. a Facebook page to help search for missing migrants? No, that's not true: The page with over 8,000 followers claims to help families find their missing loved ones on the U.S.-Mexico border. But experts and victims say this page has instead been set up to find families of missing migrants to extort, demanding payment…

Is the "biggest increase in registered deaths in 100 years" in New Zealand due to the nation's high vaccination rate? No, that's not true: "There is absolutely no evidence that the increase in mortality in 2022 is related to Covid-19 vaccination," Dr. Michael Baker, a public health professor at the University of Otago, told Lead Stories in a March 7,…

Is there evidence that children in Ukraine are being punished for questioning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no information that supported this statement. Additionally, an image used to support this claim is not related to the claim. The claim appeared in a tweet (archived here) published on Twitter on February 18, 2023. It included…

Was an arrest warrant for Bill Gates issued by the "Heinous Crimes Court" in the Philippines for "premeditated murder" linked to vaccine roll out? No, that's not true: A legal expert told Lead Stories, "Philippine courts do not have the authority to issue international arrest warrants under the Philippines Rules of Criminal Procedure." The expert says there's no such entity…

Did Russian President Vladimir Putin order the destruction of all COVID-19 vaccine supplies in Russia? No, that's not true. The claim originated from a website known for spreading false claims, and no other independent credible source has published anything to back up this theory. On March 4, 2023, the Russian Ministry of Health publicly confirmed sending additional doses to different…

Did COVID-19 vaccines lead to the number of stillbirths being "nearly doubled" in Singapore? No, that's not true: The former journalist who posted the claim retracted it on his blog, noting that he missed the fact a law change in Singapore makes it mandatory to report all births, infant deaths and stillbirths, including those that occur outside hospitals. That resulted…

Does a video on social media show that China has successfully cloned several species of dinosaurs? No, that's not true: The video's clips, shot at different locations, show Jurassic-Park-themed animatronics and puppetry. The dinosaurs are not alive. And, cloning of the species shown would be impossible as they predate the oldest known DNA fragments, which were found in Greenland's permafrost…

Did police in Charlottesville, Virginia pick up a homeless dogcalled Chloe and offer her for adoption when the owner refused to take her back? No, that's not true: The post that makes this claim is deceptively using a picture of a Texas animal rescue to draw readers to a page on Facebook that employs "bait and switch" content to lure…

Did a "bombshell new study" prove that mRNA "jabs" have "caused tens of millions of serious new health problems worldwide," including a condition known as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)? No, that's not true: The 2022 study, conducted by researchers from Cedars-Sinai and Brigham and Women's Hospital, found that COVID-19 vaccinations were associated with an increased risk of certain health…