Fact Check

Was Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the first time 100,000 troops had invaded another country since World War II? No, that's not true: There are many examples of military forces totaling more than 100,000 invading other countries since the end of the Second World War in 1945. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) posted…

Was a 19-year-old girl in Texas sentenced to "96 years in prison" after traveling across state lines to gain access to an abortion procedure? No, that's not true: The social media account that shared this post is a satirical one. Furthermore, Texas law enforcement officials did not publicly announce such an arrest and conviction, and no reputable media outlet covered…

Can the Alaska-based HAARP project, a former military research facility for studying the ionosphere, remotely initiate natural disasters such as earthquakes anywhere on Earth? No, that's not true: An "explanation" of its purported capabilities to manufacture disasters, posted on social media, contradicts well-established scientific facts. The manager of the HAARP project told Lead Stories that the facility "cannot create or…

Did the word "horizon" come from the word "horizontal," and is this evidence that the Earth must be flat? No, that's not true: The word "horizon" came first, and the adjective "horizontal" followed. The adjective describes something "relating to or near the horizon." The word "horizon" originated from the ancient Greek term "ὁρίζων κύκλος" (horízōn kýklos), which means "separating (or…

Did a dog in Pennsylvania test positive for exposure to vinyl chloride, a chemical that officials have confirmed has leaked from the train derailment site near East Palestine, Ohio? No, that's not true: In an interview with Lead Stories, the veterinarian who treated the dog confirmed that, as of February 23, 2023, no test is available to determine whether a…

Does a report assessing the safety of a plant-based meat product made by a company in which Bill Gates has invested prove that meat grown in a laboratory causes cancer in humans? No, that's not true: Since the report doesn't even consider lab-grown meat, it can't prove it's carcinogenic when eaten by people because the two products are not the…

Will the "15-minute city" require residents to carry permits for more than 15 minutes of travel, track "in real time" their carbon footprints and block violators of city rules from accessing "daily activities"? No, that's not true: The 15-minute city, an urban model in which everyone living in a city would be within a 15-minute walk or bike ride of…

Was there an uptick in industrial fires in the U.S. in early 2023, indicating that the country is "under attack"? No, that's not true: Annually, there are between 2,600 and 3,100 structure fires in industrial properties in the U.S., according to 2016-2020 data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a U.S.-based international fire safety nonprofit. When compared with data…

Can 49 percent of COVID-19 vaccine ingredients produced under emergency use authorization (EUA) be changed without telling the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)? No, that's not true: Even very small changes to a vaccine must be reported to the regulatory agency. A member of the FDA's vaccine advisory panel said such a notion about vaccines could only come from "someone…

Did Pope Francis say that pedophiles have a special place in heaven? No, that's not true: There is no record of Pope Francis saying that, as an article in NewsPunch claims. Other quotes in this article are real quotes from the pope that were taken out of context and their meaning reversed. The article was published by NewsPunch on February…

Do cholesterol-lowering drugs, also known as statins, cause Alzheimer's disease (AD)? No, that's not true: A neurologist told Lead Stories there is no truth to this claim and such statements "are not based on any scientific data or valid understanding of the disease." Furthermore, modern scientific literature largely suggests that statins may actually play a role in the prevention of…

Was Andrew Tate, who was arrested in late 2022 on suspicion of human trafficking, rape and participating in organized crime, released as of February 22, 2023? No, that's not true: The former kickboxing champion and internet influencer remains behind bars after a Romanian court ruled to extend his detention by another 30 days, according to Ramona Bolla, a spokeswoman for…

Did an aerial video capture a deep and wide chasm in the Earth's crust in southern Turkey's Hatay province, part of the area hit by earthquakes in early February 2023? No, that's not true: This video footage does not show earthquake fault lines in Turkey. It shows China's Loess Plateau, which is a drainage basin for the Yellow River. The…

Did the Centers for Disease Control change the level of exposure considered lethal for vinyl chloride from 100 parts per million to 100,000 parts per million shortly before the February 3, 2023 train derailment and vinyl chloride spill near East Palestine, Ohio? Was this change the first such revision "since 1987"? No, that's not true: Vinyl chloride's toxicity profile on…

Do a paper published in a medical journal and a video based on it prove the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine causes brain and heart damage? No, that's not true: The paper looks at the case of a single elderly man with Parkinson's disease who died weeks after his final vaccination. It doesn't establish a causal link between the vaccine and the…

Does Apple have to pay $700 "to anyone with a slowed-down phone, if they claim it"? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Apple has to pay $700 to anyone with a slowed-down iPhone. In 2020, the company settled a lawsuit for $310 million over the sluggish performance of certain older models of iPhones only. The text of…

Did Disney decide to remove Mickey Mouse as the official mascot in 2024 because the famous mouse's copyright is going to expire -- and will the purple dragon Figment take Mickey's place? No, that's not true: The claim, along with a digitally edited photo, originated on a satire website called mousetrapnews.com that specializes in fake stories about Disney parks. Clear…

Did the United States, Germany and other Western countries pull their ambassadors out of Turkey 24 hours before the February 6, 2023, earthquake that killed tens of thousands there? No, that's not true: Diplomatic representatives from the United States, Germany, Canada and the Netherlands confirmed to Lead Stories that their ambassadors were in Turkey at the time of the quake.…

Is flesh-eating rain coming down in Nebraska as a result of the toxic chemical spill from the February 3, 2023, train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio? No, that's not true: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told Lead Stories they have received no reports about flesh-eating rain in connection with the spill. A Nebraska climatologist told Lead Stories that, given…

During his February 20, 2023, trip to Ukraine, did President Joe Biden promise Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "stake in the United States" as a reward for "staying the course"? No, that's not true: This claim was published by a site known for printing fake news stories. The claim was part of an article with other debunked claims, including one…