Fact Check

Was the children's book "Abuela" banned in "many states" as of April 20, 2023? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no evidence as of this writing that the book has been banned at the county, state or federal level. The claim originated in a video shared to Instagram on April 14, 2023, by actress Stephanie Beatriz, with a caption…

Does a video interview with former Arizona congressional candidate Jeff Zink prove a "little 8-year-old girl had 67 different DNA samples inside of her"? No, that's not true: The sheriff's office in Cochise County, Arizona, where the migrant child was purportedly found, said it has no record of such a case during several years around the approximate date Zink says…

Did Bud Light introduce a new "lol CRYBABIES" billboard campaign as a response to recent backlash over the brand's association with transgender social media personality Dylan Mulvaney? No, that's not true: This is not a real ad campaign from Bud Light. The "lol CRYBABIES" image is a digital manipulation by TikTok video creator @.jamisonlightfoot, who has posted other videos with…

Did sanctioned Russian banks regain their access to the international system of cross-border money transfers in April 2023? No, that's not true: No such decision was made by the European Union or the United States, as of this writing. The claim appeared in a tweet (archived here) published on April 22, 2023. It opened: NEWS | Russia has been reconnected…

Will Budweiser brands be banned from Oktoberfest for the first time in 75 years? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Budweiser has ever been sold at the official Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, as only Munich-based breweries can sell their beers at the festival. Also, the claim was published originally on a satire website. The claim originated in…

Does a test that supposedly extracts "chemtrail" and air-pollution nanoparticles from a person's saliva accurately show a diagnosis of Morgellons disease? No, that's not true: Food chemistry experts told Lead Stories that precipitates created after swishing cranberry juice in the mouth are not the result of nanoparticles from chemtrails and air pollution but a well-known reaction of saliva mixed with…

Did the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ban COVID-19 vaccines in April 2023? No, that's not true: On April 18, 2023, the agency amended its previous emergency use authorizations (EUAs) to remove authorization for monovalent vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, and, instead, authorized bivalent vaccines for all doses given to those 6 months old and older. In a…

Did a robot that experienced "wage slavery" for 15 minutes commit suicide after determining that was the logical choice rather than to continue working? No, that's not true: The video was posted by Agility Robotics, celebrating the 99-percent success rate of its live demos, while acknowledging that its Digit robot did have a couple of falls. This robot's accident happened…

Is New York City, one of the world's culinary capitals, "trying to ban meat"? No, that's not true: The rumor followed a Mayor's Office announcement about the reduction of food-related carbon emissions, not a complete prohibition of meat. Moreover, the emissions-reduction program focuses predominantly on the city's spending on food; as of this writing, the private sector does not have…

Did a photo recently surface that shows Jeffrey Epstein posing with four children on a tropical beach? No, that's not true: This is not a real photo but an image created with the AI program Midjourney. This image, and another in the same vein showing a likeness of Epstein posing with five children, were posted on Instagram by an account…

Does a map circulating on social media prove 3-year-old children can get a gender-affirming surgery in the United States? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that such surgeries have ever been performed on patients of this age, and the existing standards for gender-affirming care do not recommend any medical interventions before a person reaches puberty. The claim appeared…

Do tampons pull "moisture out of the vagina" to cause reproductive disorders such as tumors, ovarian cysts and fibroids? No, that's not true: Medical experts told Lead Stories there is no evidence that pulling "moisture out of the vagina" would result in reproductive disorders like tumors, ovarian cysts or fibroids as those are genetic and cell-driven processes unrelated to tampons…

Did President Joe Biden "push away" or snub U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak when Biden arrived in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on April 11, 2023? No, that's not true: The video in this post has been digitally edited. It was shortened to seem as if Biden did not recognize Sunak and instead mistook a British military member in uniform as the…

Did scientists find a "dimensional gateway" in Antarctica? No, that's not true: The evidence of the portals are computer-generated imagery, or CGI. Multiple photos used as background for these "dimensional gateway" photos are from stock image websites. There is no evidence from credible news outlets that scientists have found a dimensional gateway in Antarctica. The claim appeared in an article…

Can HIV be permanently cured by ingesting papaya leaf and black seed tea? No, that's not true: At the time of writing, no cure for HIV has been discovered by medical professionals. Although several false claims of a cure have been made since the emergence of the chronic disease in the 1970s, medical professionals have only found ways to treat…

Does fenbendazole cure cancer? No, that's not true: While there have been some experimental studies, it has not been approved as a cancer treatment in the United States. The claim appeared in a post republished from TikTok to Facebook on April 9, 2023. Its title said: Dog Dewormer Cures Lung, Brain, Liver Cancer!! This is what the post looked like…

Did the state of Ohio introduce a new death penalty procedure that "quickly and humanely rips off the heads of death row inmates using powerful robotic arms"? No, that's not true: This spoof news video is from ONN, the Onion News Network -- the video branch of theonion.com, a satire news website. The two-minute-long spoof news video titled "Ohio Replaces…

Did U.S. Army helicopters carrying troops in hazmat suits land on the campus of Utah State University and arrest five people for manufacturing ricin in April 2023? No, that's not true: The helicopters that landed on the campus on April 11, 2023, were involved in a demonstration by the school's Army ROTC program, the military science department head told Lead…

Did several videos in countries around the world accurately show that tiny sharp nails or pins were in medicine capsules sealed in tamper-evident blister packs? No, that's not true: In February 2021 several videos circulated on the internet showing adulterated medicine capsules. The medicines pictured, from different manufacturers, have limited distribution in several different countries. Aside from the suspicious videos…

Does a bill passed by the Washington State Legislature allow the "government to take minor children away" from their parents if "they refuse to agree to gender transition surgery"? No, that's not true: The legislation has no provision for removing children from their parents if they don't agree to gender affirmation surgery. The statute deals specifically with children who have…