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Have American megachurches failed to offer help to the Ukrainian people? No, that's not true: An informal survey by Lead Stories shows several of America's largest congregations and denominations are actively soliciting and distributing relief to the people impacted by the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his "special military action" in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The…

Did former President Donald Trump pass a bill in 2017 that increased tax rates for taxpayers making $75,000 or less starting in 2021 and ending in 2027? No, that's not true: Although an analysis of the 2017 Tax Cuts And Jobs Act (TCJA) suggested that the tax rate would increase for low-income earners in 2021, that analysis is misleading. The…

Was former President Donald Trump being forced to sell The Mar-a-Lago Club, a private club and residence, as of February 16, 2022? No, that's not true: Although Trump is facing potential financial consequences because of various controversies, he has not been forced to let go of Mar-a-Lago as a result. The assertion is just a prediction from commentators. The claim…

Was former President Donald Trump charged with treason by authorities? No, that's not true: A clickbait headline made the claim but the video in the post does not provide any evidence of the claim. In the video, Christo Aivalis says he thinks Trump should be charged with treason and espionage if he illegally took top secret classified documents from the…

Does the U.S. State Department forbid U.S. citizens from smiling in their passport photos? No, that's not true: The State Department's webpage on passport photos features multiple photos marked "acceptable" showing smiling faces. In the section on expressions in passport photos, the U.S. government says passport photos should "Have a neutral facial expression or a natural smile, with both eyes…

Did Melania Trump "break up" with Donald Trump, or dump him, as announced in the title of a video? No, that clickbait headline is not supported by the news story it was based on. In the video the narrator, Christo Aivalis, discusses his take on a recently announced arrangement between Melania Trump and the social media platform Parler. He says…

Is this an authentic photo of Steve Bannon? No, that's not true: This photo has been altered. The original photo was taken by photographer Mark Wilson for Getty Images on April 20, 2017. The photo has been edited to change the overall contrast and color saturation to add blemishes, bloody mouth and stained shirt. The image search engine TinEye shows…

Are over 100,000 children in serious condition because of COVID-19? No, that's not true: Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor overstated the pandemic's toll on children 17 and under during Supreme Court oral arguments on January 7, 2022. As of that date, fewer than 85,000 people ages 0 to 17 had been admitted to the hospital during the whole pandemic because…

Did Canada recently issue a list of 18 words or phrases that people are no longer allowed to say? No, that's not true: This video is missing context as these words were originally published in a news article about diversity initiatives -- not a policy change recently made by the Canadian government. A public affairs representative from the Canadian Broadcasting…

Does Bob Cratchit, a character from the Charles Dickens classic novella "A Christmas Carol" make the equivalent of $530.27 a week, which is more than the current weekly federal minimum wage in the United States? Probably not: The novella, set in Victorian-era London, states that Cratchit is paid 15 "bob" -- a colloquial term for British shillings -- per week…

Did former President Donald Trump hold a rally that drew only five people? No, that's not true: The claim in the clickbait headline is not supported in the video. The information in the video was taken from a national news article that did not call the event a rally -- which would be free -- and did not report only…

Is the ESPN tweet about "a noose found in Bubba Wallace's stall at Talladega Superspeedway" correct? Yes, but it is missing context that makes it clear the noose's message was not likely intended for Wallace. The tweet is a 2:54 video trailer for an ESPN TV special documentary titled, "E60: Fistful of Steel: The Rise of Bubba Wallace," that includes…

Did Mike Lindell give closed-door testimonies against Trump? No, that's not true: The My Pillow founder told Lead Stories via text message that claim is absolutely incorrect. "Of course I didn't," he said, denying the allegation. The claim was made in a video that said in the headline he gave the secret testimony but Lindell wasn't even mentioned in the…

Did former President George W. Bush appear before a military tribunal on December 8, 2021? No, that's not true: At the time of writing, Bush is not indicted nor facing a military tribunal, a Department of Defense spokesperson told Lead Stories. The website where the claim was posted is known for publishing fictitious content. The claim originated in an article…

Does this video prove Ivanka Trump is joining the Democrats to run against her dad? No, that's not true: The video contents do not match the title. Also, there is no evidence the former first daughter is anything but politically loyal to her father, former President Donald Trump. She's even mentioned as a possible running mate should he make another…

Is a Christmas card with Donald Trump wearing a tuxedo that appears to create a phallic image a real one from the former president? No, that's not true: A card making the rounds of social media showing Trump wearing a black tuxedo with white tails, and a Santa and reindeer sleigh that all together form a phallic image is not…

Does a 2021 Tennessee law make it illegal to teach Black history in the state? No, that's not true: While the law does not ban the teaching of Black history, or any ethnic group's history, it greatly restricts what public school teachers can discuss in Tennessee classrooms about racism, white privilege and unconscious bias. The claim appears in an opinion…

Did Kyle Rittenhouse cross state lines with an AR-15? No, that claim is misleading. The gun he used in the shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was "purchased, stored and used in Wisconsin," the Lake County Illinois State's Attorney's Office said in a statement. A friend testified during Rittenhouse's 2021 trial that he purchased the gun used in the shooting in Wisconsin,…

Did Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tweet that people should not be convicted on "flimsy" circumstantial evidence, such as "having a similar gait," "owning the identical shoes" or "being in DC and not having any alibi for that time"? No, that's not true: Greene's spokesperson told Lead Stories that the tweet was fake. There is no evidence that the tweet came…

Did John Gruden make statements about poor kids, people with Indian accents and the "first mainstream African-American"? No, that's not true: Four statements attributed to ex-NFL football coach John Gruden were not made by him but by Joe Biden over the years, all of which were reported by national news outlets. The claim appeared as a Facebook post (archived here)…