Does a "research letter" published by JAMA Pediatrics prove that face masks are dangerous for children? No, that's not true: The medical journal that published the lab report on July 16, 2021 announced editors have retracted it, after peer scientists pointed out the measuring device was unsuitable, the data dubious and therefore the conclusions unwarranted. Despite being published in a…

Have scientists confirmed that most of those vaccinated against COVID-19 will die soon? No, that's not true: There's no evidence the vaccines will cause widespread deaths. In fact, scientists almost universally agree that the shots will do the opposite -- that they will help prevent deaths that otherwise would have been caused by the virus. The claim appeared in a…

Did this "Median U.S. Household Income" chart for 2019 show the estimated amounts earned by race and ethnic group, and was the data in this chart recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau? Yes, but it's lacking context. The chart is from the government, which separately tracks individual ethnic groups by household income, but the numbers are based on unofficial estimates…

Was Adam Schiff convicted of treason? No, that's not true: There's no evidence the Democratic congressman from California was convicted. The claim was published by a website known for publishing false allegations and that previously reported that Schiff had been arrested. A spokesperson for the congressman told Lead Stories the claim wasn't true, and Schiff has done interviews and been…

Did James Comey lose his head to a guillotine? No, that's not true: There's no credible evidence the former FBI director was executed. The website that published the report is known for making false allegations and has a disclaimer warning readers not to take its content too seriously. The same site previously reported that the military arrested Comey, a claim…

Does "The Deep Rig" unveil new or credible evidence that the 2020 election was fixed? No, that's not true: The film recycles claims that have been debunked. Without proof, it states as fact that there were "big injections of faulty votes" in key cities; it leans on a discredited report on Antrim County, Michigan, and it repeats false claims about…

Does a person's birth certificate, with their name spelled out in capital letters, create a second entity, a "straw man," that is owned by the state and is separate from the flesh and blood person given that name at birth? No, that's not true: This is an illegitimate theory promoted by several different conspiracist groups such as Sovereign Citizens, Freemen…

Does medical research show natural immunity to COVID-19 is stronger than that gained from vaccines, and that those vaccines are ineffective against emerging variants of the virus? No, that's not true: The person making these claims, although introduced as an epidemiologist, is board-certified as a cardiologist and does not list his certification in epidemiology. Directly refuting the claims, the Centers…

Does a video show a microchip reader used for pets presumably registering a chip in a person's arm where she was vaccinated? No, that's not true: The company that makes the reader couldn't find any information linked to the number that flashed on the screen briefly when the reader was held near a woman's arm. Lead Stories researched the microchip…

Is "The Great Reset" a secret plan masterminded by global elites to limit freedoms and push radical policies? No, that's not true: It's the name of a public policy initiative the World Economic Forum (WEF) launched in response to the COVID-19 crisis. The phrase has been hijacked by conspiracy theorists who believe an evil cabal is using the pandemic as…

Did President Joe Biden threaten to "nuke law-abiding American citizens" while speaking about the U.S. Constitution's second amendment? No, that's not true: Biden was discussing the "right of the people to keep and bear Arms" provision, which some gun rights advocates interpret to mean that American citizens have the right to keep weapons of war in order to challenge a…

Does a list show "brave border agents who have died during the 90+ days Kamala Harris refused to visit border communities"? No, that's not true. The list is of customs and border patrol agents who died in the 100 years prior to 2021. Not a single person on the list passed away in the 90 days prior to June 27,…

Did U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris serve tacos featuring her likeness to journalists aboard Air Force Two during a recent visit to the U.S.-Mexican border? No, that's not true: the claim clearly played off of the recent criticism Harris received for serving cookies shaped in her likeness to journalists. The claim appeared in an Instagram post (archived here) published on…

Did Vice President Kamala Harris order the deportation of a reporter who asked her a tough question during a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border? No, that's not true: The reporter, identified in the video making the claim as FOX News White House correspondent Peter Doocy, is an American citizen born in Washington, D.C., and he cannot be deported from the…

Is this video correct in its claim that the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Report System (VAERS) delivers data proving 6,000 people were killed by COVID vaccines? No, that's not true: The VAERS website repeatedly warns users against making faulty assumptions based on the VAERS list of reports. As the VAERS webpage itself explains, the list of reports is a wide-open,…

Does Stacey Abrams own 16% of a firm that counted votes in Fulton County, Georgia? No, that's not true: The claim is in reference to a company called Happy Faces, which was contracted by the county to provide staffing for the 2020 election. CEO Michael Hairston told Lead Stories that he owns 100% of the business. "There are no outside…

Was Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, arrested by U.S. Navy SEALs on June 1, 2021? No, that's not true: Not only is there no credible information about such an arrest, but Fauci has made several telecommunications and public appearances since June 1, 2021 and federal law bars the U.S. military from taking…

Is Bill Clinton facing a military tribunal for crimes of "murder, sex crimes against minors, treason, theft of government property"? No, that's not true: A Pentagon duty officer confirmed to Lead Stories that this claim was "Not true." The originator of the claim has a disclaimer on their website to tell readers they are not a legitimate news source. The…

Did Vice President Kamala Harris host a private dinner at her residence that excluded Black leaders without explanation? No, that's not true: although the dinner that Harris hosted on June 15, 2021 was attended almost exclusively by non-Black and white women, that is because the invitees of the dinner were current women U.S. Senators -- none of whom are Black.…

Does this colorful graphic chart, with a footnote that the data was sourced from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fairly represent the impact of vaccines on vaccine-preventable diseases? No, that's not true: By carving off the prevaccine years, the chart de-emphasizes the sharp reduction in death by infectious diseases. And by calculating the mortality as a portion of…