Did Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin "admit we never went to the moon"? No, that's not true: The 2015 video interview from which a clip was taken to support this claim actually showed Aldrin answering a different question. The claim reappeared in a post on Instagram published on November 24, 2022. The accompanying text comment said: It's clear as day…

Does a newly released dataset show that COVID-19 is a deadly "experimental toxin"? And does Dr. Anthony Fauci's resignation have anything to do with it? No, neither are true: the claims recycle old falsehoods based on a distortion of publicly available information, and new reports do not support it. Fauci, 81, the country's top virologist, started talking about stepping down…

Do COVID-19 vaccines or PCR tests make people "magnetic"? No, that's not true. There is no evidence that either of them can increase what is perceived as "magnetism." But theatrical glue, oily skin or body cream can do the trick of making objects stick to skin without fundamentally altering the properties of the human body, which is not known for…

Did the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) report that "it is illegal to use anything from nature that is not tested for efficacy and safety"? No, that's not true: The FDA regards herbal supplements as foods, not drugs. Therefore, they are not subjected to the same manufacturing standards to prove they are effective in curing an illness and are ultimately…

Do COVID-19 nasal test swabs contain both lithium and DARPA hydrogel that allow recipients to be remotely controlled? No, that's not true: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told Lead Stories that nasal swabs used to test for COVID do not contain lithium or hydrogel from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The claim appeared in a TikTok video…

Did Yemi Getachew, an immigration lawyer who posted in support of COVID-19 vaccination, subsequently die from COVID-19 vaccination? No, that's not true: Getachew was diagnosed with cancer and was admitted to hospice care shortly before her death because of the disease. The claim was implied in a post published on Instagram on November 17, 2022. The post contained a video…

Are 4-year-old children prescribed puberty blockers as part of gender-affirming care? No, that's not true: The American Academy of Pediatrics told Lead Stories this claim is "not accurate." Puberty blockers are only prescribed once an individual has started or is beginning to start puberty. Four-year-olds do not normally go through puberty. The claim appeared in a tweet (archived here) on…

Does the movie "Died Suddenly" demonstrate that COVID-19 vaccinations cause widespread sudden death or severe medical outcomes? No, that's not true: The film recycles previously debunked claims that the vaccine is lethal or dangerous for the average person receiving it. More than 5.45 billion people have been vaccinated worldwide and public health experts recommend immunization against the virus, saying it…

Do medical schools neglect to teach future doctors about vaccines, how they're made and their potential dangers? No, that's not true: Vaccine education is a typical part of the training in schools of medicine. Representatives of multiple medical schools told Lead Stories that learning about vaccines is a foundational part of their curriculum for teaching students to become doctors. The…

Did Canada or the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario -- a Canadian professional medical association -- "mandate psychiatric medication for those that refuse mRNA injections or any kind of vaccination"? No, that's not true: The official websites of the governments of Canada and the province of Ontario don't mention anything similar as of November 22, 2022. The spokesperson…

Do seed oils, not the sun, increase the risks of skin cancer? Was skin cancer "basically non-existent before seed oils"? No, that's not true: Ultraviolet exposure is one of the major factors that may lead to skin cancers, as well as genetics. Seed oils are not known for increasing risks for this disease, as a board-certified dermatologist confirmed to Lead…

Does a "terminator gene" exist that creates seedless fruits that "sterilize" or cause infertility in humans who consume these fruits? No, that's not true: Multiple professors who study plant genetics told Lead Stories that these claims are false because terminator gene technology was never commercialized and seedless fruits, which are created naturally, are safe for people to eat. The claim…

Is the Earth flat and surrounded by a transparent barrier that prevents rockets from leaving the Earth's atmosphere? Beyond this barrier, is there a firmament composed of water or a liquid-like substance? Does this explain why the U.S. government in 1962 launched Operation Fish Bowl -- to use nuclear weapons to try and break through that barrier? No, that's not…

Did the U.S. Air Force say, on the record, that the military branch wants to control the weather by 2025? No, that's not true: The Air Force public affairs team told Lead Stories that it is not Air Force policy to control the weather by 2025. The claim apparently traces back to a 1996 Air University research paper titled, "Weather…

Is Russia "the first country to break the Antarctic Treaty"? No, that's not true: Russia neither broke away from the agreement nor violated it. As of November 17, 2022, no credible sources -- including other treaty members, the International Court of Justice, international law experts or major media organizations -- had reported that Russia had not fulfilled its treaty obligations…

Does cutting an onion in two, placing the onion halves in your socks and sleeping through the night with them sticking to your feet help combat the flu and cold symptoms by drawing out toxins? No, that's not true: While the National Onion Association website states that onions support your health in various ways, such as defending against cancers and…

Did "Jacinta Ardern", the prime minister of New Zealand, threaten to put mRNA vaccines in the water supply if enough people did not take the shot? No, that's not true: This claim originated in late January 2022 with an image of a made-up news article that was never published. Although that false image has been debunked, the rumor that Ardern…

Was a doctor tried and executed in Malaysia for "giving the bioweapon vaccine and killing a patient" under the Nuremberg Code? No, that's not true: Malaysia stopped executing people in 2018 and hasn't reversed the moratorium on capital punishment since then. The claim originated in a video (archived here) shared on Telegram on November 3, 2022, by the user named…

Is it scientifically proven that so-called "face mapping" or "face reading" offers a map of disease or illness in the body? No, that's not true: Looking at blemishes on the face to determine what's happening in the body is an alternative medical practice that dates back to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which is thousands of years old, but it is…

Is it true that germ theory has "NEVER" been proven? No, that's not true: This claim was posted without corroborating materials, nor medical credentials for the person to whom the claim is attributed. The germ theory is a scientifically established explanation for infectious diseases. A medical professional told Lead Stories that "intoxication theory," a supposition that disease is the body's…