Society

Do 95 percent of people who request senior benefits through an urgent "limited offer" in an ad on social media qualify the same day? No, that's not true: This promotion does not point to an official government website and it is unclear which company runs it. There are multiple red flags that point to it being an information-harvesting ruse for…

Does a video on social media show President Joe Biden speaking very slowly and haltingly about the powerful drug fentanyl? No, that's not true: The video in a viral Instagram post has been digitally edited. In the real, extended video, Biden speaks at a natural pace on various topics at a press conference during the U.S.-China summit in November 2023.…

Does a video on social media show two versions of the same January 6, 2021, speakerphone call between then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and then-Vice President Mike Pence, apparently implying at least one of the versions was staged? No, that's not true: The actual video of the call following the U.S. Capitol attack on January 6 was deceptively edited to exactly…

Is Disneyland in California likely to be closed indefinitely as of November 2023 over an alleged child kidnapping? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Disneyland is closing and no evidence for the alleged child kidnapping was provided in the video making the claim. As of this writing, the park was open to the public and accepting visitors.…

Is bathing with Epsom salts highly toxic? No, that's not true: Toxicology experts told Lead Stories the claim that bathing with Epsom salts is toxic is "completely false" and "there is no toxicity associated with salt." Poison control agencies such as the Missouri Poison Center classify the salt as "generally safe" and "low risk" when used as the directions intended.…

Does a video show Apeel coating applied to a cabbage? No, that's not true: The cabbage in the video is not real, and it's not meant to be eaten. The footage shows a way to make food samples for display, and it's from Japan, not the United States. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Instagram on October…

Does a social media video of three young women fighting off multiple men in a tunnel passageway depict an actual event involving Israeli girls -- or, depending on different versions using the same video, French paramilitary women or Turkish girls? No, that's not true: It's a staged skit, and the fight is fake. The video features trained professionals and was…

Was an American soldier holding a "China flag" when President Joe Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in California unusual or a breach of protocol as implied by a tweet from Graham Allen? No, that's not true: A State Department spokesperson told Lead Stories that anytime a foreign leader is hosted in the United States, a member of the…

Will 10 states be issuing a fourth round of IRS stimulus checks on November 30, 2023? No, that's not true: There is no 2023 federal tax benefit stimulus program from the IRS nor are all the states listed in a social media post issuing their own stimulus checks. Virginia will be issuing rebate checks to eligible taxpayers before November 30,…

Does an image taken from footage on January 6, 2021, reveal a federal agent holding a badge as part of a staged federal insurrection or "Fedsurrection"? No, that's not true: The image shows Kevin Lyons, a Chicago man sentenced to 51 months in prison on six federal charges. Multiple news stories identify him and show Lyons at the U.S. Capitol…

Is sporting company Barnett Outdoors giving away free bows after having "discriminated 35+ years old men"? No, that's not true: The account that shared a post making this claim is in no way affiliated with the sporting goods company-- the page was created the same day the scam post was published. A link included in the post redirected users to…

Did former President Donald Trump advertise a water filter on Facebook? No, that's not true: Outside of the post making such a claim, Lead Stories did not find any evidence confirming that. A video with a Trump-sounding narration likely utilized a so-called "cloned" version of the former president's voice generated by AI. The claim originated from a post (archived here)…

Does a video show Israeli soldiers placing their national flag atop the Al Shifa hospital in Gaza? No, that's not true: Al Shifa buildings seen in other photos didn't appear to have any UN markings on the rooftops, while the building in versions of the flag-raising scene did have clear UN markings on its roof. A representative for the United…

Was Colin Kaepernick "fired from his new job as a high school coach" after only six games because kids couldn't stand him? No, that's not true: The claim is derived from an article copied from a satirical website known for publishing fabricated content to embarrass conservatives who repost it as true. That website displays a disclaimer that reads, "Everything on…

Did 17,327 dead people vote in Michigan in the 2020 presidential election? No, that's not true: The Michigan Office of the Auditor General released an audit in March 2022 that found 1,616 votes cast by electors who died prior to election day in the 2020 general election were tallied. No voter fraud was determined to have occurred by the audit,…

Is the Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine "contaminated" with a type of DNA that causes permanent genetic changes in vaccinated people or leads to death due to cardiac arrest? No, that's not true: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told Lead Stories that residual DNA found in Pfizer's COVID shot has produced "no safety concerns." Additionally, an infectious disease expert said…

Does a video show California's governor, Gavin Newsom, falling down the steps while deplaning? No, that's not true: According to the person who first posted it, the footage, filmed in 2014, shows Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who at that time was the coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats. The California's Governor's office confirms that the video does not show Newsom. The old…

Did American TV producer and host Oprah Winfrey endorse a "minimum wage subsidy card" that helps those with hourly wages below $26 pay for gas and groceries? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no proof of such an incentive. The video making this claim, which looked like a live broadcast, appears to have been edited. The claim appeared in…

Did U.S. Special Forces arrest Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko on U.S. soil as of November 17, 2023? No, that's not true: A Pentagon duty officer confirmed for Lead Stories that this claim is false. The website where this claim was published carries a disclaimer saying it publishes "humor, parody and satire." The claim appeared…

Does data pulled from the Adverse Event Reporting System and the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System prove that COVID-19 vaccines have caused more than 1.4 million adverse events and over 32,000 deaths as of November 25, 2022? No, that's not true: The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, known as VAERS, is a government database of negative health reactions to vaccines…