9/11

Does a video that shows a long queue for charging Tesla vehicles indicate some sort of government failure? No, that's misleading: The earliest version of this video was reportedly shot over Thanksgiving in 2019. Charging station locations have expanded since then. The claim, which has been made on other platforms, reappeared in a post on Instagram on April 6, 2023.…

Does police body camera footage from the March 27, 2023, mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, show that the active shooter had changed clothes and shoes sometime during the incident? No, that's not true: Two still images posted to social media originated in official footage that was recorded using different cameras in different locations of the school…

Will rubbing your hands and fingers together every morning cause you to lose weight? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that such a practice will contribute to weight loss. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) posted to TikTok on July 27, 2022, by the user @medical_acupuncture, who is professionally known as Hiroko Shimoda. In the video,…

Are aborted fetal cells added to artificial flavors in food products? No, that's not true: The false claim mis-states the use of HEK 293 cells in taste research by the Senomyx company, which was purchased by Firmenich, a Swiss flavor and fragrance company, in 2018. "Neither Firmenich products nor Senomyx products have ever contained any human cell or material," Firmenich…

Did the judge in the trial of Young Thug sentence the Atlanta rapper to 25 years in maximum-security prison, as of January 12, 2023? No, that's not true: Young Thug, whose legal name is Jeffery Williams, was not convicted -- much less sentenced -- as of January 12, 2023, when this fact check was written. The claim appeared on Facebook…

Did Chick-fil-A just donate "another $1.8 million to anti-LGBTQ groups"? No, that's not true: The claim is a copy of a headline first published in 2019. The old story reported the fast food chain donated a combined $1.8 million to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Salvation Army. Chick-fil-A has since announced a "more focused giving approach ... giving…

Has television personality and bounty hunter Duane Lee Chapman, also known as "Dog the Bounty Hunter," passed away as of December 13, 2022? No, that's not true: Chapman's publicist told Lead Stories on December 13, 2022, that he is "alive and well." The claim appeared in a video on Facebook on December 11, 2022. The caption read: Reality TV actor…

Does this video compilation of Yuval Noah Harari, a best-selling author and a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, show him celebrating plans for dystopian mass surveillance? No, that's not true: Harari often warns that humankind is at risk of being dominated by surveillance and artificial intelligence. He speaks and writes about these threats and does not welcome or…

Were the Twin Towers almost empty when the 9/11 attack took place on September 11, 2001? No, that's not true: The recycled conspiracy theory contradicts a large body of evidence that proves the opposite, including government documents, medical examiner's reports and video and photo materials shot by journalists and filmmakers at Ground Zero on the day of tragedy. The claim…

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…