Health

Did USAID fund financier and noted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein via the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc.? No, that's not true: A screenshot circulating online on social media actually lists "Jeffrey E Epstein," a different person who is a director at Kaiser Permanente. Several of his online profiles show he sometimes goes by the name of "Jeff Epstein" but his…

Is a study that claims vaccinated children have a 170 percent higher risk of autism reliable? No, that's not true: An infectious disease expert told Lead Stories the study is "just junk," saying the journal it was published in and the study design both lack credibility. Numerous large studies have found no proven link between vaccines and autism. The claim…

Did Elon Musk say two Boeing Starliner astronauts died in space, as a social media post implies? No, that's not true: Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore were shown conducting a spacewalk nearly a month after the post -- and there's no record of Musk ever having made the statements attributed to him in the social media post. On February…

Did Denmark announce a "500% tariff on exports of Ozempic to the USA" in January 2025? No, that's not true: The claim derived from a parody post on LinkedIn that was not labeled as such. There was no such announcement on Danish government websites and no media outlets indexed by Google News reported on any such story. The claim originated…

Did the U.S. government spend or plan to spend $50 million exclusively on condoms in Gaza? No, that's not true: There's no evidence that the U.S. government intended to spend that much money just on condoms for the small territory. U.S. aid to Gaza is focused on humanitarian needs like food, medical supplies and other essential help. The U.S. State…

Does an article prove that the World Economic Forum "demanded" that the general public be "mass-vaccinated" twice a year with "long-acting mRNA injections"? No, that's not true: The organization told Lead Stories this was "entirely false." The article failed to offer any sources proving any such "demand" was made by the organization. It cited recordings of a conference panel in…

Is there an authentic article with a headline that reads, "They knew: why didn't the unvaccinated do more to warn us?" No, that's not true: There is no evidence that an article with this headline was ever actually published on a website. Lead Stories could not find any instance of the headline appearing beyond a supposed screenshot. The purported headline…

Do social media posts share the real side effects of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine as of January 2025? No, that's not true: The post lists 'adverse events of special interest' that researchers are required to report if they happen during drug trials, it is not a list of things that actually were observed. The most common side effects are feeling tired,…

Did Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist, publicly say in January 2025 that he "will leave the USA if the Epstein Client List is released"? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no credible reports to support Gates' supposed announced departure. Court materials detailing Jeffrey Epstein's contacts were made public in January 2024. Neither Gates nor any reputable news organization…

Did a Mississippi state senator file a bill in a sincere attempt to bar men from masturbating? No, that's not true: Bradford Blackmon said he introduced Senate Bill 2319 to highlight what he described as "double standards" in laws affecting men and women. Blackmon said in a press statement, "When a bill has been filed that would regulate what a…