Health

Does a video authentically show people in New York City celebrating the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson? No, that's not true: The video was posted online nearly two weeks ahead of the December 4, 2024, shooting death of Thompson in Midtown Manhattan. The video actually shows a street party in New York City after a concert by singer Natasha…

Is Social Security out of money for payouts to be made starting June 1, 2025? No, that's not true: This was implied by a post on Threads that did not cite any official document, did not link to expert analysis or provided no financial records. The Social Security Trust Fund, from which benefits are paid, was solvent on the day…

Did The New York Times publish an opinion article titled, "The Glorification of Luigi Mangione Is Inherently Anti-Israeli"? No, that's not true: A representative of The New York Times told Lead Stories that the organization "did not publish" such a headline. An image on social media showing the "Anti-Israeli" headline appeared to be digitally manipulated, as the original headline by…

Did a man named Brian Thompson from Romford, U.K., die in an ambulance after "anti tax activists" blocked the roads with "Lamborghini tractors"? No, that's not true: The image of the supposedly deceased man on social media was AI generated. In fact, the photo came from the face-generating website This Person Does Not Exist. The claim appeared in a post…

Does a video show UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson talking about working with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi? No, that's not true: The Brian Thompson in the video is a different person. The Thompson in the video is an entrepreneur; the footage is from a speech he gave at a workshop in 2012. The claim appeared in a post (archived here)…

Does nicotine eliminate brain tumors? No, that's not true: A brain cancer expert from the University of Nebraska Medical Center said nicotine doesn't help and may actually reduce a person's chances of recovering from brain tumors or cancer. Nicotine is harmful, addictive and can raise the risk of certain cancers. The claim appeared in a post and video (archived here)…

Did George Clooney leave the United States permanently for England after Donald Trump was elected president in 2024, with Clooney saying he "can't take the red wave anymore"? No, that's not true: This originated from SpaceX Fanclub, a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer: "We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real." The first comment under the post included…

Did South African trauma surgeon Dr. Vicky Jennings die after "suffering a sudden heart attack" related to COVID-19 vaccination, as implied by social media posts? No, that's not true: Jennings' colleague and head of department told Lead Stories that he can "unequivocally confirm that her death was in no way related to vaccination." A medico-legal autopsy required by law in…

Is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s only stated position on vaccines that they should be studied "like any other pharmaceutical product" as a social media post claims? No, that's not true: In 2023, Kennedy said, "There's no vaccine that is ... safe and effective," and he has a long history of questioning vaccine safety and suggesting links between vaccines, autism and…

Did world leaders sign a treaty proposed by the World Economic Forum that requires government approval for someone to live past a certain age? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that suggests the Forum has made any such proposal. Instead, the organization has offered ideas on how countries can help their aging populations stay healthy and productive. The…