Health

Does an authentic screenshot of the FOX Business website show FOX reporting that "Tim Walz's Communist Agenda" includes unsupervised female health decisions and school lunches for unemployed minors? No, that's not true: It's satire but several online commenters interpreted as a real screenshot. The image was posted previously to a subreddit focused on U.S. political humor. The claim appeared in…

Does a video on Instagram show helicopters in El Salvador spraying communities with something harmful to humans in the guise of treating for mosquitoes? No, that's not true: El Salvador's National Defense Ministry said the clip shows the Salvadoran Air Force carrying out fumigation for mosquito control. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says aerial spraying does "not pose…

Does Project 2025 say, "The only valid family is a working father married to a stay-at-home mother and their children"? No, that's not true: Nowhere in Project 2025's book "Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise" does it say that. Instead, it states, "Families comprised of a married mother, father, and their children are the foundation of a well-ordered nation and…

Did the World Health Organization (WHO) call for military forces to "round up mRNA vaccine refusers during the bird flu pandemic," as an August 2024 article claimed? No, that's not true: In an emailed statement to Lead Stories, WHO said that the article making the claim presents "flagrantly false information" since WHO has no power to mobilize military troops. The…

Did Vice President Kamala Harris suggest that young people "should not have children due to climate change," as implied by a post on X? No, that's not true: In the clip, she described how "young leaders" define climate anxiety. She did not suggest that young people "should not have children." A version of the claim appeared in a post on…

Did President Joe Biden grow mysteriously taller after spending time away from the public eye recovering from COVID-19? No, that's not true: The video footage used by people claiming this on social media shows Biden from a lower level, which gives an illusion of greater height relative to the people and architecture behind him. Different camera angles of the same…

Did the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation publish an article that suggested offering Medical Assistance in Dying, also known as MAID, to "angry young men with no prospects" to combat "growing ideological extremism"? No, that's not true: CBC confirmed to Lead Stories that the news outlet did not publish such a story. The image in the post on X included a photo…

Did former President Jimmy Carter die on July 23, 2024? No, that's not true: The owner of the account that posted a fake letter about Carter passing away told Lead Stories he carried out the hoax to show how sensationalist news spreads. The Carter Center, a human rights organization founded by the 39th president, also denied that Carter had died,…

Was President Joe Biden in hospice care as of July 23, 2024? No, that's not true: He was diagnosed with COVID-19, on July 17, 2024, then tested negative for COVID and was seen in public on July 23, 2024, returning to the White House. The social media account that first made the claim is not a reputable news organization and…

Did the U.S. Capitol lower its flag to half-staff during the week of July 22, 2024, because President Joe Biden had died? No, that's not true: The flag was lowered on July 22, 2024, to honor Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who died July 19, 2024, a representative for House Speaker Mike Johnson told Lead Stories. Beyond notification that Biden had…