Health

Did Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico "formally and publicly" reject the World Health Organization Global Pandemic Accord "only days" before an assassination attempt on May 15, 2024, as a post on X claimed? No, that's not true: The pandemic accord has not been finalized, a World Health Organization spokesperson told Lead Stories on May 15, 2024. Although Fico had voiced…

Does a viral image really show "Barbara O'Neill's cousin" in the courtroom being "sentenced to LIFE IN PRISON"? No, that's not true: It is AI-generated. The claim came from an account with a history of posting inauthentic images under the captions referring to made-up stories. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook by "Divina Vitals" on May…

Did the United Nations revise the Gaza death toll in early May 2024, resulting in almost 50 percent fewer women and children reported as killed than previously estimated? No, that's not true: While the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs regularly updates its figures of reported casualties in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the numbers being…

Was canola oil first developed as an engine lubricant during World War II, as a post on Facebook claimed? No, that's not true: Canola oil is made from a species of plant specially bred from rapeseed. Oil from rapeseed was used during World War II as a mechanical lubricant. However, canola oil, as we know it today, was developed in…

Did Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu make an announcement on April 17, 2024, pledging to spend $5 billion to construct new settlements in the Gaza Strip? No, that's not true: The video posted on X shows Netanyahu speaking in Hebrew, but the English subtitles do not accurately reflect what he said. The subtitles mention "settlements of the Gaza Strip" but…

Does a photograph show "Dr. Sebi's cousin" on trial, purportedly for "revealing... GATEKEPT health secrets," as a post on Facebook suggested? No, that's not true: Multiple AI detection tools found evidence that the image of the man in an orange prison jumpsuit was likely AI-generated. There are no credible news reports of Dr. Sebi's cousin being arrested, put on trial…

Does a still image in a video on social media show the cousin of "Dr. Sebi" being sentenced to prison for supposedly revealing "health secrets"? No, that's not true: A tool used to detect AI-generated images found evidence that the image of a man in an orange prison jumpsuit in a courtroom is not real and likely was created by…

Was SpongeBob SquarePants based on the abusive childhood of a 9-year-old boy in the 1940s, as a video on TikTok suggested? No, that's not true: Stephen Hillenburg, the cartoon's creator, said in a 2015 interview that he was inspired by his marine science background to create the show and its characters. The show was primarily based on a comic book…

Does a picture of palm trees bent in half surrounding a disguised "5G tower" confirm that they were killed by the tower? No, that's not true: A post on social media recycled a previously debunked claim, as the tower in question did not emit a 5G signal and the trees died from lack of water. Lead Stories found no credible…

Is a video showing Dr. Mehmet Oz promoting weight loss pills that help dissolve fat authentic? No, that's not true: The original video of Dr. Oz wearing the same outfit is available on the internet and he never mentions a deal for weight loss pills. The audio of his voice doesn't appear to match his lip movements, and according to…