Health

Is an image of what looks like the corpse of a dead Pope Francis seemingly laid out on two pillows, showing various blurry priests in the background, genuine? No, that's not true: The photo was generated using AI, according to an online detection tool. The image included showed a Grok AI watermark, indicating it was created using the AI generative…

Is Joe Rogan correct that Girl Scout cookies are "toxic as fuck"? Here is what we know about the situation: Podcast host Rogan said on his program that a study of Girl Scout cookies shows they have high levels of glyphosate and heavy metals. The Girl Scouts organization published a statement declaring their cookies are safe to consume, and heavy…

In February 2025, public health officials in Texas reported the death of an unvaccinated child following a measles infection. As of this writing, national health authorities report at least three outbreaks of the highly infectious, vaccine-preventable disease across eight states. As communities prepare for potential increases in cases, Lead Stories has compiled information summarizing the Texas outbreak, how cases have…

Hollywood star Gene Hackman and his wife were found dead in their New Mexico home on February 26, 2025, and people are alleging that it was an "double suicide." Here is what we know: Oscar-winner Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog were all found in different locations in their home and had apparently been dead for some time.…

Does the February 2025 House budget resolution specify an $880 billion unilateral cut in Medicaid funding? No, that's not true: On February 25, 2025, the House passed its proposed budget, a resolution that directs the House Energy and Commerce Committee to make $880 billion in budget cuts to many programs under the committee's jurisdiction, one of which is Medicaid.…

Did tech billionaire and Donald Trump's ally Elon Musk go on X to say that "this country's billionaires are tired of subsidizing everyone else's schools, parks, health care, even food and entertainment"? No, that's not true: Neither his live posts on the supposed publication's date nor archived versions of his account on X showed the purported quote. The picture of…

What is chlorine dioxide, and is it a safe and effective cure or treatment for multiple health ailments, including childhood autism and COVID-19 infection? No, that's not true: Chlorine dioxide is a gaseous chemical that makes a bleach-like substance when added to water. The highly reactive chemical is used as a cleaning agent and can be fatal if ingested. Even…

Does a viral screenshot show a real X post from Ashley St. Clair talking about conceiving a baby with Elon Musk using "IVF with PGT-M & CRISPR" and saying the "DNA now includes enhancements from other organisms"? No, that's not true: The post did not appear on St. Clair's X account, and it was not indexed by Google. All versions…

Do two photos of Pope Francis posted side-by-side in an X post the day he was admitted to the hospital for bronchitis show two different people, implying he has a body-double? No, that's not true: The photos of the Pope in the post were taken ten years apart. The photo on the left -- showing a younger, healthier Pope Francis…

Did the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives just discover $2.7 trillion in improper payments in Medicare and Medicaid overseas? No, that's not true: The report of trillions of dollars in improper payments, which accumulated since 2003, was published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office in the first half of 2024 -- this was…