Lia Thomas

Does a photo that has been circulating online since November 2022 show British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak flashing his bare chest and wearing nothing but a white lab coat and a jockstrap? No, that's not true: This photo cannot be traced back to Sunak and its origin is unknown. It could be a digitally edited or an AI-generated image. The…

Are transgender people and gender fluidity "products" of modern Western civilization? No, that's not true: Non-binary gender expression in many communities across the globe throughout history has been documented and researched. Professor Lisa Duggan told Lead Stories that even though people of earlier epochs did not necessarily conceptualize themselves through the optics of present-day terms, the phenomena are not modern…

Are Black Americans descended from the original indigenous inhabitants of North America and not from enslaved persons taken from Africa? No, that's not true: This notion descends from the Moorish Science Temple, a pseudoscience organization that argues without evidence that Black people are of "Moorish" descent and the original indigenous group of North America. Black Americans are descendants of enslaved…

Will a fast of water, coffee and tea followed by a diet of only vegetable juice and a ribeye steak cure cancer in 90 days? No, that's not true: Experts told Lead Stories that there is no scientific evidence that this specific regimen will cure cancer. A 2017 study shows that there may be evidence that intermittent fasting coupled with…

Does the song "Jingle Bells" make a hidden reference to slaves forced to wear bells so they could be easily tracked if they tried to escape under the cover of night? No, that's not true: The song "Jingle Bells," originally named "One Horse Open Sleigh," is a song about the fun of a winter sleigh ride. The song is not…

Did House Speaker Nancy Pelosi call on the Federal Reserve to "ban the new Trump $2 bill"? No, that's not true: This bill does not exist, and Nancy Pelosi did not tweet anything about it. The claim appeared in an Instagram post (archived here) on October 6, 2022. It was published by the account of donaldtrump_2024, which describes itself as…

Was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy photographed shirtless and wearing an Afro wig at a gay pride event in the United States in the 1990s? No, that's not true: This photo has been digitally edited. The original photo was taken on June 25, 2006 at New York City's 2006 Pride March and does not show Zelenskyy. The edited photo has been…

Does a seven-day, once-a-year, water-only fast reduce your risk of cancer by 95%? No, that's not true: There is no scientific evidence to support this claim and Lead Stories spoke to experts who refuted it. The claim appeared in an Instagram post and video published on September 5, 2022 by Ben Azadi with the title "World Renowned Cancer Researcher Reveals…

Did NASA hand over control of the International Space Station (ISS) to Russia after a Russian official threatened to crash it into Earth? No, that's not true: A NASA spokesperson told Lead Stories that a long-established ceremonial change of command "does not represent overall control of ISS. That remains unchanged with the crew." There was no threat to "crash it…

Is it true that there are no athletes who were assigned female at birth, transitioned and tried to compete in men's sports? No, that's not true: Although transgender female athletes such as swimmer Lia Thomas have received attention for their participation in events that align with their affirmed gender, there are also transgender male athletes who have tried to compete…