Canada

Will the sun and moon not be in alignment on April 8, 2024, because the heavenly bodies are "in the wrong place" astrologically? No, that's not true: A video on TikTok making this claim is misleading on three points -- the alignment of the sun and moon during a total eclipse, the function of an app called SkyView and the…

Is NASA launching three rockets during the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, for nefarious or "strange" purposes, as a post on TikTok implied? No, that's not true: While NASA is indeed launching the rockets before, during and after the solar eclipse, the purpose is to study disturbances in the ionosphere -- an electrified region of the atmosphere. The disturbances…

Did a study find that electric cars pollute 1,850 times more than fuel-based vehicles, as some online publications reported when posted about the study? No, that's not true: The "study" in question was an analysis published by an independent emissions research group, not a science journal article. The group's spokesperson told Lead Stories that some online publications misrepresented the analysis.…

Did Donald Trump say in a speech that there would be a "bloodbath" if he weren't elected in November 2024? Yes, that's true, here's more context: The former American president used the term on March 16, 2024, while campaigning in Vandalia, Ohio, in a speech that painted a dire picture of the country if Joe Biden were to win a…

Did a fire on a Texas farm kill 12 million chickens in January 2024? No, that's not true: The figure circulating on social media reflects the total number of hens the current owner of the farm has in six different locations nationwide. In 2020, the farm partially damaged by the January 2024 fire housed roughly one million chickens. The claim…

Does dairy intake cause asthma? No, that's not true: Although someone with both a dairy allergy and asthma may experience heightened asthma symptoms if they consume dairy, dairy is not a root cause of asthma. Asthma may be caused by a variety of other factors, including environment, having a family history of asthma and previous respiratory infections. The claim appeared…

Did Mel Gibson release a video of satanic rituals taking place on "Jeffrey Epstein's island"? No, that's not true: "He has nothing to do with this and has no knowledge of it," Gibson's publicist told Lead Stories about a social media post making this claim. There is no evidence given in the post that such a video even exists. The…

Did Canada recently change its passport policy to prohibit people from listing Palestine as their country of birth on their passports? No, that's not true: Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller responded to the claim on X. Miller said there have been no recent changes to the nations listed in Canada's passport application form for country of…

Did Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau say that Russia must win this war? Yes: Trudeau did misspeak at the end of a news conference in Poland. While speaking of how aid and military equipment would be supplied to Ukraine, he accidentally said "Russia must win this war." He immediately corrected himself and said, "Ukraine must win this war against Russia."…

Does mercury generate "free energy" as a post on Instagram claimed? No, that's not true: Mercury is a metal that can "conduct electricity in ways similar to copper," an industrial chemist told Lead Stories and the clips shown in the video on Instagram are "all demonstrations of electromagnetism," not energy production. Furthermore, an inorganic chemist told Lead Stories that mercury…