Gas Prices

Did Sen. Ted Cruz angrily call Rep. Adam Schiff a "son of a bitch" in public remarks during a news conference held by Senate Republicans? No, that's not true: Cruz criticized only President Joe Biden during his remarks and never mentioned Schiff nor used the phrase "son of a bitch." The claim appeared in text for a video posted on…

Did President Joe Biden make the same speech on the dates of "12/21 and 3/22"? No, that's not true: While it's unclear whether the post is referring to dates by month/date (i.e., December 21 and March 22) or month/year (December 2021 and March 2022), White House transcripts show he touched on the same topics in speeches two days apart in…

Does squeezing the gas pump at "top speed" put more air in your tank, ultimately overcharging you for less than a full tank worth of fuel? No, that's not true: A representative of the American Automobile Association (AAA) emailed Lead Stories to say that the speed at which a person pumps gas does not impact the cost or amount of…

Is Shell gas company doing a giveaway of $500 gas cards for $1.95 or a $250 gas card after completing a survey? No, that's not true: A spokesperson for Shell responded to Lead Stories by email on June 15, 2022, saying that Shell is not providing either of these services. There is no evidence on Shell's website of the company…

Did the U.S. inflation rate hit an all-time high in 2022? No, that's not true: While inflation, as measured by the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI), is at a high level of 8.0 percent in June 2022, a dozen other years have had higher inflation rates since the CPI was first calculated in 1913. The all-time record of 17.8 percent…

Was gasoline costing $8.88 a gallon at a Murphy USA gas station in Jasper, Alabama, in early June 2022? No, that's not true: A representative for Murphy USA emailed Lead Stories to say that the Jasper location was not open for business when this picture was taken because the station was still under construction. The claim appeared in a Facebook…

Did the Department of Energy (DOE) say Americans buy at least 40 gallons of gas per week? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the DOE ever published statistics that made this claim, and the 40-gallons-of-gas-per-week claim also does not appear to be accurate. The claim appeared in a Facebook post on June 6, 2022. The post opens:…

Did a BP executive named "Brice Cromwell" write a commentary being shared on social media that blames the high cost of oil and gasoline on the United States not producing enough of "our very own American made product"? No, that's not true: BP says it does not have an employee by that name and the post did not come from…

Is the impeachment of President Joe Biden "in progress" as Sen. Ted Cruz and GOP lawmakers file a lawsuit? No, that's not true: The video in the Facebook post does not show Cruz and other GOP lawmakers announcing the impeachment of Biden or a lawsuit against him. In addition, lawsuits are not part of the impeachment equation. The claims appeared…

Did the "biggest drop in the DOW Stock Market Ever" occur during the Biden administration? No, that's not true: A professor of finance at Ivey Business School said the worst day for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was October 19, 1987. A finance professor at the School of Management at the University at Buffalo told Lead Stories, "the recent…