Joe Rogan

Did the Rothschild family buy or do they own Rothschild Island in Antarctica? No, that's not true: The island, which is part of Antarctica and not owned by anyone, was sighted from a distance by the French Antarctic Expedition between 1908 and 1910. The expedition leader, Jean-Baptiste Charcot, named it after Baron Edouard de Rothschild, the then-head of the French…

Is Disneyland in California likely to be closed indefinitely as of November 2023 over an alleged child kidnapping? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Disneyland is closing and no evidence for the alleged child kidnapping was provided in the video making the claim. As of this writing, the park was open to the public and accepting visitors.…

Did comedian-commentator Joe Rogan say on his podcast that scientists captured a Wendigo, a monster from Native American folklore, and tried to keep it a secret? No, that's not true: Rogan never mentioned the mythological creature on his podcast. The video animation from social media that shows an "urban explorer" searching "deep in the woods" for the Wendigo did not…

Did rapper Lil Wayne endorse a health allowance card in an online promotion? No, that's not true: Lil Wayne, who purportedly backed the plan, did not post such an endorsement on his official social media channels. The claim that the government is freely giving out health benefits worth thousands of dollars is a scam. Such scams are usually attached to…

Did podcaster Joe Rogan discuss a child being abducted through secret tunnels at Disneyland on his show? No, that's not true: The audio making the claim about a child being taken away from his family via a secret underground tunnel at Disneyland in California does not match the movements of Rogan's mouth. He did not discuss secret tunnels at Disneyland…

Did 80 percent of COVID-19 patients put on ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic die? No, that's not true: A Johns Hopkins public health expert told Lead Stories that "80% is high," adding that the actual number is "around 30-40%." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agreed that such deaths are far less than 80 percent. Ventilators are used for…

Did Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Joe Rogan endorse a plan by the federal government to distribute health spending cards worth up to $5,600, with every American qualifying for one? No, that's not true: The claim that the government is freely giving out health spending cards with thousands of dollars on them is a scam. Such scams are usually attached…

Did the United States transfer $6 billion to Ukraine by mistake? No, that's not true: In the summer of 2023, the Pentagon admitted that it overestimated the value of military gear sent to Ukraine due to an accounting mistake but the money was not misspent or even spent. It is still there as of this writing and will be used…

Did former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines turn down a $3 million partnership with Nike? No, that's not true: This claim comes from a satirical website that has a history of fabricating content surrounding popular political topics and figures. The website has a disclaimer that contains the line, "Everything on this website is fiction." Lead Stories could not find…

Did today's Black Americans descend from Africans who inhabited North America before European colonizers arrived in the 15th century? No, that's not true: Paleontological, archaeological and genetic evidence all suggest that the original inhabitants of North America who were present on the continent when European explorers arrived were the ancestors of modern Indigenous people, an anthropologist told Lead Stories. Historical…