Los Angeles Fire

Does exposure to LED lights "disrupt the flow of hydrogen" in the human body, causing harm, as was suggested in a post on Instagram? No, that's not true: The post cited a 2023 study that examined techniques used for water splitting, a green energy industry technology that converts water into hydrogen and oxygen. The findings of this study are unique…

Did a large lightning bolt and strange lights appear in this video right before the earthquake struck Morocco on September 8, 2023? No, that's not true: The video, originally posted on TikTok (archived here) on May 1, 2020, was removed from its original context and a false caption added by someone else. It does not show the moments before the…

Is this a video of the Vermont Beverly metro station in Los Angeles flooding due to the August 20, 2023, "hurriquake"? No, that's not true: This video is of a tram tour/amusement park ride at Universal Studios Hollywood. The tour simulates what an earthquake would feel like if the person was in an underground subway car. In multiple videos of…

Does this video accurately show a plane crash or emergency? And might it even be live ? No, that's not true: This footage is not real. It is a computer-generated video from a popular video game named Grand Theft Auto V that is often used to generate long videos of airplane "emergencies", "crashes" or "emergency landings", sometimes with the purpose…

Is the Earth flat and surrounded by a transparent barrier that prevents rockets from leaving the Earth's atmosphere? Beyond this barrier, is there a firmament composed of water or a liquid-like substance? Does this explain why the U.S. government in 1962 launched Operation Fish Bowl -- to use nuclear weapons to try and break through that barrier? No, that's not…

Was World Economic Forum Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab caught planning a "mass extinction event"? No, that's not true: The article and video that said so did not discuss the actions or words of Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum (WEF), or anyone from the WEF's board of trustees. The allegedly "leaked" video in the claim presented as proof of…

Will the World Economic Forum (WEF) "freeze" the "bank accounts of "meat eaters to 'educate them,'" and does the Doconomy credit card refuse to let a consumer buy items when they are "deemed to be a net polluter"? No, neither are true: The CEO of Doconomy told Lead Stories that this claim is "clearly a lie," as the carbon emissions…

Does an "official study" confirm that COVID-19 shots increase the risk of infection from the virus? No, that's not true: One of the authors of the study, Laith Jamal Abu-Raddad, said the article uses several numbers from the report out of context. "Our study confirms that vaccines protect," he told Lead Stories in a June 24, 2022, email. The claim…

Did Fox News publish an article with a headline describing a "'They/Them'" summer? No, that's not true: Fox News never published such an article. An image showing the headline appears to actually show a counterfeit version of an authentic Fox News article. The claim appeared in an Instagram post on June 22, 2022. The post includes what looks like a…

Did the IRS just begin buying ammunition during President Joe Biden's time in office? No, that's not true: The IRS started buying ammunition, firearms and equipment for its law enforcement divisions more than 100 years ago. It's standard for federal agencies that have many federal law enforcement officers to buy ammunition, firearms and equipment. The claim appeared in an article…