New Jersey

Did a New York City spokesman say that a trucker boycott has caused shelves to go empty throughout stores in New York City in February 2024? No, that's not true: This story originated from a website that clearly labels itself satire. The site has a disclaimer that describes it as part of a network of "parody, satire, and tomfoolery." There…

Did the Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce say, "I think Joe Biden is doing a good job so far"? No, that's not true: There are no reliable sources or records of the tight end making such a statement about the president of the United States. While the two men did spend time together in 2023 at a White House event…

Is President Joe Biden the first person to win a presidential primary as a write-in candidate? No, that's not true: Several people have won presidential primaries as write-in candidates, with such victories dating back to at least the early 20th century. Others won the New Hampshire presidential primary specifically as write-in candidates long before Biden. The claim appeared in a…

Did the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps place talk show host Stephen Colbert under arrest for committing treason and defrauding the country as of November 25, 2023? No, that's not true: A Pentagon duty officer told Lead Stories that this claim is false. The website where this claim was made publishes fabricated content. The claim appeared in an article…

Does a video show reports of "skinwalkers" sighted at school in Ohio on September 17, 2023? No, that's not true: The claim that there are "skinwalkers" -- a witch in Navajo legend -- in classrooms is not made anywhere during the footage. September 17, 2023, was a Sunday, when Ohio schools would likely not have classes. Similar video was posted…

Did New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker wear pink booty shorts at the Capitol after the Senate changed its dress code? No, that's not true: The account that posted the image of Booker in hot pink shorts is clearly labeled satire. It later posted a message calling out the fact that people were not getting the joke. The claim about Booker…

Does the U.S. public education system no longer teach the Declaration of Independence? No, that's not true: American public schools still teach the Declaration of Independence as a foundational document in American history and government. It is typically included in curriculum materials and is often studied in history, civics and government classes. The Declaration of Independence holds significant importance in…

Did the family of 10-year-old Kelsey Morand, who died in Princeton, New Jersey, in July 2023, confirm that her death happened after vaccination? No, that's not true: Publicly available reliable sources do not mention any vaccination records and do not describe vaccination as a contributing factor in the girl's demise. The family said that the cause of death was a…

Did salt water and car batteries cause a fire that spread through the motor vehicles loaded on the top on the deck of a cargo ship? Yes, that is possible: In an insurance trade magazine report, the appointed surveyor who investigated the 2016 incident on board the Baltimar Zephyr said the presumed cause of the fire was a short circuit…

Was a website that posted photos from Hunter Biden's laptop shut down for distributing child porn? No, that's not true: The social media account that originated the claim routinely posts satire. The tweet that began the claim was deleted from the account and a reply to the tweet read, "Folks, this is satire." The claim appeared as a post (archived…