New Jersey

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…

Is Child Protective Services a "for-profit corporation" that has no legal power to make demands or exercise authority "over you and your children"? No, that's not true: No public Child Protective Services (CPS) agency is registered in the U.S. as a for-profit corporation. Federal law gives states the authority to investigate reports about child abuse and neglect and they do…

Does eating only the meat of female animals alter the hormones of human males, purportedly increasing their estrogen and making them take on more traits associated with femininity? No, that's not true: Multiple medical and meat experts verified for Lead Stories that this claim is false. A report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), for instance, shows that more…