Did Shannon Corless, assistant secretary for intelligence and analysis for the Department of the Treasury, voluntarily surrender to "Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG) investigators" for committing a crime? No, that's not true: A Pentagon duty officer told Lead Stories that this claim is false. Real Raw News, the website from which this claim originated, is known for publishing fabricated content.…
Did the U.S. military hang U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink for committing treason? No, that's not true: The story is entirely fabricated and Brink remains an ambassador in good standing. The claim originated on the website Real Raw News on October 17, 2022 under the title "Military Hangs to Death US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink" (archived here). It…
Did U.S. Special Forces destroy a "Boston University Covid-19 research lab"? No, that's not true: This claim was made on a website known for publishing fabricated content. The claim appeared in an article published by Real Raw News on October 18, 2022, titled "Military Destroys Covid Research Lab" (archived here). It opened: US Special Forces and Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological,…
Did the military arrest the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink? No, that's not true: Real Raw News, the website that posted the story, has a disclaimer saying that their articles are "humor, parody and satire." The site has a history of posting false stories of arrests and executions of government officials, celebrities and well-known public figures. Also, the Posse…
Was the crew of a P-8 Poseidon aircraft arrested in connection with the Nord Stream pipeline explosion? No, that's not true: There is no evidence from reliable media outlets that this has occurred. Real Raw News, the website that originated the claim, has a disclaimer saying their articles are "humor, parody, and satire." The claim appeared in a Real Raw…
Was actor Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in "The Lord of the Rings" movies, arrested for child sex crimes? No, that's not true: Contrary to the claim that Wood was arrested by the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps, the Posse Comitatus Act forbids the military from enforcing civilian law. The claim was posted on a satirical website that…
Did Special Forces soldiers unleash "a hailstorm of gunfire" against Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) agents who were attacking and robbing Hurricane Ian victims in Florida? No, that's not true: A Pentagon spokesperson told Lead Stories that this story is false. The claim appeared in a Real Raw News article published on September 29, 2022, and titled "Special Forces Fight…
Are former President Donald Trump and his allies able to "implore" the U.S. military to trigger the Emergency Alert System (EAS), a national public warning system, if they don't like the midterm elections results? No, that's not true: The EAS is used on a state and local level by officials to notify the public about urgent events such as violent…
Did the U.S. military convict and execute Brian Stelter, a former CNN host, on September 20, 2022? No, that's not true: These claims were posted on a satirical website. Lead Stories had already debunked the site's prior claim that Stelter was arrested by the U.S. military on August 30, 2022, which renders this claim even more impossible. Further, the Posse…
Did the U.S. military heighten protection on Donald Trump "amid assassination chatter"? No, that's not true: A spokesman for the U.S. Marine Corps denied this claim. Lead Stories contacted the Marine Corps because the article making the claim mentions Gen. David H. Berger, commandant of the Marines. Real Raw News, the website that originated the claim, has a disclaimer on…
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