Coronavirus

Was Bill Gates criminally indicted in the Netherlands in October 2024 for his role in the COVID-19 pandemic? No, that's not true: A Dutch judge only ruled that the case can be heard in the Netherlands because one plaintiff lives in the region covered by the court. This is a civil lawsuit, as court records show, and, therefore, it doesn't…

Is retail chain Costco refusing to accept returns on toilet paper, paper towels, sanitizing wipes and other items amid the "chaos" caused by Hurricane Milton? No, that's not true: A sign stating that Costco will not give customers a refund on these items already appeared in social media posts in 2020, when people were hoarding supplies at the outset of…

Was voter turnout above 100 percent in 2020 in some precincts of Henrico County, Virginia? No, that's not true: Data in a social media post inaccurately added county-level absentee ballots to precinct counts using a mathematical estimate. The county director of elections told Lead Stories that the assertion about impossible turnouts is "incorrect." Counties are not concealing precinct data by…

Is a 2024 article on mRNA COVID-19 vaccines by Dr. Young Mi Lee, an obstetrician and gynecologist in South Korea, and Daniel Broudy, an applied linguistics professor at Okinawa Christian University in Japan a valid, well-done scientific study? No, that's not true: The article -- titled "Real-Time Self-Assembly of Stereomicroscopically Visible Artificial Constructions in Incubated Specimens of mRNA Products Mainly…

Does a video posted on X authentically show New York Gov. Kathy Hochul unable to open her left eye? No, that's not true: Lead Stories traced the clip back to its original version on YouTube, which showed Hochul with both eyes open and blinking normally while recording a public service announcement for the COVID-19 vaccine. The video was digitally altered.…

Did Melania Trump officially e-file for divorce from Donald Trump over Labor Day weekend 2024? No, that's not true: This story originated with a faked screenshot that looked like Newsweek reporting. The image resembling a Newsweek tweet was posted to several social media platforms by data scientist and whistleblower Rebekah Jones, who later claimed this was a test. After the…

Has Vice President Kamala Harris announced a widespread COVID-19 vaccination policy? No, that's not true: Her campaign website shows that she requires employees of her 2024 presidential campaign to be vaccinated. There is no evidence that Harris has released a plan to require COVID vaccination for all Americans. The claim was implied in a post (archived here) on Instagram on…

Had doctors aboard the Brazilian airline flight that crashed in August 2024 vowed to release evidence linking mRNA technology to "turbo cancer", as an article by The People's Voice said? No, that's not true: The People's Voice is a website with a long history of publishing made up news and it provided no sources to back up the part about…

Did Japan declare a state of emergency in August 2024 after "nanobots" were found in 96 million citizens? No, that's not true: A state of emergency in Japan would be major news worldwide and yet there have been no stories about it. The "news" came from a website with a reputation for making things up. The journal article the website…

Did a viral video authentically document enforcing COVID-19 lockdowns in Minnesota in 2020 on orders of Gov. Tim Walz? No, that's not true: The video showing law enforcement using what appear to be paintball guns was taken when state authorities imposed curfews and mobilized the National Guard in response to the aftermath of that year's George Floyd protests. The person…

Did the World Health Organization (WHO) call for military forces to "round up mRNA vaccine refusers during the bird flu pandemic," as an August 2024 article claimed? No, that's not true: In an emailed statement to Lead Stories, WHO said that the article making the claim presents "flagrantly false information" since WHO has no power to mobilize military troops. The…

Was President Joe Biden in hospice care as of July 23, 2024? No, that's not true: He was diagnosed with COVID-19, on July 17, 2024, then tested negative for COVID and was seen in public on July 23, 2024, returning to the White House. The social media account that first made the claim is not a reputable news organization and…

Did a German preprint study published in February 2024 by Christof Kuhbandner and Matthias Reitzner prove that COVID-19 vaccines caused the number of deaths per year to rise above recent trends, as several online posts and articles implied? No, that's not true: While it's true there has been a documented increase in excess mortality during the pandemic years, German health…

Do quadruple-boosted people get denied life insurance based solely on their vaccination status? No, that's not true: The American Council of Life Insurers, which is one of the major industry groups, told Lead Stories that it is not aware of the data backing up the claim, pointing out that being up-to-date on vaccines is typically seen as a positive factor.…

Did Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla "admit" on June 18, 2024, that COVID-19 was used as "a test"? No, that's not true. Pfizer Media Relations told Lead Stories that the "quote is taken out of context." Additionally, the head of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology company never used the word "test"; instead, Bourla said the pandemic was "like a rehearsal," preparing Pfizer…

Did the British Medical Journal attribute excess deaths since the COVID-19 pandemic to vaccines in a study that appeared in one of its publications? No, that's not true: In a statement on its website, the publication said, "This study does not establish any such link." The British Medical Journal also described the claim as "misreporting," adding that the researchers did…

Did North Carolina implement a statewide ban on face masks in May 2024, as a post on Instagram claimed? No, that's not true: The post in question exaggerates the impact of a bill that would decide who can legally wear a face mask in public and for what reasons. The state Senate passed a version of the measure but as…

Did the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say in May 2024 that COVID mRNA vaccines killed 500,000 children and young adults? No, that's not true: The public health agency said it has not reported any such figures. Official data and scientific consensus indicate that COVID shots are safe and effective, with adverse effects being rare and not causing mass…

Did Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico "formally and publicly" reject the World Health Organization Global Pandemic Accord "only days" before an assassination attempt on May 15, 2024, as a post on X claimed? No, that's not true: The pandemic accord has not been finalized, a World Health Organization spokesperson told Lead Stories on May 15, 2024. Although Fico had voiced…

Did the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony feature a "figure of death holding a NEEDLE"? No, that's not true: The "figure of death" was actually a puppet of Lord Voldemort, the villain from the "Harry Potter" book series. Lord Voldemort is holding a magic wand, not a needle. Lead Stories could not find any evidence that the London Olympics had…