Can an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine given to a woman cause changes in the DNA of a baby she is carrying and result in a "mutant baby" born with extra limbs or other deformities? No, that's not true: The mRNA in COVID vaccines does not enter the nucleus of human cells, where the DNA is, and does not alter the DNA…

Can you intentionally transmit HIV without legal consequence in California? No, that's not true: Although the action was reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, experts told Lead Stories that it is still punishable by law. The claim appeared in an Instagram post on October 6, 2021. It features a screenshot of a tweet that reads: In California you can…

Did air traffic controllers at the Jacksonville International Airport stage a walkout Friday, October 8, to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates, resulting in all flights in and out of Florida being cancelled? No, that's not true: The National Air Traffic Controllers Association told Lead Stories that "there was weather that affected operations" and it was "a common occurrence." The Federal Aviation…

Are Peter Breggin's claims about COVID-19 vaccine deaths, ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine and the SARS-CoV-2 virus all correct? No, that's not true: In describing a conspiracy's bid for global dominion, Breggin misstates the clearly labelled contents of the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System database, falsely claims ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine are proven effective against COVID and falsely declares no SARS-CoV virus has been…

Is there an "epidemic of plane crashes linked to [the] COVID-19 jab"? No, that's not true: There's no documentation to back up the statement that there is an "epidemic" of crashes, much less one crash caused by COVID-19 vaccines. A video making the claim relies on a recent California crash, the cause of which has not yet been determined. A…

Was former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sentenced to death by the U.S. military after being found responsible "for the needless deaths of thousands of senior citizens" in New York state? No, that's not true: A Pentagon duty officer told Lead Stories that this claim was "a fabrication" and "completely inaccurate." Military tribunals have no jurisdiction over civilians. The story…

Is South Africa's highest court "set to free the continent from the new world order and the central bank" when they issue a decision on a case filed by Ricardo Maarman on September 27, 2021? No, that's not true: This headline prematurely states that a decision is imminent when the court has not even decided whether or not to take…

Did Pfizer "admit" there is no vaccine approved by the Food & Drug Administration for use in the United States in a recorded phone call? No, that is a misrepresentation. The FDA granted approval on August 23, 2021, of the vaccine known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, now also marketed under the name Comirnaty. This vaccine is approved for individuals…

Does the first episode of "COVIDLAND" prove its claims that hospitals were not taxed by COVID-19 caseloads, death statistics were inflated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and that the PCR test is unable to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus accurately? No, that's not true: Each of these claims, woven into the theory that a global cabal faked a…

Did a Delta pilot, who had recently received the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, die suddenly during a flight? Did this cause the plane to make an emergency landing at another unspecified airport sometime in the first 10 days of October 2021? No, that's not true -- a Delta Air Lines spokesperson says the claim is false, and the…

Are Amtrak employees walking off the job because of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate? No, that's not true. The cancellation of two trains on a route in the Northeast on October 10, 2021, were not due to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, Amtrak told Lead Stories. A trainworker union officer confirmed that, saying no members of Transport Workers Union of America had…

Did United Airlines lose 40% of its employees because of the vaccine requirement the airline put in place? No, that's not true: A United Airlines spokesperson told Lead Stories that 99.5% of United Airlines employees have chosen to get vaccinated. However, less than 240 employees are in the process of being "separated from the company." That is approximately 0.36% of…

Did the Supreme Court in the U.S. rule that the COVID-19 "pathogen is not a vaccine", is unsafe and "must be avoided at all costs," and has the court canceled "the universal vax"? No, that's not true: The United States Supreme Court has not issued a ruling regarding COVID-19 vaccines, according to the court's published opinions. The claim appeared as…

Does Fox News require vaccinations for all employees? No, that's not true: A Fox News spokesperson shared with Lead Stories an internal memo that was sent out companywide in August 2021, stating that "all employees must enter their vaccine status" and wear masks in some situations. Subsequently, Kevin Lord, executive vice president of human resources at Fox News parent Fox…

Are fully vaccinated people unable to spread COVID-19 if they are infected? No, that's not true. President Joe Biden incorrectly stated that vaccinated healthcare workers cannot spread the coronavirus if they are infected after receiving their full doses. According to the Centers for Disease Control, "vaccinated people can still become infected and have the potential to spread the virus to…

Does the blood of vaccinated people look visibly darker than the blood of people who were not vaccinated and is this the result of hemoglobin depletion? No, that's not true: This video provides no evidence to back up this claim. According to the public relations director of Hoxworth Blood Center there is no difference in the appearance of blood between…

Does a collection of "new studies" on COVID-19 prove vaccines are not working as claimed? No, that's not true: The claim rests on the false premise that vaccine makers and public health officials promised 100% prevention. No responsible scientist made such a promise. Quite the opposite: Medical and public health experts cautioned early in the pandemic that no vaccine against…

Does a short clip taken from a press conference by the New South Wales Ministry of Health to update the public on COVID-19 tell the whole story of recent deaths there? No, that's missing crucial context: Dr. Marianne Gale, the deputy chief health officer of New South Wales (NSW), did not say, "The vaccinated are dying in Australia from COVID".…

Did the Department of Defense "confirm" the majority of those dying and hospitalized with COVID-19 were vaccinated? No, that's not true: The claim is made without any offer of proof. There is no public record of a Pentagon statement about hospitalization and death statistics contemporaneous to this claim. The U.S. agency that collects COVID death and hospitalization data has said…

Are registered sex offenders exempt from carrying a card showing that they are listed on the sex offender registry -- because that would be an invasion of their privacy? No, that's not true: Many people who were convicted of sex offenses are required to carry some form of identification. The Department of Justice maintains a National Sex Offender Public Website…