Current Events

Is there evidence that shilajit, a substance originating from high mountain rocks, can cure any form of cancer in two days? No, that's not true: While some rodent studies testing the effects of shilajit along with proven cancer treatments seem promising, and while cell culture studies using shilajit also seem promising, there has not been any consensus among medical professionals…

Does consuming seafood cause the form of cancer called leukemia? No, that's not true: No scientific proof exists that eating seafood causes leukemia, a University of California, Riverside expert, who specializes in the study of how environmental factors cause cancer, told Lead Stories. The Mayo Clinic, a leading medical research institution, does not name seafood as one of the possible…

Did the U.S. military arrest Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot as of March 17, 2023? No, that's not true: It is not the U.S. military's jurisdiction to arrest civilians. This claim comes from a website that regularly publishes fabricated content. The claim appeared in an article published by Real Raw News on March 16, 2023, titled "Military Arrests Lori Lightfoot |…

Did it "rain worms" in China in early March 2023? No, that's not true: Two separate botanical experts confirmed individually to Lead Stories that the "worms" reported by some publications and social media users were the result of the annual flower blooms, called catkins, from poplar and other trees found throughout northeastern regions of China. One version of the claim…

Is NASA hiring 24 theologians in 2023 to prepare humans for an imminent alien discovery? No, that's not true: The recycled claim misconstrues the meaning of a 2015 grant to the Center of Theological Inquiry (CTI). Among other things, "The NASA-funded portion of this research concluded in 2017," according to a NASA spokesperson. The claim, which has been around since…

Is Feeding America running promotions on Facebook to give away $500 Walmart gift cards or food stamp vouchers to people who will answer four short questions? No, that's not true: Feeding America is a real charity but these promotions are not real. Spoofed pages are using the Feeding America name and logo. Real photos have been altered to bolster the…

Are drivers with no DUIs getting $710 back in savings? No, that's not true: A post making the claim, which is misleading, is an apparent attempt to push people toward buying or switching their auto insurance coverage. The claim appeared in a Facebook post on March 14, 2023. The post included a short video and a caption that read: People…

Did a study find that men should masturbate 21 times a day to "significantly" reduce the risk of prostate cancer? No, that's not true: A 2016 study that looked into the relationship between ejaculation frequency and prostate cancer made no specific mention of masturbation. It did say its findings show more frequent ejaculations throughout adult life can play a beneficial…

Are Americans who "qualify" being offered up to $6,400 in health credits by the federal government? No, that's not true: This bogus information is similar to past false claims that such health credits are available. Many claims have appeared on Facebook stating that such health credits or money from a health care stimulus exist. Some examples are linked here, here,…

Did Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg say the "world will end in 2023" in a deleted tweet from 2018? No, that's not true: She cited an article authored by another person, using quotation marks, and her tweet did not contain the words the "world will end in 2023." The claim appeared in an article (archived here) published by The Post…

Can women get pregnant by sunlight as a result of the process called parthenogenesis? No, that's not true: Mammals, including humans, do not reproduce asexually through parthenogenesis. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on Facebook on March 13, 2023. The male host said: Women can do that. They can get pregnant by sunlight. It's called parthenogenesis. The description…

Was the $209 billion Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) failure in March 2023 the "first massive bank collapse this century"? No, that's not true: "Washington Mutual is still larger, but SVB was the largest since the Great Recession," Julianne Breitbeil, a senior media relations officer at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, told Lead Stories in a March 14, 2023, email. The…

Is the claim that President Joe Biden has spent 40 percent of his presidency "on vacation" a straightforward statement? No, that's not true: It's missing context. The count includes days the president makes public appearances and days he spends at home in Delaware and at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland -- time the White House insists he is…

Have copper bracelets made by "CopperHeal" been shown to "significantly reduce" blood sugar and treat diabetes? No, that's not true: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed to Lead Stories in an email that the agency had not approved such a product for these uses as of this publication. While there is preliminary evidence that copper ions may play…

Does a medical case study prove there's a link between the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and a fivefold increase in a cancer biomarker? No, that's not true: The case report looks at one person, a 79-year-old woman with ovarian cancer. It doesn't establish a causal link between the vaccine and the increased level of a biomarker, which are molecules that don't…

Does this article prove a piglet with human features was born between 2015 and March 10, 2023? No, that's not true. The article that reported it relied on the old photos of sculptures created by an Italian artist and provided no other evidence. The claim appeared in an article (archived here) published by Latedaily.com in the section "Weird & nature"…

Did Russian President Vladimir Putin intercept an adrenochrome shipment that was in transit to the United States? No, that's not true: The claim contains a hodgepodge of conspiracy theories and it originated in an outlet known for publishing fictitious "news" stories. The claim originated in an article titled "Putin Intercepts Adrenochrome Shipment Headed to United States," published on February 8,…

Was Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes indefinitely suspended by the NFL? No, that's not true: The claim in a social media post has a "Learn more" link that goes to a fake ESPN page promoting an "off-market supplement." The fake ESPN logo seen in the upper left-hand corner leads users to a website selling the supplement. No other legitimate…

Can all senior citizens get a free $3,500 grocery card from Medicare in 2023? No, that's not true: Neither the government nor Medicare are offering a free grocery card valued at $3,500 to all senior citizens in the United States. The closest is a program that provides "special supplemental benefits for certain people who are chronically ill," a Centers for…

Does the caption on a video on social media correctly state that the video shows NATO military equipment arriving in Europe? No, that's not true: These vehicles were preparing to leave Europe. The video shows U.S. Army vehicles from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division staged at the Port of Gdynia, Poland in preparation to being shipped…