Do Pfizer documents show that the company's COVID-19 vaccines contain graphene oxide? No, that's not true: The section of the document in question describes a procedure for analyzing a protein sample from the virus under a sophisticated m
Publication: Fact Check
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: There Is NO Evidence That Drinking Urine Will Improve Eyesight
Does drinking urine improve eyesight? No, that's not true: A medical doctor told Lead Stories there are no clinical studies concluding that drinking urine would improve one's eyesight. In addition, drinking urine can give the body bacteri
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Lauren Boebert Satirical Tweet About ‘Millions Of Boating Accidents’ Caused By ATF Pistol Braces Ban Widely Misinterpreted
Did Rep. Lauren Boebert literally mean that banning pistol braces is causing "millions of boating accidents" when she posted a tweet critical of "Biden's ATF rule"? No, that's not true: The term "boating accident" is a well-known in-joke
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: Did Donald Trump and the January 6 Prison Choir Top the Billboard Hot 100?
Former President Donald Trump. (Phelan M. Ebenhack for The Washington Post via Getty Images) A March 21 article by The Gateway Pundit claimed that the song “Justice For All,” which features the January 6 Prison Choir and former President Donald Tru
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Corn Flakes Were NOT Created To ‘Kill The Libido’ Of Health Resort Patients
Were Corn Flakes, the cereal product that launched the Kellogg Company, invented to "kill the libido" of patients at a health resort? No, that's not true: Several versions of the Kellogg Company's website attribute the creation of the cer
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Publisher Robert Maxwell Put False Information In US Textbooks
Did British publisher Robert Maxwell, who owned Macmillan/McGraw-Hill School Publishing Co. in a joint venture from 1989 until his death in 1991, put false information in American textbooks? No, that's not true: McGraw Hill told Lead Stor
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Unsterile Human Remains Are NOT Drained Into Local Water Supplies During ‘Aquamation’
Are unsterile human remains processed by aquamation and being pulverized into a powder that is drained into local water supplies? No, that's not true: Bones are made into sterile ash, similar to that resulting from traditional flame crema
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: There Is NO Evidence Rubbing Ears Improves Kidney Health
Will rubbing your ears increase the amount of energy that goes toward the kidneys? No, that's not true: A nephrologist told Lead Stories there is no scientific evidence that the ear exercises shown in an online video will increase kidney
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Images Of Trump Arrest Are NOT Real Photos But AI-Generated Images — There Had Been No Arrest When Photos Appeared
Do these photos show former President Donald Trump being arrested by a group of New York City law enforcement officers? No, that's not true: At the time these images appeared online, on March 20, 2023, and March 21, 2023, Trump had not be
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: What Did Ron DeSantis Say About Donald Trump’s Potential Extradition?
Ron DeSantis. (Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Contradictory claims are circulating online regarding Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ stated position on the potential indictment, arrest, and extradition of former President Donald Trump, a
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘Teletubbies’ Were NOT Inspired By Purported Story Of Institutionalized Children’s Horrifying Deaths
Was the "Teletubbies" television show based on a story of four psychotic children who purportedly were abused and who ultimately died horrifying deaths in a mental health institution? No, that's not true: The creators of the show said the
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Photo Of Bigfoot Airlift Is NOT Real — Edited Image Using Old Hoax
Does a photo of a helicopter airlifting a large creature show evidence that Bigfoot is real? No, that's not true: This image has been edited. The silhouette of the Bigfoot that appears below the helicopter was pulled from a popular 2006 e
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: False Promotions Use Famous Brand Names — Tricking People To Hand Over Personal Information
Can simply answering three or four questions and paying a nominal handling fee qualify people to redeem tickets, receive expensive products, $500 or even $1,000 gift cards, store credit or compensation from well-known brands? No, that's n
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: DirecTV Did NOT Announce It ‘Will Drop ABC, If They Don’t Cancel "The View"’
Did DirecTV, an American video programming distributor, say it "will drop ABC" if the TV channel continues to broadcast "The View," a talk show originally created by Barbara Walters and, of this writing, co-hosted by Whoopi Goldberg? No,
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: Did Donald Trump Claim That He Will Be Arrested?
Donald Trump. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images.) Claims are circulating online that former President Donald Trump has predicted his own arrest. These claims are true; Trump has indeed predicted via social media posts published on March 18 that he wo
The Dispatch→ Fact Checking a Graphic Comparing Bank Bailouts to Proposed Federal Spending Programs
A Silicon Valley Bank branch in Santa Monica, California, on March 20, 2023. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images) A graphic circulating online purports to compare the amount of money the federal government spent making the uninsured depositors
The Dispatch→ Did ‘The Simpsons’ Predict The Collapse of Silicon Valley Bank?
A digitally altered clip circulating online claims to show a scene from an old episode of The Simpsons featuring a run on Silicon Valley Bank. Silicon Valley Bank collapsed earlier this month and social media users are pointing to the clip as evidence
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘Previously Censored Video’ Does NOT Show Antifa Members Dressing As Trump Supporters In Washington On January 6, 2021 — And Video Was NOT Censored
Does a "previously censored video" show antifa members dressing up as supporters of Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021? No, that's not true: The video found on social media was not censored before and features a short cl
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence That Shilajit Cures Cancer In Two Days
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
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Coffee Enemas Are A Safe And Effective Way To Remove Toxins From Your Body
Are self-administered coffee enemas an effective way to remove toxins in the body and safe enough to be considered "not that big of a deal"? No, that's missing context: The claim that do it yourself at-home coffee enemas are a safe and ef
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Genetically Modified Mosquito With Number Stamped On It
Does a video on social media show a genetically modified (GM) mosquito with a number stamped on it? No, that's not true: An insect expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison said the bug shown in the video "does not appear to be a mosq
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Ankle Massage Is NOT A Proven ‘Fix’ For Migraines
Does ankle massage relieve migraines and headaches "instantly"? No, that's not true: It is not a widely accepted scientific consensus. While there is some research suggesting that massage may be beneficial to alleviate the impact of stres
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Pressing Elbows NOT Proven To Relieve Back Pain — Acupressure And Reflexology Research Is Limited
Does pressing your elbows provide an effective treatment for relieving back pain? No, that's not true: There is no broadly accepted medical evidence to suggest that pressing the elbows through the use of acupressure or reflexology, the pr
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Seafood Causes Leukemia
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 enviro
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: US Military Did NOT Arrest Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot
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 conte
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Fauci NOT ‘Set To Be Arrested’ For Lying To Congress — It’s A Followbait Scheme
Is Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and former chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden, facing imminent arrest for lying to Congress? No, that's not true: The allegation
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Alien Boarding Spaceship Before Flying Away — It’s Clip From Sci-Fi Short Film
Does a short video show in reality a lanky extraterrestrial boarding a hovering spaceship in a snowy field before flying away above a Siberian forest? No, that's not true: The animated clip is a cropped version of a science fiction short
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Consuming Only Female Animal Meat Does NOT Increase Estrogen Or Femininity In Human Males
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 ve
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Prove Worms Fell From The Sky In China — Experts Say They’re Tree Blooms
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 annu
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Promise Of $1,000 Store Credit Is NOT From SHEIN Clothing Brand — Phishing Website
Is the fast-fashion clothing brand SHEIN offering $1,000 in store credit to Facebook users for simply answering four questions? No, that's not true: SHEIN is a real clothing brand but this is not their promotion. The empty promise of stor
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NASA Is NOT In 2023 Hiring 24 Theologians To Prepare Humans For An Imminent Alien Discovery
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
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Offers Of Walmart Gift Cards On Facebook Are NOT Associated With Feeding America Food Bank Network
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
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Menstrual Cycles ARE Natural, Are NOT Caused Because Body Is Removing Toxins
Are menstrual cycles not natural and are they caused because the body is removing toxins? No, that's not true: "It is completely natural and it is essential," a physician and scientist told Lead Stories about the menstrual cycle. The clai
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Drivers With No DUIs Are NOT Getting $710 Back In Savings
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 i
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Study Does NOT Find Men Should Masturbate 21 Times A Day To Reduce Risk Of Prostate Cancer
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 n
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: Will The 2024 Democratic National Convention Be Held on Jeffrey Epstein’s Island?
(Photo Illustration by Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) A screenshot of a Google Maps image is circulating online purporting to show the location of the 2024 Democratic National Convention on Little Saint James, the island o
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Americans Are NOT Eligible For Up To $6,400 In Health Credits
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 appea
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Greta Thunberg Did NOT Predict that ‘World Will End In 2023’
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 th
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Women CANNOT ‘Get Pregnant By Sunlight’ As Result Of Parthenogenesis
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 Fac
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Elon Musk Did NOT Invent Energy-Saving Device That Will Cut Power Bills By 90%
Did Elon Musk invent a ground-breaking plug-in device that helps lower electric bills by lowering consumption instantly? No, that's not true: Electrical devices with identical plastic housings have been marketed online for years without m