Will answering three questions earn Walmart consumers "household pallets" from a warehouse for only $2, after a court ordered the company to sell the purportedly "outdated household pallets"? No, that's not true: A Walmart spokesperson co
Publication: Fact Check
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Judge Has NOT Sentenced Young Thug To 25 Years In Prison, As Of January 12, 2023
Did the judge in the trial of Young Thug sentence the Atlanta rapper to 25 years in maximum-security prison, as of January 12, 2023? No, that's not true: Young Thug, whose legal name is Jeffery Williams, was not convicted -- much less sen
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Illness Caused By ‘Extreme Dairy Consumption’ CANNOT Be Discerned By Looking At Iris
Can illness caused by milk be identified simply by looking at one's iris without medical equipment? No, that's not true: Iridology -- a theory that a person's iris can tell about their medical conditions -- has long been proven unfounded,
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘Matrix’ Speech NOT The Reason Ex-Kickboxer Andrew Tate Was Arrested In Romania
Was former kickboxing champion and internet influencer Andrew Tate arrested by authorities in Romania because of a speech he gave about the "matrix" -- a rigged society system he claims is designed to benefit only the rich? No, that's not
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘T-esla’ Did NOT Launch Cryptocurrency Software Platform To ‘Cure Poverty All Over The World’ — It’s A Financial Scam
Did "T-esla" release new cryptocurrency software designed to "cure poverty all over the world"? No, that's not true: This deceptive ad is not associated with Tesla or Elon Musk, the co-founder of the automotive and clean energy company. T
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Hydrogen Peroxide Is NOT Treatment For AIDS, Herpes — Can Cause Serious Harm Or Death If Ingested
Will adding three drops of food-grade hydrogen peroxide to one cup of water help with AIDS and herpes? No, that's not true: There is no scientific evidence supporting the benefits of hydrogen peroxide for AIDS or herpes infection; one exp
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Damar Hamlin Ambulance Matches Ones Used By Ambulance Company — License Plate, Logo, Brand All Check Out
Were there questionable things about the ambulance that carried Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin from the field that "just doesn't add up"? No, that's not true: A series of vague questions intended to inspire uncertainty are based on fal
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Parmesan Cheese Flavor Additive Is NOT Toxic In Small Amounts
Is a Parmesan cheese flavor additive toxic? No, that's not true: Two food science experts told Lead Stories it can be dangerous in large amounts because it contains butyric acid, but the amount of the acid allowed in Parmesan is no cause
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Country Singer George Strait Did NOT Have ‘Tragic End’ On December 31, 2022
Did country singer-songwriter George Strait have a "tragic end" on December 31, 2022? No, that's not true: Strait's verified Instagram account posted content as recently as January 10, 2023. There have been no news articles or statements
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘Adverse Vaccine Reactions’ Did NOT Become Leading Cause Of US Deaths In 2021 Or 2022
Did "adverse vaccine reaction" become the leading cause of U.S. deaths in 2021 and 2022? No, that's not true: Adverse vaccine reactions are not a categorical cause of death tracked by health officials. Also, the vaccination status and rec
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: BBC Did NOT Post Graph Of ‘Fortunes Of Ukrainian Politicians’
Did the BBC post a graph that showed a dramatic increase in the "Fortunes of Ukrainian politicians" between February 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and December 2022, after the receipt of billions of dollar
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: CIA Did NOT Say It Killed President John F. Kennedy
Did the Central Intelligence Agency say it killed former President John F. Kennedy? No, that's not true: A video posted on Facebook that makes this claim provides no supporting evidence. There is no evidence elsewhere that the CIA has eve
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Elon Musk Did NOT Buy Google
Did a YouTube video reveal that Elon Musk bought the search engine giant Google? No, that's not true: The video has a clickbait title, offers no details of a sale and appeared on a YouTube channel that admits its videos are fictional and
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Prove Tom Hanks Is Linked To Hollywood Child Trafficking Conspiracy — Clip Is From 2011 Skit
Does a video featuring actor Tom Hanks prove he is linked to a Hollywood child trafficking conspiracy? No, that's not true: The video is a clip of Hanks acting in a skit that aired on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in 2011. The social media account
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence COVID Vaccine Caused Canadian Reporter To Stumble On Air
Did the COVID-19 vaccine cause Canadian reporter Jessica Robb to stumble on air? No, there's no evidence that's true: Robb, a CTV News journalist who appeared to suffer a medical emergency while reporting live on air, has said that what h
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: McCarthy Did NOT Post Twitter Poll Asking If He Should Step Down as ‘head of Congress’
Did newly elected House Speaker Kevin McCarthy tweet a poll asking Americans if he should step down as the "head of Congress"? No, that's not true: A review of McCarthy's official Twitter account found no such tweet, and there is no singl
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: CDC Reports Do NOT Show More Than 16,000 People Have Died Because Of COVID Vaccination
Has the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded more than 16,000 people who have died within a few days of taking the COVID-19 vaccine where the deaths were proven to have been caused by the vaccine? No, that's not true:
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: IRS Is NOT Offering $540 Per Month In Health Credits In 2023
Is the IRS offering Americans "additional spending" in 2023? No, that's not true: Neither the government nor the IRS are offering a new cash stimulus to people who make under $50,000 and who are not on Medicaid or Medicare. The claim appe
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Activist Liam Coward Died As Result Of COVID Vaccine
Did activist Liam Coward die as a result of the COVID-19 vaccine? No, there's no evidence that's true: Although the exact cause of Coward's sudden passing is not known, there is nothing to indicate it had anything to do with the vaccine.
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: Did Donald Trump Ever Drop His Support of Kevin McCarthy’s Speakership Bid?
U.S. House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks during his weekly news conference on Capitol Hill (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) A fabricated image purporting to show a statement from former President Donald Trump began circulating onli
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Nielsen Ratings Is NOT Offering $2,000 In Financial Assistance To New Households; It’s Not Nielsen, There’s No Cash
Is the television ratings and marketing company Nielsen offering $2,000 in financial assistance to consumers who sign up for downloads and survey participation? No, that's not true: The claim uses a domain address different from Nielsen's
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Myocarditis, Pericarditis Did NOT Increase Nearly Eightfold In Swindon, England, After COVID Shots Began
Did the incidence of the heart conditions myocarditis and pericarditis increase nearly eightfold in the English town of Swindon after the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine? No, that's not true: The numbers, which were released through
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: There Are NOT ‘Massive Structures’ Or ‘Lost City’ Located Below Antarctica
Are there massive hidden structures located below Antarctica, hiding a "lost city unlike any other"? No, that's not true: There is no written record, geological or archeological evidence to prove that there are hidden structures or a lost
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Coronavirus Does NOT Mean ‘Heart Attack Virus’ In Latin
Does the word "coronavirus" mean "heart attack virus" in Latin? No, that's not true: A translation shown in a video circulating on social media relied on the intentional misspelling of the word, which triggered Google Translate glitches.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Alyssa Milano’s ‘Temper Tantrum’ Over Elon Musk Has NOT Cost Her $13 Million — Story From Satire Website
Did Alyssa Milano's "temper tantrum" over Elon Musk cost her $13 million? No, that's not true: This satirical article was published by a website connected to the satire network, America's Last Line of Defense, which clearly identifies its
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Preprint Study Of Cleveland Clinic Workers Does NOT Prove Vaccinations Increase Risk Of COVID Infection
Does each dose of the COVID-19 vaccine increase a person's chance of getting the COVID-19 virus? No, that's not true: While data from a preprint (not-peer-reviewed) study posted on December 19, 2022, suggests that the "higher the number o
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Ambulance That Carried Damar Hamlin From Field Was NOT Marked With Military Stars
Were there two military stars marking the ambulance that carried Buffalo Bills football player Damar Hamlin off the field on January 2, 2023, when he collapsed after a tackle during a televised game against the Cincinnati Bengals? No, tha
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FDA Is NOT Introducing Plastic As New Food Group
Is the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) introducing plastic as a new food group for Americans? No, that's not true: An FDA spokesperson told Lead Stories, "This claim is false." The video that makes the claim appears to be connected t
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Images Do NOT Prove Existence Of ‘Covert Military Base’ On Mars
Does a set of online images prove that there is a "covert military base" on the planet Mars? No, that's not true: There have been no documented human missions to Mars, whether for military or other purposes, as of the date of this fact ch
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: World Economic Forum’s Klaus Schwab Did NOT Tweet, Say ‘Jesus Is the Original Fake News’ — It’s A Fake News Story
Did the World Economic Forum (WEF) or its founder and executive chairman, Klaus Schwab, tweet or say that "Jesus is the original fake news"? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the statement is from Schwab or the WEF. The claim
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Quake Prediction CANNOT Foresee Earthquakes — Scientists Cannot Forecast Them
Can websites like Quake Prediction "predict" an earthquake? No, that's not true: Scientists cannot predict when, where or at what magnitude an earthquake will occur. However, scientists can estimate the probability that an earthquake of a
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Cranberry Juice Is NOT Sole Remedy For UTIs — Experts Recommend Antibiotics More
Can cranberry juice alone remedy urinary tract infections, also known as UTIs? No, that's not true: Doctors recommend antibiotics to treat UTIs. Experts don't discourage patients experiencing UTIs from using cranberry juice or other cranb
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Pope Benedict Did NOT Ask Biden Not To Attend His Funeral — Ex-Pontiff Wanted Simple Ceremony
Did Pope Benedict ask President Joe Biden not to attend his funeral? No, that's not true: According to a Vatican spokesperson, the wish of the retired head of the Catholic Church was to have a simple ceremony, and there is no evidence tha
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: World Economic Forum Did NOT Declare That Pedophiles ‘Will Save Humanity’
Did the World Economic Forum declare, as part of a purported campaign to promote public acceptance of pedophilia, that "pedophiles will save humanity"? No, that's not true: No credible evidence exists that the WEF has made any such statem
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: CIA Did NOT Create Term ‘Conspiracy Theorist’ After JFK Assassination
Did the Central Intelligence Agency come up with the term "conspiracy theorist" to discredit the views of those casting doubts on the results of the official investigation into the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy? No, that's not tru
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FIFA Will NOT Keep Pele’s Feet In Its Museum
Will FIFA (the Federation Internationale de Football Association) keep Pele's feet in its museum? No, that's not true: A FIFA spokesperson who replied to a Lead Stories query by email on January 5, 2023, said, "We completely refute this c
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: The House Jan. 6 Committee Did NOT Withdraw Trump Subpoena Because ‘They Knew Trump Did Nothing Wrong’
Did the U.S. House of Representatives' committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol withdraw its subpoena of former President Donald Trump because "they knew Trump did nothing wrong"? No, that's not true: The wi
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Elon Musk Did NOT Buy ABC And Cancel ‘The View’ — Story Originated On A Satire Website
Did Elon Musk buy the ABC Network and cancel its daytime talk show "The View"? No, that's not true: This is a fabricated story that originated on a satire website run by Christopher Blair, who plainly discloses that "everything on this we
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Obama Is NOT Hitler’s Grandson
Is former U.S. President Barack Obama the grandson of Nazi-era Germany's leader Adolf Hitler? No, that's not true: U.S. census data and Obama's birth certificate show that his mother, Ann Dunham, was born in Kansas in 1942 to American par
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Ebola Outbreak At George Washington University Hospital On January 4, 2023 — Hospital In ‘Normal Operations’
Did George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C. stop accepting new patients on January 4, 2023, due to a "possible EBOLA OUTBREAK"? No, that's not true: An official statement from the hospital, provided to Lead Stories on Ja