Does a pastel rainbow "MAP" flag signify normalizing pedophilia? No, that's not true: There's no evidence that it is an official "MAP or YAP pride flag." An organization that works with "MAP," which stands for minor attracted persons, has
Publication: Fact Check
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: Chelsea Clinton Has Not Advocated “Force-Jabbing” Unvaccinated Children
Chelsea Clinton at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast on June 29, 2022. (Photo by Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images) Claims are circulating online among social media users that Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and former S
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: PCR Test Nasal Swabs Do NOT Affect Longevity, Aging — No Widespread Effects Found
Do nasopharyngeal swabs, like those used in PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing for COVID-19, affect your longevity and aging? No, that's not true: Most research about the effectiveness and safety of such swabs suggests that they pose
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Pasteurized Milk Causes ADHD
Is it a proven fact that the consumption of pasteurized milk leads to ADHD? No, that's not true: While the exact causes of this disorder remain unknown, the existing body of evidence links the occurrence of ADHD to genetic factors, not di
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Men Pictured In Social Media Posts Are NOT Allen, Texas, Gunman Mauricio Garcia
Are any of the men pictured in social media posts Mauricio Garcia, the gunman who was killed during the May 7, 2023, mass shooting at an Allen, Texas, outlet mall? No, that's not true: While a man pictured in two different posts with two
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: An Old 2020 Election Lie Resurfaces
Former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally during the 2020 presidential election (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Old claims are recirculating online that there were 133 million registered voters during the 2020 presidential election and tha
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Robot Did NOT Attack Worker — It’s Sci-Fi CGI
Did security footage capture the moment when an "angry" warehouse robot attacked a human worker? No, that's not true: This is a short science fiction film made by a film company in Georgia with CGI. The company, Sozo Bear Films, emailed L
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Trump, Epstein Photos With ‘Underage’ Women NOT Authentic — They’re AI Generated
Did old, never-before-seen photos surface in May of 2023 of Donald Trump posing with young women on a private jet, and also partying with Jeffrey Epstein? No, that's not true: Although there are authentic images of Donald Trump posing for
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Mercury Found In Vaccines Is NOT ‘Killing You Slowly’
Is thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, found in "almost every single vaccine" and is it "killing you slowly"? No, that's not true: Multiple studies have shown "no evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines,"
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Comfrey Can Heal Damaged Teeth, Gums
Can using the herb comfrey as a mouthwash help heal teeth and gums? No, that's not true: A professor at the UCLA School of Dentistry told Lead Stories that there is no evidence that comfrey can restore damaged gums or teeth. The Mount Sin
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Chelsea Clinton-Endorsed Vaccine Program ‘The Big Catch-Up’ Does NOT Mandate Vaccines For US Children
Does the Chelsea Clinton-endorsed vaccine program "The Big Catch-up" require U.S. children to receive a COVID-19 mRNA immunization? No, that's not true: The program is a global effort to "catch up" on giving recommended childhood vaccines
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘Grim Reaper’ Did NOT Appear At Coronation Of King Charles III — It Was A Verger
Did the Grim Reaper walk through Westminster Abbey during the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, 2023? No, that's not true: A press officer at the Abbey told Lead Stories that the robed figure seen on TV during the ceremony is a ver
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show ‘Cloud Generator’
Does a video circulating on social media demonstrate the use of "cloud generators" to manipulate the weather? No, that's not true: The clip reuses old footage of Russian-manufactured military machines. The claim appeared in a video post o
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Tucker Carlson Did NOT Turn Down $30 Million Offer From CNN — It’s From Satire Site
Did former Fox News host Tucker Carlson turn down a $30 million offer to host a show on CNN? No, that's not true: This article is satire published by The Dunning-Kruger Times, part of a network of satire sites from America's Last Line of
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: Images of Satanist Schooling in Libraries Are Digitally Generated
Picture via Getty Images Images are circulating online that purport to show demonic figures in libraries instructing children in the ways of Satanism. These images were generated using artificial intelligence software and are not real.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Disease-Related Patents Do NOT Prove Those Diseases Were Man-Made
Do patents related to the diseases AIDS, SARS, Zika and Ebola prove that they were man-made? No, that's not true: Three of the patents cited are associated with those diseases but they are not for the creation or invention of them. There
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘New Study’ Does NOT Prove ‘Fasting Cures Anything’ — There’s NO Recent Study
Does a "new study on fasting" prove it can cure any illness? No, that's not true: While fasting has been shown to have potential health benefits and may be useful in certain contexts, such as weight loss and improving insulin sensitivity,
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Professional Athletes HAVE Lived To Be 100 Years Old — Exercise Is Shown To Increase Lifespan
Has a professional athlete never lived to be 100 years old, thus evidencing that exercise "doesn't increase lifespan" and "in fact, exercise can shorten lifespan"? No, that's not true: Globally, there are a number of professional athletes
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Prove Space Station Footage Was Shot In ‘Hollywood Basement’
Do jumpy cuts in the asparagus-eating video recorded by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield while in the zero-gravity environment in 2013 prove it was shot in a "Hollywood basement," outer space does not exist and Earth is flat? No, that's
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: This Video Does NOT Show Ukraine Being Hit By Nuclear Weapon — It’s The Aftermath Of A Russian Missile Attack
Does a video posted on social media in early May 2023 show Ukraine being struck by a nuclear weapon? No, that's not true: Although the video does show the aftermath of a reported Russian missile attack in Ukraine, there is no evidence tha
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: Old Migrant Caravan Photo Circulating on Social Media
Photo by Guillermo Arias (AFP via Getty Images) Social media users are claiming that a photograph shows a migrant caravan currently en route to the U.S. These claims are false, as the photograph was actually taken in October 2018. These invaders wi
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Photo Does NOT Depict First Honduran Migrant ‘Caravan’ Woman To Be Granted Asylum In US
Does a photo on social media depict a Honduran woman named Susana Gonzalez who was the first member of a "caravan" of migrants to be granted asylum in the United States? No, that's not true: This post depicts an old, fake meme that has be
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Cheating Partners, pH Mix Do NOT Cause UTIs, Yeast Infections
Do cheating partners or "pHs that don't mix" contribute to urinary tract or yeast infections? No, that's not true: While sexual activity can increase the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and yeast infections, there can be other cau
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: Teachers Union Head Says She Wanted Schools to Reopen During Pandemic
Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, on May 3, 2023 in Tamarac, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) During testimony before a House of Representatives panel on April 26, the president of the American Federation of
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Sweden Did NOT Attack Russia With ‘Surprise Air Strike’ On May 3, 2023
Did Sweden launch a "surprise air strike" against Russia on May 3, 2023? No, that's not true: The claim comes from a clickbait video and is not supported by any other credible sources. The story originated from a post on Facebook on May 3
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: Video Shows the Wrong Border Fence
A picture of Melilla, at the border between Morocco and Spain, taken on June 25, 2022. (Photo by FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images) A video clip is circulating online showing a border fence overwhelmed by hundreds of people trying to climb to the other
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Acupressure Massages On Hands And Fingers Do NOT Aid Digestion
Do acupressure massages on a person's hands and fingers aid digestion or relieve digestion issues? No, that's not true: The director of gastroenterology at the University of Alberta told Lead Stories that this post reflects "inaccurate in
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Border Breach Video Is NOT US-Mexico Border — It Shows Spanish Enclave Melilla In North Africa
Does this video show a large crowd of migrants scaling the fence at the U.S. border with Mexico? No, that's not true: This scene was filmed in North Africa in March 2022 as migrants from sub-Saharan Africa climbed the border fence of the
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Excess Cyanocobalamin Does NOT Make Anxiety, Depression Worse — It’s Manmade Vitamin B12
Does cyanocobalamin, a man-made form of vitamin B12, cause or aggravate anxiety and depression if too much of it remains in the body? No, that's not true: The human body has a difficult time absorbing B12, no matter what form it comes in.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Obama Did NOT Remove 500,000 ‘Pedophiles From Government Online Databases’
Did former President Barack Obama remove half a million pedophiles from government online databases? No, that's not true: The claim refers to changes in criminal record-keeping. The Trump administration issued the memo in February 2017 th
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: World Economic Forum Did NOT Order Governments To Start ‘Rationing Water Into Homes’
Did the World Economic Forum "order" governments "to begin rationing water into homes," proclaiming that access to it is not a human right anymore? No, that's not true: As a non-governmental body, The World Economic Forum (WEF) doesn't ha
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Kobe Bryant Was NOT Suing Company Behind ‘Black Mamba Hyperrush’ Over Supposed Opioid Contamination
Was basketball superstar Kobe Bryant suing the company behind Black Mamba Hyperrush over their energy supplements' supposed opioid contamination? No, that's not true: Bryant was suing a company in a trademark dispute for using the name Bl
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Uncle And Dog Are Missing — It’s A Scam Post
Does this post authentically report someone's elderly uncle named Martin Jones went missing while out with their dog Baxter? No, that's not true: This is a "bait and switch" Facebook post. Social media posts that make this type of claim a
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Claim About Life Expectancy of Beekeepers Is NOT Backed Up By Research
Do beekeepers have the longest life expectancy among all other professions and is this the result of disease-reversing healing frequencies emitted by the bees? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no evidence to support this claim -- n
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Posts With Pictures Of Lost ‘Sweet Girl’ Are Bait-And-Switch Scam
Do social media posts about people "desperately trying to find the parents" of a lost "sweet girl" show a real-life call for help? No, that's not true: Entries with identical wording appeared in many places in the United States; as they g
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Garlic NOT Used To Kill People — Knives Or Bullets Coated With Garlic Juice NOT Deadlier
Are knives or bullets coated with garlic juice deadlier than they would be without it? No, that's not true: While garlic does have anti-clotting properties, they're not strong enough to cause people to bleed out from a wound that wouldn't
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Study Did NOT Prove Wearing Masks Causes Stillbirths, Testicular Dysfunction And Cognitive Decline ‘Due To Build-Up Of Carbon Dioxide’
Did a study prove that wearing face masks raises the risk of stillbirths, testicular dysfunction and cognitive decline "due to build-up of carbon dioxide" (CO2)? No, that's not true: A "study" shared widely to social media was actually a
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: BlackRock Does Not Own Shares In Dominion Voting Systems
BlackRock offices in New York City. (Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images) False claims are circulating online that BlackRock Inc., the world’s largest asset manager, owns significant shares in Fox News parent company Fox Corporation a
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Destruction Of Eggs In U.S. — It’s From Argentina
Does a video show thousands of eggs being destroyed in the United States during the egg shortage in 2023? No, that's not true: The video is from a company in Argentina that was forced by its government to destroy the eggs due to avian flu
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘Eastern Diamond Rattlesnake’ Is NOT Being Found In Several US Locations — They’re Scam Posts
Is a "deadly Eastern diamond rattlesnake" actually being found in several locations across the United States that are not known as native habitats for these snakes? No, that's not true: Social media posts that make the claim are repurposi