Quick Take April Fool’s Day brought a spate of false posts claiming students will have to repeat the school year. While many schools across the U.S. closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, there’s no indication they’ll call for repeat
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FactCheck.org→ Biden’s False Claim on Trump’s Response to Coronavirus
Former Vice President Joe Biden was wrong when he said that the Trump administration made no effort to get U.S. medical experts into China as the novel coronavirus epidemic spread there early this year. “[W]hen we were talking … early on in
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a Homophobic Church Group Running a COVID-19 Clinic in New York City?
A mobile clinic erected in New York City to help residents infected by COVID-19 (a.k.a. the “coronavirus”) is not only run by radical homophobic cleric Franklin Graham, it is requiring volunteer workers to express support for an anti-LGBTQ
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Dr. Fauci Predict a Serious Pandemic During Trump’s Presidency — in 2017?
White House Coronavirus Task Force lead member Dr. Anthony Fauci was a widely familiar face throughout the coronavirus pandemic (due in part to what many perceived as a soberingly honest approach to the crisis), and by late March 2020, Fauci was rumor
FactCheck.org→ Video: Trump’s Misleading Attacks on Cuomo
In this video, we look at two misleading attacks President Donald Trump has lodged against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose state has been dealing with an explosion of COVID-19 infections. Hitting back at New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s pleas for the
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Spin on ‘Broken’ Testing
While his administration has faced criticism for being slow to ramp up testing for coronavirus infections, President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that the problem was with his predecessors, saying the administration “inherited a broken sys
Truth or Fiction?→ Andrew Cuomo’s Pierced Nipples, Explained
On March 31 2020, a bored-in-quarantine internet turned its attention to a state governor getting national attention, and decided a photograph showed Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “pierced nipples.” A post to Reddit’s r/TIHI (“than
Lead Stories→ Locked Out: Losing Your Facebook And Instagram Accounts In Times Of Coronavirus
Two weeks before strict nationwide coronavirus lockdown measures were announced in Britain, Abbie had already been practicing the recommended social distancing. In her flat in the southwest of England, she had plenty of projects in the works a
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: COVID-19 NOT Being Blamed For Deaths Primarily Due To Unrelated Causes
Is it true that asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 who die of other medical problems will be added to the coronavirus death toll? No, that's not true: Many asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 are not getting tested in the first place, so that ass
Truth or Fiction?→ Should You Make a No-Sew Coronavirus Mask During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
In late March 2020, do-it-yourself and no-sew coronavirus masks were a hot topic — but not before the subject of COVID-19 and face masks became confusing and contentious. Before COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic on March 11 2020, offic
FactCheck.org→ Union’s Search for Face Masks Gets Twisted Online
Quick Take A meme falsely claims that a health care workers’ union was “caught hiding 39 million N95 masks,” and other posts cast suspicion on the union’s motives. In reality, the union had called medical suppliers nationwide in
Truth or Fiction?→ USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort Dock in Cities for Coronavirus Response
Amid jarring scenes of metropolitan hospitals dangerously strained by COVID-19 during the coronavirus pandemic, two naval hospital ships (the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy) were docked in New York City and Los Angeles respectively in late March 2020
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Students Do NOT Have To Repeat Their Current Grades Due To Coronavirus
Do students in multiple states have to repeat their current grade next year because of the delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic? No, these are social media "pranks" put out by a website devoted to spreading "practical jokes" on the internet. Th
FactCheck.org→ Trump and the Coronavirus Death Projections
In his March 30 appearance on “Fox & Friends,” President Donald Trump suggested an estimate that the novel coronavirus might kill a huge number of Americans was a new revelation. The president said in the interview that “the answe
FactCheck.org→ Trump vs. Cuomo, Round 2
President Donald Trump continued his misleading attacks on Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic as it ravages the state. With mask use spiking at one New York hospital, Trump speculated that masks may be &
Truth or Fiction?→ The COVID-19 Chloroquine Controversy, Explained
On March 30 2020, a number of outlets reported that the Food and Drug Administration had given a limited go-ahead for the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in medical settings in the latest development in what has become a bizarrely (but not e
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Trump DID Sign 5G Bill, But Exposure Effects Are Misleading
Did President Trump sign a bill that addresses the future of 5G infrastructure? Yes, that's true: the Secure 5G and Beyond Act of 2020 was signed on March 23, 2020, but a video detailing the potential fallout of expanding 5G technology is exag
Truth or Fiction?→ Were Florida Residents Spotted Packing Beaches During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
A photograph of beachgoers ignoring social distancing guidelines concerning the COVID-19 pandemic prompted local officials to close their gathering place to the public. The photo, attributed to Clay Archer of Jacksonville Beach, was shared thousands o
FactCheck.org→ No Evidence to Back COVID-19 Ibuprofen Concerns
Q: Does ibuprofen make COVID-19 worse? A: There is no evidence that ibuprofen or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can make COVID-19 cases more severe. You should consult your doctor before changing medications. FULL QUESTION Is it true tha
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Kennedy Center Did NOT Give DNC $5M After Getting $25M In Relief From Coronavirus Stimulus
Did the Kennedy Center give the Democratic National Committee $5 mllion after getting $25 million in relief from the government coronavirus stimulus package? No, that's not true: The Kennedy Center did not give the DNC $5 million the day after
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a $1,200 Coronavirus Stimulus an Advance on 2020’s Tax Credit — or a Loan You Have to Pay Back in 2021?
In the early evening of March 27 2020, news that Americans would receive COVID-19 stimulus checks of $1,200 or higher was a flashpoint of discussion in the reporting of the passage of the the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Bill Gates Does NOT Have Access To Your DNA And Does NOT Have Ownership In WHO
Is Bill Gates behind widespread COVID-19 testing, and does he have ownership in the World Health Organization? No, that's true. The claims are the latest in a long-standing campaign by some within the anti-vaccine movement to paint Gates as a
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Woody Allen Did NOT Say ‘New York Should Disown Trump’
Did Woody Allen urge New Yorkers to "disown" President Trump? No, that's not true: This is a parody from a website stating it is "satire for flat earthers, Trumpsters and Y'all Qaeda." The article originated on a web site called Daily World Up
Snopes→ Can Cats Really Get or Pass on COVID-19?
There is no need to quarantine your feline friends.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Florida Did NOT Ban Alcohol Sales Beginning Today Due To Coronavirus
Did Florida ban the sale of beer and alcohol after 3 p.m. on March 30, 2020, as part of an emergency effort to curb the outbreak of COVID-19 in that state? No, that's not true: This came from a prank news generator website. The story originate
Lead Stories→ A New Look For Lead Stories
Welcome to the all-new and improved leadstories.com. After five years of the same old design, we decided it was time for a new look. We will, of course, continue to debunk and fact check the latest rumors, falsehoods and questionable memes mak
Snopes→ Did Schumer Delete a Tweet Criticizing Trump for Banning Air Travel from China ‘Prematurely’?
Pranksters no longer need spend time with Photoshop to create convincing fake tweets.
FactCheck.org→ Birx Spins ‘Extraordinarily Low Numbers’ of Coronavirus Cases
Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, misleadingly claimed that 19 states — “almost 40% of the country” — “have less than 200 cases” of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Premature Claim about Ventilator Production
In a March 21 press briefing, President Donald Trump prematurely declared that automakers, including Ford and General Motors, were manufacturing much needed ventilators “right now.” It wasn’t until nearly a week after the president’s cl
FactCheck.org→ Meme Misleads on Hospital Visits to Children With COVID-19
Quick Take A viral meme suggests that children hospitalized with COVID-19 in the U.S. and U.K. can’t be visited by a parent. Hospital policies have become generally more restrictive, but pediatric patients are still allowed visits by at least one
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show 5G Installation At Texas School
Does a video show workers installing 5G, the fifth-generation wireless technology, at a school in Lindale, Texas? No, that's not true: Lead Stories spoke with the general manager and CEO of Etex Communications, the telecommunications company s
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Yelp and GoFundMe Create COVID-19 Fundraisers for Restaurants Without Telling Them?
A push from business owners forced two tech companies to modify an unprompted response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Andy McMillan, owner of a bar in Portland, Oregon — where bars and restaurants were ordered to close down as part of efforts to slow
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Bill Gates Did NOT Write Open Letter Saying COVID-19 Reminds ‘We Are All Equal’
Did Microsoft founder Bill Gates pen an open letter about COVID-19, saying it was "sent to remind us of the important lessons that we seem to have forgotten?" No, that's not true: The letter is fake, and The Sun newspaper retracted a story abo
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the President of the United States Tell Governors Seeking Ventilators That Favors Are ‘a Two-Way Street’?
In late March 2020, a quote attributed to United States President Donald Trump involving various state governors and access to ventilators began spread in the form of several text-based status update memes: One of the shares appeared on the page
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Studies Do NOT Prove Coronavirus Was Engineered To Be A Bioweapon
Was the coronavirus biologically engineered to be a bioweapon as one University of Illinois law professor claims? No that claim is misleading: Prof. Fancis Boyle said in a video interview with "Outside the Box" host Jason Liosatos that one stu
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Misleading Ventilator Counter-Punch at Cuomo
Hitting back at New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s pleas for the federal government to provide more ventilators, President Donald Trump misleadingly claimed Cuomo rejected a 2015 recommendation to purchase 15,000 ventilators and instead “establis
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Faulty Testing Claims
President Donald Trump and coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said the United States had done more testing for COVID-19 infections in eight days than South Korea had done in eight weeks, but that ignores the fact that South Korea has a
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Deaths Blamed On Coronavirus Are NOT Really Due To The Flu
Are the figures cited by the CDC for COVID-19 deaths really referring to deaths caused by flu? No, that's not true: The viruses responsible for each may cause similar symptoms, but they differ in many ways. The claim appeared in a Facebook pos
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the Canadian Government Giving Citizens $2,000 a Month Because of COVID-19?
On March 25 2020, social media users quickly drew comparisons between the help Canadian citizens are receiving from their government and a bill passed in the U.S. Senate. On Twitter, the comparison was spread most heavily in a tweet shared more than 1
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a ‘Coronavirus Challenge’ on Social Media Prompting Teens to Infect Themselves With COVID-19?
Amid wall-to-wall reporting on a novel coronavirus and COVID-19 in late March 2020, articles breathlessly claimed that a “coronavirus challenge” or “COVID-19 challenge” was spreading on platforms like TikTok and Twitter, inciti