Does this photo show the San Andreas fault? And is the San Andreas Fault 132 kilometers long and 32 kilometers deep? No, none of that is true: This is a photo from a trail in Canyonlands National Park in Utah, not of the San Andreas Fault in California. Also, the San Andreas Fault is more than 800 miles long. The…

Does placing a wet towel near the cutting surface when slicing onions prevent crying by absorbing the irritating enzymes released? No, there is no evidence that this cooking hack works better than any other methods. The reason why slicing onions makes cooks cry is a complicated reaction between various enzymes released from the onion's sliced cells that form to produce…

Do Denzel Washington and Dr. Ben Carson endorse a brain pill that boosts a person's IQ and focus level? No, that's not true: Carson's representative told Lead Stories "he does not take this," and Washington's representative told Lead Stories that claims he is a supporter or spokesperson for a "brain supplement that increases intelligence and ability to focus" are "fake."…

Would Washington state police reforms prevent officers from chasing a violent suspect? No, that's not true. A series of new laws do not prohibit police officers from pursuing a violent criminal even if they didn't witness the initial violent crime. A new law specifically allows peace officers to pursue someone in a vehicle if they are suspected of committing a…

Were Democrats the original "anti-vaxxers" less than a year ago? No, that's not true: Old tape of three Democratic leaders appearing to say they didn't support the COVID-19 vaccine is clipped. Partial footage doesn't tell the whole story. The leaders' full comments made clear they supported the vaccine and would recommend others get it, assuming scientists and public health professionals…

Did a woman's husband break her foot with a baseball bat when he saw what he thought was a snake come out from under the blanket? No, that's not true: These two photos are not related. The photo of a bandaged foot was published in a medical article in 2016; the injured was a man who dropped a cutter on…

Is Mark Twain the person responsible for the now famous quote about politicians and diapers needing to be changed often and for the same reason? No, that's not true: There is no record of Mark Twain having written or said this quote. Many versions of the sentiment with similar construction have been recorded in print by various authors in the…

Was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley recently arrested? No, that's not true: Milley attended a press briefing after a video making this and other false claims appeared on a Facebook account that pretends to be from two QAnon influencers. The claim appeared in a video published on Facebook (archived here) by a "MEL K Charlie…

Does a podcaster's online video prove there are no SARS-CoV-2 variants, that there's no pandemic and that COVID-19 isn't a novel disease? No, that's not true: coronavirus conspiracist David Martin's claims fly in the face of the established medical consensus, which recognizes SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as a novel coronavirus, and has documented the emergence of several variants…

Is "medical error" the third leading cause of death in the United States? No, that's not proven: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not include "medical error" in the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States. For one thing, given the lack of a precise medical or legal definition for "medical error," it's difficult to…

Does California's Proposition 47 state that theft of property valued under $950 will not be prosecuted, so police will not show up if such theft occurs? No, that's not true: The proposition, which passed in 2014 and has been on the books for more than six years, says that such a theft would be considered a misdemeanor rather than a…

Has Monsanto, the agribusiness controversial for its widely used herbicides, been banned in 15 locations? No, that's not true: The company no longer exists under the name "Monsanto" since it was acquired by Bayer, a company best known for its health care products. Glyphosate, an active ingredient in a herbicide created by the company, has been criticized by and even…

Did President Joe Biden announce that Americans who are not vaccinated before 2022 will be put into "quarantine camps"? No, that's not true: There is no record of Biden ever saying anything about "quarantine camps" for unvaccinated Americans. This claim originated on a satirical website and was then republished by an investment website. While the republished article does include a…

Did the highest flood to ever happen in the German town of Bad Schandau happen over a century ago? No, that's not true: The highest flood in Bad Schandau happened on August 16, 2002 -- the flood water rose a few centimeters higher than it had in the Saxon Flood of 1845. A photo of the building with dates and…

Is the COVID-19 vaccine free because it doesn't save lives? No, that's not true: The claim does not specifically mention the COVID-19 vaccine -- referring instead to "the shot" -- but it is implied, given current ongoing vaccination efforts amid the coronavirus outbreak. The cost of a vaccine or a shot is not established based on effectiveness, for COVID-19 or…

Does the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance cite zero studies or data showing a benefit to student masking? No, that's not true: The CDC website is peppered with references to studies that show mask use by students is associated with lower COVID-19 infection rates. Examples of such studies can be seen here, here, and here and…

Did Allied bomber pilots drop wooden bombs on German decoy airfields made from wood to let them know they saw through the ruse? While no historical sources can confirm this story beyond a doubt, researchers have compiled eyewitness accounts and other evidence that indicate that this is more than an urban legend. Versions of this story emerged as early as…

Did the anonymous "whistleblower" in a July 19, 2021, lawsuit against the Secretary of Health and Human Services document her claim that 45,000 people died within three days of receiving a COVID vaccination? No, that's not true: It's her "opinion" that a five-fold multiplier of a list of unverified reports is warranted. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has repeatedly…

Does a video implying that five JetBlue pilots died after getting the COVID-19 vaccine show evidence to back that up? No, it does not. Of the five people named in the video, one was not a pilot, but an inflight crew member for JetBlue. One of the five died from cancer and another one passed away after an off-road vehicle…

Do individuals who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in the United Kingdom make up 60% of COVID-19 hospitalizations in that country? No, that's not true: the statistic was stated erroneously by Sir Patrick Vallance, government chief scientific adviser in the U.K. Vallance later corrected himself via Twitter, saying that at the time, 60% of COVID-19 hospitalizations were…