Does Mike Lindell's "Absolute Interference" video, his third that purports to prove 2020 election fraud, contain only proven statements? No, that's not true: It recycles claims that have been debunked before, and relies on discredited guests who make unsubstantiated and disproven allegations. The video's orienting claim is that foreign and domestic actors hacked the election through the manipulation of voting…

Did this "Stanford Study" prove that face masks don't slow the spread of COVID-19 and harm the health of mask-wearers? No, that's not true: Stanford University disavows the article, which is not a report on new research and is full of the kind of spelling and grammar errors not found in journals by and for science professionals. It is, as…

Can the PCR test kill you and be used to vaccinate you? No, that's not true: The claim is made without proof, and PCR test experts say it's not possible. The claim originated in a video published on brandnewtube.com on February 9, 2021, by Vernon Coleman titled "The PCR Test Can Kill You and Can Be Used to Vaccinate You"…

Did the prime minister of Japan hold a "Trump 2024" sign during remarks made alongside Kamala Harris? No, that's not true: A video showing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga with a "Make America Great Again" hat and a sign in support of Donald Trump has clearly been manipulated. Other video of the event shows him as he was, dressed in a…

Was Joe Biden denied entry to the Pentagon on April 16, 2021? No, that's not true: A Pentagon spokesperson denied the claim. There's also no evidence the president visited the Pentagon on that date. He hosted the Japanese prime minister, held a press conference and left the White House for Wilmington, Delaware, according to Biden's public schedule and press reports.…

Did a nurse save a woman from an abusive boyfriend when the woman secretly passed her a message asking for help? No, that's not true: This scene, designed to look as if it was captured by a security camera, is a staged production using actors. The page that shared the video, "Jalals," is labeled as being from a comedian. The…

Does the film "Out of Shadows" prove a child-raping satanic cult controls the U.S. government and Hollywood, and operated out of a Washington, D.C., pizza parlor? No, that's not true: The film declares that the lid came off in a leading Democrat's leaked emails, in which "pizza" is used as secret code for child sex. But the filmmakers provide nothing…

Did Florida pass a law granting immunity to people who drive through rioters amid BLM riots? Yes, but it only grants civil immunity, not criminal immunity. HB1, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on April 19, 2021, grants an "affirmative defense" that will provide people with immunity from civil liability if they kill or injure a protester with their car, according…

Is this the most detailed representation of a human cell to date, obtained by radiography, nuclear magnetic resonance and cryoelectronic microscopy? No, that's not true: This digital illustration by Russell Kightley is titled "Animal Cell." Kightley used a "Fractal Design Painter" digital art program to create the image for a biology wall chart company about 20 years ago. While humans…

Did Denmark's top health official faint from a COVID shot? There is no evidence backing this claim that the vaccine is what caused her to faint. On April 14, 2021, Tanja Erichsen, the head of the drug monitoring unit of the Danish Medicines Agency, fainted on camera during a press conference while the director general of the Danish Health Authority,…

Is April 24, 2021, "National Rape Day"?" No, that's not true: there is no evidence this event is expected to happen, and there is some evidence that it may have originated as some internet trolls' idea of a joke. Although the claim has primarily spread on TikTok, it also appeared on other social media platforms. A Facebook post (archived here)…

Are vaccines poison? Can fact checkers not read cursive? No, both claims are not true: the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has a listicle on its website titled, "14 Diseases You Almost Forgot About (Thanks to Vaccines)," describing diseases eradicated through vaccination campaigns. If vaccines were poison, the U.S. would have seen the biggest mass die-off on record, since more…

Are COVID-19 death totals off by nearly 25%? No, there's no evidence that's true. A post making the claim provided no sourcing except to urge users to check out a news website. Lead Stories found nothing on that site to back up the claim. At the time of writing, April 19, 2021, more than 560,000 people have died from COVID-19…

Did former President Donald Trump pick up the defense legal fees for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin? No, that's not true: The claim that Trump paid for Chauvin's defense in his trial for the murder of George Floyd is satire published by a website known for trolling conservatives. In fact, the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association is funding…

Did an Irish woman take the gun of her wounded fiance and continue fighting the British army until she was killed? And did someone overhear the comments of the British commander who had called off the fighting so the "Irish could bury their dead"? And lastly, was this photo "chosen" for Women's Day in Ireland and given the motto, "Don't…

Was Hillary Clinton convicted by a military tribunal on April 16, 2021? No, that's not true. "The story is false," the Defense Department press operations duty officer told Lead Stories via email on April 16, 2021.There is no military tribunal or trial being held where the former secretary of state is being prosecuted for crimes at the Guantanamo Bay Prison.…

Did deaths in 2020 caused by foreign objects placed in the rectum surpass total deaths from "AR" (Armalite Rifle) fire in the last five years? No, that claim cannot be supported with available data: As of April 16, 2021, there is no publicly available database of the number of deaths caused by people having foreign objects in their rectum, nor…

Is there an active serial killer investigation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as of April 16, 2021? No, that's not true: Although the body of 18-year-old Louisiana State University student Kori Gauthier was recovered from the Mississippi River on April 13, 2021, authorities concluded there was no evidence of criminal activity or foul play in the case. The claim appeared in…

Did Queen Elizabeth laugh at Prince Philip pranking her dressed as a palace guard? No, that's not true: Queen Elizabeth II was photographed in 2003 laughing while standing next to her husband but he did not trick her by dressing up as one of the household guards, causing her to crack up. He was officially escorting her wearing his full…

Did platinum album-selling artist Usher throw fake dollar bills to Las Vegas strippers in place of the paper money customarily thrown as tips? No, that's not true: Usher did not make it rain with fake bills of various amounts that featured his likeness. According to a representative of Sapphire Las Vegas, the club in question, Usher generously paid the dancers…