Ed Payne

Did President Joe Biden err in saying "end of quote" during his farewell address on January 15, 2025, as some social media posts suggested? No, that's not true: Speakers often say "end of quote" to show they've finished quoting someone else. Biden has used this phrase in his speeches before to clarify things. Public speaking experts told Lead Stories that there's nothing wrong with saying it like that.

Does a video show President-elect Donald Trump supporting Georgia state Sen. Colton Moore after his arrest on January 16, 2025?...

Did President Donald Trump propose a law that says only the person who pays child support can claim a child on their taxes? No, that's not true: There's no proof Trump ever suggested this idea. The current tax rules, which include changes made under Trump's 2017 tax cuts set to expire in 2026, don't stop both parents from being able to claim their child on taxes if they qualify.

Does a video show people in January 2025 fleeing from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid? No, that's not true: The video shows men running near a construction site in 2024 or earlier. The building seen in the video was finished before September 2024, according to images on Google Maps.

Does U.S. law allow for Dr. Anthony Fauci to be extradited to Russia? No, that's not true: Lawyers who specialize in extradition told Lead Stories that there's no legal basis to send an American citizen to Russia. Plus, the United States doesn't have an extradition treaty with Russia, so the chances of it happening are "slim to none."

Did a Mississippi state senator file a bill in a sincere attempt to bar men from masturbating? No, that's not true: Bradford Blackmon said he introduced Senate Bill 2319 to highlight what he described as "double standards" in laws affecting men and women.

Do social media posts share the real side effects of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine as of January 2025? No, that's not true: The most common side effects are feeling tired, headaches, muscle aches, chills, fever, or feeling sick to your stomach, according to Pfizer and the Food and Drug Administration. One may also experience pain, redness, or swelling where the shot was given, and a few people may faint. More serious side effects, like allergic reactions or swelling of the heart or its lining, are rare.

Does an authentic photo show Canadian Liberal Party leadership candidate Mark Carney with Jeffrey Epstein in a pool? No, that's not true: Multiple online artificial intelligence detectors judged that this image was most likely AI generated. Using online image searches or other records, Lead Stories found no real photos of Carney and Epstein together.

Was the military helicopter involved in the plane crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29, 2025, supposed to be broadcasting with an ADS-B transponder signal? No, that's not true: While the Black Hawk helicopter was not using ADS-B, it was still operating properly within the airspace, according to flight data and to an aviation expert. That aviation expert told Lead Stories that the helicopter was equipped with a Mode S transponder, which made it visible to air traffic controllers.

Did the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the fatal plane crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29, 2025, have a senior military official on board? No, that's not true: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the helicopter involved in the collision over the Potomac River was conducting annual retraining for a "Continuity of Government" mission that would be set into action in the event of a national emergency. If this had been an actual Continuity of Government mission, not a training flight, there would have been a high-ranking military official in the helicopter.