Does Video Show Police Spraying Fake Blood on Themselves During a Philadelphia Shooting?
Viral video spread on several social channels, purportedly showing Philadelphia police using “fake blood” after a shooting standoff.
August 2019
Did North Carolina Ban Sharia Law Statewide?
To understand claims about “sharia law” bans, we first have to understand what constitutes “sharia law” in the first place.
Did a Woman Post an Ad Offering to Babysit ‘White Kids Only’?
Social media amplified threats and harassment against an Oregon woman over the flyer without pausing to see whether it was real.
Was the Mississippi Chicken Plant Raided by American Immigration Authorities Previously Sued for Workplace Abuses?
After massive ICE raids, claims appeared that Koch Foods was previously ordered to pay a large settlement to employees after an EEOC lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, discrimination, and other abuses.
Did Public Assistance Programs Exist in the United States Before Social Security?
Claims that “our ancestors” who emigrated to the U.S. had no access to pensions or other types of aid when they arrived are ahistorical.
Is the Trump Administration Rewriting the Statue of Liberty’s Poem?
A number of headlines appeared to convince people that acting USCIS Director Ken Cuccinelli was literally replacing the plaque bearing the fabled sonnet on the Statue of Liberty.
A Million Seconds Ago Was July 24th, a Billion Seconds Ago Was 1988?
The difference between millionaires and billionaires may be poorly understood, but time-based analogies have inherent flaws, for a very good reason.
Did a Gallery Worker Mistake an Art Installation for Trash?
Social media gave new life, on at least two separate occasions, to the story of a $14,000 mishap in Italy.
Did Manhattanites Start a Petition to Change Part of 5th Avenue to ‘Barack Obama Avenue’?
A petition exists to rename Trump Tower’s portion of 5th Avenue after former U.S. President Barack Obama, but it doesn’t seem to be entirely by locals.
Are the ‘Epstein Gurney Photos’ Fake?
A popular conspiracy theory after the death of Jeffrey Epstein involved “gurney photos” in the news and claims that those photographs were fabricated.