Did a Pastor Die After 30 Days of Fasting to Beat Jesus Christ’s Record?
In September 2019, a story about a pastor’s purported ill-fated fasting effort was all over Facebook — but it wasn’t the story’s first appearance.
Is the United States the 118th Safest Country in the World — Down From 65th in 2018?
A viral tweet shared to Facebook claimed that the United States had plummeted dramatically on a list of the world’s safest countries, but it was wrong on more than one level.
Did the Detective Who Led Jeffrey Epstein Investigation Die after a ‘Brief Illness’ At 50 in September 2019?
Conspiracy theorizing about the convicted sex offender was in full effect in the period after the inmate’s August 2019 suicide.
Palindrome Week, September 2019
Popular Facebook posts and Twitter trends heralded “palindrome week.” What’s that?
Did a Swedish Scientist Propose Cannibalism to Fight Climate Change?
Cannibalism can’t “combat” climate change, so why are so many outlets suggesting otherwise?
Jim Carrey Depression Meme: ‘I Believe Depression is Legitimate. But…’
A viral quote about depression attributed to the actor in a quote meme likely put words in the actor’s mouth to get more shares.
911 Dispatcher Donna Reneau/Debra Stevens Drowning Incident
On September 1 2019, the following meme appeared in the Facebook group “LIVE PD FANS NO BOUNDARIES” (archived here), purportedly detailing an exchange between the woman shown in the photograph (911 dispatcher Donna Reneau) and a victim of flash flooding (Debra Stevens): The text over her head in the photo read: HELLO, I’M DONNA RENEAU, …
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Are School Bus Stops Now More Dangerous Because of an All-Time High in Human Trafficking?
If anything is at an all-time high, it is baseless panic about school kidnappings and bus stops.
Did Reykjavik Ensure That Pride Flags Were Prominently Flown to Greet Mike Pence?
A viral tweet claims that Iceland’s biggest firms and companies honored the United States’ vice president with a rainbow display.
Dear ‘Ban Gun’ Teenagers, 11 Teens Die a Day from Texting and Driving
A bad faith argument about texting and driving deaths aimed at “‘ban gun’ teenagers” has been shared more than a million times on social media.