‘This is the Beach Today in Raleigh, NC! Covid is Never Going Away!’
Screenshots of a Facebook post purportedly showing a crowded beach in North Carolina appeared along with laments about failure to implement social distancing.
Fact Checks
Did Black Lives Matter Members Attack a Man While Protesting a Statue of Louis IX?
Far-right disinformation purveyors tried to associate the movement with an incident at a St. Louis protest.
Is This ‘America First’ Trump 2020 Shirt Real?
Images of a purported Trump 2020 shirt reminded some social media users of a common Nazi symbol.
‘In Case You’re Wondering What Utter, Abject Failure Looks Like’: Are These USA, France, Italy, and Spain COVID-19 Charts?
A quartet of purported COVID-19 charts — the USA, France, Italy, and Spain — are spreading sourcelessly across social media.
Does ‘Qabalista’ by Selki Girl Trigger ‘Out-of-Body Experiences’?
Although the very existence of “astral projection” or out-of-body experiences is debated, TikTok’s #Witchtok swears Selki Girl’s Qabalista induces or triggers the experience.
Is Antifa Renting U-Hauls to Infiltrate ‘Residential Neighborhoods’?
A virulent strain of disinformation about “antifa” renting moving trucks in order to invade “residential areas” appeared to be sparked by white supremacists posting as anti-fascists.
‘1979 Horoscope, I Am F***ing Begging You to Read This’
In late June and early July 2020, a purported “1979 horoscope” captivated Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit.
Did Vandals in Spain Call a Nobel Prize Winner a ‘Killer’?
A photo of graffiti on a statue of Sir Alexander Fleming appears to date back to 2015.
Did a Teenager Get Pleurisy From Wearing a Face Mask for Work?
No — but this “friend of a friend” anti-mask tale has been spreading like wildfire on Facebook.
‘The Golden Girls’ Blackface Controversy
Hulu opted to remove an episode of “The Golden Girls” (titled “Mixed Blessing”) due to “blackface,” prompting debate over whether the decision was productive.