In October 2018, an image floating around the internet caused a stir. The photograph appeared to show something statistically implausible, if not impossible — a perfectly rectangular iceberg like a tabletop, serenely circling Antarctic waters: Iceberg floating in Antarctica is perfect rectangle | https://t.co/uqJjOnWrqT pic.twitter.com/7lNUMQ4xwM — RTÉ News (@rtenews) October 25, 2018 Although the oddly-shaped …
As a caravan of thousands of hopeful asylum-seekers from Central America continued to swell as the annual pilgrimage entered Mexico, so did rumors about them in the United States. One such rumor appeared on October 21, 2018, just after the group left Guatemala and entered Mexico: It appears that the migrant caravan, which has been …
Will Hurricane Willa Hit a Refugee Caravan in Mexico? Read More »
A photograph of a deer riddled with skin tumors appeared on social media in October 2018 with a description that appeared to be a quote, but without any citation or link: A deer that became riddled with tumors from eating plants sprayed with Monsanto’s Roundup. It seems fairly common. This description is inaccurate, as a …
October 2018 was, like the months immediately preceding it, a seemingly endless march of stressful news stories and increasing political tensions globally as elections loomed in countries around the world. That naturally led a subsection of internet regulars to seek out more uplifting, simple stories, preferably those involving rescuing cute animals. The Daily Mail got in on …
The Friends, the Video, and the Bear in the Bucket Read More »
A story about a woman cheerfully embarking on her 27th straight abortion hit social media in October 2018, shocking readers who learned about Elena Travis, the 34-year-old med school student with an unusual hobby (but a heart of gold): The historic operation was performed at the Sacramento Street Health Center and required Elena Travis, 34, …
Pro-Choice Activist Breaks World Record With 27th Abortion? Read More »
When Hurricane Michael slammed into Mexico Beach, Florida on October 10th, 2018, the massive storm caused as-yet untold amounts of damage, leveling homes for miles: Amid images of survivors and the aftermath, the usual hurricane hoaxes began to appear, like this one: Caption: “Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport – Panama City Beach, FL” The post …
In October 2018, a warning appeared and made its way around the usual internet circles to warn against eating meat from deer afflicted with “bovine tuberculosis.” The warning was accompanied by a rather unappetizing photograph of a lesion-studded hunk of meat that showed what people should avoid: This warning (and the accompanying photograph) is legitimate, …
LaCroix sparkling water has had something of a moment, but anything popular comes with detractors. The fruity, low-calorie beverage met its own in October 2018 in the form of a class-action lawsuit that claims, among other things, that the drink contains ingredients used in cockroach insecticide. Chicago-based law firm Beaumont Costales also slammed LaCroix for false …
A viral video making the social media rounds on October 4th, 2018 shows President Donald Trump carefully ascending the stairs to Air Force One on the tarmac in Minneapolis, Minnesota — with a piece of paper stuck to the back of his left shoe, then pausing at the top and waving before disappearing into the …
Did President Donald Trump Board Air Force One With Paper Stuck to His Shoe? Read More »
In early October 2018, the usual purveyors and pushers of disinformation were anxious to take advantage of the controversy surrounding Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to ride the ad revenue wave from whatever satire or clickbait they could think up. Most of that centered around various outlandish rumors surrounding his multiple accusers, but at least …
