North Dakota Names Landfill After Obama – Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
A new publicly owned landfill in North Dakota has been named the Barack Obama Memorial Landfill in a “tribute” to the 44th president of the United States.
The Truth:
A satirical online newspaper started this false report.
The Daily Currant reported that state legislators in North Dakota had approved naming a 650-acre landfill the Barack Obama Memorial Landfill in November 2014.
The article quotes a fictional state senator named Doug Perlman as saying, “I think a pile of garbage is a fitting tribute to Obama’s presidency.”
In its disclaimer, the Daily Currant identifies itself as a “satirical newspaper” that publishes “purely fictional stories.” However, the online newspaper’s false report about the Barack Obama Memorial Landfill gained traction when it was shared more than 80,000 times on social media.