On July 20 2019, the Facebook page “Being Liberal” shared a screenshot of a tweet published two days earlier by @IFLScience concerning segregation and Challenger astronaut Ronald McNair: Atop a photograph of McNair — who was 35 when he died in the Challenger disaster — the tweet read: In 1959 a librarian called the police …
Is a Once-Segregated Library Now Named After Black Astronaut Ronald McNair? Read More »
On July 16 2019, producer Nick Ramsey sent a tweet referencing a controversy involving U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion that people unhappy with the United States should “go back to where they came from”: Ramsey referenced a controversy which arose in response to tweets published by Trump on July 14 2019: In the tweets, Trump …
Do Federal Guidelines List ‘Go Back Where You Came From’ as an Example of Harassment? Read More »
After the United States Women’s National Team beat the Netherlands 2 to 0 to win the World Cup in July 2019, the fans of the nation’s soccer team were delighted. It also lent serious heft to the players’ demand for pay and treatment equal to that of the U.S. Soccer mens’ teams in a lawsuit that USWNT …
Was the U.S. Women’s National Team Defeated by Teenaged Boys in a 2017 Soccer Match? Read More »
In July 2019 Instagram cosplayer Belle Delphine offered her bathwater for sale, news of which was quickly followed by a rumor that purchasers were afflicted with herpes after drinking it. Prior to that story appearing, Insider reported: Belle Delphine recently gave her 3.9 million Instagram followers the chance to buy her bathwater for $30 a bottle. …
Did Fans Contract Herpes from Belle Delphine’s Bathwater? Read More »
On July 1 2019, the Wall Street Journal published an article reporting that Nike had canceled shipment of a planned Betsy Ross flag-themed sneaker, adding that former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick had forced the athletic wear company to do so as he found the design offensive. The New York Times followed up on the story, rehashing the claims the next day: …
Did Colin Kaepernick Force Nike to Cancel ‘Offensive’ Betsy Ross American Flag Sneakers? Read More »
Dueling protests became dueling narratives in Portland, Oregon on June 29 2019 when clashes erupted between Proud Boys attendees and anti-fascist demonstrators, quickly devolving into rumors that milkshakes thrown at one person contained one or more damaging or caustic substances — including quick-dry concrete, quicklime, and caustic chemicals. Rumors to that effect were spread by the verified Portland …
On June 26 2019, Eric Trump tweeted a meme attributing a quote about slander to the philosopher Socrates: Against an image of what appeared to be a black and white photograph of a statue of Socrates in Athens, text read: When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the losers. – Socrates Eric …
Did Socrates Say ‘When Debate is Lost, Slander Becomes the Tool of the Losers’? Read More »
In June 2019, the following meme featuring a quote by a Fox News personality and a purported comic by Dr. Seuss on “foreign children” circulated on social media: At the top of the meme was a screenshot of Fox News’ Fox & Friends, and a June 2018 quote from Brian Kilmeade during the show. Kilmeade said …
In June 2019, social media posts popped up claiming that that it costs taxpayers $750 (or $775) per child per day to house immigrant children in “tent cities” and other detention facilities. A June 22 2019 post on the Facebook page “Your Privilege Is Showing” was shared nearly 10,000 times, and it featured a screenshot …
Does It Cost $750 a Day to House Migrant Children in Camps? Read More »
In June 2018, a Facebook user shared a post (archived here) featuring a screenshot of a tweet about rosary beads purportedly confiscated from migrants taken into custody by border agents. That post was shared more than 89,000 times in a year. The tweet was originally published on the same date, and it accrued more than 209,000 shares …
Does a Photograph Show Rosaries Confiscated from Border Detainees? Read More »
