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☆ Fact Check-'Human Meat Project’ website is an art project, not a call for cannibalism
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A website called “Human Meat Project” is a conceptual art project emphasizing the importance of reading and accepting the terms and conditions of services. The website, which appears to promote cannibalism, has tricked users online who have not read its terms and conditions containing this disclaimer and think its message is true. One Facebook post (here) includes a screenshot of the website with the text, “Just when u think the world can't get any more f***d up, human meat will now be offered as a meat replacement google human meat project.”Another example can be seen (here). Comments on the posts include, “That's sick”, “This has just knocked me sick” and “what the heck! The website is a conceptual art project aimed at emphasizing the importance of accepting terms and conditions, not a real call to cannibalism.

Persons: “, ”, Read Organizations: Facebook, Reuters

☆ Shein accused of RICO violations in new lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Ellie Stevens | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Three graphic designers are suing Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein over what they allege is “egregious” copyright infringement and racketeering. In the lawsuit, which was filed in a California federal court Tuesday, the designers allege Shein produced and sold exact copies of their designs. Rather, there is a mysterious tech genius, Xu Yangtian aka Chris Xu,” the suit claims. According to their “About us” page, Shein says the company only produces 100 to 200 pieces of each model at launch. Those small quantities are intentional, the suit alleges: That way, before making more pieces, Shein can see if anyone complains about a stolen design.

Persons: Shein, “, Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Xu Yangtian, Chris Xu, “ SHEIN, ” Krista Perry, Shein.com, shein.com Organizations: CNN, BBC Locations: California

☆ Fact Check-Image of Garth Brooks performing in ‘empty arena’ was satire
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A graphic purporting to show Garth Brooks playing to a nearly empty arena has its origins in a satirical article but the image is circulating online without that context, prompting comments suggesting that the event really happened. The image of Brooks and the article originated on satirical website Dunning-Kruger Times (here), which lists the story under the category “Punishing Garth Brooks” (here). The original photo used in the article and the image circulating online shows Brooks performing in May 2022 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio (here). Reuters has previously debunked claims about Garth Brooks that originated on the Dunning-Kruger Times site (here), (here). The claim that Garth Brooks performed in an empty arena after refusing to ban Bud Light from his new bar originated on a satirical website.

Persons: Garth Brooks, “ Garth, “, Brooks, Bud, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Dunning, Garth Brooks ”, tomfoolery ”, ”, dunning, kruger, Bud Light, Read Organizations: Newsweek, Kruger Times, Defense, Paul Brown, Reuters Locations: America, Nashville, Cincinnati , Ohio

☆ Fact Check-Claim that Garth Brooks was booed at Texas concert stems from satire
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The headline of a satirical article saying that American country singer Garth Brooks was booed off the stage while performing in Texas misled social media users into believing the incident was real. The article’s headline, “Garth Brooks Booed Off Stage At 123rd Annual Texas Country Jamboree” has been widely shared without context on Facebook (here), (here) and Twitter (here). However, there is no record of an event called the “123rd annual Texas Country Jamboree” (bit.ly/44iEF9v), and the state of Texas has no city called “Hambriston,” the event’s location cited in the article (bit.ly/3NO4pW3). The headline originated in an article published by the satirical website Dunning-Kruger Times (here). The claim that American country singer Garth Brooks was booed off the stage at the 123rd Annual Texas County Jamboree stems from a satirical website.

Persons: Garth Brooks, “ Garth Brooks, Dunning, ”, dunning, kruger, Bud Light, Brooks ’, Brooks, Read Organizations: Facebook, Twitter, Texas, Kruger Times, Defense, USA, Reuters, 123rd Locations: Texas, Nashville

☆ Fact Check-Claims KitchenAid is removing its products from Target stem from satire
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

American home appliance brand KitchenAid is not removing its products from U.S. retail chain Target’s stores as of mid-June 2023. The claim originated from a satirical website called The Dunning-Kruger Times. Reuters found no credible reports that KitchenAid, a homeware appliances brand, had removed its items from Target. KitchenAid products are still available on Target’s website as of this article’s publication (here). Claims KitchenAid is removing its products from Target emerged from a satirical website.

Persons: Dunning, KitchenAid, “ Dunning, Kruger, Read Organizations: Kruger Times, Target, “, Target Corporation, KitchenAid Appliances, Facebook, Reuters, Target ., Defense

☆ Fact Check-Claim that ABC is cancelling ‘The View’ stems from satirical website
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

American television network ABC has not cancelled its talk show “The View” or removed it from the 2024 roster, a network spokesperson said in response to a claim that originated from a satirical website. However, the headline originates from an article (archive.is/PWQ03) on a satirical website, the Dunning-Kruger Times, which has been the source of claims previously debunked by Reuters (here), (here). A spokesperson for ABC told Reuters in an email that the claim about “The View” being cancelled is not true. ABC has not cancelled “The View” as of June 8, 2023. The claim originated on a satirical website.

Persons: Joe Barton, Roseanne Barr, Dunning, “ Dunning, Kruger, Read Organizations: ABC, Facebook, Kruger Times, Reuters, Defense

☆ Fact Check-Claims the NCAA stripped Lia Thomas of National Championship stem from satire
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) has not stripped transgender athlete Lia Thomas of the National Championship following “unfavorable” test results, the organization said in an email. The posts link to an article titled, “NCAA Strips Lia Thomas Of National Championship After ‘Unfavorable’ Test Results.”Reuters found no credible reporting on the claim. A search for Lia Thomas yields two results, one of which mentions the swimmer directly (here). No release regarding stripping of the National Championship can be found. Claim that NCAA has stripped transgender athlete Lia Thomas of National Championship stems from a satirical website.

☆ Fact Check-Quote ‘children must have sexual partners’ falsely attributed to the UN
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A quote attributed to the United Nations about children having “sexual partners” is fabricated, and does not appear in guidance on childrens’ sexuality education cited in the false claims. “'Children must have sexual partners’ says United Nations,” reads a poster shared on Twitter that has been viewed more than 779,900 times (here). “CSE is falsely accused of sexualizing children, introducing sexually inappropriate material to young children too early, grooming them for sexual abuse, and promoting homosexuality. Reuters has previously debunked false claims circulating online about the UN advocating decriminalization of sex with children (here). The UN published guidelines on sexuality education for children, but did not say “children must have sexual partners.”This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team.

☆ Fact Check-Satire article about Anheuser-Busch closing half its US breweries taken seriously
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Anheuser-Busch, Bud Light’s parent company, has received criticism from conservatives following its collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. But it is not closing half of its breweries in the U.S., contrary to claims shared online that have stemmed from a satirical article. Anheuser-Busch has 12 breweries in the United States (here), and as of this article’s publication, Reuters found no public announcements that half are shutting down. The claim that Anheuser-Busch is closing half of its breweries in the U.S. stems from a satirical article. This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team.

☆ Despite TikTok ban threat, influencers are flocking to a new app from its parent company
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

However, they denied rumors that ByteDance had paid creators to promote the new app on TikTok. Still, the app lacks some standard social platform features such as messaging and the option to tag other users in posts. Lemon8’s userbase remains a far cry from the 150 million users TikTok says it has in the United States. By launching a new app even with TikTok in the spotlight, “ByteDance clearly doesn’t feel like they’re at risk,” Lewis said. Even if TikTok and Lemon8 were banned, Cruz said, “I already have a following on all the other platforms.”

☆ Fact Check-Florida’s DeSantis did not order National Guard to block Disney entrances
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis did not order the U.S. National Guard to block all entrances to Disney World, contrary to claims circulating online that stem from a satirical website. The posts include a link to an article by Mouse Trap News (archive.is/7d2BP) published on April 23, 2023, which makes the claim that DeSantis called the National Guard to block all entrances to Disney World. “For those not aware, Governor DeSantis and the Walt Disney Company have been feuding for the past few months,” the article reads in part. Reuters has reported on tensions between DeSantis and Disney (here), with DeSantis attacking Disney for being “woke” in public remarks and Disney accusing DeSantis and his supporters of punishing the company for exercising freedom of speech when Disney criticized the state’s decision to ban discussions of sexuality and gender identity in classrooms. The claim that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered the National Guard to block all entrances to Disney World originated from a satirical website.

☆ Fact Check-Claim transgender athlete Lia Thomas wants to ‘transition back’ stems from satire
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

There is no evidence that transgender swimmer Lia Thomas said she wants to “transition back” – posts on social media quote an article published by satirical website Patriot Party Press. “‘I’ve accomplished my goals’ - Lia Thomas wishes to transition back to male after feeling 'guilt'. Reuters did not find any credible reporting that suggests Thomas ever made such a public statement. The comments attributed to Thomas originated from a satirical website called Patriot Party Press (here). Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas did not say she wishes to transition back to male; claim originated on a satirical website.

☆ Fact Check-Video of Red Roof Inn ‘suicidal suite’ originated on satirical website
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A video claiming U.S. hotel chain Red Roof Inn is introducing a “suicidal suite” can be traced back to a satirical website, not an authentic news report. Red Roof Inn Hotel in America where people check in to commit suicide? The video was shared by the satirical website The Onion in July 2013 (here), (here). A spokesperson for Red Roof Inn declined to comment on the video. Red Roof Inn has not introduced a suicidal suite.

☆ Opinion | The Dramatic, Comic, Tragic, True-Life Story Behind the Death of DVD.com
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Pamela Paul | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Or I can allow for serendipity — movies appear in my mailbox that I barely remember adding in the first place. During the service’s glory days, you could easily sort movies by country of origin and display them in chronological order. This was well before streaming led the company to spin off DVD.com like a discarded training bra, a source of shame to what had become an entertainment behemoth. There is a cost to clinging to products and services as they shuffle off into obsolescence. It mutters out movie dialogue reluctantly, barely exceeding the swooshing sounds of the elliptical treads.

☆ Fact Check-Claims Michael Jordan turned down a Disney ad campaign stem from a satirical website
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A story with the headline “Michael Jordan Turns Down $120 Million Ad Campaign With Disney: ‘I like My Reputation’” emerged from a satirical website, but has misled several users online into thinking it is authentic. Reuters did not find any credible news reports that former basketball star Michael Jordan has turned down a deal with Disney, however. Reuters has previously addressed similar claims based on satirical articles from America’s Last Line of Defense and its subsidiaries (here), (here). Further indicating the inauthenticity of the story, the article lists “Joe Barron” as Jordan’s spokesperson and “lifelong friend,” but a search for “’Joe Barron’ AND ‘Michael Jordan’” does not yield any reports that support this. Article claiming Michael Jordan turned down a $120 Million ad campaign with Disney stems from a satirical website.

☆ Who says romance is dead? Couples are using ChatGPT to write their wedding vows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —When Elyse Nguyen was nearing her wedding date in February and still hadn’t started writing her vows, a friend suggested she try a new source of inspiration: ChatGPT. Nguyen ultimately ended up using a good portion of ChatGPT’s suggestions and said her husband was on board with it. “It helped alleviate some stress because I had no prior experience with wedding vows nor did I know what should be included,” Nguyen said. The Writer’s Block Assistant tool helps users write vows, best man and maid of honor speeches, thank you cards and wedding website “about us” pages. We’re working on responsibly innovating using AI to advance the wedding and event industry as a whole.”Michael Grinn and Kate Gardiner used viral AI tool ChatGPT to write the Ketubah, a Jewish wedding contract, for their June wedding.

☆ Fact Check-‘New World Order’ website using UN branding is not official
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A website using United Nations branding with the slogan “New World Order” is not a legitimate UN initiative, as a viral video claims, but an independent third-party campaign. The clip seen by more than 10,000 users on social media here claims the United Nations “New World Order” website is “official”. A “general notice” on the site unnwo.org/ reads: “The United Nations New World Order Project is an independent global initiative campaigning for a new world order at the United Nations, and worldwide. “The views expressed herein are solely those of the United Nations New World Order Project, and do not reflect the views of the United Nations, or any other entity.”The official website of the UN can be seen at the address “un.org” www.un.org/en/ . A website using United Nations branding with the “New World Order” tagline is not an official UN site.

☆ Fact Check-Harvard course teaches sex development in children, not gender identity or sexual orientation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Harvard Medical School course teaches about physical variations in sex development, such as chromosomal or anatomic variations, not about gender identity or sexual orientation in newborns and infants, a spokesperson told Reuters. Dennis Nealon, a Harvard Medical School spokesperson, told Reuters via email the claims in the Sandra Rose blog are false. “The portion of the course that is dedicated to infants does not discuss sexual orientation or gender identity,” he said. “It focuses strictly on variations in sex development - chromosomal, gonadal and anatomic. The Harvard Medical School course teaches sex development in newborns, not how to identify gender-identity or sexuality in infants.

☆ Fact Check-Article about Edward Snowden revealing a HAARP global assassination agenda is satire
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A 2013 article about Edward Snowden allegedly revealing a global assassination agenda by the U.S. military’s defunct High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) originated on a satirical website, but it has recently circulated online with some users appearing to believe the story is authentic. The clip shows a story published on July 10, 2013 on the Internet Chronicle website, attributed to author Oliver Wilis. The Internet Chronicle “About” page does not explicitly call the site’s content satire, but the description of the publication and its editors is itself satirical (chronicle.su/about/). Reuters Fact Check has previously debunked a claim about HAARP causing natural disasters such as the recent earthquake in Turkey (here). The 2013 article on Snowden claims about HAARP depicted in a video shared on social media originated on a satirical website.

☆ Fact Check-Disney will not replace Mickey Mouse as its official mascot, contrary to online claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Its “about us” page partly reads as follows: “Mouse Trap News is the world’s best satire site. Mouse Trap News also posted these claims on TikTok (bit.ly/3Zerios), Instagram (bit.ly/3XNpIbW), Twitter (bit.ly/3ZgkSFp) and Facebook (bit.ly/3Sm54hT). Several media outlets (here), (here), (here) have reported that Steamboat Willie, the short film that introduced Mickey Mouse in 1928, will enter the public domain in 2024. Additionally, Disney has not made a statement about replacing Mickey Mouse (thewaltdisneycompany.com/news/). Claims that Disney will replace Mickey Mouse as its official mascot stem from a satire website.

☆ Netflix clamps down on password sharing in four countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Netflix (NFLX) has extended its crackdown on password sharing to Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain. Users in these countries will now have to pay to give people they don’t live with access to their account, after similar rules were trialed in Latin America last year. Netflix started introducing the change last year in Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The streaming giant, which suffered heavy subscriber losses last year, said in a blog post Wednesday that password sharing hurt its revenues and therefore limited its ability to invest in new content. The company, which has turned a blind eye to password sharing for a number of years, said there was “confusion” among users about “when and how” they could share their accounts.

☆ I tried Microsoft’s new AI-powered Bing. Here’s what it’s like
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Seattle CNN Business —Microsoft’s Bing search engine has never made much of a dent in Google’s dominance in the more than 13 years since it launched. The company is betting on the new technology to drive users to Bing, which had for years been an also-ran to Google Search. Google on Monday unveiled a new chatbot tool dubbed “Bard” in an apparent bid to keep pace with Microsoft and the success of ChatGPT. I took Bing for a spin at a press event at Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington, headquarters Tuesday. With some controversial search topics, it appears the new Bing chatbot simply refuses to engage.

☆ Martin Luther King Would Choose Reflection Over ‘Intersectionality’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Rodney Stevens | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

What in the world is “intersectionality”? Womankind Worldwide, a British organization, defines it as follows: “Intersectionality is the acknowledgement that everyone has their own unique experiences of discrimination and oppression and we must consider everything and anything that can marginalize people—gender, race, class, sexual orientation, physical ability, etc.” Google has an “intersectional workforce” page counting its employees by race and sex. I’m black and in my 60s and don’t feel the need for an “intersectional” coming out. The authors of a 2013 academic article, “Toward a Field of Intersectional Studies,” inform us: “Both in its earliest articulations and in its subsequent travels, praxis has been a key site of intersectional critique and intervention.”

☆ What is Hive? I tried the latest Twitter alternative to gain steam
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

This week, Hive Social garnered the top spot in the social networking category on the US App Store. As I tried to download the Hive app on my Apple device, however, I was greeted with a series of errors. Hive Social, which lists just two employees on LinkedIn, did not respond to CNN Business’ requests for an interview or further comment. On its website, Hive Social also outlines goals for keeping the community respectful. To be fair, Hive started in 2019 and never sought to be a Twitter clone or to welcome a sudden influx of disgruntled Twitter users.

While some creators have been pumping out videos about the midterm elections, searching “midterms” on TikTok shows many young creators are more interested in discussing their midterm exams. “Not a lot of people know about it,” Meadow Treadwell, 20, said about her college-age peers and the midterm elections. “With midterms, I don’t know if it’s because I’m not on that side of TikTok, but I haven’t seen any.”The “midterms” hashtag is full of content about academic midterms. Content with the hashtag “midterm exam” has 16 million views and content with the hashtag “midterm elections 2022” has 12 million views. Polling data suggests young voters are less enthusiastic in 2022 than they were in 2018, when 36% of young voters turned out.

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