&Quot;Passed Away&Quot;

Has actor Will Smith died as of March 25, 2025? No, that's not true: Smith appeared alive in Philadelphia to celebrate the naming of a street in his childhood neighborhood "Will Smith Way" on March 26, 2025. A social media post on a Facebook group page created just a day earlier included a photo from an unrelated 2022 car crash…

Are there news reports about FBI Director Kash Patel ordering an investigation of "13 Congressional Democrats" for inciting violence against President Donald Trump, and did he say they "put him in real danger" and "they did it on purpose?" No, that's not true: A meme making that claim originated on a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer. The owner of…

Did Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announce the release of something called the "Benghazi Files"? No, that's not true: The "news" about the announcement originated on a website with a clear satire disclaimer. It is run by a man known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made-up content. The article (archived here) that started the rumor was published by "The…

Did the story that George Floyd's family listed "$1,900 in assets on a welfare application" despite receiving $50 million four years ago originate on an actual news site? No, that's not true: A meme making that claim originated on a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer. The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing…

Was the story about about Rosie O'Donnell's application for residency in Ireland being denied by the Irish Department of Justice real news? No, that's not true: The story originated on a website with a clear satire disclaimer. It is run by a man known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made up content. The story appeared in an article…

Did DOGE discover that the General Services Administration has been paying Michelle Obama $122,000 per month since 2009? No, that's not true: The story originated on a website named "The Dunning-Kruger Times" which has a clear disclaimer it publishes satire. It is run by a man who runs a network of sites and Facebook pages designed to trick conservatives into…

Did DOGE uncover a $6 million grant awarded to Whoopi Goldberg to promote diversity on "The View"? No, that's not true: The story originated on a website with a clear satire disclaimer. It is run by a man known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made up content. The claim appeared in an article (archived here) published by The…

Does the story that Oprah Winfrey is now the largest land owner in Western North Carolina come from an actual news source? No, that's not true: An image meme that said she "bought out hundreds of families" for "pennies on the dollar" originated on a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer. The owner of the page is known for tricking…

Is DOGE conducting congressional audits of Rep. Jamie Raskin, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren because of recent surges in their personal wealth? No, that's not true: The meme making the claim is from a satirical Facebook page whose creator's self-proclaimed goal is to trick conservatives into liking and sharing made-up content. The wealth estimates for the politicians are…

Has Representative Ilhan Omar been collecting her dead grandmother's $2,308 Social Security check for 10 years? No, that's not true: The claim originated as a meme on a satirical Facebook page. The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made-up content. The claim originated a meme (archived here) on the "America - Love It…