Business

Businesses are the classic whipping-boys of urban legendry, and the bigger they are, the more they get whipped. Seems like they can’t do anything right — they’re run by people who abuse their customers, cheat the public, commit astounding marketing blunders, mistranslate their own advertisements, and donate money to organizations of dubious repute.

RECALL: Church and Dwight Vitamin and Supplement Gummies In April 2021, the New Jersey company announced that certain batches of vitafusion supplement gummies...

Recall

An Italian hospital employee has been accused of skipping work and collecting pay for 15 years.

Was a Hospital Employee in Italy Accused of Skipping Work For 15 Years? The "serial absenteeist" was placed under investigation for fraud, extortion, and abuse of office.

True

In 2017, Gatorade paid a $300,000 over a promotional video game in which kids could boost their game performance by "avoiding water."

Did Gatorade Pay $300K for Telling Kids To ‘Avoid Water’? The sports drink brand settled with California over statements made in a promotional game.

Outdated

Does Ronald McDonald Have a Different Name in Japan? The clown from McDonald’s goes by more than one name.

True

No, the Ever Given Cargo Ship Didn’t Get Stuck Again The headline in question had some people wondering if it was an April Fools' joke.

False

Taco Bell made an announcement in April 2021 that they plan to hire 5,000 people in one day.

Did Taco Bell Announce Plans To Hire 5K People in One Day? News outlets reported on the ambitious target in April 2021.

Mostly True

Do All of McDonald’s Drink Cups Hold the Same Amount of Liquid? While it may be new to TikTok users, this joke has been around for years.

False

Did A.C. Moore Announce It’s Closing All of Its Stores? The New Jersey-based, arts-and-crafts retail chain has been in business for some 34 years.

True

Did Amazon Pay No Federal Income Taxes in 2018? SEC filing: "We have tax benefits ... that are being utilized to reduce our U.S....

True

Did Chick-fil-A Stop Donations to Groups Criticized as Anti-LGBT? News reports left out important context about a major announcement by the fast food giant...

Mixture

Does Facebook ‘Write Off’ Your Birthday Donations? "Donating your birthday" on Facebook is a simple way to raise money for charities.

False

Will McDonald’s New LGBTQ ‘Rainbow Meal’ Replace Kids’ Happy Meals? A routine review of content labeled satire.

Labeled Satire