Kevin McCarthy
Media Literacy
2023 NFL Season
Ukraine War
TikTok Rumors
Fact ChecksCrime
Urban legends deal with our fears and worries, so a good many of them fall within a category encompassing crime and criminals. Not only do we have concerns about others' preying on us and our property; we also laugh at the ones foolish enough to get caught and cheer the police who outwit them.

Abandoned Plastic Soda Bottles May Be Drano 'Bottle Bombs'?

Written by:
David Mikkelson
Apr 27, 2010 A viral alert warns about neighborhood residents finding unexploded Drano "bottle bombs" in thei ...
Read More
Person, Human, Face

Did 'John-John' From 'Sesame Street' End Up On a Sex Offender List?

Written by:
Dan Evon
Nov 25, 2019 A 2-year-old who appeared on the children's show in 1971 shares a lot of biographical informatio ...
Read More

Is the Lowest Crime in US on Mother's Day?

Written by:
Dan Evon
May 6, 2022 Should law enforcement add brunch to their crime fighting toolkits?
Read More

Does 'AR' in AR-15 Stand for 'Assault Rifle'?

Written by:
Bethania Palma
Sep 9, 2019 A frequent misconception centers on what the term "AR-15" literally means.
Read More

Was Mother of Subway Chokehold Victim Jordan Neely Murdered in 2007?

Written by:
Alex Kasprak
May 4, 2023 Jordan Neely was pronounced dead after being held in chokehold by another rider on a New York Ci ...
Read More

Did One Group of Undercover Cops Try to Arrest Other Undercover Cops?

Written by:
David Mikkelson
Feb 24, 2020 Police chief: "This is probably one of the most embarrassing things I’ve seen in this department ...
Read More

Was Donald Trump Placed 'Under Arrest' at Manhattan Courthouse?

Written by:
Alex Kasprak
Apr 4, 2023 The term "under arrest" can be misleading in this context.
Read More

No, Trump Did Not Vow To Take ‘Last Stand’ at Trump Tower Applebee's

Written by:
Nur Ibrahim
Mar 31, 2023 And there will be no “kill or be killed” showdown with law enforcement.
Read More
A headline that says "Misgendering the Nashville Shooter Dishonors the Memory of His Victims" has a labeled satire rating over it.

No, This Isn't a Real Headline About 'Misgendering the Nashville Shooter'

Written by:
Izz Scott LaMagdeleine
Mar 30, 2023 Cinch News is a satire website.
Read More

Have All Attackers in US School Shootings Been Men?

Written by:
Alex Kasprak
Mar 27, 2023 The question surfaced in the aftermath of The Covenant School shooting in Nashville.
Read More

Is It a Crime to Submit Non-Duck Designs to the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest?

Written by:
Alex Kasprak
Mar 12, 2023 Waterfowl not the dominant feature? What are you, a criminal?
Read More

Does Most Domestic Violence Occur on Super Bowl Sunday?

Written by:
Snopes Staff
Sep 6, 2001 It appears domestic violence doesn't peak on any one specific day, but it does rise at particul ...
Read More
Graffiti, Wall, Art

Did Minn. Police Say George Floyd Died of ‘Medical Incident During Police Interaction’?

Written by:
Nur Ibrahim
Apr 20, 2021 The Minneapolis Police Department’s May 2020 statement about George Floyd’s death obscured the f ...
Read More

Is This a Real Photo of Andrew Tate Handcuffed in Police Van?

Written by:
Nur Ibrahim
Jan 3, 2023 Tate was arrested in connection with a human trafficking investigation in Romania.
Read More
A rumor said that Andrew Tate was arrested in Romania after posting a video with visible Jerry's Pizza boxes.

Did Andrew Tate's Video of a Jerry's Pizza Box Lead to His Arrest?

Written by:
Jordan Liles
Dec 30, 2022 Tate was arrested and detained in Romania for 24 hours on charges of human trafficking and rape, ...
Read More
teens playing spunkball

Are Teens Throwing Lit Gas-Soaked Rags Into Cars?

Written by:
Barbara Mikkelson David Mikkelson
Mar 1, 2000 Horribly spelled warnings about homicidal teens playing "spunkball" began turning up on the inte ...
Read More
A rumor said that police or law enforcement officers went inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde Texas to rescue their own children on the day of the deadly mass shooting.

Did Officers Rescue Own Children During Uvalde School Shooting?

Written by:
Jordan Liles
May 26, 2022 A number of rumors came out of the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, w ...
Read More
Surveillance video really did show a man who may have been a police officer using a hand sanitizer station while other officers waited a total of 80 minutes before engaging the shooter at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Did Video Capture Man in Sheriff Vest Using Hand Sanitizer During Uvalde Shooting?

Written by:
Jordan Liles
Jul 13, 2022 The visual evidence circulated as alleged proof of law enforcement's poor response to the mass s ...
Read More
Who is the cop checking his phone during Uvalde school shooting?

Who Is the Cop Checking His Phone in Uvalde Shooting Surveillance Video?

Written by:
Bethania Palma
Jul 13, 2022 Questions about the identity of the officer have polarized people online.
Read More
Person, Human, Pedestrian

Did the Texas School Shooting Suspect 'Cross the Border Illegally'?

Written by:
Bethania Palma
May 24, 2022 We found no evidence supporting the claim Salvador Ramos, 18, was undocumented.
Read More