Is it authentic?

Is the context accurate?

Is there evidence that proves the claim?

Is it based on solid reasoning?

Has it been posted or confirmed by a credible source?

There is no evidence of any widespread practice of attempting to vote on behalf of dead people — or any other organized attempt to commit voter fraud — in the United States. 

“Fact Check: Registering Dead People To Vote Is NOT Easy in Live Oak County, Texas” 

“Facebook post stirs concern about dead people voting in Texas, ignoring systems to prevent the crime” 

Ballot applications mailed to dead people don’t prove fraud

Ballot request applications sent to deceased people 

 that it is easy to cast votes on their behalf.

 in place to remove dead people from voter rolls on a regular basis, and applications sent in on behalf of a dead person are routinely rejected.

It is a crime to attempt to obtain a ballot in the name of a dead person. On 

 people do try to vote on behalf of dead people and are charged with voter fraud.

 in place — including signature verification and another check against updated voter rolls — to prevent fraud.

The notion that state governments would not have policies and procedures to eliminate dead people and people who are no longer eligible to vote from voter rolls is not based on sound reasoning.

A common election misinformation narrative is that votes cast on behalf of dead people are a significant source of voter fraud. Many of these rumors stem from a lack of understanding about how voter rolls are checked and maintained, and how applications to vote differ from actual ballots. Let’s look at the facts. 

This “copypasta” rumor was first posted by an ordinary Facebook user in Texas and was then reshared by others who were similarly convinced that it was evidence of voter fraud. It has not been posted by credible sources of information about election processes. 

Election misinformation narratives often cause people to misinterpret ordinary aspects of elections and can become self-sustaining as they spread. Third parties that send ballot applications are less diligent than state officials about keeping their records updated — and sometimes send applications to an ineligible voter, adding to a widespread but misguided perception that votes are commonly cast on behalf of dead people. When it comes to staying informed about election security, seek out credible, verified information and official sources rather than 

Purple

The rumor was often shared with a lack of specific details, which is a red flag. All available evidence shows it is baseless.

Test opengraph title

Eight Tips to Google Like a Pro

Develop a nuanced understanding of news media bias by learning about five types of bias and five ways it can manifest itself, as well as methods for minimizing it.

Understanding Bias

“No evidence of schools accommodating ‘furries’ with litter boxes” 

“Fact check: Are there litter boxes in NC schools for students dressed as furries?”

“Claim about litter boxes in New York school is unfounded”

No, schools aren’t making litter boxes available for students who identify as cats 

no evidence that any school has installed a litter box

 to accommodate students who “identify as a cat.”

No credible photos, videos or other documentation of these alleged litter boxes have emerged online.

 debunking these claims after public officials, political candidates and parents continued to repeat them.

 found a single instance of a school using cat litter as part of a “go bucket,” or a set of emergency supplies, in the event of a school shooting.

This claim is not plausible or logical. There is no evidence of a sharp increase in students identifying as cats or asking for litter box accommodations, or any record of school districts supplying them. 

Conspiracy theories appeal to our psychological need for a simple explanation and someone to blame. You can stumble across them online even when searching for reliable information. These compelling narratives, and the false evidence they include, can draw you in, manipulating your emotions and using your cognitive biases against you to trick you into believing them. This quiz is designed to help you learn to recognize conspiratorial thinking and understand its consequences.

News Lit Quiz: Avoid the trap of conspiratorial thinking

We can all make better choices about the information we consume, share and act on. But can you tell the difference between social media posts that are false or misleading and those that are credible?

Test your news literacy skills with this quiz and help stop the flood of misinformation.

News Lit Quiz: Should you share it?

A false claim that litter boxes are being installed in schools to accommodate students “who identify as cats” continues to spread. So, what’s going on here? Let’s look at the facts. 

This rumor was shared widely by partisan social media accounts, politicians and media personalities. Local school officials in districts cited in the rumors have consistently denied the claims.

This quiz tests your ability to differentiate between sources of credible news and those that are merely posing as legitimate sources.


News Lit Quiz: Is it legit? Vetting news sources for credibility

When a lie is repeated often enough, it can 

. This psychological tendency — also known as the illusory truth effect — was on full display throughout the summer of 2022 as this rumor made its way from the fringes of social media to school board meetings to 

Other cognitive biases, such as motivated reasoning and confirmation bias, can lead people to readily accept or amplify unverified claims that reinforce their existing political beliefs. In this case, there is a real subculture of “furries,” or children and adults who role-play as anthropomorphic characters, which are animals with human characteristics. There’s no evidence they are requesting litter boxes in schools. But the rumor plays into controversies over protections and accommodations for LGBTQ and transgender students in schools, and has spread as a political talking point for conservatives.

Slate

The DEA said it has no credible information drug dealers are lacing Skittles or other Halloween candy with fentanyl.

“Should Parents Really Be Worried About Rainbow Fentanyl?” 

“No, legitimate reports of contaminated Halloween candy are not common” 

“Fact Check: Are TN kids at risk of finding ‘rainbow fentanyl’ in their Halloween candy?”

“‘Rainbow Fentanyl Candy’ Scare Erupts Just in Time for Halloween”

“Rainbow Fentanyl Is A Real Threat, But Not Because People Are Giving It Out As Halloween Candy” 

Scary drug-laced Halloween candy rumor spreads without evidence

Candy boxes have been used in attempts to 

 so far that dealers are mixing dangerous drugs into Halloween candy, particularly Skittles.

In August 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) 

 about “rainbow fentanyl,” or fentanyl manufactured to be brightly colored to look like candy.

The DEA did not suggest that drug cartels were targeting children this Halloween by attempting to slip the rainbow fentanyl in with Halloween candy. A 

: “We do not have any credible information that cartels are targeting Halloween candy, and that’s important for parents to know.”

Drug dealers have no financial incentive to target Halloween candy. As Jen Shinefeld, a field epidemiologist with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, noted, “Drugs are expensive. No one is going to be giving away free drugs.”

The 2022 Halloween season brought back a familiar internet claim that children will find deadly substances in their candy when they go trick-or-treating. This is a false, decades-old urban legend. Let’s look at the facts. 

Misinformation often stems from a grain of truth. Drug smugglers have used candy boxes to try to sneak fentanyl through airports and fentanyl has been manufactured in bright colors to entice young people. But at this point, there’s no credible evidence these drugs are being mixed into candy headed for retail stores or for Halloween trick-or-treaters.

Urban legends about harmful Halloween candy have 

 haven’t found any evidence of fatalities from tainted Halloween candy, and reports of contaminated candy are often hoaxes. The rumors also can distract people from actual threats, like 