In August 2024, Ledecky, amid her success at the 2024 Paris Olympics, a video described by users on X as showing Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky as a two-year-old ignoring basketball superstar Micheal Jordan reemerged on social media:

Throwback to when Michael Jordan played peek-a-boo with 2-year-old Katie Ledecky and blessed her with generational greatness pic.twitter.com/1lbu8fdBqx

— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) August 2, 2024

The video, originally shared by Ledecky in 2020, authentically showed both sports superstars in 2000, when Jordan was a part owner of the NBA’s Washington Wizards. Ledecky’s uncle was also an owner of the Washington Wizards at the time, and the video shows them and others at the owner’s box at what is now the CapitolOne Arena, the team’s home.

In a TikTok from the Paris games, Ledecky herself described the circumstances behind the clip:

My Uncle John was one of the owners of the Washington Capitals at the time. We were at a Wizards game in the owner’s box. Michael Jordan was there, he was part of the Wizards organization back then, and I was eating my popcorn and Michael Jordan started playing peekaboo with me and I was totally unfazed, just kept eating my popcorn and he started covering my mouth to try to prevent me from getting the popcorn in my mouth. …

I was definitely aware of how great he was, who he was, but totally unfazed by it. I do like to think that he inspired me and passed on a little bit of his greatness …

The existence of old photographs showing Ledecky and Micheal Jordan has been well documented since the moment she shot to stardom with a surprise gold medal finish in women’s 800-meter freestyle at the 2012 London Olympics. As reported by The Washington Post following her 2012 victory:

Katie was a fixture in the owners’ box at what is now Verizon Center. [Washington Wizards owner Ted] Leonsis recalls her at age 2, sitting next to Michael Jordan and coloring obliviously in her coloring book on the night Jordan was announced as a co-owner of the Wizards. With her brother Michael, she went to “hundreds” of Caps games, knew every player and all of their stats. She wore a Caps jersey and flung herself at the mascot Slapshot for hugs.

This photo also capturing Jordan and Ledecky, for example, was widely shared in 2012:

Claim – A video shows Michael Jordan playing peek-a-boo with two-year old Katie Ledecky, who would go on to become an Olympic swimmer as an adult.

Because the video which reemerged on social media in 2024 authentically shows Ledecky at a Wizards game with Michael Jordan, and because this connection has been documented many times and described by Ledecky herself, the claim is True.

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The Facebook page SpaceX Fanclub, on July 16, 2024, published a meme claiming, “ABC Signs A $400 Million Deal With Tucker Carlson For A Late-Night Show,” which was apparently set to replace late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

(SpaceX Fanclub/Facebook)

The post went viral, as of this writing, receiving 17,000 comments, with many commenters replying to SpaceX Fanclub’s image, apparently either believing the claim or hoping it was authentic.

“Excellent, he was awesome at republican convention!!!” one user commented, while another responded, “That would be smart of ABC, so I don’t have much hope of this being true. These leftist fascist organizations would can never handle true journalism and would want to censor Tucker and he’s better off in his own, spreading truth or at least provoking thought and asking better questions to those of us who will not kowtow to the deceiving controlling left.”

Not everyone believed the news was real. For instance, one commenter wrote, “I would be TOTALLY SURPRISED if this is TRUE AT ALL REMEMBER ABC ,NBC,CBS, CNN, MSNBC , are ALL JUST ARMS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY and the TRUTH IS NOT IN THEM !”

The post linked to a July 16, 2024, esspots.com article claiming ABC had reportedly signed such a deal with Carlson:

Breaking: ABC Signs A $400 Million Deal With Tucker Carlson For A Late-Night Show, “Going to Replace Jimmy Kimmel Show”

In an unexpected move that has left media enthusiasts and political pundits buzzing, ABC has reportedly signed a $400 million deal with Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host, to headline a new late-night show. This new program is set to replace “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” which has been a fixture of ABC’s late-night lineup for nearly 20 years. The decision marks a significant shift in the network’s programming strategy and has sparked a wide range of reactions across the political and entertainment landscapes.

Tucker Carlson, well-known for his fiery conservative commentary and prime-time presence on Fox News, is now making a surprising transition to ABC. This move is particularly striking given ABC’s traditionally centrist reputation. The network’s decision to bring Carlson into their late-night slot reflects a broader trend in television where networks are taking bold steps to attract diverse audiences and boost sagging ratings.

The timing of this announcement coincides with a period of significant change in the late-night television scene. Traditional late-night shows are struggling with declining viewership as more audiences turn to streaming platforms and online content. By bringing in Carlson, ABC appears to be banking on his ability to draw a new demographic of viewers who feel underserved by the current late-night offerings.

Tucker Carlson has built a loyal following through his uncompromising conservative views and sharp political analysis. His show on Fox News, “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” consistently ranked as one of the highest-rated cable news programs, pulling in millions of viewers each night. Carlson’s knack for tapping into the concerns and sentiments of a significant portion of the American populace has made him a powerful media figure.

Claim – ABC signed a $400 million deal with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson to replace Jimmy Kimmel in a late-night talk show.

However, the claim was not real and came from sources that are satirical in nature. The Facebook post from Space X Fanclub carried a “Rated Satire” label stamped in the top-left corner of the meme, while the account describes itself thusly: “We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real.”

In addition, its affiliated website, Esspots, described itself as specializing in satire.

As Per Esspots’ “Disclaimer” page:

Welcome to Esspots.com, a website that specializes in satire, parody, and humor. Before you proceed to read our content, we would like to emphasize that nothing on this website is real. All of the articles, stories, and commentary found on Esspots.com are entirely fictitious and created for the purpose of entertainment only.

We understand that satire can sometimes be mistaken for actual news or events, but we want to make it clear that we do not publish factual or accurate information. We do not intend to deceive or mislead our readers in any way, and all of our content should be taken with a grain of salt.

To add, neither Carlson nor ABC had released a statement regarding the claim. Carlson hosted his nightly titular political talk show on Fox News from 2016 until 2023, when he was reportedly dismissed by then-chairman of Fox Corporation, Rupert Murdoch.

Carlson gave a speech at the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024.

Conclusion: I labeled Satire.

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On July 8, 2024, the Facebook page “SpaceX Fanclub” posted a meme claiming actor James Wood had quit Hollywood to join fellow actor Mel Gibson’s new “anti-woke” production studio. The post linked to a May 2024 article on Esspots.com, its affiliated website.

(Facebook user “SpaceX Fanclub”)

The article began:

In a move that has reverberated throughout the entertainment industry, veteran actor James Woods has officially left Hollywood to join Mel Gibson’s newly established non-woke film studio. This partnership marks a significant shift for Woods, who has long been a polarizing figure due to his outspoken conservative beliefs in a predominantly liberal industry.

James Woods, known for his sharp intelligence and often controversial political stances, has increasingly felt alienated by the mainstream Hollywood culture, which he perceives as overly politically correct and restrictive. Over the years, Woods’ career has been marked by a series of confrontations and disagreements with other figures in the industry, leading to a gradual reduction in his appearances in mainstream films.

His decision to join Mel Gibson’s studio is not just a career move but a statement. Gibson, who has faced his own share of controversy in Hollywood, announced the creation of this new studio last year, promising a space for creative freedom devoid of what he calls the “censorship” of modern woke culture. The studio aims to produce films that embrace traditional storytelling without succumbing to contemporary political pressures.

Claim – Actor James Woods left Hollywood to join Mel Gibson’s new “anti-woke” production studio.

However, the claim was not real and came from sources that were satirical in nature. The Facebook post also came with a “satire” label, while its affiliated website, Esspots, described itself as specializing in satire.

As per Esspots’ “Disclaimer” page:

Before you proceed to read our content, we would like to emphasize that nothing on this website is real. All of the articles, stories, and commentary found on Esspots.com are entirely fictitious and created for the purpose of entertainment only.

We understand that satire can sometimes be mistaken for actual news or events, but we want to make it clear that we do not publish factual or accurate information. We do not intend to deceive or mislead our readers in any way, and all of our content should be taken with a grain of salt.

Furthermore, SpaceX Fanclub, the Facebook account that authored the viral post, had a similar disclaimer on its page: “We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real.”

Conclusion: We labeled Satire.

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