WEEKEND READ: False 'furries' claim, Pepsi and Spotify boycott go viral
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Raise your hand if you're ready to take a break from the internet after the week we've had in Central Texas. You can't see us, but we're raising our hand.
In this weekend read, we're taking a look at the viral stories that dominated Texas headlines. If you missed what was trending this week...we suggest you buckle up.
No, tables are not being lowered at RRISD schools for 'furries'
That's a sentence we didn't expect to write this week, but after a woman running for House District 136 tweeted out that cafeteria tables were being lowered at Round Rock middle and high schools to allow "furries" to eat without their hands, it was a rumor KXAN had to debunk.
“Cafeteria tables are being lowered in certain @RoundRockISD middle and high schools to allow ‘furries’ to more easily eat without utensils or their hands (i.e., like a dog eats from a bowl),” candidate Michelle Evans said in a tweet from what appears to be her campaign account. The post is spreading online.
“This is absolutely false,” Jenny LaCoste-Caputo, a spokesperson for RRISD, responded. “Tables are not being lowered in any Round Rock ISD cafeterias. In fact, cafeteria tables aren’t even equipped to be set up at different heights.”
Dr. David Thomason, an associate professor of political science at St. Edward's University, who does a lot of work on school board issues, said even though the tweet about tables being lowered is an extreme example of misinformation being spread about what’s going on inside our public schools, the issue is much bigger — and it begs voters to keep a wary eye to how public education is being used as a tool for election.
“I think you have to be smart and be thoughtful, as parents or as anyone that’s concerned about our public schools,” Thomason said. “I mean, at the end of the day, it’s the kids, the students in those schools are the ones that we’re preparing for being strong, active, engaged citizens, in our in our democracy.”
Read this story in its entirety here.
'Boycott Pepsi' trend has Texas ties
If you popped into Twitter this week, you probably saw #BoycottPepsi trending and it has nothing to do with the decades-long battle about whether Pepsi or Coke is tastier -- it actually has a lot more to do with Texas politics.
In a list of companies who donated to politicians and politician committees that played a role in enacting Texas’ controversial abortion law, an online newsletter first reported Monday that the company donated to the Texas Republican Party. The author noted that these donations likely occurred before the law was passed, but argued the contribution nonetheless helped the Republicans who sponsored it.
PepsiCo defended its contribution in a statement sent to Nexstar via email, implying the timeline refutes support for the Texas abortion law.
“During presidential election years, PepsiCo has typically made donations supporting both the Democratic and Republican conventions in several states. In the summer of 2020, we donated to both the Democratic and Republican parties in Texas to support those state conventions. The check to the Republican party was not processed until August 2021. As a result, the donation was recorded then and disclosed in a recent filing,” said Andrea Foote, PepsiCo’s senior director of global communications.
Foote added that PepsiCo has made no further donations to either Texas state political party since 2020, saying “any reports to the contrary are incorrect.”
Regardless, users on Twitter are using this as fuel to protest the company. Many are calling into question PepsiCo’s “commitment to empowering women,” as opponents of the abortion law say it takes away a woman’s ability to made important decisions about her life.
Read more about the viral #BoycottPepsi story here.
Pick your fighter: Neil Young or Joe Rogan
In the near future, you may no longer be able to find Neil Young's music on Spotify after the singer posted a letter, then deleted it, which said the streaming service could have Joe Rogan's podcast or his music, but “not both.”
On Monday, Young posted the letter to his website. While it has since been deleted, Rolling Stone reports Young called on his management team and record label to remove his songs and albums from the streaming service.
Young wrote, “Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them.” He added that Spotify can have “[Joe] Rogan or Young. Not both,” Rolling Stone reports.
As of Saturday morning Young's music still appears to be on Spotify. In the meantime, other artists like Joni Mitchell are joining Young in removing their music from the platform.
Many users also say they’re now leaving with the 76-year-old rocker. On Thursday, “Delete Spotify” trended on Twitter in response to that back-and-forth.
You can read more about Young's attempts to remove his music from Spotify here.