A look at what didn’t happen last week

Associated Press

None of these stories are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked these out; here are the real facts:

Not real: NFL fines Pittsburgh Steelers $1M each for skipping the national anthem

The facts: This story from admitted hoax site The Last Line of Defense claims NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued the fines to the Steelers for staying off the field while the anthem was played Sunday ahead of their game against the Chicago Bears. Goodell called the president’s criticisms of players and the league over anthem protests “divisive” and said later he was proud of the league’s reaction.

Not real: Alabama teen shot after police mistake saxophone for machine gun

The facts: A story that began circulating in August 2016 details the killing of a teen in Gary, Ala., a town that doesn’t exist. The account, reporting a local police officer shot a boy walking to his bus stop believing his instrument to be a weapon, includes a photo of a teen fatally shot by police in St. Louis in April of last year. The story has been widely shared by several sites in recent days.

Not real: If you ever see cracks in your watermelon when you cut it, throw it out. It can make you sick

The facts: Spiking temperatures while a watermelon is growing can cause cracks inside, but they are harmless, an industry group says. Several alarming stories have been shared based on a 2011 case of exploding watermelons in China. The watermelons were treated with a growth chemical that’s not used on watermelons in the U.S.