Is Anything Real Anymore? Questioning Viral Stories and News Headlines

TALK TO ME, TEXT IT

Ever wonder if that jaw-dropping viral story is actually true? Today we're diving deep into the murky waters of online content, starting with a particularly disturbing viral tale about a husband who supposedly drained bank accounts and abandoned his cancer-stricken wife via text message. While the story has all the emotional triggers that drive shares and outrage, something feels off about this perfectly crafted villain narrative.

The conversation takes a personal turn as I share how even legitimate-looking local news can raise questions. After my sister visited Buckeye Lake, I stumbled upon a news story about a karaoke bar shooting there - complete with names and photos. When she immediately dismissed it as "fake news," it highlighted how challenging it's become to separate fact from fiction, even in seemingly straightforward reporting.

Not everything needs to be doom and gloom, though! I share a genuinely useful iPhone battery hack that's flown under the radar for six years despite its simplicity: placing your phone face down prevents notification-triggered screen activations while preserving your ability to receive alerts. Small change, significant battery impact!

Sports fans might be buzzing about rumors of Nick Saban's potential coaching comeback, but I'm skeptical. Despite claims from "notable sources," the idea of the 73-year-old legend returning to the sidelines seems unlikely when he's "literally having the time of his life" in retirement.

The episode wraps with our question of the day about childhood fears, revealing my own dread of doctors, shots, and anything medical-related as a kid. What was yours? Share your childhood fears with us and join the conversation about distinguishing real news from engagement-driven fiction in today's media landscape.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, we're halfway through the week, it's
Wednesday.
Okay, I have just a few shortthings to share with you today.
The first one is husband drainsbank account, divorces sick
wife via text.
I think this is a fake-assstory.
Let's get into it.

(00:22):
This guy apparently his wifewas diagnosed with cancer.
He decided he can't take itanymore.
Uh, he takes money out of thebank account to support himself
and his future and then textsher that he's leaving.
Do you believe that this istrue?
All right, let's get into it.

(00:43):
A husband who text messaged hiscancer-stricken wife to say he
was leaving and had taken alltheir money has exposed a
horrific divorce act.
Only men commit.
Well, I don't know about that.
Why?
That's a pretty bold statement,right there.
Do you have like facts and statin numbers about that?

(01:05):
That's a pretty.
That's a pretty bold statement.
Marie took to social media toshare her horror that her
husband had walked out on herafter she was diagnosed with
brain tumor.
As if that wasn't bad enough,he had also cleaned out their
joint bank account money sheclaimed she needs for her

(01:28):
medical treatment.
And she shares the text message.
If this is true, this is, thisis horrific.
All right, she says my husbanddrained our mutual bank accounts
because I have brain cancer andshe.
This is the part of the textthat she shares.
This is what he has supposedlysent her.

(01:49):
Listen, it's been hard.
I can't handle watching you die.
I feel alone, I feel trapped.
I'm not sure where or what I'mgoing to do, but my mom, my
therapist and my buds come onall all agree this is the best
course.
Um, I've invested a lot duringyour treatment in recouping what

(02:12):
I put in plus extra for myfuture.
I can still have one.
I'm sorry that you're dying Itruly am, but I cannot be a part
of it.
I can't watch it anymore.
This is the last time you'llhear from me.
Please don't hate me.
Just move peacefully.
Be happy for me that I can livefor us both, that I can breathe

(02:34):
for us both, that maybe one dayI can love for us both.
I'm going to see the places youwanted to see, but you, and
then it cuts off.
I'm sorry.
I don't know what is wrong withmy voice and my throat here.
My husband of six years, up andvanished, drained our mutual
account and sent me this when Iwas asked what the hell was

(02:55):
going on the post shared ontiktok and reddit stated my
condition is foul.
I've had multiple surgeries,treatments etc.
But I've always been faithful.
I still cooked him dinners,come on, up until this happened.
He's pretty convinced I'm deadto rights.
I personally think I have achance.

(03:16):
This is so made up.
And then it shows she hasshared, like x-rays of the woman
in her MRI scan that shows herbrain tumor.
She shared that.
I don't know why do you believethis is true?
It's out there on my x-file.
It goes oh my gosh, the articlegoes on and on and on and on.

(03:38):
Why?
Why does it go on and on?
I don't understand.
Uh, wow, I mean, it's a longstory.
Women cop the bad end of thedeal, even in death.
That same step was apparently.
There's a study.
Uh, while only six percent ofcases ended in divorce, they

(04:00):
were only instigated, they wereall instigated.
So there, there is a study outthere.
Oh, I just think that istotally.
That's totally made up.
I don't believe it for a second.
Now here's another thing.
I gotta share something.
I don't know if my sister stilllistens to my podcast or not.
Probably not.
She used to.

(04:22):
On her way to work she used tolisten to it.
I don't know if she still doesor not probably not but the she
recently shared some photos onher facebook page where she and
her one of her daughters went togo spend like a day or two
whatever I don't know at thisbuckeye lake in ohio.
I'd never heard of it.
I've lived up there, uh.
So I looked it up.
I wanted to look it up, so allI did was Google.

(04:44):
I googled Buckeye Lake and ofcourse, the news came up.
All these news stories came up,and it was one of this.
One of the news stories wassomebody was shot and killed in
a bar while they were singingkaraoke.
Some ex-girlfriend, I don'tknow it ended up, I don't know,
but I mean it had real people'sname and had pictures and had
all this stuff.
So I sent her this news storyvia text.

(05:07):
I said, hey, weren't you justhere at Buckeye Lake?
Now, I don't know how bigBuckeye Lake is, I don't know.
You know it could be huge, soit could have happened.
And she didn't even know aboutit, right?
And so she texted me back.
She said that's fake news.
I'm like how do you know that'sfake news?
It's got real people's namesand pictures of the people and
everything I don't know.

(05:28):
I guess, but you know, I guessit could be fake news,
everything I mean.
Donald Trump talks abouteverything being fake news,
right, all right, we need tomove on to the next story.
I'm just going to give you alittle tidbit advice here from
the New York Post.
If you have an iPhone, thisiPhone hack helps your battery
last longer, and barely anypeople know about it.
So all you have to do is, whenyou're not using your phone, put

(05:50):
it face down.
Um, so that way, when you getnotifications, I guess when you
get notifications the screenlights up, but when it's face
down, it won't do that.
So there's your tip of the dayfor your iPhone to save your
battery.
Uh, let's see.
Uh, there's nothing morefrustrating than watching your
iPhone battery drain before youreyes.
But there's one simple trickthat can help you help your cell

(06:13):
stay powered for longer thanyou think, thanks to a little
known software update releasedsix years ago.
All you have to do is placeyour phone face down when you're
not using it.
That's it.
Place your phone face down willprevent the screen from
lighting up.
If your phone is on vibrate orloud, you'll still have a clear
way to know if you get anotification but the screen

(06:36):
won't light up and ultimatelydrain your battery.
So there you go.
There's your tip of the day ifyou have an iPhone, all right
next up.
I think this is fake news too.
This is rumored.
It's from the New York PostNick Saban's rumored coaching
return floated by ex-Alabamaquarterback.
So Nick Saban could be making areturn to the gridiron.

(06:59):
I'm going to say no, he's not.
I think he's done.
That's what the Alabamacoaching legends, former
quarterback and current ESPNcommentator, greg McIlroy,
floated Monday on his radio show, citing a notable source Hmm, a

(07:30):
lot of respect for and havespent a lot of time around and
just really, really admireMcElroy said Monday on McElroy
and Kubelik in the morning,where a where he was joined by
Paul Feinbaum, they seem tothink Nick Saban not only is not
done coaching I had a similarreaction he's pretty adamant
that he thinks Nick Saban willbe coaching again.
Look, if it wasn't someonenotable, I'd never say a word.

(07:52):
You got to spill it.
Who said it?
I need to know who's yourreliable source.
I don't think.
I don't think he's returningSaban's 73 years old.
If he does come back to coaching, it might be his
grandchildren's little leagueteam or something, I don't know.
He's not coming back to alabamato coach.
He's just not gonna do it.

(08:12):
I don't think he will.
Um, let's see.
Um, former washington coachcaitlin deboer, uh, was saban's
successor, although the idea ofsaban return is buzzy.
Both mcelroy and feinbaumexpressed doubt about the

(08:34):
chatter, given the former coachis literally having the time of
his life.
Yeah, he's not coming back.
He's 73 years old.
He is not coming back tocoaching.
All right, there you go.
Oh, and we need a question ofthe day.
So the question of the day I.
So the question of the day I'mgoing to.
It's from Mr Sean's and hewants to know what was your
biggest fear as a child?
Now, I can't really share mybiggest fear as a child right

(08:55):
now because we're on a podcast,um, but I will say something
else.
Uh, I will say probably, oh,the doctors, of course, I didn't
want to ever get a shot, hatedthat had, hated the dentist, so
any kind of medical thing thatwe had to get done as a child, I
hated, hated and feared.

(09:16):
Um, yeah, so there you go,that's it all right, gotta go.
Uh, thanks for listening andlove y'all bye.