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On 21 September 2016, web site The Boston Tribune posted an article that said the state of Wisconsin eliminated all FoodShare/EBT programs (such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP) as of 1 December 2016 in an effort to balance the budget: The claim caused alarm among of Wisconsin who relied on government assistance to feed their families. But there are no lawmakers by the name of Brian Dunford in Wisconsin, nor do any additional stories of what would be a major change to benefit distribution in that state. Although The Boston Tribune (like the Baltimore Gazette) sounds like a real news outlet, it appears to be a new front for hoax purveyor Associated Media Coverage, a fake news site that typically spreads fabrications about laws or statutes that would affect a specific subset of the population. Although many fake or satire news sites include disclaimers informing readers their content is fabricated, Associated Media Coverage does not. Previous Associated Media Coverage falsehoods designed to agitate specific groups of people included an impending motorcycle curfew in March 2016, a motorcycle speed ban in August 2016, a FDA e-juice ban in mid-2016, a looming two pet maximum ordinance in several jurisdictions (leading many households to believe they would be forced to rehome beloved pets), and a 50-state ban on open carry. Associated Media Coverage further expanded its scope into more generally upsetting (yet humorless) fake news items, such as claims that a transgender bathroom controversy-related shooting resulted in someone's death (a story that went up during nationwide debate over the issue), Casey Anthony planned to open a home daycare center, and that a dead baby was found in a Walmart DVD bin.
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