Google News 09/30: Iowa man’s viral fundraiser thwarted by old tweets

Cancel culture takes another victim

Two weeks ago, 24 year-old Carson King stood in the audience of an ESPN college game-day report in Ames, Iowa and held up a sign requesting Venmo payments to quench his thirst for Busch Light beer.

Money started pouring in, and when his tongue-in-cheek gesture earned him $600 dollars, King decided that there were more noble uses for it than enabling his drinking habits. He announced that he would be donating the funds to the Stead Family Children’s Hospital at the nearby University of Iowa.

Inspired by the move, Busch Light decided to match his donations; Venmo soon followed suit. Within a couple of days, King had managed to raise $60,000 for the hospital; as of today, that number is around $2 million.

It was a heart-warming and uncharacteristically selfless use of newfound internet fame, which catapulted the casino security guard into national renown. His kindness encapsulated the ‘Iowa nice’ attitude of his home state, earning him a visit with the Governor, who declared September 28th, 2019 to be Carson King Day.

But when a reporter for the Des Moines Register started doing research for a profile piece about the local celebrity, he found some racially-insensitive…