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6164 | Polish firm sued over tricking homeless into vaccine test. | Prosecutors in Poland are suing a private firm accused of tricking homeless people into unwitting participation in bird flu vaccine tests in 2007. | true | Health, Poland, Bird flu, Flu | Prosecution spokesman Andrzej Kukawski said Wednesday that dozens of participants, including a pregnant woman, were denied information about potential health hazards in what he called a medical experiment. Last year, three doctors and six nurses were given suspended prison terms for misleading some 200 people, mostly h... |
8862 | FDA calls Medtronic drug pump warning Class I. | Medtronic Inc said on Wednesday that U.S. regulators classified its move to inform physicians about an increase in the rate of inflammatory mass cases in patients receiving drugs through the company’s implantable infusion pumps as a Class I recall. | true | Health News | The medical device maker said no deaths have been associated with the problem and the recall classification does not change recommendations made to physicians in January. The Food and Drug Administration defines a Class I recall as a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that use of the product will ... |
36775 | President Trump ordered the FBI to raid CDC headquarters in Atlanta in hopes of uncovering data that links childhood vaccinations to autism. | President Trump Orders FBI Raid on CDC Headquarters | false | Politics | There’s no truth to reports that President Trump ordered the FBI to raid CDC headquarters to uncover a possible link between vaccinations and autism. A report that appeared on notorious misinformation website What Does It Mean by equally notorious blogger Sorcha Faal sparked unsubstantiated rumors that the Trump ordere... |
9243 | Anti-inflammatory drugs could help treat symptoms of depression, study suggests | This news release summarizes a published review of 20 clinical trial studies of anti-inflamatory drugs used to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. Data also was collected on the effects of these drugs on depression. The review found that drugs that affect cytokines in the body appear to reduce ... | mixture | Anti-inflammatory drugs,depression,University of Cambridge | There is no mention of the cost of any of these drugs. A Consumer Report article puts many of these drugs in the range of on average $2,000 a month when treating rheumatoid arthritis. It is unclear if the same doses would treat depression. This was also an issue in CNN’s story. There is no indication of how much these ... |
3893 | New York City expands mobile program to reach mentally ill. | New York City is expanding a program to use mobile units to reach hundreds of people who are mentally ill, the city announced Monday. | true | New York, General News, Bill de Blasio, Mental health, New York City | The city said in a release that it will spend $9.4 million to boost its mobile mental health treatment teams, which were launched in 2016. The city said the new money will be part of a $21 million investment that will lead to the hiring of more social workers, housing specialists and legal assistance employees. The add... |
7902 | Ford joins GE, 3M in speeding up ventilator, respirator production. | Carmaker Ford Motor Co (F.N) on Tuesday jumped into the emergency push by major U.S. manufacturers to produce thousands of ventilators and respirators needed to help combat the spread of the coronavirus under a partnership code-named “Project Apollo.” | true | Health News | By joining forces with General Electric’s (GE.N) healthcare unit and 3M Co (MMM.N), Ford is taking heed of U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for U.S. automakers to work across sectors in producing equipment needed for the pandemic. The rapid outbreak, which has killed more than 16,500 people globally, has strained hea... |
9485 | Is it Alzheimer’s or another dementia form? Why doctors need to distinguish and how they might do so | Sample PET scan of the brain. Credit: Jens Maus/Wikipedia This Los Angeles Times story broaches the tricky terrain of improving dementia and Alzheimer’s diagnostics in a world where there are no treatments that effectively stop or reverse the disease. Still, researchers want to know how doctors and patients might chang... | mixture | alzheimer's disease,dementia | A close call here. The story does discuss costs, but perhaps not adequately. It cites a range of costs early on — “$3,000-5,000” — but it’s not clear whether that’s for PET scans or transcranial magnetic stimulation or whether that range covers both. The story misleads the reader by citing 19,000 patients in the IDEA s... |
26908 | “Cocaine kills corona virus, scientists is shocked to discover that this drug can fight the virus.” | This “breaking news” image is from an online news generator and not based on any real news coverage. There is still no vaccine or medical treatment for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. | false | Public Health, Facebook Fact-checks, Coronavirus, Facebook posts, | "The Novel Coronavirus has been surrounded by panic and misinformation since its discovery in December 2019. The most recent false claim is that cocaine is the cure. Images of breaking news stories claiming that cocaine is the newest remedy to coronavirus are being reposted on Twitter and Facebook. One Facebook post fr... |
15941 | "Ronald Reagan ""banned ownership of fully automatic rifles. He supported the assault weaspons ban." | "Lopez said, ""As president, (Reagan) banned ownership of fully automatic rifles. He supported the assault weapons ban."" Lopez errs in saying Reagan banned ownership of machine guns. Reagan, in 1986, signed a law that barred the private sale and ownership of machine guns that were not already registered on the day he ... | mixture | History, Guns, Virginia, Alfonso Lopez, | "Del. Alfonso Lopez recently conjured the spirit of Ronald Reagan in an ill-fated attempt to convince the Republican-led House of Delegates to pass gun control legislation. ""In Virginia, we have a bad habit of defeating every single sensible gun violence prevention bill proposal,"" Lopez, D-Arlington, lamented in a Ja... |
8746 | Brazil to make generic version of key AIDS drug. | Brazil said on Wednesday it will start producing a generic version of a key AIDS drug, the latest step in the country’s long-running battle with pharmaceutical giants to bring down the cost of treatment for HIV patients. | true | Health News | A locally made generic version of Efavirenz, one of 17 drugs in the cocktail used by HIV patients, should be approved and ready for use in Brazil’s widely acclaimed AIDS treatment program by early next year, the Health Ministry said. “It’s a historical mark for Brazil’s pharmaceutical industry and Brazil’s public h... |
2824 | Yellowstone managers reject vaccinating bison with biobullets. | Yellowstone National Park managers have rejected a plan to use air rifles to shoot the nation’s last herd of purebred bison with so-called biobullets containing a vaccine against a cattle disease, in a decision that has riled the U.S. livestock industry. | true | Environment | Roughly half of Yellowstone’s 4,600 bison are estimated to have been exposed to brucellosis, a bacterial infection that can sometimes cause cows and bison to miscarry. Worries that infected bison may endanger cattle in states such as Montana that border Yellowstone had prompted the powerful ranching lobby to endorse bi... |
20068 | "Suzanne Bonamici Says ""one in four women and one in seven men have been victims of domestic violence in their lifetime." | Are one in four women and one in seven men victims of domestic violence? | true | Oregon, Crime, Women, Suzanne Bonamici, | "We live in a violent, dangerous world. Most people accept that information as real, though abstract. But when Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., spoke from the House floor May 16 during debate on whether to renew the Violence Against Women Act, she drove the point home. ""One in four women and one in seven men have been v... |
40833 | Four times as many black people are being detained as white people. | If you're black, you're about four times as likely to be detained than if you're white. Overall, more white people are detained, since they make up a larger portion of the population. | true | mental-health | Four times as many black people are being detained as white people. If you're black, you're about four times as likely to be detained than if you're white. Overall, more white people are detained, since they make up a larger portion of the population. The number of people detained under the Mental Health Act has increa... |
17099 | Charlie Crist Says he hasn’t changed his view on abortion restrictions. | "Crist said in a TV interview that he hasn’t changed his view on abortion restrictions. We find that misleading -- unless you're talking about having views that have always been difficult to pin down. Even before he switched parties, Crist voted both for and against abortion restrictions: In the 1990s, he opposed a wai... | false | Abortion, Florida, Charlie Crist, | "As Charlie Crist has been attacked for flip-flopping on an array of issues, he argued during an April 20 TV interview that one topic he has been consistent on is abortion. While Crist enthusiastically admitted he changed his view on gay marriage and now supports it, he argued with interviewer Michael Williams of WPTV ... |
34636 | Doctors believe an increased number of microcephaly cases in Brazil is due to the use of a Monsanto-manufactured pesticide. | What's true: Multiple credible public health experts are investigating a concurrent outbreak of Zika virus and uptick in cases of microcephaly in Brazil. What's false: Any evidence suggested the larvicide pyriproxyfen was connected to microcephaly; that pyriproxyfen wasn't well studied or in use elsewhere prior to the ... | unproven | Uncategorized, bad science, cdc, george takei | "An outbreak of Zika virus and a rash of babies born with microcephaly (an abnormally small head) has led to the World Health Organization declaring a public health emergency, along with widespread speculation that the two conditions are linked. On 14 February 2016, Star Trek‘s George Takei shared the above-reproduced ... |
8429 | Iran coronavirus death toll up as official warns of autumn rise in cases. | Iran’s official coronavirus death toll rose to 4,869 on Thursday but a parliamentary report said the actual number could be much higher and a deputy minister warned the infection could spread further in autumn. | true | Environment | Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur, speaking on state television, said the death toll had risen by 92, while the total number of cases of infection reached 77,995. However, a report by the Iranian parliament’s research centre suggested that the coronavirus tolls might be almost twice as many as those announced... |
10603 | DNA allergy vaccine shows promise | Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, is an allergic reaction to pollen-producing plants, most commonly ragweed. It’s a common condition, inducing such symptoms as coughing, sneezing, runny nose and eyes, and wheezing. Treatments include avoiding exposure to allergens, over the counter and prescription medications, nasal sp... | true | The story states that the therapy could cost “thousands of dollars,” so we’ll give it the benefit of the doubt. However, that’s a broad range and we wish the story had told readers whether that means two or three thousand or ten or twenty. We know it’s an early idea and cost projections are somewhat speculative. The ... | |
36210 | "'Ban gun' teenagers"" ought to protest cars and phones instead of lax gun policy because texting and driving kills 11 teens each day." | Dear ‘Ban Gun’ Teenagers, 11 Teens Die a Day from Texting and Driving | false | Disinformation, Fact Checks | Facebook status memes about guns in general consistently appear in the now nearly constant wake of mass shootings, but a February 2018 iteration (archived here) aimed at “‘ban gun’ teenagers” puts forth an insincere argument targeting texting and driving instead:Posted just eleven days after 17 people were killed at Ma... |
36993 | Former Arizona senator John McCain inflated or lied about his military record. | ‘The True Military Record of John McCain’ | false | Disinformation, Fact Checks, Government, Politics, War | Claims about John McCain first surfaced during the 2008 presidential election then were resurrected July 2015 when Republican contender Donald Trump said McCain was only considered a war hero because he had been captured during the Vietnam War.McCain died of brain cancer in August 2018, but that did not stop Trump, now... |
6069 | Experts call for steps to stem increases in Legionnaires’. | Top U.S. science experts are calling for stronger policies to combat the growing Legionnaires’ disease problem. | true | Health, General News, Legionnaires disease | In a report released Wednesday, the experts said annual cases of Legionnaires’ jumped more than fivefold from 2000 to 2017, and that as many as 70,000 Americans get the disease every year. Legionnaires’ is caused by bacteria that can thrive in buildings with large water systems. About 20 outbreaks are reported each yea... |
4026 | Human toll of cold: more than 2 dozen dead, hundreds hurt. | The dangerous cold and heavy snow that hobbled the northern U.S. this week has retreated, but not before exacting a human toll: more than two dozen weather-related deaths in eight states and hundreds of injuries, including frostbite, broken bones, heart attacks and carbon monoxide poisoning. | true | Chicago, Illinois, Poisoning, AP Top News, Hypothermia, North America, Health, Weather, Carbon monoxide poisoning, U.S. News, Injuries | In Illinois alone, hospitals reported more than 220 cases of frostbite and hypothermia since Tuesday, when the polar vortex moved in and overnight temperatures plunged to minus 30 (minus 34 Celsius) or lower — with wind chills of minus 50 (minus 45 Celsius) or worse in some areas. Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis nor... |
24455 | "When it comes to aid, ""the United States is still about half as what European countries give as a percentage." | Bono claims U.S. gives about half the aid as European countries, percentage-wise | mixture | National, Foreign Policy, Pop Culture, Bono, | "With all due respect to the musical prowess of Bill Clinton and Mike Huckabee, we think this is the first time we've checked a bona fide rock icon with our Truth-O-Meter. But U2's Bono is no ordinary rock star. He's also a political activist, using his pop status to advocate for African aid and AIDS relief. Which is h... |
35768 | A meme provides information exonerating U.S. President Donald Trump from any connection with Jeffrey Epstein's sex crimes. | "What's true: Trump raised an issue with the Palm Beach City Council about segregated private clubs, eventually barred Epstein from Mar-a-Lago, and voluntarily provided information to assist some of Epstein's victims build a case against him. What's false: Trump did not ""sue Palm Beach for being racist,"" nor did he "... | mixture | Politics | On July 6, 2019, financier Jeffrey Epstein — who in 2008 had plead guilty to felony sex-related charges in Florida and was required to register as a sex offender as a result — was again arrested on felony sex trafficking charges. Although Epstein committed suicide in his jail cell several weeks later, rumors and accusa... |
26508 | "Facebook post Says Donald Trump ""himself has a financial stake in the French company that makes the brand-name version of hydroxychloroquine.”" | Trump has a small stake through a mutual fund in Sanofi, a French company that makes hydroxychloroquine. The president’s holdings in Sanofi are valued at up to $1,500, meaning he would not stand to profit much from the company’s stock performance. Experts told us that Trump’s holdings do not violate federal conflict of... | mixture | Facebook Fact-checks, Coronavirus, Facebook posts, | "Some Facebook users think President Donald Trump’s recent interest in a lupus and arthritis drug goes beyond its potential to treat COVID-19. ""Trump himself has a financial stake in the French company that makes the brand-name version of hydroxychloroquine,"" reads one post published April 7. The image, which is a sc... |
10877 | New drug reverses the effects of blood thinner in patients with brain hemorrhage | CT scan of brain hemorrhageThe news release focuses on research that found that the drug idarucizumab (marketed as Praxbind) can stop the anticoagulant effects of the popular blood-thinner dabigatran (marketed as Pradaxa) for patients who have intracranial hemorrhage, or bleeding in the brain. The findings are based on... | mixture | Association/Society news release,cardiovascular disease | The release doesn’t mention cost at all. According to NEJM Journal Watch, the cost is reported to be in the ballpark of $3,500 per use, which we consider to be a very conservative amount. The benefit as described in the release is stopping dabigatran’s blood-thinning effects, and the release states that: “In patients w... |
8898 | FDA plans new post-approval drug safety effort. | The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is launching a new effort meant to strengthen its oversight of prescription drugs after they win approval, an agency official said on Tuesday. | true | Health News | A customer leans against a pharmacy counter in a file photo. The FDA is launching a new effort meant to strengthen its oversight of prescription drugs after they win approval, an agency official said on Tuesday. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi The plan, called “Safety First,” includes creation of a new database of possible s... |
9563 | New Nuclear-Imaging Tests Show Promise in Locating Cancer | This story summarizes the incremental benefits of two FDA-approved and relatively recent commercially available nuclear imaging tests designed to diagnosis prostate cancer and a rare neuroendocrine tumor earlier and more accurately. The imaging technologies in the piece have been the subject of recent corporate press ... | mixture | prostate cancer | There is no discussion about the actual or anticipated added costs of the new nuclear imaging tests compared to current diagnostic tests. Nor is there a sense of the overall costs of treatment. The story offers good narrative explanations and opinions about the added value of the nuclear imaging tests, but no hard data... |
7779 | Two lawmakers question EPA on asbestos after Reuters report. | Two Democratic U.S. lawmakers have called on the Environmental Protection Agency to answer questions about asbestos exposure after Reuters reported that documents showed Johnson & Johnson knew for decades of the mineral’s presence in its popular baby powder. | true | Health News | Whether asbestos in the talc supply in Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder caused cancer has been the subject of litigation for years. The lawmakers, Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Suzanne Bonamici, did not mention Johnson & Johnson by name but expressed “deep concern” about Friday’s Reuters report, according to a... |
14514 | "U.S. global AIDS spending helped reduce ""political instability and violence"" by ""40 percent"" in recipient nations." | "Daschle said that U.S. global AIDS spending helped reduce ""political instability and violence"" by ""40 percent"" in recipient nations. No one questions that the program did much to ease the burden of disease and helped many sufferers. But there are several reasons the argument that it led to political stability is d... | false | National, Foreign Policy, Public Health, Tom Daschle, | "President Barack Obama’s final budget plan includes $4.65 billion to continue the country’s long-standing program to combat HIV/AIDS worldwide. Launched by President George W. Bush in 2003, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, called PEPFAR, now reaches 65 countries. PEPFAR got some bipartisan love from two... |
3190 | Measles outbreak kills more than 4,000 in Congo this year. | More than 4,000 people have died in Congo this year in the world’s largest measles outbreak, the United Nations children’s agency said Wednesday. | true | Access to health care, Immunizations, Health, Measles, Ebola virus, Africa, Senegal, United Nations, Central Africa, General News | The Central African nation is also battling an Ebola outbreak that has killed about half that number since August 2018. Since January, more than 200,000 cases of measles have been reported across Congo, UNICEF said. More than 140,000 involve children under 5, who also make up nearly 90 percent of deaths. “We’re facing ... |
4478 | Critics blast Oregon repeal of tsunami-zone building ban. | With sunlight sparkling off surrounding Yaquina Bay, workers are putting up an ocean-studies building, smack in the middle of an area expected to one day be hit by a tsunami. | true | Legislature, AP Top News, Tsunamis, General News, Oceans, Oregon, Business, Science, Bills, Earthquakes, U.S. News | Experts say it’s only a matter of time before a shift in a major fault line off the Oregon coast causes a massive earthquake that generates a tsunami as much as seven stories tall. Even as work on Oregon State University’s Marine Studies Building was underway in Newport, the Legislature went a step further and repealed... |
29163 | California Senate Bill 145 would shield pedophiles who rape children from having to register as sex offenders. | What's true: Existing California law permits individuals convicted of having non-forcible vaginal intercourse with a minor (within certain age parameters) to seek discretionary relief in court from automatically having to register as sex offenders. SB-145 extends that exception to people convicted of having non-forcibl... | false | Politics, the washington pundit | In January 2019, California state senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) introduced a bill (SB-145) that would modify the state penal code to allow certain individuals convicted of sex offenses involving minors to apply for discretionary relief from having to register as sex offenders. Under current California law, all... |
30653 | Australian officials are deploying a genetically-modified vaccine aerially without consent from residents. | The approval of Vaxchora represents a significant addition to the cholera-prevention measures currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for travelers to cholera-affected regions. | false | Junk News, australia, chemtrails, food and drug administration | In March 2016 YourNewsWire.com, a regular purveyor of fake stories, rehashed a story from years earlier to push the claim that Australian officials were releasing an anti-cholera vaccine against peoples’ will: Australia have approved the license application from Big Pharma company PaxVax that will allow them to intenti... |
15113 | "There is not ""one of the Muslim nations"" that doesn't have ""discrimination against women, discrimination against gays, subjugation of other religious beliefs." | "Ben Carson said there is not ""one of the Muslim nations"" that doesn't have ""discrimination against women, discrimination against gays, subjugation of other religious beliefs."" Carson has a point that many countries with a majority-Muslim population do have poor records on institutional discrimination against women... | false | National, Corrections and Updates, Gays and Lesbians, Human Rights, Islam, Religion, Women, Ben Carson, | "Muslim values are inconsistent with American values, Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson said recently. Carson has been on the defense for saying he doesn’t believe a Muslim should be president. A couple of days later, in a Sept. 22 interview with Fox’s Megyn Kelly, the former neurosurgeon justified his posit... |
11546 | Strawberries Fight Cancer, Study Finds | We don’t know who writes the headlines for online stories at WSJ.com, but the dissonance between the headline and the first sentence in this story is striking. Headline: Strawberries Fight Cancer 1st sentence: Strawberries have the potential to prevent esopageal cancer, according to a preliminary study. “Potential” a... | false | Cancer,Diet studies,Wall Street Journal | Not applicable because the cost of strawberries is not in question. Insufficient. All we’re told is that “29 out of 36 participants experienced a decrease in histological grade of the precancerous lesion, or a slowing in the growth of the lesion.” We’re not told what the grade was to begin with nor what it decreased t... |
9373 | NEW CURE FOR BALDNESS COULD BE FOUND IN EXISTING DRUG, SCIENTISTS SAY | This news story hyped lab findings as evidence that a potential “cure” for baldness could be on the horizon. Researchers at the University of Manchester in the U.K. found that a substance called Cyclosporine A (CsA), which has been used to treat immune disorders and transplant rejection, affected a protein that stunts ... | mixture | hair loss | Arguably it’s too early to know anything about how much this treatment might cost. But, if it’s not too soon to speculate about a “cure,” it also could be argued that it’s not too soon to address cost impacts. This was a tough call, but we went with N/A because of how early the research is. Since WAY-316606 hasn’t appa... |
146 | With a backup to the backup, insulin makers say they're primed for Brexit. | For two men trained as scientists, the bosses of Britain’s major insulin providers have had to become experts in ferry schedules, trucking laws and warehouse capacity as they seek to guarantee the supply of life-saving drugs through a chaotic Brexit. | true | Health News | With Britain set to leave the European Union within weeks, Pinder Sahota at the world’s biggest insulin maker Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi’s Hugo Fry have rebuilt operations to withstand the most turbulent of events. The two companies told Reuters they had spent millions of pounds, which they cannot recoup, stockpiling mil... |
14022 | Nine million people have lower-cost HIV/AIDS medicine because of the work of the Clinton Foundation and my husband. | Clinton said 9 million people have lower-cost HIV/AIDS medicine thanks to the efforts of the Clinton Foundation and her husband. Bill Clinton started the foundation and its first big project was the Clinton Health Access Initiative. The program focused on using market mechanisms to reduce treatment costs. Costs have fa... | true | Global News Service, Foreign Policy, Public Health, Hillary Clinton, | "The Clinton Foundation might be committed to doing good around the world, but Hillary Clinton’s critics see it as a ripe target to bring down the presumptive Democratic nominee. Republican Donald Trump recently charged that some countries who gave money to the foundation received favorable treatment in return. For any... |
10254 | Extract may help treat bladder infection | "This is a story about some preliminary research in mice for a treatment that may increase the affectiveness of antibiotic treatment for urinary tract infections. The story made it clear that this was a preliminary study in mice. But the headline, ""Extract may help treat bladder infection,"" is misleading. This is an ... | mixture | "There was no discussion of the cost of forskolin. The story failed to mention the amount needed or the length of time it would need to be taken to obtain the effect described. First, this was a mouse study. The story was clear about that. But the headline, ""Extract may help treat bladder infection,"" is misleading. T... | |
2603 | L.A.'s richest man ups the ante for city, cancer fight. | As owner of 5 percent of the Los Angeles Lakers, Patrick Soon-Shiong could walk into the locker room of the storied basketball franchise any time for a chat with stars like Kobe Bryant. But the richest man in Los Angeles chooses to sit with the rest of his team’s fans. | true | Health News | “He’s not one of those owners who wants to be seen everywhere. He’s just one of the fans,” said Bryant. The NBA star gives his owner a hug before every game for luck “and maybe some of the success” of the slender Los Angles surgeon who built a fortune exceeding $7 billion as a biotechnology entrepreneur. For all Soon-S... |
9970 | Exercise reduces heart disease risk in depressed patients | This American Academy of Cardiology news release follows a well-trodden path in health news of promoting the benefits of regular exercise. We’re not complaining about yet another article telling us exercise is good. But that’s besides the point because, in fact, the news release fails to grasp that the study is observa... | mixture | Association/Society news release,cardiovascular disease,Exercise | It’s hard to put a price tag on regular exercise as there are so many ways to get your physical activity on and many of them are free. So we’ll say this category doesn’t apply. Although the news release does provide some numbers on the association between cardiovascular risk and depression, it does not do enough to qua... |
15697 | "In Wisconsin, a ""second arrest for carrying pot is a felony,"" but a second or subsequent arrest ""for carrying a gun illegally is a misdemeanor." | "Flynn said that in Wisconsin, a ""second arrest for carrying pot is a felony,"" but a second or subsequent arrest ""for carrying a gun illegally is a misdemeanor."" A second arrest for carrying marijuana is classified as a felony offense, although depending on the circumstances, only a ticket might be issued. And gene... | true | Criminal Justice, Drugs, Legal Issues, Crime, Guns, Wisconsin, Edward Flynn, | "Even in a city repeatedly scarred by senseless fatal shootings -- a 10-year-old girl caught in the crossfire at a playground, a toddler struck by a bullet aimed at the wrong house -- this case stood out: A man driving his van in Milwaukee late on a Sunday afternoon struck and killed a 2-year-old boy who had darted int... |
23222 | Florida Democratic Party Says Rick Scott gave a deposition in which he invoked the Fifth Amendment 75 times about his dealings as head of Columbia/HCA hospital chain | Rick Scott dodges answers by invoking Fifth Amendment, Democrats claim in ad | true | Health Care, Legal Issues, Message Machine 2010, Florida, Florida Democratic Party, | "Democrat Alex Sink is airing a new ad that whacks Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott for alleged fraud at Columbia/HCA, and in particular, for refusing to answer questions about his role in any wrongdoing. The ad, which will air Oct. 13, 2010, is two minutes long and crafted to look like a TV news magazine ... |
15853 | Abortions account for 94 percent of the services provided for pregnant women by Planned Parenthood. | "Bishop Thomas Tobin said that ""... Abortions account for 94 percent of the services provided for pregnant women by Planned Parenthood."" He cited as his source the Susan B. Anthony List, which arrived at that percentage using numbers that don’t represent all services provided to pregnant women by Planned Parenthood... | false | Abortion, Rhode Island, Health Care, Human Rights, Religion, Women, Bishop Thomas Tobin, | "Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas J. Tobin is an ardent and outspoken abortion opponent. He voiced his opposition recently in the Jan. 22, 2015 edition of The Rhode Island Catholic newspaper in a column entitled ""The ‘Throwaway Culture’ Has Arrived at Our Doorstep."" In it, he faulted Planned Parenthood as a ""destructive... |
6739 | South Carolina declares hepatitis outbreak. | What began as a spike in reported hepatitis A cases in Aiken County has now spread to other parts of South Carolina, prompting public health officials to declare a statewide outbreak. | true | Aiken, Health, Hepatitis, South Carolina, Public health | Since Nov. 1, South Carolina has recorded 86 reported cases of the contagious disease. State Epidemiologist Linda Bell said Monday that’s more than four times what state officials normally expect to see. Over the last 10 years, South Carolina averaged 19 reported cases of hepatitis A annually. Most of the new cases hav... |
11586 | Hands-only CPR greatly increases survival odds | This article summarizes recent research and expert opinion about new guidelines on bystanders’ use of hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to treat victims of cardiac arrest. Overall, the story covers the topic well. However, it could offer readers just a bit more about the nature and strength of the evidence... | true | "The news story does not mention costs, but a discussion of cost is relatively unimportant in the context of this story. The article says that CPR in any form ""may double the rate of survival from cardiac rest."" According to a spokesperson for the American Heart Association, this means that “we can save tens of thous... | |
36949 | The transcript of a speech that Hillary Clinton gave to Goldman Sachs in 2013 has supposedly been released. | Transcript of Hillary Clinton’s Goldman Sachs Speech Released | false | Politics | Hillary Clinton hasn’t released a transcript of her 2013 Goldman Sachs speech, and no credible sources have leaked the transcript, either. Copies of the so-called Hillary Clinton Goldman Sachs transcript began making the rounds in mid-February 2016 when a number of fake news websites published a satirical “transcript” ... |
15352 | By declaring that Pluto was no longer a planet, the (International Astronomical Union) put into place a planetary definition that would have even declassified Earth as a planet if it existed as far from the sun as Pluto does. | "Other Space's petition claims, ""By declaring that Pluto was no longer a planet, the (International Astronomical Union) put into place a planetary definition that would have even declassified Earth as a planet if it existed as far from the sun as Pluto does."" Putting aside the fact that this could not actually happen... | mixture | Space, PunditFact, Other Space, | "The world’s best-ever glimpse of Pluto from the New Horizons spacecraft is giving the ""Pluto question"" new life: Should the icy orb be once again considered the ninth planet of our solar system? Images of the dwarf planet inspired a tide of Internet reaction last week, including memes, a funny interview between Plut... |
8009 | Italy's epidemic should stabilize soon, but vigilance needed: WHO. | Lockdowns and stringent measures in place in Italy for the past two weeks should lead soon to a stabilization in its coronavirus epidemic, but vigilant follow-up will be required, a senior official of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday. | true | Health News | Italy has registered more deaths than anywhere else in the world and accounts for more than a third of all global fatalities from the virus. In Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus emerged in December and which is now reopening after two months of lockdown, authorities have maintained physical distancing measures an... |
12768 | "Donna Howard Says condoms ""used to be tax-exempt here in Texas." | "Howard said condoms ""used to be tax-exempt here in Texas."" Under a tax-cut measure approved by lawmakers and Bush in 1999, condoms containing spermicide were exempt from the state sales tax starting in April 2000. Another change in law ended that exemption as of September 2007." | true | Health Care, Sexuality, Taxes, Texas, Donna Howard, | "An Austin legislator talking up her proposal to exempt feminine hygiene products from the state sales tax asserted that condoms were sold tax-free in Texas for a spell. Democratic state Rep. Donna Howard, speaking to reporters for the Dallas Morning News during a Facebook Live presentation, brought up condom tax histo... |
4270 | Audit: A state environmental office has ‘failing’ IT systems. | A state office in charge of environmental health programs is stuck with old technology that affects how it communicates with local health departments. | true | Technology, Health, Michigan, Environmental health | That finding is in a report released Wednesday by Michigan’s auditor general. The Department of Environmental Quality says it could save a lot of money with an IT upgrade. The DEQ’s Office of Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance works with health departments, which inspect campgrounds, pools and septage waste hauler... |
9781 | Study suggests overall benefit from antidepressants | Reporters usually don’t write the headlines, but we wish someone would have changed the headline on this story. The body of the story conveyed important questions – about the number needed to treat – and about differences in treating the elderly – that perhaps were worthy of headline attention. The story tried to captu... | true | antidepressants | The costs of antidepressants weren’t discussed, but perhaps that is understandable in this kind of broad overview of a meta-analysis. Fluoxetine (prozac) and venalfaxine (effexor) are now both generic. So costs are pretty low. The story gave detailed breakdowns of percent improvement in scores on depression tests and p... |
9397 | Test risk of breast cancer from home with new FDA-approved DNA kit by 23andMe | The story focuses on a recent decision by the FDA to approve a genetic test by the company 23andMe which screens for several gene mutations associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. The story is a brief one, yet does mention some of the caveats associated with the testing. However, the story essentially relie... | false | breast cancer | Cost isn’t mentioned. The BRCA testing appears to be part of the $199 “health + ancestry service” package provided by 23andMe — though the package description on the company website did not include BRCA at the time of this writing. While this is a significant out-of-pocket expense for most people, it is somewhat less e... |
7889 | Exclusive: U.S. axed CDC expert job in China months before virus outbreak. | Several months before the coronavirus pandemic began, the Trump administration eliminated a key American public health position in Beijing intended to help detect disease outbreaks in China, Reuters has learned. | true | Health News | The American disease expert, a medical epidemiologist embedded in China’s disease control agency, left her post in July, according to four sources with knowledge of the issue. The first cases of the new coronavirus may have emerged as early as November, and as cases exploded, the Trump administration in February chasti... |
8668 | World's worst air adds to Serbian capital's coronavirus woes. | Belgrade’s residents on Friday isolated themselves not only from coronavirus but also from acrid smoke, which defied strong winds to transform the Serbian capital into the city with the world’s most polluted air. | true | Environment | The Air Visual API website, which compiles data from ground sensors worldwide, ranked the Serbian capital temporarily at the top of its global index of cities with the worst air pollution. Belgrade’s pollution level later fell to fourth, behind Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, Zagreb in Croatia, and Chiang Mai in Thailand. Loc... |
28605 | Rape would be designated a pre-existing condition under the American Health Care Act. | What's true: A constellation of symptoms associated with physical and emotional trauma could conceivably be used to deny health insurance coverage or health care. What's false: Rape and sexual assault are legally not allowed to be used as pre-existing conditions for health insurance. | mixture | Crime, American Health Care Act, Health Care, rape | Prior to the passage of the American Health Care Act in the U.S. House of Representatives on 4 May 2017, critics warned that the bill would specifically put sexual assault and rape survivors at risk because it would list their circumstances as being “pre-existing conditions” subject to either price gouging or disqualif... |
4418 | A ribbit of hope: Panama frogs hop back after nasty disease. | After years of silence, the rhythmic dee-dee-deeps of frogs and toads are returning in parts of Panama. | true | Frogs, Panama, Amphibians, Central America, Latin America, Nevada, Science | A deadly fungal disease devastated amphibians in Central America more than a decade ago, quieting some mountain streams. But new research shows evolution may have saved the day — and the frogs. In El Cope, Panama, at least four species disappeared including the red-striped Rio San Juan robber frog. Four other species l... |
11105 | Echinacea helps colds, major review shows | This article does an excellent job of putting a new finding about the benefits of echinacea in context of previous research. Too often an article will report the new findings and only much lower in the story mention that it contradicts earlier work. From the first paragraph the reporter lets us know we’re getting only ... | true | Since this article is about a treatment whose benefits are disputed, it should tell readers how much it costs. This would let them do a rough cost-vs.-benefit calculation as they consider whether to use echinacea. The reporter says the study showed a 58 percent reduction in cold risk, and some unspecified ability to sh... | |
10046 | Menopause Study Disputes Herb Treatment | This story clearly and accurately summarizes the results of the recent trial concluding that common herbal therapies are no better than placebo at relieving menopausal hot flashes and night sweats. Especially commendable is the inclusion of the actual difference in the number of hot flashes or night sweats women in eac... | true | "No mention of costs, but given the comparison with other medications and acknowledgement of multiple sources to obtain the product, this is a relatively minor concern. The story clearly describes the impact of the therapies on a tangible outcome: the difference in the number of hot flashes or night sweats women in eac... | |
30917 | "Nightmare on Elm Street"" character Freddy Krueger was based on a real life serial murderer." | Although Craven’s commentary was real, the circulating “Frederick Kruger” gravestone is entirely unrelated to a “real” Freddy Kruger, and instead was intended as a Halloween joke. Over time, however, the description was copied and pasted without its last line, spoiling the joke and confusing horror film buffs. | false | Fauxtography, 'true story' jokes, freddy krueger, halloween | In mid-October 2017, readers began asking if Freddy Krueger (or “Freddy Kruger”) from the Nightmare on Elm Street films was based on a real-life serial killer: Seeing this start to go around. I can’t find anything about it and I’m sure I’m not the only one looking. The Freddy Kruger character was based on a real serial... |
1931 | Festival cheer rings diabetes alarm for Indians. | It’s festival season in India, with the celebrations providing a perfect opportunity for family outings, late-night parties and customary feasting on sweets. | true | Health News | Kashmiri people buy pastries and spices ahead of Eid al-Fitr festival in Srinagar September 20, 2009. REUTERS/Danish Ismail But health experts warn that the festivities, coupled with genetic predisposition and lifestyle changes brought about by the increasing prosperity of the middle class, is contributing to the count... |
29359 | "Drug dealers are selling colored and flavored crystal methamphetamine known as ""Strawberry Quick"" to children. " | What's true: Police have sometimes seized colored versions of crystal meth that resemble candy. What's false: There's no credible evidence that drug dealers are manufacturing colored and flavored versions of meth (imitative of candy) with the intent of making them appeal to children. | false | Medical, candy meth, drug legends, drugs | In early 2007, warnings began to circulate about sweetened and flavored forms of methamphetamine known as “Strawberry Quick” (or “Strawberry Quik,” named after strawberry Quik, a powder used to make flavored milk drinks). Various news accounts about Strawberry Quick first reported it appearing in western states in Janu... |
36069 | "Part of a meme known as ""woman yelling at a cat"" has a tragic backstory." | The Sad Backstory of the ‘Woman Yelling at a Cat’ Meme | true | Fact Checks, Viral Content | On October 26 2019, a Facebook user shared a PSA involving the popular meme often called “woman yelling at a cat,” stating that the image’s ubiquity led them to research the origins of the image:After seeing this image on many different memes, I decided to research it. I had hoped there was some humor or ridiculousness... |
2903 | CareFusion to pay $40 million to settle U.S. kickbacks lawsuit. | CareFusion Corp agreed to pay $40.1 million to settle a federal government lawsuit accusing it of paying kickbacks to boost sales of a pre-surgical skin treatment, and marketing the product for unapproved uses. | true | Health News | The accord announced on Thursday by the U.S. Department of Justice resolves allegations that CareFusion violated the federal False Claims Act by paying $11.6 million to a doctor to promote its ChloraPrep product to healthcare providers. That doctor, Charles Denham, received the kickbacks while serving as co-chair of th... |
4456 | Last year it was dicamba, this year it’s 2,4-D. | A volatile weed killer linked to cancer and endocrine issues will likely be sprayed on millions more acres of soybeans and cotton across the Midwest and South starting this year. | true | Global trade, Genetics, Cancer, Champaign, China, Science, Weeds | In January, China approved imports of a new genetically modified soybean variety — Enlist E3 soybeans jointly made by Corteva Agriscience, a division of DowDupont and seed company MS Technologies — that can withstand the herbicide 2,4-D. “This is great news for U.S. soybean growers,” said Joseph Merschman, president of... |
35530 | A cellular service outage on June 15, 2020, enabled Apple and Google to covertly install COVID-19 tracking apps onto phones. | What's true: In May 2020, Apple and Google launched a COVID-19 exposure notifications technology, which allows users to choose whether they want to use COVID-19 tracing apps on their phones. On June 15, 2020, many T-Mobile customers experienced network outages. What's false: However, the phone outage (which was mostly ... | false | Technology, COVID-19 | A phone network outage coinciding with the coronavirus pandemic in the summer of 2020 became fertile ground for rumors in mid-June, when some cellphone users in the U.S. claimed they couldn’t send or receive calls and text messages. Soon after, Facebook posts claimed that the network outage enabled a suspiciously timed... |
27665 | Dogs and wolves are genetically 99.9% identical. | These advances in genetic analysis have allowed scientists as well to pin down the probable timing of the split between these two canid lineages. A study published in 2015, which compared the whole genome sequence of dogs to a 35,000 year old Siberian wolf specimen, suggested the split likely occurred between 27,000 an... | true | Critter Country, dogs, wolves | The idea that the domestic dog descended from the grey wolf was originally established in 1993 using comparisons of wolf and dog mitochondrial DNA. This investigation showed that no other living animal was more closely related to the domestic dog than the grey wolf: “The domestic dog is an extremely close relative of t... |
3263 | Kentucky officials report probable vaping-related death. | Kentucky health officials on Friday announced the state’s first probable vaping-related death. | true | Vaping, General News, Public health, Kentucky | The man who died was in his late 20s, said Kentucky Public Health Commissioner Angela Dearinger. The Centers for Disease Control website said as of Tuesday, 57 vaping-related deaths had been confirmed in 27 states and the District of Columbia. Kentucky has had 48 reports of possible vaping-related illness, including 13... |
26516 | People are handing out masks “doused with chemicals which knocks you out cold” so they can rob you. | This warning has surfaced in countries including the United States and the United Kingdom, but we found no credible reports to back it up. | false | Crime, Facebook Fact-checks, Coronavirus, Viral image, | "Amid a shortage of face masks, the Centers for Disease Control Prevention now recommends all U.S. residents wear face coverings in public places. So a government initiative to deliver masks to people’s homes would seem like welcome news, at least if the threat of a robbery didn’t loom behind it. ""WARNING,"" reads an ... |
31845 | Symbols embossed on the exterior surfaces of Oreo cookies link the product to the alleged conspiratorial activities of the Knights Templar and Freemasons. | While the notion that the world’s top-selling cookie is somehow a vehicle for powerful secret entities to exercise world domination makes for an exciting story, such evidence as there is suggests that, like so many other staples of modern life, the only real motive behind its invention was the desire to manufacture a g... | false | Food, coded symbols, Hidden Persuaders, illuminati | We do not know who first paused to ponder the ornate design of an Oreo cookie before eating it, but the decorative embossed pattern is considered integral to the Oreo experience and has inspired praise from such highfalutin sources as American architectural critic Paul Goldberger, who enthused on the occasion of its 75... |
31593 | The “Naked” line of juices and smoothies contain the toxic preservative formaldehyde. | There were, certainly, some misleading elements to the Naked product line’s labels that prompted lawsuits. But those misrepresentations pale in comparison to the demonstrably false claim that Naked brand juices and smoothies contain formaldehyde. | false | Food, formaldehyde, pepsico | On 14 March 2017, Facebook user Kelly Kluchins Underwood published a post titled “Friends don’t let friends drink formaldehyde” which (at publication time) had been shared over 150,000 times. Referencing a legal settlement over a lawsuit alleging that PepsiCo’s “Naked” brand of fruit juices and smoothies contained misl... |
10949 | 1 in 2 will have false alarm from yearly mammogram | This article emphasizes the value of using the study results to inform an individual woman’s decision regarding when to begin screening mammography & whether screening should be done annually or biannually. Our first two reviewers were a researcher who specializes in health decisions and a breast cancer survivor traine... | mixture | Reuters Health,Screening,women's health | While the article does mention the anxiety a patient experiences because of a recall mammogram, it fails to also mention other psychological, physical, & financial costs incurred because of false-positive mammograms & false-positive biopsy recommendations. By including several relevant quotes from the study’s Principal... |
33594 | Bram Stoker's novel 'Dracula' features a titular vampire who cannot expose himself to sunlight and is killed with a wooden stake. | You may be surprised by how Dracula is actually dispatched in Bram Stoker's iconic vampire novel. | false | Entertainment, books, horror movies, Literary Legends | No two works have had a greater influence on the “monster” genre of popular culture than Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) and Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897). The archetypal characters introduced in these novels — the Frankenstein monster and Count Dracula the vampire — have suffused popular culture through hundreds of ... |
11593 | Two studies in Africa link male circumcision to lower risk of HIV | The story describes the design of the two similar studies of male circumcision and reduced HIV in African men who engage in heterosexual intercourse. The story provides both absolute and relative data; however, we are not told if there was a placebo group (sham operation) and/or blinding of evaluators. The story does n... | true | The story does not mention the cost of adult male circumcision outside of a clinical trail. It is also not clear whether this is a reimbursible procedure for adult males in the USA when no acute problem exists. The story appropriately describes the design of the two similar studies and provides both absolute and relati... | |
11496 | 40% of Gastric Banding Patients Have Complications | This is a story reporting on a study detailing the long-term outcomes observed in a group of patients more than a decade after having gastric banding to help with weight management. The story provided some useful insight about how gastric banding and gastric bypass compare in terms of rates and magnitude of weight loss... | true | HealthDay | Although not discussed in the study precipitating the story, the costs for gastric banding and appropriate follow-up care are readily available. The story reported the average long term loss of excess weight that was observed in the study along with an insight from a clinician indicating that there is some variability ... |
9407 | This UV Lamp Could Prevent the Flu Virus From Spreading in Public Places | A scene from the promotional video Columbia University produced about the study. Researchers in this study wanted to know if “far-UVC” light might kill H1N1, a common strain of flu virus, and therefore be used as a potential disinfectant. In addition to this TIME Health story, we also looked at coverage of this study b... | false | influenza | The lead author of the study is quoted as saying “The lamp we’re using at the moment costs less than $1,000, and you can imagine that if it were put into general circulation, the price would drop dramatically … we don’t see cost as being a limited factor here.” The first part of the quote gives a frame of reference, th... |
27602 | "During the 19th and 20th centuries, some U.S. cities enacted so-called ""ugly laws"" banning people deemed ""diseased, maimed, mutilated or in any way deformed so as to be an unsightly or disgusting object or improper person"" from public spaces." | That same year, 1974, saw the demise of ugly laws in America. The last city to repeal was Chicago. One of the alderman responsible for killing the law, Paul T. Wigoda, denounced it as “cruel and insensitive,” and “a throwback to the Middle Ages.” It had been in effect for 93 years. | true | Legal Affairs, chicago, disabled, ugly laws | In 1990, Congress passed and President George H. W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which extended federal civil rights protections to people with mental or physical impairments: The ADA is one of America’s most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation that prohibits discriminati... |
33693 | Jordan Chandler admitted that he lied about having been sexually molested by Michael Jackson. | Given that the sole source of this information was a single poorly-worded statement which was reproduced verbatim on multiple blogs, and that no mention of Jordan Chandler’s supposed confession (or any statement from Chandler) appeared in the news media despite the continuous crush of Michael Jackson coverage after the... | false | Politics | In 1993, Evan Chandler, the father of then-13-year-old Jordan Chandler, accused singer Michael Jackson of having sexually abused Jordan. Although Jordan Chandler refused to testify in criminal proceedings, and the police investigation of Jackson related to this accusation was eventually closed due to a lack of evidence... |
23406 | We will be the first party to elect a bald guy to governor. | Would Rick Scott be Florida's first bald governor? | false | Candidate Biography, Elections, History, Florida, John Thrasher, | "2010 is a historic election year in Florida. A gripping three-way U.S. Senate race that could decide the balance of power in Washington. Competitive races for the state Cabinet. A proposed constitutional amendment that could shape state growth for decades. Then there's the governor's race, where the Nov. 2 election wi... |
9992 | Study: Prostate cancer surgery helps younger men | This story did a good job describing the results of a recently published study which continues to follow a large group of men in Sweden who either had immediate surgery to remove their prostate or waited until they had evidence of that their prostate cancer progressed before undergoing treatment. Strong caveat in the f... | true | Associated Press,Cancer | There was no information about the respective financial costs of the treatments for prostate cancer discussed. Costs would include treating the double digit rates of incontinence and erectile dysfunction in these younger men who do have surgery. The surgery may help them live longer, but many, especially since younger ... |
20069 | There’s 400 more people working in health care today in New Hampshire than when we passed the budget. | The health care industry was a bright spot during the recession, but job estimates show that it didn’t rebound from the state budget cuts the way O’Brien reported. The most recent state estimates show that jobs in the health care industry, combined with social assistance, have remained flat or even decreased – not gain... | false | New Hampshire, Health Care, State Budget, William O'Brien, | "To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the demise of New Hampshire’s health care system have been greatly exaggerated – according to Speaker of the House William O’Brien, at least. Last year, the New Hampshire House of Representatives passed its $10.3 billion budget, which cut millions in funding for hospitals and healt... |
9296 | Effective sleep apnea treatment lowers diabetes risk | This news release outlines a recent paper reporting that a treatment for sleep apnea, called continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), could help people with prediabetes who also have sleep apnea to regulate their blood sugar levels. (We have concerns about the release’s use of the term “prediabetes” that we discuss ... | false | CPAP,Sleep apnea,surrogates,University of Chicago | The release doesn’t address costs at all. This is a significant oversight, since testing to see if a person with diabetes has sleep apnea and, if so, should use a CPAP machine to treat it, can cost from hundreds to thousands of dollars. The release is fairly vague on the benefits conferred on prediabetic patients using... |
4082 | Delaware probes 3 possible cases of vape-related lung issues. | Delaware health officials are investigating three possible cases of severe lung disease related to the use of electronic cigarettes and vaping. | true | Health, Lung disease, General News, Delaware | News outlets report the state health department is urging residents to stop vaping as cases of lung disease possibly linked to e-cigarettes pop up across the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there have been 450 possible cases of lung disease related to vaping reported in 33 states. As many a... |
15283 | "Hillary Clinton Says Scott Walker's defunding of Planned Parenthood ""left women across the state stranded with nowhere else to turn"" for cancer screenings, breast exams and birth control." | "Clinton said Walker's defunding of Planned Parenthood ""left women across the state stranded with nowhere else to turn"" for cancer screenings, breast exams and birth control. Walker in 2011 eliminated all state funding to Planned Parenthood, which in turn closed five clinics over the next three years. The loss of tho... | mixture | Abortion, Families, Health Care, Public Health, Sexuality, State Budget, Women, Wisconsin, Hillary Clinton, | "Well before the release of videos that ignited debate about the sale of fetal body parts, Republican Gov. Scott Walker boasted about defunding Planned Parenthood in Wisconsin. In a video of her own released Aug. 3, 2015, Hillary Clinton attacked Walker’s move. ""When politicians talk about defunding Planned Parenthood... |
9417 | Scientists Edge Closer To A Blood Test To Detect Cancers | This story is an overview of a preliminary, experimental test to screen for eight types of cancer. Not only does this story use clear language in discussing the relevance of both false positives and false negatives in screening, it also thoughtfully includes independent sources that provide important clinical context f... | true | cancer test | The story makes it clear that cost of the test is currently speculative (“could cost about $500”) and goes even further to caution that: “Johns Hopkins holds the patent and has not licensed it as yet to a company that would ultimately set the price.” The story makes the two key results of the test quite clear. First, t... |
2838 | U.S. FDA approves Medtronic heart valve replacement system. | Medtronic Inc’s non-invasive systems for replacing diseased heart valves won U.S. approval for use in patients deemed too frail to endure traditional open heart surgery, the U.S. medical device maker said on Friday. | true | Health News | The Food and Drug Administration approved Medtronic’s CoreValve system based on U.S. clinical trials in which it was shown to be safe and effective while demonstrating low rates of stroke and valve leakage, the company said. CoreValve, in which the replacement valve is threaded into place through an artery using a cath... |
34210 | Miriam Adelson was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom for donating to a fund created to help Trump associates who were prosecuted in the Russia investigation with their legal bills. | What's true: Miriam Adelson was bestowed with the Presidential Medal of Freedom after she and her husband, Sheldon, donated $500,000 to a fund to helps Trump associates with legal fees associated with the Russian interference probe. What's undetermined: Whether the decision to recognize Adelson with a Medal of Freedom ... | unproven | Politics, donald trump | On 1 February 2019, the website ThinkProgress.org reported that “Miriam Adelson was awarded the Medal of Freedom after donating $500k to Trump aides’ legal expenses.” Readers took note of that headline and asked whether it could be believed. What is true is that Dr. Miriam Adelson, a physician, and her Republican mega-... |
18163 | "Upwards of 90 percent"" of women seeking an abortion decide not to have an abortion after seeing an ultrasound." | "Campos-Duffy said ""upwards of 90 percent"" of women seeking an abortion decide not to have an abortion after seeing an ultrasound. Research indicates that some women seeking an abortion change their mind after having an ultrasound. But, while one anti-abortion organization claims a figure of nearly 90 percent for its... | false | Abortion, Children, Families, Health Care, Women, Wisconsin, Rachel Campos-Duffy, | "The same day the state Senate approved a bill requiring women to get an ultrasound before getting an abortion, Rachel Campos-Duffy appeared at a Wisconsin Right to Life gathering in Appleton. The controversial bill drew striking comments from some senators. One Republican said abortions ""became the thing to do"" in t... |
96 | J&J says new tests find no asbestos in same baby powder bottle that sparked recall. | Johnson & Johnson said on Tuesday that 15 new tests found no asbestos in a bottle of baby powder that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says tested positive for trace amounts of asbestos, a finding the agency stands by. | true | Health News | The tests are the latest effort by J&J to prove the safety of its widely used consumer product after a test by the FDA prompted J&J to undertake a nationwide recall of one lot of its Johnson’s Baby Powder. FDA officials, in an interview with Reuters, said the agency continues to support the company’s voluntary recall. ... |
9246 | Modified cast instead of surgery results in similar functional outcomes for ankle fracture in older adults | This news release reports on the results of a randomized trial of older adults (average age 71) who had ankle fractures that were either treated with “close contact casting” or with surgery. While the outcomes after six months were similar in both groups the close contact casting was superior in terms of reduced infect... | true | ankle fracture treatment,JAMA | The release notes that casting instead of surgery as an initial treatment would result in “reduced intervention costs” but that’s not very helpful if you’re unsure of the base cost of surgery. Estimates of a cost differential would have been helpful. Close contact casting would be much cheaper than open surgery for the... |
8639 | South Korea extends intensive social distancing to reach 50 daily coronavirus cases. | South Korea said on Saturday it will extend its intensive social distancing campaign scheduled to end on Monday by two weeks in a bid to curb the rate of coronavirus infections to around 50 a day. | true | Health News | The country has largely managed to bring under control Asia’s largest epidemic outside China with around 100 or fewer new daily cases. But smaller outbreaks in churches, hospitals and nursing homes, as well as infections among travelers, continue to emerge. This week, the government has been gauging whether it should e... |
10604 | Aspirin May Cut Prostate Cancer Deaths | This story, like the Health Day story we reviewed on this study, reports that aspirin may cut the risk of death for some prostate cancer patients; a claim not supported by the study, which simply reported an association, not any cause-and-effect relationship. And the headline and lead don’t tell readers that the study ... | mixture | Cancer,WebMD | Cost was not mentioned in this story. Now you might say that the focus is on aspirin, which readers are likely to already know is relatively inexpensive. However, the story should have highlighted the cost differential between aspirin and some of the other drugs included in the study, such as warfarin and Plavix, since... |
28601 | In 1926, the federal government poisoned alcohol to curb consumption during Prohibition; by the time Prohibition ended in 1933, an estimated 10,000 people had died from this poisoning. | What's true: When the manufacture and sale of alcohol was illegal between 1920 and 1933, regulatory agencies encouraged measures making industrial alcohol undrinkable, including the addition of lethal chemicals. What's false: The government did not poison supplies of alcohol meant for human consumption, nor did it inte... | mixture | History, alcohol, conspiracy, Government | As if Americans hadn’t accumulated enough dark suspicions about their government over the past 50-odd years, along comes an Internet factoid holding that the United States government intentionally (and fatally) poisoned more than 10,000 of its own citizens between 1926 and 1933: The alarming claim is that the U.S. gov... |
28867 | "An ""abortionist"" strangled an infant following a failed saline abortion, while other clinicians failed to intervene." | What's true: Dr. William Waddell was tried twice, but never convicted following a failed abortion during which the fetus initially survived. What's false: Waddell was found to have strangled the infant; the incident was recent in 2016. What's undetermined: The reasons for which the abortion was unsuccessful; what cause... | mixture | Medical, abortion, abortion horror stories, lifesitenews | In April 2016, multiple Facebook pages shared links to articles with titles claiming an “abortionist strangled [a] baby” following a botched abortion. The tendency of social media users to share items without clicking through to the content led many to believe that the link described a current event. Most of these link... |
6940 | Side of seagrass please: Scientists find omnivorous shark. | Ruining the reputation of sharks as bloodthirsty predators, California researchers said they have found a shark that enjoys a side of seagrass with its prey. | true | Sharks, University of California, Fish, Squid, North America, California, Science, U.S. News | Bonnethead sharks not only eat grass while chomping fish and squid — they also digest the plant and gain nutrition from it, scientists at the University of California, Irvine announced Wednesday. It turns out bonnetheads have high levels of enzymes that break down fiber and carbohydrates, compared with the low amount c... |
10472 | Drug combination slows breast cancer spread | This news release describes findings from a study published in Lancet Oncology that found that a combination of drugs slowed cancer progression an average of nine months in women with HER2-negative breast cancer, the most common type of breast cancer. The release provides data on the drug combo’s effect on time to prog... | mixture | Academic medical center news release,Breast cancer | The news release does not mention cost. The wholesale cost for fulvestrant 500 MG is $1,845/month and palbociclib is approximately $9,850. A 2015 report on palbociclib’s cost by a pharmacy benefits manager stated it could potentially be one of the top 10 most costly cancer drugs. The news release clearly lays out the a... |
1930 | Many cancer survivors struggle with trauma stress: study. | A cancer diagnosis can leave lasting psychological scars akin to those inflicted by war, with the impact in some cases lasting for years, U.S. researchers found in a study. | true | Health News | "More than a decade after being told they had the disease, nearly four out of 10 cancer survivors said they were still plagued by symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, said lead researcher Sophia Smith from the Duke Cancer Institute in Durham, North Carolina. Those symptoms included being extra jumpy, ha... |
35844 | Thousands of fake driver’s licenses smuggled from China and Hong Kong and seized in Chicago’s O’Hare Airport since early 2020 were linked to voter-fraud operations, and could produce millions of illegally cast votes in the November 2020 U.S. general election. | A NASS spokesperson told us that for mail voting, signature matches, driver’s license numbers, and other identifiers must match with voter-registration records already on file. Security mechanisms also help prevent double-voting. For example, ballot envelopes are barcoded for individual voters, with election officials ... | unproven | Politics, Editor's Picks | As the coronavirus pandemic struck the U.S. in spring 2020, states planned to expand voting by mail ahead of the November presidential election as a safer alternative to in-person polling places. Right-wing media and groups have continued to highlight alleged instances of voter fraud in numerous forms over the last few... |
3122 | Prince Harry, Oprah work on mental health program for Apple. | Kensington Palace says Britain’s Prince Harry will be partnering with Oprah Winfrey to create a documentary series on mental health for Apple’s new streaming service. | true | Mental health, Health, Entertainment, Steven Spielberg, Prince Harry, Oprah Winfrey, Prince William, Jennifer Aniston | The documentary builds on Harry’s work on mental health issues, which included work with brother Prince William and his wife Kate in their Heads Together campaign. Harry says the series will share “global stories of unparalleled human spirit fighting back from the darkest places” and the “opportunity for us to understa... |
7065 | Trump: Texas mass shooting is about mental health, not guns. | Responding to a U.S. mass shooting for the second time in six weeks, President Donald Trump said Monday that it wasn’t “a guns situation” that was behind the slayings of more than two dozen worshippers at a Texas church a day earlier. | true | Shootings, New York City, Bike Path Attack, Islamic State group, Politics, Asia, North America, New York, Mental health, Health, Religion, Texas, Donald Trump | As he did following last month’s Las Vegas massacre of 58 people, Trump resisted any discussion of gun control during a news conference in Tokyo, where he was beginning his first presidential trip to Asia. Instead, Trump characterized the shooting as a “mental health problem at the highest level.” Yet White House offic... |
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