claim_id stringlengths 1 234 | claim stringlengths 14 491 | explanation stringlengths 1 4.18k | label stringclasses 5
values | subjects stringlengths 0 223 | main_text stringlengths 18 41.7k |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8889 | FDA says contaminant in some Baxter heparin. | U.S. regulators on Wednesday said they identified a contaminant in the key ingredient in Baxter International’s recalled blood thinning drug heparin amid 15 more reports of deaths in patents treated with some version of the drug. | true | Health News | The contaminant, a large complex molecule chemically similar to heparin, was detected in samples from a Chinese and a U.S. plant, both owned by Baxter’s supplier, Wisconsin-based Scientific Protein Laboratories LLC (SPL). “At this point we don’t know how the heparin-like compound got into the active pharmaceutical ... |
38943 | The FDA has approved tranquilizing darts for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). | FDA Approves Tranquilizing Darts for Children | false | Health / Medical | The FDA hasn’t approved tranquilizer darts for children with ADHD. The rumor started with the fake news website World News Daily Report, and it quickly went viral on social media sites. The false report claimed that the FDA had approved “anesthetic dart guns” designed to calm children with ADHD: “The new product is cap... |
7588 | Nebraska colleges try new ways to help students seeking. | College is presented in movie and myth as a rollicking time of high jinks and happiness. | true | Stress, Anxiety, Mental health, Health, Financial markets, Nebraska, Depression, Omaha | In reality, it can be a challenging transition for many students, a time of vulnerability and stress. Mental health counseling services in colleges and universities across the nation assist more and more students each year, especially with anxiety and depression, the Omaha World-Herald reported. The cause isn’t clear, ... |
1511 | Panda in French zoo expecting twins, Chinese experts on hand to help. | A giant panda in France’s Beauval zoo is expected to give birth to twins in the next few days under the watchful eye of two Chinese birthing specialists, the zoo said on Tuesday. | true | Environment | “We’re expecting twins,” said Delphine Debord, the zoo’s communications director. “An ultrasound today confirmed it.” Huan Huan and her partner Yuan Zi came to France on loan from China in 2012, their arrival hailed as a sign of warming diplomatic ties between Paris and Beijing. While an adult female panda can weigh u... |
6477 | Juvenile bald eagle found on ground to be released Tuesday. | A young bald eagle found soaked and stumping along a street in the Louisiana neighborhood where it hatched will be released Tuesday in the same area. The bird’s parents have nested for a couple of years in a tall live oak in a subdivision back yard in Metairie, a New Orleans suburb. | true | Wildlife, Health, Metairie, Bald eagles, Veterinary medicine, Eagles, Louisiana, Birds | A neighborhood resident brought the mottled brown eaglet to the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine’s Wildlife Hospital on May 11, after making sure it needed help. Another neighbor has been collecting money for its care and posting health updates outside her home. “Our Eagle is doing well and is f... |
27298 | In June 2018, members of the United Methodist Church brought church charges, including child abuse, against Attorney General Jeff Sessions. | We asked the Department of Justice for Sessions’s response to these criticisms, as well as the complaint letter signed by 640 of his fellow UMC members and the charges brought against him, but we did not receive a response in time for publication. | true | Politics, immigration, jeff sessions, methodists | In the summer of 2018, the “zero-tolerance” immigration policy implemented by the administration of President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions had far-reaching political and social consequences. The policy — which has caused thousands of migrant parents to be separated from their children, often in uncer... |
29400 | Women need more sleep than men because their brains get more use on a day-to-day basis. | In addition, the argument as presented in viral news stories — that Horne thinks women “need” more sleep because their brains work harder — is false, as those stories inaccurately reflect his views, misattribute quotes, cite no evidence, and are recycled even in the absence of any new scientific investigations. | false | Medical | On 15 December 2016, the Facebook page “Natural Solutions Magazine” posted a story from the web site Healthy Food House titled “Women Need More Sleep Than Men Because Their Brains Work Harder, According to Science.” That article was no more than a collection of quotes that have been used (with varying degrees of accura... |
11634 | Low-carb diet trumps low-fat on ‘good’ cholesterol | "The story makes it seem like the HDL cholesterol effect was the main thrust of the study, and it was not. Overall the story appears to slant in favor of the low-carb approach (e.g., ""a low-carb diet works just as well … and it might be better for your heart""), despite the main result of the study finding essentially... | mixture | There was no discussion about how the different food consumption patterns compared in terms of price. Doesn’t cost matter in this decision? The story indicated that the 15 pound average weight loss observed at 2 years was the same for the two groups. The information about weight loss would have been better had it inclu... | |
8832 | School closings may be no holiday for flu pandemic. | Closing schools during an influenza pandemic could prevent one in seven cases of flu, British researchers said on Wednesday in a study that suggests such action would have less impact than some other estimates. | true | Health News | An influenza virus vaccine vial sits on the counter of medical center in Great Neck, New York, October 22, 2004. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton SS But they said school closings would create significant hardships for working parents, who might be forced to create informal daycare arrangements that would undo efforts to c... |
11186 | Kidney, Heart Disease Spur Each Other | "The story reports recently published data establishing a clear link between heart disease and decreased kidney function. The story quotes the lead study author who advocates mass screening of kidney function. In the sidebar, the story suggests only screening patients with known risk factors, such as a relative with ki... | true | "The story lists the costs for screening – ""urine and blood tests that cost less than $25."" The story mentions some interventions for people with declining kidney function, but these are not quantified. We are also not told if screening and subsequent monitoring and pharmacological interventions save lives, or how ma... | |
30397 | The mayor of London encouraged muslims to riot during President Donald Trump's visit to the U.K | Shares in Germany’s Bayer’s fell more than 12 percent on Wednesday after a second U.S. jury ruled its Roundup weed killer caused cancer. | false | Junk News, free speech time, sadiq khan | Tuesday’s unanimous jury decision in San Francisco federal court was not a finding of Bayer’s liability for the cancer of plaintiff Edwin Hardeman. Liability and damages will be decided by the same jury in a second trial phase beginning on Wednesday. Bayer, which denies allegations that glyphosate or Roundup cause canc... |
37729 | Amish people are not contracting coronavirus because they don't have televisions. | A number of Facebook memes claimed that Amish people did not contract coronavirus or develop COVID-19, because “they don’t have televisions” or the internet. The claim was doubly false, as Amish communities experienced outbreaks of COVID-19. The second claim about a lack of televisions and a lack of knowledge of the pa... | false | Disinformation, Fact Checks | In July 2020, a number of Facebook memes circulated riffing on the same theme — that Amish people in the United States were not developing COVID-19, because they “don’t have television sets.”VariationsWe observed this claim spreading in the form of a variety of memes, typically either outright stating the claim, or dep... |
15839 | A lot of people who go into prison straight, and when they come out they’re gay. | "Carson said, ""A lot of people who go into prison straight, and when they come out they’re gay."" There is no research that supports this point. The one study that even begins to address the topic has too small a sample size -- and too many variables -- to shed light on Carson's claim. And its author finds Carson's vi... | false | National, Criminal Justice, Sexuality, Ben Carson, | "Homosexuality is a choice, just look at the prisons, Republican neurosurgeon Ben Carson said on CNN. In a March 4 interview, the likely 2016 presidential contender said he believes that legalizing same-sex marriage is a decision that should be left to the states. He also argued that homosexuality is a choice, rather t... |
6790 | UN steps up aid to plague-hit Madagascar after 21 deaths. | The U.N. health agency says it is stepping up its response to an outbreak of plague in Madagascar that has claimed 21 lives so far. | true | Madagascar, Seychelles, International News, Health, Sports, Plague, Basketball | The World Health Organization said Sunday that Malagasy authorities have confirmed a basketball coach visiting the island from the Seychelles for a sports event died from the disease Wednesday. It says authorities are trying to trace people he may have come into contact with to administer antibiotics against pneumonic ... |
5228 | Large hospital system says it was hit by ransomware attack. | New Jersey’s largest hospital system said Friday that a ransomware attack last week disrupted its computer network and that it paid a ransom to stop it. | true | Health, Technology, General News, Hackensack, New Jersey | Hackensack Meridian Health did not say in its statement how much it paid to regain control over its systems but said it holds insurance coverage for such emergencies. The attack forced hospitals to reschedule nonemergency surgeries and doctors and nurses to deliver care without access to electronic records. The system ... |
134 | Massive jury award against J&J highlights risks of its legal strategy. | A jury award that hit Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) with $8 billion in punitive damages for a case involving its anti-psychotic drug Risperdal highlights the risks of the drugmaker’s all-or-nothing legal strategy, several legal experts told Reuters on Wednesday. | true | Health News | The jury in a Philadelphia court awarded the $8 billion to a man who previously won $680,000 over his claims that it failed to warn that young men using Risperdal could grow breasts. J&J called the sum “grossly disproportionate with the initial compensatory award” and said it was confident it would be overturned. Legal... |
7834 | Ministers urge religious chiefs to oppose genital mutilation. | Religious leaders must convince women carrying out female genital mutilation that it is not required by scripture and it can cause infection, infertility or even death in young girls, African ministers said on Monday. | true | Health News | The practice is prevalent in 28 African countries and parts of the Middle East and Asia, notably Yemen, Iraqi Kurdistan and Indonesia. There are several types including partial or total removal of the genitalia and narrowing of the vaginal opening. It is usually arranged by other women in the family for girls between i... |
41738 | "Speaking about Japan: ""They haven’t bought our beef since the year 2000." | In his much publicized visit to Iowa, President Donald Trump made a few false and misleading statements about agricultural exports. | false | agriculture, Exports, farmers, NAFTA, trade, | In his much publicized visit to Iowa, President Donald Trump made a few false and misleading statements about agricultural exports:The president visited Iowa on June 11, the same day former Vice President Joe Biden campaigned in the state. Trump, who won Iowa by 9.4 percentage points in 2016, touted his record on farmi... |
5806 | War-weakened South Sudan tries to prepare for Ebola. | With the deadly Ebola outbreak in Congo now an international emergency , neighboring South Sudan and its war-weakened health system is a major concern, especially after one case was confirmed near its border. Health experts say there is an urgent need to increase prevention efforts. | true | AP Top News, South Sudan, Health, Ebola virus, Africa, Sudan, General News, International News | The World Health Organization on Wednesday made the emergency declaration for the year-old outbreak, a rare move that usually leads to more global attention and aid. More than 1,600 people have died in what has become the second-worst Ebola outbreak in history. Health experts worry about what would happen if Ebola reac... |
35091 | "The United States ""refused"" COVID-19 diagnostic tests offered by the World Health Organization." | What's true: The U.S. did not use COVID-19 diagnostic tests produced by the World Health Organization (WHO) in favor of producing its own. What's false: The U.S. did not turn down an offer to use those tests (as no such offer was extended), nor was it unusual for the United States to design and produce its own diagnost... | mixture | Politics, COVID-19 | As a COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic spread throughout the world in early 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries to “test, test, test” for the virus in order to stop it from spreading. WHO officials said the global health organization had provided 1.5 million tests to 120 countries. “You cannot... |
7583 | Marijuana health claims lure patients as science catches up. | Marijuana has been shown to help ease pain and a few other health problems, yet two-thirds of U.S. states have decided pot should be legal to treat many other conditions with little scientific backing. | true | Anxiety, Medical marijuana, Health, Washington, General News, District of Columbia, Marijuana, Business, Science, California, U.S. News | At least 1.4 million Americans are using marijuana for their health, according to an Associated Press analysis of states that track medical marijuana patients. The number of medical marijuana cardholders more than tripled in the last five years as more states jumped on the bandwagon. The analysis is based on data from ... |
8301 | Moderna receives $483 million BARDA award for COVID-19 vaccine development. | Moderna Inc said on Thursday that it received a $483 million contract from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to accelerate the development of its vaccine candidate for the novel coronavirus. | true | Health News | The experimental vaccine is being tested in an early-stage trial conducted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and Moderna expects to begin mid-stage trial in the second quarter. Depending on the data from these studies and discussions with regulators, the company said a late-stage study could begin as soon as fa... |
16719 | "Between June 30 and July 10, CNN interviewed ""17 Israeli public officials versus one"" Palestinian official." | "Jebreal said, on CNN ""this time around, you have, between June 30 and July 10, you had 17 Israeli public officials vs. one"" Palestinian public official. She is referencing a preliminary tally of Israeli and Palestinian officials’ voices during that time by a pro-Palestinian media watcher. Our tally confirms there wa... | mixture | Israel, Foreign Policy, PunditFact, Rula Jebreal, | "Palestinian journalist Rula Jebreal accused CNN of presenting a one-sided picture of the fighting in the Gaza Strip in a heated July 22 interview on MSNBC. A day earlier, she called MSNBC’s coverage ""disgustingly biased"" toward Israel. PunditFact wanted to see if Jebreal had a point, using the evidence she laid out ... |
10679 | Breast Cancer Study Offers New Hope | The story has the same basic content and quotes as this press release put out by the Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University four days before the HealthDay piece. As you might expect from a lightly edited press release, the HealthDay story has very few of the elements we deem critical to quality health journalis... | false | "No discussion of costs in this story. It could have pointed out that two of the estrogen-lowering drugs tested in this study are off patent and relatively cheap, whereas the third drug, exemestane, is a brand name drug that remains quite costly. Again, the story talks about ""successful"" surgery and ""good"" outcomes... | |
8819 | Families tell U.S. lawmakers of heparin deaths. | A man who said he lost his wife and a son to reactions from tainted heparin made with ingredients from China urged U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday to protect patients from other unsafe drugs. | true | Health News | Families of the victims of Heparin reactions testify during a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on Heparin imports from China on Capitol Hill, April 29, 2008. REUTERS/Jim Young Leroy Hubley said his wife, Bonnie, and son, Randy, had undergone kidney dialysis at an Ohio clinic and were given heparin that wa... |
2290 | E-cigs a 'consumer-driven' revolution born from a bad dream. | Before Hon Lik invented the e-cigarette, a device now shaking up the Big Tobacco industry, he was a pharmacist in China struggling to quit a two-to-three pack a day smoking habit. | true | Health News | Once in 2002, Hon forgot to remove a nicotine patch from his stomach before bed and had nightmares all night. He traced it to the continuous dose of nicotine and then realized it was precisely that steady release that made patches inadequate for him. Without the sharp nicotine highs he got from smoking, he found there ... |
6777 | Nigeria reports record high Lassa fever cases with 317. | Health authorities say a Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria has reached a record high and there are suspected cases in neighboring Benin as well. | true | Health, Africa, Nigeria, Hemorrhagic fever, Benin | Nigeria has reported 317 confirmed cases in two months, more than the total for all of last year. The World Health Organization says there are 20 suspected cases across the border in Benin. Nigeria has reported 72 deaths so far. There is no vaccine for the hemorrhagic fever, which is transmitted through the bodily flui... |
6597 | Documentary about anxiety taps a world-class athlete. | A new documentary about anxiety argues that everyone to some extent suffers from stress, nerves and social fear. And, to make their point, the filmmakers have enlisted as Exhibit A the most decorated Olympian in history. | true | Stress, Anxiety, Mental health, New York, Entertainment, Movies, North America, Health, Michael Phelps | Michael Phelps appears in “Angst” to share his story of being bullied and depressed, leading to severe anxiety. The swimmer, winner of 28 Olympic medals, would look in the mirror and not like what he saw. “Once I opened up about that and things that I had kept inside of me for so many years, I then found that life was ... |
7312 | Babies receive hats with heart through program. | What better way to celebrate American Heart Month and Valentine’s Day than receiving a gift from the heart? | true | Valentines Day, Health, American Heart Association, Birth defects | Rather, for the heart. The Little Hats, Big Hearts program, sponsored by the American Heart Association, distributes little, red, handmade hats to babies born in February. The effort aims to spark conversations about congenital heart defects in newborn babies. Recently, Ryan Jerico, development director of AHA, brought... |
2815 | Amgen cholesterol drug meets goal of 3rd late stage trial. | A cholesterol fighter developed by Amgen Inc from a highly promising new class of medicines significantly lowered levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol in a late stage trial in patients unable to tolerate statin drugs, the company said on Thursday. | true | Health News | The results marked the third successful Phase III test of the drug evolocumab reported by Amgen in recent months - this one in a patient population among the most in need of alternative therapies. An estimated five to 20 percent of heart patients are intolerant of statin medications for lowering cholesterol due to side... |
10051 | Silicone Breast Implants: Safe, With Caveats | 400,000 women have breast implants each year and use is rising. This story was about where we are today with silicone. The use is on the rise but have we really settled the question about safety? The article kind of skirts the scary issues like the autoimmune disease and focuses on the common complications (which are m... | mixture | NPR,women's health | The article sidesteps any issues related to costs of breast implants or the remedies for failures, a glaring omission in light of frequent complications and adverse outcomes. Not applicable. This was about safety. No good way to quantify benefits. The story discussed common problems, but was silent on: Half the story o... |
11362 | Cervical cancer screening can wait till 21, group says | This story on revised guidelines for cervical cancer screening puts them in medical and political context. It does an adequate job of describing the new guidelines themselves. It is well sourced. But the story fails the reader in two important ways: While it raises the question of whether the guidelines might be motiv... | mixture | The story quotes two sources who dispute the notion that the guidelines are motivated by a desire to save money. Unfortunately, it never says how much money the test costs–or whether applying the new guidelines would cost or save money. The story fails to quantify the benefits or risks of screening. The story describes... | |
2867 | FDA advisory panel backs Chelsea Therapeutics drug. | A drug to treat a rare form of low blood pressure made by Chelsea Therapeutics International Ltd is effective enough to warrant regulatory approval, an advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concluded on Tuesday. | true | Health News | The panel voted 16 to 1 in favor of the drug, Northera, for patients with neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH), a rare, chronic type of low blood pressure that occurs on standing and is associated with certain neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Chelsea shares more than doubled in after-hours tradin... |
18880 | "Since 1968, ""more Americans have died from gunfire than died in … all the wars of this country's history." | Since Shields’ comparison was otherwise accurate, with about 1.4 million firearm deaths to 1.2 million in war. | true | National, Guns, Mark Shields, | "Since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., supporters and opponents of gun control have thrown out statistics to support their point of view. Here’s one that caught our eye, offered by liberal commentator Mark Shields on the Dec. 21, 2012, edition of the PBS NewsHour. Shields told host ... |
28773 | The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco (ATF) has reclassified wet nitrocellulose as a high explosive. | What's true: The ATF reclassified wetted nitrocellulose as a high explosive in June 2016. What's false: The decision is not final, as the ATF has rescinded their determination pending industry input. | mixture | Politics Guns, ammunition, atf, gun control | Nitrocellulose is a chemical compound formed when cellulose, an organic polymer found in cotton fiber and wood, is “nitrated” by exposure to nitric acid or a similar agent. It’s explosive and highly flammable, so in addition to being used to produce the first man-made plastic and celluloid photographic film in the 1800... |
34093 | A video shows the decapitated head of a poisonous wolf eel biting down on a can of coca-cola. | What's true: A video shows the decapitated head of a marine creature biting down on a can of Coca-Cola. What's false: However, the wolf eel is not a poisonous (or venomous) species. What's undetermined: We have not yet determined the exact species of creature featured in the video. | true | Critter Country | In October 2019, an animated GIF purportedly showing the decapitated head of a wolf eel biting down on a can of Coca-Cola was shared to the “WTF” section of Reddit under the title “the head of a Wolf Eel can still bite and poison you after it’s been decapitated”: The head of a Wolf Eel can still bite and poison you aft... |
7333 | Pizzas (and haircuts) back on the menu, but with warnings. | Venice geared up to receive tourists, Milan’s pizzerias prepared to open and Australians headed out to eat for the first time in weeks Saturday, but the reopening of restaurants, pubs and cafes came with a warning: Don’t overdo it. | true | Italy, International News, General News, Latin America, Health, Milan, AP Top News, Pandemics, Asia Pacific, Virus Outbreak, Europe, Public health, Restaurants | Public health experts are urging caution as governments ease restrictions on eateries, shops and parks in many countries and roll out measures to restart dormant factories. The coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 300,000 people, has slowed in many places but could pick up again if precautions aren’t taken ... |
2303 | Even in isolated, pristine Tasmania, pressure to allow GMO farming. | Thousands of Black Angus bulls snort steam gently into the frigid early morning air at Tasmania’s largest cattle feedlot as they jostle for space at a long grain trough. | true | Environment | The pitch black cattle, blending into their muddy surroundings and stretching as far as the eye can see, are being fattened up for the Japanese market where marbled Angus beef is in high demand. These bulls at the feedlot owned by Japan’s Aeon Co Ltd book an even higher premium, thanks to Tasmania’s status as the only... |
16665 | "Ed Gillespie ""supports a personhood amendment." | "Warner says Gillespie ""supports a personhood amendment."" Gillespie says he doesn’t and challenged the senator to prove his claim. Gillespie was certainly national GOP chairman in 2004 when the party adopted a platform supporting a human life amendment. But we haven’t seen any clear personal expression from his suppo... | false | Abortion, Human Rights, Virginia, Mark Warner, | "During a sharp exchange at their first debate, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner insisted that GOP challenger Ed Gillespie supports laws that would provide embryos with rights the moment of conception. ""He supports a personhood amendment that is so far out of the mainstream that it would ban certain common forms of contraception... |
41656 | There has been a 22% drop in ambulances meeting their 15 minute transfer target since 2010. | The decrease is actually greater—28%. In 2010/11 in England 80% of ambulance transfers were done in 15 minutes, in 2015/16 it was 58%. | true | health | There are 16,481 fewer beds in hospitals since 2010. This is in the right ballpark, but it doesn’t seem to be the best comparison. It seems to compare the number of beds at different times of the year, but the number available fluctuates seasonally. Comparing July-September in 2010 and 2017, the decrease in beds availa... |
2337 | "Uganda makes ""intentional transmission"" of HIV a crime." | Uganda has made it a crime to “wilfully and intentionally” transmit the HIV virus and made it legal for medical staff to disclose a patient’s HIV status to others without his or her consent. | true | Health News | The law was passed on Tuesday, a parliamentary spokeswoman said, in response to a resurgence in HIV infections in a country that was once hailed as a success in the global fight against AIDS. Those convicted face up 10 years in prison. But rights activists said the law would deter voluntary testing and further stigmati... |
10068 | Study finds antidepressant doesn’t help autistic children | This story about the failure of Celexa (citalopram) to control repetitive behaviors in autistic children does one very important thing wonderfully right: It explains why the conclusions of this study, which compared a group that got the drug to a group that got a placebo, are therefore valuable. Given the fact that the... | true | "The story does not report how much treatment with Celexa costs, for the drug and medication management. Celexa itself is an expensive, highly marketed drug; it costs between $3 and $4 per daily dose. That’s about $1,300 per year. Generic, citalopram costs about a dollar per day but can be had at $10 for a 90-day suppl... | |
6077 | Springfield Legionnaires probably not from cancer center. | The Springfield-Green County Health Department has determined that two people with Legionnaires’ disease probably did not get it from a local outpatient cancer center. | true | Cancer, Health, General News, Legionnaires disease, Springfield | Department administrator of community health and epidemiology Kendra Findley said water samples from Mercy health system’s center found evidence of a type of Legionella species but not the type two local people had contracted. Findley said Green County has an average of 4.5 Legionella cases a year and health officials ... |
2553 | Study casts doubt on link between cannabis, teen IQ drop. | A landmark study suggesting a link between cannabis use and a drop in teenage IQ may not have gone far enough in its research, with any falls in IQ more likely due to lower socioeconomic status than marijuana, according to a Norwegian study. | true | Health News | The latest work, which appears in the journal PNAS, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, also suggests that different policy steps might be needed in that case. “My study essentially shows that the methods used and analyses presented in the original research are insufficient ... |
15338 | Obama’s Clean Power Plan ... eliminates coal-fired power plants. | "Henneke said ""Obama’s Clean Power Plan ... eliminates coal-fired power plants."" That’s off the mark in that the plan, yet to be finalized, doesn’t wipe out any coal-fired plants. It looks to us like decisions to close plants (or individual units) will depend on how Texas decides to address its assigned carbon-reduct... | false | Environment, Climate Change, Energy, Texas, Robert Henneke, | "A federal plan to drive down carbon emissions wipes out coal-fired power plants, an Austin analyst wrote. In a June 2015 opinion column published in the Austin American-Statesman, Robert Henneke of the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation took issue with the Clean Power Plan released in 2014 by President Barack... |
14746 | "Every ""one of the mass shootings except two in America since 1950 have been"" in ""gun-free zones." | "Patrick said every ""one of the mass shootings except two in America since 1950 have been"" in ""gun-free zones."" The Lott-steered research delivers a basis for this statement. But this all-but-two assessment also rests on how you define a mass shooting or gun-free zone. Change the definitions to take in more events ... | mixture | Corrections and Updates, Texas, Guns, Dan Patrick, | "Dan Patrick of Texas hinted he’d like to ease access to guns, then lofted a historical claim making us wonder. The Republican lieutenant governor appeared on NBC’s Jan. 3, 2016 edition of Meet the Press as the Texas law permitting licensed individuals to openly carry holstered handguns took effect. Patrick told host C... |
34634 | A woman named Amanda spared her child from blatant human trafficking agents in a checkout line. | We attempted to contact the original author of the post to find out more about the incident but have not yet received a response. | unproven | Crime, human trafficking, longview, sex trafficking | On 19 February 2016, a Facebook user published the above status claiming her child was recently the target of at attempted “sex-trafficking scam” in an unnamed store in Longview, Texas. (One commenter claimed it was a Walmart, but the original poster didn’t confirm that.) Rumors about sex traffickers trawling retail es... |
30146 | A woman filed a lawsuit against Samsung after her cellphone became stuck in her vagina. | Pyke spoke for the first time Monday at her attorney’s office in Salt Lake City about six months after her allegations against Sizemore surfaced. Pyke said her dreams of having an acting career evaporated after the 2003 incident during production of the “Born Killers” movie, leaving her with post-traumatic stress and d... | false | Junk News, world news daily report | A favorite subject of World News Daily Report (WNDR), a well-known “satire” site that has a long history of publishing junk news articles, involves fictional stories about people placing odd items inside body cavities. Over the years they’ve published stories about a man’s getting his head stuck in a woman’s vagina, a ... |
6612 | Court says schools can be liable for suicides but clears MIT. | Schools can be held liable for student suicides in certain circumstances, Massachusetts’ highest court said Monday in a ruling that also cleared the Massachusetts Institute of Technology of responsibility for the death of a graduate student who killed himself on campus in 2009. | true | Technology, North America, Health, AP Top News, Massachusetts, Suicides, U.S. News, Massachusetts Institute of Technology | The Supreme Judicial Court said MIT cannot be blamed for the death of 25-year-old Han Nguyen, who jumped from the top of a campus building minutes after a professor confronted him about an offensive email. But it found that schools can be liable if they fail to act after they become aware that a student has attempted s... |
27686 | A photograph taken by a responding police officer shows a couple passed out in their vehicle from a suspected heroin overdose, with their child in the back seat. | Thompson said when he tried talking to Acord, his head was bobbing, his pupils were pinpoint, and his speech was slurred. Thompson wrote that Acord said he was attempting to take Pasek to the hospital, but during the conversation, Acord went totally unconscious. Thompson noticed Pasek was turning blue and tried to assi... | true | Fauxtography, crime, Drug Horrors, drugs | On 9 September 2016, a photograph of two adults passed out in the front seat of their car with a small child in the back seat hit social media. The photograph is legitimate and was taken by an East Liverpool, Ohio, police officer who had stopped the car after seeing it being driven erratically. The city of East Liverpo... |
27829 | "The 1979 Boomtown Rats song ""I Don't Like Mondays"" was inspired by a deadly shooting at a school." | She is eligible to again apply for parole in 2019. Those who continue to be troubled by the callousness of Brenda Spencer’s crime and concerned by her continued attempts to shift blame for her actions onto anyone or anything else can draw comfort from the knowledge that murderers are rarely granted parole in California... | true | Entertainment, Bob Geldof, Boomtown Rats, don't like mondays | Horrifying events like the April 1999 killing of twelve students and a teacher at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, by two of their classmates might have left some believing deadly school shootings were a new ill bestowed upon us by a society only recently gone mad, yet that was not the case. That today’s d... |
7509 | Experts scramble, but new virus vaccine may not come in time. | The flu-like virus that exploded from China has researchers worldwide once again scrambling to find a vaccine against a surprise health threat, with no guarantee one will arrive in time. | true | Severe acute respiratory syndrome, Understanding the Outbreak, Health, Ebola virus, France, International News, AP Top News, China, Racing for a Remedy, Asia Pacific, Virus Outbreak, General News, U.S. News | Just days after Chinese scientists shared the genetic map of the culprit coronavirus, researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health had engineered a possible key ingredient for a vaccine they hope to begin testing by April. Scientists from Australia to France, along with a list of biotech and vaccine companies,... |
35455 | A Kentucky couple were placed under house arrest in July 2020 after a woman diagnosed with COVID-19 refused to agree to self-isolate because it would require her to get prior approval to go to the hospital. | "What's true: Elizabeth Linscott and her family were ordered to remain confined to their home for 14 days after she tested positive for COVID-19 and refused to sign a ""Self-Isolation and Controlled Movement Agreed Order."" The couple were ordered to wear ankle monitors. What's false: In an interview, Linscott claimed ... | true | Medical, COVID-19, Editor's Picks | In July 2020, readers asked us about news articles claiming that a couple in Radcliff, Kentucky, had been placed under house arrest for refusing to sign an agreement to self-isolate and quarantine, after one of them tested positive for COVID-19. Elizabeth Linscott told WAVE 3 News that, although she had no symptoms, sh... |
26071 | Gov. Gavin Newsom “has no legal authority” to make wearing face coverings mandatory in California. | Gov. Newsom has broad authority under the California Emergency Services Act to issue health mandates during a pandemic. Two constitutional law experts said Newsom does, indeed, have the power to make face coverings mandatory under that act. They said unless face coverings are shown to be ineffective, Newsom’s requireme... | false | Public Health, Facebook Fact-checks, California, Coronavirus, Facebook posts, | "Following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement last week that all Californians must wear face coverings in certain public settings, some local government officials and viral social media posts alleged the governor has no legal authority to make masks mandatory. One Facebook post viewed more than 80,000 times on the day of... |
11293 | 3-Drug Combo May Treat Hepatitis C | This story reports on the results of multiple clincial trials suggesting that the protease inhibitors, boceprevir and telaprevir, further reduce viral loads in chronic hepatitis C patients when added to standard therapy. However, this piece does not tell the reader much about the study methods, nor do we know much abou... | mixture | WebMD | The story merely quoted one hepatitis C specialist saying, “This is a very expensive drug, and I would imagine some insurance companies would not pay for it.” But why not give specific cost estimates? Even a framework for what “very expensive” means. As we wrote on our blog (a piece that commented on how inconsistentl... |
11204 | Health Buzz: Dried Plums May Reduce Colon Cancer Risk The sweet snack can affect gut bacteria, researchers say. | Yet another miracle food to add to the list. This story excites the reader at the prospect of eating dried plums to reduce the risk of colon cancer. In a study on rats, researchers from Texas A&M University found that a diet consisting of dried plums promotes beneficial bacteria in the colon and reduces the development... | false | Diet studies,U.S. News & World Report | Although it was not explicitly mentioned in the article, most readers understand that dried plums are a low-cost intervention. The headline of this story is misleading. The idea that dried plums “may reduce colon cancer risk” is simply not supported by the study. The study looked at levels of bacteria and the number of... |
27850 | Halloween hanging stunt goes wrong and hangs a man for real. | These Halloween hanging stunts went terribly wrong. | true | Horrors, death, freakish fatalities, halloween | Imitating a grisly death by hanging is an annual feature of many Halloween “haunt” shows and spooky decorative displays, usually implemented by securing the victim in a harness that supports his weight when he drops from the gallows so that the noose placed over his head doesn’t actually snap his neck or constrict his ... |
29222 | "In June 2018, Ivanka Trump adopted the alias ""Adrienne Vittadini"" to market her fashion line to unwitting buyers." | Vogue UK confirmed that some Ivanka Trump pieces were relabeled under the Adrienne Vittadini brand before they were distributed in Steinmart stores (those respective brands have different distributors). However, it is well established that excess designer inventory is regularly sold off to off-price retailers, and for ... | false | Business, adrienne vittadini, bipartisan report, clothing | In June 2018, rumors swept social media that Ivanka Trump had adopted the alias “Adrienne Vittadini” for her fashion brand: Ivanka quietly changed her clothing line to Adrienne Vittadini because of the decline in her sales. Trump conveniently made Ivankas clothing line exempt from Tariffs. So let’s conveniently spread ... |
28748 | A Massachusetts judge passed a law making it legal for black men to run from police because they are at risk of being racially profiled. | "What's true: The highest court in Massachusetts cited a ""document[ed] pattern of racial profiling of black males in the city of Boston"" as cause for black men to be disinclined to interact with officers. What's false: The ruling didn't explicitly state or establish as law that ""black men ... have good reason to run... | mixture | Crime, black lives matter, boston, law enforcement | In what later became a viral (and frequently misinterpreted) ruling, in September 2016 the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court cited “a pattern of racial profiling of black [men] in the city of Boston” as reason in part not to view one defendant’s avoidance of a police encounter as inherent justification for a stop an... |
9033 | MRI technique differentiates benign breast lesions from malignancies | Mammography screening for detection of breast cancer produces a lot of false positive findings. This means that many women are subjected to unnecessary breast biopsy procedures. This news release reports on a study in which the authors argue that false-positives prior to biopsy may be reduced by using a procedure calle... | false | diffusion kurtosis imaging,MRI breast imaging,Radiological Society of North America | Although it seems self-evident that reducing the number of unnecessary biopsies could save on medical costs, the release doesn’t elaborate on the role of MRIs as an adjunct to mammography. In what proportion of cases are MRIs ordered prior to tissue biopsy? Does diffusion kurtosis imaging add to the cost? Cost of this ... |
795 | Global measles cases three times higher than last year: WHO. | Every region in the world, except the Americas, is experiencing an increase in the number of cases of measles, a vaccine-preventable disease that can kill or disable children, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. | true | Health News | The WHO’s Kate O’Brien put the blame on weak health systems and misinformation about vaccines, and called on social media outlets and communities to make sure information about preventing the highly contagious disease was accurate. “We are backsliding, we are on the wrong track,” O’Brien, director of WHO’s department o... |
5520 | Former research chimps to get new life at Georgia sanctuary. | On a sunny Tuesday in May, 11-year-old Hercules made a brave move and ventured outside alone. He moved slowly at first, looking at the ground and shaking his head before walking across 2 acres of forest to observe the sights and sounds around him. Not far behind him was Leo, also 11, who ran forward before stopping, si... | true | Chimpanzees, Georgia, Animals, Medical research | Hercules and Leo are former research chimpanzees, and it was the first time in their lives they had ever been outside. The pair first made headlines in 2013 when they were named as plaintiffs in a lawsuit demanding they be recognized as persons and released from a laboratory in New York. It would take five years, a ser... |
27799 | Dozens of nature words were removed from the Oxford Junior Dictionary in order to make room for modern technology-related words. | To compound the difficulties, the language keeps growing, with new words coming knocking on the door and demanding entry — internet, online, blog, etc. Closing the door on new words and crying, ‘No room!’ is not an option, so the axe has to fall on some of the old ones. Some words are clever and manage to evolve to mai... | true | Politics, dictionary, nature words, oxford | The English language, like most living languages, is constantly evolving. As such, dictionary editors frequently update their works in order to keep up with the lexicon as it is being used by modern speakers. One such change occurred in 2007, when the Oxford University Press removed dozens of words from their Oxford Ju... |
37747 | U.S. President Barack Obama took the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine in 2008. | Did Barack Obama Take Hydroxychloroquine in 2008? | false | Disinformation, Fact Checks | A right-wing radio host and Fox News personality attempted to gin up more conspiracy theories about former United States President Barack Obama by misrepresenting what he claimed was a prescription given to Obama.Mark Levin posted a photograph on Twitter on July 11 2020, showing a prescription for the anti-malarial dru... |
23134 | On possibly raising the Social Security retirement age. | Bill Flores says he has consistently opposed raising the retirement age | false | Social Security, Texas, Bill Flores, | "In France, the president’s push to raise the age at which residents qualify for retirement benefits incited violent protests. In Texas, a Republican candidate speculated about trying something similar here and protested his own remarks. Bill Flores of Bryan, the Republican challenger to ninth-term U.S. Rep. Chet Edwar... |
32609 | "An ""Islamic refugee"" was apprehended in Luna County, New Mexico and found to be in possession of plans to a gas pipeline." | Likewise, the U.S. Border Patrol told us: “We’re just as confused as you are. We heard nothing about it and contacted the Luna County sheriff’s department to see what they said. The story appears to be completely, one hundred percent fabricated and we have no knowledge of anything like that happening.” | false | Politics, gas pipeline, judicial watch, larry klayman | On 15 June 2016, Judicial Watch reported that an “Islamic refugee” was recently arrested in Luna County, New Mexico. The woman was purportedly in possession of plans to interfere with local gas pipelines: Police in a U.S. town bordering Mexico have apprehended an undocumented, Middle Eastern woman in possession of the ... |
29480 | Cheez-It brand crackers contain the preservative TBHQ, which is made from butane and is dangerous to consume. | "What's true: Cheez-It crackers contain a preservative called TBHQ. What's false: TBHQ is an FDA-approved preservative and is not made from ""butane.""" | false | Food, butane, cheez-it, food babe | On 24 August 2016, the discredited food alarmist known as “Food Babe” posted an image showing the ingredient list on a box of Cheez-It brand snack crackers, along with the claim that the product contains TBHQ, a “toxic synthetic preservative created from butane”: Are you buying these? You can’t get much more toxic than... |
8768 | Infections may cause many premature births: study. | Undiagnosed infections may be causing a significant number of premature births, researchers reported on Monday after finding bacteria or fungi in 15 percent of the amniotic fluid samples taken from women in pre-term labor. | true | Science News | The heavier the infection, the more likely the women were to deliver younger, sicker infants, the team at Stanford University in California found. “If we could prevent these infections in the first place, or detect them sooner, we might one day be able to prevent some of these premature births,” Dr. Dan DiGiulio, who w... |
11174 | Transcatheter aortic valve replacement is safe, effective for very elderly patients | The release describes a study which found that transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) surgery in patients who are 90 years old or older can improve quality of life for patients and does not pose a significant increase in health risks. More specifically, the release describes TAVR surgeries as “safe” for “very el... | false | Journal news release | The release does not mention cost or that this requires hospitalization. The article highlights that patients spent on average 5 days in the hospital. The release tells readers that within six months of having a TAVR procedure, patients had quality-of-life measurements that were “considerably better” than they had been... |
10245 | U finds pig cells can treat diabetes | This story is about research that reversed the course of diabetes in monkeys by transplanting islet cells from pigs — “giving renewed hope that a better treatment, or even a cure, may soon be available.” The story did not explain that this research was done in only 12 monkeys followed for only up to 6 months and that... | false | No projection of cost was given. Some comparison could have been made based on the current costs of human-to-human islet cell transplants. No details of the study were given. There was no discussion of the potential harms of an islet cell transplant. The story provides no data on the trial. Readers should be told that ... | |
7003 | Greece: 5 deny poor women’s babies sold in illegal adoptions. | Three Greeks and two Georgian nationals appeared in court Friday on charges of belonging to a criminal organization that allegedly sold babies for adoption. | true | Thessaloniki, Georgia, Health, General News, Greece, Europe | All five denied the charges before a Thessaloniki magistrate. The two Georgian nationals are accused of being the ringleaders. The gang allegedly recruited pregnant Bulgarian women who were destitute and willing to give up their newborns for a fee. Authorities say the group sold babies to childless Greek couples. A tot... |
9357 | Doctors Try Genetically Modified Poliovirus As Experimental Brain Cancer Treatment | This is one of two stories we reviewed about an early-phase trial of the use of a modified poliovirus for glioblastoma, a fatal brain cancer. The other review covers an NBC News story. Results of the study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The story and the headline did an exceptional job of mainta... | true | glioblastoma | There’s no mention of how much this might cost, but we’ll rate this N/A since the story makes it clear that this is early research. The story did a good job of reporting the scope of the observed benefit, stating that 21% of patients “experienced a prolonged survival” and then breaking down that number with more specif... |
10719 | Using Radar to Make Breast Surgery Easier for Women | This news release claims a newer procedure called the Savi Scout device which uses radar to locate and mark a tumor in the breast prior to surgery has many advantages over the traditional procedure that uses a hook wire — but offers not a single concrete example. The availability of the new localizing technology may be... | mixture | Hospital news release | The cost of new technology is an important consideration in its evaluation by patients and by institutions. The news release neglects to mention that some insurance companies view the Savi Scout device to be experimental despite its FDA approval. In that case, some patients may have to pay out-of-pocket. It’s likely th... |
10975 | Vaccine-like shots help fight cocaine addiction | Johnson & Johnson said on Tuesday that recent tests showed that Johnson’s Baby Powder was free of asbestos, after U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigations reported trace amounts of the material in the product earlier this year. | true | A total of 155 tests were conducted by two different third-party labs using four different testing methods on samples from the same bottle tested by the FDA’s contracted lab, the company said. The tests are the latest effort by J&J to prove the safety of its widely used consumer product after the test by the FDA prompt... | |
37752 | A doctor working out of McKinney, Texas has treated more than 75 patients for COVID-19 using a regimen of hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, losartan, aspirin, zinc, and CBD, a.k.a. cannabidiol oil. | Is a Texas Doctor Curing COVID-19 Patients For $50? | unproven | Disinformation, Fact Checks | A Texas doctor’s claim that he has cured more than 75 patients for COVID-19 for no more than $50 spread widely around Facebook and YouTube before apparently being removed from both platforms.Dr. Brian Procter first drew attention through a photograph of a printout of his various claims:Procter’s argument gained further... |
11412 | Chocolate lovers have fewer strokes, study finds | Starting with the headline, this story is careful to explain that the study observed fewer strokes in those who ate more chocolate; it doesn’t suggest that the chocolate prevented strokes. It also features excellent use of statistics, a more explicit description of potential harms, and mentions alternative approaches t... | true | health food claims,Reuters Health,Stroke | We’ll rule this not applicable because, in general, most people have ballpark knowledge of how much chocolate costs. The story did not mention that dark chocolate is typically more expensive than milk chocolate — especially for the premium brands with very high concentrations of cocoa solids. A brief explanation would ... |
33551 | Pampers Dry Max diapers commonly cause severe diaper rash and chemical burns on infants. | Update: A similar item involving Huggies brand diapers was circulated in November 2013. | false | Medical, diaper rash, pampers, Toxin Du Jour | In March 2010, Pampers updated its Swaddlers and Cruisers diaper line with Dry Max, a thinner, more absorbent technology that Procter & Gamble viewed as its biggest diaper innovation in 25 years. The switch to the thinner diapers was not welcomed by all, however, as a small group of parents began reporting their babies... |
16876 | "Battleground Texas Says Dan Patrick has ""called immigration into Texas an invasion"" and ""said immigrants coming into Texas bring ‘third-world diseases.’" | "The Battleground Texas activist said Patrick has ""called immigration into Texas an invasion"" and Patrick has ""said immigrants coming into Texas bring ‘third-world diseases.’"" This year and earlier, Patrick referred to illegal immigration as an invasion that he wants to stopper. In 2006, he was quoted as saying ill... | true | Immigration, Crime, Public Health, Texas, Battleground Texas, | "A claim about Dan Patrick by an organizer for Battleground Texas, the pro-Democratic group, rang a bell. In a June 10, 2014, interview on Bloomberg TV, Jeremy Bird said Patrick, the Houston state senator who dusted incumbent David Dewhurst in the May 2014 primary runoff for the Republican lieutenant governor nominatio... |
26832 | “If you like your private plan, you can keep it.” | Private insurance availability isn’t up to the government. The government cannot specifically require insurance companies to offer plans, and any carrier has the option to stop providing coverage. It’s the same problem as the promise made by then-President Barack Obama about the Affordable Care Act. That went on to bec... | false | Health Check, Pete Buttigieg, | "As the Democratic presidential campaign moves to the battleground of South Carolina this weekend, candidate Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is highlighting his health plan as he seeks to slow the momentum of the front-runner, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. In a video ad airing across the state, ... |
3910 | University of Hawaii seeks mental health, scholarship funds. | The University of Hawaii seeks additional funds for student mental health services, scholarships and other items in a new supplementary budget request, officials said. | true | Legislature, Scholarships, Mental health, Health, General News, David Ige, Hawaii, Honolulu, State legislature | The Board of Regents approved the fiscal year 2020-2021 supplemental operating budget of about $28 million Thursday, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. The request will be submitted to the state Legislature and Democratic Gov. David Ige. The university requested $2.6 million to hire 19 psychologists for the 10-camp... |
18740 | There are 3 million jobs that go vacant each month in this country. | Rep. Dave Joyce says millions of U.S. jobs go unfilled each month | true | Ohio, Jobs, Dave Joyce, | "While the rest of the nation celebrated Mardi Gras on Feb. 12, official Washington was transfixed by a different spectacle: delivery of President Barack Obama’s yearly State of the Union speech. Newly elected Congressman Dave Joyce watched the hour-long oration on the House of Representatives floor with his House and ... |
11298 | Mystery writer recovers voice box with botox | "This story reports on the use of botox injections to treat spasmodic dysphonia, a rare but disturbing condition in which an individual could lose their voice. Botox is being increasingly used to treat a variety of neurological conditions that involve involuntary muscle movements, or spasms. This story vividly describe... | false | "The story does not mention cost of treatment, which could be substantial given that the injections are given every 4 or 5 months. The story says that ""The injections help about 90% of patients with the most common type of spasmodic dysphonia."" But 90% of how many? Was it 90% of 10 patients or 90% of 100 patients? Th... | |
37832 | Colorado just REDUCED their Covid death toll from 1150 to 878 after their Department of Health ADMITTED they were counting those who tested positive for the virus but died from OTHER CAUSES! | A Facebook status update accused the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) of “admitting” it exaggerated COVID-19 deaths, and subsequently reduced the number of such deaths from 1150 to 878. The claim grossly misconstrues the circumstances of COVID-19 record-keeping both in the state of Colorado ... | mixture | Disinformation, Fact Checks | A May 16 2020 Facebook post claiming that Colorado had revised its COVID-19 death count from 1150 to 878 and “ADMITTED” that the state was including deaths from other causes in its count to make the virus seem more lethal took off across social media platforms:A text-based status update image in bold letters blared:BRE... |
26317 | “Germany and the United States are the two best in deaths per 100,000 people, which, frankly, to me, that's perhaps the most important number there is.” | “Deaths per 100,000 people” is a public health metric used to quantify the intensity of an epidemic. In this case, it shows how many people have died from COVID-19 while controlling for countries’ populations. Although the U.S. is showing a lower number than countries such as Spain and Italy, various datasets indicate ... | false | Health Check, Coronavirus, Donald Trump, | "Following weeks of criticism over his administration’s COVID-19 response, President Donald Trump pulled out new statistics to claim the nation is actually among the best in the world in fighting the lethal coronavirus. ""Germany and the United States are the two best in deaths per 100,000 people, which, frankly, to me... |
9561 | Blood Clot Removal Could Help More Stroke Victims, Study Finds | The news story focuses on a recent JAMA article that reports some stroke patients would benefit from surgically removing a blood clot — via a process called endovascular thrombectomy — up to 7.3 hours after stroke symptoms appear. This is a departure from existing guidelines, which say the surgery should only be done w... | mixture | stroke | The story does a lot of things right here. For example, the story notes that long-term disability caused by stroke is more expensive than the cost of hospitalization (presumably referring to hospitalization costs related to receiving endovascular thrombectomy). That’s a good point: if the surgical procedure reduces str... |
22021 | Obesity kills 34 children per hour. | State Rep. Rob Eissler says 34 children die from obesity every hour | false | Children, Health Care, Public Health, Texas, Rob Eissler, | "Honoring Dallas physician Kenneth Cooper, who has spent much of his career promoting aerobics, state Rep. Rob Eissler warned against the dangers of obesity. It ""kills 34 children per hour,"" The Woodlands Republican said on the House floor May 23. Obesity — an accumulation of body fat above the range generally consid... |
14304 | Right now, here in Texas, wind power is already cheaper than dirty fossil fuels. | "Obama, in Dallas, said: ""Right now, here in Texas, wind power is already cheaper than dirty fossil fuels."" Wind-generated electricity is offered for sale in Texas at lower prices than power fired by coal or natural gas. Unsaid: wind power, unlike electricity fueled by oil or gas, isn’t always available." | true | Energy, States, Texas, Barack Obama, | "Barack Obama, exhorting Dallas Democrats during a March 2016 Texas swing, called Republican claims that the country and planet are in sorry shape a ""false narrative."" ""America is pretty darn great right now,"" the Democratic president said. And among great things, Obama said, Democrats believe in science and that c... |
11461 | Lucentis Proves Effective Against Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy | This release describes a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on the use of the drug ranibizumab (brand name Lucentis) to treat proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), which can damage eyesight and lead to blindness. The clinical trial at issue found that the use of ranibizumab was at le... | true | Academic medical center news release,diabetes,Foundation/nonprofit news release | The story doesn’t mention cost at all. Since Lucentis can cost $2,000 per injection, that’s a significant oversight. It would also be useful to tell readers how Lucentis injections compare with the cost of laser treatment. The benefits are, for the most part, reasonably well explained. But those explanations lack numbe... |
18485 | The sex-offender registry has been around for a long time, and the research that's out there says that it has no positive impact on the public safety. | Ohio Public Defender’s Office says sex offender registry doesn’t improve public safety | true | Ohio, Crime, Ohio Public Defender's Office, | "Ohio will begin tracking arsonists this summer through a new registry similar to the one used to track sex offenders. A law passed last year by the General Assembly will require people convicted of arson-related offenses to register at their local sheriff's office each year for at least 10 years. Failing to register w... |
5347 | Some of the biggest names in Chinese technology. | Technology and U.S. anxiety about Chinese competition are at the center of the trade dispute between the world’s two largest economies. | true | Beijing, Technology, Business, Medical equipment, Apple Inc, China | Washington accuses Beijing of trying to build its own tech champions by stealing or pressuring foreign companies to hand over technology. Here are some of China’s biggest names in telecoms equipment, clean energy and medical equipment: ZTE CORP.: The No. 2 Chinese maker of network gear for phone and internet companies ... |
1138 | After devastating floods, U.S. Midwest farms need more than 'paper towels' to recover. | Missouri farmer Richard Oswald needs a lot of help to recover from flooding that left his home and farm looking like a manmade island in an inland sea. | true | Environment | Relief groups are giving tetanus shots and handing out free meals and cleaning supplies near his farm in the Langdon-Rock Port area, about 100 miles (161 km) northwest of Kansas City. But what Oswald really needs is money. Hit by the worst flooding in living memory, he and thousands of other farmers along the Missouri ... |
11627 | Studies show that for kids’ ear infections, antibiotics work better than waiting | Overall, we reviewed four pieces on this study. All the others (CNN, LA Times, NPR) got four star reviews. We appreciate that journalists sometimes want to bring their own perspective to a story, and we think this can provide valuable context when the reporter approaches the issue carefully. In this blog post about the... | false | Washington Post | Although the cost of antibiotics to treat an ear infection may not be a significant issue for most families, we think costs always should be addressed. We found an estimate on Drugstore.com of $76 for a 10 day course of treatment. There, that wasn’t difficult, was it? Insufficient data here. The blog says antibiotics a... |
37896 | A popular photograph online can help users determine their stress level by how much it appears to be spinning. | Was This Illusion ‘Created by a Japanese Neurologist’ to Identify Stress Levels? | false | Fact Checks, Viral Content | Like many other memes, a roundly-debunked graphic continued to make the online rounds in 2020, though one version did gain more traction earlier in the year.The photograph itself shows an optical illusion, but the caption often accompanying it is misidentified, using exoticization to play to readers’ insecurities:This ... |
10628 | Newer Genetic Test for Autism More Effective | This piece reports on a study, which found that a newer genetic test is better at detecting abnormalities linked to autism when compared to the standard tests. This was a well-referenced piece that met many of our criteria, but it would have been improved had it included: a clearer discussion of why children with auti... | true | "The story did not mention specific costs of the CMA test; however, it did indicate that not all insurance will cover this test. Since the story stated that ""both Children’s Hospital Boston and Montefiore have offered CMA testing for several years,"" some cost estimate could have easily been found. The story adequate... | |
11518 | More help in the battle of the bulge | This is a very brief story (156 words), with many of the problems inherent in such briefs. It's about about an over-the-counter product, due out this summer, to help people with weight loss. It is a half strength version of orlistat, a prescription drug, and though the story implies that the weight loss with the over-t... | mixture | The story mentioned that this product will cost $50 for a 30-day supply. The story mentioned a 5-10 pound increased weight loss over a period of six months with the use of this product. But no source is given for that projection. Is that based on use of the prescription-strength version of orlistat? If not, what is the... | |
7043 | Vanuatu plans to permanently evacuate entire volcanic island. | The Pacific nation of Vanuatu is preparing to permanently evacuate the entire population of one of its islands as thick ash spewing from a volcano kills crops, dirties water supplies and fouls the air. | true | International News, Asia Pacific, Vanuatu, Science, New Zealand | The 10,000 or so people who remain on Ambae island have mixed feelings about the plans. Some who are badly affected by the ash are eager to leave while others are resisting losing their land and culture. The island was temporarily evacuated last September when the eruption cycle began. This time, authorities are planni... |
2934 | Seasonal flu widespread in the United States: CDC. | Nearly half of the United States is reporting widespread influenza activity, most of it attributed to the H1N1 virus that caused a worldwide pandemic in 2009, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday. | true | Health News | Thousands of people die every year from flu, which peaks in the United States between October and March. The flu is spreading quickly this season, with 25 states already reporting cases, the CDC said. “We are seeing a big uptick in disease in the past couple of weeks. The virus is all around the United States right now... |
26196 | Blogger Says Nancy Pelosi tried “once again” to include abortion funding in the latest coronavirus bill. | The HEROES Act doesn’t contain any mention of abortion services, and the proposed changes to funding rules aren’t specific to Planned Parenthood. The organization would be eligible for Paycheck Protection Program loans under the bill’s expanded eligibility guidelines for nonprofits. | false | Abortion, Coronavirus, Bloggers, | "In March, conservative groups falsely accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of trying to include abortion funding in the first coronavirus stimulus bill. Now, anti-abortion website Life News claims that Pelosi has been ""caught"" trying to do something similar in a $3 trillion package that passed the House on May 15, 202... |
10480 | Baking Soda Boosts Athletic Performance | "This story is based on a study of just nine skilled college tennis players. The story provides no context, no data, no comparisons with related research. In the firehose of health information that floods the American public every day, this story about trying to prevent ""fatigue-induced decline"" in just 9 elite tenni... | false | "Not applicable. The cost of baking soda isn’t in question. There were no detailed results reported in the story – none of the data that would explain whether blood tests or accuracy/velocity testing was significantly different between the treated and non-treated groups. So readers are given no sense of the scope of po... | |
7504 | Trump faces credibility test as he plays down virus threat. | President Donald Trump faces a critical personal challenge in grappling with the new coronavirus outbreak: asking Americans to believe him after he and some of his top advisers have contradicted federal scientists in playing down the threat. | true | AP Top News, Health, Ebola virus, Politics, Public health, Election 2020, Business, Donald Trump, Virus Outbreak, Michael Pence, General News, U.S. News | Keenly aware of the stakes not just for public health but also his credibility, Trump conducted a lengthy press conference Wednesday evening aimed at reassuring everyone that he has the crisis well in hand. Trump surrounded himself with his administration’s top health experts. And he encouraged Americans to be prepared... |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.