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37581
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's page tracking the number of COVID-19 cases in the United States stopped disclosing the number of people tested between March 1 and 2 2020.
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Did the CDC Stop Disclosing How Many People Were Tested for Coronavirus in the United States?
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unproven
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Fact Checks, Viral Content
|
On March 2 2020, journalist Judd Legum published a tweet claiming that the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had been updated between March 1 and 2 2020, and that after the update the CDC was no longer disclosing the number of Americans tested for COVID-19:BREAKING: The CDC has stopped disclosing the number of Americans tested for coronavirus.On the left is how the website looked last night. On the right is what it looks like now, with the testing info removed.The lack of testing is a scandal.This is the coverup. pic.twitter.com/za5w9dkEKq— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) March 2, 2020Legum’s tweet said that the CDC had stopped disclosing how many Americans were tested for novel coronavirus:BREAKING: The CDC has stopped disclosing the number of Americans tested for coronavirus.On the left is how the website looked last night. On the right is what it looks like now, with the testing info removed.The lack of testing is a scandal.This is the coverup.The tweet had two screenshots attached. In the first, a table titled “COVID-19: Confirmed and Presumptive Positive Cases in the United States” appeared with five fields, which were labeled:Beneath the table, an asterisked addendum explained:* This table represents cases detected and tested in the United States through U.S. public health surveillance systems since January 21, 2020. It does not include people who returned to the U.S. via State Department-chartered flights. ** A presumptive positive case has tested positive by a public health laboratory and is pending confirmatory testing at CDC. States are reporting presumptive positive cases independently; their case counts are the most up-to-date.In the second screenshot, the table had been condensed to the following three lines:This part of the claim is true. The tables have changed. We were able to locate the page — “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S.” — here: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html; it was last updated on March 2 2020. The page had been archived at least 320 times between January 27 and March 2 2020 on the Wayback Machine internet archive.At 2:55 PM on March 2 2020, the table in Legum’s screenshot of the same day had three rows, not five. A second table above it contained statistics about COVID-19 deaths in the United States. When we attempted to archive the three-line table, the most recent archive of the page showed how it rendered prior to the edits. Our archived copy is here.That portion of the page looked like this after the update:A version of the same page updated on February 29 2020 and archived on March 1 2020 included the number of people tested; it is archived here:Legum’s screenshots were real and accurately described. Between March 1 and 2 2020, two lines were taken off the table, and a new table was added in its place. Left out of the new table entirely was the “total tested” line, which last numbered 472 in the archive we accessed. In that respect, that particular page on the CDC’s website did stop disclosing the number of people tested.It is possible the CDC stopped disclosing the number of people tested for coronavirus entirely, but it is also possible a factor such as increased testing made it difficult for the Centers for Disease Control to keep the site current. We do know the statistic disappeared from the page, but not why or whether the CDC stopped disclosing testing numbers through other means.This claim was concurrent with recent controversy over purported politicization of the novel coronavirus strain and its coverage. The previous week, talk show host Rush Limbaugh described the virus as “a hoax” and no more serious than the common cold, a claim that was picked up and passed along by his fellow disinformation purveyors almost immediately.We contacted the CDC to find out whether it would continue disclosing the number of people tested for novel coronavirus in the United States, but have not yet received a reply. We will update this page if the agency responds. Until then, we rate the claim that the number of tests has stopped appearing on this page; however, for now, we are rating the larger claim — that the CDC stopped disclosing the number of coronavirus tests being performed — as Unknown.
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21832
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Only seven of 18 federal food assistance programs have been associated with positive health and nutrition outcomes, while the remaining 11 have not been effective.
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Rep. Jim Jordan says 7 of 18 food programs check out, but 11 were deemed ineffective
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mixture
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Ohio, Federal Budget, Jim Jordan,
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"Duplication and wasteful spending in federal welfare programs are targets near and dear to Rep. Jim Jordan. The Ohio Republican chairs an influential group, the Republican Study Committee. The group’s political beliefs generally intersect with those of the Tea Party, and they include a desire to stop wasteful government spending. Toward that end, Jordan called a hearing of a House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee, which he chairs, to talk about potential duplication in federal welfare programs. Reading his opening remarks, Jordan touched on a General Accounting Office recommendation that more study is needed on the effectiveness of the federal programs. ""They found that only seven of 18 federal food assistance programs have been associated with positive health and nutrition outcomes,"" Jordan said, ""while the remaining 11 have not been effective."" PolitiFact Ohio decided to take a look. Were nearly two-thirds of the food assistance programs really deemed ineffective? We started with a GAO report, released in March 2011, that identified 34 areas where agencies, offices, or initiatives have similar or overlapping objectives or provide similar services. The areas spanned the federal government, touching on programs in agriculture, defense, economic development, energy, general government, health, homeland security, international affairs, and social services. In some cases, the report said, financial benefits ranging from hundreds of millions to several billion dollars annually could be realized by improving efficiency and eliminating duplication. Eighteen programs, most of them overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, spent more than $62.5 billion on domestic food and nutrition assistance in fiscal year 2008. Programs' spending ranged from $4 million for the smallest program to more than $37 billion for the largest. The system of programs works to ensures that millions of low-income people are adequately fed. The GAO found that the system ""shows signs of overlap and inefficent use of resources."" During the hearing, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the Cleveland Democrat who is the oversight committee’s ranking member, told Jordan he would support more study but not cuts in benefits. (See related PolitiFact item) The GAO ""did not find waste, fraud and abuse in the administration and delivery of these programs,"" Kucinich said. ""It does not recommend delivering fewer benefits to those in need."" Jordan said the GAO report left the question of whether the programs are working. What the report did not say that 11 of 18 programs were not effective. Jordan’s press secretary, Meghan Snyder, acknowledged that his characterization of the 11 programs as ineffective ""was a misstatement. It should have been 'have not been shown to be effective.' "" She quoted the pertinent statement in the GAO report: ""Little is known about the effectiveness of the remaining 11 programs because they have not been well studied."" That's an important distinction. Nothing can fairly be said about the effectiveness of programs that have not been evaluated. Jordan's point was that the programs do need to be studied, Snyder said. Language she cited from the report shows the GAO would agree: ""As part of its broader recommendation, GAO suggested that USDA (the U.S. Department of Agriculture) consider which of the lesser-studied programs need further research, and USDA agreed to consider the value of examining potential inefficiencies and overlap among smaller programs."" Where does that leave us? The first part of Jordan's statement, part of remarks he read at the hearing, was correct in that seven of 18 food assistance programs were associated with positive health and nutrition outcomes. But the second part of his claim, that other 11 were found to be ineffective, was inaccurate. To his credit, his office readily acknowledged the mistake. But a tenet of PolitiFact is that words matter, and in this case, a part of his remarks made in a formal hearing was inaccurate. His underlying point -- that more assessment of the programs is needed -- is buttressed by the GAO report. With half the statement on point but the other half off target, on the Truth-O-Meter his claim rates as ."
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3985
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Romania reports 500 outbreaks of African swine fever in pigs.
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Romanian authorities have reported more than 500 separate outbreaks of African swine fever in pigs, mainly in the Danube Delta and near the Hungarian border.
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true
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Health, Romania, Animal health
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In the eastern county of Tulcea, the region worst hit by the disease, an official told The Associated Press on Monday that a state of emergency had been proclaimed. Mihai Pagal, a spokesman for the Tulcea prefect’s office, said 48,000 pigs had been culled since June after they came down with the disease. He said two large commercial farms had been badly hit, as well as many smaller farms. Tulcea alone has seen 471 outbreaks of swine fever, according to Romanian veterinary authorities. They said nationwide, 500 farmers will receive compensation for dead livestock. The World Organization for Animal Health says African swine fever doesn’t affect humans.
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9545
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Bloodsucking parasitic hookworms could help make millions of people healthier
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Credit: The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences This story reports on a group of researchers who have derived a compound from hookworm spit that they have tested with some success as a treatment for asthmatic mice. Scientists have observed for several years now that rates of autoimmune disorders and allergies are lower in some low-income nations. The idea is that hygienic practices in high-income nations may have robbed people’s immune systems of natural checks provided by parasites or other microorganisms in their environments. The result, according to this theory, is higher rates of diseases like asthma, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. The researchers quoted in this article first tried infecting patients with celiac disease with live hookworms, then in a more recent study synthesized a compound from hookworm spit for the mouse experiment. The problem is that the article overstates the potential benefits of a treatment that has not yet been tested in humans (a problem we see fairly often in news stories). Given that limitation, we would expect the story would at least provide testimony by independent experts who could weigh in on whether this new finding is important or not, but it doesn’t. The results of existing and ongoing research on the same topic are mixed at this point, but the article doesn’t say so. In sum, this story doesn’t give readers to tools to assess either quality or impact of the research described. This story is careful to convey the message that ingesting parasites on your own from an unregulated overseas market is not safe. What it doesn’t do is to provide a balanced picture of what the results of this study mean. We argue that patients who are struggling with these health issues in themselves or their children deserve to get a thoughtful contextualization of what these findings mean in the current state of knowledge on the topic.
|
false
|
asthma,worms
|
The story speculates at length about potential benefits of this treatment, before ever establishing that this is preliminary research. Our guideline is “if it’s not too early to talk about benefits, then it’s not too early to talk about costs.” This story didn’t do so. The heading of the article is eye catching: blood-sucking parasitic worms! The health of millions improved! It’s not until about two-thirds of the way through the article that it becomes clear these claims are based on the findings of a laboratory study of asthmatic mice, and so there are no actual benefits to report on. The treatment hasn’t yet been tested in humans. The article does make an attempt to explain how similarities in mouse and human anatomy suggest that humans might benefit from the same treatment. It also notes that “their [the researchers’] next step is a phase one clinical trial, which would test the effectiveness of an AIP-2 pill.” Actually, phase I trials assess safety and appropriate dosage for new medications. Final effectiveness of new treatments is not assessed until much later, in phase III trials. Any possible benefits of this treatment to the public, therefore, are considerably farther down the road than the article implies. Furthermore, findings from other studies in the line of research are mixed. All in all, the statement that AIP-2 “may make millions of people healthier” is premature. As we’ve stated many times, mouse research is usually not newsworthy because of these challenges. The article provides some explanation of the potential harms of ingesting live hookworms for therapeutic purposes. It warns against readers “trying this at home,” especially in the cases of young children and pregnant women. No statement is made about the potential harms of treatments derived from hookworm spit or similar compounds, but at least most readers probably won’t leave this article with the impression that buying hookworms overseas and self-infecting is a great idea. Two studies from the same lab are mentioned in the article. The first involved 12 patients with celiac disease. The article reports that their tolerance for gluten “improved” after ingesting live hookworms, but it is very short on details. There is no explanation of how long they were treated, how much they improved, or even whether there was a control group. The story states that it is “difficult to scale” that kind of study because of the challenges in finding patients who are willing to be infected with live parasites. It does not mention that the small sample size would also make it impossible to generalize any findings to the larger population. More information is provided about the study that is the main focus of the article, a laboratory experiment in which mice were treated with a compound synthesized from hookworm spit. But the story provides no sense of how challenging it will be to translate these results to humans, a very important caveat that should have been discussed. The article does not engage in disease mongering. No independent sources are cited. Although the article talks about 235 million asthma sufferers across the world, it provides no description of the challenges they face or the limitations of current treatment options. It’s not clear, therefore, why or for what types of people an alternative treatment is needed and what this treatment might have to offer over the status quo. The story does’t address availability. As we explain in the quantified benefits criterion above, the most readers get is an erroneous statement about the next steps: “Navarro said their next step is a phase one clinical trial, which would test the effectiveness of an AIP-2 pill.” A phase one trial is actually to test safety–not effectiveness–and this error may have the effect of making this pill seem closer to reality than it is. Research about therapeutic use of hookworms and other parasitic worms (helminths) has been around since the 1990s, although it has entered into the public consciousness within the past five years at most. So in one sense, the material in this article is novel. The beginning of the story describes the genesis of this line of research in questions about the connection between the dramatic success of deworming programs around the world and the rise of immune system problems like asthma and celiac disease. However, the article makes no mention of multiple previous and ongoing studies investigating the effects of “worm therapy” on auto-immune diseases like Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and asthma. The idea that parasites may play a role in the development of the human immune system is still surprising for most of us, but not as novel as this report on the findings of a single research group would suggest–just a few months ago we reviewed an NPR story on worms for allergies. The article should have provided more context. The story appears to include novel quotes from the researchers that were not taken from the news release.
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14453
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Gun violence is by far the leading cause of death for young African American men, outstripping the next nine causes of death combined.
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"Clinton said, ""Gun violence is by far the leading cause of death for young African-American men, outstripping the next nine causes of death combined."" As long as you define ""young"" as being between the ages of 15 and 24, Clinton’s statement is accurate, according to CDC data."
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true
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National, Race and Ethnicity, Guns, Hillary Clinton,
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"In a speech posted on Medium, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton offered a striking statistic about gun violence and minority youth. ""Gun violence,"" she wrote, ""is by far the leading cause of death for young African-American men, outstripping the next nine causes of death combined."" We wondered whether this is correct, so we took a closer look. We found the relevant data on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Using this search form, we collected data on the 10 most common causes of death for African-American men and boys between the ages of 15 and 24, for 2014. Rank Cause of death Number of deaths Number gun-related 1st Homicide 2,416 2,256 2nd Unintentional injuries 1,135 47 3rd Suicide 448 230 4th Heart disease 172 -- 5th Cancer 161 -- 6th HIV 52 -- 7th Chronic lower respiratory diseases 47 -- 8th Congenital anomalies 38 -- 9th Anemia 33 -- 10th Diabetes 33 -- Total, 2nd through 9th place -- 2,119 -- So even if you look only at gun-related homicides, there were 2,256 of those in 2014, compared to 2,119 deaths in the next nine categories combined. This makes Clinton’s statement correct. If you add in the accidents and suicides related to guns, the gap between gun-related deaths and other types of deaths expands even further. There were 2,533 gun-related deaths in all 10 categories combined, compared to 2,002 deaths in the top 10 categories that had nothing to do with guns. We should note that this statement is dependent on the age range chosen. For instance, the statement is not correct for African-American boys between age 10 and 14. There were 38 gun-related homicides in that age and racial group in 2014, plus 10 gun suicides and three unintentional injuries caused by guns, for a total of 51. By contrast, the top 10 causes of death for that age and racial group included 271 deaths that had nothing to do with guns, such as diseases. That said, we think Clinton’s definition of ""young"" as 15-24 is a reasonable one. Our ruling Clinton said, ""Gun violence is by far the leading cause of death for young African-American men, outstripping the next nine causes of death combined."" As long as you define ""young"" as being between the ages of 15 and 24, Clinton’s statement is accurate, according to CDC data."
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9772
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FDA OKs second test to see if Essure contraceptive is placed right
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This article describes FDA approval of transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) as an alternative test method to confirm the proper placement of the Essure permanent contraception device. The test, like the currently used hysterosalpingogram (HSG), must be performed three months after placement of the device. The announcement by Bayer Healthcare, and Reuters’ incurious report on the announcement, do little to inform readers about the risks associated with the device and how the TVU procedure might reduce those risks. As we recently noted in a review of a Bayer Healthcare news release that reported on the tardy post-market safety assessment of Essure, numerous harms have been reported by women implanted with Essure. Improper placement of the device is a factor contributing to those harms. But there is no explanation in the article about the difference between HSG and TVU in terms of costs, benefits or harms. And there is no discussion of the evidence that led to the FDA approval. This permanent birth control method has been the subject of more than five thousand complaints from women and health care providers describing serious harms and side effects. The FDA is expected to discuss data related to Essure’s safety and effectiveness at a public hearing in September 2015 “to inform recommendations and next steps about Essure.” Quality health journalism can help elevate the public discussion about this device — but reports that merely parrot incomplete company news releases provide little benefit to readers.
|
false
|
Essure device
|
The article does not mention the cost of a TVU or whether a separate charge will be applied for this procedure. In general, TVUs can be costly if not covered by insurance. Depending on the insurance status, who does it, or where (geographically) it is done, the procedure could cost between $250-1,000. It is in interesting to note that the cost of a HSG is typically higher (can be anywhere between $800-3,000). The article raises questions on how the TVU improves outcomes for women undergoing Essure device placement. How is the test an improvement over HSG, the current test? Though invasive, as suggested by its name (transvaginal), the procedure is less involved, invasive and painful than a HSG (which requires the injection of dye directly into the cervix/uterus — and which frequently causes pain and cramping). However, this fact is not mentioned in the report at all. Also not mentioned is the benefit of using ultrasound to minimize exposure to radiation vs. the x-rays needed for an HSG (which do emit radiation). Readers are not given any description of the potential benefits of TVU over HSG, or how they compare vis-a-vis the visualization of Essure placement. Was there a study that looked at the accuracy of TVU in determining the correct placement? And if the device is found through TVU to be improperly placed, or it’s determined through the exam that the device has broken or migrated, what are the next steps? Harms of TVU are not addressed. Unlike the HSG, TVU does not emit ionizing radiation, which could potentially make it safer. However, some women do not tolerate TVU, which can last 45 minutes long, well. In addition, as the news release (but not the Reuters story) acknowledged, some women experience spotting or infection following a TVU test. The article does not describe any evidence from a study that the FDA relied on to determine the appropriateness of TVU as an alternative test for verifying the Essure device has been placed properly. Were there any head-to-head comparisons on the accuracy of determining proper placement between the two methods? There is no mention of any patient-preference studies. The news release, upon which this story is based, states that if the TVU is inconclusive as to proper placement, an HSG will need to be performed. The news release further states that a physician will determine which test to use initially — TVU or HSG. The article doesn’t engage in disease mongering. It describes the test as an approved alternative to HSG to determine proper placement. The story is little more than a re-worked news release. It alludes to the announcement made by Bayer Healthcare. None of the other statements of fact are attributed. This story would have benefited from feedback from an independent expert, who could have explained the harms associated with the device and helped readers understand whether or not a new test might help improve outcomes for patients electing to undergo the Essure procedure. Reporters needing to find independent voices for their stories are invited to refer to an extensive list of experts maintained by HealthNewsReview.org. All of these experts are free of industry ties and sensitive to reporter deadlines. The story states that modified hysterosalpingogram (HSG) is generally used to check for proper placement of the Essure device and that TVU is a new approved alternative. However, neither the story nor the release that triggered the story explains how or why TVU might be an improvement over HSG or why one would choose one method over the other. That’s the central subject of the story so the omission of this information is a critical deficiency. There seems to be one study (in Spanish) that assesses the use of TVU for placement vs HSG. It was not referred to in this news release or the article, and its conclusion states, “However, our study cannot replace the hysterosalpingography as gold standard.” There is one trial registered looking at the efficacy of TVU (sponsored by Bayer) that states “This study is ongoing, but not recruiting participants.” There are no references to this ongoing trial. The bottom line: there were no references to any studies or any reports that led the FDA to make this decision. TVU is an established imaging technique and procedure, carried out by both ob-gyns and by radiologists (and in some cases ultrasound technicians). The requirement for additional training and certification is a bit curious. But since one can gather from the story that the procedure is widely available, we’ll award a Satisfactory rating here. The story establishes that the TVU test has been approved by the FDA to confirm proper placement of the Essure device. Though we’ll award a Satisfactory rating on that basis, we’d note that the story doesn’t provide any background about the test or inform readers that the test itself isn’t new at all. Nor does it provide any evidence, data, or rationale for why this is advantageous over the HSG (cost? safety? availability? accuracy? comfort?). This story is an example of one that relies excessively on a news release. There are no sources named other than the device maker, no interviews and no effort to show the test benefit or how an alternative test might improve outcomes. Sections of the story have only been marginally rewritten from the news release. For example: Story: All physicians who offer Essure are expected to be trained to perform the TVU confirmation test by mid-2016, the company said. News release: All physicians who offer Essure are expected to be trained and certified on the TVU confirmation test by mid-2016.
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37748
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As of July 2020, Britney Spears is subject to the rigors of a conservatorship, limiting her freedom.
|
Although the #FreeBritney movement seemed to exist in some form as early as 2010 and 2011, it didn’t really pick up until the spring of 2019, when a podcast caused the hashtag to go viral on Twitter. Fans of Spears maintained that the conservatorship controlling her life in some form or another since 2008 was improper and possibly abusive. The very active user base of TikTok revived interest in the rumors in June and July 2020, primarily after Spears wore a yellow shirt in a July 2020 video and a commenter claimed that they had advised her to wear a yellow shirt if she needed help. As of July 2020, Spears remained under conservatorship.
|
true
|
Fact Checks, Viral Content
|
In July 10 2020, a Facebook post appeared about the #FreeBritney movement (evidently aimed at liberating Britney Spears), becoming hugely popular within just a few days:The Text of the PostThe post — which was lengthy and full of details — began with an interpretation of Spears’ purported signals for help:PSA on Britney Spears and the #FreeBritney movement for anyone that needs or wants more information on what is going on with her. It’s a fucking rabbit hole, so buckle up.A little backstory first. Britney was a child star starting at the age of 4 years old on Broadway, and then worked her way to the Mickey Mouse Club, and eventually the solo career we know today. Her career has been on autopilot her entire life. If you look back at her music, she’s been telling everyone for years she’s too controlled and treated as a product if you listen to the lyrics of most of her hits. Examples include: Lucky, Overprotected, My Perogative, Circus, Piece of Me and Gimme More. Her music videos, social media posts, tour props and photoshoots regularly show her in a cage or in chains. If anyone has ever seen videos of her when she was younger, you’d know her REAL singing voice is very similar to Christina Aguilera’s. Her record label didn’t like it, as they were both on the Mickey Mouse Club and about to release their debut albums at the same time. So they had her voice retrained to sing in the baby voice we all know today because they believed it to be more iconic and would create a brand and career for her instead of her real voice. It’s unhealthy, and it’s been destroying her voice over the years, thus why she is known for lip syncing. She wanted to make an acoustic type pop album in 2006 titled Original Doll and reinvent herself using her real voice. The album was shelved and cancelled once her label realized she would be singing in her real voice. She isn’t allowed to sing live because she will either fail terribly, or she’ll have to sing in her deep voice that she isn’t known for. Her entire career she has been treated like a product meant to sell.A subsequent section added the “real tea,” describing the events leading up to “the 2007 meltdown” and the legal quagmire which followed:Leading up the meltdown Britney was going thru a public divorce, had two children under the age of 2 at the time and was VERY much the focus of the public. We all saw her on every magazine cover. We all also saw the photo of her with one of her kids on her lap while driving. Go on YouTube once and look up ‘Britney Spears paparazzi’. You’ll watch her be chased and followed by hundreds of them, even trying to get into a public restroom to photograph her, videotaping her in tears asking them to leave her alone, and even filming her thru the windows of an ambulance while she was naked being taken away for her final mental health hold.After the public meltdown, shaving her head, locking herself in her home with her children, speaking in a british accent on regular basis, wearing the imfamous pink wig everywhere, and shopping naked, she was hospitalized twice. After the hospitalization, her father petitioned the courts to be a TEMPORARY conservator to her until she was mentally stable and for only one years time. 2 months after her hospitalization she did a guest appearance on How I Met Your Mother. 6 months after her hospitalization, she drops the Womanizer video and starts to promote her new album Circus with its worldwide tour that grossed $131.8 million. If she’s so unwell, why did she start working right away?Her father after one year petitioned the courts for the conservatorship to become permanent due to her ALLEGEDLY having EARLY ONSET DEMENTIA in her TWENTIES. It passed and has been that way ever since. For 12 years to be exact.Finally, the poster described the purported terms of Spears’ conservatorship, and legally-binding restrictions it placed upon her:Britney Spears is a now 38 year old woman who is not allowed to do the following without her fathers permission or he can legally lock her up in a mental health facility: • drive a car • vote • get married • have children • spend HER OWN MONEY • see how her money is being spent • see her children (she has 30% custody of both of her boys due to her dad assaulting one of her sons) • leave her home • hire her own lawyer • have any control over her career • speak about the conservatorship publicly • do interviews that aren’t scripted and all final cuts are approved by her father as well • use a cell phone without being monitored • use social media unmonitored • contact ANYONE without being monitored or having them extremely vetted. (Iggy Azalea allegedly had her house searched for drugs top to bottom when they collaborated on a song together) • go shopping • go for a walk • get StarbucksAfter several more paragraphs about Spears’ life under the terms of the conservatorship, the post’s author implores readers not to mock Spears:So, when everyone sees her on Instagram walking up and down her hallways like it’s a fashion show. That’s all she is allowed to do. She has NEVER had control over her life. I don’t care if you personally like her or her music, NO ONE DESERVES THIS. All this woman wants is to see her children, make the music she wants to make, and go get a frappuccino in her car. She is a light of sunshine in this world, and we must protect her at all costs. So please, do not make fun of her, support the Free Britney movement, and send good vibes her way. She has a court date this month to review the conservatorship and decide if it is abusive or will continue to be in place. There are so many details to this that i left out that would make this post entirely much longer than it is, but a simple search will show you what else is out there. Spread this far and wide. ❤️ Free BritneyThe ‘2007 Meltdown’ and Subsequent EventsA reverse chronology of Spears’ so-called “meltdown” published by CBS News in February 2007 began on February 6 2006, describing Spears’ visit from child protection officials after paparazzi photographers captured her driving with her son on her lap:DCFS officials visit Spears’ home after publication of photographs showing the 24-year-old singer driving a sport utility vehicle in Malibu, Calif., with then 4-month-old Sean Preston in her lap, rather than in a car seat, as is required by law. She first blamed a “horrifying, frightful encounter with the paparazzi,” but later said it was a “mistake.” No charges were filed.The timeline continued with successive reported visits from the same child welfare officials to Spears, who was pregnant at the time. The gossip column stories culminated in a June 16 2006 interview of Spears with former Today show host Matt Lauer.Spears became emotional, primarily due to the relentless media attention lashed upon her, and Lauer later said he did not regret the exchange:Lauer asked her if she cried about all of the attention paid to her parenting. “Oh, I’ve wept, yeah,” she said. “I’ve definitely wept, with the world — how judgmental they are. But I know what kind of mom I am.” Spears, whose second child is due in September, told Lauer that she’s an emotional wreck.“Not in a bad way,” she said. “Just, you know, I’ll start laughing hysterically, and then I’ll just start crying. It’s my hormones, so it’s nice to have my husband there to keep me company.”The timeline then covered the birth of Spears’ second child, her split from then-husband Kevin Federline, and increasing media attention on her social life. Based on the 2007 timeline, it seemed Spears’ visits to nightclubs prompted additional scrutiny from state child protective services:The New York Post reports [on December 6 2006] that the L.A. Dept. of Children & Family Services has been trying to set up a meeting with Spears. The calls start after a recent bout of bizarre public behavior,” a source told the newspaper. The Post reports that Spears’ family is also worried about her new party lifestyle – and antics with the paparazzi.One day later, Spears was quoted as saying:“Every move I make at this point has been magnified more than I expected, and I probably did take my newfound freedom a little too far. I look forward to a new year, new music and a new me!”On February 17 2007, Spears’ movements again became fodder for a nascent internet gossip industry — resulting in widely-seen images of Spears shaving her head and visiting a tattoo parlor:Spears is seen at a hair salon in Tarzana, Calif., shaving her head. Later, she was seen at a tattoo parlor getting inked on her hip and wrist. The “makeover” came the same day as reports on TV and Web sites that Spears, who has drawn criticism for her recent partying and sloppy behavior, had briefly checked into rehab at a treatment center in Antigua. Hair purportedly clipped from her head is now for sale on eBay.Spears’ divorce from Federline remained acrimonious, and in October 2007, CBS reported:A judge on [October 1 2007] ordered Britney Spears to turn over custody of her two children to ex-husband Kevin Federline [that] week.Superior Court Judge Scott M. Gordon ruled that Federline will take custody of Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, beginning [October 3 2007] “until further order of the court.”The order stemmed from an unspecified oral motion made by Federline’s attorneys and was handled in a closed-door hearing. The judge’s order did not state the reason for the change in custody and he ordered all transcripts of the proceedings sealed.Spears Is Involuntarily Committed, and the Conservatorship BeginsA Fox News biography of Spears covered the period during which she was placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold, and the beginning of the conservatorship at the heart of the #FreeBritney movement:On Jan. 3, 2008, Spears was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center by paramedics after police were called to her home because of a dispute involving her two sons. Britney reportedly refused to hand them over to Federline.An officer at the scene said Spears appeared to be “under the influence,” but subsequent reports said Spears is suffering from mental illness, not substance abuse.At an emergency hearing the following day, a court commissioner suspended Spears’ right to visit her sons. The commissioner also gave sole physical and legal custody to Federline.On Jan. 31 [2008], Spears’ parents, psychiatrist and LAPD all reportedly worked together to once again commit Britney to the psychiatric ward at UCLA Medical Center.The following day, Court Commissioner Reva Goetz ruled that Spears needed someone else to take over her personal and financial affairs. Spears’ father, James, and her attorney, Andrew Wallet, were granted conservatorship.In early February [2008], her stay at the hospital was extended for two weeks under a section in state law that allows patients to be kept for medical treatment if they are found to be gravely disabled or a danger to themselves or others, a person close to the pop star told The Associated Press.Originally, the conservatorship was set to expire in December 2008. But in October of that year, Spears’ father was awarded indefinite or permanent control of nearly all aspects of her life:In the public eye Britney Spears seems to have made a remarkable recovery, but behind-the-scenes it seems she still needs to be under conservatorship – permanently.Lawyers for the pop princess asked that the temporary co-conservatorship (which was due to end on Dec. 31) be made permanent on [October 28 2008] and Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Riva Goetz granted the request.Britney’s father Jamie will now have long-term control over her assets, estate and business affairs and Spears’s mental health will be closely monitored by a team of experts. The order will remain in tact until the 26-year-old has made a full and stable recovery. […]Attorneys for Spears declined to comment on her current condition or how she feels about the status change.The Advent of the ‘Free Britney’ Movement, Through 2019The first mention we located of an effort to liberate Spears from the conservatorship was a December 2009 tabloid article describing Spears’ purported wish to end the restrictive arrangement:… according to US reports Spears wants the courts to end her dad’s ‘conservatorship’ which he gained after she suffered her highly publicised meltdown at the beginning of last year. […]Insiders claim Brit’s legal team have been gathering momentum and are set to have an evaluation of her progress made since her rehab woes.Father Jamie was reportedly planning to release his strangle hold once the star’s touring is over but now he wants it to end ‘when the time is right’.But Britney’s lawyers have been meeting with the LA commissioner in his chambers and the decision of her legal freedom is set to rest in the hands of a psychiatrist – or a ‘capacity expert’ – who is chosen by the court …Spears’ father reportedly holds two ‘conservatorships’ over his famous daughter, 28, including one controlling her personal life and the other controlling her business brand.In April 2013, a popular post shared to Reddit’s r/todayilearned discussed the issue:TIL that Britney Spears is under a conservatorship which is reserved usually for people mentally ill or in vegetative state. Britney has reportedly stated that she wants to quit showbiz but she can’t make any personal or financial decisions of her life and is forced to continue. from todayilearnedThat post linked to an April 2011 blog post about Spears’ heavily restricted life, addressing appearances in which Spears appeared disengaged from her role as a performer:Yeah, we could blame Britney’s disinterest on drugs or nerves or stupidity or just being spoiled, that’d be easy — or you could blame her psychiatric meds (I promise, it’s totally possible to take Seroquel AND dance). But that’s not what seems to be going on here.Britney Spears is over it.The only problem? She’s not allowed to quit or even change her style because Dad’s in charge and Britney’s not legally allowed to make those decisions on her own anymore.Britney is 29 and will turn 30 in December [2011], which makes her about two months younger than me. Maybe that generational bond explains why so many of my peers are obsessed with Britney despite a general overall aversion to celebrity culture/pop music. And at 16, everybody wanted to be Britney Spears at least a little bit, including, hopefully, Britney herself, but now we’re older and wiser and things have changed and people have grown and it kinda seems like, at 29, most of us have lost interest in being Britney Spears, including, it would seem, Britney herself.The post went on to make a case for ending the conservatorship, describing the entire situation in incredulous terms:This is all the doing of Jamie Spears, her (allegedly) emotionally abusive recovered-addict father, who finally succeeded in his wrestle for Brit-Brit Control in February 2008. That was the year Britney’s public trainwreck (detailed poignantly in this Rolling Stone article) bottomed out and, while Britney was in the hospital, Jamie’s lawyers arranged the conservatorship that granted him exclusive rights to Britney’s personal life and financials. It was supposed to be temporary, just ’til she got back on her feet.But when Britney got healthy, Jamie’s lawyers actually pushed for greater authority and, on October 28th of 2008, Jamie secured a permanent conservatorship. PERMANENT! So HE OWNS HER FOREVER!Jenny Eliscu, who wrote Britney’s 2008 Rolling Stone cover story, said it’s “very rare for a young adult who is not extremely ill to have their rights assigned to a conservator.”Many of the linked sources were no longer functional in July 2020, but one led to an October 2010 PsychCentral post questioning how the conservatorship had lasted as long as it had at the time:Does anyone know why Britney Spears is still under conservatorship? I mean, besides Britney, her judge, and her dad?Anyone? […]So, I guess what I’m having trouble wrapping my brain around is why Judge Goetz thinks she still needs the conservatorship? It’s been nearly three years.Of course, we only know what Britney or the media report (but let’s face it – if there’s some wild drama going on, the media’s gonna be on it), so maybe there are enough behind-the-scenes issues going on to make the judge hesitant … For now, all we know is that Britney Spears seems to be doing well and, even though she’s still under conservatorship, I think we can safely assume it won’t be for too much longer.Interest in the terms of Spears’ conservatorship crested and waned over the years, before peaking again in the spring of 2019. At the time, a popular r/OutOfTheLoop post on Reddit addressed the #FreeBritney hashtag and its popularity at the time:What is going on with #FreeBritney? from OutOfTheLoopA top-level answer summarized the ongoing controversy:Allegedly, Britney Spears is being held against her will in a mental health facility since mid-January that has some relations to her conservatorship, which she was put under in 2008 following her mental break. This information has come from the podcast, BritneysGram. More specifically, they had allegedly got a voicemail from someone they say could verify that they worked as a paralegal at a law office connected to Britney’s conservatorship.Britney apparently wasn’t taking her meds any longer, refusing to use them, which then led to her Vegas residency being canceled and her being forced into the facility. Fans started #FreeBritney to try and make her gain freedom again – both in the sense of being free of the facility but also not being under the conservatorship any longer. Under the conservatorship, she wasn’t allowed to drive, date, own a phone, etc. She didn’t even own her own career – this feeds into the “baby voice” conspiracy as well as her Vegas residency being canceled last minute.Here’s a Twitter thread going in-depth about her conservatorship, including sources and stuff so it’s not just hearsay either.Edit: while not an official confirmation, Britney’s mother has been liking comments on both Facebook and Instagram in regards to Britney being forced into a mental health facility, which people are believing is her confirming the allegations.A Twitter thread was linked in the reply, but it was initially inaccessible due to the suspension of the Twitter user. We located an archive of the thread, which alleged the conservatorship was corrupt and “incredibly shady & fraudulent.” It’s not clear why the account was suspended, or if the suspension had anything to do with the claims in the viral thread.May 2019, Spears’ Case is Re-Evaluated and Social Media Interest ContinuesOn May 11 2019, the Associated Press reported on a hearing regarding Spears’ conservatorship — during which “about 20 Spears fans protested with signs that read ‘Free Britney’ and ‘End the conservatorship now. '”That reporting emphasized the secrecy surrounding the hearing:After hearing Britney Spears and her parents speak in a rare and secretive joint court appearance [in May 2019], a judge ordered an expert evaluation in the conservatorship that for 11 years has put control of much of the 37-year-old singer’s life in the control of her father.Only the few left inside know what the three said in the courtroom that was closed to public and media shortly after the hearing began. But Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny wrote in an order afterward that all had agreed on a so-called 730 expert evaluation, a process usually used to determine the mental health and competence of a parent in a divorce case. […]For years, Spears has been publicly silent about the severe restrictions on her decisions put in place by the conservatorship established in 2008, when she was having serious personal and psychiatric struggles, many of which played out in public.Conservatorship, known in many states as guardianship, is an involuntary status usually reserved for very elderly or very ill people who are suffering from dementia or otherwise incapacitated and unable to make decisions for themselves.Rarely is it used for people as functional as Spears, who despite further problems — she has said in interviews that she struggles with bipolar disorder — has seen her career continue to thrive.Clearly, Spears was not “freed” during those proceedings. In October 2019, USA Today reported that the situation was still under review and a matter of debate. That reporting heavily framed the conservatorship as not just tolerated by Spears, but desired:“Everybody looks at conservatorship as a terrible thing foisted on her. I look at it as a success story,” [Los Angeles lawyer Troy] Martin says. “Britney was in a downward spiral, there were 5150s (involuntary temporary psychiatric holds) filed on her as a possible danger to herself or others. Her life was a wreck. … By all appearances, things are a heck of lot better now than they were in 2008.”However, Martin was not involved with Spears’ case at any point. A Los Angeles Times piece a month earlier made similar claims, after a podcast about Spears’ conservatorship caused #FreeBritney to trend on Twitter earlier in 2019:“The fact that she’s been under conservatorship for a dozen years should tell you something about the state of her mental impairment and her vulnerability,” said [lawyer Adam] Streisand, who specializes in high-profile wealth disputes. “The courts will do everything they can to ensure that a person is not conserved unless they really, really need to be.”From late 2019 onward, interest in the #FreeBritney hashtag continued, as Spears conservatorship was extended once again on April 22 2020. An anonymous June 18 2020 post to Reddit’s r/legaladvice, since deleted, was interpreted by some fans to be from Spears:Conservatorship + Cosmetic Surgery – Please Help! from legaladviceGiven the prominence of rumors about Spears as of June 2020, it was definitely possible the thread — “Conservatorship + Cosmetic Surgery – Please Help!” — was written by someone other than Spears attempting to draw attention to her alleged plight. An archived version of the post revealed it was submitted by u/uncertainsobelle, and it read:Hi. I’m hoping you guys can help me understand my legal rights in my current situation. I live in the state of California and have been in a legal conservatorship for some time, I have two different conservators assigned to me, one for my personal affairs and the other handles my money and my business. I have had to do what they say in regards to doctors and treatments for a long time but now they are pushing me to get a cosmetic procedure that I do not want. They are telling me I ultimately have no rights or say in this decision and I’m really scared that they are right. Can anybody please tell me what to do or who I can speak to to report this? Thank you so much in advance for your help I am so grateful.TikTok Users Get InvolvedInterest spiked again in June and July 2020 — particularly creating discourse around Spears’ decision to wear a yellow shirt in a video. Purportedly, a commenter on a previous TikTok post by Spears urged her to wear a yellow shirt if she required help:Britney Spears: Recent TikTok, and more details about her life. Does she need help? from conspiracytheoriesOn July 2 2020, Spears posted a TikTok video in which very little occurred other than her wearing of a yellow shirt:A Redditor responding to the thread said of the “yellow shirt” element of the rumor:There was a tik tok video she posted and the comments asked stuff like “wear a yellow shirt if you need help” and then in her most recent video after that one, she pointed out in her caption “… I’m so excited I just had to wear my yellow shirt”. She was talking about something else but yeah something is going on 🙁The comment and video were the subject of a separate and very popular Facebook post on July 7 2020. On July 9 2020, a Facebook user claimed Spears again followed the colored shirt direction, this time with a blue shirt.This was good enough for the internet. A petition started on July 9 2020 and titled “The conservatorship and civil liberties of Britney Spears” received nearly 30,000 signatures, and it read:Since 2008 Britney Spears has been in a conservatorship that gives her conservator full control over her personal life & finances/estate. Conservatorships are typically used for those that are SEVERELY mentally ill. Since ‘08, she has been on 3 world tours with dangerous flying & fire stunts. It’s safe to say she is sane enough to feed and cloth herself. With this conservatorship she is unable to properly fight for her freedom as she isn’t legally allowed to hire her own lawyer. We need this petition so that Britney can hire her own lawyer and live a normal life as a 38 year old woman with two kids.She has tried over the years to fight, attempts were shut down. Please look into this case. Every American deserves civil liberties.On July 11 2020, photographer Andrew Gallery shared five videos to TikTok, purporting to share information about Spears and the conservatorship. The videos were broken up into five parts, all titled “my time with Britney Spears.” The fifth and final video was also titled “the letter”:Gallery shared three blink-and-you’ll-miss-it pages of a letter he attributed to Spears, which we screen captured:TL;DRAlthough the #FreeBritney movement seemed to exist in some form as early as 2010 and 2011, it didn’t really pick up until the spring of 2019, when a podcast caused the hashtag to go viral on Twitter. Fans of Spears maintained that the conservatorship controlling her life in some form or another since 2008 was improper and possibly abusive. The very active user base of TikTok revived interest in the rumors in June and July 2020, primarily after Spears wore a yellow shirt in a July 2020 video and a commenter claimed that they had advised her to wear a yellow shirt if she needed help. As of July 2020, Spears remained under conservatorship.Comments
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9071
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Lose fat, preserve muscle: Weight training beats cardio for older adults
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This news release describes a recent study on the effect different exercises combined with calorie restriction had on older adults. The researchers found that, unsurprisingly, exercise combined with diet was more effective at promoting weight loss than diet alone. The researchers also reported that the type of exercise matters in terms of where the weight loss comes from. They found that seniors who used walking as their exercise were more likely to lose muscle mass, while the weight training seniors lost more weight from fat. This is an important distinction, because muscle mass is important for seniors. Loss of muscle mass, the authors reported, can cause reduced knee strength and contribute to other physical disabilities. However, there is a caveat that wasn’t described in the release. The study’s results apply to seniors with pre-existing mobility limitations and may not be applicable to the general population of seniors. The study was conducted on volunteers who had previously cited a limitation to their mobility. Consequently, their levels of physical activity may have been lower than the average senior at the start of the study and this might lead them to respond more rapidly than someone already in the habit of exercising. For example, when people suddenly pick up weight training they’re more likely to gain muscle (and more quickly) than someone who is already weight training. Our population is rapidly aging, and with it medical costs for the country are rising. Healthy and physically fit seniors require fewer medical interventions and experience a greater quality of life. Exercise can also help aging bones and joints, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and enable seniors to live independently for a longer period of time without worrying about accidents or falls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also says that exercise for seniors can help improve blood pressure, relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression, and control pain from arthritis. This study provides compelling evidence that weight training might be an easy and effective way for seniors to improve their health.
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mixture
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older adults,Wake Forest University,weight training
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The news release does not make any mention of costs. Although weight training isn’t like a medication with a certain price, the release could have added information about the cost of local weight training classes at senior centers, YMCA classes, etc. There are also many articles online that discuss tips on weight training for seniors for free. The news release did a nice job at citing statistics from the study, especially at the end of the release. It rephrased some of the statistics to make them easier for a general audience to understand such as with the percentage of weight loss coming from muscle mass. The release did not address harms. We believe the release should have encouraged seniors, especially those with documented cardiovascular disease, to be assessed by a physician before starting a new exercise program. This example of an exercise readiness questionnaire covers some of the considerations that seniors should discuss with a physician prior to embarking on a new exercise regimen. This news release did a good job explaining the results from the study and briefly summarizing the study design at the end of the release. However, it failed to mention one of the study’s biggest limitations: the nearly 300 volunteers had pre-existing issues with mobility and so these findings would likely not apply to the general population. The release did not engage in disease mongering. The study funders were disclosed at the bottom of the news release. The way that this study was designed compared the intervention of weight training and a weight loss diet (calorie-restricted dieting), diet and walking, and diet alone. Both walking and weight training were much more successful for weight loss than dieting alone. However, the release could have made the distinction in benefits a bit more clear. While seniors lost similar amounts of weight when walking and participating in weight training, the study showed that much of the weight lost from walking was coming from muscle mass, while the weight loss from lifting was from fat. As mentioned above, weight lifting classes are offered at most gyms and there are online tutorials as well, making it extremely available. However, it would have been nice to include some organizations that specifically offer weight training for elders. The news release quoted a study author discussing the novelty of the weight lifting intervention and why the finding was so important. “Surprisingly,” the researcher said, “we found that cardio workouts may actually cause older adults with obesity to lose more lean mass than dieting alone.” No unjustifiable or sensational language. With one exception, the release used “people first” language consistently when referring to obesity, a chronic disease. It referred to “adults with obesity” rather than “obese people.” The phrase, “In this 18-month study of 249 adults in their 60s who were overweight or obese,” might have been written as “adults in their 60s with overweight or obesity.”
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An infant who survived abortion in a Polish hospital screamed for an hour while left alone to die.
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We reached out to the Holy Family Hospital in Poland for comment but have not received a response.
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unproven
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Politics, abortion
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A story reporting that a screaming baby was left to die after a failed abortion has circulated on a number of pro-life web sites since 2016. For example, in 2016 the web site LiveAction.org reported it under the headline “Infant who survived abortion screamed for an hour while left alone to die,” while in 2019, Life Site News.com reported the same story but asserted the incident “just happened.” One version of the report read (in part) as follows: Doctors and medical staff at Holy Family Hospital in Warsaw, Poland, left a child to die after a botched abortion, according to local media reports detailing the horrific scene. The baby was born on March 7, 2016 at 24 weeks, after an abortion failed. The child cried and screaming for an hour before dying, according to witnesses, as reported on Republika Television. Medical personnel did not try to help the help the child in any way; which can result in the parents of the child needing support and grief counseling to cope. According to Bartosz Lewandowski, a lawyer from Ordo Iuris Institute, medical personnel can face criminal charges for not helping a child whose life is in danger. Medical personnel could even be charged with homicide. The story crops up when political controversies over abortion rights hit the news. For example, the Irish publication The Journal analyzed the rumor in 2018, noting that the claim incorporated the 2018 Irish referendum vote on abortion rights in which a near-total ban on the procedure was lifted. The tale circulated in the U.S. in 2019 after the Democratic party gained power in several state legislatures in the 2018 midterm elections and enacted broader abortion rights in their respective states. The Journal traced the story’s origin’s to a copy of a 9 March 2016 letter sent to prosecutors by Father Ryszard Halwa, founder of the Polish pro-life organization S.O.S. Foundation Defense of Conceived Life, a letter that was also sent to the Telewizja Republika television station in Poland. The letter cited anonymous employees at Holy Family Hospital in Warsaw, who Father Halwa stated were “shaken morally” by an incident that had occurred days earlier when an abortion procedure was carried out at the sixth month of gestation due to a Down syndrome diagnosis. According to Halwa’s letter, the aborted child showed signs of life, including screaming, but was given no medical care and died after about an hour. The horrific-sounding story initially created a media storm in Poland, and perhaps banking on the fact that most readers won’t trace the controversy back to news reports in its original language, partisan English-language web sites have repeatedly rehashed it. In addition to Down syndrome, the unborn child had also been diagnosed with heart and kidney defects, and those defects would have prevented it from surviving outside the womb, the newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported. After delivery it survived roughly half an hour (not an hour), during which time hospital staff took palliative care measures. The decision to resuscitate the baby was left up to the parents, who chose not to do so. According to the Polish weekly news magazine Polityka, health care authorities deemed that the hospital staff had acted appropriately, and prosecutors were notified but ultimately took no action. Polish publications reflected a controversy over the claim that the baby “screamed,” with several sources quoting a well known Warsaw gynecologist named Grzegorz Górski, who stated that a premature infant at that stage of development would not have possessed the ability to do so.
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9615
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Prozac May Be the Only Drug That Effectively Treats Depression in Kids
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This story covers a meta-analysis led by a researcher at the University of Oxford (UK) that examined peer-reviewed studies on the effects of 14 antidepressants on children and adolescents diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Published in the Lancet, the study found that only fluoxetine, marketed in the U.S. under the name Prozac, was shown in trials to be significantly more effective than placebo, though its clinical effectiveness isn’t clear from available data. The study also found “robust evidence” that the drug venlafaxine (Effexor) raises the risk of suicidal behavior. The fact that Prozac is singled out in the headline as possibly “the only drug that effectively treats depression in kids” may lead readers to think that there is solid evidence of Prozac’s safety and efficacy, which there isn’t. But more importantly, the story included several errors, which are primarily detailed in the “Harms” criterion below. Example: The story says that “since 2004, the FDA has advised that antidepressants not be prescribed to individuals under 24 due to the increased risk in suicidality.” This is not true–the FDA did not make such a blanket statement–they note the increased risk of suicidality, but leave it up to physicians to weigh the possible risks vs possible benefits. Depression is common in young people, affecting an estimated 2.8 percent of children under 13 and 5.6 percent of teens, according to published research. Antidepressant prescribing for children and adolescents has increased despite questions about safety and efficacy. Most clinical guidelines call for counseling as the preferred treatment for young people with depression. It remains to be seen whether this meta-analysis, which its authors say “represents the most comprehensive synthesis of data” and is the first to compare and rank antidepressants for young people with major depressive disorder, will prompt clinicians and patients’ families to reconsider their use.
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false
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antidepressants
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The story does not discuss the cost of antidepressants, though does mention that the alternative, cognitive behavioral therapy, “is a high-cost intervention in terms of both dollars and time invested.” A cost comparison would have been useful since the study encourages a shift away from drugs and toward therapy. Seeing a therapist for psychotherapy may not be so high a cost if the patient learns some lifetime skills and insights that help lessen and prevent depression, which tends to be recurrent. The story explains that only one of 14 antidepressants examined in the study — fluoxetine — “was significantly better than a placebo in treating depressing in children and adolescents,” and that it “outperformed all other antidepressants in both efficacy and tolerability.” Yet, the story did not mention a really important caveat to that: It’s not known if this finding is clinically meaningful, for a number of reasons the authors list in the study. As well, the study noted that fluoxetine should be considered the best choice for young patients who do not have access to psychotherapy or have not responded to non-pharmacological interventions. The story describes some harms and uncertainty associated with antidepressant use in young people whose brains are not fully developed, including an increased risk of suicide. But, unfortunately, the story goes beyond the evidence, and includes erroneous information. The story says: “Since 2004, the FDA has advised that antidepressants not be prescribed to individuals under 24 due to the increased risk in suicidality.” This is not true–the FDA did not make such a blanket statement–they note the increased risk of suicidality, but leave it up to physicians to weigh the possible risks vs possible benefits. It also says: “FDA has deemed that Prozac has demonstrated benefits that outweigh one of the suspected downsides of antidepressants in kids and teens: disrupting brain development.” But, FDA doesn’t address brain development in their evaluation of drugs. The story then says: “research on antidepressants suggest they negatively affect brain plasticity and memory” and cites two rather dated animal studies that that don’t seem well described by the story. Antidepressants do seem to affect brain plasticity, but in a good way, as opposed to stress. We’re aware of no adverse effects on memory documented in humans with antidepressant treatment (although depression adversely affects memory). Also, the reference the author cites for antidepressants sparking a chemical reaction to increase the risk of suicide is about psychosis, not suicide, at least as far as we can tell from the abstract. The story does not explain the scope of the study, which examined 34 trials of 14 drugs on a total of 5,260 patients. Further, the study authors point to numerous weaknesses with trial data, including potential bias and problems with study methodology that were not mentioned in the story. Some of these limitations mean that although there’s evidence that fluoxetine might reduce depressive symptoms, “the extent to which this reduction is clinically meaningful is still uncertain,” according to the study. Further the study says, “Without access to individual patient-level data, we cannot be confident about the accuracy of information contained in published studies or even clinical study reports.” The story does not engage in disease mongering. The story does not mention that the study was funded by the Chinese government through the National Basic Research Program of China or that the researchers collectively have financial ties to numerous drug companies. The story discusses cognitive behavioral therapy, which it says is recommended by guidelines from the psychiatric associations in most countries and “has been shown to work, at least by participants’ own assessment of their depression levels.” It also mentions the high cost of cognitive behavioral therapy and the fact that it “may not always be readily available,” which could explain the growing reliance on antidepressant drugs. However, the story is incorrect when it states Prozac is the only drug approved to treat depression in people under 18. Escitalopram (Lexapro) is also approved by the FDA to treat adolescents for depression. It also offers up conflicting information. In the last sentence, it links to a Cochrane meta-analysis and says “therapy and medication are more effective together than in isolation.” But that’s not what the analysis concluded. Instead, it said: “We do not know whether psychological therapy, antidepressant medication or a combination of the two is most effective to treat depressive disorders in children and adolescents.” The story says all the 14 antidepressants studied were “commercially available.” While the story could have provided more context on previous research, it states that the findings confirm something that’s already widely understood by clinicians. The story does not appear to rely solely on a news release.
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22349
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"The ""House-passed budget proposal could cut funding for programs that help keep local neighborhoods safe, slash more than $1.7 million in anti-terror funds for Ohio."
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Sen. Sherrod Brown says cuts proposed by House GOP could hurt police, terror prevention efforts
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true
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Ohio, Criminal Justice, Federal Budget, Crime, Sherrod Brown,
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"The House of Representatives passed a bill in February that would keep the United States government operating through this fiscal year while making a small dent in the federal debt. Democrats say it's a bad bill that slashes important programs; Republicans say the cuts are necessary. We're not going to pick apart the bill’s merits or shortcomings. PolitiFact Ohio was interested in claims about the bill’s impact made on March 7 by Sen. Sherrod Brown and seconded by Cleveland's mayor, Frank Jackson. Brown and Jackson, in a news release and at a news conference with public safety officials in Cleveland, said the spending cuts could harm public safety and security in Cleveland and across Ohio. Specifically, they spoke of cuts to grants that would affect local law enforcement. ""House-passed budget proposal could cut funding for programs that help keep local neighborhoods safe, slash more than $1.7 Million in anti-terror funds for Ohio,"" read a headline on Brown's news release. This made us wonder: These cuts would be in grant programs. Many federal grants are awarded competitively, making it impossible for any city to count on getting one every single year. So how could Brown and the city of Cleveland consider the end of a grant to be a ""cut?"" Put it another way: If you get a bonus sometimes but not every year, can you really say your pay was cut in the years you didn’t get one? In Brown's case, the answer turns out to be yes. Two of three programs he mentioned are funded by a narrow category of safety grants that Cleveland and Ohio have been guaranteed to get historically. These are what Brown was refering to as ""programs that keep local neighborhoods safe."" As for the other program and potential cuts, Brown worded his concern cautiously and accurately. Let's take a look. Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS grants This Justice Department program for keeping neighborhoods safe is competitive. The program helps police departments get federal money to hire and train officers. But it has a stipulation: Cities must pick up the officers' salaries when their grants end. Critics question whether the program is effective. The House was poised to eliminate COPS, but ended up retaining money for officer hiring and training. But the House bill would eliminate other programs under the COPS umbrella, such as those that have helped departments pay for technology and another that helps local police fight methamphetamine distribution. These latter two ""could be eliminated entirely,"" Brown said. Brown was accurate by saying ""could."" And while some news reports left the mistaken impression that Cleveland patrol officers hired with COPS dollars are now at risk -- a fallacy that first caught our attention and prompted this very PolitiFact -- we see no evidence that Brown made that specific linkage. Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Cleveland has used the money from these grants for regional police dispatching, crime analysis, and task forces to combat violent crime and drugs. Ohio ""could"" lose more than $4.4 million under House budget cuts, Brown said. The Byrne grants are largely based on a formula that factors in population and crime levels, according to information provided to us by Michelle Person, a spokeswoman in the Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs. It is clear from the formula that if the funding for the federal program remained level, Ohio would still qualify. Brown was correct when referring to a possible ""loss."" As for quantifying it at $4.4 million, Brown's office referred us to a state-by-state analysis by the Center on Budget Policy and Priorities, a liberal group that frequently examines the effect of spending cuts. The center's analysis was based on an estimate that the Byrne grants will be cut by about 29 percent. It is impossible to know the precise scope of Byrne cuts, if they occur, because they are part of a larger Justice Department grant pool that would be trimmed; it is unclear whether all grants would be cut equally. Yet the 29 percent estimate is consistent with other estimates, and ""it certainly is assumed that Byrne would take its fair share"" among other programs, said Elizabeth Pyke, director of government affairs at the National Criminal Justice Association, which represents cities and states. The COPS program and Byrne Justice Assistance grants are the two programs that Cleveland and Ohio historically have been guaranteed to get and both can impact policing in neighborhoods. Urban Areas Security Initiative grants The Department of Homeland Security gives these grants to help metropolitan areas plan for potential terrorist attacks and mass emergencies. Ohio could ""stand to lose more than $1.7 million"" if these grants were cut, and ""Cleveland alone could lose more than $500,000,"" Brown said in his news release. These grants are awarded through a formula that factors in each metro area's population and its potential for a terrorist strike or mass emergency. Sixty-three metro areas now get funding, according to the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that believes that the program has expanded too far. The House spending bill would cut the amount of money available to the whole program, and Brown based his figures on a calculation of how that would affect Ohio’s portion, said Meghan Dubyak, Brown’s communications director. However, under an amendment to the House spending bill, only the top 25 metro areas -- measured by their perceived level of threat and related factors -- would qualify for money. No Ohio cities are currently in the top 25, so the loss to Ohio under this circumstance would be higher than Brown calculated. Brown was correct, then, that Cleveland ""could"" lose ""more than"" $500,000. All of his claims were based on a House bill that the Senate is expected to change. But the House bill sets the stage for whatever happens next; for now, at least, it is the bill the Senate must work with. And Brown was careful to say it ""could,"" not ""would"" when discussing all the proposed cuts."
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37872
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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer required protection from armed protesters at the state house on April 30, 2020.
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Did Michigan Gov. Whitmer Need Protection From Armed Right-Wing Protesters?
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false
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Fact Checks, Viral Content
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As armed demonstrators descended on the Michigan statehouse in Lansing on April 30 2020, the footage became a point of contention online.The video, first posted by WDIV-TV business editor Rod Meloni, shows a group of protesters demanding to be let into the state House chambers. It was shared on Twitter thousands of times but gained much more attention after it was reposted by another user, Rob Gill. “Multiple armed gunmen storm Michigan’s State House, State police are protecting @GovWhitmer and blocking the gunmen from gaining access to the house floor,” Gill wrote. “This is America in the age of Trump.”Multiple armed gunmen storm Michigan’s State House, State police are protecting @GovWhitmer and blocking the gunmen from gaining access to the house floor.This is America in the age of Trump. pic.twitter.com/tLWR2bvjtR— Rob Gill (@vote4robgill) April 30, 2020That popular tweet was quickly refuted by Associated Press reporter David Eggert. “This is false,” Eggert wrote, without immediately explaining. He later elaborated, saying, “No one ‘stormed’ the Capitol. It is legal to carry guns openly in the statehouse (some guys had guns in Senate gallery). House was closed to public to make room for legislators to socially distance. Whitmer was not there.”Gill responded by reposting a photograph originally published by state Sen. Dayna Polehanki showing other demonstrators carrying firearms. “Directly above me, men with rifles yelling at us. Some of my colleagues who own bullet proof vests are wearing them,” Polehanki wrote. “I have never appreciated our Sergeants-at-Arms more than today.”Directly above me, men with rifles yelling at us. Some of my colleagues who own bullet proof vests are wearing them. I have never appreciated our Sergeants-at-Arms more than today. #mileg pic.twitter.com/voOZpPYWOs— Senator Dayna Polehanki (@SenPolehanki) April 30, 2020The dispute surrounding Gill’s choice of video illustrated how even accurate reporting around anti-government protests describing stay-at-home measures as “tyranny” can omit further details. Both the Associated Press and United Press International, for example, reported on the demonstration. The AP described attendees as “hundreds of conservative activists.” And UPI did mention that the event was organized by a group calling itself Michigan United for Liberty.But neither report accounted for evidence demonstrating that the rash of “grassroots” protests around the United States were in fact organized on Facebook by right-wing groups and supported by white nationalists, anti-Semites, and anti-vaccine “truthers,” among others. The AP has also reported that according to its own polling, these events do not enjoy popular support:Only 12 percent of Americans say the measures where they live go too far. About twice as many people, 26 percent, believe the limits don’t go far enough. The majority of Americans — 61 percent — feel the steps taken by government officials to prevent infections of COVID-19 in their area are about right.About 8 in 10 Americans say they support measures that include requiring Americans to stay in their homes and limiting gatherings to 10 people or fewer — numbers that have largely held steady over the past few weeks.Those statistics were not mentioned in the AP report on the Lansing protest. And while UPI mentioned the organizing group behind the event, it did not mention Michigan United for Liberty’s online claim that the death toll for COVID-19 — listed at 3,789 people in Michigan — was overblown:Social media users have also criticized the apparent discrepancy in how these anti-government protests, heavily attended by white Anglo people, are treated by law enforcement compared to demonstrations against extrajudicial killings against Black communities by law enforcement, as well as other causes:On the left: “Policing” during ADAPT’s Save The Afordable Care Act Protests.On the right: Policing #Michigan “protesters” who want to spread the virus to black people. pic.twitter.com/2htJs5D7CE— Crutches&Spice ♿️ : Rude For A Disabled Person (@Imani_Barbarin) May 1, 2020What’s happening at the Michigan house is domestic terrorism enabled by white privilege. But when black people peacefully protest, it’s a very different scene… pic.twitter.com/oSqUQUpAa1— Will Varney (@lilwill388) April 30, 2020Despite the outcry from both the right-wing protesters and Republican state lawmakers, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer acted to extend a state-of-emergency declaration on her part, closing bars, restaurants, and other public gathering sites through May 28 2020.She also called the protest “disturbing” during a press briefing on May 1, 2020. “Swastikas and Confederate flags and nooses and automatic rifles do not represent who we are as Michiganders,” she said.Comments
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7531
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Snow day? No, it’s illness _ again _ in school district.
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Illness — not snow — canceled classes Monday for a fourth time at a school district in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula.
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true
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Health, Lake Huron, General News, Flu, Michigan
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“I hope that this is the last of it,” Rogers City Superintendent Nick Hein told The Alpena News. Bad weather hasn’t scratched classes this year in Rogers City, which is along Lake Huron, 60 miles southeast of the Mackinac Bridge. But illness is another story. The district has roughly 510 students. A quarter of them were out Friday. “My school nurse has confirmed the majority of it was the flu,” Hein said of students who were absent. District Health Department No. 4 said flu has been widespread for five to six weeks in the northeastern Lower Peninsula.
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9050
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Migraine surgery produces 'dramatic improvements' in functioning, study finds
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Getty Images This news release discussed a study from the journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery which claims that migraine surgery can lead to “dramatic improvements” in patients’ functionality and quality of life. Migraine surgery entails decompressing nerves around the face and head of migraine sufferers. The procedure is like a permanent version of Botox injections, which temporarily relax facial muscles and have proven to be effective in treating several (though not all) kinds of migraines. Though the news release was enthusiastic about the study’s findings, it failed to mention several big limitations, including that the results were based off a self-reported pain questionnaire (self-reports are often ripe for bias). It also did not mention that the questionnaire is only able to determine self-efficacy and functionality in patients — not pain reduction or decrease in symptom severity. Finally, the news release did not compare the treatment to any other migraine-specific alternatives, nor did it address the possible harms of facial surgery. Migraines impact a huge number of people worldwide — it is estimated that about 13% of U.S. adults have had a migraine, and there are millions of patients who experience them chronically. But although so many people suffer from this ailment, very little about the mechanisms behind migraines is actually understood. Most migraine treatments, including many medications and Botox injections, were actually designed to treat other problems first, and are now used for migraines because they were shown to relieve symptoms even though many scientists can only guess as to why. The idea that a migraine-specific surgery could help solve the chronic migraines permanently would be exciting for many people. Unfortunately, the surgery remains controversial, and this release does not help to make it less so. Finally, a larger context would have been helpful here, especially some idea of how accepted this surgery is and how often patients benefit, based on what is known to date.
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false
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migraine surgery,Wolters Kluwer Health
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The news release did not include the cost of this migraine surgery — nor did it really say what a migraine surgery entails, except for briefly comparing it to a cosmetic forehead-lift. According to the website linked in the news release, a cosmetic forehead-lift (also called a “brow lift) costs an average of $3,403. However, a look at anecdotal articles online reveals that the cost can often be much more if not covered by insurance — up to $30,000 in some cases. The description of benefits of this research is a bit cloudy, since it seemed to have two endpoints: first, the study attempted to quantify the extent of disability in migraine patients by using the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ). Second, it looked to see if PSEQ numbers improved following migraine surgery. The release says that the study found that after the migraine surgery, patients improved an average of 112% over their baseline PSEQ score. However, as we have pointed out on numerous occasions, these types of statistics often don’t tell us much. We don’t know if this means that migraine patients’ self-efficacy went from “bad” to “great,” or just from “terrible” to “less terrible.” Did this improvement mean that patients were able to go back to work, or that they were able to get out of bed? Without concrete numbers, it is hard to tell. This is perhaps one of the most egregious omissions of the news release: not mentioning any potential harms of a surgery that directly impacts the nerves and muscles of the face. While the method of this surgery is not included in the news release, a look at the Mass General web page where the lead author works describes the surgery as a “release” of nerves in the eye, forehead, back of head, and nasal regions. Depending on the extent of the surgery, a patient may be required to undergo anesthesia in an operating room. The risks are not mentioned on this page either, but a look at the risks of the similar brow-lift procedure shows that complications may include facial nerve damage or paralysis, infection, and scarring. This news release scores poorly on the quality of evidence for several reasons. First, neither the news release nor the study itself described any limitations of the study (though it is safe to assume there are several, including the small sample size). Second, and most important, the study was based entirely on results from patients’ self-reported questionnaires. Self-reported data is notoriously susceptible to bias–patients may have different interpretations of the questions, may want to consciously or unconsciously please the researchers, or may be dishonest because they are embarrassed they don’t meet what they think is the “desired” outcome. That the news release did not mention this obvious limitation is a serious flaw. Finally, it is important to note that the Pain Self Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) only measures the patients’ feelings of self-efficacy and daily functioning, not whether or not the severity of their pain has actually improved. Someone could be feeling the same amount of pain after the surgery, but if they felt that they were functioning better in their daily life than their questionnaire score would increase. No disease mongering. The news release does not mention the funding sources, and that earns a Not Satisfactory rating here. The study does disclose that none of the researchers have conflicts of interest. This is another important criterion which the news release did not meet. And even though the published study did not address alternatives either, we still encourage news release writers to include this background for interested readers — both patients and journalists. Presumably, patients who turn to surgery have been resistant to the usual interventions and if so, this should be clarified in the news release. There are many alternatives to migraine treatment, from prophylactic daily medications to Botox injections. In fact, Botox injections operate on the same mechanism that the migraine surgery does: the botulinum toxin is injected into facial nerves to paralyze them and release pressure on the nerves surrounding the face. Botox injections for migraines have been well-studied and proven to be effective; the procedure was approved by the FDA in 2010. Unlike the surgery however, the Botox injections are not permanent — though they also appear to carry fewer side effects. It would make the most sense to compare the surgery to Botox injections, but neither the researchers nor the news release did this. Nor did they compare the migraine surgery to any other migraine treatments. Instead, they compared results from the patient questionnaire to patients that suffered other chronic pain ailments, such as lower back pain. They said that migraine patients reported greater improvement than lower back pain patients, but this tells us very little because the two conditions are so different. The news release made no mention of how or where patients could obtain migraine surgery. Online it seems that these surgeries are offered at many boutique plastic surgery centers around the country–though interestingly it is only plastic surgeons who seem to offer this treatment, not neurologists (the doctors that most often treat migraine sufferers). The news release and the study also did not mention that not all migraine patients will be eligible for the procedure. Although we know little about migraines, it is known that they are triggered in different people through different mechanisms. A woman who has hormonal migraines, for example, might not benefit from nerve decompression. The news release did establish that this study was the first time that the PSEQ was used to evaluate patients who underwent migraine surgery. The headline of the news release was taken from a quote from the lead author, who said that migraine surgery can lead to “dramatic improvements” in the daily functioning of migraine patients. Yet, as mentioned above, based on the quality of the evidence and benefits we have no idea just how big these improvements are. Is a patient that was formerly severely disabled now able to work and maintain a normal quality of life? All we know is that the patients improved in one self-reported measurement, but we don’t know how much improvement should be considered “dramatic.”
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26270
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Speaking about border apprehensions, said “We have some of the best numbers we've ever had. Southern border, the best numbers we've ever had.”
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Year-to-date apprehension numbers are the lowest the Trump administration has seen so far, but are higher than in some past administrations. In terms of monthly data, it is not the lowest the Trump administration has seen. Experts said the numbers are down because the global pandemic that has caused lockdowns in foreign countries and increased the public-health risk of migrating to the United States.
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mixture
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Immigration, Border Security, Homeland Security, Donald Trump,
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"Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo asked President Donald Trump if he’d use the ""same playbook"" to get the United States economy back on track after disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Trump answered that he’s always being an ""America First"" person and pointed to his administration’s work on Southwest border enforcement as evidence. ""Strong borders. Our border is very strong,"" Trump said during a Fox Business interview May 14. ""We have some of the best numbers we've ever had. Southern border, the best numbers we've ever had."" Trump generally uses that language to refer to a low number of apprehensions at the Southwest border. A few days later, in a May 19 speech, he referred to the numbers being ""the lowest numbers we’ve ever had of people coming in and we’re moving them out as soon as they come in."" We asked the White House for more details but did not hear back. PolitiFact reviewed data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and found that the number of apprehensions is relatively low, but not the lowest ever. Border experts also told us that U.S. policies alone are not the cause of the drop, and that people in foreign countries are also likely taking into consideration the public-health risk of emigrating during a pandemic. Cristobal Ramón, a senior policy analyst with the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Immigration Project, said two coordinated trends have decreased the number of people arriving at the Southwest border: policies by the Trump administration and lockdowns in foreing countries, such as El Salvador and Honduras, restricting the movement of people during the pandemic. ""The administration doesn’t seem to recognize that the numbers we are seeing are flukes in history,"" Ramón said. ""This is happening in a very unique context that I think you are not going to fully account for by policies alone."" Immigration experts have told us that people interpret apprehension numbers differently: some might consider high apprehension numbers an indication of effective border enforcement; others might say low apprehension numbers show that U.S. policies are working to deter illegal immigration in the first place. The Trump administration views low apprehension numbers as a sign that the border is under control. Before the pandemic, a cooperative agreement between the United States and Guatemala and the Migrant Protection Protocols program contributed to a decline of border arrivals. The Trump administration in late March invoked Title 42, a section of federal law that allows the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to deny entry to immigrants coming from a country with an outbreak of an infectious disease. Using that law, the administration has been quickly expelling immigrants who arrive at the border, and that is also decreasing the number of people showing up at the border, Ramón said. It’s unclear if Trump’s claim of ""some of the best numbers we've ever had"" was based on a comparison of month-to-month or fiscal years. We also don’t know which years or months his claim is based on. So far this fiscal year, there have been around 207,000 Southwest border apprehensions, according to CBP data. However, that includes March and April expulsions done under the HHS directive, and apprehensions under CBP’s immigration authority. More detailed CBP data shows that of nearly 16,000 Border Patrol enforcement actions in April, about 1,500 were apprehensions under CBP’s immigration authority. The rest were expulsions under Title 42. In March, most of the Border Patrol’s actions were apprehensions, not expulsions. We asked CBP how it determined whether immigrants found in between ports of entry are sent back to their country based on the health department directive or based on CBP’s immigration authority. The agency said that if it made that information public it ""would be exploited by human smugglers."" Year-to-date apprehensions (October 2019 through April 2020) are the lowest they've been compared with same time frames in past years of the Trump administration. Still, nationwide, apprehensions were much lower in the 1960s and earlier years. The number of people encountered by Border Patrol during Trump’s first full months in office in 2017, February to April, was lower than the number encountered from February to April 2020. Camila Townsend, a Distinguished Professor of History at Rutgers University, with expertise in U.S.-Mexico border issues, said it is likely that potential immigrants are aware ""that they have no chance of an asylum hearing"" during this time, and that if they manage to cross illegally, there’s ""almost no chance of getting a job in a world where most businesses are shuttered."" ""They are likely aware that in order to get here and begin to face such problems, they would first have to pass through Central American countries and parts of Mexico with stay-at-home orders, curfews, and few cars or trucks on the road"" to hitchhike with, Townsend said via email. Trump said, ""We have some of the best numbers we've ever had. Southern border, the best numbers we've ever had."" Year-to-date apprehension numbers are the lowest the Trump administration has seen so far, but they are not the lowest compared with past administrations. In terms of monthly data, it is not the lowest the Trump administration has seen. Despite the low numbers, experts said it’s important to keep in mind the context: a global pandemic that has caused lockdowns in foreign countries and increased the public health risk of emigrating to the United States. The statement is partially accurate but leaves out important details or takes things out of context."
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31120
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A man in Argentina died from peritonitis after holding in gas during a visit with his girlfriend's mother.
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This further demonstrates that the fictional plight of “Jorge” is just a tall tale with a moral lesson (a man killed by his own shame in the presence of his girlfriend’s mother) rather than an accurate description of events that actually took place — in Mexico, Argentina, or anywhere else.
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false
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Junk News, argentina, fake news, farting
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On 3 August 2017, the satirical web site 8Shit published appeared to claim that a man in Argentina had died after holding in gas during a visit with his girlfriend’s mother. Jorge Caradeculito went to visit his girlfriend at lunch and had lunch with her and her mother. Unfortunately, the food was not was he was used to eat. Shortly after, he got the need to start farting, but he didn’t want to have an embarrassing moment in his girlfriend’s house, so he started holding them. The article cites a Dr. Jesus Cazares as saying that the cause of death was peritonitis, caused by “diverticula in the large intestine.” The last name of the deceased is an offensive phrase in Spanish, which can be (somewhat more politely) translated as “little ass face,” and the article bears other hallmarks of being fake: the web site describes itself as a “satire and humor site”; the man is said to have lived in Argentina, but no city is mentioned; in one instance the man is named as “Jorge,” and in another he is given the Anglicized “George.” This fake story can be traced back to a 31 July article on the Brazilian web site O Observador, which says the death took place in San Carlos, Mexico (not Argentina), and from there back to a 27 July article on the Dominican web site Informate Diario. The earliest iteration of the story that we could find was a 20 July post on MeMedios Obregon, a Mexican Facebook page that posts memes, ads for fitness supplements and smoothies, along with satirical vignettes about women getting seven days off work each month for their periods, and women being unfaithful because they didn’t play with Ken dolls as children. The original Facebook post about the man who died does not cite any sources for the anecdote, does not name an author, does not say when the death is purported to have taken place, and we could find no corroborating news reports from before 20 July 2017. Finally, MeMedios Obregon added this note to the story: The population is asked to analyze and determine which is more important: life or having an embarrassing moment.
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3969
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Brazil suspends beef exports to China due to ‘mad cow’ case.
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Brazil is suspending beef exports to China after confirming a case of “mad cow disease,” describing it as an isolated instance with no evidence of any widespread outbreak.
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true
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Brazil, Global trade, Health, General News, Animal health, Caribbean, China, Latin America
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A spokesperson for Brazil’s agriculture ministry said Monday the suspension of exports was implemented automatically after the case was confirmed. Such a step is required under the two countries’ bilateral agreement. Ministry spokesperson Regina Peres said the case detected Friday in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso did not come from contaminated food. She said that eliminated the possibility of large-scale contamination, saying exports are expected to resume “quickly.” The ministry said in a statement that the World Organization for Animal Health closed its investigation into the case Monday without altering Brazil’s sanitary status. The organization was not immediately available to confirm.
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33359
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George Washington told of an angel who revealed a prophetic vision of America to him at Valley Forge.
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At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? — Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant to step the Ocean and crush us at a blow? Never! — All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.
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false
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History, American History, george washington
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“Washington’s Vision” (reproduced as the example below) is a narrative presented as the 1859 reminiscences of 99-year-old Anthony Sherman, who was supposedly present with George Washington’s army at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777 and overheard Washington tell an officer that an angel had revealed a prophetic vision of America to him. The passage of more than 150 years has since obscured the origins and purpose of this narrative, leading many who encounter it now to believe that it is a true account of an incident from Washington’s life rather than a fictional tale created for political purposes long after Washington’s death: The last time I ever saw Anthony Sherman was on the Fourth of July, 1859, in Independence Square. He was then ninety-nine years old, his dimming eyes rekindled as he gazed upon Independence Hall, which he had come to visit once more. “I want to tell you an incident of Washington’s life one which no one alive knows of except myself; and which, if you live, you will before long see verified.” He said, “From the opening of the Revolution, we experienced all phases of fortune, good and ill. The darkest period we ever had, I think, was when Washington, after several reverses, retreated to Valley Forge, where he resolved to pass the winter of 1777. Ah! I often saw the tears coursing down our dear commander’s careworn cheeks, as he conversed with a confidential officer about the condition of his soldiers. You have doubtless heard the story of Washington’s going to the thicket to pray. Well, he also used to pray to God in secret for aid and comfort. “One day, I remember well, the chilly winds whistled through the leafless trees. Though the sky was cloudless and the sun shone brightly, he remained alone in his quarters nearly all afternoon. When he came out, I noticed that his face was a shade paler than usual, and there seemed to be something on his mind of more than ordinary importance. Returning just after dusk, he dispatched an orderly to the quarters of the officer I mentioned who was in attendance at the time. After preliminary conversation of about half an hour, Washington, gazing upon his companion with that strange look of dignity that he alone could command, said to the latter: “I do not know whether it is due to the anxiety of my mind, or what, but this afternoon, as I was preparing a dispatch, something seemed to disturbed me. Looking up, I beheld, standing opposite me, a singularly beautiful being. So astonished was I, for I had given strict orders not to be disturbed, that it was some moments before I found language to inquire the cause of the visit. A second, a third, and even a fourth time did I repeat my question, but received no answer from my mysterious visitor, except a slight raising of the eyes. By this time I felt strange sensations spreading through me, and I would have risen, but the riveted gaze of the being before me rendered volition impossible. I assayed once more to speak, but my tongue had become useless, as though it had become paralyzed. A new influence, mysterious, potent, irresistible, took possession. All I could do was to gaze steadily, vacantly at my unknown visitor. Gradually the surrounding atmosphere seemed to become filled with sensations, and grew luminous. Everything about me seemed to rarefy, including the mysterious visitor. “I began to feel as one dying, or rather to experience the sensations which I have sometimes imagined accompany dissolution. I did not think, I did not reason, I did not move; all were alike impossible. I was only conscious of gazing fixedly, vacantly at my companion. “Presently I heard a voice saying, ‘Son of the Republic, look and learn,’ while at the same time my visitor extended an arm eastwardly. I now beheld a heavy vapor at some distance rising fold upon fold. This gradually dissipated, and I looked out upon a strange scene. Before me lay spread out in one vast plain all the countries of the world — Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. I saw rolling and tossing between Europe and America the billows of the Atlantic, and between Asia and America lay the Pacific. “‘Son of the Republic,’ said the same mysterious voice as before, ‘look and learn.’ At that moment I beheld a dark, shadowy being as an angel standing, or rather floating, in mid-air between Europe and America. Dipping water out of the ocean in the hollow of his hand, he cast some on Europe. Immediately a cloud raised from these countries, and joined in mid-ocean. For a while it remained stationary, and then moved slowly westward until it enveloped America in its murky folds. Sharp flashes of lightning gleamed through it at intervals, and I heard the smothered groans and cries of the American people. A second time the angel dipped water from the ocean and sprinkled it out as before. The dark cloud was then drawn back to the ocean, in whose billows it sank from view. “A third time I heard the mysterious voice saying, ‘Son of the Republic, look and learn.’ I cast my eyes upon America and beheld villages and towns and cities string up one after another until the whole land form the Atlantic to the Pacific was dotted with them. Again I heard the mysterious voice say, ‘Son of the Republic, the end of the century cometh; look and learn.’ “And this time the dark, shadowy angel turned his face southward, and from Africa I saw an ill-omened specter approach our land. It flitted slowly over every town and city of the latter. The inhabitants presently set themselves in battle against each other. As I continued looking, I saw a bright angel, on whose brow rested a crown of light on which was traced the word ‘Union,’ bearing the American flag, which he placed between the divided nation. He said, ‘Remember, ye are brethren.’ Instantly the inhabitants, casting down their weapons, became friends once more, and united around the National Standard. “Again I heard the mysterious voice saying, ‘Son of the Republic, look and learn.’ At this the dark, shadowy angel placed a trumpet to his lips and blew three distinct blasts; and taking water from the ocean, he sprinkled it on Europe, Asia, and Africa. Then my eyes beheld a fearful scene. From each of these countries arose thick black clouds that were soon joined into one; and throughout this mass there gleamed a dark red light be which I saw hordes of armed men, who, moving with the cloud, marched by land and sailed by sea to America, which country was enveloped in the volume of cloud. And I dimly saw these vast armies devastate the whole country and burn the villages, towns, and cities that I had beheld springing up. “As my ears listened to the thundering of the cannon, the slashing of swords, and the shouts and cries of millions in mortal combat, I again heard the mysterious voice saying, ‘Son of the Republic, look and learn.’ When the voice had ceased, the dark angel placed his trumpet once more to his mouth and blew a long and fearful blast. “Instantly a light as of a thousand suns shown down from above me, and pierced and broke into fragments the dark cloud which enveloped America. At the same moment the angel upon whose head still shown the word ‘Union’ and who bore our national flag in one hand and a sword in the other descended from the heavens attended by legions of white spirits. These immediately joined the inhabitants of America, who I perceived were well-nigh overcome, but who, immediately taking courage again, closed up their broken ranks and renewed the battle. Again, amid the fearful noise of the conflict I heard the mysterious voice saying, ‘Son of the Republic, look and learn.’ As the voice ceased, the shadowy angel for the last time dipped water from the ocean and sprinkled it upon America. Instantly the dark cloud rolled back, together with the armies it had brought, leaving the inhabitants of the land victorious. “Then once more, I beheld the villages, towns, and cities springing up where I’d seen them before, while the bright angel, planting the azure standard he had brought in the midst of them, cried with a loud voice: ‘While the stars remain, and the heavens send down dew upon the earth, so long shall the Union last.’ And taking from his brow the crown on which blazoned the word ‘Union,’ he placed it upon the standard while the people, kneeling down, said ‘Amen.’ “The scene instantly began to fade and dissolve, and I, at last, saw nothing but the rising, curling vapor I had at first beheld. This also disappeared, and I found myself once more gazing upon the mysterious visitor, who in the same voice I had heard before said, ‘Son of the Republic, what you have seen is thus interpreted. Three great perils will come upon the Republic. The most fearful is the third, but in this greatest conflict the whole world united shall not prevail against her. Let every child of the Republic learn to live for his God, his land, and the Union.’ With these words the vision vanished, and I started from my seat and felt that I had seen a vision wherein had been shown me the birth, progress, and destiny of the United States.” “Such, my friends,” said the venerable narrator, “were the words I heard from Washington’s own lips, and America will do well to profit by them.” The tale of “Washington’s Vision” was penned by Charles Wesley Alexander (1836-1927), a Philadelphia journalist who published The Soldier’s Casket, a periodical for Union veterans of the Civil War. Writing under the pseudonym “Wesley Bradshaw,” Alexander authored several fictional “vision” or “dream” pieces featuring historic American figures which were published as broadsheets and in various newspapers during the Civil War and were later offered for sale through advertisements in the pages of The Soldier’s Casket, with the artificial separation between the real Charles Alexander and the pseudonymous “Wesley Bradshaw” allowing the former to unashamedly laud the latter’s works. The meaning of “Washington’s Vision” was apparent to Alexander’s contemporary audience. First published in April 1861 (at the outbreak of the Civil War) and full of references to “Union” and “Republic,” this account of Washington’s praying “to God in secret for aid and comfort” during the darkest days of the American Revolution and being visited by an angel who revealed to him a vision of the United States victorious was an obvious allegory for Unionists whose America was facing its greatest crisis since the revolution: a civil war pitting one half the country against the other in a struggle that threatened the existence of the Republic. During the war Alexander penned several similar tracts featuring both historical and contemporary American figures (e.g., Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant), including “General McClellan’s Dream,” a narrative in which the general-in-chief of the Union Army fell asleep at his desk and was awakened by a vision of George Washington, who admonished the general for sleeping at his post and revealed to him secret rebel plans which he urged McClellan to act on quickly in order to prevent Washington, D.C. from falling into Confederate hands. Alexander also published even more fantastical tales, including several about female Union soldiers with supernatural powers and one of a demonic Englishwoman who fought on the side of the Confederacy. As the Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research noted of “Washington’s Vision” and “General McClellan’s Dream” in 1917: It seemed to us that the remarks which prefaced the dream itself plainly intimated that the latter was a literary production written for a patriotic purpose. The [article] is from the pen of Wesley Bradshaw, Esq., and makes a fitting companion to “Washington’s Vision,” which sketch, written by the same author, at the commencement of our national difficulties, was widely copied by the press, and commended by Hon. Edward Everett as “teaching a highly important lesson to every true lover of his country.” There is here no attempt to put forth the “dream” as authentic. It is a “sketch” written by a gentleman who shortly before had written another sketch about a dream or vision attributed to Washington. (Although an officer named Anthony Sherman did serve in the Continental Army, he was at Saratoga under the command of Benedict Arnold at the end of 1777 and therefore wasn’t with Washington’s forces at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-78, so it’s likely mere coincidence that Alexander chose that appellation for the name of his fictitious narrator.) Alexander’s expression of the theme that America can never be conquered by external enemies but can be brought down only through the failings of its own citizens gained renewed currency in 2001 among Americans in need of booster shots of patriotism after the events of September 11, and it is reminiscent of thoughts delivered for real by a revered American historical figure: Abraham Lincoln’s address before the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois, on 27 January 1838:
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5463
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Rauner now plans to raze vet dorms where Legionnaires’ found.
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Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration announced on Monday that it plans to replace residence halls at the Quincy veterans’ facility which housed victims of a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak responsible for the deaths of 13 people and making dozens more ill since 2015.
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true
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U.S. News, Quincy, Health, Legionnaires disease, Illinois, Disease outbreaks, U.S. News, Veterans, Bruce Rauner
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The plan, revealed by Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director Erica Jeffries at a legislative hearing in Chicago, comes after a pledge by the Republican governor less than two months ago that he would replace antiquated plumbing which could provide harbor for the bacteria that causes the deadly, pneumonia-like malady. Rauner did say at the time a newly constructed facility could be a long-term option. “The cost and the disruption and the construction that would be involved, not to mention the time it would take to do this (plumbing replacement) would just not be worth the effort when you think about building a brand-new building,” Jeffries said Monday. “We do not want to spend years tearing up 70-year-old buildings to put brand-new piping in when we know that might not be a total solution.” Rauner stayed at the home for a week in January to dramatize his efforts to get to the bottom of the outbreak. He has been pummeled by opponents in his re-election bid who say his administration’s response has mishandled the crisis. Jeffries, who did not cite a potential cost, said several of the buildings on the 130-year-old campus in western Illinois would be razed to make way for “state-of-the-art facilities” during the next three to five years. At another point Jeffries indicated that preliminary recommendations from task forces Rauner appointed would be delivered by March 31 with a final version due May 1. Rauner faces voters in a GOP primary election March 20. Rauner spokeswoman Rachel Bold said late Monday that plumbing replacement hasn’t been ruled out and noted that Rauner’s pronouncement in January included suggesting constructing a “brand-new building here that has the latest technology.” The administration installed a $6.5 million water-treatment plant, adopted rigorous plumbing-fixture flushing protocols, installed filters on fixtures, and treated water with heat and chemicals, among other steps, in its effort to stop the problem. After initially appearing in 2015, Legionnaire’s disease returned to the facility in 2016 and 2017. Four more cases were confirmed last month. Monday’s hearing was called after the administration released an August 2016 report from Belleville-based consulting engineer BRiC Partnership suggesting steps to mitigate the problem, including replacing the underground water-distribution system and plumbing inside 15 campus buildings where the most susceptible residents live for $8 million. Jeffries said in December that plumbing replacement could cost $500 million or more; in January, she told lawmakers the price tag was $25 million to $30 million, but didn’t specify the source of that estimate. She has never explained why she used estimates that at a minimum were more than four times higher than the actual number. BRiC’s 2016 report, which cost $20,000, listed about a dozen ideas for a total of $17 million. The administration paid BRiC another $40,000 to update and expand its 2016 report. That update released last month indicated plumbing replacement for the entire campus would be $11 million; expanded options for the other ideas combined would cost no more than $24 million. Jeffries explained Monday that the August 2016 delivery of the BRiC report was just two months after the June completion of a $6.5 million water-treatment facility and wanted to test its effectiveness before taking any more actions. But Public Health officials had confirmed two more cases of Legionnaires’ in late July, just days before BRiC’s arrival on campus. ___ Contact Political Writer John O’Connor at https://twitter.com/apoconnor . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/john%20o’connor ___ Sign up for the AP’s weekly newsletter showcasing our best reporting from the Midwest and Texas: http://apne.ws/2u1RMfv
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11051
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Stem cell treatment used for diabetes
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"The story we reviewed was a 724-word version that the Boston Globe published, taken from an original Los Angeles Times story that had 1,253 words. While our overall review is quite favorable, the shorter Boston version left out important context for the story – most notably on the potential harms of the procedure in question. We have written about this practice before. The article describes using adult stem cell transplantation to eliminate the need for insulin in people with type 1 diabetes. The article addresses many of our review criteria, including availability and novelty as well as describing absolute benefits seen in the experimental trial. The article does not adequately explain the strength of the evidence (e.g. was this a randomized clinical trial or something less robust? ), so readers are not given any guidance about the quality of the evidence. And there was no discussion of the costs of the procedure – in this experimental phase – or what it might cost if it became a treatment. The article also could have provided more context about harms, since serious complications, including death are possible. There was no discussion of how serious harms might be or how often they might occur. As an example of what can be left out in a shortened version, this line about potential harms appeared in the original LA Times story, but was left out of the Boston Globe version we reviewed: ""Burt's research group at Northwestern has performed 170 stem-cell transplants to treat a variety of immune system disorders, and two patients have died from the treatment."""
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true
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"The story does not mention any costs of the experimental procedure. The story states that the new therapy eliminated the need for injections for months or years in 14 of 15 patients, thereby describing absolute benefits. The story states the new treatment is not without risks and that patients are prone to infection. However, there is no description of how severe this harm might be (could lead to death) or how frequently these occurred in the study. So, although harms are briefly mentioned, they are not adequately developed or appreciated. This is not a minor issue, as stem cell transplant can be associated with very signficant risks of infection, organ failure and even death. As an example of what can be left out in a shortened version, this line about potential harms appeared in the original LA Times story, but was left out of the Boston Globe version we reviewed: ""Burt's research group at Northwestern has performed 170 stem-cell transplants to treat a variety of immune system disorders, and two patients have died from the treatment."" The story does not report the strength of the evidence, namely whether this was a randomized trial or something less robust. Readers also aren't cautioned about the low number of participants or the short length of follow-up which limits the conclusions that can be drawn. The story does not overembellish the nature of the condition or its burden. The article quotes a source associated with the research and also quotes a source not associated with the research. The article discusses the alternate, standard thereapy for type 1 diabetics, which is insulin injections. The article states the treatment is experimental, letting readers know this procedure is not available at your local doctor's office just yet. The story states the research suggests a new avenue of treatment for people with Type I diabetes letting readers know this would be a new treatment (although the story states stem cell transplantation has been used with other conditions). Because the story had input from several sources, including one not involved in the research, it's safe to assume it did not rely solely or largely on a news release."
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6177
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Bird flu infects 7 people in China this month, killing 2.
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China has reported at least seven cases of bird flu in humans across the country this month, including two deaths, as authorities take steps to guard against an outbreak.
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true
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Health, Shanghai, Flu, Bird flu, China, Asia Pacific
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Five cases of H7N9 bird flu infections have been diagnosed in central Anhui province since Dec. 8, and two people have died, state media reported. In Shanghai, officials said this week that a man was diagnosed with H7N9 and is being treated in a city hospital. Another case has been reported in Xiamen in coastal Fujian province, where poultry sales have been halted. In rural Jinzhai county in Anhui province, local officials on Thursday announced a two-week closure of a meat market after a shopkeeper was diagnosed with H7N9. The provincial government also issued a warning on social media urging residents to avoid buying and slaughtering live chickens themselves. A major H7N9 bird flu outbreak in humans first struck China in March 2013, killing more than 40 people and devastating the poultry industry. The strain is less virulent than the H5N1 strain that the World Health Organization says has killed more than 370 people.
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10540
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Doctors suggest that women hit pause button on osteoporosis drugs
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This story about drug treatments for osteoporosis positions itself as a careful re-analysis of the benefits and harms of a class of drugs known as bisphosphonates. So we were surprised to find that this story suffers from some of the same deficiencies that typically plague boosterish puff pieces. Particularly problematic in this story is the lack of quantitative data. We learn that the use of bisphosphonate drugs is becoming more limited due to increasing awareness of frightening side effects, such as cancer and jaw necrosis. Yet there is no accounting in the story of how often these harms occur or how effective the drugs are for preventing fractures. There also were significant gaps in the coverage of costs and in the disclosure of potential financial conflicts. Despite its considerable shortcomings, the story gets credit for framing the issue in an appropriately cautious way and for soliciting a variety of expert perspectives. Readers should come away from the story with a generally accurate, if incomplete, understanding of the issue. There is evidence that long-term use of bisphosphonates can increase the risk for a number of rare but potentially serious adverse effects. How long women should continue taking these drugs is an open question that researchers urgently need to address.
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mixture
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Los Angeles Times,Osteoporosis,women's health
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There was no discussion of costs, and we think there always should be. The story suggests that there are women who will clearly benefit from taking bisphosphonates and for whom these benefits will outweigh the harms. However, the story never provides any detailed accounting of how often these benefits occur. We are assured by one of the experts that a two- to five-year course of these drugs “saves fractures, pain, disability and life.” But surely this is the same thing doctors were saying until recently to the women who it turned out didn’t need these drugs and weren’t experiencing these benefits. To be credible, statements such as this need to be backed up with data on the absolute reduction in fractures seen in the treatment group compared with placebo. It would also be important to note whether the fractures prevented are in the long bones or the hip (which can be devastating for older women) or in the vertebrae (which are often asymptomatic and may not affect how a patient lives her life). When the harms of a particular treatment are not critical to discuss at length, we sometimes let a story slide without going into too much detail on this issue. In this case, however, the story’s premise is that the harms of bisphosphonates are larger than was previously appreciated and may outweigh the benefits for many women. So we expected the story to provide some statistics about how often these serious adverse effects occur. The story fell short by using vague and subjective language to characterize these risks. Examples: We think readers will come away from this story with a generally accurate, if incomplete, understanding of the role of bisphosphonates in osteoporosis treatment. So while there clearly were some critical deficiencies in this story’s handling of the evidence (which we flag in other sections of this review), we’ll award a satisfactory here to recognize the story’s appropriately skeptical approach to the topic overall. Its framing of the issue emphasized that the benefits of bisphosphonates are unlikely to outweigh the harms for many women at low to moderate risk of a fracture. And it acknowledged that there was little evidence to suggest that a “pause” in treatment, as advocated by some, would help prevent the serious problems that have been reported with long-term bisphosphonate use. The story also put appropriate emphasis on the role of pharmaceutical marketing in creating a demand for treatment among women who probably won’t benefit from it. The story acknowledges that many women with modest bone loss are being treated with bisphosphonates and other osteoporosis drugs even though the benefits of these treatments may not outweigh the risks. The story also notes that the drug industry played a huge role in expanding the market for these drugs to women who probably don’t need them (a tale nicely chronicled in this 2009 piece by NPR). So it was odd, given this context, that the story let an aggressive claim by one of its sources go completely unchallenged at the end of the piece. The source says that under-use of osteoporosis drugs “remains a bigger problem than overuse.” This is despite the source’s previous acknowledgment that most women with modest bone loss — a group that includes millions of women in the U.S., many of whom are being treated with bisphosphonates — probably do not need to be treated and yet are being unnecessarily exposed to the risks and costs of treatment. We think this statement smacks of disease-mongering. The story calls on multiple experts who provide important and valuable context for the story. We just wish the story had pointed out the potential financial conflicts that one of the quoted researchers — Dr. Richard Eastell — may have when commenting on osteoporosis treatments. Eastell disclosed more than a dozen commercial relationships in this recent NEJM study, many of them with companies that make drugs to treat osteoporosis. The story mentions several other classes of drugs that may be used to treat osteoporosis in lieu of bisphosphonates. The story could have done a bit more to point out that these drugs also have known drawbacks that limit their use, but we don’t think a full discussion was necessary to fulfill the criterion. The story makes it clear that the osteoporosis drugs being discussed have, in most cases, been widely available for a number of years. The novelty of these drugs is not really in question, so we’ll call this one not applicable. This story was clearly not based on a news release.
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9254
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KVK Tech Announces FDA-Approval of Lomaira™ (phentermine hydrochloride USP) 8 mg tablets, CIV, A Low-Cost, Low-Dose Phentermine That Can Be Used Up To Three Times Daily for Weight Reduction
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This release describes a new low-dose, low-cost form of the drug Lomaira (phentermine hydrochloride USP) for use in weight control along with exercise and a controlled diet. While it gets points for addressing the issue of costs and it is exuberant in its information on possible side effects and other medical concerns, the release doesn’t offer any quantification of benefits or evidence needed to assess the usefulness of the drug compared with other weight-control measures. As a generic version of an already approved drug, the manufacturer of Lomaira needed to demonstrate therapeutic equivalence with phentermine, meaning it needs to contain the same active ingredient and be just as safe as the originator drug. A discussion of the quantified benefits of other formulations of phentermine and a comparison with other methods of weight loss would have been helpful to readers. According to the National Institutes of Health, in America, “more than two-thirds (68.8 percent) of adults are considered to be overweight or obese. More than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity. Almost 3 in 4 men (74 percent) are considered to be overweight or obese.” So drugs that play a safe, effective role in reducing a person’s weight are an important public health aid. But the issue of weight control is also inundated with fad diets, questionable supplements and potentially risky alternatives, so strong, informative, data-rich information about research into weight control approaches is extremely important and necessary for consumers to make good decisions.
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mixture
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KVK Tech,phentermine
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This release makes the specific point that this newly approved dosage of the drug Lomaira (phentermine hydrochloride USP) will cost eligible patients “no more than 50¢ per tablet for the duration of treatment” if they qualify for the manufacturer’s assistance program. It makes the point that many insurance plans will not cover the cost of weight management drugs and that the low cost of this formulation should aid those who are prescribed it. The low-cost aspect of the drug is mentioned in both the headline and in the first paragraph of the release. The release would have been stronger had it mentioned the basic cost of the drug, regardless of any manufacturer’s qualifying discount. The release basically offers no information that quantifies any benefits from taking this drug. Because the originally approved drug has been used for many years for weight reduction the release implies that this drug works as advertised. But no data at all is offered about the degree of weight reduction that can be achieved from the drug. It does mention that patients reducing their weight by 5 to 10 percent enjoy a reduction in cardiovascular risk but no study evidence is offered. Also important is that although the release correctly identifies obesity as a chronic condition, here we’re talking about a medication that is approved for “a few weeks.” If treatment for a chronic condition has a benefit, and then treatment is stopped, the benefit consequent to that treatment tends to disappear. Many physicians in weight management have been using phentermine in an off-label manner (either for longer periods of time than “a few weeks,” or with a cyclical prescription pattern). This would have been worth exploring in the release. This release lists nine separate possible side effects of the use of the drug in question and then adds to that the statement that, “These are not all of the potential side effects of phentermine.” It then offers seven additional paragraphs with cautions, contraindications and warnings pertaining to taking the drug, all under the heading of “Important Safety Information.” Readers will at least be informed, if not alarmed, after reading. This release is basically announcing a new dosage of an existing drug, rather than the results of any studies. It does state that, “In relatively short-term clinical trials, adults with obesity who were instructed in dietary management and treated with ‘anorectic’ drugs (appetite suppressants) lost more weight on the average than those treated with placebo and diet.” But no information is offered about those trials, nor is it made specifically clear that the trials focused on the use of the drug Lomaira. Readers are offered really no evidence, much less information that could be useful in evaluating the quality of it. The drug Lomaira is designed to treat persons who are obese or overweight and therefore plays on the interests of a large portion of the population who are concerned about their weight. While it does not seem to cross the line into the realm of disease-mongering, it does get about as close as possible without stepping over. There is no mention of who funded the studies that the FDA would have required for them to approve this use of the drug, nor is there any mention of potential conflicts of interest on the part of any investigators. The study referenced at the end of the release, however, did identify funders and addressed potential conflicts. The release makes no mention of other drugs or methods of weight control. Nor does it compare its efficacy with the multitude of dietary approaches available today. It does say that Lomaira “should be used together with regular exercise and a reduced-calorie diet.” The release states that, “Lomaira is anticipated to be available by the end of September 2016.” We’ll give this release the benefit of the doubt for this category. Lomaira isn’t a new drug, this is only a new dosage that may be more effective for some patients and their prescribing physicians. As such, the novelty of this release is minimal at best. We see no unjustifiable language being used in this release.
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3130
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Putin says Trump was impeached for ‘far-fetched’ reasons.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump was impeached for “far-fetched” reasons, calling the move by Democrats a continuation of their fight against the Republican leader.
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true
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Ukraine, Russia, AP Top News, Climate change, Robert Mueller, International News, Moscow, Elections, Politics, Impeachments, Vladimir Putin, Business, Science, Europe, General News, Donald Trump
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“It’s simply a continuation of internal political struggle,” Putin said at his end-of-year news conference in Moscow. “The party that lost the (2016) election, the Democratic Party, is trying to achieve results by other means.” He likened Trump’s impeachment to the earlier U.S. probe into collusion with Russia, which Putin played down as groundless. Former special counsel Robert Mueller concluded earlier this year that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election in a “sweeping and systematic fashion.” “Now they invented some sort of pressure on Ukraine,” Putin said, referring to the investigation of Trump’s trying to enlist the president of that country to announce investigations of his political rival as he withheld U.S. aid to Kyiv. Trump on Wednesday became only the third American president to be impeached. The historic vote in the House of Representatives split along party lines over a charge of abusing his power. The House also approved a second article that he obstructed Congress in its investigation. Noting the Republicans have a majority in the Senate, where a trial of Trump will be conducted, Putin said “they will be unlikely to remove a representative of their own party from office on what seems to me absolutely far-fetched reasons.” Turning to the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with the U.S. that expires in 2021, Putin said that Russia is ready to extend it “even tomorrow,” warning that the demise of the last U.S.-Russian arms control deal will remove the final barrier stemming an arms race. Putin spoke on a variety of issues during the marathon news conference that lasted for more than four hours and was dominated by local issues, such as Russia’s ailing health care system and federal subsidies for the regions. The 67-year-old Russian president, who marks two decades in power later this month, remained coy about his political future. He wouldn’t answer if he could potentially extend his rule by shifting into a new governing position to become the head of a union between Russia and neighboring Belarus. Putin served two four-year terms as president in 2000-2008, then moved into the premier’s position to observe a constitutional limit of two consecutive terms. He was re-elected in 2012 and 2018, and his current six-year terms runs through 2024. He suggested modifying the law to limit a president to two terms altogether, which some observers said could signal his intention to stay at the helm by shifting into another position and reduce the power of presidency. The Russian president left the door open to amending the Russian Constitution to change the distribution of powers of the president, the Cabinet and parliament, but noted that revisions must be made carefully after a broad pubic discussion. Asked about costly business projects reportedly run by his two daughters, whom the Kremlin has carefully kept out of the public eye, Putin praised the initiatives but stopped short of confirming any details about them. Putin opened the news conference by warning about new challenges posed by global climate change, saying that global warming could threaten Russian Arctic cities and towns built on permafrost and trigger more fires and devastating floods. He emphasized that Russia has abided by the Paris agreement intended to slow down global warming. At the same time, he noted that the U.S. and China, which are responsible for a large share of greenhouse gas emissions, aren’t part of the deal. Putin also hailed the economic achievements of his rule, pointing that Russia has become the world’s largest grain exporter, surpassing the U.S. and Canada — a dramatic change compared to the Soviet Union that heavily depended on grain imports. The Russian economy had suffered a double blow of a drop in global oil prices and Western sanctions that followed Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. It has seen a slow recovery since 2017 after a two-year stagnation. Russia’s ties with the West have remained at post-Cold War lows, but Putin argued that Russia has recovered and become more resilient to shocks from Western penalties and fluctuations in global energy prices. He deflected Western criticism, saying that he sees his mission in protecting Russia’s national interests and pays little attention to negative diatribes. Noting the continuing strain in relations with Britain, Putin praised Prime Minister Boris Johnson for winning a strong parliament majority in his general election and held the door open for improving ties. “He came out the winner because he had felt the British society’s sentiments more acutely,” he said. Putin voiced hope for further moves to settle the conflict in eastern Ukraine following his talks in Paris on Dec. 9 with the leaders of Ukraine, France and Germany. He said that the 2015 peace agreement signed in Minsk and brokered by France and Germany must be observed, rejecting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s push for revising it. “If we start revising the Minsk agreement, it will lead to deadlock,” Putin said. The fighting in eastern Ukraine, which flared up in 2014 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea, has killed more than 14,000. Putin, who once lamented the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union as the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century, had some harsh words to say about Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin. He lambasted Lenin’s policies on ethnic issues, saying that his idea to grant broad autonomy to ethnic-based Soviet republics, including their right to secede, paved way for the Soviet breakup once the Communist Party’s hold on power started to loosen. At the same time, Putin rejected the push for taking Lenin’s embalmed body out of the Red Square tomb and burying it, saying that it would offend older people who still see the Soviet founder as a powerful symbol. He noted that the Soviet demise spawned expectations of a “unipolar world” in which the U.S. dictates terms to others, adding that such “illusions” quickly collapsed. Putin said that China has come to challenge the U.S. as the global economic powerhouse and hailed increasingly close ties between Moscow and Beijing. Putin dismissed reports of an emerging military alliance between Russia and China, but noted that Moscow was helping Beijing to develop an early warning system to spot ballistic missile launches. Only Russia and the U.S. currently have the system that includes ground-based radar and satellites. “It will allow our strategic partner to boost its defense capability,” he said.
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9469
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NO LAUGHING MATTER: NITROUS OXIDE REAPPEARS IN US AMBULANCES
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This story on the use of nitrous oxide in ambulances seems to come out of nowhere, which is often a good starting point for a news story. It covers the costs of the drug. It quotes multiple sources. It discusses the harms of the drug. But it also fails to answer too many questions. Deep in this story about nitrous oxide being used on ambulances, we catch a glimpse of a story that is still to be written. It’s in one sentence that reads, “The renewed use of nitrous on ambulances comes as some states have begun to allow advanced EMTs, which have less training than paramedics, to administer it, in line with national guidelines.” The question could have been: “Are local governments, in search of lower costs associated with emergency medical care, looking for new ways to cut corners?” Instead, the story presents us with a few anecdotes about the use of nitrous oxide in ambulances. It is unclear whether the actual number of people being given nitrous oxide is really on the rise. It is unclear whether there are true benefits to using it. It is unclear how it stacks up against alternatives. And because the specter of the nation’s opioid epidemic is raised, we end up with a story that creates disease mongering around addiction to painkillers when it could have just as easily followed a more informative path. Without a discussion of the research on using nitrous oxide in ambulance settings, readers are required to rely on anecdotes and personal statements from people interviewed in the story.
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mixture
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nitrous oxide,pain
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The story touches on costs, saying: Stowe, a largely volunteer squad, is adding a unit to a second ambulance this fall at a cost of about $3,800, plus costs for disposable supplies and some cleaning agents, as well as the nitrous cylinders, which cost about $14 to refill. Brinkman estimates the drug costs less than $10 per use once the equipment is purchased. It’s not exactly clear what the consumer cost would be, but readers can infer that it’s likely to be inexpensive. There is no quantification of benefits in this piece. What have clinical trials measured? How much does it help reduce pain and anxiety, in numerical terms? The story sufficiently explains the potential harms of the drug: Not all is rosy. Nitrous oxide in and of itself has the potential to be used as a recreational drug and can be misused by providers and patients, or can be stolen for personal use or sale on the street, according to the American Ambulance Association. And while it has its advantages, nitrous oxide also can cause nausea, vomiting and light-headedness, which could cause complications with some patients, said Dr. Edward Yaghmour, chairman of the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ Committee on Obstetric Anesthesia. The gas cannot be used in patients with head injuries, or who have abdominal pain or pulmonary concerns. This is enough to be Satisfactory. But two major risks weren’t discussed adequately: Intermediate EMTs may not be able to recognize a patient with early or initial stages of shock. Giving nitrous to that patient could be disastrous and lead to death. There is also a problem with patients who have underlying lung disease and who need extra oxygen. Giving nitrous is usually a 70% nitrous to 30% oxygen, which may not be enough oxygen for some patients with heart or lung diseases. There is nothing in the story about any evidence supporting the use of nitrous oxide over other anesthetics. What research has been conducted on it? How high-quality is the research? Are there any current studies underway? We feel that without any explanation of the evidence in support of nitrous oxide or any quantification of the benefits to using nitrous oxide that when the topic of opioid addiction is raised it has the effect of disease mongering. Is the standard or practice in most ambulances today really contributing to the opioid epidemic in the country? Is there evidence for that? Do we have any proof that using nitrous oxide reduces opioid addiction? All we are given is an anecdote: “a woman who dislocated her shoulder asked not to be given narcotics because she was recovering from addiction.” We would have liked to have seen more scientific expertise tapped for this piece, but we give the story credit for talking with a wide range of sources. We did not detect any potential conflicts of interest. The story does not compare nitrous oxide to alternatives in a meaningful way. The story makes it clear that nitrous oxide is currently available in 30 states. It would be hard to quantify, of course, just how frequently it is actually used in ambulance runs. But the story does not overstep to indicate that it is a rapidly rising trend. The story says: Nitrous oxide equipment has been sold to ambulance crews in at least 30 states in the past three years, including Maine, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas and Wisconsin, according to Henry Schein Medical, the sole distributor of the version for ambulances. Nitrous has been more commonly used in ambulances in Europe and Australia. The novelty of nitrous oxide or of the trend in using it in ambulances is not established here. We are not left with a clear picture of what is really going on. Did the reporter just happen upon an ambulance company using nitrous oxide or was there a legitimate trend that was uncovered here? The story does not rely on a news release.
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10121
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Benefits of Spine Surgery Affirmed
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"This news story presents a summary of a major new study comparing surgery to nonoperative treatments for lumbar spinal stenosis. However, its explanation of the nature of the new evidence and the apparent advantages of surgery is incomplete, and could leave a reader with a lopsided view of the benefits of surgery. Because of the design of the study (named SPORT) and the large numbers of people in the randomized trial who crossed over and chose a different treatment from the one they were assigned, it may be difficult to gauge the “true” magnitude of the difference between surgery and nonoperative care. Although the published research presented several analyses, the news story focused on those that showed the greatest advantage for surgery; e.g. dramatic differences in patient-perceived “major improvement” of 63% vs. 29%. (See more details in ""Evidence"" and “Quantification of Benefits” above.) The “truth,” many observers would say, likely lies somewhere between the minimal/modest benefits that the news story did not report and the larger benefits that it did. Moreover, the story seems to imply that surgery should be the treatment of choice for all patients with spinal stenosis. In fact, the study proves that it isn’t. All people who chose nonoperative therapies had the option of receiving surgery if they wished. But some 40% stuck with their nonoperative decision through the two years of observation. As in earlier research, those who chose surgery appeared to be worse off in many ways (worse symptoms, more distress, etc.) than those who chose nonoperative treatments. The news story thus misses a central point of the research: surgery appears to be a good choice for some people—those with persistent, bothersome symptoms that don’t improve with nonoperative strategies—but it is not for everyone. Given the older age of this patient population and the small but real risks of surgical intervention, many patients may rightly select nonsurgical treatment as the ""right"" option for them, even knowing that on average their outcomes may be slightly inferior to those selecting surgery. A few final notes: The news story failed to mention the possible harms of either treatment. It would also have been very interesting for readers to hear from a spine researcher not associated with the study who could provide some of the missing nuance. And it would be nice to hear just a little more context–perhaps a sentence about another recent trial from Finland that showed smaller advantages for surgery at 2 years. Finally, it is troubling that fully a third of the text of this news story was directly lifted from a press release. This text encompassed most of the analysis of the results, which was incomplete and arguably biased."
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mixture
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The article reports the costs of surgery ($10,000-12,000) though it does not mention the cost of nonoperative care or compare the costs of the two treatment regimens. It’s unclear from the article whether the surgery costs encompass all aspects of surgery, from surgeon fees through hospitalization. The story used absolute measures to report the patients’ outcomes, but it focused on results that showed the greatest advantage for surgery. The researchers presented several analyses. One analysis showed a very small but significant (~8/100 points) advantage for surgery at 2 years in pain reduction, but no advantage in function or disability; these were the outcomes of the randomized patients, analyzed according to their assigned treatments (an intention-to-treat analysis), and likely underestimate the value of surgery. Another analysis looked at all patients according to the treatments they actually received, and showed a modest but significant 11- to 14-point advantage for surgery in pain relief, function and disability. The news story did not report either of these analyses. The “truth,” many observers would say, likely lies somewhere between the minimal/modest benefits that the news story did not report and the larger benefits that it did. The story did not mention harms of either type of treatment. The researchers reported that about 1 in 10 people who received surgery had an intraoperative or postoperative complication, although few of these were serious. The design of the SPORT study is complex. The article notes that it included patients randomly assigned to surgery or nonoperative care. It also points out that some of the patients randomly assigned to nonoperative care changed their minds and had surgery. The article fails to note two other important features of the study, however. About a third of patients randomly assigned to surgery changed their minds and opted for nonsurgical care. Also, there was another, equally large cohort of patients enrolled in the study whose treatments were not randomly assigned and who instead chose their treatments, creating what is known as an observational cohort. This is a key design feature in all of the SPORT studies. It is important because the results of observational cohorts may compare people who have dissimilar levels of pain or disability or different socioeconomic backgrounds, which limits their conclusions. In general, the story does not exaggerate spinal stenosis, though it may be a stretch to characterize the problem as “common.” (It exists in about 3% of people who visit a doctor with back pain, and is a common cause of back surgery in the elderly.) And while it is true that spinal stenosis can cause “debilitating pain,” the condition can often be less dire as well. Although people who received nonoperative care in this SPORT study did not do as well as those who received surgery, some 40% of all enrolled patients still preferred to manage their problem without surgery at the two-year mark and, on average, showed modest improvement. The story only quoted one source – the study’s lead investigator. The story should have included some input from observers not directly involved the study about their interpretation of the results. The article notes some of the common alternatives to surgery—drugs and physical therapy—although it does not mention another very common treatment, epidural steroid injections. The news story notes that laminectomy is one of the most common operations performed in the U.S., suggesting that it is widely available. Most readers are likely aware of the availability of nonoperative treatments such as pain medications and physical therapy. The story notes that laminectomy is one of the most common operations performed in the U.S., suggesting that it is not novel. Most readers likely know that nonoperative treatments such as pain medications and physical therapy are not new. By pure word count, fully a third of the text was borrowed verbatim from a press release. 169 of the 490 words in the story – or 34% – were identical to the phrases found in a Rush University Medical Center news release found on the Newswise online service – one used commonly by journalists. This is unacceptable in a high school journalism class – much less in the Wall Street Journal.
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855
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Thailand unveils first batch of medical marijuana for hospital distribution.
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Thailand delivered 4,500 bottles of cannabis oil to treat hospital patients on Wednesday, its first official use of marijuana for medical purposes since a measure legalizing such use took effect this year.
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true
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Health News
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Thailand, which has a tradition of using cannabis to relieve pain and fatigue, legalized marijuana for medical use and research last year to help boost agricultural income. The Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) delivered the 5-ml (0.17 fl. oz) bottles to the public health ministry to distribute to hospitals for about 4,000 registered patients, with a further 2,000 bottles to be distributed this month. “This is the outcome of legalizing medical cannabis,” said deputy prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is also the public health minister. “There is no hidden agenda. We only want to support every patient.” Thailand has an “urgent agenda” to distribute 1 million bottles of marijuana extracts within 5 to 6 months, Anutin said, adding that the GPO and other agencies will produce 200,000 bottles of the extract every month from September. The GPO will begin planting its second cannabis crop this month, aiming to expand to greenhouse cultivation by early 2020, so as to boost its oil production to 150,000 to 200,000 bottles.
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4178
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Mississippi Coast beaches open, contact advisories lifted.
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All 21 beaches along the Mississippi Gulf Coast are open after being closed this summer for a harmful algae bloom.
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true
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Environment, Mississippi, Algae
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The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality late Friday lifted water contact warnings that were issued Aug. 6. Warnings also were lifted for Pass Christian Harbor, Long Beach Harbor and Bay St. Louis Harbor. All summer long, harmful blue-green algae blooms have plagued the coast. MDEQ says recent results indicated that while the bloom was present and/or in bloom, many of the cells were dying. MDEQ moved to the toxicity testing phase of the protocol this week. Sampling results, officials say, were all below the EPA guidelines set to protect public health.
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4045
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CDC warns Mainers to beware of Lyme as warm season starts.
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Public health officials in Maine say now is the time for residents to start taking precautions to avoid Lyme disease in the state.
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true
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Health, Ticks, Maine, Lyme disease, Public health
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The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention says most residents of the state are at risk for the tick-borne infection every day. Ticks also carry pathogens that can cause other diseases, such as babesiosis. The agency says providers reported more than 1,400 confirmed and probable cases of Lyme disease in Maine in 2018. The incidence of the disease has grown over the past several years, and regularly tops 1,000 after never exceeding 800 in the late 2000s. Warm weather means residents will be more likely to encounter ticks. The Maine CDC says residents should use repellant, wear protective clothing and perform daily tick checks.
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35423
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Asheville police officers destroyed a medic tent and its supplies while enforcing a curfew during a protest against police brutality.
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Sean Miller, one of the organizers of the medic tent, told a local CBS affiliate that the statement was “shocking.”
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true
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Medical, George Floyd Protests
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During a June 2, 2020 protest against police brutality and racial injustice in Asheville, North Carolina, police in riot gear destroyed a medic tent operated by an “all-volunteer team of doctors, certified nurses, EMTs, military combat medics, and citizens with CPR and first-aid certifications.” According to the Asheville Citizen-Times, the team “had a verbal agreement with APD to be present, even after curfew.” Nevertheless, a scene captured by witnesses minutes after the curfew began showed police forcibly removing volunteers, crushing and emptying water bottles, and destroying the tent: One volunteer said, “We were not protesting. We were not agitating. We had claimed that space. We had set up a triage area in case of any injuries. We had eyewash, sutures, EMT, doctors, EMS workers. They came in full riot gear, hit us with shields, threw several people to the ground. We were grabbed, thrown, shouted at, screamed at, treated as criminals. No one resisted.” Videos of the tent’s destruction went viral, and public outrage followed. The Asheville Police Department’s initial statement from Chief David Zack on June 3, 2020, confirmed that the incident took place, but defended the department’s actions, largely placing blame for the incident on the medical volunteers: As the Chief of Police I understand the concern has been raised over the destruction of water, food, and medical supplies. The Asheville Police Department (APD) would always prefer confiscation over destruction. We apologize for not being able to confiscate these supplies last night. Over the past three days APD has tried to eliminate objects that can be thrown at protesters and law enforcement. Because water bottles, in particular, have been continuously used over the last three nights, officers destroyed them. Officers also searched for potentially dangerous objects, such as explosives. The supply station was not permitted by the City of Asheville and was located on private property, without the permission of the property owner. The actions involving the supply station occurred following multiple warnings, and after the 8 p.m. city-wide curfew. But this statement from the chief only exacerbated tensions in Asheville.
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6993
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In the Seychelles, coral reefs face climate change threat.
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Beneath the crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean island nation of the Seychelles, a fight is growing to save the coral reefs that shelter a range of creatures, from tiny invertebrates to the sprawling octopus, from climate change.
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true
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Africa, Climate, Seychelles, Climate change, Oceans, Environment, Corals, Indian Ocean, Coral reefs
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The fragile reefs act both as a protective barrier for coastlines and an attraction for the tourists who keep the country’s economy going. But the reefs are also one of the first victims of rising ocean temperatures. The Seychelles in some areas lost up to 90 percent of its coral reefs in 1998 in an environmental event known as bleaching, where coral in warming waters expel the colorful algae that live within their skeletons and, without their nutrients, starve. Another bleaching event occurred in 2016 after the reefs had partly recovered, said David Rowat, chairman of the Marine Conservation Society Seychelles. With further threats including overfishing and pollution, coral reefs around the world will reach their tipping point before the end of the century, disappearing more quickly than they can restore themselves, according to a study published in the journal Science last month. The Seychelles government this year announced a pioneering deal where it swapped part of its sovereign debt for investment in marine protection areas. Already, conservationists have launched a number of coral reef restoration projects around the nation’s 115 islands. In one, more than 50,000 coral fragments have been nurtured and transplanted by a local charity, Nature Seychelles, in what the organization calls the world’s largest coral restoration program. The Marine Conservation Society has both land- and ocean-based coral nursery sites. On a recent afternoon, an employee at one site in Beau Vallon painstakingly cleaned a nursery tank with a toothbrush. She and project leader Chloe Pozas spent the morning transferring tiny coral fragments, once collected from the sea floor, from the tanks to an underwater “rope nursery,” or improvised skeleton. “When the corals are going to reach a suitable size, when they are big enough, they are going to be outplanted back on the reef,” Pozas said. About 2,800 kilometers (1,700 miles) away off the island of Curieuse, the Seychelles National Park Authority has been moving corals grown in another rope nursery. Divers delicately transfer the tiny corals to a degraded reef in a national marine park, then attach them using non-toxic epoxy resin. After the 2016 bleaching event, experts noticed that some corals were more resilient than others. Those “super corals” were chosen for regrowth and transplanting. “Restoration is really only a tool to try to help the reef to recover faster, especially because coral bleaching is projected to happen annually by 2050,” Pozas said. The Seychelles government is working with Nature Seychelles to secure funding for a proposal to upscale coral farming efforts to a larger operation using new methods. The aim is to commercialize part of the operation so that it can financially sustain reef restoration well into the future, according to Nature Seychelles. Those whose livelihoods rely on tourism are watching the efforts with interest. “Obviously we have divers and snorklers and if we can continue to have healthy reefs and lots of fish, we got happy divers, they do lots of dives, the dive center makes more business, the government gets more tax money and everybody is happy,” said Glynis Rowat, who has managed one of the oldest diving centers in Beau Vallon for over 30 years.
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845
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Indonesia president makes moratorium on forest clearance permanent.
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Indonesian President Joko Widodo has issued a permanent moratorium on new forest clearance for activities such as palm plantations or logging, the environment minister said on Thursday.
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true
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Environment
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While likely to be welcomed by green groups, some do not think it goes far enough to protect remaining forests in the tropical archipelago. The moratorium, which covers around 66 million hectares (254,827 square miles) of primary forest and peatland, was first introduced in 2011 and has been renewed regularly as part of the efforts to reduce emissions from fires caused by deforestation. “The president signed an instruction on stopping new permits and improving primary forest and peatland governance,” Forestry and Environment Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar said in a statement. Bakar said the Aug. 5 presidential instruction mandated that ministers, governors and other officials could not issue new permits within the moratorium area. Indonesia has had one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world, with more than 74 million hectares (285,700 square miles) of rainforest - an area nearly twice the size of Japan - logged, burned or degraded in the last half century, according to Greenpeace. The moratorium decision comes after authorities declared an emergency in six provinces on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo where smoke from outbreaks of forest fires have started causing acute respiratory infections. The air pollution in Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan on the island of Borneo was getting worse and had forced authorities to restrict school hours, said Arie Rompas, a Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaigner. Rompas said the permanent moratorium still did not provide adequate protection for primary forest and peatland in the long run, blaming a lack of punishment and loopholes in regulations. “The policy should not be via a presidential instruction because it is the weakest among legal instruments,” he said. According to the ministry’s data, the area mapped out for the moratorium had been changed from 69.1 million hectares initially to 66.1 million hectares recently. “If it’s a permanent one, changing the map should not be allowed anymore,” he said, adding that Greenpeace had found that permits for palm-oil, pulp wood, logging and mining had been granted on 1.6 million hectares from the original moratorium.
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34343
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Energy drinks caused an expectant father to lose a large portion of his skull.
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However, in the lack of additional information we cannot know if doctors did indeed diagnose a man named Austin with a brain hemorrhage, if they attributed the hemorrhage to an energy drink, and if they were correct in doing so. If events did indeed occur this way, they would be — based on the scientific literature — extremely rare.
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unproven
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Food, brain injury, energy drink, hemorrhaging
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More than a week after it was published, a 3 October 2017 Facebook post purporting to depict the aftermath of an expectant father’s brain hemorrhage and surgery went viral. The post, which was subsequently deleted from the Facebook page of photography company Endres Photography, described the testimony of a client named Brianna, who asserted that this life-altering event was caused by her husband’s excess consumption of energy drinks: The doctors concluded (after running his tox screen and ruling out drugs) that this horrible event was due to his recent excessive energy drink consumption (a habit he had built when he started working longer hours and commuting). Fox News was among the sites that picked up Brianna’s click-friendly story, but no one reporting on the topic appeared to look further than her Facebook post to verify whether the details were accurate or correct. Dates, locations, and other information necessary to verify her husband Austin’s purported diagnosis were missing from news accounts; instead, those reports incorporated quotes and screenshots from a single secondhand Facebook post. Articles on the subject did not even include statements from doctors verifying that the information presented was credible or medically plausible. We reached out to three medical experts to assess the plausibility of the scenario described by Endres Photography but had not received a response by press time. A search of medical literature suggests that a hemorrhage caused by an energy drink is plausible but unlikely, and, if a connection between the two were present at all, it would be poorly understood. The primary link, if there is one, would likely come from caffeine’s effect on blood pressure. Caffeine, by constricting blood vessels, increases a person’s blood pressure, which can ultimately increase the risk of hemorrhaging in the brain. A number of analyses have reached conflicting conclusions about the reality of this scenario, however. A 2016 paper purports to present the first case report in medical literature suggesting a connection between energy drinks and brain hemorrhaging. That single report, concerning a 57-year-old who consumed an energy drink called Redline, does not provide much outside of speculation, however: It is not immediately clear what component of the drink led to the hemorrhage in our patient. The high caffeine content is likely to have contributed, given its association with hemorrhagic strokes. Caffeinated energy drinks have also been shown to have effects on platelet aggregation and endothelial function. […] The other components of this drink, such as yohimbine and 5-hydroxytryptophan, have also been associated with elevated blood pressure, and there may be interactions between the various ingredients that lead to new effects. Based on Brianna’s account, the doctors in her case “concluded” the cause of her husband’s brain hemorrhage was his (admittedly considerable) energy drink habit, based only on the fact that no other drugs were found in his system. Without knowing what additional information was available to the doctors, it is impossible to say whether or not this conclusion was, similarly, speculative on their part. Regardless of the specific cause of brain hemorrhaging, removing a portion of the victim’s skull (a procedure known as a decompressive hemicraniectomy) is sometimes indicated as a treatment for some kinds of such hemorrhages. It is therefore possible that such a surgery, the aftermath of which might be depicted in these photographs, would be performed on someone with excessive bleeding in the brain.
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28494
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In 35 states, it's legal for police officers to have sex with unconsenting detainees.
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In short, the original item published by BuzzFeed pertained not to laws “allowing” police officers to rape with impunity, but an absence of laws that explicitly defined any sexual contact between a detainee and officer as non-consensual in many states.
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mixture
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Crime, buzzfeed, rape, sexual consent
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In February 2018, two articles led to various iterations of a claim that 35 states allow police officers to rape individuals in custody: Examples: [Collected via e-mail and Twitter, February 2017] Someone shared a map on facebook, saying that laws in 35 states allow police officers to rape detainees and get away from it, like a rape loophole? When do these women start pledging to get Constitutional equality for women? It is impossible to get equal pay without the #ERA. It is impossible to shift the rape culture without #ERA. WAKE UP 35 States allow police to rape someone in their custody & claim it was consensual. pic.twitter.com/TwxP6TKP1a — Rethinking Eve (@RethinkingEve) February 8, 2018 I recently read article linked below and was wondering if the claim that there are no laws to prevent cops from having sex with a detainee in 35 states. Also I was under the impression that inmates in prison could not consent to sexual contact with a guard or other authority figure, is that true? There are currently 35 states in which police officers can rape women in police custody and not be prosecuted and convicted of a felony. This is 2018. Our policing system is not broken, it is flawed by design.#weneedchangenow — Delonte Gholston (@DelonteGholston) February 8, 2018 The articles stemmed from the case of a New York City teenager who has accused two officers of handcuffing her and taking turns raping her in a police van. While some readers, like the above, read the coverage of that case and claimed it’s legal to sexually assault individuals in custody, the truth is that sex between an on-duty officer and a detainee is not explicitly illegal in 35 states. Such statements stem from poor readings of a 7 February 2018 story that BuzzFeed News published. The report began with an account of the alleged assault of a teenager named Anna from Brooklyn: Inside [a van], Anna said the detectives took turns raping her in the backseat as the van cruised the dark streets and as she sat handcuffed, crying and repeatedly telling them “No.” Between assaults, she said, the van pulled over so the cops could switch drivers. Less than an hour later, a few minutes’ drive from where it all began, the detectives dropped Anna off on the side of the road, a quarter-mile from a police station, surveillance footage shows. She stood on the sidewalk, her arms wrapped around her chest, looking up and down the dimly lit street and pacing slowly before borrowing a cell phone from a passerby to call a friend. The piece subsequently described what it termed a legal “loophole”: But Anna didn’t know that in New York, there is no law specifically stating that it is illegal for police officers or sheriff’s deputies in the field to have sex with someone in their custody. It is one of 35 states where armed law enforcement officers can evade sexual assault charges by claiming that such an encounter — from groping to intercourse — was consensual. BuzzFeed’s spotlight on Anna’s case was meant to underscore their finding that in 35 states, no laws exist to expressly define all sex between police officers and detainees as non-consensual by its nature alone. To wit, it went without saying that a detainee might feel obliged to “consent” to sex in order to avoid being arrested or detained, even on false charges. A 10 February 2018 Feministing article also circulated widely, further explaining the crux of the issue: A person in police custody can’t give genuine consent, free from coercion. Not to armed police officers who have the power to arrest them if they say no. But here’s the kicker: Buzzfeed’s investigation found that in 35 states, it’s legal for police to have sex with people in their custody. Police officers are no different — if you’re in the back of a cop’s car, you are at their mercy. The police shouldn’t be able to exploit that power differential to force themselves on vulnerable women yet, in most states in America, they can do so and face no legal consequences. A map appended to the BuzzFeed piece displayed wording that made a de facto reality, because of a lack of law banning it, seem like a de jure legal standing meaning that police have explicit permission to have intercourse with people in custody. : But the context of the article made clearer that rape is illegal in all 50 states, and Anna’s alleged attackers were arrested, per BuzzFeed: The cops made no arrest [when Anna was detained], issued no citation, filed no paperwork about the stop. Hours later, Anna and her mother went to a hospital, where Anna told nurses two detectives had sexually assaulted her, according to hospital records. Semen collected in Anna’s rape kit matched the DNA of detectives Eddie Martins, 37, and Richard Hall, 33, of the Brooklyn South narcotics unit. Both have since resigned from the force and been charged with rape. The context often missed in the spread of both articles is that laws exist in several states classifying any sex as non-consensual if one individual is on-duty in a position of power (such as a corrections officer or social worker). In New York State a law of a similar nature did not include “police officers” or “detainees” in its language. BuzzFeed further asserted that of 158 law enforcement officers charged since 2006 with sexual assault, sexual battery, or unlawful sexual contact with a detainee, “at least 26 have been acquitted or had charges dropped based on the consent defense.”
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2108
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Female sex pill flops with U.S. advisers.
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A pink sex pill offered little help to women and came with unacceptable risks, U.S. government advisers agreed on Friday, another setback in the search for a drug to boost female libido.
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true
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Health News
|
Western tourists kiss during sunset near Kuta beach on the Indonesian resort island of Bali in this May 28, 2005 file photo. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside German drugmaker Boehringer Ingelheim failed to convince an expert panel that its pill increased sexual desire enough to win approval. “The efficacy was not sufficiently robust to justify the risks,” said Dr. Julia Johnson, the panel’s chairwoman and head of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Women reported depression, fainting, fatigue and other problems in company studies of the drug known chemically as flibanserin. The once-a-day pill, taken at bedtime, is the latest attempt to find a female counterpart to Pfizer Inc’s Viagra, the blockbuster blue pill for men. Drugmakers have been searching for a medicine to improve women’s sex lives since Viagra successfully debuted 12 years ago. The market for a “pink Viagra” could stretch into the billions of dollars. But some doctors and advocates worry that pharmaceutical companies are playing on women’s insecurities to convince them they need a pill to improve their sex lives. “Low sexual desire is not a disease,” said Leonore Tiefer, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at New York University, reading to the advisers from a petition opposing approval of flibanserin. The Food and Drug Administration will make the final decision on whether to approve the pill and usually follows the advice of its advisory panels. Privately held Boehringer wants clearance to sell its pill by prescription for premenopausal women with a persistent, bothersome and unexplained lack of sex drive. “Women deserve the option to choose a safe and effective pharmacological therapy for this distressing condition,” said Dr. Anita Clayton, a Boehringer consultant and psychiatry professor at the University of Virginia. The drug, originally developed as an antidepressant, is believed to act on brain chemicals thought to play a role in sexual response, the company said. But the advisory committee of seven women and four men voted 11-0 that the drug’s risks and benefits were unacceptable and 10-1 that effectiveness data was lacking. FDA reviewers, speaking before the panel voted, said flibanserin failed to increase sexual desire as measured by women’s daily diary entries in two company studies. Boehringer said another analysis, based on a survey of women’s responses, showed a jump in sex drive and lower distress levels with the drug. Women also reported slightly more satisfying sexual experiences — an average of 4.5 per month compared with 2.8 before taking the medicine. For placebo patients, the rate rose to 3.7 during the six-month studies. Nearly 15 percent of women stopped taking flibanserin before the study ended due to possible side effects. Boehringer said most of the reported problems were mild. Panel members, however, said they were worried women would take the drug for months or years with unknown risks. “Long-term use needs to be better evaluated,” said Dr. Kathleen Hoeger, a panelist and associate professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center. The drug’s proposed brand name is Girosa. It is not yet approved anywhere in the world. “We are disappointed with the advisory committee’s recommendations and will work with the FDA to address questions raised,” Dr. Christopher Corsico, Boehringer’s U.S. medical director, said in a statement. While the committee voted against the drug, members encouraged Boehringer and others to continue pursuing sex medications for women. “Indeed this is a significant need for women, and finding a medicine that will benefit women is critical,” Johnson said. Drugmakers have tested various ways to boost female libido, but women’s sex lives have proved difficult to target with medication. Male impotence pills including Viagra work by widening blood vessels to increase the blood flow needed for an erection. Pfizer dropped tests of Viagra in females in 2004 after studies failed to show it helped women. That same year, an FDA advisory panel voted in 2004 against recommending approval for a testosterone patch made by Procter & Gamble Co, citing a lack of evidence for long-term safety. The patch was approved in Europe and has been sold to Warner Chilcott. Another U.S. drugmaker, BioSante, is developing a testosterone skin gel to treat a decline in libido in menopausal women. The company estimates the U.S. market for treating female sexual dysfunction tops $2 billion annually.
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10532
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Saltwater therapy helps ease cystic fibrosis
|
This is a succinct article outlining an additional treatment that can be used by individuals with cystic fibrosis in additional to their currrent treatment that may help them avoid the serious complications of the disease. While it is clear that this treatment has the potential to provide some benefit, the story’s description of the treatment (a thirty minute session inhaling salt water nearly twice as salty as the ocean) leaves no doubt that this is not an entirely pleasant undertaking. The tradeoff is a decision left to the patients, though testing its benefit in infants may be next step in examining utility of the treatment. The only weaknesses of the story include not making clear how widespread is the availability of the treatment and not making clear these were randomized clinical trials (and why that’s important).
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true
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An estimate of the treatment cost, $13/month was obtained from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation The absolute benefit, 41% of those using the treatment avoided complications, is compared with the 16% of those not using the salt water treatment. The treatment was noted as having potentially limited benefit because the prospect of adding an additional 30 minutes of treatment to an already extensive treatment regimen could be a burden. No mention was made of the small (5%) number of patients using the treatment that experienced adverse events. The article describing the two studies failed to detail the nature of the studies. They were two randomized clinical trials. The article explains that cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease and a rare disorder. The reporter contacted a clinician from a cystic fibrosis center that did not appear to have ties to either study. She also included commentsfrom an editorial on the two studies. The advantage of this treatment is that it may reduce the incidence of some serious complications of the disease. The article is clear that this treatment does not cure cystic fibrosis and is used in addition to other therapies, not instead of them. The treatment is available at the centers actually involved in the studies; comments from a third clinician directing treatment of individuals with cystic fibrosis but not involved in the studies indicates that use of this treatment has already been picked up by other groups specializing in cystic fibrosis care. While this could suggest that other groups specializing in cystic fibrosis care might also be offering this treatment, the actual availability is not clear. This article reports on the use of a novel adjunct treatment in the management of cystic fibrosis
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32445
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"The headstone of the late U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan (son of DNC speaker Khizr Khan) references his ""dying as an apostate."
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Dabiq, the militant group’s online magazine, showed a picture of U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan’s tombstone in Arlington National Cemetery with a caption, “Beware of Dying as an apostate.”
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false
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Politics
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On 28 July 2016, Democratic National Convention (DNC) speaker Khizr Khan became the center of controversy after delivering an impassioned speech about his late son, U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan, and decrying Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s suggestions that he would enact a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. Khan’s criticism of Trump included the following passage: Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one. Trump did not take the criticism lightly, engaging in an extended clash of words with the Khan family and the news media. Concurrently, rumors about the Khans were spread on social media, including the above-quoted claim that the epitaph on the headstone of Capt. Khan — a Muslim who was killed in Iraq while protecting members of his Army unit from suicide bombers and is interred at Arlington National Cemetery — includes the legend “Beware of dying as an apostate.” (The implication of that rumor is that Humayun Khan’s family had the “apostate” line added to his headstone because they view him as a traitor to Islam.) But the guidelines for headstones detailed on Arlington National Cemetery’s (ANC) web site do not include such atypical “epitaphs”: Upright white marble headstones (13x24x4) generally contain 11 lines of text with or without an optional emblem of belief. Generally, the stone can accommodate 13 characters (including spaces) on the name line, and 15 characters (including spaces) on all other lines. A veteran’s government headstone must contain name, rank, branch of service, date of birth and date of death. Other lines can include combat service and significant awards. An additional inscription, not to exceed three lines, can be used to show a term of endearment or reference (e.g. Loving Father, Husband and Son; Fought for Freedom; Proud Soldier, etc.). In fact, as the guidelines decree, Capt. Khan’s headstone denotes his rank, awards received (a Bronze Star Medal and a Purple Heart) and the name of the campaign during which he lost his life. Missing from the headstone is any rhetoric placed by his next of kin declaring him to be an “apostate”: According to Reuters, the “apostate” claim originated with Islamic State propaganda: Islamic State on Sunday condemned as an “apostate” a U.S. Muslim soldier killed in Iraq whose story has re-ignited debate in the 2016 presidential election on the role of Muslims in American life.
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11309
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Scientists Testing Vaccines to Help Smokers Quit
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This story announces that NicVax (Nicotine Conjugate Vaccine) has been fast-tracked for approval by the FDA. This story clearly describes the current stage in the drug-approval process: The company must conclude several trials before even applying for final FDA approval. However, the story’s enthusiasm for the vaccine at this stage of clinical trails seems to suggest FDA approval is a fait accompli. This article contains a clear and excellent sketch of how a vaccine might stimulate production of antibodies to dampen specific drug-induced effects of nicotine on the brain, thus reducing the pleasure associated with smoking. We are told that “researchers report high rates of quitting in early studies”, yet the story provides no evidence on the efficacy or safety of the vaccine from these studies. It is not enough to say that there is excitement about the vaccine’s approach. Some data are needed to judge whether excitement is warranted. Other drugs approved as smoking cession aids such as bupropion (Wellbutrin) and varenicline (Chantix) are mentioned, as are nicotine replacement products such as patches or gum. The story suggests that NicVax may be used in conjunction with these products, yet this has not been tested in clinical trials thus far. Behavioral therapies, of proven benefit and a component of Chantix and Wellbutrin trials, are not mentioned. The story does not provide the cost of the vaccine, yet there is the suggestion that if it were approved, the vaccine could be a financial boon for Nabi Biopharmaceuticals. Only sources affiliated with the study and Nabi Biopharmaceuticals are cited. The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) funded early phases of the study with a $4.1 million grant so the director of NIDA pharmacotherapies has an interest in the outcome of the trials. Sources not associated with the NicVax trials are needed for perspective on this novel therapy for smoking cessation.
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mixture
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The story does not provide even an estimate of the cost of the vaccine. There is the suggestion that if the vaccine were approved it could be a financial boon for Nabi Biopharmaceuticals. Consumers want to know what it may cost them. The story claims that this vaccine will help smokers quit by producing antibodies that attach to nicotine molecules and prevent them from reaching the brain, thus reducing the pleasure associated with smoking. The story notes that “researchers report high rates of quitting in early studies”, but there is no data provided to support this statement. It is not enough to say that there is excitement about the vaccine’s approach. Some data are needed to judge whether excitement is warranted. The drug company website provides some preliminary short term results from former trials, and there was a 33% 30-day abstinence rate for active vaccine versus 9% for placebo, but the duration and size of this trial were not mentioned. Would the article’s optimism be dampened by inclusion of this rate? Early studies of NicVax looked at safety, yet we are given no information on adverse events from these early trials or on the potential harms of the vaccine. The story suggests that NicVax may be used in conjunction with other smoking cessation products, yet this has not been tested in clinical trials thus far. The story provides information on the design of the upcoming trial. However, the story provides no evidence about the safety or efficacy of the vaccine from earlier trials. The article also provides a forum for promotional comments by researchers involved in trials that tested tolerability, not efficacy. Additionally, any trial would have to follow patients over years to assess late rates of relapse. The story provides smoking mortality rates from the Center for Disease Control. Intention to quit survey results are also mentioned, but we are not told the source of these or the 20 percent success rate. Only sources affiliated with the study and Nabi Biopharmaceuticals are cited. The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) funded early phases of the study with a $4.1 million grant so the director of NIDA pharmacotherapies has an interest in the outcome of the trials. Sources not affiliated with the NicVax trials are needed for perspective on this new therapy for smoking cessation. The article does a good job covering existing drug therapies, but misses behavioral therapies (of proven benefit) entirely. The story clearly describes the current stage in the drug approval process: The story discusses that NicVax (Nicotine Conjugate Vaccine) has been fast-tracked for approval by the FDA, however, the story also notes that this vaccine is still in Phase 2 clinical trials (tests of safely and efficacy), and additional large-scale, randomized controlled Phase 3 trials are needed before NixVac can apply for final FDA approval. The story discusses a vaccine to prevent relapse in people trying to quit smoking. The vaccine is designed to diminish pleasure from nicotine, and it is a new approach for treating smoking addiction, though it is still being tested. The article does a good job describing other therapies and the way this approach differs. It appears that the story does not rely solely on a press release for information used in the story.
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4566
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Brazil authorities zero in on ship suspected of oil spill.
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After oil mysteriously washed ashore on some 2,100 kilometers (1,300 miles) of Brazil’s coastline for two months, authorities on Friday identified a suspect: a Greek-flagged ship belonging to Delta Tankers Ltd.
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true
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Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Caribbean, Venezuela, General News, Latin America, Environment, Oil spills
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The Delta-owned NM Bouboulina vessel was navigating through Brazilian waters at the time and location of the spill, Brazilian police and prosecutors said. Brazil’s government has been striving to investigate the cause of the spill that has hit 286 beaches along the northeast coast and hurt fishing and tourism. Authorities have described the spill as one of the country’s worst environmental disasters. The specific source of the oil has remained unclear since it began appearing in early September. In a search order seen Friday by The Associated Press, Brazilian prosecutors said “there is no indication of another boat” that could have discharged the Venezuelan crude into the sea. Authorities in Rio de Janeiro coordinated a search Friday at a maritime agency that has previously represented Delta, and the office of a crisis management consultancy. Delta did not immediately respond to requests for comment submitted after business hours in Athens. The 13-year-old Suezmax is among Delta’s fleet of 30 tankers controlled by Greek shipping magnate Diamantis Diamantidis. The Brazilian government has said the oil came from Venezuela after state-run oil company Petrobras identified three of the neighboring nation’s fields as the source of the crude. The Bouboulina, named for a 19th century heroine of Greece’s war of independence, docked in Venezuela on July 15 and departed three days later, according to the Brazilian search order. The Venezuelan government has previously denied its country is the source of the spilled crude. From Venezuela, the tanker embarked with around 1 million barrels of Merey 16 crude. It sailed past the northeast corner of Brazil en route to Cape Town, South Africa and the Malacca coast of Malaysia, according to Kpler, a company that tracks seaborne commodities. On Sept. 3, off the coast of Malaysia, the vessel turned off its transponder signal for 10 days as it unloaded cargo, likely via a ship-to-ship transfer to an unknown vessel or vessels, Kpler said. Ships are required to emit transponder signals but sea captains dealing in Venezuelan crude are increasingly turning off the safety device to help evade U.S. sanctions that prohibit companies from buying crude from Venezuela. Successive round of U.S. sanctions have made it illegal for American companies to do business with the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. In August, the Trump administration hardened its stance further, warning foreign entities that they could see their U.S. assets seized unless they cut ties to the socialist leader’s government. A number of European oil companies, as well as Russia, India and China, are major buyers of crude from Venezuela’s state-run oil giant, PDVSA. All the companies rely on the U.S. to process financial payments. The ship responsible for the spill had been held in the United States for four days due to problems “in the system to separate water and oil for discharge into the ocean,” Brazil’s Navy said in a statement. It did not provide more details. A July 29 satellite image showed an oil spill 733 kilometers (455 miles) from northeastern Paraiba state, the Navy said in a statement. Following analysis of maritime traffic, the Navy said it detected that the ship was navigating in the region where the spill appeared and was headed for South Africa. ___ Goodman reported from Miami.
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36480
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Arkansas state legislator Alan Clark sponsored a bill punitively cutting free lunch programs for impoverished students in February 2019.
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Did an Arkansas Republican Propose Cutting Free Lunches to Punish Students?
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false
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Fact Checks, Politics
|
On February 26 2019, the Facebook page “Occupy Democrats” shared the following meme (archived here), alleging that state legislator from Arkansas Alan Clark proposed cuts to school lunch programs for disadvantaged children:Text around a photograph of Clark read:Idiot Politician of the Day – February 26, 2019America, meet Arkansas Republican State Representative Alan Clark.He just proposed a bill that would cut free lunch funding from schools that struggle to improve reading skills.Yes, the bill would LITERALLY punish poor kids who are struggling academically by starving them at lunchtime.YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP!SPREAD HIS SHAME!However, memes aren’t always a credible source of unbiased information. The meme identified the person shown as an Arkansas state representative, Republican Alan Clark. And indeed, initial reports (not all from local news outlets) reported Clark proposed a bill that would cut national school lunch funding in underperforming schools.“Occupy Democrats” did include a citation for their claims in the comments, a February 21 2019 WKTR story composed primarily of comment from constituents about the purported legislation and a response from Clark. As of February 27 2019, Clark’s Wikipedia page stated he “proposed cuts to school lunch funding for schools where students did not read at a sufficiently high level.”Newsweek published an article on February 22 2019, reporting:An Arkansas lawmaker has sparked an outcry over a proposed bill that could gut funding from public and charter schools that drop reading proficiency levels, with detractors arguing that the legislation would unfairly target low-income students and school districts.Introduced Monday by conservative State Rep. Alan Clark of Garland County, the bill would target money from The National School Lunch State Categorical Funding, a state program that provides additional funding to schools based on the number of students who qualify at the federal level for free and reduced-price lunch programs. The money is intended to provide additional financial support to schools with higher numbers of low-income students.If passed, SB349 would reduce funds allotted to schools where less than 70 percent of students in grades three through 10 fail to qualify as “ready” or “exceeding” the state’s reading readiness tests twice in a row. If the school failed to meet that benchmark three years in a row, all funding from the program would be pulled from the school, according to the proposed bill.The outlet also linked to posts on Facebook shared by Clark defending his position on the bill in question, one of which concluded:I believe in Arkansas. I believe in our educators. I believe in our kids. There is no reason for us to stay at 40.99% reading proficiency. Which is what I said when we were at 32%. Arkansas teachers have told me for over 7 years if we would remove the bureaucracy from what they do, they can compete with anybody. I believe that.I am glad they taught this poor kid [Clark] to read. And my Mom and Dad. It opened the whole world up to us. We are not going to steal the futures from this generation because the Federal government or someone else thinks we are supposed to do everything but teach kids to read.You can disagree. But don’t stand in the way. You will get run over.Newsweek also reported that angry readers were conflating the bill with other legislation:Several of the commenters on Clark’s Facebook page appeared to confuse his proposed bill with one that guts funding from the The National School Lunch Act, a federal program that provides low-cost and free meals to students from low-income families. In fact, Clark’s bill would reduce funding through a state program that relies on that federal data to allocate funding to low-income schools, where it is supposed to be earmarked for after-school programs, tutoring and other services.WREG in Memphis covered the controversy but their reporting was light on details, simply asserting that one “Arkansas lawmaker wants to get more students reading by putting money on the line — specifically, their lunch money.” Some outlets linked to a copy of Arkansas Senate Bill 349 [PDF], which on first glance appeared to possibly substantiate claims that Clark sought to reduce National School Lunch funding to schools that drop below a certain level of “reading readiness” after specified periods of up to three years of assessment:AN ACT CONCERNING NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH STATE CATEGORICAL FUNDING; TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH STATE CATEGORICAL FUNDING A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT OR OPEN-ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL RECEIVES IF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT’S OR OPEN-ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL’S OVERALL READING READINESS IS BELOW A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.Little Rock news station KATV examined the ongoing controversy on February 20 2019, reporting that Clark denied the bill would affect access to school lunches, and describing claims to the contrary as “false reports.” The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance also commented to say that Clark correctly described the bill, but added that they did not support it:KATV is taking a closer look at school funding cuts proposed by an Arkansas lawmaker after false reports that it would affect school lunches.Senate Bill 349 would never cut school lunch funding, Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, told Channel 7. Instead, it would cut some state funding if schools fail to show reading readiness after three consecutive years.Under Clark’s proposed legislation, school districts that cannot show improvement in reading readiness could lose certain funding that falls under National School Lunch State Categorical Funding. The fund is designed to close achievement gaps.“It used to be called poverty index and lawyers way back said because we tied to it how many kids are on free or reduced lunch program, we should rename it this,” said Clark. “Since that’s the fund, a lot of people were confused and, as you know, lots of people falsely reported that we were taking away kids free and reduced lunches — which, of course, is ridiculous.”[…]The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance has also verified that the bill does not affect school lunches. But the group is still not supporting the bill.Long before the proposal reached broader audiences, a February 19 2019 Arkansas Times blog post covered what was then a more localized controversy. In that item, the author expresses regret for adding to confusion about the bill. Like the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, they state they do not agree with the proposal — but add that it has nevertheless been mischaracterized:I Tweeted [one day prior] that Clark had proposed to “cut poverty funding to schools with low test scores, typically the poorest schools.” That’s accurate. I also posted a link to the bill. Many readers read the bill and were horrified by the title, which says in part that it is: “to reduce the amount of national school lunch state categorical funding … if the overall reading readiness is below a certain percentage.”I knew what this meant. Many did not. School lunch categorical funding is shorthand for a special financial payment that is distributed for instructional help and other purposes to schools with high percentages of poor students as determined by the number eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. Thus, though it is national school lunch state categorical funding, it is NOT “lunch money.”It’s still flawed. As an education specialist put it: “It’s completely ass backwards because it cuts funds to the schools that need them most, but it would not cause kids to starve.”I knew that all along. But to the extent I contributed to the confusion, sorry.Conway, Arkansas newspaper the Log Cabin Democrat published an editorial on February 27 2019 titled “Senator wants to starve kids!” In it, the author decries inaccurate reporting around Clark’s bill. He begins by stating that Democracy is difficult, but “harder when journalists don’t do their jobs,” adding that the Arkansas bill “sounds like it cuts school lunches for poor kids, but doesn’t.”The author points out that the proposal has gained national attention, and says that he was one of four journalists who spoke to Clark about its provisions:Senate Bill 349 by Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, would set up a process for reducing and then ending National School Lunch Act state categorical funding for some poorly performing districts.If you read that quickly, what word stood out? For many, it’s “lunch.” That’s especially the case for those who also might be inclined to react unfavorably to the “R” beside Clark’s name.The bill actually has nothing to do with cutting lunches. A small part of state education funding is based on the amount of federal dollars schools receive for free and reduced price lunches through the National School Lunch Act. The state’s NSLA categorical funding comes from a different pot and is meant to fund anti-poverty programs.Clark’s bill would create a three-year process whereby lower-scoring schools would first have to obtain training in the science of reading. They then would lose some of their funding if they showed no improvement the next year. They would lose all of it if they didn’t improve the next.“National School Lunch Act categorical funding” is boring, bureaucratic language, but it’s a journalist’s job to wade through these things and actually read bills – especially these days, when our work is sometimes the first draft to be copied and reposted on social media to suit other people’s agendas.The claims about “boring” and “bureaucratic” nomenclature around the National School Lunch Act is echoed in a 2010 piece published by the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. In that unrelated reporting, the word “lunch” only appears in relation to funding tied to the Act, and how it is used as a metric:In Fayetteville, for instance, the study shows the district didn’t spend more than $150,000 in National School Lunch Act categorical funding from the state during the 2008-09 fiscal year. The federal act provides funding that allows schools to initiate programs designed to help children in poverty improve their academic achievement. […]The National School Lunch Act funding allocates a specific dollar amount to school districts, based on the number of students who are eligible for free and reduced price school meals. That eligibility is often used as a measure of poverty within a district or an individual school.Another portion of the article explains how the Act is used as an index of poverty in a given district, and how that funding relates to literacy initiatives:In the poverty category, also known as National School Lunch Act funding, school districts with a poverty rate at 70 percent or lower receive a set amount of money. That amount doubles if the poverty rate is between 70 percent and 90 percent and triples, if the poverty rate is between 90 percent and 100 percent … In Fayetteville, the money was used for salaries for literacy coaches, literacy coordinators and literacy interventionists, said Linda Auman, chief academic officer for the district. Reading intervention software was purchased and additional school nurses and counselors were hired, she added.As the 2010 article demonstrates, National School Lunch Act money was used to fund salaries, programs, and software purchases — not lunches. Going back to Alan Clark’s SB 349, it proposes to reduce funding from the same program if schools fail to reach specific benchmarks of reading readiness.The meme stated that Clark’s bill would “punish poor kids” by “starving them at lunchtime,” but even opponents of the bill at a local level said the claim was false. Poverty advocacy groups and policy wonks in Arkansas have expressed a lack of support for Clark’s bill, while simultaneously agreeing that it does not in fact impact school lunch programs in its provisions. We emailed Alan Clark for further clarification on the bill’s provisions and how the legislation has been possibly misunderstood.Update, February 27 2019, 4:11 PM: State Senator Clark responded to our inquiry within a few hours, affirming that initial press reports about the bill’s effects were inaccurate. He explained:First, the United States Department of Agriculture runs and controls the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program and a state senator could not do away with reduced lunches if he wanted to. Which I do not.The problem started with local TV broadcasters going for sensationalism rather than checking their facts.Yes, the program is unique to the state. The National School Lunch fund was given that name, I am told, because attorneys years ago thought it was more appropriate than Poverty Index which was its former name. The name comes from the fact that the funding is DISTRIBUTED based on how many students in a school receive free and reduced luncheons.The fund was started for one reason, to reduce the gap in educational attainment between impoverished students and others. It has utterly failed at that although we have spent over $2 billion in the quest.It has been a tempest in a teapot. We never intended to [remove] funds from anyone. The bill required that a school raise their overall reading proficiency by .0001 over 2 years. Another bill which is more focused is already being written which is not unusual in what we do.But regardless, you were correct, the claims that our bill would take away school lunch funding was NOT TRUE.
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5946
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Rhode Island gets $17M to fight opioid addiction, overdoses.
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Rhode Island has been awarded $17.1 million in federal funding to combat opioid addiction and overdose deaths.
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true
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Rhode Island, Opioids, Health, Jack Reed, General News
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U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, announced grants totaling $17.1 million from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These grants aim to help the state reduce overdose deaths through prevention, treatment and recovery efforts, and help the health department better track overdose deaths so authorities have access to data faster. The number of accidental drug overdose deaths in Rhode Island has continued to decline. According to health officials, there were 314 overdose deaths in 2018, compared with 324 in 2017 and 336 in 2016. Reed says Rhode Island is making progress and the grants will bolster its efforts.
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5802
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China to allow some drugs based on foreign approvals.
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China will allow use of some drugs and medical devices based on approval by foreign regulators, the government said Monday, in a move that could help to ease access to its health care market.
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true
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Beijing, Access to health care, Medical technology, Technology, Health, China
|
The step was one of a series announced by Chinese drug regulators to improve access to treatments and streamline an approval process that foreign suppliers complain is too slow and complex. The communist government is in the midst of a marathon effort to expand access to health care for China’s 1.4 billion people. At the same time, it faces pressure from trading partners to open its markets for medical technology. Regulators want to improve access to “urgently needed drugs and medical devices,” the CFDA said in a statement. “Regarding drugs and medical devices that already are approved to go on the market abroad, they will be allowed on the market with conditions attached,” the agency said. The agency gave no details of what products might be affected or how the approval process would work. Suppliers of drugs and devices such as X-ray machines have long looked at China as a promising market but complain that a cumbersome approval process that can take up to seven years hampers market access. In 2015, the CFDA promised to simplify drug approvals and clear a backlog of applications. Despite such steps, suppliers say Beijing is backtracking in some areas, such as by excluding foreign products from catalogs used by hospitals to purchase medical equipment. Also Monday, the CFDA said it would streamline the process for approving generic drugs, a step that could undercut potential demand for foreign products.
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30003
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The U.S. Department of Justice admitted that the flu shot is the most dangerous vaccine in America.
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"The FBI issues a ""Most Wanted Fugitives"" list, but the DOJ has no equivalent for supposedly ""Dangerous Vaccines."""
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false
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Medical, vaccines
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Among the most abused sources of data in the anti-vaccine blogosphere (outside of perhaps, retracted papers) are records regularly released by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), a federal claims court that settles cases of alleged vaccine injury. The court was established in 1986 as part of a compromise between vaccine producers, who did not want to shoulder the litigation risks of vaccine production, and the federal government, who needed a source of vaccines for national immunization programs. The VICP aims to “ensure an adequate supply of vaccines, stabilize vaccine costs, and establish and maintain an accessible and efficient forum for individuals found to be injured by certain vaccines: The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 … created the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), a no-fault alternative to the traditional tort system. It provides compensation to people found to be injured by certain vaccines. Even in cases in which such a finding is not made, petitioners may receive compensation through a settlement. The VICP was established after lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers and healthcare providers threatened to cause vaccine shortages and reduce vaccination rates. The Program began accepting petitions (also called claims) in 1988. This court frequently settles cases through compensation, but that compensation is rarely issued as part of findings that scientifically or medically tie a vaccine to an alleged injury. “Almost 75 percent of all compensation awarded by the VICP comes as result of negotiated settlements between the parties in which HHS has not concluded, based upon review of the evidence, that the alleged vaccine(s) caused the alleged injury,” according to the most recent report by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Still, anti-vaccine websites regularly and frequently highlight cases from the VICP in which the government has awarded compensation as purported evidence that vaccines caused the conditions for which damages were awarded — often citing only the vaccine-injury lawyers who received a cut of the money awarded by the courts in those cases. A common example of this phenomenon can be found in a post from the conspiracy-minded “Health Impact News” website that is at least five years out of date but continues to be shared as if it were a breaking news story: “Flu Vaccine is the most Dangerous Vaccine in the U. S. based on Settled Cases for Injuries.” That post highlighted raw VICP data from the final quarter of 2013 without performing any mathematical analysis on, or providing any attempt at context for, that data: The last report issued in 2013 by the Department of Justice (Vaccine Court), for compensation made by the Health and Human Services for people injured or killed by vaccines, was released in December 2013, covering the period of 8/16/2013 through 11/15/2013 … There were 139 claims settled during this time period, with 70 of them being compensated. So, just over 50% of the claims filed for vaccine damages were compensated during this period. Once again, the greatest percentage of damages compensated were for the influenza vaccine, and most of those were for Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) … Of the 70 cases compensated, 42 of them were for the flu vaccine, or 60% of the cases settled where compensation was awarded for injury or death due to the vaccine. Despite the fact that this post uses only three months of data collected several years ago, it continues to be re-shared and reused by clickbait factories. On 11 December 2018, for example, the website “NWO Report” used the same statistics described above for their post headlined “Dept. of Justice Admits Flu Shot Is Most Dangerous Vaccine in US”. In fact, the Department of Justice, who oversee the VICP, never “admitted” such a thing, nor do the data support such a statement. In our view, it makes more sense to look at the totality of influenza vaccinations before the vaccine court, not a randomly selected three month period from 2013. The most recent data, provided by HHS on 30 November 2018, covers all doses of vaccines administered from 2006 to 2016, along with the number of claims filed and awarded by VICP. Reviewing these data (which we have organized in this document), we find that it is true that the greatest number of cases in which compensation was awarded involved the influenza vaccine. What is not mentioned in anti-vaccine posts is that significantly more flu shots (1.2 billion doses more than the next most commonly administered vaccine) were administered during this time period than any other type of vaccine. This context demonstrates why raw data are not terribly meaningful for this sort of exercise (and are of limited use in the first place, since awards of compensation in VICP are based on legal findings and not medical or scientific ones) — it should be no surprise that the vaccine most commonly administered results in the greatest number of filed claims. A better way to compare these data would be to divide the number of successful claims per vaccine by the number of doses of that vaccine given over the same time period. Such an approach puts the influenza vaccine below several other shots in terms of successful claims awarded per dose: Doses Successful claims Claims per million doses Tetanus 3,836,052 47 12.3 DT 794,777 6 7.5 Measles 135,660 1 7.4 Rubella 422,548 2 4.7 DTaP-HIB 1,135,474 3 2.6 Influenza 1,372,400,000 2,524 1.8 Both because the DOJ never asserted that these data were meant to determine the “most dangerous” vaccine, and because the data released by VICP do not support the notion that the influenza vaccine is actually the “most dangerous” vaccine, the claim that the DOJ “admitted” to such is rhetorically as well as empirically false. The Health Impact News article went on to assert that the reason for this (imagined) increased risk in flu vaccinations stemmed from a link between Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and the flu shot. Because GBS is thought to be caused by an overzealous immune response, and because the influenza vaccine provokes an immune response, a causal connection between flu vaccines and GBS is often asserted in vaccine courts and on blogs. Significant scientific work has been undertaken with an eye towards understanding possible links between GBS and vaccines. While a slightly increased risk of contracting GBS may stem from flu shots, a significantly higher risk of contracting GBS stems from actually contracting the flu, according to a 2013 paper published in the Lancet: The relative and attributable risks of Guillain-Barré syndrome after seasonal influenza vaccination are lower than those after influenza illness. Patients considering immunisation should be fully informed of the risks of Guillain-Barré syndrome from both influenza vaccines and influenza illness.
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5021
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Gambians embrace new freedoms with environment activism.
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Hundreds of Gambians were grateful for the jobs created by a Chinese-run fish processing plant that arrived in 2014. Then they were shocked when dead fish began washing up on a nearby shore.
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true
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Environment, Banjul, Gambia, Fish, Africa, West Africa
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Residents of the coastal town of Gunjur reported chemical residue on their skin after swimming that made them itch. Environmental activists blamed the Chinese-owned company, Golden Lead Import & Export. After activists said the company had failed to remove a pipe accused of spewing toxic waste into the sea, local youth issued an ultimatum: Dig the pipe up, or we will. In March they did, storming the beach. “We’ll be willing to face any charges in defense of our community,” their leader, Amadou Scattred Janneh, told The Associated Press. He is now out on bail facing criminal trespass charges. For more than two decades, few in this tiny West African nation dared to speak out under the dictatorship of President Yahya Jammeh. Opposing voices were silenced by arrests and killings during his dictatorship. A new era began when Jammeh was swept out of power and went into exile early last year. And as new President Adama Barrow’s government has promised wider freedoms, Gambians are now speaking up as part of a nascent environmental movement. After the protest over the fish processing plant, Gambia’s government ultimately allowed the company to reinstate the pipe but required waste water to be treated before being discharged. The company’s general manager, Bakary Darboe, denies causing marine pollution and has accused the activists of damaging property. Janneh’s arrest hasn’t stopped other environmental activists in Gambia from holding regular demonstrations over the depletion of natural reserves along the country’s coastline. Such activism is long overdue, filmmaker and activist Prince Bubacarr Sankanu told The Associated Press. “The pressure on our meager natural resources is getting higher and higher, thus making proactive environmental activism an inevitable tool for good governance,” he said. Another high-profile demonstration earlier this year ended in the deaths of three protesters who had demanded the end of sand mining activities by the Julakay Entreprise company in the village of Faraba Banta. The sand is used in construction but the practice has been accused of damaging Gambia’s coastline and local farming, which is often residents’ only source of income. Inspired in part by such confrontations, Gambia’s president in September set up a land commission to look into the challenges of administering one of the country’s most important resources. Nearly 80 percent of the population relies on agriculture for a living. “As a country, we have been hurt because the foundation of our democracy had been shaken and corrupted,” Barrow said during the commission’s swearing-in ceremony. “The former government abused the rights of the citizens, and many communities lost their land for political or dubious reasons.” ___ Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa
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15482
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"Jeb Bush Says Hillary Clinton ""insists that when the progressive agenda encounters religious beliefs to the contrary, those beliefs ‘have to be changed.’ "
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"Bush said, ""Secretary Clinton insists that when the progressive agenda encounters religious beliefs to the contrary, those beliefs ‘have to be changed.’ "" During a speech about women’s rights worldwide in April, Clinton talked about the rates of maternal mortality, domestic violence, lack of access to education and ""reproductive health care."" She said that laws must be enforced to protect those rights ""and deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs, and structural biases have to be changed."" So the only area where she says beliefs must change that has any possible connection to domestic issues is in the reference to the overall category of reproductive health. Bush is making Clinton’s remarks sound far more sweeping than they actually are. Clinton was talking about specific issues affecting women’s health and safety, in both a global and domestic context."
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mixture
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Religion, Women, Florida, Jeb Bush,
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"As he tries to appeal to religious conservatives, Jeb Bush has portrayed Hillary Clinton as the enemy of those who believe in religious freedom. ""These have been rough years for religious charities and their right of conscience, and the leading Democratic candidate hinted of more to come,"" Bush said during his announcement speech at Miami Dade College on June 15. ""Secretary Clinton insists that when the progressive agenda encounters religious beliefs to the contrary, those beliefs ‘have to be changed.’ That is what she said. That is what she said. And I guess we should at least thank her for the warning."" So is that what she actually said about the need for religious beliefs to change? We looked at when and where she made her comments, and found Bush is taking her words out of context. Clinton’s Women in the World speech A spokesman for Bush confirmed that he was referring to a comment Clinton made during her speech at the Women in the World Summit in New York City on April 23. (And he’s attacked her speech previously.) In the section Bush referred to, Clinton raised concerns about lack of access to education for girls, the rate of maternal mortality and domestic violence, and reproductive health care. It’s in that context she made the claim about religion: ""Yes, we’ve nearly closed the global gender gap in primary school, but secondary school remains out of reach for so many girls around the world. Yes, we’ve increased the number of countries prohibiting domestic violence, but still more than half the nations in the world have no such laws on the books, and an estimated one in three women still experience violence. Yes, we’ve cut the maternal mortality rate in half, but far too many women are still denied critical access to reproductive health care and safe childbirth. All the laws we’ve passed don’t count for much if they’re not enforced. Rights have to exist in practice, not just on paper. Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will. And deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs, and structural biases have to be changed. As I have said and as I believe, the advancement of the full participation of women and girls at every aspect of their societies is the great unfinished business of the 21st century, and not just for women but for everyone — and not just in far away countries but right here in the United States."" Bush’s campaign referred to news articles about her speech including one in New York magazine which stated ""the speech had other double meanings that show fiery rhetoric geared toward a group of mostly progressive women."" The headlines from conservative media that we found such as Fox News focused on abortion: ""Hillary: ‘Religious beliefs’ must change for sake of abortion."" Clinton, who is a supporter of abortion rights, didn’t use the word abortion, but she did mention ""reproductive health care,"" which can include abortion as well as birth control or prenatal health care. But her statement is somewhat different from Bush’s claim. She didn’t say that a ""progressive agenda"" should dictate religious beliefs -- her overall point was that countries need to do more to help protect women’s rights to education, health care, and to live safely -- and that to do so requires enforcing laws and changing religious beliefs. Clinton’s speech didn’t only pertain to far flung countries -- she was making a statement to religious conservatives in the United States. ""America moves forward when all women are guaranteed the right to make their own health care choices, not when those choices are taken away by an employer like Hobby Lobby,"" she said. In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that certain companies with religious objections can opt out of a mandate under the Affordable Care Act to provide free contraception to their employees. ""One would like to imagine that Clinton was speaking only about primitive cultures where children are forced into marriage and childbearing, or where genital cutting is common,"" wrote Kathleen Parker, a conservative columnist for the Washington Post. ""But we know that she also meant religious conservatives closer to home whose beliefs get in the way. She explicitly criticized Hobby Lobby for not paying for its employees’ contraception."" Clinton’s spokesman told PolitiFact that Bush took her remarks out of context. ""Hillary Clinton was talking about atrocities and horrible practices around the world that are carried out against women and girls in the name of deep-seated cultural codes and religious beliefs,"" Josh Schwerin said. ""If any candidate thinks rape, child marriage and genital mutilation -- done in the name of deeply held religious beliefs -- should be allowed to continue, they should say so directly and not try to make it into a false political attack."" Our ruling Bush said, ""Secretary Clinton insists that when the progressive agenda encounters religious beliefs to the contrary, those beliefs ‘have to be changed.’ "" During a speech about women’s rights worldwide in April, Clinton talked about the rates of maternal mortality, domestic violence, lack of access to education and ""reproductive health care."" She said that laws must be enforced to protect those rights ""and deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs, and structural biases have to be changed."" So the only area where she says beliefs must change that has any possible connection to domestic issues is in the reference to the overall category of reproductive health. Bush is making Clinton’s remarks sound far more sweeping than they actually are. Clinton was talking about specific issues affecting women’s health and safety, in both a global and domestic context."
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10208
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Short stint of Herceptin holds promise for breast cancer
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This story discusses the results of a recent study involving women with high-risk early breast cancer (node positive or >2cm, age younger than 66 – there were 25 year olds on the trial). One aspect of this trial focused on the short-term use of Herceptin with chemotherapy. Women with overexpression of the HER2/neu gene, as measured by the CISH immunohistochemistry, were randomly assigned 9 weeks of Herceptin or no Herceptin immediately following breast cancer surgery and in conjunction with certain types of chemotherapy. This regimen of treatment differed from other trials in which Herceptin was given for 12 months following chemotherapy. In this study, the drug was given in conjunction with certain types of chemotherapy, but before radiation and chemotherapy regimens known to damage the heart. The journalist states the Herceptin was given “prior to chemotherapy,” which is not completely accurate. Herceptin is only FDA approved to treat advanced breast cancer, but it is used in clinical trials in early-stage breast cancer. However, this is not mentioned in the story. There is adequate discussion of the study design and reporting of disease-free survival at 3 years follow-up. There was little discussion in the piece of the side effects of chemotherapy as reported in the trial, but the addition of Herceptin was the main focus of the story. While the journalist provides quantitative benefit of 9 weeks of Herceptin vs. no Herceptin, and notes no cardiac failure in the Herceptin group, the follow-up period of 3 years may not be long-enough to determine the effects of chemotherapy and Herceptin on the heart. Overall, the journalist did a good job describing the randomization, as well as putting the results into context of other trials, and into context of how this may or may not change providers’ practice. The story could have better stated the limitations of analysis for such a small subgroup (116 in each arm). The small sample randomized to Herceptin certainly warrants more study, and although the relative benefits were large, these women still had fairly good recurrence free survival — 80% w/o and 90% with — so although it looks like that will translate to overall survival. The question for women with overexpression of the HER/neu gene is: How much do you want to do to avoid recurrence? Sources in addition to the study investigators are cited, which provides some balance to the piece, however, there is no mention that the trial was funded in part by pharmaceutical companies. Some study investigators also receive research funding from drug companies.
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true
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Mentions cost for one year of Herceptin as $40,000-$50,000. Mentions quantitative benefit of 9 weeks of Herceptin vs. no Herceptin with certain chemotherapy. Also, while no women in the Herceptin group had cardiac failure at 3 years, the follow-up period may not be long-enough to determine the effects of chemotherapy and Herceptin on the heart. Mentions potential harms of Herceptin on the heart, especially when given after certain chemotherapy. The story does not mention that there were side effects with certain chemotherapy drugs and doses needed to be decreased during the course of the trial. One aspect of this trial focused on randomization of women with Her2/neu overexpression to 9 weeks of Herceptin or no Herceptin immediately following breast cancer surgery. The drug was given in conjunction with certain types of chemotherapy, but before radiation and chemotherapy regimens known to damage the heart. The journalist states the Herceptin was given “prior to chemotherapy”, which is not completely accurate. There is an adequate mention of the study design and discussion of disease-free survival at 3 years follow-up. Good job putting the results into context of other trials, and into context of how this may or may not change providers’ practice. The story could have better stated the limitations of analysis for such a small subgroup – 116 in each arm. Appropriately discusses the percentage of women who are eligible for Herceptin due to overexpression of HER2/neu. The story would have been helped by some context for the risk these women face. As Herceptin is used earlier and earlier these women have less to gain because they have less risk to begin with. Relative risk reductions may be very high but the absolute is not as big. Sources in addition to study authors are cited. No mention that this trial was funded in part by pharmaceutical companies. Some study investigators also receive research funding drug companies. Other doctors cited express caution about the early results of Herceptin studies, so there is some balance to the piece. The women in this trial had undergone breast cancer surgery and those with ER+ tumors were taking Tamoxifen. This is not explicitly mentioned, only that treatment took place following surgery. Still OK. Herceptin is only FDA approved to treat advanced breast cancer, but is used in clinical trials in early-stage breast cancer. This is not mentioned in the story. Novel use of Herceptin for short-term treatment prior to anthracycline chemotherapy. No evidence that this story relies on a press release.
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4357
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41 children to be tested after worked tests positive for TB.
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A county health department in southwest Ohio says children, staff members and others will be tested for tuberculosis because of concerns that a former day care center worker may have exposed them to the infectious bacterial disease.
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true
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Health, Ohio, Cincinnati, Tuberculosis
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WCPO-TV reports Hamilton County Health Department spokesman Mike Samet said Friday there are concerns that 41 children, seven day care workers and four other people could have been exposed to tuberculosis through interactions with the former employee who is receiving treatment and recovering. Samet says each household with a family member who had contract with the worker has received hand-delivered letters about TB testing, which will begin Monday. Tuberculosis causes chest pains and coughing and can damage the lungs if not treated. ___ Information from: WCPO-TV, http://www.wcpo.com
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37556
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"The website ""coronavirusmap.com"" contains a type of malware that can steal users' personal information."
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Are Hackers Using Fake ‘Coronavirus Maps’ to Import Malware?
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true
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Disinformation, Fact Checks
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In March 2020, as global fears about the COVID-19 pandemic continued to grow among a morass of disinformation and state-sponsored propaganda, security experts warned about websites using their fear of the novel coronavirus to infect their machines and subject them to information theft.According to the cybersecurity company Malwarebytes:Cybercriminals targeted users in Japan with an Emotet campaign that included malicious Word documents that allegedly contained information about coronavirus prevention. Malware embedded into PDFs, MP4s, and Docx files circulated online, bearing titles that alluded to protection tips. Phishing emails that allegedly came from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were spotted, too. Malwarebytes also found a novel scam purporting to direct users to a donation page to help support government and medical research.All of these threats rely on the same dangerous intersection of misinformation and panic—a classic and grotesque cybercrime tactic. A great defense to these is, quite simply, the truth.The company also identified one site, “coronavirusmap.com,” that presented itself as a source of information for tracking cases of the epidemic around the globe:But in reality, the site hit users with a variant of the spyware known as AzorUlt, which steals information while also allowing other harmful programs to enter machines.The tech news site SC Magazine further reported that the spyware hidden within the site “can also take unauthorized screenshots, resolved and save a victim’s public IP address, and gather information on infect machines, including the OS system, architecture, hostname and username.”Shai Alfasi, a researcher for another security company, Reason Labs, told the magazine that “coronavirusmap” did not rely on email or phishing tactics to spread. “As the coronavirus continues to spread and more apps and technologies are developed to monitor it, we will likely be seeing an increase in corona malware and corona malware variants well into the foreseeable future,” he added.In his own post detailing the nature of this latest attack, Alfasi said that the AzorUlt spyware is “commonly sold on Russian underground forums.”
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8531
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Using his own 'metrics,' Trump says ending U.S. shutdown is biggest decision yet.
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President Donald Trump said on Friday he faced his biggest decision yet with regard to when to re-open the U.S. economy from its coronavirus shutdown and pledged to listen to health experts when making that determination.
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true
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Health News
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Speaking at a White House coronavirus briefing, Trump said he would unveil a new advisory group next week that would focus on the process of economic opening. The president, who faced criticism for playing down the threat from the virus in its early stages, has chafed at the devastating economic impact of the strict social distancing measures his administration has recommended. The guidelines are set to stay in place through the end of April. The president will then have to decide whether to extend them or start encouraging people to go back to work and a more normal way of life. “I’m going to have to make a decision, and I ... hope to God that it’s the right decision,” Trump said. “It’s the biggest decision I’ve ever had to make.” Trump said the facts would determine the next move, though he reiterated his desire to re-open the economy. Asked what metrics he would use to make his judgment, he pointed at his forehead: “The metrics right here, that’s my metrics.” Trump suggested the number of new infections was flattening and the death toll would be lower than initial projections of more than 100,000. He said he would announce the members of the new advisory council possibly on Tuesday. Some state governors will be appointed. Trump said the aggressive social distancing and stay-at-home measures taken to combat the coronavirus were showing signs of success, and situations in hot spots such as New Orleans, Louisiana, and Detroit, Michigan, were stabilizing. U.S. deaths from the virus topped 18,100 on Friday, according to a Reuters tally. But administration officials cautioned it was still too early to ease restrictions, and said the faithful should not gather in churches on the Easter Sunday holiday. “We know it’s difficult in this time of year in particular to avoid gatherings of more than 10, but we’re grateful that so many churches, synagogues and places of worship have done just that,” Vice President Mike Pence said, urging worshipers “to continue to heed the guidelines.” New U.S. government figures show coronavirus infections will spike during the summer if stay-at-home orders are lifted after 30 days as planned, according to projections first reported by the New York Times and confirmed by a Department of Homeland Security official. If shelter-in-place orders are lifted after 30 days, the death toll is estimated to reach 200,000, according to the projections, obtained from DHS and the Department of Health and Human Services. Trump said at the briefing that he and his advisers have not seen the new projections. Trump said he was getting fewer calls from governors urgently seeking equipment and help. “We’re in great shape with ventilators, we’re in great shape with protective clothing, we have additional planeloads coming in. But we’re not getting any calls from governors at this moment,” he said. Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House task force on the coronavirus, said the United States was starting to flatten the curve the way Italy did, with a lot of the success coming from progress in New York City. Officials have pointed to declining rates of coronavirus hospitalizations and need for intensive care in hard-hit New York as signs that social distancing measures are paying off. “But as encouraging as they are, we have not reached the peak. And so every day we need to continue to do what we did yesterday, and the week before and the week before that because that’s what in the end is going to take us across the peak and down the other side,” Birx said.
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29485
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The red-bellied pacu, an invasive species related to the piranha but with human-like teeth, is known to have bitten off men's testicles, killing at least two victims.
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What's true: The pacu is a cousin of the piranha; its teeth look somewhat human-like; in 2001, one male swimmer was reportedly bitten on the genitals and one female swimmer on the leg by pacu fish in in Papua New Guinea, but both survived. What's false: There are no documented instances of Pacu fish biting men's testicles off or of anyone's dying from a pacu bite.
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false
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Critter Country, Lethal Lurkers, pacu, piranha
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It’s probably safe to say that most people had never heard of the red-bellied pacu before press reports came out in 2013 warning Scandinavian men not to swim nude in the strait of Oresund (a body of water between Denmark and Sweden) at the risk of losing their testicles to a “fish with human teeth.” The lurid warnings weren’t just published in northern Europe, but all over the world. “If you’re going swimming in Scandinavia,” began a Huffington Post article dated 11 August 2013, for example, “wear your trunks — no ifs, ands or nuts”: Authorities are warning skinny dippers about the Pacu, a fish similar to the piranha that really enjoys cracking nuts with its strong jaws. They’ve also been known to mistake testicles for something nice and crunchy, and they’re strong enough to take off a finger. Fisherman discovered the horrifying little creature, which is native to South America, in the Danish/Swedish strait of Oresund, CNN reports. The Pacu can grow to 55 pounds, has giant teeth and looks angry, but is usually the more friendly cousin of the piranha. That is, until it sees a testicle. It was the sort of fluff readers might have just chuckled at and ignored, except that in most cases it bore the imprimatur of experts — biologist Henrik Carl of the Natural History Museum of Denmark, for one, who was quoted on the Swedish news site The Local: “The pacu is not normally dangerous to people but it has quite a serious bite, there have been incidents in other countries, such as Papua New Guinea where some men have had their testicles bitten off,” said Henrik Carl, fish expert at the Danish museum. While Carl said the museum’s warning about the pacu, sometimes known as the “ball cutter”, was meant “as a bit of fun”, human victims of the pacu are rarely laughing. “They bite because they’re hungry, and testicles sit nicely in their mouth,” he explained. Well, that scared some people — so much so that museum associate professor Peter Rask Møller, who had written the tongue-in-cheek press release that started it all in the first place, issued a second statement saying it was all just kinda-sorta a joke: We did say that we recommend men to keep their swimsuits tied up until we know if there are more pacus out there in our waters. Of course, this is half a joke since it is very unlikely that you would actually meet one here and that it would bite you. It’s up to people themselves how careful they want to be. I’ll keep my shorts on, though. It only got more confusing from there. Were the fish really dangerous, or not? Had they attacked people, or not? A zoologist consulted by CNN said definitely not: William Fink, a piranha researcher at the University of Michigan who is also curator of fishes at the school’s Museum of Zoology, poured water on the pacu warning. For one thing, he said, pacus are vegetarian — and there’s no record of them attacking a human. “They’re fruit eaters. Those big crushing teeth they have is for crushing seeds,” he said. Pacus tend to swim under fruiting trees during high water, waiting for the trees to drop their fruit, seeds and nuts, Fink said. The fish then swim to the surface to eat the tasty morsels. In fact, Fink said, that’s how fishermen catch them: by putting a piece of fruit on the end of a line and letting it float in the water. Pacus swim up to grab it and then get caught. “The nuts that they’re eating, the fruits that they’re eating, are splashing down from above, and humans don’t act like that when they’re swimming,” Fink said. And unlike piranhas, which have rigid, razor-sharp interlocking teeth, pacus have teeth that resemble human molars and fit together in a similar bite, Fink said. The pacus use those teeth to crush their food, not to rip it apart — or off. Which would seem cut-and-dried enough to quell all controversy, and in some quarters it did. The CNN article quoting Fink is still cited as evidence in a Wikipedia entry stating that the pacu testicle biting claims were “incorrect” and “based on a joke that was not meant to be taken seriously.” But, in fact, they weren’t based on a joke. Rumors about pacu biting men’s testicles had already been circulating for years when Peter Rask Møller incorporated them into his 2013 press release. They had cropped up most recently during the 2011 season of the Discovery Channel TV show River Monsters, hosted by daredevil fisherman Jeremy Wade: “I had heard of a couple of fishermen in Papua New Guinea who had been castrated by something in the water,” Wade told the Daily Mail in December 2011. “The bleeding was so severe that they died. The locals told me that this thing was like a human in the water, biting at the testicles of fishermen. They didn’t know what it was.” Wade was eventually able to track down one of the alleged victims of these alleged attacks, but in the beginning, he had difficulty finding people who had first-hand knowledge of a pacu attack. Even for the locals, including those living on the Sepik river where the mutilations were said to have occurred, it was just a story they had heard and repeated ad infinitum. At that point, the story was a decade old. The earliest piece of evidence we find hinting at possible pacu attacks in Papua New Guinea was a 19 June 2001 query on FishBase, an online forum used by ichthyologists to exchange information: The query cites speculation that a fish reported to have bitten and injured people in the Sepik River might be a flesh-eating piranha: At the PNG National Fisheries Authority we received specimens of a freshwater fish brought from the Sepik River (one of the two largest rivers in PNG) reportedly to have been biting and injuring people in the region. There is speculation among people that the flesh-eating Piranha of S. America must be here in PNG, but how (if it’s true?). It is a concern right now and we are working to identify the fish species and gather more information about the possible ecological impacts the fish (possibly introduced) is causing to the Sepik River. A month later, however, the National Fisheries Authority employee posted again, stating that the species had been identified as Piaractus brachypomus — the red-bellied pacu. But note what else he said about the Sepik River biting incidents: Our scientific team just came back from the Sepik and Ramu rivers. It was difficult to bring specimens of the fish to Port Moresby so I am not able to send any to the museums we suggested earlier. Augustine Mobiha (the fisheries scientist involved) had collected enough morphometric data which helped us identify the fish as Pacu ( Piaractus brachypomus) and not Piranha. We also found out that the reports of people been [sic] bitten and 3 people killed by the fish were not true. So, within a month after fatal fish biting incidents were reported on the Sepik River, officials of the Papua New Guinea National Fisheries Authority investigated the reports and determined that, while there were pacu in the river, they hadn’t attacked and killed anybody. Which might have been the end of the story had not the press gotten ahold of it. Approximately two weeks before fisheries officials came back with the results of their investigation, the Australian Associated Press (AAP) got wind of the pacu attack story and ran with it: Two Papua New Guinea fishermen have bled to death after having their penises bitten off by piranha-like river fish. The fish, which zero in on urine streams in the water, have struck terror among villagers along the Sepik River, in north-western PNG. Authorities believe the killer fish is an introduced member of the South American pacu family and a relative of the piranha. In both of last month’s fatalities, the fish demonstrated a trait of the piranha by following a trail of urine in the water, swimming to its source and then biting it off with razor-sharp teeth. Since when did following a trail of urine become a “demonstrated trait of the piranha”? We don’t know. In the past, such a trait has been attributed to a tiny parasitic fish called the candiru, but even then not without controversy. While acknowledging that the specific claim here is that one or more pacu fish killed two men in Papua New Guinea by biting off their penises, not testicles, we’re fairly certain that this story — which is itself clearly based on little more than contemporaneous rumors — was the wellspring of all later mentions of genital-biting pacu fish in the media. Albeit largely (though not entirely) ignored by those same media, the National Fisheries Authority went public with the results of its pacu investigation in their July 2001 newsletter: With regards to local newspaper reports that people are being killed by the Pacu Fish, the investigation has revealed the following; 1. Within the area between Korogu village and along the Sepik River to Wagu village (up river from Ambunti Government Station) only one person was attacked on his private part. This person required medical treatment and came from Korogu village. A lady also claimed to have been bitten by the Pacu on her legs, just above her knees. She had some scars present. 2. No deaths from the introduced Pacu Fish attacks were reported from Korogu to Wagu villages. A passage from the actual report written by National Fisheries Authority investigator Augustine Mobiha offers somewhat more detail: There were reported to be two people killed in the Sepik River area by the local media. My investigations through talking with local people in the villagers within the Wagu village to Ambunti station to Korogu villages have indicated that no people were killed. The investigations revealed that four people in Korogu village were reportedly attacked by fish. One of the four individuals was bitten in the private parts area of his body and required professional medical attention. Two of the four individuals were in the river doing their toilet and were frightened by a fish but were not bitten. One lady claims she was bitten by the Pacu fish and has scars on her knee which she claims was from the bites. All the fisheries officers from Angorom to Ambunti along the Sepik River report no deaths due to attacks by the Pacu fish. No individuals from areas between Angorom and Korogu were interviewed but it is anticipated that any deaths due to attack by the Pacu fish would be news and would be known by all officers working in the area. The rest, dear readers, is folklore.
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41087
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US-Patent 8835624 is for the H1N1 virus.
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The patent with this number was for a strand of DNA that binds to the H1N1 virus, not the virus itself.
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mixture
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online
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US-Patent 8835624 is for the H1N1 virus. The patent with this number was for a strand of DNA that binds to the H1N1 virus, not the virus itself. US patent number 20120251502 is for Ebola. This application number was for a strain of the Ebola virus but the application has now been abandoned. The virus was not created by those who filed the patent. US patent number CA2741523 is for swine flu. This is the application number for a patent for the Ebola virus made to the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. This patent has not been granted, and doesn’t mean the Ebola virus was created by someone. 0070031450 A1 is a US patent for BSE (mad cow disease). There is a patent application number one digit away from this that mentions BSE, but is not a patent for BSE itself. ATTC VR-84 is a patent for Zika virus that comes from the Rockefeller Foundation. This is the name of a certain strain of Zika virus, which was first isolated in the 1940s in a lab funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. This strain was not patented. US patents 7897744 and 8506968 are for SARS. The first number is the US patent number for the SARS virus. The patent application was made by the CDC, but after the outbreak in 2002. The second number is a patent for a SARS vaccine which has now expired. US patent 10130701 is for coronavirus. This number is not a patent for the new Wuhan virus, Covid-19. It’s a patent for a weakened version of a virus in the same family as Covid-19, a family which includes the common cold and SARS. Claim 1 of 8
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31111
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"Senator John McCain said that he accidentally voted ""no"" on repealing the Affordable Care Act."
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It is bizarre and deeply unfortunate that Senator Johnson would question the judgment of a colleague and friend. Senator McCain has been very open and clear about the reasons for his vote.
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false
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Junk News, american news 88, americannews88.com, empire news
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In July 2017, Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) cast the decisive “No” vote to kill a bill that would have repealed key parts of the Affordable Care Act, also known as the ACA or Obamacare, seemingly stopping a years-long push to take down the health care law in its tracks. Not long after that, disreputable web sites with names like “AmericanNews88” and “Spinzon” published stories, in extremely broken English, that reported Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) had admitted that his “no” vote on repealing the Affordable Care Act had been nothing but an accident: Representative John McCain stunned the whole nation by voting NO on the Obamacare annul on the Senate floor a few days ago, yet despite the fact that he made a flood of new fans from the left, he is currently saying he committed an error, and that his cerebrum tumor is to mind. “I quickly lost my faculties, and truly couldn’t recollect which route was up, and which was down,” said McCain, talking from his home, where specialists have put him on bedrest. “That is to say, obviously, to vote TO cancel it, similar to the arrangement. As I’ve specified some time recently. Nothing Republicans like accomplishing more than screwing the whole nation, thus normally I ought to have offered a go-ahead. I swear I did. This mind tumor is truly incurring significant damage.” These sites do not display disclaimers labeling their content as fiction, and in fact the name of at least one of them (AmericanNews88) is an overt nod to the white supremacist set. (“H” is the eighth letter in the alphabet, and “88” is shorthand for “HH”, which stands for “Heil Hitler“. It is frequently used in conjunction with the number “14,” which is short for “14 words“, which generally references a phrase coined by white nationalist and pyramid prophesier David Lane: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for White Children.”). Both AmericanNews88 and Spinzon are in the ecosystem of “news” sites that frequently publish stories about former President Barack Obama and his family, as well touching on topics as diverse as the Clintons, migrants, and angry liberals. None of their stories appear to contain much truth, and some verge on outright slanderous. In the case of McCain’s accidental “no” vote, the text is a nearly verbatim copy of a hoax story that was originally published by the entertainment web site EmpireNews.net on 29 July 2017. AmericanNews88 made a few changes, such as changing the word “shocked” to “stunned,” “repeal” to “annul,” and “wave of new fans” to “flood of new fans,” but the structure and sentiment of these two stories are otherwise identical. Empire News is a well-known fake news web site that has a long history of publishing misinformation. That web site, unlike the other tow, does have a disclaimer: Empire News is intended for entertainment purposes only. Our website and social media content uses only fictional names, except in cases of public figure and celebrity parody or satirization. Any other use of real names is accidental and coincidental. However, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) truly did say that McCain’s health may have been a contributing factor in the Senator’s “no” vote: “Again, I’m not gonna speak for John McCain — he has a brain tumor right now — that vote occurred at 1:30 in the morning, some of that might have factored in,” he continued. Seemingly shocked, a radio host responded “really?” to Johnson’s comments and asked if he really believed McCain’s brain tumor might have factored into his judgment. “Again, I-I-I don’t know exactly what — we really thought — and again I don’t want speak for any senator,” Johnson responded. “I really thought John was going to vote yes to send that to conference at 10:30 at night. By about 1, 1:30, he voted no. So you have talk to John in terms what was on his mind.” A spokesperson for McCain issued a statement in response to Johnson’s remarks:
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32926
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Bristol Palin said all black actors look alike, making Oscar nominees difficult to diversify.
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Previous Newslo, Religionlo, and Politicalo articles that prompted similar social media confusion included items claiming Marco Rubio said women should be placed in custody if it was suspected they were considering an abortion (and that Zika was a punishment from God), Pat Robertson said gay people should wear specific colors by which heterosexual people could visually identify them, Pastor John Piper decreed bikini waxes a sin in the eyes of God, David Bowie was alive but held hostage by operatives of Satan, Ted Cruz said God would not have allowed Antonin Scalia to die at a time that was potentially not politically dicey, and a Republican lawmaker proposed saliva-based “hunger tests” for food stamp recipients.
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false
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Junk News, bristol palin, newslo, oscars
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On 27 January 2016, Newslo published an article about the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, claiming that blogger Bristol Palin said that Oscar nominations excluded people of color because all black people look alike: Abstinence advocate and culture war blogger Bristol Palin recently lashed out at black actors who have complained that the slate of nominees for this year’s Oscars were all white. In a blog post on Tuesday, Palin said she agreed with Fox News contributor Stacey Dash’s opinion that both Black History Month and the BET network should not exist as special privileges for the black community. “Stacey Dash couldn’t be more right,” Palin commented on her post. “What more do black people want? They complained about slavery – we abolished it. They complained about oppression in the 60’s – we made sure there was no more of it. Then they started bitching about how America has never had a black president – we gave them Obama. Now they’re trying to make it look like we’re intentionally depriving them of money and fame. I mean, come on, people! You’ve got drug dealers, you’ve got rap and hip-hop singers, you’ve got just as much money as white people, and not to mention, your numbers are growing. It seems to me like we ought to be complaining about you, not the other way around! … even if there were black actors who are good enough” to be nominated for an Academy Award, “it’d be too difficult to choose one, since they all look alike.” “How do you tell apart Lawrence Fishburne from Samuel L. Jackson? You don’t! At least I can’t. I mean, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think Sam Jackson played Morpheus in the Matrix Trilogy. So, don’t be talking about the Oscars when you clearly don’t deserve one.” The material in the first paragraph referenced an actual post on Bristol Palin’s Patheos blog (titled “Rappers Agree with Stacey Dash”). Palin wrote: We shouldn’t segregate ourselves or limit Black History Month to one month a year. I wish things were really colorblind… I don’t know what we can do as a society to come together as one. Ss far as what I have seen about the #OscarSoWhite Controversy, it seems Jada Smith started it because her husband wasn’t getting nominated. I don’t know how other people think about it, but I hope my son sees early on – that not everyone gets a trophy. The fact that the first part was real led readers to believe that the subsequent content was also legitimate. However, the first paragraph of the Newslo article was the only portion that wasn’t fabricated. Articles on the self-styled “hybrid” news site Newslo (and related sites Religionlo and Politicalo) take controversial news items and then add attention-grabbing embellishments. Newslo and related sites’ pages maintain an interactive feature allowing readers to “Show Facts” or “Hide Facts”: All Newslo, Politicalo, and Religionlo articles are by default rendered in “Hide Facts” mode, concealing the highlighted fabrications from readers. In addition to the “Show Facts/Hide Facts” feature, Newslo‘s disclaimer admitted: Newslo is the first hybrid News/Satire platform on the web. Readers come to us for a unique brand of entertainment and information that is enhanced by features like our fact-button, which allows readers to find what is fact and what is satire.
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10689
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Controlling Blood Pressure
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This story on an implanted pacemaker to control previously uncontrolled high blood pressure called it a “breakthrough” a “game-changer,” and said it has “proven highly effective” and could help millions. Strip away the hyperbole and the story failed to: Give any evidence – any data – on how well it worked; Include any independent expert perspective (the only interviews were with sources with a vested interest); Include any cost estimate. The medical editor who reviewed this piece for us said it was one of the worst he’s reviewed in three years.
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false
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"There was no discussion of estimated price for this device and treatment. If it’s not too early for the network to say this is ""proven highly effective"" and a ""game-changer,"" then it’s certainly not to early to discuss costs. There was no information provided about the extent to which this device might be expected to reduce blood pressure or any information about its impact on cardiovascular events. One patient mentioned noticing every once in a while that the device was there. The patient who was interviewed said that there were no downsides that he was aware of. However – this does not adequately describe the harms of an implanted medical device, nor possible side effects from stimulating the baroreceptors. The story gave no data – just saying the device had ""proven highly effective."" The piece provided no indication about the percentage of individuals whose pressure was reduced with the use of this device; it also did not indicate the extent to which pressure was reduced. Further – merely showing that the device lowers blood pressure is not enough evidence of benefit. Studies would really need to demonstrate thatuse of the device results in a decrease in heart attacks and other cardiovascular events. Just because lowering BP in medication trials does this doesn’t mean that lower BP with the device would do this. It didn’t exaggerate the seriousness of uncontrolled high blood pressure. Besides a patient, two doctors involved in the clinical trial (one of whom is the CEO and president of the company manufacturing the device) were interviewed for this segment. There were no independent clinicians or physiologists interviewed to provide background and some perspective about the device reported on. Medical therapy for the control of hypertension was mentioned during the course of this segment. There was no discussion of other medical devices currently being investigated for the purpose of controlling blood pressure or lifestyle factors that affect blood pressure and cardiovascular risk. There was no discussion of secondary causes of hypertension or interventions that can be used to improve adherence to treatments that have been shown to lower cardiovascular risk. The broadcast segment did not emphasize that the device is currently being tested in clinical trials and is not available outside of the trials. The broadcast described the device as a ‘breakthough’. It is premature to use this terminology as the device is still only being studied to determine whether it is effective for this purpose. However – the broadcast was clear that this was a new application of the technology. We can’t be sure if the story relied solely or largely on a news release. We do know that physicians at only one medical center appeared in the segment."
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3509
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Green gaming: Video game firms make climate promises at UN.
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Gaming is going green — and some of the biggest game companies hope players will, too.
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true
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Lifestyle, Technology, General News, Environment, Games, United Nations General Assembly, United Nations, Video games, U.S. News, Birds
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The companies behind PlayStation, Xbox, Angry Birds, Minecraft, Twitch and other video games and platforms pledged Monday at the U.N. to level up efforts to fight climate change and get their throngs of users involved. The promises range from planting trees to reducing plastic packaging, from making game devices more energy efficient to incorporating environmental themes into the games themselves. “I believe games and gamers can be a force for social change and would love to see our global community unite to help our planet to survive and thrive,” Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan said on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly gathering of world leaders. Ryan said Sony’s plans include outfitting the next-generation PlayStation system with a low-power, suspend-play mode. He said if 1 million players use it, they could save enough electricity to power 1,000 average U.S. homes. Some games already are set in drowning coastal cities, educate children about wildlife or otherwise address environmental issues. Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon anointed the Angry Birds character Red as an “honorary ambassador for green” in 2016. But the idea of gaming green got new visibility with Monday’s commitments from 21 companies, facilitated by the U.N. Environment Program and showcased against the backdrop of Monday’s U.N. climate summit . With an estimate of more than 2 billion video game players globally, “this is the most powerful mobilization channel in the world,” David Paul, the Marshall Islands’ environment minister, told the gaming CEOs. His low-lying Pacific island homeland faces an existential threat from rising seas as the planet warms. The “Playing for the Planet” pledges come from an industry that isn’t always seen as nurturing societal good. Parents and psychologists have fretted for years about games and other digital diversions sucking youths into staring at screens. The U.N.’s World Health Organization this year recommended no more than an hour of screen time a day for children under 5, and none at all for those under 1. Gaming company leaders say that not all screen time is of equal value. They believe their products can engage players on such serious issues as climate change. “We try to provide entertainment with substance,” Clark Stacey, CEO of WildWorks, said in an interview. Among the initiatives: —WildWorks intends to incorporate new materials about habitat restoration and reforestation into its children’s game Animal Jam, and to plant a tree for every new Animal Jam player. —Microsoft plans to make 825,000 Xbox consoles that are carbon-neutral — or don’t cause any net increases in heat-trapping carbon dioxide — and to promote real-life sustainability activities through its massive-selling game Minecraft. —Angry Birds maker Rovio Entertainment is offsetting carbon emissions generated by each of its daily, active players charging one mobile device per day for a year. —Game streaming giant Twitch, owned by Amazon, intends to spread sustainability messages through its platform. —Google’s upcoming Stadia streaming service is financing research on how people can be inspired to change their behavior through games. “They’re participatory. They require the player to take action. It’s not just absorbing a message from the outside,” said Erin Hoffman-John, Stadia’s lead designer for research and development. Strange Loop Games already has ecological issues at the heart of its simulation game Eco. Players collaborate to build a civilization and confront its impacts on the environment. If they cut down too many trees, for example, they might kill off a species. “For us, it’s less about telling the player about being green or avoiding climate change than letting them have that experience, letting them face that challenge themselves in a world that they care about,” CEO John Krajewski said in an interview. “And then they can bring that to the real world.” ___ Follow Jennifer Peltz on Twitter at @jennpeltz.
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38975
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A viral email claims that pricking a stroke victim’s fingers with a needle can indicate whether or not they are having a stroke and can reverse the effects of a stroke.
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New Stroke Indicator Can Help Save Lives – Fiction!
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false
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Health / Medical
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Claims made in this email about new indicators for strokes are false, and following the instructions could jeopardize a stroke victim’s life. The email, which first circulated in 2006, says to prick the fingers of a person who may be having a stroke with a needle until they regain consciousness. If they don’t come to after several minutes, the email suggests pulling on their ears and poking each ear lobe with a needle: “After a few minutes the victim should regain consciousness. Wait till the victim regains his normal state without any abnormal symptoms then take him to the hospital. Otherwise, if he was taken in the ambulance in a hurry to the hospital, the bumpy trip will cause all the capillaries in his brain to burst. If he could save his life, barely managing to walk, then it is by the grace of his ancestors.” Dr. Steven Novella debunked the claims in a blog post that said, “Pricking the fingers or earlobes would cause (thankfully) a negligible amount of bleeding and would not in any way affect the stroke victim’s hemodynamics. And if it did, that would just worsen the stroke by decreasing brain perfusion and oxygen delivery.” Pricking the fingertips of a stroke victim and waiting for them to regain consciousness, as the eRumor suggests, would also delay critical medical attention. Dr. Barbara Goodwin, of the Cayuga Medical Center, said: “There is a saying in the medical community that ‘time is brain’ when it comes to treating stroke because the longer the brain is without sufficient oxygen, the more damaging a stroke will be. Immediate recognition of stroke symptoms and transportation to the emergency department within two hours of the onset of symptoms can make a tremendous difference for someone who has suffered a stroke. “…The easiest way to remember the symptoms of stroke is to use the acronym ‘FAST,’ which stands for face, arms, speech and time. Look at the person’s face, look for weakness on one side of the body, especially the arms, and ask him or her to speak to you. Then act quickly to seek emergency medical attention.” The eRumor also says a stroke victim should be taken to the hospital after they regain consciousness, which is awful advice. Dr. Goodwin says that it’s important for stroke victims to remain lying down, preferably on their side, while they wait for an ambulance to arrive. TruthorFiction.com researched a prevous eRumor about stroke indicators. Click here to read that story. Comments
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6363
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State awards contract to boost hepatitis A vaccination rate.
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Missouri health officials have signed a contract designed to boost the rate of people vaccinated against hepatitis A as the number of cases of the liver disease increases.
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true
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Michael Brown, Health, General News, Hepatitis, Liver disease
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The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services awarded a no-bid contract to the Missouri Primary Care Association. The agreement will pay the organization $125,000 a year to focus on getting more adolescents to receive at least five vaccines, including influenza, hepatitis A and HPV. Contract talks began before health officials warned last week that a hepatitis A outbreak in the state could grow worse if it spreads to urban areas. Health officials say the state has recorded 414 cases of the virus since September 2017. In previous years, only about 10 cases were reported annually.
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3561
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With Trump rollback, school lunch could get more white bread.
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Is white bread about to make a comeback on school lunch menus?
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true
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Nutrition, Vermont, Health, Politics, Oregon, Lifestyle, AP Top News, U.S. News
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After complaints about taste and costs, the Trump administration rolled back a rule that required foods like pasta and bread be made with whole grains. The cafeteria directors who lobbied for the change say they just want greater flexibility to serve foods like white bread — which are more processed and have less fiber — when whole grains don’t work. In Vermont, the relaxed rule means white rice will be served with beans again. In Oregon, macaroni and cheese may return. And in South Dakota, students may notice a change with their soup. “The staff asked right away, ‘Oh my God, can we go back to the other saltines?’” said Gay Anderson, a school lunch director and president of the School Nutrition Association, which represents cafeteria operators and suppliers like Domino’s and Kellogg. The rollback addresses rules on grains, milk and salt championed by former first lady Michelle Obama. Since 2014, schools had been required to serve only whole grain versions of food as part of the national school lunch program, a critical source of free and reduced-price meals for millions of children. The idea is that whole grains would be more nourishing and help cultivate healthy habits amid alarming obesity rates . The Center for Science in the Public Interest, which is among the parties suing over the rollback, notes the standards were based on the government’s own dietary guidelines and that most schools were successfully meeting them. But cafeteria operators said costs were higher, cooking was more difficult and students were throwing away more food. The School Nutrition Association said it’s more important that children who rely on the lunches eat something, and that the rule ignored cultural preferences, such as for flour tortillas in the Southwest or for white rice among Asian students. To ease the transition to whole grains, the U.S. Department of Agriculture let schools apply for temporary waivers to serve select dishes that didn’t meet the whole-grain rule. For the last school year, it said about 20 percent of districts asked permission to serve refined grains that are enriched to add back some nutrients. Among the frequently waived foods were pasta , pizza , tortillas and biscuits , which one Georgia lunch official joked affects the ”tests scores of rednecks ,” according to records obtained by The Associated Press from state agencies. Other waived foods included beignets, cinnamon rolls, corn dogs, sugar cookies and Pop Tarts. One district requested a waiver for croissants because it said students don’t like the whole-grain version. “Plus they are 20 cents more per serving,” the district said. Then in December, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the USDA was going back to the old standard: At least half of grain foods must be rich in whole grains. The agency said that does away with the red tape of making schools get waivers, and gives schools more flexibility to offer wholesome meals that also reduce food waste. Whitney Ellersick, a school lunch director in Portland, Oregon, said the change means her district will no longer need a waiver for its lasagna. But she was surprised by the extent of the rollback. “I was a little shocked to see it go to 50 percent,” Ellersick said. The Center for Science in the Public Interest said the USDA’s rollback may be halting progress made by schools, which could be tempted to bring back more refined grains that cost less or are easier to make. Already, the group notes the USDA defines “whole grain rich” as being half whole grain, meaning there’s built-in wiggle room to make bread and pasta students won’t mind. Bettina Elias Siegel of The Lunch Tray website also noted a recent USDA report that found that “plate waste” was comparable before and after the rules were implemented in 2014, undermining arguments they were prompting students to throw away more food. The report also found that students took advantage of lunches more often in schools with healthier lunches. The American Heart Association likewise criticized the decision to relax the rules and called on school districts to stick to the previous standards, which also included stricter rules on salt and milk. Among the districts that plan to do so is Boston, where fifth grader Trinity Wilson likes the brown rice. She said it’s is healthier than white rice. “I know that because my mom told me,” Wilson said. But some school lunch officials say the rollback could help smaller districts that don’t have access to as many products. In Arkansas, students in the Magnet Cove district accepted whole-grain Pop Tarts and other changes, officials say, but still prefer the old noodles, biscuits and rolls. “They’re tastier, softer and fluffier,” said Danny Thomas, the district’s superintendent. In Burlington, Vermont, white rice and beans can return to menus. Doug Davis, the district’s food director and incoming president of the School Nutrition Association, said it’s a healthy dish that students will actually eat. To avoid buying two types of rice, Davis said white rice will likely also be used in stir fries and soups. He plans to stick mostly to whole grains, but he appreciates not having to. Whole-grain pasta isn’t ideal for mac and cheese, Davis noted. “Would we make a change on that? I don’t know,” he said. ____ Follow Candice Choi at www.twitter.com/candicechoi ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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14231
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"John Kirby Says President Barack Obama never said, ""No boots on the ground"" in Syria."
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"Kirby said that Obama never said, ""No boots on the ground"" in Syria. We accept that there are legitimate reasons for differentiating between a large ground force and a smaller number of special operations forces. Still, it’s clear that Obama repeatedly used the term ""no boots on the ground,"" sometimes with extensive caveats about what constituted ""boots on the ground"" and sometimes not. And by repeatedly using that phrase, he reaped the benefits of calming the public about the extent of U.S. involvement. That counts as a message to us."
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false
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National, Foreign Policy, Military, John Kirby,
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"On April 25, 2016, President Barack Obama announced that he would be sending an additional 250 special-operations troops to Syria to counter the Islamic extremist group variously known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh. ""Just as I approved additional support for Iraqi forces against ISIL, I've decided to increase U.S. support for local forces fighting ISIL in Syria, a small number of special operations forces are already on the ground in Syria and their expertise has been critical as local forces have driven ISIL out of key areas,"" Obama said. This development produced a testy exchange between journalists and State Department spokesman John Kirby at a briefing later that day. Matt Lee of the Associated Press peppered Kirby with questions about whether the expansion of U.S. forces conflicted with Obama’s past pledges to keep U.S. ""boots"" off the ground in Syria. Kirby said the 50 special operations forces that had already been on the ground ""have had a positive impact on our ability to go after Daesh inside Syria. And because it has been successful, we want to intensify. I've stood up here I don't know for how many weeks and talked about the fact that we want to intensify our efforts against Daesh. This is a process which has worked, so the President has decided to increase it to the tune of 250. And there was never this, ‘No boots on the ground.’ I don't know where this keeps coming from."" Then Kirby and Lee exchanged disagreements: Lee: ""The point is is that for months and months and months the mantra from the president and everyone else in the administration has been, ‘No boots on the ground.’ And now…"" Kirby: ""No, that is not true."" Lee: ""What?"" Kirby: ""It's just not true, Matt."" Eventually, Kirby explained why he believed Obama’s past rhetoric is consistent with the new influx of special operations forces. ""When we talk about boots on the ground in the context that you have heard people in the administration speak to, we are talking about conventional, large-scale ground troops that are designed to actually engage in, plan, coordinate, integrate, and engage in combat operations on the ground as units,"" Kirby said. ""We're not doing that. We've never done that in Iraq or in Syria, and we're not going to do it now."" In a moment, we’ll get to the substance of how one defines ""boots on the ground."" First, though, we wondered about the accuracy of Kirby’s repeated claim that ""there was never this (message), ‘No boots on the ground’ "" from Obama. What has Obama said? Obama has certainly used the phrase ""no boots on the ground"" frequently. On Oct. 31, 2015, USA Today’s Gregory Korte produced a detailed accounting of his comments on the matter headlined, ""16 times Obama said there would be no boots on the ground in Syria."" We reviewed the 16 examples Korte tracked down and found that in half of them, Obama did provide a fairly thorough set of limitations along the lines of what Kirby cited. For instance, in an address to the nation about Syria on Sept. 10, 2014, Obama said, ""I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil. This counterterrorism campaign will be waged through a steady, relentless effort to take out ISIL wherever they exist, using our air power and our support for partner forces on the ground."" But the other eight examples outlined in USA Today are phrased in such a way that plays up the ""no boots on the ground"" idea to such an extent that we think a reasonable person would be tempted to downplay or ignore the caveats. For instance, in a statement before meeting with congressional leaders on Sept. 3, 2013, Obama said, ""The key point that I want to emphasize to the American people: The military plan that has been developed by our Joint Chiefs, and that I believe is appropriate, is proportional. It is limited. It does not involve boots on the ground. This is not Iraq, and this is not Afghanistan."" In an earlier address to the nation on Sept. 10, 2013, Obama said, ""Many of you have asked, won't this put us on a slippery slope to another war? One man wrote to me that we are 'still recovering from our involvement in Iraq.' A veteran put it more bluntly: 'This nation is sick and tired of war.' My answer is simple: I will not put American boots on the ground in Syria. I will not pursue an open-ended action like Iraq or Afghanistan. I will not pursue a prolonged air campaign like Libya or Kosovo. This would be a targeted strike to achieve a clear objective: deterring the use of chemical weapons and degrading Assad's capabilities."" That address followed an interview with the PBS Newshour the night before in which Obama said, ""Tomorrow I'll speak to the American people. I'll explain this is not Iraq; this is not Afghanistan; this is not even Libya. We're not talking about — not boots on the ground. We're not talking about sustained airstrikes. We're talking about a very specific set of strikes to degrade his chemical weapons capabilities in terms of delivery."" When we reached out to the White House, they noted that the Syrian conflict at the time of these last two examples was focused on Syria’s chemical-weapons stockpile, rather than ISIS. They also argued that Obama’s main point was that the mission to counter ISIS would be different than the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq which involved more than 100,000 combat troops at a time -- a far larger fighting force than what is being used to target ISIS. Still, we think that the existence of between eight and 16 examples of the ""no boots on the ground"" phrasing -- sometimes with limitations emphasized, sometimes not -- qualifies as an ongoing ""message"" from Obama, contrary what Kirby said. ""Obama has a credibility gap on this front,"" said John Pike, director of globalsecurity.org. ""They use the same size body bag for all U.S. troops."" What does ‘boots on the ground’ mean? When we checked with international-affairs experts, several agreed that Kirby does have a point that there are legitimate differences between a large combat force and a modest number of special operations forces. ""Politicians who say there will be ‘no boots on the ground’ usually attach a caveat, and if they don’t do so verbally, they seem to attach it mentally,"" said Ted Bromund, senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation. ""The caveat is that forces that the politician wishes to employ don’t count as boots on the ground -- which lets them use advisers, special forces, base protection, air power, logistics and supply, and so on to their heart’s content."" The risk, Bromund said, comes when someone calls them on it -- as Lee did -- or when the number of forces becomes ""so large, so controversial, or so obviously involved in combat that the claim comes into question."" What’s unusual in this case, he said, is that Kirby denied that the claim was ever made. Benjamin Friedman, a defense specialist at the libertarian Cato Institute, said the administration could have articulated itself more clearly. Still, he said that the bigger problem is that the administration is ""manipulating language to paper over a contradiction. They want ground forces in Syria and Iraq -- special operations forces are ground forces -- and want credit for not sending in ground forces. By saying no ‘boots on the ground,’ whatever caveats you include, you imply that our guys aren’t there getting shot at. But they are. So there’s a fundamental dishonesty there, despite the lawyerly definitional game they’re playing to avoid outright lying."" Bromund and Friedman consider this a significant concern. But Michael O’Hanlon, of the Brookings Institution, said he cuts Obama some slack on the language. O’Hanlon said the president’s ""obligation is to protect us, not win a contest for perfect semantic consistency. I would rather see slight inconsistencies than dogmatic and stubborn adherence to a soundbite."" Our ruling Kirby said that Obama never said, ""No boots on the ground"" in Syria. We accept that there are legitimate reasons for differentiating between a large ground force and a smaller number of special operations forces. Still, it’s clear that Obama repeatedly used the term ""no boots on the ground,"" sometimes with extensive caveats about what constituted ""boots on the ground"" and sometimes not. And by repeatedly using that phrase, he reaped the benefits of calming the public about the extent of U.S. involvement. That counts as a message to us.
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4989
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Pittsburgh-based Magee-Womens institute to offer $1M prize.
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The Pittsburgh-based Magee-Womens Research Institute is planning to offer a $1 million prize for innovative research into women’s health when it holds its inaugural summit next October at the city’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
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true
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Pittsburgh, Health, David L. Lawrence, Womens health
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The charity’s board chair, Carrie Coghill, says the idea is for the award to be seen as similar to a Nobel Prize for women’s health. The Richard King Mellon Foundation is funding the effort. The group’s efforts are built around three goals. The 9-90 program focuses on identifying and curing illnesses originate while a person is in the womb, but which can last for 90 years, or a lifetime. The group also seeks research into gender specific biological and medical problems that affect women only, and for efforts to reduce or eliminate HIV/AIDS globally. The summit will be held Oct. 8-10, 2018.
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21173
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Lloyd Doggett Says the main Central Texas food bank is delivering 50 percent more food to the poor than three years ago.
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Lloyd Doggett says Central Texas food bank deliveries up 50 percent from three years ago
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true
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Economy, Poverty, Texas, Lloyd Doggett,
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"In a September 2011 floor speech, Democratic U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin spoke of two concerns he said are growing in the Lone Star State: poverty and hunger. Doggett said that in tough times, more families are turning to food banks, creating ""immense"" demand. Among his examples: The Austin-based Capital Area Food Bank of Texas ""this year is delivering 50 percent more food to poor people than it did three years ago."" In his speech, Doggett attributed that figure to John Turner, a food bank official. We wondered if the proclaimed increase was correct, and if so, whether that accurately reflected a surge in hunger in our area. The food bank, founded in 1981, takes in donations of food and money from the government, the food industry and the public, then distributes food to Central Texas residents directly and through more than 350 agencies in its 21-county service area roughly centered on Travis and Williamson counties. (Click to view a map.) The region’s north edge runs from Mills County in the west to Freestone County in the east; its south edge runs from Gillespie and Blanco counties in the west to Fayette County on the east. Doggett spokeswoman Sarah Dohl told us by email that Doggett drew his 50 percent figure from a Sept. 4, 2011, news story in the Guardian, a British newspaper, which quotes Turner saying the food bank was delivering 50 percent more food to the poor than it had done three years ago. In an interview, Turner, the food bank’s senior director for marketing and branding, recently told us he’d given the Guardian a conservative estimate: The pounds of food distributed by the bank had actually increased 64 percent, going from 15.4 million pounds in 2007 to 25.3 million pounds in 2010. Turner noted, too, that the 2010 poundage was inflated by one-time federal stimulus aid enabling the bank to buy an additional 2.3 million pounds for the Summer Food Nutrition Program. Subtract that, and the 2010 figure becomes 23 million pounds -- up 49 percent from what the bank gave out in 2007. So, do the poundage figures mean hunger in the area shot up 49 percent or more over the past few years? J.C. Dwyer of the Texas Food Bank Network, the state association of food banks, told us pounds of food distributed generally isn't the best measure of need in a food bank's region: ""It’s more of a metric for how we’re dealing with the needs,"" Dwyer said. A better way of gauging needs, he said, is to track the number of residents requesting food assistance. That is, the amount of food distributed doesn't necessarily reflect ups and downs in need. In the holiday season, donations and distributions surge, for instance, but that doesn’t necessarily mean surges in need. Dwyer and Turner each suggested we check on changes in food demands through ""Hunger in America,"" a report commissioned every four years by Feeding America, a national charity that acts as a clearinghouse connecting food supplies to 200 food banks, including the one in Austin. There was no ""Hunger in America"" report for 2007, the first year in Doggett’s statement, but the reports based on surveys in 2005 and 2009 were broken down into smaller reports covering the Austin bank’s 21-county region: In 2005, the Capital Area bank fed an estimated 174,900 people. In 2009, the estimated number of people served was 284,900 for the year, up 63 percent from those who were served in 2005. That change outstripped population growth, according to U.S. census estimates. In 2005, the 21 counties had 2,265,981 residents. By 2009, the region’s population was 2,547,559 -- up 12.4 percent. Put another way, the food bank provided sustenance to nearly 8 percent of the region’s residents in 2005 while about 11 percent of a greater total of residents got food in 2009. Finally, we wondered if Doggett was correct in saying the food aid went to the poor alone. Turner told us the bank does not question people who come seeking food as to their income -- if you show up, you are fed, he said, though depending on the lines that form, it could take an hour or two. However, the ""Hunger in America"" report using 2009 data states that 73 percent of the Capital Area food bank’s clients had incomes below the federal poverty level. Census figures for 2010, drawing on 2009 data, show that poverty in the 21-county region matched the percentage for Texas overall: Seventeen percent of residents had income below the federal poverty level. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Dwyer told us, ""food insecurity"" across Texas -- the percentage of households at risk of missing meals because of financial pressure -- rose from 14.8 percent in the three-year period 2005-07 to 18.8 percent in 2008-10. Our conclusion: Changes in the amount of food distributed over several years, which Doggett cited, might not be the best way to gauge changes in residents’ needs. That said, the number of Central Texas requestors for food aid over those years outpaced regional population growth. The 63 percent increase in requestors also exceeded the 50-percent increase in food distributed that he stressed, though, contrary to his statement, not all those pounds of food went to ""the poor."""
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33639
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Electric fans left running overnight kill persons sleeping in the breeze they generate.
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Do electric fans left running overnight kill persons sleeping in the breeze they generate?
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false
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Horrors, ASP Article, electric fans, freakish fatalities
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Although many folk beliefs take root worldwide, some remain peculiar to specific cultures. Such is the case of the South Korean conviction about “fan death,” a deadly fate said to await those who sleep nights in rooms where electric fans are left running. There are three primary theories as to why leaving a fan running in a closed room overnight might kill a person. None holds up to medical scrutiny, yet that does not impede belief in them: Fans don’t chill air. They merely circulate it, which means the hypothermia theory doesn’t survive even the first hurdle of fan use causing a marked drop in room temperature, let alone the second of such a drop being enough to lower a person’s internal temperature from 37°C (98.6°F) to below 30°C (86°F). Both the suffocation and carbon dioxide theories fail on the fact that homes are far from airtight. Unless a dwelling is purposely constructed to be airtight, sufficient air should leak into and out of it to prevent suffocation. There are other, more loony, theories about what causes fan death. One asserts the fan’s blades chop up oxygen molecules, rendering such mutilated air unbreathable. Another posits the fan converts oxygen into carbon dioxide. No other culture appears to regard its electric fans with trepidation, yet the belief that these air circulating devices are capable of killing in their sleep even adult men is rampant among Koreans. It doesn’t help that the Korean media continues to report “fan deaths,” citing this form of demise every time an otherwise healthy-appearing individual is found dead in his bed. As to how seriously the threat of fan death is taken in South Korea, fan users there are cautioned to always leave a window open to counter the otherwise deadly effects. Korea’s largest fan manufacturing concern, Shinil Industrial Co., issues warnings with its products telling customers to keep fans pointed away from people at night. “This product may cause suffocation or hypothermia,” the warning reads. The Korea Consumer Protection Board advises that “Doors should be left open when sleeping with the electric fan or air conditioner turned on. If bodies are exposed to electric fans or air conditioners for too long, it causes bodies to lose water and hypothermia.” Many fans sold in South Korea are equipped with timers so people don’t fall asleep with the units running all night. Fan death fear is so prevalent that some Korean drivers have made it their practice to open car windows a crack before operating their vehicles’ air conditioners. We can only speculate on where this belief came from. The first report of fan death dates to the early 1970s, a time when South Korea was struggling to handle higher energy prices. It’s possible the government in place back then spread the rumor as a way of discouraging folks from running fans at night. Faith in fan death continues to run strong in South Korea because people everywhere yearn for the comfort of easily-grasped explanations when bad things occur, and fan death provides Koreans with that for a number of otherwise mysterious deaths. In any country, a handful of seemingly healthy individuals will be discovered dead in their beds, the cause of their demise not readily apparent. In South Korea, a country that gets hot and humid in the summer, many homes will contain electric fans which, with their owners now dead, will be still running in the morning when the bodies are discovered. Yet the one (fan still running) doesn’t cause the other (sudden mysterious death); the two are independent events. As to what actually causes these mysterious deaths, the smart money is on previously undiagnosed heart problems or drug or alcohol abuse. The most telling argument against fan death is that people in other countries where fans are used overnight don’t die of it.
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26592
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“All schools in Canada are closed for the rest of the school year, each family will receive $950 every two weeks for the next 15 weeks, banks were notif(ied) to suspend mortgage payments for at least 6 months, and student loans deferred.”
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All 10 Canadian provinces have closed schools either indefinitely or for a specified length of time. None have shut down schools for the school year. New employment insurance benefits will send money to Canadian workers who have lost income as a result of the coronavirus. Not every family will benefit. Canadian borrowers can defer up to six monthly mortgage payments, and a six-month, interest-free moratorium has been placed on student loans.
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mixture
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Economy, Public Health, Workers, Facebook Fact-checks, Coronavirus, Facebook posts,
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"Facebook users are sharing a post that credits Canada with responding to the novel coronavirus in ways the United States has not. But the post muddles some details of Canada’s response. ""All schools in Canada are closed for the rest of the school year, each family will receive $950 every two weeks for the next 15 weeks, banks were notif(ied) to suspend mortgage payments for at least six months, and student loans deferred,"" the March 21 Facebook post says. ""Imagine if the United States did this,"" it says. The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) In reality, schools in Canada’s provinces have not yet been shut down through the year’s end. The Facebook post also mischaracterized the employment insurance measures that Canada implemented to provide income support for Canadians who miss work due to the coronavirus. Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories have mandated school closures ""with varying dates, which in some cases coincide with the term break,"" according to UNESCO. As of March 25, here’s what each of Canada’s provinces has decided for its schools: Alberta: Schools are closed ""until further notice."" British Columbia: Schools are closed indefinitely. Manitoba: Schools are closed until at least April 10. New Brunswick: Schools are closed until at least March 30. Newfoundland and Labrador: Schools are closed indefinitely. Nova Scotia: Schools are closed until at least April 6. Ontario: Schools are closed until at least April 6. Prince Edward Island: Schools are closed until at least April 6. Quebec: Schools are closed until at least May 1. Saskatchewan: Schools are closed indefinitely. In sum, the Facebook post overstated the extent of Canada’s school closures, although the situation could change. All 10 provinces have shut down schools for some length of time, but as of March 25, no province had ordered schools closed for the rest of the school year. The Facebook post also mischaracterized Canada’s economic response to the coronavirus. On March 18, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced several actions, some of which were replaced in the final legislation, that the government would take to temper the economic burden faced by Canadians. Canadians should not have to worry about paying their rent or mortgage or buying groceries because of the #COVID19 crisis. Learn how the Government of Canada is taking action to support workers and their families: https://t.co/G3Z1Ean0Mx pic.twitter.com/aukpQcOmXf For starters, the government implemented ""a six-month, interest-free, moratorium on Canada Student Loan payments for all individuals who are in the process of repaying these loans"" and secured ""a six-month payment deferral for mortgages,"" according to the press release. The government also pledged to introduce an emergency care benefit to provide pay for people who miss work due to the coronavirus and do not have access to paid sick leave. The benefit would have provided ""up to $900 bi-weekly for up to 15 weeks"" to Canadian workers who are sick, quarantined, under instructions to self-isolate or taking care of a family member or child who is sick, quarantined, self-isolating or home from school due to closures. That’s not $950 — nor is it worth the same amount in American dollars — and it would not have gone to ""each family"" every two weeks, as the Facebook post wrongly claimed. The emergency care benefit would have applied only to workers impacted by COVID-19, while an expansion of child benefits would have delivered more money to families with children. More importantly, the emergency care benefit and another proposed benefit for workers facing unemployment were eventually replaced by the ""Emergency Response Benefit,"" which will give $2,000 a month for up to four months for workers who lose their income due to COVID-19. A spokesperson for the Canadian minister of finance’s office directed us to a press release detailing the new and more generous benefit, which was enacted into law on March 25. We’re doing everything we can to support you right now. Because at a time like this, you should be focused on what matters most - your health and the health of those you love. That’s exactly why we’re announcing the new Canada Emergency Response Benefit today. ⤵️ The $2,000 per month is roughly the same as $950 every two weeks. But again, it will only apply to workers who lose income due to the coronavirus. It won’t apply to ""each family."" A government webpage detailing Canada’s efforts to support individuals outlines the emergency response benefit, the six-month moratorium placed on student loans and the flexibility provided to borrowers who need to defer up to six monthly mortgage payments. A Facebook post said: ""All schools in Canada are closed for the rest of the school year, each family will receive $950 every two weeks for the next 15 weeks, banks were notif(ied) to suspend mortgage payments for at least six months, and student loans deferred."" The post is right about mortgage payments and student loans. But it overstates the impact of Canada’s new employment insurance benefits and exaggerates the extent of school closures."
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34214
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Two dozen children went home from St. Jude's hospital cancer-free in a single week.
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It’s unclear what message the meme maker was trying to send. However the false notion that a cure for cancer exists but is being suppressed by the pharmaceutical industry is a popular and persistent conspiracy theory.
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unproven
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Viral Phenomena
|
On 18 January 2019, a Facebook user employed the platform’s feature that creates large-font statuses with brightly-colored backgrounds to report a unverified yet widely-shared claim: The meme didn’t include any source or details related to its claim that two dozen children were sent home from St. Jude — a research hospital based in Memphis, Tennessee, that focuses on children’s catastrophic diseases, particularly leukemia and other cancers — and we could find no information to back it up. No news stories published within a week of the meme’s posting indicated that 24 children had been sent home from the hospital cancer-free. We contacted St. Jude about the claim and received following statement in response: “While we appreciate the promotion of the work we do at St. Jude to treat pediatric cancer and other life-threatening diseases, the idea of a cure is complicated. More than 80 percent of children with cancer become long-term survivors, meaning they survive five years past their cancer diagnosis. Each year, St. Jude treats more than 7,000 children with cancer.” St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is named after St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hope and impossible causes. It specializes in pediatric cancer and is renowned for treating patients free of cost thanks to donor support. According to the hospital’s literature, its medical staff treats 7,500 patients annually, and St. Jude has 78 beds for children requiring in-patient treatment. We found no St. Jude press release boasting about 24 children all being released cancer-free in one week, a news event that the hospital, which is funded by charitable donations, almost certainly would have made public.
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30788
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The daughter of U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer recently spoken out about her father's supposed affair with one of her high school classmates.
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On 12 December 2017, reports emerged about an attempt to frame Schumer in a sex scandal, one involving forged documents. The Senator reported the alleged to plot to law enforcement, according to the news web site Axios.
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false
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Junk News, america's last line of defense, chuck schumer
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On 8 December 2017, the “America’s Last Line of Defense” web site published an article reporting that the daughter of U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D.-NY) had recently spoken out about her father’s supposed affair with one of her high school classmates: Things just keep getting worse for the Democrat party. As Republicans like Roy Moore are being exonerated left and right, Democrats are falling like dominoes to accusations of sexual assault. The latest may be the worst. Chuck Schumer, the holier-than-thou Democrat who has repeatedly called for Judge Roy Moore to drop out of the Senate race over bogus sexual assault charges, may be facing a sex scandal of his own. Schumer’s daughter, Lisa, has come forward to admit that her father was quite the ladies man … to her high school cheerleader friends: “My dad is being a hypocrite and that’s why I’m speaking out. When I was in high school he dated my best friend Rebecca and even got her pregnant twice. He paid for her abortions twice and spent a ton of money onn her at Steak and Shake and Victoria’s Secret. She fell in love with him and he broke her heart. My Mom paid her to be quiet and go away. Three years later she committed suicide.” The girl in question may not be able to testify in court, but her diaries, which could be admitted as a dying declaration, are apparently very detailed. Lisa Schumer says her friend’s mother entrusted her with the secret, telling her to keep it a secret forever if she could. Lisa says she “was very concerned that her daughter’s name would be dragged through the mud.” The story is set to break on Reuters and Breitbart first thing in the morning, according to Fred Bernswallow. There was no truth to this story: Senator Schumer does not have a daughter named Lisa (his daughters are Jessica and Alison), and neither Reuters nor Breitbart (nor any other real news organization) has published a report on this subject. Nonetheless, many readers mistook it for a genuine news account: You have to be kidding me… BREAKING: Chuck Schumer’s Daughter Breaks Her Silence About Her Dad’s Affair With A High School Cheerleader – https://t.co/n4RJEpFaQg via @Shareaholic — Franken Harpo (@FrankenHarpo) December 9, 2017 This story originated with (and was exclusive to) “America’s Last Line of Defense,” a junks news site that specializes in spreading political information under the guise of proffering “satire.” The site’s disclaimer notes that all its content is fictional: America’s Last Line of Defense is a whimsical playland of conservative satire. Everything on this website is fiction. It is not a lie and it is not fake news because it is not real. If you believe that it is real, you should have your head examined. Any similarities between this site’s pure fantasy and actual people, places and events are purely coincidental and all images should be considered altered and satirical.
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10098
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Prostate drug may work as a preventive
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"This story just didn’t deliver vital context, analysis and independent perspect ive on this study. Taking these drugs would not necessarily reduce the risk of dying from prostate cancer–the ultimate goal of a prevention drug–because they appear to reduce the risk for only the moderately aggressive cancers. Men could still develop and die from the more aggressive cancers, but chemoprevention would lead to substantial drug costs and subject men to treatment complications. No one was interviewed to counter what one expert said in this story, ""The question might be, why isn’t every man taking one of these drugs?"" Yet it wouldn’t take much to find others who’d be happy to answer that question."
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mixture
|
"The $3.23 cost of Avodart is mentioned. But we would have preferred an analysis of the NNT or number needed to treat in order to prevent one case of prostate cancer – an analysis that would show this to be a very costly proposition. An AP story, for example, stated: And/or we would have liked to see a cost effectiveness analysis. There is an article by Zeliadt et al (Am J Med 2005) that estimates the cost per quality adjusted life year (the accepted metric for cost effectiveness) of finasteride to be $130K/QALY. Given that finasteride is now generic, the cost effectiveness ratio would be more favorable. However, these are guestimates because we don’t actually know whether this chemoprevention reduces the risk of prostate cancer deaths. But the story only told us cost per pill. Quantified in both relative and absolute risk reduction terms – although more emphasis placed on the more-impressive-sounding 23% relative risk figure than on the 5% absolute risk reduction stat. However, it should be noted that we have no idea whether reducing the risk of cancer reduces the risk of dying from cancer. Additionally, the risk of cancer in the control group was 25%. Given that the lifetime risk for prostate cancer is only 16%, this group of high-risk men was either truly at very high risk–or else being in the study and subjected to screening and biopsy artificially inflated the risk making it difficult to interpret the ""benefit"" of treatment. Not a single mention of the heart failure problem discovered in the study, which Barry Kramer of the NIH called an ""important detail"" in the AP story. AP thought it was so important they put it in their headline, ""Study finds possible heart risk with prostate drug."" That might be too much weight, given that the absolute risk for heart failure was very small, but it WASN’T EVEN MENTIONED in this story. The study could not properly determine that dutasteride was ""slightly more effective"" than finasteride or that it was ""a better drug"" because the drugs were not evaluated in a head-to-head comparison. Differences in patient populations and protocols make it difficult to compare results across studies. Also, while the proportion of men who had prostate cancer on biopsy was significantly lower in the treatment group, 15% of study subjects never were biopsied–which could bias results. No disease mongering was evident. Several sources were used, but none balanced the discussion as both WebMD and AP did with their stories. This is not a slam dunk as this story and its sources would lead you to believe. The story mentions finasteride (Proscar) as the primary alternative to Avodart for chemoprevention of prostate cancer. The availability of dutasteride is clear in the story. Adequate discussion of Proscar and Avodart research in this area. No inordinate claims of novelty. It’s clear the story did not rely on a news release."
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36450
|
"A ""bizarre"" new strain of strep is causing sinus infections and a characteristic bright red facial rash in March 2019."
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Is a ‘Bizarre New Strain of Strep’ Causing a Rash and Infecting Sinuses?
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unproven
|
Fact Checks, Viral Content
|
On March 3 2019, a Canadian Facebook user shared a “public service announcement” about a purportedly bizarre and new strain of streptococcus aureus going around (post archived here. )The poster referenced a second post of hers (archived here) about the purported strain of strep, as well as a February 26 2019 post by a woman in Idaho (archived here.) The post proclaimed:**Public Service Announcement – SHARING THIS** – THIS IS NOT ME! – This is my friend Kendall Stephens.. from Ontario Canada.. and the photos of the Little boy are from Ashlee Hawley in Idaho..[https://www.facebook.com/ardenh/posts/10218467141740426] .. I shared her post above this one… There is a very bizarre strain of Strep going around! It’s in the sinus cavity.. please share far and wide so other know what to look for.. if you get a red rash type hue to your skin across your nose and on your cheeks.. get to a doc ASAP! Antibiotics are needed to treat this!Another post by the same person read:🙁 Strep in the sinus cavity??? bugs are changing.. growing.. becoming scarier!The February 2019 post from Idaho was shared a staggering 1,100,000 times as of March 19 2019, and it stated:Okay folks here is a heads up for anyone who may see something strange and wonder what it may be like we did. Coop had a strange mark across his face that we thought was compliments of his little brother… After seeing personal physician who gave him a steroid that only made it worse since he didn’t know what it was, we came to the ER at eirmc where they determined he had strep throat but in his sinuses and obviously in his face. It could have been really bad had we not came in, they told us it will continue to migrate through there eyes and into their brain if not treated. They believe we caught his in time but please take this and show as far and wide as you can. It may save someone’s babies. ❤️❤️❤️. Update… we have him home now and he is doing much better! Thank you all so much for the prayers and shares, I have no doubt this will help someone get treatment much quicker than they may have without seeing this.All of the posts showed images of a grown woman and a young boy. Both individuals appeared to have a red rash in a “butterfly” shape across their nose and upper cheeks corresponding with their sinuses. The posts lacked a name for the “bizarre strain” mentioned, any links to news stories or journal articles providing more information, or any information that could assist readers concerned about this purported “new” illness.The distinctive butterfly-shaped rash shown is also known as a malar rash, and it can be a symptom of many health issues from lupus to erysipelas. Without citations or other obvious symptoms, it is difficult — and would be irresponsible — to say definitively whether the rashes in these photographs showed a symptom of a “new” type of infection.We searched reports for anything about new types of strep infections, but the only related items were about yearly outbreaks of strep throat. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s WHTM-TV reported localized outbreaks submitted by staff at regional urgent care clinics, but with the bacterial infection as a secondary concern:We are seeing patients with complaints of nasal congestion, sinus pain and drainage. Patients typically present around day 3-5 when symptoms are at a peak. Typical viral sinus infections last 10-14 days. If symptoms persist or worsen after an improvement it would be important to do a careful physical exam to determine if a bacterial infection is noted. A fever, cough, headache and sinus pain is common. Treatment includes good symptom management like antihistamines, intranasal inhaled steroids and nasal saline flushes.However, that report linked to a description of a simple viral sinus infection in which nothing “new” or “bizarre” was apparent. Almost every other reference to streptococcal infections which can manifest with a facial rash referenced scarlet fever or scarletina as the cause for those symptoms:Streptococcal infections are caused by any one of several species of Streptococcus. These gram-positive, sphere-shaped (coccal) bacteria cause many disorders, including strep throat, pneumonia, and wound, skin, heart valve, and bloodstream infections … Symptoms may include red and painful swollen tissues, scabby sores, sore (strep) throat, and a rash, depending on the area affected. […]Scarlet fever: A rash appears first on the face, then spreads to the trunk and limbs. The rash feels like coarse sandpaper. The rash is worse in skinfolds, such as the crease between the legs and the trunk. As the rash fades, the skin peels. Red bumps develop on the tongue, which is coated with a yellowish white film. The film then peels, and the tongue appears beefy red (strawberry tongue).We were unable to find any material addressing streptococcal bacteria in the sinuses as its own discrete issue. Typically, such results were about opportunistic viral or bacterial sinus infections and strep throat contracted concurrently due to a weakened immune system:Did you know that It is possible to have a sinus infection and strep throat at the same time? When your body’s immune system is low, you are more susceptible to illnesses and have a harder time fighting them off. So, what starts as a mild cold can end up a severe sinus infection and strep throat.Another reference entry on Acute Bacterial Rhinosinusitis (ABRS) did not mention a facial rash as part of the cluster of symptoms associated with it. Neither did a 2019 study on ABRS symptoms. However, the reference material we located was from 2009 (not “new”) and the symptoms were described as rarely observed:….Sore throat, fever with sudden onset (temperature greater than 100.4° F [38° C]), and exposure to Streptococcus within the preceding two weeks suggest GABHS infection. Cervical node lymphadenopathy and pharyngeal or tonsillar inflammation or exudates are common signs. Palatal petechiae and scarlatiniform rash are highly specific but uncommon; a swollen uvula is sometimes noted. Cough, coryza, conjunctivitis, and diarrhea are more common with viral pharyngitis.Although a form of strep that is “new” and “bizarre” resulting in a facial rash remains possible, no news reports or reference material substantiated that claim. This rash could be caused by myriad issues such as lupus, erysipelas, or scarlet fever, none of which can be characterized as new or bizarre.
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16293
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"The CDC is ""spending money on things like jazzercise, urban gardening and massage therapy"" that could be redirected to Ebola."
|
"Gardner said the CDC is ""spending money on things like jazzercise, urban gardening and massage therapy"" that could be redirected Ebola. We weren’t able to document such expenditures, but given the agency’s spending parameters, it’s certainly possible they’ve been made. However, by cherry-picking three chuckle- (or outrage-) inducing spending items, Gardner presents a misleading description of what the fund does. Those efforts almost certainly represent a tiny fraction of spending from the prevention fund, which is dominated by efforts to attack diseases that kill more than 1.4 million people every year, rather than one so far with Ebola. The claim contains some element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression."
|
false
|
National, Ebola, Health Care, Public Health, Cory Gardner,
|
"As fears over Ebola reached a crescendo, Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., took a shot at the federal government’s handling of the disease during a debate with Democratic Sen. Mark Udall. Gardner has been gaining ground in the closely watched Colorado Senate race, and that contest is just one of many around the country in which Ebola has become an issue. Gardner, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, ""Perhaps the CDC should quit spending money on things like jazzercise, urban gardening and massage therapy and direct that money to where it's appropriate in protecting the health of the American people."" We wondered if it was true that the government is spending money on jazzercise, urban gardening and the like at the expense of funding for Ebola. We thought this claim deserved a closer look, so we’ll break it down into a few parts. Is the CDC spending money on jazzercise, urban gardening and massage therapy? We couldn’t nail that down for sure, but it’s plausible. We asked both Gardner’s staff and the CDC for documentation of this claim, but neither got back to us with evidence either way. However, we found an unsigned column from the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page -- a leading source of conservative commentary -- that makes that claim. Here’s an excerpt from that editorial, published on Oct. 9, 2014, which focuses on the Prevention and Public Health Fund, or PPHF: ""The PPHF automatically hands the Health and Human Services bureaucracy $15 billion this decade and after that $2 billion a year, with no earmarks, in perpetuity. HHS (of which the CDC is a part) can dip into this honey pot for whatever it pleases. ""In 2013 HHS raided the PPHF of $453.8 million, or 48 percent of that year’s appropriation, to fund the Obamacare insurance exchanges. Those PPHF dollars that have flowed to public health are an insult to this once august field. The PPHF sponsors liberal pressure groups to lobby states and cities for higher tobacco taxes and zoning laws that restrict fast food, and its other urgent causes include dance fitness, massage therapy, painting bike lanes, salad bars in school cafeterias, pet neutering and urban gardening. ""The core of public health used to be society’s interest in securing the conditions necessary for human survival—mainly meaning epidemiology and combating communicable diseases. The pity is that all too often the current CDC has diluted its mission and budget by funding political causes that the doctors and troops in West Africa (and Texas) don’t need. The list extends to anti-bullying, trans fats, prescription opiate abuse, college rape prevention, workplace wellness, ‘racial and ethnic approaches to community health,’ and promoting breast feeding."" We’ll set aside the editorial’s belittling tone toward efforts to combat bullying, drug abuse and rape, and instead investigate the questions it raises about the fund and how it allocates funding. The fund was established with the passage of the Affordable Care Act (or Obamacare) in 2010. Initially, it was supposed to be funded by $15 billion over its first 10 years; legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama in 2012 cut that amount by $5 billion over 10 years. The purpose of the fund is ""to provide expanded and sustained national investments in prevention and public health, to improve health outcomes, and to enhance health care quality."" In practice, CDC provides grants to local governments and nonprofits, who then decide how to spend the money to meet public health goals. However, the fund has proved to be ""a tempting target for policy makers of both parties,"" according to an analysis of the fund published in the journal Health Affairs. The authors of the Health Affairs analysis wrote that it ""got off to a rocky start,"" due to complaints by both liberals and conservatives. Liberals expressed concern that Obama was gutting the fund by agreeing to the cuts, which supported the continuation of payroll tax breaks, an extension of unemployment benefits and a ""fix"" to prevent cuts to physician reimbursement under Medicare -- items that had little if anything to do with preventing disease. Conservatives, for their part, questioned whether the fund needed to exist at all, particularly in a time of growing federal debt. Some Republicans proposed eliminating the fund and using some of the proceeds to pay for repeal of the Affordable Care Act's requirement that small-business owners file 1099 tax reporting forms, Health Affairs reported. Meanwhile, Republicans also questioned whether the government should be paying for things that people can do for free, like exercise. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., the ranking member on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, dismissed it as a ""slush fund ... to build sidewalks, jungle gyms, and swing sets."" We were only able to document broad categories of spending from the fund; once we drilled down into online disclosure forms for grants, they didn’t cite such specific details as ""jazzercise,"" ""urban gardening"" or ""massage therapy."" But when we asked public-health experts whether such categories could have been spent on the kinds of activities Gardner criticized, they said it’s likely. The fund’s mission is to ""improve health and prevent chronic illnesses by expanding preventive care and supporting proven community-based programs that reduce obesity, tobacco use and other preventable conditions, and I would think that healthy food and physical activity efforts would fit right in,"" said Elizabeth Rigby, an associate professor of public policy and public administration at George Washington University. Glen Mays, a professor at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, agreed. ""Are there scientifically proven prevention strategies that involve helping people reach recommended levels of daily exercise through organized group activities like ‘jazzercise, urban gardening, or other forms of physical activity? Absolutely,"" Mays said, citing CDC’s Diabetes Prevention Program and WISEWOMAN program. ""Beyond their exercise benefits, gardening programs also have been shown to increase knowledge of and access to healthy food choices, especially in urban and rural food deserts,"" Mays said, and in certain contexts, massage therapy could fit as well. Bottom line: We aren’t 100 percent sure that CDC dollars have been spent on jazzercise, urban gardens or massage therapy, but it’s quite possible they have been. Does Gardner’s focus accurately describe what the fund does? No, it’s pretty misleading. Here’s a flavor of how CDC plans to spend money from the Prevention and Public Health Fund in fiscal year 2014. (CDC is only one of several federal agencies that’s able to spend money from the fund, though we’ll limit our analysis to CDC because of how Gardner framed his claim.) • Immunization: $160 million; • Smoking prevention: $105 million; • Cancer prevention and control: $104 million; • Heart disease and stroke prevention: $77 million; • Diabetes prevention: $73 million; • Epidemiology and laboratory capacity: $40 million; • Nutrition, physical activity, and obesity: $39 million; • Racial and ethnic approaches to community health: $30 million; • Lead poisoning prevention: $13 million; • Infection prevention in health care facilities: $12 million; • Workplace wellness: $10 million; • Breastfeeding promotion and support: $8 million; • Miscellaneous prevention efforts: $160 million; The total for all these activities: $831 million. More than half went for categories that would be irrelevant for the items Gardner cites. And even within the $300 million-plus spent on items such as preventing obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer, experts are certain that items such as jazzercise represent a tiny fraction of what CDC is spending. The plan’s critics have chosen the silliest-sounding items -- an effective rhetorical tactic, but not a very honest one. (As for the Wall Street Journal editorial’s complaint that CDC has abandoned its traditional role in ""combating communicable diseases,"" we’ll note that the single biggest spending item from the fund is for immunizations.) How solid is the argument that prevention funding should be shifted to Ebola? When the preventive fund was created, lawmakers explicitly tilted the authority for disbursing the funds toward the executive branch, rather than Congress, so there shouldn’t be insurmountable roadblocks to shifting money around. So CDC -- or the agency it reports to, the Department of Health and Human Services -- could probably switch dollars around if it wished. But as it happens, there’s really no need to switch money out of the fund, since the fund can be used directly to pay for Ebola expenses. Remember that $12 million we noted above that’s targeted for ""infection prevention in health care facilities"" for 2014? That’s relevant because, ""right now in the United States, Ebola is exclusively a hospital-acquired infection,"" Mays said. Indeed, Mays added, the prevention fund is already funding the CDC’s Epidemiology, Laboratory Capacity, and Emerging Infections program, which ""supports exactly the types of testing, contact tracing, and remediation activities that are underway by state and local health departments in Texas and Ohio in response to Ebola."" So Gardner is confusing matters by making it prevention vs. Ebola. It doesn’t have to be. There’s also another issue to consider. We can see why people might chuckle at the thought of federal money going to jazzercise, but it’s important not to lose sight of the fund’s purpose -- prevention. ""Prevention"" has been part of the official name of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since 1992, when George H.W. Bush was president. The ""P"" never made it into the agency’s common acronym -- and prevention is not as swashbuckling a sector as some divisions of CDC -- but it’s an important part of the agency’s mission nonetheless. Why? Take a look at the death statistics for diseases covered by grants from the fund. (The figures cover 2010, the most recent year available). • Heart disease: 596,577 deaths; • Cancer: 576,691 deaths; • Stroke: 128,932 deaths; • Diabetes: 73,831 deaths; • Influenza and Pneumonia: 53,826 deaths. That’s more than 1.4 million deaths annually from what medical experts, including the CDC, consider preventable diseases -- compared to (so far) just one from Ebola in the United States. This doesn’t mean we should be spending zero on Ebola; nor does it mean the fund can prevent anything approaching to 1.4 million deaths a year. It doesn’t even mean that the fund is spending the right amount of money, or for the right things. What it does mean is that Gardner’s flip dismissal of preventive-health efforts obscures the imbalance in the number of lives at stake every year. Our ruling Gardner said the CDC is ""spending money on things like jazzercise, urban gardening and massage therapy"" that could be redirected Ebola. We weren’t able to document such expenditures, but given the agency’s spending parameters, it’s certainly possible they’ve been made. However, by cherry-picking three chuckle- (or outrage-) inducing spending items, Gardner presents a misleading description of what the fund does. Those efforts almost certainly represent a tiny fraction of spending from the prevention fund, which is dominated by efforts to attack diseases that kill more than 1.4 million people every year, rather than one so far with Ebola. The claim contains some element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression, so"
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6467
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NYC joins cities around the world marching to defend science.
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Thousands of people showed up Saturday at New York’s March for Science, including a retired high school teacher who warned that climate change, if ignored, will be America’s “Armageddon.”
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true
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Climate, Climate change, New York, Environment, Environmental concerns, Science, March for Science, Manhattan
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New York joined cities around the world where activists marched to defend science from attacks and reduced federal funding. In Manhattan, scientists and supporters first gathered at a late-morning rally at Central Park West. Participants, including some wearing lab coats, then walked down Broadway to midtown Manhattan, close to Times Square. Broadway was closed to traffic between Times Square and Union Square. Marchers said they’re worried about political involvement in science that rejects, for instance, climate change, environmental concerns and the safety of vaccines. Activists pointed to the immigration policies of the Trump administration they say could keep some valuable foreign scientists from working in the United States. At the site of the rally near the Trump International Hotel & Tower, two words were heard shouted above the crowd: “Dump Trump.” Barbara Wasilausky, a retired high school science teacher and registered nurse from Long Island, warned that “climate change is what is going to be our Armageddon if we don’t do something about it.” Instead of seeking facts that can be proved, she added, “we’ve been too quick to just click on stories, not read them, not think about them, and make our decisions that way.” Nearby, a small girl in a stroller held up a sign that read, “The oceans are rising and so are we.” Another woman’s sign said, “Make America think again.” Other cities staging marches include Washington, Berlin, London and Sidney, along with hundreds of smaller communities. The marches on behalf of science were part of global Earth Day. ____ Associated Press radio correspondent Julie Walker contributed to this report.
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33498
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Venomous 'two-striped telamonia' spiders are lurking beneath toilet seats in public restrooms.
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Venomous 'two-striped telamonia' spiders lurking beneath toilet seats in public restrooms is one of the hoariest Internet japes.
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false
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Inboxer Rebellion, Insect Infestations
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A scare story about venomous “South American Blush Spiders” supposedly lurking under toilet seats and delivering fatal bites to the posteriors of several victims first surfaced on the Internet during the summer of 1999 and has since become firmly entrenched in the realm of urban legendry — nearly two decades since its original appearance, the “butt spider” warning continues to circulate widely via social media and e-mail forwards: Don’t forget to look !!! This is really scary … According to an article by Dr. Beverly Clark, in the Journal of the United Medical Association (JUMA), the mystery behind a recent spate of deaths has been solved. If you haven’t already heard about it in the news, here is what happened. 3 women in Chicago, turned up at hospitals over a 5 day period, all with the same symptoms. Fever, chills, and vomiting, followed by muscular collapse, paralysis, and finally, death. There were no outward signs of trauma. Autopsy results showed toxicity in the blood. These women did not know each other, and seemed to have nothing in common. It was discovered, however, that they had all visited the same restaurant (Big Chappies, at Blare Airport), within days of their deaths. The health department descended on the restaurant, shutting it down. The food, water, and air conditioning were all inspected and tested, to no avail. The big break came when a waitress at the restaurant was rushed to the hospital with similar symptoms. She told doctors that she had been on vacation, and had only went to the restaurant to pick up her check. She did not eat or drink while she was there, but had used the restroom. That is when one toxicologist, remembering an article he had read, drove out to the restaurant, went into the restroom, and lifted the toilet seat. Under the seat, out of normal view, was small spider. The spider was captured and brought back to the lab, where it was determined to be the South American Blush Spider (arachnius gluteus), so named because of its reddened flesh color. This spider’s venom is extremely toxic, but can take several days to take effect. They live in cold, dark, damp climates, and toilet rims provide just the right atmosphere. Several days later a lawyer from Los Angeles showed up at a hospital emergency room. Before his death, he told the doctor, that he had been away on business, had taken a flight from New York, changing planes in Chicago, before returning home. He did not visit Big Chappies while there. He did, as did all of the other victims, have what was determined to be a puncture wound, on his right buttock. Investigators discovered that the flight he was on had originated in South America. The Civilian Aeronautics Board (CAB) ordered an immediate inspection of the toilets of all flights from South America, and discovered the Blush spider’s nests on 4 different planes! It is now beleived that these spiders can be anywhere in the country. So please, before you use a public toilet, lift the seat to check for spiders. It can save your life! And please pass this on to everyone you care about. WARNING: From the University of North Florida An article by Dr. Beverly Clark, in the Journal of the United Medical Association (JUMA), the mystery behind a recent spate of deaths has been solved. If you haven’t already heard about it in the news, here is what happened. Three women in North Florida, turned up at hospitals over a 5-day period, all with the same symptoms. Fever, chills, and vomiting, followed by muscular collapse, paralysis, and finally, death. There were no outward signs of trauma. Autopsy results showed toxicity in the blood. These women did not know each other, and seemed to have nothing in common. It was discovered, however, that they had all visited the same restaurant (Olive Garden) within days of their deaths. The health department descended on the restaurant, shutting it down. The food, water, and air conditioning were all inspected and tested, to no avail. The big break came when a waitress at the restaurant was rushed to the hospital with similar symptoms. She told doctors that she had been on vacation, and had only went to the restaurant to pick up her check. She did not eat or drink while she was there, but had used the restroom. That is when one toxicologist, remembering an article he had read, drove out to the restaurant, went into the restroom, and lifted the toilet seat. Under the seat, out of normal view, was a small spider. The spider was captured and brought back to the lab, where it was determined to be the Two-Striped Telamonia (Telamonia dimidiata), so named because of its reddened flesh color. This spider’s venom is extremely toxic, but can take several days to take effect. They live in cold, dark, damp climates, and toilet rims provide just the right atmosphere. Several days later a lawyer from Jacksonville showed up at a hospital emergency room. Before his death, he told the doctor, that he had been away on business, had taken a flight from Indonesia, changing planes in Singapore, before returning home. He did not visit (Olive Garden), while there. He did, as did all of the other victims, have what was determined be a puncture wound, on his right buttock. Investigators discovered that the flight he was on had originated in India. The Civilian Aeronautics Board (CAB) ordered an immediate inspection of the toilets of all flights from India, and discovered the Two-Striped Telamonia (Telamonia dimidiata) spider’s nests on 4 different planes! It is now believed that these spiders can be anywhere in the country. So please, before you use a public toilet, lift the seat to check for spiders. It can save your life! And please pass this on to everyone you care about. The original version was fairly easy to identify as a hoax by the slightly-altered and obsolete real names used to give it an air of authenticity. Thus Chicago’s O’Hare airport became “Blare Airport,” the Journal of the American Medical Association became the “Journal of the United Medical Association,” the name of the Civil Aeronautics Board was invoked even though that organization was dissolved in 1984, and an apocryphal genus/species classification of “arachnius gluteus” (i.e., “butt spider”) was assigned to the star of the legend. In October 2002 new life was breathed into this hoax when it was circulated anew with many of its details changed (to reference real rather than fictional entities) and the inclusion of a photograph, even though the text of the warning barely shifted at all: Whatever version of this item one might encounter, it’s all nothing but a hoax. No medical journal reported on the deaths of persons discovered to have been killed by spiders lurking in the toilets of restaurants and airliner bathrooms, and although the Two-Striped Telamonia (also known as the Two-striped Jumper or Telamonia dimidiata) is a real spider primarily found in South Asian tropical rain forests, it is not venomous and poses no danger to humans. Moreover, although some spiders prefer dark, cool places and can sometimes be found under (usually outdoor) toilet seats, as memorialized in Slim Newton’s 1972 song about the Australian Redback Spider, “The Redback on the Toilet Seat,” an airliner toilet would be quite an inhospitable abode for a spider due to the caustic chemicals used in them. Of all the precautions you might want to take when traveling by air, checking under the toilet rim for spiders should be given a very low priority. Steve Heard, the originator of this hoax, explained to us via e-mail how he came to create it: I’m the author of the ‘spiders in the toilet’ hoax back in ’99. At that time, many of my friends were just getting on to the internet and I was amazed at the number of hoaxes (Microsoft email tracker, free Budweiser, free GAP, Tommy Hilfiger hates black people, etc.) that were just being forwarded without regard to the truth. I decided to create one that was so ridiculous, that was full of holes and see what would happen. I didn’t want any real establishments hurt, so I used names like ‘Big Chappie’s’ restaurant, and ‘Blare’ airport in stead of O’Hare, etc. I’m still amazed that it’s still going around, and rather angry that some have changed it and named real restaurants and real spiders, making it more mean-spirited than joke. Anyway, I probably sent that out to a couple dozen folks, and it ended up going all over the world. Entomologists Richard Vetter and Kirk Visscher, writing in the journal American Entomology, noted of the hoax that its successful spread was due in part to its similarity with commonly expressed fears about real spiders such as the brown recluse: The Arachnius gluteus hoax successfully played upon various aspects of the human psyche, such as arachnophobia and the willingness to believe the worst about a situation. Similar manifestations, hyperbolic public awareness, and fears occur outside the endemic range of the brown recluse spider in the United States. Although the brown recluse is confined to the south-central United States, at least the spider does exist, is poisonous, and is the source of occasional severe morbidity where it is found in abundance. Nonetheless, the brown recluse is widely feared and often implicated as the source of mysterious lesions throughout the United States, even where no populations of the spider are known to exist. The willingness to believe that an exotic South American spider had gained a foothold in the United States and that it was killing people was sufficient to have the blush spider hoax spread rapidly.
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23860
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Right now every single one of the (oil) companies here today and dozens of others are drilling for free in the Gulf of Mexico on leases that will cost American taxpayers more than $50 billion in lost royalties.
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Markey says oil companies pay nothing for Gulf drilling, costing taxpayers $50 billion
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mixture
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National, Energy, Environment, Federal Budget, Legal Issues, Oil Spill, Edward Markey,
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"The ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has focused attention on a wide range of problems with the nation's regulation of how oil and other natural resources are extracted. One of those issues has to do with how much oil companies are paying the federal government for the right to drill offshore.At a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Environment on June 15, 2010, Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., the subcommittee chairman, took aim at the oil companies whose executives were assembled as witnesses at the hearing.One of the claims Markey made was that ""right now, every single one of the companies here today and dozens of others are drilling for free in the Gulf of Mexico on leases that will cost American taxpayers more than $50 billion in lost royalties. ""We decided to see if Markey was right.At first, we thought Markey was saying that no oil company pays anything for the right to drill in the Gulf. But we knew that was not true. In a previous item we noted that the Minerals Management Service -- the office in the Interior Department charged with regulating natural-resources extraction on federal lands as well as collecting the resulting royalties -- took in just under $10 billion in royalties and other revenues in 2009, placing it in the top 10 government offices for generating federal revenue.According to MMS, Gulf of Mexico revenues for oil alone for 2009 amounted to more than $61 million for Louisiana, $1.4 million for Mississippi and more than $285,000 for Alabama.But when we took a closer look at Markey's words, we realized that he was referring to a dispute over oil lease contracts from the Clinton era. These involve two related issues. One concerns drilling leases signed in 1998 and 1999. The other concerns drilling leases signed in 1996, 1997 and 2000. It gets complicated, so bear with us.In order to promote the extraction of certain kinds of natural resources, the Interior Secretary may exercise powers under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and the Deep Water Royalty Relief Act of 1995 to grant royalty relief to drillers. In the mid 1990s, when the latter law was passed, fossil fuel prices were low, so certain types of drilling projects seemed uneconomical without government assistance. The subsidies took the form of relieving companies from having to pay federal royalties on the resources they extracted.For 1996, 1997 and 2000, the lease contracts were written in such a way that the royalty relief disappeared once the market price of oil rose above a certain level. When the price reached that level, the companies would have to start paying a royalty. But the contracts for leases agreed to in 1998 and 1999 did not include any provisions for price triggers. So regardless of how high the market price rose, no company holding a lease that was signed in one of those two years would ever owe the government a dime in royalties.During the George W. Bush administration, MMS belatedly tried to persuade leaseholders to agree to pay royalties once a price trigger was reached, and the department had some success renegotiating the contracts. But many oil companies rejected MMS' proposals to insert a price trigger.In 2008, the Government Accountability Office -- the nonpartisan, investigative arm of Congress -- estimated that upwards of $1 billion in revenues had already been foregone from the 1998 and 1999 leases. It also cited a variety of scenarios that would suggest that the loss over 25 years from the 1998 and 1999 leases could total between $4.3 billion and $14.7 billion.But remember those accurately worded contracts from the 1996, 1997 and 1998 leases? Well, it turns out they're not locked down either.In 2006, Kerr-McGee, an energy company later purchased by Anadarko Petroleum Corp., sued the government, arguing that none of the price triggers from 1996, 1997 and 2000 were valid. In 2007, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana sided with Kerr-McGee, and in 2009, a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit agreed. In September 2009, the federal government, in a brief written by Solicitor General Elena Kagan (now a Supreme Court nominee), asked the Supreme Court to take up the case. But it declined, effectively letting the lower court's decision in favor of Kerr-McGee stand.We should mention that it's possible that Congress could legislate a remedy that forces the oil companies to pay royalties despite what the contracts say and what the courts have ruled. In fact, efforts to do just that are under way, and they may get a boost from popular anger over the oil spill. But the chances of such a law being enacted are only speculative at this point, so, in addition to the lost royalties from 1998 and 1999, it seems reasonable for Markey to add in the lost royalties from all five years, as he seems to have done.And how big are those three additional years worth of royalties? When the GAO surveyed the data in 2008, the agency suggested that the government would have to refund more than $1 billion in royalties already collected, in addition to forgoing billions of dollars more that had been expected to materialize over the next 25 years. Reports by the GAO and the Congressional Research Service, Congress' nonpartisan research arm, offered wildly varying estimates, from a low of almost $16 billion to a high $60 billion.The fact is, forecasting the market price of energy -- not to mention the future production from drill sites -- as far as 25 years into the future means that even the best experts can make little more than educated guesses. Oil prices in particular are notoriously volatile even in the short term, much less on the scale of a quarter century.In the report, GAO itself urged the utmost of caution in assessing these various scenarios. The ranges for lost revenue ""should not be viewed as probabilistic estimates of what actual forgone royalties will be, or even firm boundaries within which forgone royalties will fall. Rather, the scenarios reflect reasonable possibilities based on recent experience and possible future prices. ""So where does this leave Markey's comment? It's on the right track, but we do have some quibbles with it.First, he would have been better served if he'd chosen his words more carefully. We think a reasonable person hearing his statement -- but unaware of the controversy over the lease language -- would come away thinking that no oil company pays a dime for anything it pumps out of the Gulf. In reality, the companies pay tens of millions of dollars a year just to extract oil in the Gulf alone.Second, we believe Markey cites the $50 billion figure a little too blithely. He picked a number on the high end of an estimate range that will be subject to lots of cross-cutting influences over the next quarter-century -- first and foremost the volatile price of oil. If he'd said ""leases that could cost American taxpayers more than $50 billion in lost royalties"" -- rather than ""will cost"" -- he would have been on much safer ground.In an interview, Markey's office noted that the comment we fact-checked was an opening statement that summarized topics the hearing would address, and that lawmakers and witnesses proceeded to cover the topic of lost royalties in greater detail later in the hearing. They added that in Markey's view, the higher range of the estimate seems more likely based on their reading of oil price trends.But they acknowledged that the estimates are just that -- estimates and overall, we think many listeners would come away with the impression that the federal government was not getting any royalties when, in fact, the companies pay tens of millions of dollars a year just for drilling in the Gulf. In our view, Markey's comment, while broadly accurate, would have benefited from better specificity. So we find the claim ."
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981
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French court holds state responsible for Paris air pollution.
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The French state is responsible for the air pollution in the Ile-de-France region around Paris, a local court said in a ground-breaking ruling, although it did not award damages to a mother and daughter who had suffered respiratory ailments.
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true
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Environment
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The administrative court of Montreuil, a suburb of Paris, ruled the state was responsible for failing to prevent heavy air pollution in and around Paris in the 2012-2016 period, when a local resident contracted bronchitis and her daughter asthma. “The state was deficient in not taking sufficient measures to remedy the situation,” the court ruling read. Paris regularly goes through periods of high pollution, especially during heat waves, but requests by Paris city hall to temporarily ban polluting vehicles from entering the city center often take a long time to be implemented by the government. The court ruled that the plaintiff had not provided sufficient proof to establish a direct link between the Paris air pollution and her and her daughter’s health problems and rejected her claims for compensation. But in the first such ruling in France, the court said the state had repeatedly failed to take sufficient measures to prevent pollution from rising above government-set thresholds. “The state’s responsibility has been established. That is a first in France for victims of air pollution and it opens the door to compensation in the future,” the plaintiff’s lawyer Francois Lafforgue told Reuters. French daily Le Monde reported that the plaintiffs — who now live in the city of Orleans and no longer have respiratory problems — had filed for damages of 160,000 euros ($182,000). Environmental action groups say dozens of similar cases are working their way through courts in several French cities. In recent years, the European Commission has repeatedly criticized France for not respecting EU air quality norms and last year took France to the European Court of Justice. The French court ruling comes as unusually hot weather has led the city of Paris to issue new warnings about air quality and to ban older diesel vehicles from the city on Wednesday.
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37901
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"Comedian George Carlin wrote the essay ""The Paradox of our Age,"" often misidentified as ""The Paradox of Our Time."
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George Carlin and ‘The Paradox of Our Age’
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false
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Celebrities, Fact Checks, Viral Content
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An essay that has spent years mistakenly attributed to comedian George Carlin circulates in perpetuity in a popular “copypasta” post shared via email and on Facebook posts.The essay, “The Paradox of Our Age” (which has also been called “The Paradox of Our Time”), has been framed as a message from the comedian about the prevailing mood within the United Sates after the terrorist attacks against the country on September 11 2001. A newer variation insinuates that Carlin “wrote” the piece in response to the death of his wife:George Carlin’s wife died early in 2008 and George followed her, dying in July 2008. It is ironic George Carlin – comedian of the 70’s and 80’s – could write something so very eloquent and so very appropriate.This claim — like the claim that Carlin wrote the essay — is false. Carlin’s first wife, Brenda Hosbrook, died in May 1997. Carlin himself died on June 22 2008 and was survived by his second wife, Sally Wade. He was 71.Other variations of the lengthy post have claimed that the essay was written by a student who survived the 1999 mass shooting attack at Columbine High School in Colorado. It reads in part:The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less; we buy more but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge,but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life; we’ve added years to life, not life to years.In reality, the comedian did not write the essay and was not a fan of it, calling it a “sappy load of shit” on his website.“Another problem I have with ‘Paradox’ is that the ideas are all expressed in a sort of pseudo-spiritual, New-Age-y, ‘Gee-whiz-can’t-we-do-better-than-this’ tone of voice. It’s not only bad prose and poetry, it’s weak philosophy. I hope I never sound like that,” he wrote:Here’s a rule of thumb, folks: Nothing you see on the Internet is mine unless it came from one of my albums, books, HBO shows, or appeared on my website. If you see something with my name on it, and you really need to find out if it’s mine, post a question on my bulletin board. But only if it’s really important to you; don’t fuck around with me for a lark.The spread of the essay dates back to around 1999; at one time it was attributed to Jeff Dickson of the “Hacks R Us” online forum. But it was actually written by the Rev. Bob Moorehead, the former pastor for Overlake Christian Church in Redmond, Washington. It was published in 1995 in Words Aptly Spoken, a collection of his work.Moorehead became the church’s senior pastor in 1970 and oversaw a period of radical growth for the church, as its congregation went from 75 parishioners to attracting more than 6,000 people to his services. However, he resigned in 1998 after being accused by at least seventeen men of molesting them when they were younger prior to functions he performed throughout the 1970s.An investigation carried out by church elders initially cleared Moorehead of wrongdoing. But in May 1999, the Seattle Times reported that the group reversed course, determining that based on new information obtained by a separate committee that Moorehead “did violate the scriptural standards of trust, self-control, purity and godly character required for the office of elder and pastor.” Moorehead denied any wrongdoing.Update August 10, 2020, 11:17 a.m. pst: This article has been revamped and updated. You can review the original here. — AGComments
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3448
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Paris child at risk of lead poisoning after Notre Dame fire.
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Health officials in Paris said Wednesday that a young boy needs medical monitoring because tests conducted after the Notre Dame Cathedral fire showed that he was at risk of lead poisoning.
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true
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Lead poisoning, Paris, General News, Notre Dame Cathedral, Health, Poisoning, Europe, International News
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The child, who was tested last week, doesn’t need treatment yet, the Regional Health Authority said in a statement late Tuesday. Checks are being conducted to determine whether the lead came from the April 15 fire or another source. The child’s school, near the cathedral, was closed in July due to high lead levels found on its grounds. A total of 162 children have been tested for lead in Paris after hundreds of tons of lead in Notre Dame’s spire and roof melted in the blaze. Sixteen of those were deemed to be just short of being “at risk” and will also be monitored as a precaution. The results “show, on the one hand, the need to keep cleaning to limit the risk of exposure of the children to lead and, on the other hand, the importance of extending blood tests,” the health authority said. Authorities in June recommended blood tests for children under 7 and pregnant women who live near Notre Dame as they are especially vulnerable to health problems from lead poisoning and exposure. Critics say authorities didn’t move fast enough to protect workers and residents from lead pollution. Decontamination work at Notre Dame, the square in front of the cathedral and adjacent streets was suspended last month under pressure from labor inspectors concerned about lead risks. The culture minister, who’s in charge of Notre Dame, said work will resume next week with tougher new decontamination measures. One technique involves spreading a gel on the ground to absorb the lead. It will need to dry for at least three days before being removed. Another method will feature high pressure water jets with chemical agents to clean the soil, the culture ministry said. Authorities said last month the main focus was ensuring that the work doesn’t generate any pollution outside the work zone. Levels of lead remain exceptionally high at some spots inside the cathedral and in the soil of the adjacent streets, park and forecourt, according to the regional health agency. Those areas have been closed to the public since April 15. However, no dangerous levels have been registered in other nearby streets, where tourists and residents continue to gather and souvenir shops and restaurants have reopened.
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32346
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Mylan CEO Heather Bresch as attacked by a bee swarm whilst strolling in a park and no one nearby had an EpiPen on hand to assist her because they're too expensive.
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In August 2016, Mylan came under public scrutiny after raising the price of EpiPens more than 600 percent since acquiring the brand from Merck in 2007. EpiPens deliver an often lifesaving dose of epinephrine to patients suffering anaphylactic shock, a dangerous condition caused by severe allergies that can range from bee stings to various food and environmental sources.
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false
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Humor, bees, epipen, god
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On 22 August 2016, a satirical web site supposedly run by a very snarky, sunglasses-wearing God reported that Mylan CEO Heather Bresch was stung by a swarm of bees as she walked through a park on her lunch break: Bresch, who is apparently allergic to bee stings, immediately suffered a severe anaphylactic reaction. However, none of the bystanders had an EpiPen on hand to inject Bresch with relief. “Didn’t she raise the price to 600 bucks? Nobody got money for that,” said one Robert Selvidge, a bystander on the scene. “She kept pointing at her bag for some reason, who knows why? Was there something in there she needed? Maybe she had an Epipen in there. Whatever. If you ask me she got what she deserves.” While the article claims Bresch was taken to Mercy Hospital suffering (with great karma) from a severe allergic reaction, the only nearby hospital called Mercy is in Pittsburgh, 30 minutes away from Mylan headquarters in Canonsburg, where Bresch presumably works. A medical emergency would warrant that a patient be taken to a closer facility. A quick look at other articles published by TheGoodLordAbove.com web site makes it clear it is dedicated to satirical humor. Headlines on the site include “Ryan Lochte Awarded Gold Medal For Being A Douche” and “Pope Vows To Crush Rising Religions Of Star Wars and Pokemon Go.” Bresch has been the latest focus of anger over the inflated price of life-saving pharmaceuticals, taking the mantle from former Turing CEO Martin Shkreli, who in September 2015 received widespread criticism for purchasing the manufacturing license for the drug Daraprim and dramatically inflating the price.
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34804
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Prayers are requested for a 22-month-old boy who accidentally shot himself with a nail gun.
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The little girl (not a little boy) survived, and was released from the hospital without incident. No prayers were reported.
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mixture
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Inboxer Rebellion, Prayer Requests
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An entreaty for prayers on behalf of a 22-month-old boy in critical condition after accidentally shooting himself in the chest with a nail gun first hit our inbox in August 2010, spread in large part by Facebook and Twitter postings. The appeal took on new life in August 2011 when it once again spread through Facebook postings and showed up yet again in August 2016: Posting for a friend of a friend -Janet James …her 22 month old son shot himself in the chest with a brad nailer, it went in his heart, he is in critical condition not doing good, neither is mom. please start a prayer chain. Please …copy and repost…. and pray URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!!! PLEASE RE-POST!! KAYLA SCOTT’S 22 MONTH OLD SON SHOT HIMSELF IN THE CHEST WITH A BRAD NAILER — IT WENT IN HIS HEART — HE IS NOW IN CRITICAL CONDITION AND NOT DOING WELL — NEITHER IS HIS MOM — PLEASE START A PRAYER CHAIN FOR THIS BABY — PLEASE COPY & REPOST ……AS YOU WOULD WANT SOMEONE TO…DO IT…FOR YOU Our attempts to verify the existence of such a child back in 2010 were stymied because the name of the supposedly injured toddler was not included in the postings, and we received half a dozen different variants of the same message, each identifying the child’s mother with a distinctly different name: Prayer request for a friend of a friend of a friend… Deedee Parsons Simpson … her 22 month old son shot himself in the chest with a brad nailer, it went in his heart, he is in critical condition not doing good, neither is mom. please start a prayer chain. Please copy and re post and pray for this little boy! URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: 4 a friend of a friend of a friend… Kayala Scott – her 22 month old son shot himself in the chest with a brad nailer. It went in his heart. He is in critical condition & not doing well. Neither is his mom. Plz, start a prayer chain for this baby!! Please copy …& repost, even if you don’t know them Prayer Request. Teresa Lynch URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: Posting for a FB friend: 22 month old son shot himself in the chest with a brad nail gun, it went in his heart, he is in critical condition not doing good, neither is mom~ please start a …prayer chain. Please copy and re-post, and pray for them. Passing along this prayer request… Please pray for Cheryl Dewitts’ 22 month old son, he shot himself in the chestwith a brad nailer. It went in his heart, he is in critical condition and not doing well, neither is his mom, please start a prayer chain. Please copy and repost… Please pray… what if it was your child? EMERGENCY PRAYER REQUEST!!! For a friend of a friend of my cousin. Terri Maczko’s 22 month old son shot himself in the chest with a nail gun , it went in his heart, he is in critical condition not doing good, neither is mom~ please start a prayer chain. Please copy and repost…….. and pray!!! !” Thank you for……… praying!! In 2016 and in May 2017, entreaties for a parent named Micheal Bass (or Michael Bass) and his son Dakota (Miller) — oftentimes the purported victim of a nail gun — circulated widely on Facebook: A request from a prayer warrior. “Please help get a prayer chain going for Micheal Bass’s little boy named Dakota. They had to life flight him. He is having seizures. Forward this to everyone you can please!” Hey, can you help me get a prayer chain going for micheal bass’s little boy named Dakota Miller. He’s only an 18mo old baby! He got ahold of a nail gun..😥 They had to life flight him. He shot him self and he’s on life support. Forward this to everyone As of late I have seen numerous posts about a baby named Dakota having to be airlifted because of being shot by a nail gun. Usually being posted by Michael Bass. Please Do Not post or pass along, it is a False post and has run amok for 8 years now. We as Christians are susceptible to these kinds of things because of the Love we want to show towards others. God bless you! I have a couple prayer chain requests..if everyone who prays can do so and forward on. Please and TY PRAYERS NEEDED: Urgent prayer requests! 1. Kayla Scott’s 22 month old son accidentally shot himself in the chest with a brad nailer (construction nail gun). It went off in his heart ~ He is now in critical condition and not doing well. Neither is his mom ~ Please start a prayer chain for this baby. 2. Micheal bass’s little boy named Dakota. They had to life flight him. He is having seizures. Forward this to everyone you can please! Please copy & re-post. As you would want someone to do it for you, thanx guys. The power of prayer. God says wherever there is three or more gathered in His name in complete harmony He will give them whatever they ask for. So please let’s all be in complete Harmony and say this prayer for Kayla Scott’s baby. Heavenly Father we come before you through Your son Jesus Christ we all pray that you heal Kayla Scott’s baby AND Dakota Micheal Bass’s little boy!!. We know that there is nothing that You can’t do. We are all in complete harmony. And we also pray You give them strength. Thank you Father in the name of your son Jesus Christ Amen. Our prayers are with you. God Bless PRAYING, CLAIMING, AND RECEIVING! AMEN!!! For those keeping score, the name of the injured child’s mother is Janet James, or Dedee Parsons Simpson, or Kayala (Kayla) Scott, or Teresa Lynch, or Cheryl Dewitts, or Terri Maczko, with the “Kayala Scott” version having become the predominant one. (The name Kay Hutson Bedenbaugh also pops up on some lists, and a father named “Michael Bass” or Micheal Bass on others.) The pattern suggested these were not the names of the injured child’s putative mother, but rather of those who simply forwarded or reposted the message. On 9 August 2010, a person who stated he was the father of Hayden, the wounded child, posted the following account on an online prayer site (while someone else on a different forum posted a photograph purported to be a picture of a recovering Hayden and his mother): First off, this is in no way a hoax. The child’s name is Hayden and he is my son. I’m pleased to report that he will be leaving the hospital on Thursday as soon as he receives his last dose of antibiotics. Thank you so much for the prayers for his recovery, he is a miracle. The accident happened on 7/29/10, and he has been at Carle clinic in champaign, il since then. His big sister (almost 5) had helped him out of his crib while I was downstairs… I had been in and out all afternoon working on window trim while he was taking a nap. Yes, I should have unhooked it before walking away, and trust me I’ve thought about it constantly since then. Kinda hard not to blame myself, thank God he had his hand on my boy. I never would have even had the nailer out had he been awake. (don’t think it wont haunt me forever thinking about how close i came to losing my son) The “nailer” or pinner by the way is just a little bigger than a staple gun, definitely lighter than 4-6#s….2.2#s per manufacturers specs to be exact. It also requires very little pressure on the front plunger for it to go off, after all it is a trim nailer and is designed that way to avoid marring up finished trim by having to push to hard. I know lots of people picture a large framing nailer and think no way a 2 year old could have done that. The DCFS case worker that investigated the incident thought the same thing, until she went to my house and saw how small and easy to set off it was. And as far as all the different names going around that’s just because of the copying and pasting prayer request from facebook ect. The good thing is God knows the names and where to direct the healing, which he has done!!! So thank you to all who lifted us up in prayers, we are so blessed! And by the way, my son who is bigger than 2 of his 3 year old cousins can pick up and carry our 11 pound cat like it’s no big deal. I’m suprised at how many people seem to think that a kid his size can’t lift a few pounds. Geez, they obviously have never seen my son in action. However, another poster in the prayer forum expressed skepticism after being unable to verify any of the details proffered by the person claiming to be Hayden’s dad: I have been going round and round with this supposed “father” of Hayden, the supposed 22-month old who shot himself. The blog/post that you’re referring to is turning into a battle zone, especially Christian against Christian. If you go to that site, my display name is PrazB2JC and you can see what I mean. I did an extremely thorough research of this alleged incident. As in my prior posts, no proof, no validation, no details. The “father” states that his son is doing well in Champaign IL at Carle Clinic/Hospital. First of all, I called the hospital and while the receptionist could not give out any confidential info, which I totally understood, I asked if she, herself, had heard of this accident. She said “no, but that’s not uncommon”. I phoned the News-Gazette to inquire about this tragedy; they stated they had not heard anything about this. I went through the police call records from 07.29.2010 through 5 days post-accident, and there is no mention of a call in this area having to do with a toddler and a nailer. Supposed father filled out a partial profile on prayercloset.multiple.com in which he lists his home state as “Pennsylvania”. The name he uses is “Robert”. So, what;s a guy living in PA, but working on his home in Champaign IL, trying to pull? It’s highly unlikely that the same toddler (who wouldn’t be a toddler by 2017 anyway) shot himself with a nail gun yet again five or six years later, or that the exact same accident would befall the child of a woman with one of the same names as a 2010 or 2011 version of the appeal. The “Micheal Bass/Dakota/Dakota Miller” iteration appeared to be a “frankenrumor,” with elements of the “nail gun” claim alongside details (such as life-flighting and seizures) present in a separate “Prayers for Dakota” e-mail and social media forward. But we were unable to locate a Michael/Micheal Bass or child named Dakota Miller injured by a nail gun. For what it’s worth, medical literature does record at least one case of a toddler shooting herself in the heart with a nail gun; the unidentified 29-month-old was hospitalized after discharging the device into her body when she picked it up at a construction site: Although the safety features of the device involved in this instance are unclear, this case illustrates that a young child, even a toddler, may be capable of activating a pneumatic nail gun. Efforts should be directed toward engineering refinements of nail gun safety mechanisms and enhanced parental education regarding the danger posed to children by exposure to these devices. Improved awareness of the risk of accidental nail gun trauma may lead to better prevention of this rare but potentially life-threatening injury.
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10692
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Got Low Back Pain? Massage Therapy May Rub It Out
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Given the aggressive treatments that some people pursue for chronic low back pain, it is important for journalists to report research that points to a benefit from non-surgical therapies as well. This isn’t the first study of massage for low back pain. Prior studies haven’t shown much benefit for low back pain that is less than 1 month in duration, but prior studies have shown benefit for those with pain for more than 3 months (chronic). As such these results aren’t breaking new ground. What it does show is that two forms of massage give similar results and that the benefits of massage in terms of pain diminish over time. Massage did show peristent improvement in function at 26 weeks. At 52 weeks function was better in the relaxation massage group but not the structural massage group when compared to usual care (though the direct comparison of the two massage groups didn’t significantly differ). In summary, this study adds to the evidence that massage provides short-term benefit for patients with chronic low back pain that diminishes over time in terms of pain, but maintains its benefit in terms of function. This is good news, but it isn’t a cure. Chronic low back pain is a common problem for which there is rarely a cure and for which many treatments appear to provide similar modest benefit but wtih very different risks and costs. Journalists join patients in the search for a cure, and the “dramatic” results reported appear to start us down that inaccurate slope. The story doesn’t say that the short-term benefits don’t all persist. But it does save itself by highlighting that the long-term benefit seen in the patient described may be as much attributable to treatment (exercise) she received after completing massage, as to the massage itself.
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mixture
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Back pain,NPR
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Massage, too, has a cost, and could have been ballparked at the very least. What do 10 sessions of massage therapy cost? The study reported that the massage treatments “would have cost about $540 in the community.” The study goes on to state, “There is no evidence that these treatments reducted costs of back pain-lreated health care services during the 1-year posttreatment period.” This information could have been easily conveyed. The story painted only half the picture: “After 10 weeks, the results were dramatic.” If these differences at 10 weeks had persisted, then dramatic would be appropriate. Rather it implies that these patients were cured, which is not the case. And 1 in 3 patients didn’t improve. That doesn’t feel dramatic. In addition, the story also messes up on the longer term outcomes. While function remained better in the massage groups at 6 and 12 months, pain didn’t. So the statement, “He says massage relieved the pain for six months or more” is a mischaracterization. In fact, pain differences seen at 10 weeks were not maintained at 26 and 52 weeks. Harms weren’t mentioned but it would have been easy to cite what the study reported: that adverse events, mainly increased pain, was uncommon (4-7%) in those treated with massage. Even saying that massage is generally a safe treatment would have been fine. Not all studies are bulletproof and when authors cite a possible limitation of their own work, we think journalists should at least give that a brief mention. It would have been worth noting a limitation that the authors themselves addressed – “Participants who received usual medical care were aware that they were not getting massage treatments and that other participants were; that might have led them to report worse symptoms than if they were unaware of what treatments other people were getting.” We wish the story had been more specific that those studied had low back pain of no identified cause lasting at least 3 months. But there wasn’t any overt disease mongering. No truly independent source was interviewed – only two researchers involved in the study. We like how the story ended, explaining more about the patient profiled in the story: “she remains free of back pain, but not without some effort on her part. Other studies have shown that building strong and flexible muscles can help prevent back pain. O’Brien-Murphy never exercised before. But now she does weight training, muscle stretches and aerobic exercise — activities all shown to help prevent recurrence of lower back pain.” However, these facts put her story in a different light. The wonderful results of massage for this patient may have a lot to do with other treatments she received after the massage was over. So massage may not have cured her. It provided a means to engaging in physical activity which she hadn’t been able to do. That’s dramatic – not the massage, but that she has been able to maintain her improvement through hard work! Massage is widely available. The story states, “relaxation massage is more widely available”. The story explained one novel feature of the research: “Prior studies of massage for back pain had tested only structural forms of massage, not relaxation massage. But relaxation massage is more widely available, and it’s often less costly.” It does not appear that the story relied solely or largely on a news release.
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26443
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Hospitals get paid more to list patients as COVID-19.
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It’s standard for Medicare to pay a hospital roughly three times as much for a patient who goes on a ventilator, as for one who doesn’t. Medicare is paying a 20% add-on to its regular hospital payments for the treatment of COVID-19 victims. That’s a result of a federal stimulus law. The claim’s suggestion is that the number of COVID-19 cases is being padded; but evidence indicates the cases are being undercounted.
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mixture
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Ethics, Medicare, Public Health, Facebook Fact-checks, Coronavirus, Facebook posts,
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"An article shared on Facebook questions whether the count of COVID-19 patients is inflated, saying hospitals have a financial incentive to claim that a patient has the virus. ""Hospitals get paid more to list patients as COVID-19 — 3 times as much if put on ventilator,"" the story’s headline states. The article was posted on WorldNetDaily, a conservative news website. It was produced by The Spectator, which describes itself as a conservative publication. The Spectator reported on comments made by Dr. Scott Jensen, a Minnesota physician and Republican state senator, in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham. The article was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) Jensen said on Fox News that doctors are being encouraged to cite COVID-19 as a cause of death on death certificates and he suggested that money is a motivation. Medicare has determined that a hospital gets paid $13,000 if a COVID-19 patient on Medicare is admitted and $39,000 if the patient goes on a ventilator, he claimed. Jensen did not respond to our request for information. The federal government has decided to pay hospitals more for treating COVID-19 patients. But it isn’t a windfall in the way the headline suggests. And there is no indication that hospitals are over-identifying patients as having COVID-19. If anything, evidence suggests the illness is being underdiagnosed. Medicare pays for inpatient hospital stays using a diagnosis-related group (DRG) payment system. The hospital assigns a code to a patient at the time of discharge, based mainly on the patient’s main diagnosis and treatment given. Medicare then pays the hospital a prescribed amount of money — regardless of what it actually cost the hospital to provide the care. The amount can vary in different parts of the country to account for labor costs and other factors. The dollar amounts Jensen cited are roughly what we found in an analysis published April 7 by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a leading source of health information. (Kaiser Health News, which partners with PolitiFact on health fact-checking, is an editorially independent program of the foundation.) There isn’t a Medicare diagnostic code specifically for COVID-19. Using payment rates for similar respiratory conditions, Kaiser estimated the average Medicare payment at $13,297 for a less severe hospitalization and $40,218 for hospitalization in which a patient is treated with a ventilator for at least 96 hours. ""A COVID patient on a ventilator will need more services and more complicated services, not just the ventilator,"" said Joseph Antos, scholar in health care at the American Enterprise Institute. ""It is reasonable that a patient who is on a ventilator would cost three times one who isn't that sick."" Medicare will pay hospitals a 20% ""add-on"" to the regular DRG payment for COVID-19 patients. That’s a result of the CARES Act, the largest of the three federal stimulus laws enacted in response to the coronavirus, which was signed into law March 27. ""This is no scandal,"" Antos said. ""The 20% was added by Congress because hospitals have lost revenue from routine care and elective surgeries that they can't provide during this crisis, and because the cost of providing even routine services to COVID patients has jumped."" Julie Aultman, a member of the editorial board of the American Medical Association’s AMA Journal of Ethics, told PolitiFact it is ""very unlikely that physicians or hospitals will falsify data or be motivated by money to do so."" ""There are strict policies for reporting and, quite frankly, healthcare workers are only focusing on helping their patients and doing as much as they can with little resources,"" said Aultman, who is director of the medical ethics and humanities program at Northeast Ohio Medical University. ""Ohio is reporting confirmed and suspected cases and so this is how our providers are responding to their patients -- they are being very transparent about confirmed versus suspected."" As for the suggestion that there is an overcount of COVID-19 cases, ""the data has suggested that, in fact, there’s a significant undercount of deaths due to COVID,"" Jennifer Kates, the Kaiser Family Foundation’s director of global health & HIV policy, told PolitiFact. Here are some of those indications: Strict federal definition: Until April 14, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counted as COVID-19 deaths only those in which the coronavirus was confirmed in a laboratory test — even as testing was not widely available; now, CDC counts probable cases and deaths. The day the change was announced, New York City’s COVID-19 death tally soared by more than 3,700 when it included in its total the deaths of people who were suspected of having COVID-19 but were never tested. Surge in total deaths: The Economist reported on ""excess mortality,"" which is the gap between the total number of people who died from any cause during a given period, and the historical average for the same place and time of year. In New York City, for the four-week period ending March 28, there was an excess of about 1,400 deaths, compared with 1,100 official COVID-19 fatalities. A post shared on Facebook claims hospitals have a financial incentive to claim patients had COVID-19, saying payment is three times higher if a patient goes on a ventilator. An article the post links to includes comments from a doctor who suggests the number of coronavirus cases is being padded. It is standard for Medicare to pay roughly three times more for a patient with a respiratory condition who goes on a ventilator than for one who does not. That has nothing to do with the coronavirus. As part of a federal stimulus bill, Medicare is paying hospitals 20% more than standard rates for COVID-19 patients. Indications are that due to a lack of testing and other factors, the number of coronavirus cases has been undercounted, not padded. For a statement that is partially accurate, our rating is ."
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2505
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Second U.S. family urges change to children's organ transplant policy.
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A second family has stepped forward in the public fight to change a donor-organ policy that places sick children younger than 12 years of age at the bottom of the adult transplant list, regardless of the severity of their illness.
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true
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Health News
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The mother of Javier Acosta, 11, who suffers from cystic fibrosis and needs a lung transplant, urged policymakers on Saturday to adopt new rules to make a life-saving adult lung more readily available to her gravely ill son. “If Javier does not receive a transplant, he will die,” Milagros Martinez said during a news conference in Philadelphia. “I say that’s unfair because of a policy. It shouldn’t be that way.” The family of Sarah Murnaghan, 10, who like Javier is suffering from cystic fibrosis, is also publicly calling for a change in transplant list policies administered by the Organ Transplant and Procurement Network. The Murnaghan family efforts have garnered national media attention and scrutiny of lawmakers on Capitol Hill, some of whom have called on U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to intervene. Last week, U.S. District Judge Michael Baylson granted the two families a temporary court order barring enforcement of a policy that places children under age 12 at the bottom of the adult lung transplant list, regardless of their illness. The Murnaghan and Acosta children are both awaiting lung transplants at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. While each is eligible for donor lungs from children, those are rare. The lawsuits have led some to voice concerns that adding children to adult transplant rosters could end up pushing deserving older patients farther down the list. But Stephen Harvey, a lawyer for both families, said his clients want a policy change based on patients’ relative conditions, not their ages. “We’re seeking that the system allocate a lung to Javier based on the severity of his condition,” Harvey said. “So if there’s an adult who’s more severe than him, that adult gets the lung. We’re not asking to jump to the front of the line.” The executive committee of the Organ Transplant Network is due to meet on Monday, at which time it could announce a review of the transplant rules. Failing that, a hearing to review the restraining order is scheduled for June 14 before Judge Baylson. It was unclear how many children would be affected by a shift in rules. Harvey said there are 16 children aged from 5 to 10 currently seeking lung transplants, and that 23 such procedures were performed on children in 2011.
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28958
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The CDC quietly removed pages from their web site that admitted a link between Simian Virus 40 (SV40), the polio vaccine, and cancer.
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What's true: A virus that has been found in certain types of cancer in humans was also present in polio vaccines administered in the U.S. at one time. What's false: No evidence establishes that anyone ever contracted cancer from a polio vaccination, nor did the CDC 'admit' such had happened or remove pages about the topic from their web site.
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mixture
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Politics, cancer, cdc, conspiracy
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Thanks in part to a long-discredited (but deeply entrenched) assertion that the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine has been linked to increased rates of autism, fear of vaccination has been rife on blogs and social media groups devoted to the discussion of alternative medicine. A common, uniting element of such rumors is their longevity, due in part to the oft-present claim that the purported “vaccine truth” has been covered up or buried by large interests, in particular, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). In October 2015, many alternative health sites published some variation of a claim the CDC had “admitted” that 98 million Americans had over the years been injected with a cancer-causing virus along with their polio vaccine. Then in keeping with the template of the rumor, the CDC supposedly endeavored to immediately eradicate that information from any form of record. Why they “admitted” such a thing on the Internet in the first place rather than concealing it entirely is not addressed by the rumors: the CDC of conspiracy theory imagination is always clever enough to do retroactive clean-up in an attempt to cover their tracks but never smart enough to avoid publishing damaging information in the first place. But fortunately a few eagle-eyed folks managed to bust the vast conspiracy via the magic of Google cache: CDC admits 98 million Americans were given cancer virus via the polio shot: https://t.co/7QGE5CY3Ie pic.twitter.com/SrQ5ksEmFJ — HealthRanger (@HealthRanger) October 28, 2015 CDC ‘Disappears’ Page Linking Polio Vaccines To Cancer-Causing Viruses https://t.co/A0ypmtOFQh — CaliVaxChoice (@CaliVaxChoice) October 28, 2015 On 25 October 2015, Viral Alternative News published an article titled “CDC admits 98 million Americans were given a cancer causing virus via the polio shot,” which followed on the heels of a September 2015 article from the web site Vaccines.News headlined “CDC admits 98 million Americans were given cancer virus via the polio shot” (credited to a reporter by the name of “evilnews”), the latter of which cited InvestmentWatch‘s August 2015 piece titled “CDC Admits 98 Million Americans Received Polio Vaccine in an 8-Year Span When It Was Contaminated With Cancer Virus”: The CDC has quickly removed a page from their website, which WAS cached here (since removed by Google so you can view an image of the cache here), admitting that more than 98 million Americans received one or more doses of polio vaccine within an 8-year span from 1955-1963 when a proportion of the vaccine was contaminated with a cancer causing polyomavirus called SV40. It has been estimated that 10-30 million Americans could have received an SV40 contaminated dose of the vaccine. First of all, the CDC never “admitted” that anyone ever contracted cancer from a polio vaccination. What the CDC actually said was: o Sometime around 1960, Simian Virus 40 (SV40) was discovered in the injected form of the polio vaccine (IPV). o The SV40 virus has been found in certain types of cancer in humans. o Between 1955 and 1963, when some portion of the IPV was contaminated with SV40, roughly 98 million Americans received at least one dose of polio vaccine. Clearly 98 million Americans were not “given [a] cancer virus via the polio shot,” because not every single polio vaccination undertaken between the years of 1955 and 1963 involved vaccine contaminated with SV40: the CDC estimated that somewhere between 10 and 30 million Americans might have received SV40-contaminated vaccine during that period. Moreover, SV40 is not a “cancer virus,” and there is no definitive evidence that either SV40 itself or SV40-contaminated polio vaccine causes (or has caused) cancer. But even if the claim about the CDC’s hiding evidence of a link between polio vaccine and cancer held water, the short lead-in paragraph quoted above contains a number of credibility-related red flags regarding the CDC’s supposedly assuming its role as the perpetual villain of the anti-vaccine movement. America is not the world, and there’s no plausible reason to believe that the rest of the planet would be fleeced by one country’s public health authorities engaging in a conspiracy to deceive its people about vaccines. Moreover, the claim that the CDC had “quickly,” “quietly,” or “recently” redacted the information about a vaccine-cancer linkage was not new in October 2015, as iterations of it had appeared as early as July 2013. At that time Health Impact News published an article headlined “CDC ‘Disappears’ Page Linking Polio Vaccines to Cancer-Causing Viruses,” and InfoWars‘ similar “CDC Sends Fact Sheet Linking Polio Vaccine to Cancer Down the Memory Hole” story reported: The Center for Disease Control and Prevention website curiously deleted pages admitting that the polio vaccine administered from 1955 to 1963 to over 98 million Americans was contaminated with a primate form of cancer virus. Other CDC web pages also referencing the link between the widely-distributed vaccine and cancer have similarly been discarded. That instance of the rumor claimed the pages had recently been deleted from Google’s cache, but the site linked to archived version of the pages in question here and here. The first link was titled “Cancer, Simian Virus 40 (SV40), and Polio Vaccine Fact Sheet” and was dated 22 October 2007. If it was (ostensibly) deleted “quickly” and “quietly” by the CDC as some sort of a cover-up in 2013, that would mean it still sat openly available for viewing by all and sundry online for roughly six years. The second link was titled “Frequently Asked Questions about Cancer, Simian Virus 40 (SV40), and Polio Vaccine” and contained such clearly damning “admissions” as: All of the evidence to date indicates that after 1963, all vaccines on the U.S. market were free of SV40. The majority of evidence suggests there is no causal relationship between receipt of SV40-contaminated polio vaccine and cancer development; however, some research results in this area are conflicting and more studies are needed. Since the discovery of SV40, several studies have been done to compare cancer rates in groups of individuals known or strongly presumed to have received SV40-contaminated polio vaccine to rates in persons known or strongly presumed not to have received SV40-contaminated vaccine. In summary, the majority of studies in the U.S. and Europe that compare persons known or strongly presumed to have received SV40-contaminated polio vaccine with those known or strongly presumed not to have received SV40-contaminated polio vaccine have not shown a causal relationship between receipt of SV40-contaminated polio vaccine and cancer. It should be noted, however, that SV40 infection has been found in persons who did not receive SV40-contaminated polio vaccine and that for some study participants it cannot be known with certainty whether or not they received SV40-contaminated vaccine. Because of this, there may be errors in these studies that make it harder to detect a true increased cancer risk associated with receipt of SV40-contaminated polio vaccine. It should be noted that the study of SV40 with respect to cancer and polio vaccines is neither novel nor has in any way been suppressed: as the quoted portion above explained, the concern was identified and addressed prior to 1963. A 2001 study indicated that “large epidemiologic studies have not identified an elevated cancer risk in persons who received SV40-contaminated vaccines [administered before 1963]” and found “no deaths due to tumors of the types putatively associated with SV40.” The findings were described in that research as “consistent with other negative epidemiologic investigations of risks from SV40-contaminated vaccines,” although further research was recommended. Research published in 2004 echoed those findings: Although SV40 causes cancer in laboratory animals, substantial epidemiological evidence has accumulated to indicate that SV40 likely does not cause cancer in humans. However, additional laboratory research is needed to better define methods for SV40 detection, as laboratory studies looking for SV40 DNA in human tumors have offered conflicting results. There is also a need to conduct additional studies evaluating cancer patients and controls for antibodies to SV40, which would be present in cancer patients if SV40 causes cancer. Nonetheless, anti-vaccine blogs and sites continually assert that the CDC has “admitted” or covered up information in a manner that relies on a relative lack of context on the part of the reader to spread. In this case, the rumor relied on the reader not knowing that SV40 concerns were well documented in medical literature and long considered resolved. By the same token, redaction conspiracies are primed to circulate in perpetuity each time the CDC is accused of newly “burying” information in a manner not immediately verifiable by site visitors (i.e., it’s difficult to corroborate information that has purportedly been deleted). But concern over SV40 and vaccines was addressed and dealt with by 1963, 50 years prior to the 2013 outbreak of the rumor. It was hardly an assertion revealed only by alternative health sites’ crafty usage of Google caching, and a multitude of studies combed through subsequent cancer rates to identify subsequent elevated risk. None was found, a fact which also was no secret and was long-documented. Moreover, the web documents the CDC was breathlessly accused of deleting were clearly marked “Last Updated: 22 October 2007,” while cover-up accusations dated to July 2013. Far likelier than a conspiracy was the fact that the pages were last relevant and useful in October 2007, and they’ve since been replaced with updated information hosted on separate pages at CDC.gov. In fact, a search for SV40, polio, and cancer on the CDC web site returns a number of related links to CDC pages, inconsistent with claims the CDC has “disappeared” such information (rather than replaced it with more current data). The cached pages linked above still lead to dated information on CDC.gov, but none of it meaningfully conflicts with more up-to-date information about long-retired vaccine strains.
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10655
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Switch in Breast-Cancer Drugs Shows Benefit
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The story reports on a recent meta-analysis that demonstrated switching from tamoxifen to anastrozole (trade name Arimidex) can decrease the risk of breast cancer recurrence in women with estrogen-positive tumors. Switching hormone therapies mid-course would be a novel approach to hormone therapy treatment. However, the story does not provide an absolute benefit of this switch; many women with early-stage estrogen-positive cancer have very high survival to begin with, so the 29% additional relative risk reduction may actually not be a very big number. The story does not provide the cost of anastrozole or tamoxifen. Hormone therapy is a regimen of daily medication for 5 years., so whether switching medications or continuing with tamoxifen has major cost implications is debatable. Instead of just reporting sales figures for Astra-Zeneca, the story should have explained how much these drugs costs consumers. The story does not discuss the potential side effects of anastrozole, one of the aromatase inhibitor class of hormone therapies. These are listed in the source article for this story. The paper just had to report them. Anastrozole and tamoxifen may increase menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes or vaginal discomfort, though anastrozole slightly less so than tamoxifen. Also, anastrozole may increase the risk of bone or joint pain, and it may also increase LDL or “bad” cholesterol. Lastly, there are no additional sources of information and no attempts at independent corroboration within this story. There is also no discussion that AstraZeneca, makers of anastrozole, funded the research and currently pay the lead authors of the study speaking fees and other honoraria.
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mixture
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The story does not provide the cost of either anastrozole or tamoxifen. Hormone therapy is a regimen of daily medication for 5 years, so whether switching medications or continuing with tamoxifen has major cost implications is debatable. Instead of just giving sales figures for Astra-Zeneca, the story should have explained how much these drugs cost consumers. The story only presents the relative risk reduction of making the switch from tamoxifen to anastrozole. No absolute benefit provided. The story does not mention the potential side effects of aromatase inhibitors. Both hormone therapies may increase menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes or vaginal discomfort, though anstrozole slightly less so than tamoxifen. Anastrozole may increase the risk of bone or joint pain and possibly may increase cholesterol. That story does not adequately describe the study design, which was a meta-analysis of three randomized clinical trials. The story says that the switch to anastrozole reduces the risk of dying (from breast cancer) by 29%, however, the data in these studies are only for 5 years, so long-term survival is unknown. Also, the story does not provide an absolute benefit; many of these women have very high survival to begin with, so the 29% additional risk reduction may not be a very big number. The story does not engage is disease mongering. The story reports on a recent study relevant for women who have been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. There are no additional sources of information and no attempts an independent corroboration. The story does not mention that AstraZeneca, makers of anastrozole, funded the research and the lead authors of the study receive speaking fees and other honoraria from AstraZeneca. The story mentions that this hormone therapy to prevent breast cancer recurrence is in addition to surgery. Tamoxifen, another hormone therapy, is also mentioned. The story notes that a hormone therapy, anastrozole (trade name Arimidex), was FDA-approved in 2005 for the treatment of early-stage breast cancer (after surgery). What is important, but is not emphazied is that this drug is only for post-menopausal women. The story mentions that switching from tamoxifen to anastrozole would be a newer approach to hormone therapy treatment for women diagnosed with estrogen-positive breast cancer. We cannot determine if this information is from a press release. No independent sources are interviewed to provide perspective on the study and shift in treatment.
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1777
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U.S. to require tougher Ebola screening at airports: senator.
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U.S. health officials are preparing to require tougher Ebola screening at American airports this week to keep the deadly virus from spreading to this country, Senator Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday.
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true
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Health News
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The new measures may include screening air travelers for fever when they arrive in the United States from the worst-stricken countries in West Africa, on direct or indirect flights, Schumer said in a statement. He said U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Thomas Frieden told him the agency might adopt some of the recommendations Schumer had made on Ebola screening over the weekend. Those included having the CDC and Customs and Border Protection conduct intense health screening of workers at U.S. ports of entry. The New York Democrat also urged the Department of Homeland Security to create a database of people flying to and from West Africa, which would be shared with hospitals around the country. “The CDC has been doing a very good job thus far in combating the threat, but you can’t be too careful when it comes to stopping a deadly epidemic,” Schumer said in the statement. The outbreak has killed at least 3,439 people out of 7,492 confirmed, probable and suspected cases since it emerged in Guinea in March, in the worst Ebola epidemic on record. Along with Guinea, the worst-hit countries have been Sierra Leone and Ebola. The disease has also spread to Nigeria and Senegal, but is considered contained there. A man who traveled to Dallas from Liberia last week became the first patient diagnosed with the disease on U.S. soil. In Spain, officials reported on Monday that a nurse had become the first person infected with the hemorrhagic virus in Europe. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the administration had confidence in the system as it exists but was working on additional safety protocols that would be announced in the coming days. “The president’s team is hard at work on developing additional protocols for additional screening measures,” Earnest told reporters on Air Force One.
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29358
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“Slime,” a do-it-yourself gooey craft project containing borax, white glue, and shaving cream, comes with serious health risks.
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What's true: Respiratory, skin, or eye irritation from borax is possible, as is skin irritation from components of shaving cream. What's false: Fear-mongering claims about carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, and neurotoxic harm are either irrelevant in the concentrations present in a ‘slime’ recipe or are patently false.
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false
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Medical, borax, slime
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On 3 March 2017, a blog titled “This Talk Ain’t Cheap” published an account of a family’s experience with the DIY craft phenomenon known as “slime,” a goo made from white glue, borax, shaving cream, and water. In the piece, titled “Beware of Homemade Slime,” the author recounted how her daughter had come down with a series of symptoms, including headache and respiratory problems, with no clear cause. But when they removed all the slime and slime-related products from their house, however, her daughter immediately became healthy: If you have elementary age kids, you are probably familiar with the current slime obsession. My daughter and her friends became obsessed with it a few months ago and couldn’t get enough of it. So much so that they decided they would start making it themselves at home, a simple endeavor providing you have the right ingredients. When my 12 year old got sick, we thought it was the same basic cold. Symptoms were the same: cough, sore throat, stuffy nose. She was also complaining about headaches and general achiness. Weeks later, we were still left wondering what on earth was going on. To the doctor we went. We had her take a throat culture, check her lungs, and ears and sinuses. She found nothing. Other than your basic cold symptoms, there wasn’t anything wrong with her on the surface. My husband was actually the one who connected the dots. He told me one night, “Do you think it could have something to do with the slime she’s been making?” From that moment, we banned her from making, holding, touching or even looking at that darn slime. The very next day, her headache went away. Her throat didn’t hurt anymore. She still had some congestion, but wasn’t coughing. Two days later, the congestion started going away. She was breathing better and talking better. No more achiness. While we cannot speak to the specific mechanism behind the daughter’s ailment, it is not impossible that one or more ingredients of slime may contributed in some way. Everyone reacts differently to certain compounds, and sensitivity to one of the compounds present in slime is a possibility. Furthermore, if the daughter was frequently in contact with dry borax, it is possible that compound could have contributed to respiratory problems (just like any other fine particulate powder) or skin irritation. Additionally, as a solution of borax necessarily produces boric acid, improper dilution can also lead to skin irritation and even, as has been reported, serious burns. Unfortunately, the post went on to list myriad other possible health risks of slime, borrowing heavily from information presented by the British tabloid Daily Mail and other questionable sources, many of which are either completely false, or generally misleading. These claims include: Potential harm from borax There is a kernel of truth the claims made about Borax (aka sodium borate). It is indeed toxic if ingested, but an ordinarily healthy person would need to ingest a relatively large amount of it to suffer serious health effects. Some governmental bodies, including the government of Canada, have recommended against Borax’s use in children’s craft projects, citing concerns about the cumulative effects of long-term exposure from both natural and unnatural sources. This move likely reflects an abundance of caution. A comprehensive review of the toxicity of borate-based products in humans concluded that the doses required to create any genotoxic or acute toxic effects are absurdly unrealistic: Inorganic borates, including boric acid, Na, ammonium, K, and Zn borates generally display low acute toxicity orally, dermally, and by inhalation. They are either not irritant or mild skin and eye irritants. The critical effects in several species [of borates] are male reproductive toxicity and developmental toxicity. The doses that cause these effects are far higher than any levels to which the human population could be exposed. Humans would need to consume daily some 3.3 g of boric acid (or 5.0 g borax) to ingest the same dose level as the lowest animal [no-observed-adverse-effect-level, NOAEL]. No effects on fertility were seen in a population of workers exposed to borates or to a population exposed to high environmental borate levels. There is remarkable similarity in the toxicological effects of boric acid and borax across different species. A separate detailed review of studies on both humans and laboratory animals, concerned specifically with human developmental and reproductive toxicity, similarly concluded that “The typical human exposures are below the minimum level considered to be adverse to reproduction.” Additionally, the above-cited work all assumes actual consumption of borax, as it does not easily pass through unbroken skin. Considering that a) the goal is not to eat the slime, and b) the recipe calls for about 1g diluted in 20 ml of water, the use of borax in slime does not represent a realistic toxic, genotoxic, or reproductive health risk. Potential harm from Elmer’s Glue-All In the “This Talk Ain’t Cheap” post, the author linked to fact sheet about household glue poisoning from MedlinePlus (a program of the National Institutes of Health). That post explicitly stated that “most household glues, such as Elmer’s Glue-All, are not poisonous.” All of the symptoms listed in the Facebook post, sourced from this fact sheet, concern glue that contains volatile organic compounds (Ethanol, Xylene, Light aliphatic naphtha, N-hexane, Toluene) that Elmer’s glue (or other “white glue”) does not contain. Potential harm from shaving cream To support claims that shaving cream is dangerous, the author cites a “HowStuffWorks” post titled “Are There Harmful Chemicals in Shaving Cream?” That article highlights a number of chemicals it states can cause harm, but it does so inaccurately and with misleading information: These ingredients (though not nitrosamines) are all listed as present in the commonly used Barbasol brand of shaving cream, but the statement of their risks as it relates to homemade slime is not accurate or largely misleading. The HowStuffWorks post states that “Propolene [sic] glycol is a humectant like glycerin, but unlike glycerin, it’s more frequently found in antifreeze and brake fluid.” While using the term “antifreeze” is a popular scare tactic for those inclined to chemophobia, Propylene glycol is not toxic to humans in any relevant dose. While Propylene glycol is a mild skin irritant to some people, it is recognized as safe for both food and cosmetic use. With regard to Triethanolamine (TEA), that post stated “It’s also a very controversial ingredient in the cosmetic industry because not only is it a skin irritant, but many formulas containing TEA are found to be contaminated with nitrosamines, which are linked to cancer.” While TEA may also be a skin irritant to some (though clearly not enough to produce a massive epidemic of unshaved men), the jump to nitrosamines — which are unequivocally carcinogenic — is, again, misleading. Nitrosamines are not added to cosmetics but are instead formed when amines (a chemical commonly found in proteins) mix with a nitrosating chemical (a chemical that, generally speaking, adds a nitrate group to its chemical structure). Because nitrosamines form through natural physical processes, they occur in nature and in low quantities ubiquitously. In an effort to prevent their formation in cosmetics, governmental regulators such as the FDA and the European Union Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety have placed strict requirements to mitigate their formation and have enacted associated testing and monitoring requirements. Is it possible that there are nitrosamines in shaving cream? Yes. But if nitrosamines even in small quantities were dangerous, then one would also have to avoid, according to a 1990 review, “Bacon, ham, frankfurters, sausage, cured meat products, poultry, fish, and fish products, cheese, beer, malt, grain, margarine, edible vegetable oils, water, air, and soil.” Finally, the HowStuffWorks post discussed two sulphate compounds: Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulphate (SLES) are two more controversial skincare ingredients. These make a great lather, but they also have a number of health implications. Lauryl mimics estrogen, which is especially problematic for women, and laureth often hosts a known carcinogen called dioxane. Both SLS and SLES can, like any detergent compound that removes oil from your skin, cause irritation. The claim that SLS interacts with estrogen in humans is not found in any of the 3,155 scientific articles listed on the PubChem website for the chemical, nor in any of the 306 articles in the National Institute of Health’s curated list of research related to SLS’s adverse effects. The argument regarding dioxane is similar to the nitrosamine argument above, as the compound can introduced as an impurity during synthesis of the above sulfate compounds. Its presence in many cosmetics, as well as its carcinogenicity, are not in question. However, at concentrations found even in the most egregiously contaminated shaving creams (further diluted by other slime ingredients), it would not pose a credible health risk. While we cannot rank the specific personal circumstances described in the “This Talk Ain’t Cheap” post, we can say that claims of other more terrifying slime-related health concerns are not rooted in reality, so long as one is not actively eating the final product or breathing copious amounts of dry borax during its production.
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28459
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Rep. Mike Kennedy claimed that access to hospitals kills at least a million Americans per year.
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"What's true: Rep. Mike Kennedy said ""I’ve heard from National Institutes of Health and otherwise that we’re killing up to a million, a million and a half people every year in our hospitals."" What's false: We could not find a source supporting the claim that 1M to 1.5M people are ""killed"" every year in hospitals."
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mixture
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Politics, Health Care, mike kennedy, Mitt romney
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In April 2018 Utah Republican Mike Kennedy made national headlines as he faced off against Mitt Romney for a Senate seat in that state, prompting the circulation of a meme asserting that the Kennedy had once made a statement about access to hospitals and patient deaths: Although the meme dated to at least 2015, its featured quote appeared in a 24 April 2018 Salt Lake Tribune article: “Who is that guy who beat Mitt Romney at the GOP convention?” which reported that: At the top of the list is to “repeal Obamacare.” [Kennedy] told delegates, “I oppose Obamacare and any scheme that puts the government between doctor and patient.” Four years ago, Kennedy made national headlines when, during a legislative task force meeting, he said, “Sometimes access to health care can be damaging and dangerous … I’ve heard from National Institutes of Health and otherwise that we’re killing up to a million, a million and a half people every year in our hospitals. And it’s access to hospitals that’s killing those people.” That piece referenced a report and video from Salt Lake station KSTU, but neither source provided complete context. Kennedy was quoted as arguing against Medicaid expansion, and as represented, his remarks were accurately transcribed: Representative Mike Kennedy, a Republican from Alpine, made the comments in a Health Reform Task Force meeting, in reaction to a story from another doctor. Doctor Kyle Jones told the legislature’s Health Reform Task Force about a neighbor who was in a car crash. That neighbor suffered a rare response to pain medicine called toxic encephalopathy. The condition has caused memory loss, seizures and depression, according to Jones. “Sometimes access actually can mean harm,” said Representative Mike Kennedy, a family physician. The Republican from Alpine repeated the argument more than once: “Sometimes access to health care can be damaging and dangerous. And it’s a perspective for the [Legislative] body to consider is that, I’ve heard from National Institutes of Health and otherwise that we’re killing up to a million, a million and a half people every year in our hospitals. And it’s access to hospitals that’s killing those people.” We were unable to locate any information substantiating Kennedy’s claim that access to hospitals killed between one and one-and-a-half million Americans per year. It’s possible Kennedy was referencing an ongoing study of the effects of medical mistakes, a topic that was the subject of research published in The BMJ in May 2016, but those figures estimated only 250,000 deaths due to medical error per year at that time. Kennedy may also have been referencing research published in September 2013, in which researchers extrapolated between 210,000 and 400,000 deaths per year “associated with preventable harm in hospitals.” Authors of that study concluded that “engaging patients and their advocates during hospital care, systematically seeking the patients’ voice in identifying harms, transparent accountability for harm, and intentional correction of root causes of harm will be necessary” to reduce preventable hospital deaths but did not recommend restricting access to medical care as a preventive measure.
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10728
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Study Questions Prostate Cancer Screening
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The uncertainty of prostate cancer screening with PSA blood tests and/or digital rectal exams to reduce prostate cancer deaths is not new, although this report describes the latest study to find no mortality benefit with screening. Overall, the story does a great job of discussing the real issues – that despite the popularity of prostate cancer screening (millions of tests in the US each year! ), the effectiveness of prostate cancer screening has not been established. The story includes a note on when we might know more based on the estimated date of completion of two large, ongoing screening trials (as opposed to observational studies like this one). One weakness of the story was that study results were not quantified; instead the findings were already interpreted for the readers who were not able to see the actual data figures.
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true
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The story made no mention of costs, societal, personal, or otherwise. Benefits, or lack thereof in this case, were not quantified. Instead, the journalist reported that men who were alive were no more likely to be screened for prostate cancer than men who were deceased. But, the actual numbers of men alive and deceased were not provided nor the proportion who indicated they had been screened or not screened. The potential harms of screening are appropriately discussed, namely that screening could be wrong (false positive or false negative), could lead to further testing (biopsy), and that detection could lead to treatment which has serious side effects without knowing for sure whether the cancer would have harmed you in the first place. The observational study design is described to readers (e.g. that two groups were chosen during a particular time period and matched). IThe story also talks about limitations–that this is a small study and that this is not the final word on screening (presumably because study is observational and not a randomized clinical trial). The natural history of prostate cancer is appropriately reflected here — that is, that prostate cancer may not kill you or even cause problems because it is often slow-growing and that screening and early treatment may do more harm than good. It tells readers in the opening lines that there is an on-going debate about screening. The study co-author is quoted, but his relationship to the study is disclosed. Representatives from medical organizations that issue recommendations about prostate cancer screening were quoted as well, namely confirming the uncertainty of screening. A U.S. Preventive Services Task Force review from 2002 is also mentioned, further providing support for uncertainty of screening based on an objective review of the evidence. These sources also highlight that this uncertainty is not new. This story does provide information on the alternative to screening, in other words, not to be screened. Phrases such as “men should decide for themselves whether to get screened” and “for some men, detecting prostate cancer early can do more harm than good” appropriately develop the concept of not being screened compared to being screened. Disadvantages/advantages of screening and not screening are discussed (potential for downstream consequences, may not help men live longer, etc.). The story provides information on how long screening has been available. Likewise, it also states that these screening tests are performed millions of times each year in the U.S. The story states that results from study on prostate cancer screening are based on data from 24 through 129–the “early years of prostate cancer screening.” So, the story does tell us that prostate cancer screening is not new.
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13715
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The mosquito population in South Florida is larger than it is in many other communities in the country.
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"Earnest said, ""The mosquito population in South Florida is larger than it is in many other communities in the country."" There’s little doubt about that. Mosquito populations can go up or down anywhere, but experts said the conditions in South Florida sustain a large and diverse collection of the insects essentially all year long. Be safe out there, and don’t forget the DEET. This may not be a biting revelation.
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true
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Environment, Public Health, Florida, Josh Earnest,
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"The Zika outbreak in Miami has pointed out what Floridians and vacationers have known for years: There is no shortage of mosquitoes in the Sunshine State. White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at an Aug. 3 briefing that the region’s experience in fighting the bloodsucking insects will help efforts to prevent the further spread of the virus. At last count, the state had 338 travel-related cases of Zika, but there have been at least 15 locally transmitted instances — 13 in Miami and two in Broward County. ""We know the mosquito population in South Florida is larger than it is in many other communities in the country,"" Earnest said. He added that prior experience dealing with other mosquito-borne diseases has established the expertise for how to deal with outbreaks like this one. As anyone who has ever attended an outdoor concert or Little League game can confirm, Florida sure does have a lot of winged menaces. But do we really have more than most other communities? PolitiFact Florida didn’t have to go camping in July to quickly learn that the answer is unequivocally yes, for many reasons. A vacation for vectors Zika is a virus named after the Zika Forest in Uganda, where it was first discovered in 1947. Several cases were documented in Africa and Asia over the decades until the disease made it to a couple of Pacific island nations in 2007 and 2013. The current pandemic took off in May 2015, when Brazil reported cases of Zika in connection with an increase in babies being born with abnormally small heads, a condition called microcephaly. With evidence that the disease can be spread both through sexual contact and via mosquito bites, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are more than 50 countries and territories with active Zika transmissions. The World Health Organization provides periodic updates of cases, and has tracked hundreds of thousands of confirmed and suspected infections in the Americas. Symptoms of the virus include fever, rash, joint pain and headaches or muscle pain, although almost four out of five infected people don’t show symptoms. There is no treatment or vaccine for the disease, so focus has been on prevention. The CDC has issued a travel warning for pregnant women and their partners to not travel to Wynwood, the neighborhood north of downtown Miami where the new cases appeared. About those mosquitoes A main culprit for the spread of the disease is mosquitoes, especially a species called Aedes aegypti. It is known for carrying tropical maladies like yellow and dengue fevers. Aegypti is not a fan of cold, northern winters. It lives across the southern United States, where it can generally survive all year long. That means the insect is just as fond of Florida as the snowbirds and sunbelters it feasts upon. The White House did not specify to us whether Earnest meant Florida had the most mosquitoes or the most different kinds of mosquitoes, but experts told us that’s largely irrelevant. What Earnest said is that the mosquito population in South Florida is larger than many other places in the United States, and that’s undoubtedly correct. The Sunshine State is a veritable mosquito encyclopedia, with about 80 species found here. American Mosquito Control Association technical adviser Joe Conlon, a retired Navy entomologist, pointed out Texas has 85 species, but ""when you’re talking about 80 versus 85, it doesn’t matter; it’s a lot."" Exactly how many individual mosquitoes are in any one place is an uncountable number. There’s no way to take a comprehensive mosquito census, although there are ways to get a rough idea. Various traps can count eggs and larvae in standing water, or the number and species of captured adult mosquitoes and extrapolate from there. Florida’s 61 mosquito control programs regularly conduct such surveys to determine if they need to spray or raise public awareness about preventing mosquito populations from growing. Of course, aegypti is an especially sneaky species that is notoriously difficult to count, Conlon said. Individuals can breed in multiple places, and adults tend to avoid traps. (Note: Only female mosquitoes bite.) If you’re wondering whether Florida is the most popular home for the particular aegypti species, there’s just no way to know that. New Orleans, for example, historically has more aegypti in terms of sheer numbers. That city and Memphis, Tenn., have experienced major mosquito-borne outbreaks in the past. That’s because mosquitoes flourish in hot climates with lots of standing water. Florida’s heat, humidity, rainfall and topography combine to make the state a garden spot for more than just New Yorkers escaping state income taxes. With salt marshes, the Everglades and plenty of man-made pools of water, South Florida faces an even bigger threat. ""Indeed, they have some of the worst mosquito problems on Earth there,"" Conlon said. Even if there were a way to take a comprehensive count of mosquitoes in an area, that number would never remain constant. ""Mosquito populations fluctuate over time and at any given point in time the mosquito population in Newburyport, Mass., may be greater than that in North Miami,"" University of Florida Entomologist Jonathan Day, of the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory in Vero Beach, told us in an email. ""However, over the long run (for example, an entire year), South Florida mosquito populations are likely consistently higher than those observed in other communities in the country."" Our ruling Earnest said, ""The mosquito population in South Florida is larger than it is in many other communities in the country."" There’s little doubt about that. Mosquito populations can go up or down anywhere, but experts said the conditions in South Florida sustain a large and diverse collection of the insects essentially all year long. Be safe out there, and don’t forget the DEET. This may not be a biting revelation, but
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7330
|
Indiana health officials say 11 more deaths from COVID-19.
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State health officials reported 11 more deaths from COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the statewide total to 127.
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true
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Indianapolis, Health, General News, Indiana, Virus Outbreak
|
The Indiana State Department of Health announced 464 additional cases with the most in Marion County, which had 191. Overall, there have been more than 4,400 cases. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems are among those particularly susceptible to more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover. Officials in a Wells County community offered “isolation packets” for elderly residents who fear leaving home during the pandemic and need help. The packets that Ossian officials and police made available contained a colored-coded paper system residents can hang on windows to communicate. Green signals the person is fine, yellow means help is needed for everyday errands like shopping and red means urgent errands like prescription pickup, according to WANE-TV. “We know a lot of our residents are just worried about leaving their homes at all and so we completely understand that,” said Ossian Sergeant Stephanie Tucker. “The isolation communication packet kind of gives them a way to let the community know or friends and neighbors know that they have a need in their home.”
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7773
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China loosens pig transport ban to ensure supplies amid African swine fever.
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China has loosened the rules on the transportation of breeder pigs and piglets in provinces that are affected by the African swine fever, the agriculture ministry said on Thursday.
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true
|
Health News
|
Breeder pigs and piglets from counties without outbreaks of the disease will be allowed to be transported to other provinces, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a statement on its website. Breeder pigs and piglets from infected counties will only be allowed to be moved within the infected province, the statement said. China has reported more than 90 cases of the highly contagious disease since early August.
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36384
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"Image depicts ""Tiffany blue"" roses grown from seeds purchased on Etsy."
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Can You Grow ‘Tiffany Blue Roses’ from Seeds?
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false
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Fact Checks, Viral Content
|
On May 5 2019, the Facebook page “Crafty Morning” shared a photograph of and affiliate link to purported “Tiffany Blue” roses (archived here), urging page fans to click through and purchase seeds to grow the stunning flowers:The post was captioned “Have you ever seen a Tiffany Blue Rose? 💙” and it was shared more than 20,000 times in under 48 hours. A number of commenters purporting to have experience growing roses disputed the existence of cultivars in that shade, maintaining that growing a truly blue rose is impossible. Others insisted the image was likely digitally altered to attain the vibrant “Tiffany blue” shade.A reverse image search made one thing clear — the photograph accompanying the image did not appear to have originated with the 2019 Etsy listing. The image shown in the Facebook post appeared online no later than July 2017, and the linked listing was dated May 7 2019. It is unclear if the Facebook post initially linked to an earlier listing, as the photograph for the listing did not match the photograph in the post.The Etsy page to which Facebook users were directed was shared by the page “NaturesPotionsLtd,” and reviews were mixed. Purchases for blue rose seeds appear to date back to August 2017, but the image used for the listing was definitely misrepresented.A base image used for the “blue rose” being peddled was first shared in 2008 or earlier, and its original version was a standard pale rose color:That seller’s use of a doctored image did not bode well for the authenticity of the listing, as presumably a retailer of blue rose seeds could easily grow the real flower. Additionally, the first reverse image search of the Facebook “Tiffany blue roses” image led to a separate Etsy listing shared by a different seller (GabysTropicalOasis): “ROSE OCEAN BREEZE fragrant bed plant garden flower 20, 200 or 2000 seeds.”Once again, the listing was dated May 7 2019, and three of the most recent reviews posted that week were negative:Seeds have been germinating for 3 months and not one of them have sprouted. I emailed seller and she/he was extremely rude. Will never do business with againDisappointed, not a single germination out of the 6 bags of seed I bought, not sure what they are putting on these bags, do not waste your money.None of the seeds germinated, seems like she has an ongoing problem with this. Wont buy againA fourth recent review went further into depth about the seller’s purported issues:a) I’ve never left a negative review on Etsy beforeB) never been unable to get seeds to germinate before.We can talk about the red flags:Shop hasn’t been around long enough for anyone to actually have seen their seeds develop into blossoming plant.Shop is using photoshopped flower images from another site which is a known scam.I knew this before purchasing but because there were enough good reviews, went for it anyway.Sure the seeds came fast but seeds to what? And why haven’t they sprouted? I read other feedback where the seller blamed the buyers and I’m not having that. Show me real photos of these flowering in your garden, otherwise how are you getting seeds for them? Why are there NO growing instructions included?As that reviewer noted, the shop did use digitally altered images for its “ROSE OCEAN BREEZE” listing. Although the image appearing on both Facebook and the listing was inconclusive in terms of editing, that page featured two additional images of “blue roses.” One image dated back at least as far as 2014 and was not grown by the seller, and another was as old as 2013 and clearly altered:Another issue with the listing’s claim was that blue roses are notoriously absent from nature. In 2009, scientists in Japan created a “blue rose,” the first of its kind to not be dyed. However, that newsworthy rose was in fact “silvery purple,” not the saturated aqua seen in the image:Named “Applause,” the rose is genetically modified to synthesize delphinidin, a pigment found in most blue flowers. The rose was first released in in Tokyo in 2009, after 20 years of research by Suntory, a Japanese company that also distills whisky, and its Australian subsidiary, Florigene (now Suntory Flowers). Today Suntory announced the rose will be for sale at select florists in North America, beginning early November. While the flower might appear more silver-purple than sky-blue, Applause is the nearest to a true blue rose yet.Arguably the world’s best loved flowers, humans have cultivated roses for more than 5,000 years. Roses can signify love, beauty, politics and war.Blue roses have a mythic quality because they, until recently, were impossible to grow. Roses appear naturally in many shades of red, pink, yellow and white, but lack the natural ability to produce blue pigments. For centuries, blue roses have conjured unrequited love or the quest for the impossible.Due to their nonexistence, the concept of blue roses maintains a mystical, folklore-imbued symbolism:Having been cultivated for more than 5,000 years, as many as 25,000 different species of roses currently exist, although colours are traditionally limited to red, pink, yellow and white.A blue rose has long been synonymous with the unattainable, from signifying unrequited love in Chinese folklore to its Victorian era connotations of symbolising a quest for the impossible.Those inspired by the image of a blue rose range from Rudyard Kipling who penned poems about the unnaturally-hued blooms to a string of characters featuring in modern day Japanese “anime” animation.Blue roses have been available in florists in recent years but until now, they have been created by using various dying techniques to stain the petals of naturally white roses. However, the Suntory roses are believed to be the first genetically-modified blue rose creations.In 2009, a horticulturist explained the mechanism by which the scientists came closer to a blue rose:The blue color of the blue rose is provided by the pigment delphinidin, named for being originally isolated from Delphinium. For the delphinidin in the flower to appear blue, the environment inside the plants’ cells must be acidic.This “acid factor” is what makes blue such a rare find in the plant kingdom. Not only does a plant have to have the gene to make delphinidin in its flower cells, the plant must be able to maintain a level of acidity within the cell to make the pigment appear blue. Few plants can accomplish this.Roses do not naturally produce delphinidin. Though some estimates say there have been over 25,000 rose varieties bred, they are all some shade of red, white, pink or yellow. Blue roses created by traditional hybridizing techniques are all more a shade of lilac than really blue. Until recently the only way to obtain a true blue rose was to dye or paint a white rose.Creating a blue rose required the use of genetic engineering. The Japanese company Suntory began its quest for the blue rose in a joint venture with Australian biotechnology company Florigene in 1990. Since roses do not naturally possess the gene for delphinidin, genetic engineers needed to transfer the gene from another plant that had the gene. […]So were the 14 years of genetic engineering research a waste? Time will tell, but certainly the genetic engineers have set the stage for a true blue rose to be possible. The engineered roses not only have the delphinidin gene inserted in their genome, they have also been provided the genetic machinery to suppress the red pigments naturally present in roses.Suppressing the red pigments in the engineered blue roses has not been perfect, that’s why the new engineered roses appear faintly purple. Suntory’s genetic engineers are continuing their research, striving to make the blue roses “clearer” by suppressing the red pigments entirely.The elusive blue rose’s trail appeared to go cold with the 2009 exhibition of Suntory’s cultivar. One of the two Etsy sellers had apparent reviews for blue rose seeds dating back to 2017. But in October 2018 (again, well after the photographs used in the listings first appeared and also after the reviews were published), the American Chemical Society reported:Blue roses could be coming soon to a garden near youFor centuries, gardeners have attempted to breed blue roses with no success. But now, thanks to modern biotechnology, the elusive blue rose may finally be attainable. Researchers have found a way to express pigment-producing enzymes from bacteria in the petals of a white rose, tinting the flowers blue. They report their results in ACS Synthetic Biology. […]For this purpose [attaining a blue rose], the researchers chose two bacterial enzymes that together can convert L-glutamine, a common constituent of rose petals, into the blue pigment indigoidine. The team engineered a strain of Agrobacterium tumefaciens that contains the two pigment-producing genes, which originate from a different species of bacteria. A. tumefaciens is often used in plant biotechnology because the bacteria readily inserts foreign DNA into plant genomes. When the researchers injected the engineered bacteria into a white rose petal, the bacteria transferred the pigment-producing genes to the rose genome, and a blue color spread from the injection site. Although the color is short-lived and spotty, the team states that the rose produced in this study is the world’s first engineered blue rose. They say that the next step is to engineer roses that produce the two enzymes themselves, without the need for injections.As of late 2018 (after the images and reviews first appeared), scientists were only marginally closer to creating a non-dyed blue rose. The color attained in research published at the tail end of that year had produced a blue rose with a color that was “short-lived and spotty,” and the image of a blue rose seen in the Facebook post was first shared to the internet in 2017. Although that image appeared to show home-grown blue roses, that feat had not been achieved as of a year after the photograph appeared. No other possibility but editing remained for the image, and the chances that the seeds sold on Etsy would produce roses anything like those seen in the “Tiffany blue” picture are slim to nonexistent.
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11267
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Heart Score: New Treatment for Heart Failure
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The piece presents a new invasive technology that is undergoing current research for congestive heart failure. But it did so by profiling a dramatic improvement in one individual patient. The procedure itself is described as requiring a 1.25 inch incision that could be done in an hour and which resulted in the benefit of losing 40 pounds and the ability to walk 4.5 minutes longer on a treadmill in this particular patient. How representative is that outcome? What type of patient is the ideal candidate? Does the story want us to think that all 5 million Americans with congestive heart failure are candidates? Why didn’t the story provide any data from the trials that have been done to give some indication of the quality of the evidence for both benefits and harms. The story of the terrific outcome in the one patient may raise the hopes for some patients who may not live near one of the 29 trial centers or who may result in others entering the trial with unrealistic expectations.
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false
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"Our rule of thumb: if it’s not too early to talk about how ""exciting"" and ""fascinating"" this is, then it’s not too early to project how much it will cost patients. The only quantification of benefit given was the story of one patient. Anecdotal information is an inadequate presentation of treatment benefits. The plural of anecdote is not data. There was no mention of any harms that might be associated with the use of this device. The segment failed to mention where in the clinical trial proccees this device is currently at. (From www.clinicaltrials.gov, it appears that there are phase II and phase III testing currently underway.) In addition, the segment did not provide viewers with information about how success with the device is defined and how often it is successful. It should have been possible to report on the outcomes from the phase I study and from its use outside of the US. Leading the segment with the claim that 5 million Americans have congestive heart failure could leave the impression that’s the potential market for this device. And nothing in the piece attempted to counter that impression. The segment did not provide insight about the type of patient for whom this sort of device might be a consideration. It also did not provide a context for understanding the model of the enlarged heart such as whether it is this the case in all individuals with heart failure? or whether it is something that can be reversed? Lastly – the comment from the anchor ""Right. It’s just impossible to continue on with life as this heart gets bigger and bigger and bigger…."" is not a helpful framework for reasoned conversation. The only sources of information for this segment were the clinician and patient. There were no comments from independent clinicians with expertise in heart failure to comment about this device. There was no discussion about the options currently available for the treatment and management of heart failure, other than brief mention of heart transplant. It was clear from the conversation that this device is not FDA approved and is available in the US only as part of an ongoing clinical trial. The segment appropriately reported about the novelty of treating heart failure with the Heartnet. Because this segment was an interview with a doctor and patient, it does not seem to rely on a press release. However – at http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/536804/ , one finds that ""Dr. Maybaum and patients will be available for interviews"". No independent source was interviewed. If CBS can demonstrate that they came up with this segment based on their own enterprise reporting, we’ll be happy to change this score."
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3990
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Alaska Airlines tightens emotional support animal policy.
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Alaska Airlines has updated its policy on emotional support animals following an increase in incidents involving them on planes and in airports, including some customers and employees suffering bites.
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true
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Horses, Animals, Health, Animal health, North America, Travel
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Starting May 1, customers flying with psychiatric service animals must provide animal health and behavioral documents and a signed document from a medical professional at least 48 hours prior to departure. The airline also will stop allowing amphibians, goats and animals with hooves, tusks or horns. Alaska Airlines spokesman Tim Thompson said there will be an exception for trained miniature horses. Miniature horses are recognized as service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act and are used by a small number of people with disabilities, said airline spokeswoman Bobbie Egan in an email. The changes are in response to increasing problems with emotional support animals on planes, Thompson said. There have been incidents where animals have bitten customers and employees, Thompson said. “Most animals cause no problems,” said Ray Prentice, Alaska Airlines director of customer advocacy. “However, over the last few years, we have observed a steady increase in incidents from animals who haven’t been adequately trained to behave in a busy airport setting or on a plane, which has prompted us to strengthen our policy.” Alaska Airlines in recent years has handled about 150 support animals every day. The new policy does not affect certified service animals, which are typically dogs helping owners with physical disabilities. The new restrictions only apply to animals assisting emotional, psychiatric, cognitive or psychological disabilities.
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2306
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The state of senior health: It depends on your state.
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What are the best and worst places to stay healthy as you age? For answers, take out a map and follow the Mississippi River from north to south. The healthiest people over 65 are in Minnesota, the sickest in Mississippi.
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true
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Health News
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That’s among the findings of the America’s Health Rankings Senior Report released in May by the United Health Foundation. The report ranks the 50 states by assessing data covering individual behavior, the environment and communities where seniors live, local health policy and clinical care. Minnesota took top honors for the second year in a row, ranking high for everything from the rate of annual dental visits, volunteerism, high percentage of quality nursing-home beds and low percentage of food insecurity. This year’s runners-up are Hawaii, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts. The researchers base their rankings on 34 measures of health. But here’s one you won’t find in the report: state compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While the health reform law isn’t mainly about seniors, it has one important feature that can boost the health of lower-income older people: the expansion of Medicaid. The ACA aims to expand health insurance coverage for low-income Americans through broadened Medicaid eligibility, with the federal government picking up 100 percent of the tab for the first three years (2014-2016) and no less than 90 percent after that. But when the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the ACA’s legality in 2012, it made the Medicaid expansion optional, and 21 states have rejected the expansion for ideological or fiscal reasons. And guess what: Most of the states with the worst senior health report cards also rejected the Medicaid expansion. Nearly all Americans over age 65 are covered by Medicare. But the Medicaid expansion also is a key lever for improving senior health because it extends coverage to older people who haven’t yet become eligible for Medicare. That means otherwise uninsured low-income seniors are able to get medical care in the years leading up to age 65 - and they are healthier when they arrive at Medicare’s doorstep. Two studies from non-partisan reports verify this. The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported late last year that seniors who had continuous health insurance coverage in the six years before enrolling in Medicare used fewer and less costly medical services during their first six years in the program; in their first year of Medicare enrollment, they had 35 percent lower average total spending. The GAO study confirmed the findings of a 2009 study report by two researchers at the Harvard Medical School. That study looked at individuals who were continuously or intermittently uninsured between age 51 and 64; these patients cost Medicare an additional $1,000 per person due mainly to complications from cardiovascular disease, diabetes and delayed surgeries for arthritis. Fifty-two percent of Medicaid-rejecting states ranked in the study’s bottom third for senior health, including two very large states, Texas and Florida. Many of these states also can be found in a list of states with the highest rates of poverty among people over 65. What emerges is a north-south divide on senior health. “Many states that haven’t expanded Medicaid are in the South, and there’s a clear link between socioeconomic status and health status,” says Tricia Neuman, senior vice-president at the Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation and director of the foundation’s Medicare policy program. “Insurance may not be the only answer, but it certainly is helpful.” The United Health Foundation - a non-profit funded by the insurer UnitedHealth Group - didn’t consider insurance coverage in its study, but it did consider poverty. Minnesota’s rate was 5.4 percent - well below the 9.3 percent national rate. Mississippi ranked dead last, with a 13.5 percent poverty rate. In states that rejected the Medicaid expansion, we are witnessing a victory of politics over compassion and morality. Jonathan Gruber, an economics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a key architect of health reform in Massachusetts and under the ACA, summed it up in an interview with HealthInsurance.org earlier this year, saying that these states “are willing to sacrifice billions of dollars of injections into their economy in order to punish poor people. It really is just almost awesome in its evilness.”
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1692
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Workplace workouts can snag on stressful corporate culture.
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As evidence mounts that fit employees are productive workers, companies have slotted into the corporate routine an array of workplace workout initiatives, from in-house gyms to lunchtime yoga.
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true
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Health News
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But fitness experts say even the best-intentioned get-fit efforts can founder before the demands of a corporate culture that is stressful, sedentary and increasingly round-the-clock. “This demand for 24/7 access, this idea that I can always access you and you should intensely, immediately respond, is a stressor, and we know from studies that chronic stress will shorten your life and ultimately kill you,” said Dr. Mary Ellen Rose, a Washington, D.C.-based consultant for workplace health promotion. Rose believes that even the wearable fitness bands and watches meant to keep exercisers on track can be counter-productive. “When you’re happy and healthy, you’re more productive,” she said. “But for people who are high anxiety, monitoring every little thing becomes a stressor.” Obesity costs employers about $73 billion annually in absenteeism and medical expenses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Patrick Hitchins, co-founder of FitRankings, an Austin, Texas-based fitness tech company that ranks the fitness levels of individuals and companies, notes that most fit people in a company are usually the executives. “For employees to perform at their best they need to be fit, yet workplaces have become anti-fit and increasingly sedentary,” he said. Hitchins believes companies have a long way to go before they see their employees as athletes rather than as cogs in a machine. “(We need) to raise that awareness on the corporate level that its (fitness) is cheaper than a trip to the hospital,” he said. Installing showers at the office and welcoming yoga pants at midday meetings are among the methods that Alexia Brue, co-founder with Melisse Gelula of the wellness media company Well+Good, said corporations can use in the workplace. “One of the challenges is (creating the) acceptance that you can work out at lunch and come back to the desk sweaty,” said New York-based Brue. “Culturally there needs to be a shift, so workers can roll into office from their workout.” On the hopeful side, Brue cites the rise of “sweatworking,” or entertaining clients in boutique fitness studios rather than bars, as a good sign. “We also need to get out the message that it’s as important to unplug and to, say, meditate as it is to be always and immediately responsive, “ she said.
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28449
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"Donald Trump called undocumented immigrants ""animals,"" just as Adolf Hitler called Jewish people ""animals."
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"What's true: Adolf Hitler and Nazi Party officials consistently described Jewish people as animals. What's false: Neither of the quotes offered in a popular meme featuring Hitler and Trump was a literal one, and Trump's quote more specifically described MS-13 gang members as ""animals."""
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mixture
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Politics, donald trump
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On 16 May 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump provoked controversy in the course of a public round-table discussion about immigration, crime, and sanctuary cities when he reportedly said (in reference to immigrants), “You wouldn’t believe how bad these people are. These aren’t people, these are animals”: We have people coming into the country, or trying to come in — we’re stopping a lot of them — but we’re taking people out of the country, you wouldn’t believe how bad these people are. These aren’t people, these are animals. And we’re taking them out of the country at a level and at a rate that’s never happened before. And because of the weak laws, they come in fast, we get them, we release them, we get them again, we bring them out — it’s crazy. The dumbest laws — as I said before — the dumbest laws on immigration in the world. President Trump during California #SanctuaryCities Roundtable: “These aren’t people. These are animals.” Full video here: https://t.co/alyS47LI5V pic.twitter.com/ifXicTHHP0 — CSPAN (@cspan) May 16, 2018 President Trump’s comments were immediately criticized by multiple sources who likened his remarks to those of Adolf Hitler. For example, USA Today reported that Trump was using “rhetoric with a dark past” to describe “undocumented immigrants,” noting that “Trump’s not the first to use such rhetoric: Adolf Hitler justified the Holocaust by saying Jews weren’t people but rats …” The left-leaning “Vocal Progressives” Facebook page shared a meme that also likened the president’s comments to Adolf Hitler’s: The quotation attributed to President Trump was both inaccurate and left out the full context behind his remarks, which referred to undocumented and deported migrants convicted of crimes. What was not evident from much of the news coverage of the event was that the president made his comments immediately after Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims conveyed her frustrations at what she presented as a historical lack of intelligence-sharing capabilities between the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local law enforcement agencies, with an emphasis on identifying and locating undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of crimes or are suspected of having committed crimes. According to a White House transcript, Mims referred to “bad guys” and specifically named the violent criminal gang MS-13 immediately before President Trump’s “animals” remarks (although MS-13 started in the United States and has many American citizens among its ranks): Mims: Now ICE is the only law enforcement agency that cannot use our databases to find the bad guys. They cannot come in and talk to people in our jail, unless they reach a certain threshold. They can’t do all kinds of things that other law enforcement agencies can do. And it’s really put us in a very bad position. Trump: It’s a disgrace. Okay? It’s a disgrace. Mims: It’s a disgrace. Trump: And we’re suing on that, and we’re working hard, and I think it will all come together, because people want it to come together. It’s so ridiculous. The concept that we’re even talking about is ridiculous. We’ll take care of it, Margaret. We’ll win. Mims: Thank you. There could be an MS-13 member I know about — if they don’t reach a certain threshold, I cannot tell ICE about it. Trump: We have people coming into the country … The roundtable discussion can be viewed in its entirety below: The day after his initial “animals” remarks, President Trump clarified that “I’m referring, and you know I’m referring, to the MS-13 gangs that are coming in”: The Trump administration has consistently presented the threat posed by MS-13 as immigration-related, although the MS-13 gang has its origins in the United States, and many MS-13 members are American citizens rather than undocumented migrants. Specifically (as we have previously written), the gang originated in 1979 in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles. In March 2016, ICE arrested 1,133 suspected gang members, 79 percent of whom were American citizens. As well, under instructions from the Trump administration, ICE has executed a series of sweeps of suspected gang members in the past two years. In May 2017, the immigration enforcement agency arrested 1,378 suspected gang members, mainly in the Houston, Atlanta, New York, and Newark areas. Of those arrested, 933 (about 68 percent) were United States citizens. When it came to Adolf Hitler, the meme was on much firmer ground. The official 1942 Nazi party publication Der Untermensch (the subhuman) contained an earlier quotation from SS chief and leading Nazi Party member Heinrich Himmler. A translation of that statement comes from the Holocaust Education and Archive Research Team: As long as there have been men on the earth, the struggle between man and the subhuman will be the historic rule; the Jewish-led struggle against the mankind, as far back as we can look, is part of the natural course of life on our planet. One can be convinced with full certainty that this struggle for life and death is just as much a law of nature as is the struggle of an infection to corrupt a healthy body. In other words, Nazis believed not only that Jews were not fully human, but that they were at the forefront of a global anti-human conspiracy. As documented by Calvin College, Nazi propaganda was rife with imagery that compared Jewish people (not to mention various other “undesirables,” such as Romani people, homosexuals, and those with disabilities) to various animals: rats and “vermin” spreading infection, parasitic insects feeding on “host” nations, and worms which caused rot. In Mein Kampf, Hitler described Jewish people as blood-sucking “spiders,” “vermin,” and “a parasite in the body of other peoples.” In response to our queries, Waitman Wade Beorn, a history professor at the University of Virginia, a consultant historian with the National Holocaust Memorial Museum, and an expert in the Holocaust, pointed to some other examples. Most strikingly, Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels, upon visiting quarantined Jews in the Łodz ghetto in 1939, wrote in his diary: “These are not humans, but animals” — a statement used in a subsequent version of this meme: The exact quote in the Vocal Progressives meme appears not to be attributable to Hitler, but it is nevertheless a fair reflection of his stated views and a blunt summary of the Nazi concept of the “untermenschen.”
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2770
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Scientists hail breakthrough in embryonic-like stem cells.
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In experiments that could open a new era in stem cell biology, scientists have found a simple way to reprogram mature animal cells back into an embryonic-like state that allows them to generate many types of tissue.
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true
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Science News
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The research, described as game-changing by experts in the field, suggests human cells could in future be reprogrammed by the same technique, offering a simpler way to replace damaged cells or grow new organs for sick and injured people. Chris Mason, chair of regenerative medicine bioprocessing at University College London, who was not involved in the work, said its approach in mice was “the most simple, lowest-cost and quickest method” to generate so-called pluripotent cells - able to develop into many different cell types - from mature cells. “If it works in man, this could be the game changer that ultimately makes a wide range of cell therapies available using the patient’s own cells as starting material - the age of personalized medicine would have finally arrived,” he said. The experiments, reported in two papers in the journal Nature on Wednesday, involved scientists from the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Japan and Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in the United States. The researchers took skin and blood cells, let them multiply, then subjected them to stress “almost to the point of death”, they explained, by exposing them to various events including trauma, low oxygen levels and acidic environments. One of these “stressful” situations was simply to bathe the cells in a weak acid solution for around 30 minutes. Within days, the scientists found that the cells had not only survived but had also recovered by naturally reverting into a state similar to that of an embryonic stem cell. These stem cells - dubbed Stimulus-Triggered Acquisition of Pluripotency, or STAP, cells by the researchers - were then able to differentiate and mature into different types of cells and tissue, depending on the environments they were put in. “If we can work out the mechanisms by which differentiation states are maintained and lost, it could open up a wide range of possibilities for new research and applications using living cells,” said Haruko Obokata, who lead the work at RIKEN. Stem cells are the body’s master cells and are able to differentiate into all other types of cells. Scientists say that by helping to regenerate tissue and potentially grow new organs, they could offer ways of tackling diseases for which there are currently only limited treatments. Recent experimental research has seen stem cells used to create a functional human liver and to create beating heart muscle tissue. There are two main types of stem cells: embryonic ones, harvested from embryos, and adult or iPS cells, which are taken from skin or blood and reprogrammed back into stem cells. Because the harvesting of embryonic stem cells requires the destruction of a human embryo, the technique has been the subject of ethical concerns and protests from pro-life campaigners. Dusko Ilic, a reader in stem cell science at Kings College London, said the Nature studies described “a major scientific discovery” and predicted their findings would open “a new era in stem cell biology”. “Whether human cells would respond in a similar way to comparable environmental cues ... remains to be shown,” he said in an emailed comment. “I am sure that the group is working on this and I would not be surprised if they succeed even within this calendar year.” Robin Lovell-Badge, a stem cell expert at Britain’s National Institute for Medical Research, said it would be some time before the exact nature and capabilities of the STAP cells would be fully understood by scientists - and only then would their full potential in medicine become clearer. “But the really intriguing thing to discover will be the mechanism underlying how a low pH shock triggers reprogramming,” he said. “And why does it not happen when we eat lemon or vinegar, or drink cola?”
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37892
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"Photographs and video taken of a COVID-19 anti-lockdown/""Reopen Tennessee"" protest shows one participant holding a sign reading ""sacrifice the weak."
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COVID-19 ‘Sacrifice the Weak’ Reopen Tennessee Protest Sign
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true
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Fact Checks, Viral Content
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"On April 22 2020, what appeared to be a screen capture of a WKRN-TV segment about a “Reopen TN (Tennessee)” anti-lockdown protest went viral on Twitter, showing a protester with a sign that read, “Sacrifice the weak, re-open TN”:""Sacrifice the Weak"" – imagine not just thinking of this but actually writing it out AND taking it out on the street in Nashville, Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/dLPutBoJzG— Conor Blennerhassett (@ConorBlenner) April 22, 2020Verbiage on the sign — and the explicit claim that lawmakers ought to “sacrifice the weak” to the COVID-19 pandemic — seemed too outlandish to be believed. Readers engaged in the discussion with caveats that their comments applied only if the sign hadn’t been “photoshopped,” and “assuming it was real.”In essence, the “sacrifice the weak, re-open TN” sign was seen by some as too cruel to be real, and possibly intended as a bombastic satirical commentary on movements to prematurely end social distancing measures:2. I mean the dipshit with ""Sacrifice the weak so TN can re-open"" sign. If that's not photo-shopped, and actually real, it has to be astroturfing. It's a rare combination of heartlessness, and total idiocy to openly convey that amoral state to the world. #COVIDIOTS— Socially Distant Paul Maximilian Banks (@PaulMBanks) April 22, 2020In the April 22 2020 tweet above, @PaulMBanks described the sign as “heartless” and “total idiocy to openly convey [an] amoral” position, suggesting the sign “has to be astroturfing.” In that context, “astroturfing” is concealing the origin of an effort or movement “make it appear as though it originates from and is supported by grassroots participants”; efforts to satirize the protests (which were themselves astroturfed) seemed more likely.Mentions of the sign were frequent on social platforms, and reactions ranged from anger to dismay:A hundred bucks says that the guy in Nashville with the ""Sacrifice the Weak"" sign is also an ardent opponent of abortion.— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 22, 2020this is what we’ve becomea world willing to “sacrifice the weak”in the womb, on the streets, in our jails, those who are suffering, those who are elderlyLord, have mercy on us all pic.twitter.com/QLVfWH7DMB— Tommy Tighe (@theghissilent) April 22, 2020The Kansas City Star reported sightings of the sign and ones like it:‘Sacrifice the weak’ and ‘Give me liberty’: Signs at coronavirus protests across US https://t.co/mh3uadcTqK— The Kansas City Star (@KCStar) April 22, 2020Although some readers and viewers were skeptical that the “sacrifice the weak” sign was real, an April 20 2020 WZTV Nashville article featured video of the same masked protester holding the widely-shared sign:Although users suspected the “sacrifice the weak … re-open TN” sign was satirical, photoshopped, or “astroturfing,” the sign itself was genuine and unaltered. Images of the sign appeared in an April 20 2020 Nashville-area news organization’s video and reporting of a protest against lockdowns used as an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus strain COVID-19. It is possible that the sign was intended as satire, but it is also implausible that anyone not in favor of ending the lockdowns would risk exposing themselves to COVID-19 simply to make a political joke.Comments"
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6032
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On cyclone-shattered island in Mozambique, shock and debris.
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Cyclone Kenneth in northern Mozambique ripped the island of Ibo apart. Nearly a week after the storm roared in, Associated Press journalists found widespread devastation.
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true
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Health, Cholera, Storms, Africa, International News, Mozambique
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The aerial approach to the island showed communities flattened. The overwhelming majority of homes had their roofs peeled away. Contaminated wells have made safe drinking water an immediate health concern. Mozambique’s government on Thursday night reported more than a dozen cases of cholera, a disease caused by contaminated food or water, elsewhere in Cabo Delgado province. Kenneth, northern Mozambique’s first cyclone recorded in the modern age, hit on April 25 with the force of a Category 4 hurricane, killing at least 41 people. Thousands of residents are now trying to piece together shattered lives. It took days for significant aid to reach Ibo as rain lashed the region. Fragile signs of recovery have emerged, but the challenges of finding shelter, food and medicine and rebuilding are immense. People are hungry. Tourist guides had described the island’s scenery as “stunning” and “beautiful.” Ruins from centuries ago used to draw tourists to Ibo, which has a rich history dating back to the slavery trade. Now, even those ruins are gone. Already beset by poverty, most residents have lost everything. The desperation among the roughly 6,000 residents is palpable after days of incessant rains and nights of sleeping in the open or under makeshift shelters. At the tiny, bumpy airstrip, children and adults waited eagerly to welcome the aircraft that have begun to bring supplies. Trucks soon made their way a few kilometers over a dusty road to the heart of the Island. Palm trees have been uprooted, blocking roads and lying on destroyed houses. Many buildings of brick, wooden poles and mud have been razed to ground. “We need help,” said Bonface Mulashe, who teaches French and has lived on the island for a decade. An elderly woman, with the aid of a walking stick, passed by, awe-struck by the damage. One family ate outside, surrounded by a makeshift shelter of metal sheets. Women, faces painted white as part of local tradition, picked through the rubble. On Matemo island, the aid group Save the Children found similar devastation. “The hospital, the mosque and the bank are the only buildings left standing,” Nick Finney, the response team leader, said in a statement. “Residents are in shock. When the cyclone hit, they had to crawl on the ground because if they stood up, they would be blown away.” One mother tripped and crushed her 5-year-old child, Finney said. Three other bodies were reportedly washed away. Of the 4,000 or so residents of Matemo island, about 2,500 are now homeless. With crops destroyed, people are surviving on dried fish, Finney said. Between Cyclone Kenneth and Cyclone Idai, which tore into central Mozambique last month and killed more than 600 people, international aid contributions “haven’t come close to meeting the urgent needs, and time is fast running out,” Finney said. “The world needs to act now.” ___ Associated Press writer Farai Mutsaka in Pemba, Mozambique contributed. ___ Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa
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8482
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South Africa coronavirus cases rise to 2,415, China donates equipment.
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South Africa’s health minister on Tuesday reported a rise in coronavirus cases of 143 over the past day, taking the total to 2,415.
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true
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Health News
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Health Minister Zwelini Mkhize provided no update on the number of deaths, which a day earlier stood at 27. The total number of tests conducted so far was 87,022. “We still have a long way to go,” he told a news conference at Johannesburg airport. “This is not a sprint, this is a marathon.” He added that a donation of equipment from China that had just landed would help South Africa “in fighting this invisible enemy called COVID-19”. These included 10,000 N95 masks and disposable gloves, 50,000 surgical disposable masks - enough for about 6-8 weeks - as well as 2,000 medical protective gowns and goggles. At the same news conference, foreign minister Naledi Pandor said she was aware of complaints of allegedly racist treatment of South Africans in China, and that “we believe we can accept the commitment of ... China to address these concerns”. Several African countries have demanded that China address their concerns that Africans, in particular in the southern city of Guangzhou, are being mistreated and harassed. Cases of COVID-19 - the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus - in South Africa are creeping up, but not at the explosive rate that was initially feared. The rate of new infections has slowed significantly since President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered a nationwide lockdown on March 27 and extended it to the end of April. Africa’s most industrialised nation still has the most confirmed coronavirus cases on the continent, which has registered a total of 5,741 so far. In a bid to counteract the economic fallout from the lockdown, South Africa’s central bank slashed its main lending rate by another 100 basis points on Tuesday, to a record-low 4.25%, after moving forward its monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting scheduled for May.
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28087
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The Environmental Protection Agency will allow new asbestos products to enter the market.
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"What's true: The EPA had proposed a new rule for asbestos that would (at first) block some currently unregulated but inactive uses of asbestos while (later) providing a framework for those unregulated uses’ formal approval should they pass a safety review. What's false: The EPA is not allowing what that agency legally defines as ""new uses"" of asbestos back into the market. This proposed regulation concerns only uses of asbestos that were never banned and are not currently employed."
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true
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Politics Environment, asbestos, carcinogen, environmental protection agency
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On 1 June 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics announced a proposed “Significant New Use Rule” (SNUR) for asbestos, a mineral once widely used in the construction of buildings due to its flame-retardant properties but now uncontroversially considered a carcinogen. The necessity for such a rule, in general, stems from the fact that not all uses of asbestos are currently banned; some of them remain unregulated thanks to a 1991 court ruling. The asbestos uses the 2018 SNUR applies to are ones that had not been banned by earlier regulations and remained in active use at the time of the 1991 court ruling, but are no longer in use due to users’ desires to avoid contracting cancer or liability for causing cancer in others. The EPA refers to these uses as “currently unregulated former uses.” SNURs are a mechanism within the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that mandate specific EPA approval when a chemical is used in a significantly new way or in a significantly new mixture that “might create concerns.”: For asbestos, [the] EPA is proposing a SNUR for certain uses of asbestos (including asbestos-containing goods) that would require manufacturers and importers to receive EPA approval before starting or resuming manufacturing, and importing or processing of asbestos. This review process would provide EPA with the opportunity to evaluate the intended use of asbestos and, when necessary, take action to prohibit or limit the use. The TSCA is currently undergoing a major overhaul that began under the Obama administration and was reinterpreted in radically divergent ways under the Trump administration. When former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt (a Trump appointee who resigned amid accusations of misconduct) explained the proposed SNUR for asbestos, he described it as part of an “unprecedented” set of new protections against the dangers of asbestos which require manufacturers “to receive EPA approval before starting or resuming manufacturing, and importing or processing of asbestos”. In their correspondence with us, the EPA stated that the proposed rule serves “to ensure that the manufacture, import, or processing for the currently unregulated former uses of asbestos identified in the rule are prohibited unless reviewed and approved by EPA.” According to critics, the problem with this position is twofold. The first problem concerns the way in which the current EPA has written the SNUR, which EPA staffers have privately worried does not allow for the ban of all currently inactive unregulated uses but instead only concerns 15 specific uses the EPA “believes” to be comprehensive and thus could allow for the continued legality of some now dormant uses. The second problem concerns the way in which the EPA has proposed to evaluate the risk of these “currently unregulated former uses”. In May 2018, the EPA published a document known as the “Problem Formulation of the Risk Evaluation for Asbestos,” which establishes the scientific approach the EPA will take in evaluating these new uses. Significantly, their approach will not include information from existing (or “legacy”) uses of asbestos, despite the significant body of work around health risks stemming from those uses: In the case of asbestos, legacy uses, associated disposals, and legacy disposals will be excluded from the problem formulation and risk evaluation … These include asbestos containing materials that remain in older buildings or are part of older products but for which manufacture, processing and distribution in commerce are not currently intended, known or reasonably foreseen. EPA is excluding these activities because EPA generally interprets the mandates under section TSCA § 6(a)-(b) to conduct risk evaluations and any corresponding risk management to focus on uses for which manufacture, processing or distribution is intended, known to be occurring, or reasonably foreseen, rather than reaching back to evaluate the risks associated with legacy uses, associated disposal, and legacy disposal, and interprets the definition of conditions of use in that context. E&E News reported that this approach may serve to severely limit the types of exposures the EPA will consider when formulating the potential risk of new uses for asbestos: Public health advocates believe EPA is inappropriately limiting its health reviews of chemicals to avoid considering the impacts of those already in the environment. But the agency hasn’t been swayed by their pushback … That means the agency won’t consider the dangers posed by, for example, asbestos-containing tiles, adhesives and piping in millions of homes and commercial buildings nationwide. According to the New York Times, the new rules will serve to narrow the ways in which asbestos itself is defined as well: Other changes identified in the E.P.A. documents narrow the definitions of certain chemicals, including asbestos. Some asbestos-like fibers will not be included in the risk assessments, one agency staff member said, nor will the 8.8 million pounds a year of asbestos deposited in hazardous landfills or the 13.1 million pounds discarded in routine dump sites. Three former EPA officials, including the former supervisor of the toxic chemical program, told the New York Times that such stipulations would necessarily create flawed analyses of the threat posed by any chemical currently being re-evaluated by the EPA: Three former agency officials, including a former supervisor of the toxic chemical program, said that the E.P.A.’s approach would result in a flawed analysis of the threat presented by chemicals. “It is ridiculous,” said Wendy Cleland-Hamnett, who retired last year after nearly four decades at the E.P.A., where she ran the toxic chemical unit during her last year. “You can’t determine if there is an unreasonable risk without doing a comprehensive risk evaluation” … The most likely outcome of the changes will be that the agency finds lower levels of risks associated with many chemicals, and as a result, imposes fewer new restrictions or prohibitions, several current and former agency officials said. Senator Tom Udall, a Democrat from New Mexico, argued that former EPA head Scott Pruitt was undermining a bipartisan push to reform the TSCA that began under President Obama. “Congress worked hard in bipartisan fashion to reform our nation’s broken chemical safety laws, but Pruitt’s E.P.A. is failing to put the new law to use as intended,” he said in a statement. President Trump spoke on the topic of asbestos long before his election to the White House. In his 1997 book The Art of the Comeback, Trump argued that the chemical is actually safe once applied and suggested that the link to health problems was manufactured by mob-connected companies which perform asbestos removal: “I believe that the movement against asbestos was led by the mob, because it was often mob-related companies that would do the asbestos removal. Great pressure was put on politicians, and as usual, the politicians relented.” While it is true that the uses of asbestos discussed in the 2018 SNUR are currently legal, their health and litigation risks have rendered them effectively dead. The current administration has established a process for some of those uses to be granted formal approval by the EPA if they pass a safety review many scientists find flawed. For these reasons, we concur with the leaked opinion of EPA lawyer Mark Seltzer, an attorney advisor to the EPA Chemical Risk and Reporting Enforcement Branch who worked on the SNUR and concluded that: “This new approach allows asbestos-containing products that are not currently used to be used in the future.”
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41899
|
Claimed the U.S. has “thousands of judges — border judges — thousands and thousands.”
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During the ongoing family-separation controversy, President Donald Trump and others have made false or misleading statements on several immigration issues.
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false
|
Illegal immigration, immigration,
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During the ongoing family-separation controversy, President Donald Trump and others have made false or misleading statements on several immigration issues:In adopting a “zero tolerance policy” for those crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, Trump is choosing to detain and criminally prosecute border crossers, rather than releasing them pending an immigration hearing — as the Obama administration did and his own administration had been doing.Trump explained his opposition to a so-called “catch and release” policy in recent remarks to a small business group, saying, “when we release the people they never come back to the judge.”He told the National Federation of Independent Businesses that only “like 3 percent” of people released pending their immigration hearings show up in court.Some Republican senators — led by Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina — have proposed legislation to increase the number of immigration judges in an attempt to alleviate the backlog and expedite the immigration hearings.But the president has rejected that idea, too. “We don’t want judges,” he told the business group.Trump, June 19: We don’t want judges; we want security on the border. We don’t want people coming in. We want them to come in through a legal process like everybody else that’s waiting to come into our country.And it got so crazy that all of these thousands — we now have thousands of judges — border judges — thousands and thousands. And, by the way, when we release the people they never come back to the judge anyway. They’re gone. …Do you know, if a person comes in and puts one foot on our ground, it’s essentially “welcome to America, welcome to our country.” You never get them out, because they take their name, they bring the name down, they file it, then they let the person go; they say show back up to court in one year from now. One year. But here’s the thing: That in itself is ridiculous. Like 3 percent come back.Trump gets two things wrong, but we will start with the easy one: The U.S. does not have “thousands and thousands” of “border judges.”The U.S. has “approximately 350 immigration judges,” according to the Department of Justice.Graham’s bill, which has seven Republican co-sponsors, would authorize an additional 225 judges and “prioritize resolving the cases of children and families in family residential centers.”Trump’s other claim — “when we release the people they never come back to the judge” — is also false. Trump said only “like 3 percent” show up for court, but we could find no evidence that the percentage is that low. Neither the White House nor the Department of Justice responded to our request for the supporting data.The Justice Department’s FY2016 Statistics Yearbook reports that 25 percent of immigration cases were decided “in absentia” — meaning “when an alien fails to appear.” (See figure 23.) The report does not differentiate between those captured at the border for illegal crossing and those arrested in the interior of the country for other offenses.We asked the Department of Justice for clarification and the most recent data. We did not get a response, but we will update this article if we do.Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen claimed that in the past five months, there had been a “314 percent increase” in adults trafficking children to the border, “fraudulently claiming to be a family unit.” That sounds like a big increase, but not when such cases are placed in context.The raw numbers behind the increase — which the Washington Post reported and DHS confirmed to us — are 46 suspected fraudulent cases in fiscal year 2017 and 191 suspected cases for the first five months of fiscal year 2018 — that’s October 2017 through February 2018. That’s a 315 percent increase.Those figures are a tiny fraction of the total number of family apprehensions at the border. There were 75,622 family unit apprehensions in fiscal year 2017 at the Southwest border, so the 46 suspected cases of fraud were just 0.06 percent of all family apprehensions.For the first five months of fiscal year 2018, there were 31,102 family unit apprehensions. The 191 suspected fraud cases would be 0.61 percent of that. The Post attempted to show how small of a percentage that is in a bar chart. It’s a nearly imperceptible sliver.President Donald Trump has described the situation as “a massive child smuggling trade.” He claimed in a speech to a business group on June 19 that child smuggling is “the worst it’s ever been.”We don’t know if it’s “the worst it’s ever been,” because we don’t have statistics for previous years. DHS has not provided any numbers on suspected child smuggling or fraud cases beyond the current and previous fiscal year.We will update this article if we are able to obtain such numbers.Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin blamed the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program for hundreds of thousands of families and unaccompanied minors from Central America coming to the U.S. illegally since 2012.Johnson, June 20: But here’s what’s happened since 2012, since DACA. Just to talk about unaccompanied children: Prior to that, somewhere between 3,000 or 4,000 unaccompanied children from Central America came into this country. Then DACA was instituted in 2012, and that problem skyrocketed. The numbers on it — about 225,000 unaccompanied children, just from Central America; about almost half a million family members. So we’ve got another 750,000 individuals — very sympathetic — that we’re just incentivizing for coming. And we have to stop those incentives.Johnson’s office told us that he was relying on Department of Homeland Security figures for apprehensions of unaccompanied minors and families who came from the “Northern Triangle” of Central America, which includes El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.The data provided — which we weren’t able to find online — show that from July 2012, when DACA went into effect, to May 2018, there were 303,722 apprehensions of family units and 207,187 apprehensions of UACs from that region.Family units include at least two people, Johnson’s office said, so that’s how he figures there were at least “half a million family members.”But none of those children would be eligible for DACA. The program was open to those who could prove they had been living in the U.S. continuously since June 15, 2007. Applicants had to be at least 15 years old but no more than 31 years old as of June 15, 2012. Eligibility also required proving they were not yet 16 when they arrived in the U.S.Johnson’s office told us that the senator recognizes that DACA doesn’t apply to those who came to the U.S. after the program started, but he believes “coyotes” used that information to convince people to pay them to be smuggled into the country.It’s possible that some who later came to the U.S. had been misinformed about the DACA program, but several government reports cited other reasons for the surge, primarily violence in El Salvador, Guatemala and HondurasA 2014 report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said that, in 2013, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees surveyed 404 unaccompanied minors who illegally crossed into the U.S. after fiscal year 2012. That survey found that 48 percent of the apprehended children “said they had experienced serious harm or had been threatened by organized criminal groups or state actors, and more than 20 percent had been subject to domestic abuse.”“It is not known if, and how, specific immigration policies may have influenced decisions to try to enter the United States unlawfully,” the CRS report said.The Government Accountability Office issued a 2015 report that said federal officials “most commonly identified crime and violence and economic concerns as causes primarily responsible for the recent rapid increase” in unaccompanied minors entering the U.S. illegally. GAO said it interviewed nine federal officials stationed in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras for the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security and USAID.According to the report, five of those officials told GAO that misinformation about U.S. immigration policies spread by smugglers were “a primary cause.” For example, two officials stationed in Honduras said Hondurans believed that a failed congressional attempt to pass comprehensive immigration legislation would have provided a path to citizenship, and that they’d be reunited with family members and allowed to stay in the U.S.
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