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34300 | A Muslim nurse practitioner decapitated her 7-year-old son's head because of her religion. | JihadWatch is a generally unreliable source of information that has been “repeatedly criticized by numerous academics who believe that it promotes an Islamophobic worldview and conspiracy theories.” | unproven | Politics, Islamophobia, jihadwatch, racial rumors | On 6 April 2018, the anti-Muslim blog JihadWatch.org reported that a 36-year-old woman they described as a “Muslima nurse practioner” had been arrested on suspicion of decapitating her 7-year-old son the night before, and that the heinous act had been motivated by her religious beliefs: “Zero indicators of anything rel... |
9321 | Novartis drug cut death risk by 35 percent in gene mutation breast cancer | Cancer and its treatments can be challenging for reporters to cover. At times, this can lead to a misinterpretation of study findings or incorrect explanations of how a drug works or who it is for. In this article, there is a litany of errors that begins in the headline and continue on into the story. The end result is... | false | breast cancer | Although BYL719/alpelisib has not been approved by the FDA, it’s safe to assume that the drug will be costly, and there should have been some discussion of this. The only PI3K inhibitor approved as a cancer treatment, for certain types of lymphoma, is an injection and retails for about $4,700 per vial. Many vials may b... |
34285 | Martial arts star Jet Li is in frail health, as shown in a recent photograph. | We reached out to Chasman but have not received a response. Chasman has distributed a grinning photograph of the actor to the news media (absent glaring sunlight) that he said better represents Li’s physical condition. | unproven | Entertainment, china, Entertainment, health scares | On 19 May 2018, a photograph of renowned action movie star Jet Li went viral online purporting to show the martial arts expert in “frail” physical condition: So, apparently, Jet Li is suffering from “hyperthyroidism and spinal problems” and this is him now ❤️😓: pic.twitter.com/Ss0W2EL96D — simón (@StxNaty) May 19, 201... |
28261 | The United States had 251 mass shootings during the first 216 days of 2019. | "What's true: When ""mass shooting"" is defined as an incident in which four or more people are shot, the U.S. had 251 such incidents in the first 216 days of 2019. What's false: No set definition exists for ""mass shooting."" As such, the number of incidents varies greatly depending on the criteria used to count them.... | mixture | Crime | For most people, the word “mass shooting” invokes images of horrifying events such as the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, where 26 people (including 20 children) were killed in December 2012, the massacre in Las Vegas in 2017 where more than 50 people were killed at a music festival, or the killing of more th... |
10200 | Palliative Care Extends Life, Study Finds | "Our reviewers were split on one distinctive feature of this story – the discussion of the health care reform bill brought Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin into the story. One reviewer thought that had an uncertain effect and that the space could have been better used to provide more practical information about costs, benefi... | true | "Although it touches on reimbursement, this story never addresses the key issues that most readers will be interested in — how much do palliative care consultations typically cost, does insurance cover it, and does this approach stand to increase or decrease the overall cost burden on our health care system? Like the c... | |
28305 | A man who stabbed his pregnant girlfriend “won’t be charged” because of New York’s recently enacted Reproductive Health Act. | What's true: Anthony Hobson stabbed his girlfriend in the stomach, killing both her and her unborn child. Prosecutors originally intended to charge him with both second degree murder of the mother as well as “unlawful abortion,” but due to the passage of New York’s Reproductive Health Act the latter charge was dropped.... | mixture | Politics, abortion | On 22 January 2019, New York state enacted the Reproductive Health Act (RHA), a law that — as described by its advocates — was intended to bring New York state, which had legalized abortion prior to the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, in line with the less restrictive federal standards generated by that ruling and modern medi... |
42215 | White House Erupting In RAGE After Obama Gets Invited To Royal Wedding – Trump Got DENIED. | China, the world’s top pork consumer, will secure sufficient supplies of the meat for upcoming holidays, including the Lunar New Year in late January, said an official on Wednesday, as concerns grow over a looming shortage and soaring prices. | false | false stories, | China’s pig herd has shrunk by a third following a severe outbreak of deadly African swine fever, and pork prices have surged since June on tightening supplies. Peng Shaozong, a manager in the pricing department of the National Development and Reform Commission, however, told reporters that supplies will be sufficient ... |
9870 | Healing Power: Using Stem Cells to Build Better Bones | "CBS put a crawl under this story reading ""Stem cells to build better bones."" And then failed to mention stem cells even one time in the story. That’s one indication of how off-base this segment was. No discussion of costs – which are significant. No discussion of evidence, which is limited. No discussion of the sour... | false | "A huge oversight. One other news account reported that the drug costs $800 a month. How could this NOT be part of the story? None. And segments tend to give the impression that the benefits are universal for anyone taking the drug. Instead of data, the segment gushed calling it ""godsend…really exciting…very important... | |
11313 | How to best treat the unpleasant symptoms of menopause | This story has several important limitations and conflates a number of different issues in a potentially confusing way. It fails to mention that the new findings on estrogen apply only to women who have had hysterectomy—some 200,000 women in 2000, according to the North American Menopause Society. The majority of wom... | false | No mention of costs. No data on benefits or harms. No data on benefits or harms. Study population not defined, which in this case is important since most women going through menopause still have their uterus and so would not be able to take estrogen alone. The story states that more than 50 million American women will ... | |
9239 | Cleveland Clinic study finds whole grain diet reduces cardiovascular disease risk | This release describes a study by Cleveland Clinic researchers who assigned a group of volunteers with overweight and obesity to a diet either rich in whole grains or one with refined grains. Each diet contained the same nutritional values but the whole grain diet consumers experienced a lowering of their diastolic blo... | mixture | Cleveland Clinic,whole grain diet | There were no mentions of costs in this release, which is unfortunate since a simple statement could have informed readers that both whole grain foods and refined grain foods are readily available and are usually similar in cost. The release states that, “While on the whole grain diet, participants saw a three-fold imp... |
14803 | "Marco Rubio Says Ted Cruz supports ""legalizing people who are in this country illegally." | "Rubio said Cruz ""is a supporter of legalizing people that are in this country illegally."" Cruz proposed an amendment in 2013 to the immigration bill that would have stripped the citizenship provision. But it would have kept intact the language in the Senate bill that allowed illegal immigrants to still apply for the... | false | Immigration, Florida, Marco Rubio, | "During the Republican debate in Las Vegas, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida accused one of his rivals, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, of being soft on immigration policy. ""Ted, you support legalizing people who are in this country illegally,"" Rubio said. ""Ted Cruz supported a 500 percent increase in the number of H1B visas, th... |
7131 | Larry King says he was operated on for lung cancer. | Veteran broadcaster Larry King says he battled lung cancer this summer but appears to have the disease at bay. | true | Health, Lung cancer, Entertainment, Larry King, Cancer | The former CNN host, who is 83, told Us Weekly that a spot on his lung was noticed this summer during a routine check-up. He said he had surgery in July. The tumor was malignant but King said it was found at such an early stage that his doctor told him he was lucky. King has had health issues in the past, including a h... |
14134 | "Zika mosquitoes ""can’t catch me." | "Bolt said Zika mosquitoes ""can’t catch me."" The Olympic champion and world record holder clocks an average speed is 21.65 miles per hour in his races, with 23.35 miles per hour at the high end and 18.53 miles per hour at the low end. Female A. aegypti mosquitoes, the main vector for Zika, cruise between 1.12 and 3.3... | true | Global News Service, Public Health, Sports, Usain Bolt, | "The world’s fastest man says he’s not scared of Zika since he can always outrun virus-carrying mosquitoes. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who is preparing for this summer’s Olympic games, was asked recently about the Zika epidemic in the host country of Brazil. No worries, he said. ""Because I’m fast,"" he joked in a M... |
40502 | There are a couple of stories about this. One warning says that a documentary on Dateline TV showed that E.coli bacteria were found in pre-packaged bags of salad and that the Dole company has issued a recall on some bags. The other from September of 2006 says the Food and Drug Administration has issued an alert that a... | E.coli bacteria found in bagged salads?. | true | Food / Drink, Warnings | Both warnings are true. On September 18, 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded its warning about spinach, telling consumers not to eat any raw spinach, not just pre-packaged spinach as had initially been announced. The FDA also announced that it’s probe into the sources of spinach contaminated with a str... |
1076 | Congo Ebola deaths surpass 1,000 as attacks on treatment centers go on. | The death toll from an Ebola outbreak in Congo rose above 1,000 on Friday, with attacks on treatment centers continuing to hamper efforts to control the “intense transmission” of the second-worst epidemic of the virus on record. | true | Health News | The World Health Organization said it expected the nine-month outbreak to continue spreading though the east of Democratic Republic of Congo, and announced plans to expand vaccinations in the coming weeks once a new treatment by Johnson & Johnson is approved. The WHO is already using another experimental vaccine made b... |
4021 | Pinterest to direct vaccine-related searches to health orgs. | Pinterest said Wednesday it will try to combat misinformation about vaccines by showing only information from health organizations when people search. | true | Technology, Media, General News, Social media, Health, Business, Measles | Social media sites have been tryingto combat the spread of misinformation about vaccines. Pinterest previously tried blocking all searches for vaccines with mixed results. Now searches for “measles,” ″vaccine safety” and related terms will bring up results from such groups as the World Health Organization, the Centers ... |
30165 | A scientific study has concluded that “drinking young people’s blood” provides health and longevity benefits. | Regardless of the merits of Ambrosia’s efforts, no study has concluded that “drinking” a “young person’s blood” provides anti-aging health benefits. As such, we rank the claim false. | false | Medical, blood | On 10 September 2018, newspapers such as the UK’s Sun and the New York Post published the same story under the headline “Young Blood Could Be the Secret to Long-lasting Health: Study” — a headline which implied that a recently published scientific study had made a significant development in the field of medicinal blood... |
1619 | Science won't stop until it beats AIDS, says HIV pioneer. | More than 30 years after she identified one of the most pernicious viruses to infect humankind, Francoise Barre Sinoussi, who shared a Nobel prize for discovering HIV, is hanging up her lab coat and retiring. | true | Health News | She’s disappointed not to have been able to claim ultimate victory in the battle against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes the killer disease AIDS, but also proud that in three decades, the virus has been beaten into check. While a cure for AIDS may or may not be found in her lifetime, the 68-year-old ... |
34405 | Pet food includes the rendered remains of euthanized cats and dogs. | What's true: Drugs used to euthanize pets have been found in some pet foods, leading to rumors the product may include rendered dead cats and dogs. What's false: Definitive evidence proving the claim of rendered pets in pet food (such as DNA testing) is lacking. | unproven | Critter Country, contaminated pet food, pets | Urban legends about pets are some of the most tenacious and reaction-provoking, prominent among them a long-held belief that pet food (particularly the cheapest brands) is made, in part, from the rendered euthanized remains of cats and dogs themselves: I have heard from a friend of mine (who heard it from her professor... |
2687 | UK scientists say find cheap, fast gene test method. | British scientists say they have developed a way of pinpointing variations in a person’s genetic code using a chemical test on saliva, meaning quick, cheap DNA tests for risks of certain diseases may be around the corner. | true | Science News | Researchers at Edinburgh University said their technique, based on chemical analysis, can deliver reliable results without the need for expensive enzymes used in conventional DNA testing. Juan Diaz-Mochon of the university’s School of Chemistry, who led the research, said the chemical method was able to detect genes li... |
8022 | Nigeria orders 14-day cessation of movement in Lagos, Abuja to fight coronavirus. | Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday ordered the cessation of movement in Lagos and the capital Abuja for 14 days in an attempt to curb the spread of the coronavirus. | true | Health News | Nigeria has 97 confirmed cases, most of which have been in its two main cities. Buhari said the restrictions would begin at 11 p.m. (2200 GMT) on Monday, March 30. He said the measures would also apply to Ogun State, which neighbors Lagos State. Health experts are concerned about the potential for a widespread outbreak... |
14461 | We understand that this heroin is primarily coming from Mexico, over the border. | Portman said that heroin is coming to the United States primarily from Mexico. He hasn’t been studying drug facts for nothing. | true | Ohio, Drugs, Rob Portman, | "Ohio Sen. Rob Portman has been busy in Washington touting the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act in response to a shocking number of heroin overdoses in Ohio. The bill just passed in the Senate, 94-1. (Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse was the sole ""nay,"" saying he believes that fighting addiction is a local issue.) Ohio ra... |
9443 | Study Raises Questions About Stents in Some Heart Patients | This Wall Street Journal story describes surprising news that a very common procedure– inserting a stent to open a blocked blood vessel — does not add benefit over medication in patients with angina. Angina is chest pain due to blocked heart arteries, and is common among people with heart disease. One strength of the s... | true | angina,heart disease,stent | The story does not mention the cost of stent insertion, which can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. The story describes the main outcome measure — how long subjects could exercise on a treadmill before experiencing pain — and the change in exercise duration — a 28 second improvement after stent insertion versu... |
29858 | R&B singer Avant was diagnosed with a terminal condition in March 2019 and was told he has only six months to live. | Furthermore, when we reached out to Avant’s representatives at TWM Management, they told us that “It’s false statement, a rumor a fan started that has gotten out of control, no rep from our camp has made any statement.” | false | Junk News | In mid-March 2019, a rumor began to circulate on social media holding that R&B singer Myron Avant had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had only six months to live. This unfounded gossip, which was largely shared via text posts on Facebook, included a statement reportedly released by Avant’s public relations r... |
6081 | Sankey talks link between sports gambling, mental health. | Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey considers the mental health of athletes an important issue to be considered when it comes to legalized betting on college sports. | true | Georgia, Mental health, College football, Sports, College sports, Gambling, Alabama, Health, Football | Sankey opened the league’s media days Monday with plenty to say about sports gambling and continuing efforts to improve football officiating before yielding the podium to coaches talking about their hopes and concerns for the season. He focused on weighty off-the-field matters instead of whether Alabama, Georgia or som... |
5236 | Rhode Island awarded federal funding for addiction treatment. | Rhode Island has been awarded nearly $3.5 million in federal funding for addiction treatment. | true | Rhode Island, Sheldon Whitehouse, Opioids, Addiction treatment, Health, General News, Medicare, Medicaid | The state’s congressional delegation announced the grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It’s meant to increase the treatment capacity of Medicaid providers for substance use disorder treatment and recovery services. U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, says the funding will help ... |
5772 | Gene-edited baby claim by Chinese scientist sparks outrage. | Scientists and bioethics experts reacted with shock, anger and alarm Monday to a Chinese researcher’s claim that he helped make the world’s first genetically edited babies. | true | Bioethics, Hong Kong, Genetic Frontiers , Health, AP Top News, China, Science, Asia Pacific, U.S. News, International News | He Jiankui of Southern University of Science and Technology of China said he altered the DNA of twin girls born earlier this month to try to help them resist possible future infection with the AIDS virus — a dubious goal, ethically and scientifically. There is no independent confirmation of what He says he did, and it ... |
20636 | "Patrick Johnston Says abortion is ""the most common surgery in our country." | Leader of personhood issue claims abortion the most common surgery in the country | false | Abortion, Ohio, Patrick Johnston, | "Nearly four decades after the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case legalized abortion, it remains an emotionally-charged debate. It was against that backdrop that Dr. Patrick Johnston, the director of Personhood Ohio and a leader of the effort to get the so-called ""Personhood"" issue on the Ohio ballot, began his remarks ... |
38547 | General Mills has issued a massive recall for Gold Medal Flour because a suspected E. coli outbreak. | General Mills Gold Medal Flour Recall. | true | Business, Food / Drink, Health / Medical | It’s true that General Mills voluntarily recalled 10 million pounds of flour across 20 states on May 31, 2016. In a statement, General Mills said it had voluntarily recalled flour sold under its Gold Medal, Gold Medal Wondra and Signature Kitchen brands after 38 cases of illness from E. coli contamination: State and fe... |
2655 | Fitting fitness inside the cubicle. | Whether your office is in the business district or on the dining room table, sitting immobile for hours in front of a computer screen is at odds with the fit body. | true | Health News | So fitness experts and entrepreneurs are thinking outside the box to transform the cubicle from sedentary prison to multitasking work and workout space. “We’ve made Americans fat by putting them in cubicles,” said Steve Bordley, CEO of TrekDesk. His solution is a workstation designed to fit over a treadmill. “There’s a... |
265 | Reckitt to pay $1.4 billion to end U.S. opioid addiction treatment probes. | Reckitt Benckiser has agreed to pay up to $1.4 billion to resolve U.S. claims that its former pharmaceuticals business Indivior before it was spun out of the company carried out an illegal scheme to boost sales of an opioid addiction treatment. | true | Health News | The settlement, the largest by any company related to the U.S. opioid epidemic, resolved long-running probes by the U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission into the companies’ marketing and sales of Suboxone Film. The deal came after Indivior in April was indicted and accused of deceiving doctors and h... |
10531 | Mammogram benefits more modest than doctors thought | However, it does not explain to readers what is new or different about this study compared to earlier reports. Also, the final word in the story goes to an expert who touts benefits of mammography screening that clash with what was seen in this study. By comparing this story with, for example, the Philadelphia Inquirer... | true | The story does not mention the cost of mammography (or of follow up tests and treatments) to the individual, or, collectively, to society. And these costs are substantial. Based on the results of this study, 2,500 women would have to be screened every other year for a decade in order to prevent one death from breast ca... | |
11581 | ‘Electronic Nose’ Sniffs Out Asthma | The new test looks for volatile organic compounds that are presumably uniquely exhaled by people with asthma. When used in combination with a somewhat standard test, the new process may provide somewhat greater ability to diagnose asthma. The story rightly notes the study was conducted in a small number of subjects and... | true | "Since this device is experimental, we can accept the fact that the story didn’t put a specific price tag on the technology. The story did note that cost might limit initial use of the device. The story tells us the percentage of asthma patients who were correctly diagnosed by the electronic nose, fractional exhaled ni... | |
27690 | Aerial spraying of an insecticide targeting Zika-carrying mosquitoes in South Carolina resulted in the deaths of millions of bees. | Researchers at Clemson University took honey and soil samples from Stanley’s farm for further analysis. | true | Critter Country, Animal Welfare, bees, south carolina | Officials in Dorchester County, South Carolina have issued an apology for aerial insecticide spraying that inadvertently killed millions of honeybees in the area, WCBD-TV reported on 1 September 2016. Beekeepers in the town of Summerville say they lost scores of active hives almost instantly after spraying began early ... |
3904 | Governor: Wisconsin must ‘step up’ after school shootings. | Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said Wednesday that after shootings on consecutive days at Wisconsin high schools, the state must increase funding for mental health services at schools — a shift from his past insistence on passing gun control measures that Republicans legislators refused to consider. | true | Legislature, Shootings, Wisconsin, Mental health, Health, General News, School shootings, U.S. News | Evers told The Associated Press in an interview that he is committed to working with Republicans who control the Legislature to secure additional mental health funding and that he’s optimistic because of the GOP’s past support for such funding. The Legislature this year approved about $25 million for children’s mental ... |
16116 | "Female students at UVA ""have a 20 percent chance of being sexually assaulted." | "Saslaw says a female student attending U.Va. has a 20 percent chance of being sexually assaulted. Saslaw bases his claim on a Rolling Stone article about an alleged gang rape at UVa that said nationally, ""one in five women is sexually assaulted in college."" Rolling Stone didn’t cite a source, but the statistic is co... | false | Crime, Public Safety, Virginia, Richard Saslaw, | "Senate Minority Leader Richard Saslaw seethed after reading a Rolling Stone article detailing an alleged gang rape at a University of Virginia fraternity. ""I can’t remember when I’ve been angrier as an adult, reading that,"" Saslaw, said during a Nov. 24 meeting with the Falls Church City Council to discuss prioritie... |
18939 | Individuals with mental illnesses die an average of 25 years earlier than those without a mental illness. | NAMI Ohio leader Terry Russell says people with mental illnesses die 25 years earlier, on average, than those without | true | Ohio, Health Care, Medicaid, Terry Russell, | "One of the questions about the state budget proposal that Gov. John Kasich is expected to announce in February is whether the state will follow through with the Affordable Care Act's expansion of Medicaid coverage. The federal health care law would expand coverage to people with incomes up to 138 percent of the povert... |
11226 | Alzheimer’s theory set for drug test | This story attempts to explain some of the on-going research to understand the increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease seen in people with type II diabetes. Utilization of sugar by the brain appears to be altered in Alzheimer’s disease patients, though whether this is a cause or a result of Alzheimer’s disease is not kno... | false | This drug is currently on the market for diabetes so the story could have at least included information about its current cost for its current approved use. The story doesn’t quantify the benefits obtained in the specific subset of patients with the genotype that showed improvement. None of the side effects or potentia... | |
2885 | Lexicon Pharma to cut 45 percent of workforce, CEO to leave. | Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc said its chief executive would leave and it would cut its workforce by about 45 percent, as it moves its focus away from drug discovery to completing the studies of its drugs in late-stage development. | true | Health News | Lexicon shares, which have lost about 15 percent of their value last year, fell as much as 7.5 percent to $1.85 on the Nasdaq in early trading on Monday. The company said Arthur Sands, CEO since 1995 and a co-founder, intends to develop a succession plan with the board. He will continue in his position until a successo... |
41319 | Phenol / phenoxyethanol is in vaccines and is used as antifreeze. It is toxic to all cells and can destroy the immune system. | These chemicals have been used in vaccines as preservatives. They are not in antifreeze. | unproven | online | Beta-Propiolactone is in vaccines and is known to cause cancer, suspected gastrointestinal, liver, nerve and respiratory, skin and sense organ poison. It may be present in trace amounts of some vaccines. It is potentially carcinogenic, but only in much larger amounts than would be in a vaccine. The antibiotics gentamic... |
8453 | Explainer: What the U.S. funds freeze could mean for WHO and its work. | U.S. President Donald Trump has told his administration to temporarily halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the new coronavirus. | true | Health News | Here’s what we do and don’t know about what this might mean for the WHO and its programmes around the world: * Set up in 1948, the U.N. agency has a mandate to improve the standard of health worldwide. It is credited with leading a 10-year campaign to eliminate smallpox in the 1970s and has coordinated the fight again... |
9704 | The alternative infertility treatment that's helping some women get pregnant | This Fox News article describes an experimental fertility treatment called in vitro maturation (IVM) that modifies the “gold standard” IVF (in vitro fertilization) for use in a subset of women for whom the IVF regimen is not an option. The article is less a “news” story than a “Q and A,” and it does a pretty good job o... | mixture | in vitro fertlization,Pregnancy | Although the article states that IVM is less expensive than standard IVF because women undergo fewer hormone injections, it does not cite any cost figures for either procedure, or other assisted reproductive technologies. And it should. We award a Satisfactory rating here because the story does quote a range of claime... |
10558 | Circulation Solutions: Varicose veins can be disabling, but new remedies are easing removal | In some ways, this story about new options for getting rid of varicose veins is thorough and thoughtful. The explanations of the condition and the treatments are detailed and easy to understand. The story includes important cost information and makes good use of outside experts. We wish, though, that it had taken a lit... | mixture | Wall Street Journal | Applause all around for this fast and efficient cost comparison. “Smaller veins can often be treated with sclerotherapy, which involves injecting a chemical solution into the vein to destroy it, and costs $250 to $500 per treatment. For larger veins, doctors may recommend endovascular procedures, which range in price f... |
4102 | University of Maryland gets $200M contract for flu research. | The University of Maryland has received a $200 million contract to research seasonal flu vaccines. | true | Health, Flu, General News, Infectious diseases, Maryland | The university’s School of Medicine said in a statement Friday that the research is aimed at testing vaccines and conducting controlled studies. The money is coming from the federal government’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. It hopes to develop a universal vaccine against new flu strains and to... |
9846 | Acupressure bands for that sickening feeling | This is an inspired type of health journalism: A well-researched response to a reader question about a widely used treatment–in this case, acupressure for common nausea. All of it is presented in conversational voice and easy-to-digest blocks of text. The author includes several details that anticipate readers’ questio... | mixture | "The article reports that the bands from either manufacturer named cost around $10. The alternative treatment–self-administered acupressure–is implicitly free. The article fails to include key details from either study that would help people understand the likelihood and amount of relief the treatments provide. The art... | |
21699 | A clause hidden in the Obamacare bill, which is now law, gives Obama the right to form a private army. | Victoria Jackson column claims health care law gives Obama power to raise a private army | false | National, Health Care, Military, Victoria Jackson, | "If you thought that comparing President Barack Obama to Adolph Hitler was just a passing fad, you should know the trend lives on at the website WorldNetDaily. Comedian Victoria Jackson, a Saturday Night Live alum and tea party supporter, recently penned a column titled, ""The 3 scariest things about Obama."" Jackson i... |
33682 | "Dragnet's Sgt. Joe Friday character frequently implored female informants to provide ""Just the facts, ma'am." | As this exchange entered the American subconscious, it soon found itself truncated to “Just the facts, ma’am” From that point on, every Webb interview, every newspaper and magazine article that had anything to do with Dragnet made use of the phrase. For the next year it so dominated media coverage of the show that fina... | false | Entertainment, dragnet, false memory, mandela effect | Just as it’s difficult for anyone who didn’t experience the early days of television to realize now that Arthur Godfrey was one of America’s premier entertainers during the 1950s, so is it difficult for anyone whose only exposure to the long-running police drama Dragnet is “Nick at Nite” reruns of its late 1960s reviva... |
28122 | Exposure to secondhand marijuana smoke will get you high and potentially show up in a drug test. | What's true: It's possible to get high from secondhand smoke. What's false: It has to happen under a specific set of circumstances (little to no ventilation, for example.) | true | Medical, marijuana, second hand smoke | A common stoner trope (and a well-worn excuse for those teenagers trying to hide their stoner status from their parents) is that of the secondhand high from marijuana smoke. It is not something taken lightly by scientists, either, especially in light of a wave of marijuana legalization across the United States; studies... |
10574 | Questioning a $30,000-a-Month Cancer Drug | This story focuses on issue of the cost of a new cancer drug, but it also provides valuable and balanced information for the reader on the drug, Fotolyn, in terms of its potential benefits, availability, novelty, and evidence to support its use. Notably, the story quotes multiple stakeholders, including experts from th... | true | The story goes into some detail about the cost of Folotyn, which is extraordinarily high. The story also does a great job of comparing the cost of the drug to other expensive cancer drugs. Costs were the main focus of the story. The story adequately quantitifes the benefits of Folotyn, which are not that impressive. Th... | |
22747 | "If the Stamp Farm wind turbine is built, the ""health risk of 'flicker' impact created by shadows of blades of turbines poses real and significant health risks, particularly seizures." | North Kingstown wind turbine critics say spinning blades pose risk of seizures | false | Environment, Rhode Island, Energy, Laurence Ehrhardt, | "To some, spinning wind turbines are a majestic source of pollution-free energy. But when they're proposed for residential areas, opponents often portray them as a menace to healthy, safety, aesthetics and property values. The rhetoric can get pretty extreme. When one was proposed in Barrington in 2008, opponents claim... |
27515 | Graham crackers were named for a man who believed unhealthy diet led to sexual excess. | Today’s graham crackers are made with bleached white flour, a deviation that would have set Sylvester Graham to spinning in his grave — he regarded refined flour as one of the world’s great dietary evils. | true | Food, Food Origins, Product Origins | The Reverend Sylvester Graham, a Presbyterian minister who became a social reformer and a ferocious advocate of healthful living, is the man who put the ‘graham’ into the treat we now know and love as graham crackers. Sylvester Graham (1794-1851) believed physical lust was harmful to the body and caused such dire malad... |
21678 | "Michele Bachmann Says Tim Pawlenty said in 2006, ""The era of small government is over... the government has to be more proactive and more aggressive." | "Did Tim Pawlenty say, ""The era of small government is over""?" | true | National, Candidate Biography, Michele Bachmann, | "What happened to Minnesota nice? Michele Bachmann blasted her fellow Minnesotan Tim Pawlenty after he questioned her experience. The two are competing for the Republican nomination for president. ""These are serious times that require serious solutions -- not more of the same. Being right on the issues is critical -- ... |
9965 | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Can Be as Effective as Second-Generation Antidepressants to Treat Major Depressive Disorder | This news release from RTI International states that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and second generation antidepressants are equally effective as first-line treatments for treating major depressive disorder (MDD). CBT is a general term for a wide variety of psychotherapy strategies that involve talking about one’s... | mixture | Independent research center news release,mental health | The release gives a slight nod to costs without saying very much. It states, “However, psychotherapy can be time-consuming and may be substantially more expensive, depending on the patient’s insurance benefits.” Medications and CBT both have costs so it would have been nice to compare them. There was no quantification ... |
13734 | "Trade deals threaten ""India’s role as the pharmacy of the developing world"" for new HIV medicines." | Doctors Without Borders said that trade deals threaten the capacity of Indian generic drug makers to produce the next round of HIV drugs. We found that trade negotiations, whether part of large regional trade agreements or unilateral discussions between the United States and India, have language that work against India... | true | Global News Service, Public Health, Trade, Doctors Without Borders, | "If there was one success story to emerge from the International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, it was that more people are getting treated for HIV/AIDS than ever before -- about 17 million by the latest United Nations estimate. Falling drug prices played a key role in helping providers reach this point. But ... |
3607 | Alex Trebek shares ‘mind-boggling’ pancreatic cancer update. | “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek says his doctors say he’s in “near remission” of advanced pancreatic cancer and his response to the treatment is “kind of mind-boggling.” | true | Cancer, Pancreatic cancer, Entertainment, North America, Health, Alex Trebek, TV | The 78-year-old TV personality tells People magazine he’s responding very well to chemotherapy and the doctors have told him “they hadn’t seen this kind of positive results in their memory.” Trebek says some of the tumors have shrunk by more than 50%. Trebek announced his diagnosis in March, but said he intended to kee... |
6937 | Could anyone have stopped gene-edited babies experiment?. | Early last year, a little-known Chinese researcher turned up at an elite meeting in Berkeley, California, where scientists and ethicists were discussing a technology that had shaken the field to its core — an emerging tool for “editing” genes, the strings of DNA that form the blueprint of life. | true | AP Top News, University of California, Hong Kong, United States, Genetic Frontiers, Health, California, Science, Stanford University, Asia Pacific, U.S. News, Technology, International News | The young scientist, He Jiankui, saw the power of this tool, called CRISPR, to transform not only genes, but also his own career. In visits to the United States, he sought out CRISPR pioneers such as Jennifer Doudna of the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University’s Dr. Matthew Porteus, and big thinke... |
27031 | Blood spots were visible in the left eye of Joe Biden, a 2020 U.S. Democratic presidential candidate, during a CNN debate in September 2019. | We asked Biden’s campaign to clarify what had happened, and what the causes were, but we did not receive a response in time for publication. | true | Politics | We received multiple inquiries from readers in September 2019 about news reports that claimed one of former Vice President Joe Biden’s eyes “filled with blood” during a CNN town hall debate on Sept. 4 and about the authenticity of video footage that appeared to show the incident. The Daily Mail wrote: “Democratic pres... |
3147 | In a 24/7 food culture, periodic fasting gains followers. | On low-carb diets, meat and cheese are OK. | true | AP Top News, Health, General News, Weekend Reads | On low-fat diets, fruit and oatmeal are fine. With the latest diet trend, no foods at all are allowed for long stretches of time. A diet that forbids eating for hours on end might seem doomed in a culture where food is constantly available, but apps and Facebook groups are popping up for people practicing “intermittent... |
34782 | A child dying of cancer wants you to send him cards so he can get into the Guinness World Book of Records. | Chain Letters (Make-a-Wish Foundation) | mixture | Inboxer Rebellion, addie fausett, christmas cards, craig shergold | An urban legend rivaled in tenacity by only the infamous “Cookie Recipe” tale (and even that monster runs a distant second), this appeal from a dying child touches the generosity in all of us and taps into our urge to do something — anything — in the face of unthinkable tragedy. In a perfect world, children wouldn’t di... |
9492 | First gene therapy — ‘a true living drug’ — on the cusp of FDA approval | The story focuses on a treatment called CAR T-cell therapy, which is under review by the FDA for use in treating children with leukemia who are not responding to standard treatments. The story does a good job of describing the treatment, how it’s different from similar therapies, and how expensive it is. However, the s... | true | cancer,FDA,gene therapy,immunotherapy,leukemia | The story tackles this issue head on, as here: “Novartis has not disclosed the price for its therapy, but analysts are predicting $300,000 to $600,000 for a one-time infusion.” This is satisfactory, but barely. Here’s how the story addresses benefits for the CAR T-cell treatment: “In the pivotal trial testing the thera... |
1922 | Polar bear threatens beaver as Canada national symbol. | A Canadian senator has launched a campaign to replace the industrious beaver with the indomitable polar bear as Canada’s national emblem, saying the incumbent is “a dentally defective rat.” | true | Environment | A World Wildlife Fund photograph taken along the western shore of Hudson Bay in November 2010 shows a female polar bear with two cubs near Churchill, Canada, in this image released to Reuters on February 9, 2011. REUTERS/Geoff York/World Wildlife Fund/Handout Conservative Senator Nicole Eaton delivered her damning crit... |
34686 | The interaction of Motrin and Robitussin causes heart attacks in children. | If you’ve seen a Facebook post about Motrin and Robitussin, please read and share this. The information in the post is not correct and was not posted by one of our employees. We encourage caregivers to discuss any over-the-counter medications with their doctor and to ask about information found on the Internet. | unproven | Medical | We first received an admonition not to combine Motrin with Robitussin via email in December 2008: Medicine interaction! Madison, age 8, passed away just a few days ago. We’ve been asked to pass this on. Doctors told her family that there have been quite a few children Madison’s age that have died recently the same way ... |
3818 | Dick Burack dies, wrote ‘Handbook of Prescription Drugs’. | Dr. Walter Richard “Dick” Burack, who wrote “The Handbook of Prescription Drugs” advocating affordable prescriptions for patients, has died. He was 93. | true | New Hampshire, General News, Prescription drugs | Burack died Sunday in hospice care in Jackson, New Hampshire, said his son, Tom Burack, former commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Services. His book was first published in 1967. The New England Journal of Medicine likened it to “David standing up to Goliath.” That year, Burack was a witness in a mult... |
5160 | Opioid epidemic has addiction revealed in obituaries. | The toll opioid addiction took on Miranda Ferguson is evident when her mother flips through family photos. | true | Scranton, Health, Obituaries, Epidemics | “You could see how healthy and happy she was until she was introduced to that drug,” said Ann Marie Riggi-Hopkins, of Scranton. “As I progressed with the pictures, you could see how things dwindled. It just takes every part of your life away.” Raynor Bloom’s family was unaware of his opioid addiction until they receive... |
2771 | U.S. pig virus cases see biggest weekly rise since PEDv found. | Confirmed cases of a deadly pig virus spreading across the U.S. Hog Belt jumped by 215, its highest weekly increase since it was discovered in the United States in April 2013, according to the USDA’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). | true | Health News | Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv), which causes diarrhea, vomiting and severe dehydration is transmitted orally and through pig faeces. While older pigs have a chance of survival, the virus kills 80 to 100 percent of piglets that contract it. The total number of confirmed cases has increased to 2,692 in 23 states ... |
37753 | Circulating posts by a man named Richard Rose demonstrate his position that COVID-19 was a hoax; Rose died from COVID-19 in July 2020. | It is true that a man named Richard Rose (who appeared to go by “Rick”) published a Facebook post in April 2020, expressing his belief that the use of masks to cut down on COVID-19 transmission was “damn hype.” We did not find extensive posting from Rose about the pandemic. It is further true that Rose posted about his... | true | Fact Checks, Viral Content | On July 10 2020, a number of Facebook users shared posts like the one below — purportedly screenshots from the profile of a user, Richard Rose, who initially adopted the position of a “COVID denier” before dying from it on July 4 2020:Circulating Posts About Richard Rose’s Posts and DeathIn the post above, four chronol... |
4775 | Republicans lack votes _ and appetite _ to end ‘Obamacare’. | Arizona’s new senator says he’d vote to repeal the nation’s health care law. That’s one additional Republican ready to obliterate the statute because his predecessor, the late Sen. John McCain, helped derail the party’s drive with his fabled thumbs-down vote last year. | true | Steve Scalise, John Cornyn, AP Top News, Health, Statutes, Politics, North America, John McCain, Business, Arizona, Elections, Michael Pence, Barack Obama | It could well be too little, too late. After years of trying to demolish former President Barack Obama’s prized law, GOP leaders still lack the votes to succeed. Along with the law’s growing popularity and easing premium increases, that’s left top Republicans showing no appetite to quickly refight the repeal battle. “I... |
5188 | Mental health/urgent care addition planned for VA med center. | The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is holding a groundbreaking to kick off the construction of its new mental health/urgent care building in at the medical center in Manchester. | true | Mental health, Health, General News, Manchester, Veterans, Veterans affairs | The building design is for a two-story, 16,000 square-foot addition to support current and future outpatient urgent care and mental health services. It also will offer a direct entrance with curbside access to urgent care. The addition will be next to the radiology, pharmacy and phlebotomy departments. The groundbreaki... |
10833 | New Views on Frequency of Osteoporosis Screening | The story includes some independent experts’ viewpoints and presented some of the study’s limitations that were ignored in the Los Angeles Times story. Like the Times story, though, this one could have spent more time explaining the data behind the findings. Osteoporosis is a serious and debilitating condition that hit... | mixture | "This story makes no mention of costs. There are no numbers in this story attached to the benefits of less frequent bone density testing. This story did not quantify any harms associated with bone density testing, with osteoperosis or with waiting too long to have ones bones tested. The story could have done more to ev... | |
5613 | Daughter’s addiction changed former officer’s perspective. | Kevin Simmers knows the feeling of helplessness in fighting heroin addiction first hand. | true | Health, Hagerstown, Heroin addiction | For Simmers, a retired Hagerstown police officer, that helplessness developed into frustration as he and his then 18 year-old daughter Brooke ran into a series of roadblocks and administrative red tape in seeking treatment for her heroin addiction in late 2013. “We tried all the things that we thought would help,” said... |
36233 | "A graphic listing ""Insulin Prices"" accurately compares prices for the medication in the US to that of other countries." | Comparing the Cost of Insulin Pens in the United States with Other Countries | mixture | Fact Checks, Medical | A graphic spreading online apparently attempts to advocate for people with diabetes by listing several claims related to the price of insulin pens in the United States and other countries:“I think this is a real problem, so there’s no need to exaggerate it,” said Diana Isaacs, a spokesperson for the American Associatio... |
23234 | Hank Gilbert Says the Texas Department of Agriculture seeks to purchase up to 300,000 promotional stress balls. | Hank Gilbert says Texas Department of Agriculture could be buying up to 300,000 stress balls | true | Economy, Health Care, Texas, Hank Gilbert, | "Bounciest Democrat on November's statewide ballot? It might be Hank Gilbert, making his second hard charge for state agriculture commissioner versus Todd Staples, the Republican who topped him four years ago. Gilbert, ever prowling for issues, recently trumpeted that the Texas Department of Agriculture is looking at b... |
10767 | Angioplasty’s golden era may be fading | This was an informative story exploring how medical therapy alone stacks up against medical therapy plus angioplasty as a treatment for coronary artery disease. It highlighted several important issues about medical practice and the treatment of coronary artery disease in particular. While the story never fully describe... | true | "The story provided cost estimates for angioplasty. It would have been more complete to include comparable information about the costs of medical therapy. The story discussed the comparable outcomes of the two treatments in terms of heart attacks and death. It also explained that at least initially, angioplasty coupled... | |
11217 | Newly Published Results Show Investigational Treatment Brexanolone Consistently Reduced Depressive Symptoms Across Three Postpartum Depression Trials, Supporting Submission for FDA Approval | An injectable drug, brexanolone, showed some effectiveness in treating postpartum depression in two phase 3 double-blind randomized controlled trials including 247 women from 30 different research centers, according to research led by the University of North Carolina. Their research showed reductions in reported depres... | true | Academic medical center news release | The news release does not mention costs. While a new therapy may not have an established price, the release could have stated “no price is available for this drug.” What would be even better is some context for what women suffering from postpartum pay typically for counseling and medications. The release notes that th... |
62 | Oklahoma judge reduces Johnson & Johnson opioid payout to $465 million. | An Oklahoma judge on Friday said Johnson & Johnson must pay that state $465 million for fueling the opioid epidemic through the deceptive marketing of painkillers, down from his original award of $572 million. | true | Health News | The decision by Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman in Norman, Oklahoma, came in the first case to go to trial out of 2,700 nationally by states, counties and cities seeking to hold drug companies responsible for the deadly epidemic. Balkman reduced the amount he had awarded in August by $107 million after agr... |
9217 | Light therapy effectively treats early prostate cancer | This news release reports the results of a phase 3 trial of a cancer treatment called vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy (VTP), which involves injecting a light-sensitive drug into the bloodstream and then activating it with a laser to destroy tumor tissue. Researchers in Europe randomized 413 men with low-risk pro... | false | active surveillance,prostate cancer | There’s no discussion of the costs of either VTP or of active surveillance, the current standard of care for low-risk prostate cancers. Given that VTP is a new commercialized therapy involving both a drug and a device, it’s likely to be considerably more expensive than monitoring. Furthermore, the study indicates that ... |
10001 | How To Help People Lose Weight? Give ‘Em Free Meals and Money! | "This smartly written blog post manages to pack more information into a tight space than many longer pieces. We wish it had spent a little more time with the evidence behind this study on weight loss programs. For example, a MedPageToday story explained: Clinical outcomes were not evaluated. ""The findings likely rep... | mixture | "The story excels in this criteria where so many others fail. The story says, ""The program costs about $1,600 for 12 weeks,"" and then it goes on to make an important comparison. ""Compare that to the $19,000 to $29,000 cost of bariatric surgery, which is often reimbursed by insurers."" This helps readers understand t... | |
22784 | New provisions of the health care law bar the use of flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts to pay for aspirin and other non-prescription health needs. | GOP Chairman Mullins says health care bill ends pre-tax puchases of aspirin and other non-prescription drugs | true | Health Care, Virginia, Pat Mullins, | "Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Pat Mullins kicked off the New Year attacking recent side effects of health care overhaul on Flexible Spending Accounts, which allow workers to pay medical expenses with pre-tax dollars. In an e-letter titled ""FSA at Work? Jim Webb Just Made It a Lot Less Useful,"" Mullins staple... |
25982 | Multiple studies “all said for decades, masks do not work with viruses.” | "North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, who’s running for governor against incumbent Democrat Roy Cooper, said scientific evidence shows masks ""do not work with viruses."" Masks don't guarantee protection from the virus. But that's beside the point, since no experts are arguing that. Multiple studies published this year ... | false | North Carolina, Coronavirus, Dan Forest, | "At a campaign event in western North Carolina on July 4, the state’s Republican candidate for governor dismissed the need for face coverings during the coronavirus pandemic. Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, who’s running for governor against incumbent Democrat Roy Cooper, said scientific evidence doesn’t support mask mandates. ""... |
35185 | A meme documents U.S. President Donald Trump's statements about the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. | On Feb. 26, at a White House news conference, commenting on the country’s first reported cases: “We’re going to be pretty soon at only five people. And we could be at just one or two people over the next short period of time. So we’ve had very good luck.” | true | Politics, COVID-19 | Amidst the debate about the Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic that began in early 2020, which many critics contended was too slow because the president initially failed to acknowledge the severity of the issue, social media users circulated a meme that supposedly documented a ... |
27806 | Photographs show a crow landing on and riding atop an eagle in flight. | """This would be kind of like a dog chasing a car and jumping up on it.""" | true | Fauxtography, animals birds | In July 2015, a series of photographs purportedly showing a crow landing on and riding atop the back of an eagle in flight were a subject of social media fascination: The photographs, which followed on the heels of similar animal ride-hitching images such as a weasel riding a woodpecker and a raccoon riding an alliga... |
5832 | Report finds cases of STDs reach 30-year high in California. | The number of cases of three major sexually transmitted diseases in California reached a 30-year high in 2018, according to a state report released Tuesday. | true | Sexually transmitted diseases, Chlamydia, Health, General News, California, Gonorrhea, Syphilis | More than 336,000 cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were reported last year, as rates of all three STDs continued to increase across the state, the California Department of Public Health reported. Officials said they are particularly concerned by the number of congenital syphilis cases, which were 14% higher t... |
9112 | Scientists discover biomarkers which could lead to better treatments for CF patients | This news release focuses on a recent study that found new biomarkers in the sweat of infants that are associated with cystic fibrosis (CF). The news release does a good job of explaining how these biomarkers may be valuable in helping to diagnose borderline cases of CF, in which conventional diagnostic techniques leav... | false | biological markers,cystic fibrosis,McMaster University | The study does not address costs. The method used to identify the new biomarkers is described as “a specialized technique developed at McMaster [University]” (where the research was done), making it difficult or impossible to estimate what the cost may be. The benefit here would appear to be that diagnostic testing for... |
8992 | Temple researchers reverse cognitive impairments in mice with dementia | This news release from Temple University Health System describes a study in genetically engineered mice showing that an anti-inflammatory asthma drug was able to reverse the impact of particular kinds of brain damage associated with human Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. The drug, an anti-leukotriene steroid ca... | false | Temple University Health System | At this level of research, speaking to costs would seem to be unnecessary but since the drug used in the study is commercially available, the cost is relevant and should have been mentioned in the release. The drug is expensive — at $500 to $3,000 a month for asthma patients depending on insurance and co-pays — even th... |
28417 | "A pedophilia group put up a sign reading ""Pedophiles are People Too"" near a school in Oregon." | "What's true: A sign reading ""Pedophiles are People Too"" was briefly posted on a telephone pole near a school in Oregon. What's false: The sign has no apparent connection with a genuine attempt to integrate pedophiles into the LGBTQ community or to ""normalize"" pedophilia." | mixture | Fauxtography, 4chan, james woods, lgbtq | On 27 July 2018, an image of a sign reading “Pedophiles Are People Too” and “Love is Love” over a rainbow background reminiscent of the LGBTQ pride flag started making its way around social media: And so it begins… pic.twitter.com/ku6FQpBbAO — James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) July 31, 2018 Facebook posts were often accom... |
36104 | Sailor and explorer Christopher Columbus proved the earth was round. | ‘Columbus Set Out to Prove the Earth Was Round’ | false | Fact Checks, Viral Content | In October 2019, a number of memes about the legacy of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus circulated on Facebook around Columbus Day, among them a meme about the claim that he “proved” that Earth is round:In the above meme, the top and bottom text read:“COLUMBUS DISCOVERED THE WORLD WAS ROUND” NO THE FUCK HE DID NOT... |
22172 | Troy Fraser Says it probably costs more than $300,000 to run for a seat on the Pedernales Electric Cooperative board of directors. | State senator says it probably costs more than $300,000 to run for Pedernales Electric Cooperative board | false | Elections, Energy, Texas, Troy Fraser, | "State Sen. Troy Fraser, who’s been in the thick of years-long tussling regarding the Pedernales Electric Cooperative, wants co-op directors elected from regional single-member districts. Pitching legislation mandating that change, the Horseshoe Bay Republican noted the expense of seeking election via at-large ballotin... |
32675 | A ban on smoking in cars when children are present took effect on 30 January 2018. | There was a whole lot wrong with this article; namely that it originated with Now8News, a fake news site that masquerades as a local television news site while publishing fabricated clickbait stories; that the article text makes no mention of where the referenced smoking ban is supposed to take place; and that the arti... | false | Junk News | In February 2018, a post on the photo sharing web site LoveThisPic.com conveyed an announcement that smoking in cars when children are present is illegal thanks to a law that became effective on 30 January 2018: #1 No More Smoking In Cars With Children The law, that becomes effective on January 30, 2018 is to protect c... |
31981 | The 'Podesta e-mails' revealed the existence of a secret society of pedophiles operating through a pizza place loosely connected to Clinton associate David Brock. | Although the Pizzagate controversy remains a high-interest conspiracy, we are unable to locate any substantive aspect of the claims that could be fact-checked or otherwise held up to the light to determine their veracity. And while rumors about pedophilia and child trafficking remain standard in urban folklore, roughly... | false | Politics Conspiracy Theories, david brock, hillary clinton, john podesta | On 4 November 2016, Reddit user u/DumbScribblyUnctious published a thread titled “Comet Ping Pong – Pizzagate Summary” to subreddit r/The_Donald (a community of Donald Trump supporters), which appears to have touched off a complex and detailed conspiracy theory involving WikiLeaks’ release of e-mails from former Hillar... |
8298 | Face masks may be 'new normal' in post-virus life as U.S. prepares gradual reopening. | The death toll from the coronavirus pandemic in the United States approached 31,000 on Wednesday as governors began cautiously preparing Americans for a post-virus life that would likely include public face coverings as the “new normal.” | true | Health News | The governors of Connecticut, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania each issued orders or recommendations that residents wear face masks as they emerge from isolation in the coming weeks. “If you are going to be in public and you cannot maintain social distancing, then have a mask, and put that mask on,” said New York Go... |
11274 | Heart stents found no more effective than drugs in prolonging life | This broadcast nicely reassures viewers that millions of Americans with stable, non-emergency coronary artery disease can manage their heart problems well with medicine and do not need to undergo surgery to implant stents that prop open clogged arteries. It clearly differentiates between patients with “unstable” diseas... | true | The broadcast explains that the cost of implanting a stent runs between “15 to 25 thousand bucks,” and suggests that the procedure is not cost-effective in about half of those currently considered candidates. The broadcast summarizes the trial’s results in general terms but does not report the actual number or percenta... | |
11463 | Tailwind helps retrain brain of stroke victims | Stroke is a major cause of disability and death among adults in the U.S. It is estimated that 2/3 of people who suffer a stroke do not regain full physical function. When the upper body is affected, patients can have difficulty performing activities of daily living such as dressing, bathing and self-care. This story co... | mixture | "This story states that the Tailwind device costs $2,400. (The actual price is $2,495 + shipping.) The stroke patient featured in the story was given this device for free. At the time the article went to press, no Tailwind devices have been sold. This article provides some information on benefits including increased ac... | |
1769 | Cuban doctors proud to risk lives in mission to halt Ebola. | Cuban doctors and nurses departing for West Africa to combat Ebola consider themselves lucky. Among the 15,000 who volunteered, they are among only 256 who have been chosen for the job. | true | Health News | “There have been fights breaking out, heated arguments, with some doctors asking, ‘How come my colleague gets to go and I can’t?’” doctor Adrian Benitez, 46, said on Tuesday just hours before he was due to board a plane for Liberia. Despite a global alarm over the worst Ebola outbreak on record, Cuban doctors are eager... |
9203 | Breast cancer prognosis of African-American patients may improve with chemotherapy before surgery | Britain, the birthplace of coal power, produced more electricity from zero-carbon sources such as wind, solar and nuclear than from fossil fuel plants for the first time in 2019, National Grid said on Wednesday. | mixture | African-American women,Georgia State University,health disparities | Having built the world’s first coal-fired power plant in the 1880s, coal became Britain’s dominant electricity source and a major economic driver for the next century. But last year Britain became the first G7 country to commit to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 and in November will host the United Nations’ interna... |
10448 | Study finds lung cancer screenings could save lives | "This story satisfactorily provides information about costs as well as quantifies benefits (although the story seems to ""cherry-pick"" the best outcomes), but overall feels like a promotional piece for lung cancer screening. While there are no obvious elements of disease mongering, there are elements of overstating th... | mixture | "The story states the cost of CT lung screening (about $200) and that it's not generally covered by insurance. However, the newscast also states this latest study will put pressure on payors to start paying for this screening test. While this may be true, this latest study still does not prove that lung cancer screenin... | |
9767 | 2 Studies Back Guidelines for Wider Use of Statins | The consensus around wider statin use has been building, but significant questions remain about costs, long-term risks, and the quality of the evidence supporting wider use. This story focuses on two new studies that address these issues (see here and here). It brings clarity where much of the competing coverage — incl... | true | cholesterol,statins | We were surprised to see that a story that covered as much ground as this one did somehow missed costs. The competing story by NBC spelled out the costs. The story nicely explained that while one of the new studies showed, as expected, that following the updated statin guidelines did increase the number of people who w... |
6378 | Stocks plunge to 8-month lows on growth fears; J&J nosedives. | Stocks staggered to eight-month lows Friday after weak economic data from China and Europe set off more worries about the global economy. Mounting tensions in Europe over Britain’s impending departure from the European Union also darkened traders’ moods. | true | European Union, AP Top News, Technology, North America, Financial markets, Health, Business, China, Economy, Europe, Euro | Major U.S. indexes fell about 2 percent and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped as much as 563 points. On the benchmark S&P 500 index, health care and technology companies absorbed the worst losses. Johnson & Johnson plunged by the most in 16 years after Reuters reported that the company has known since the 1970s ... |
33712 | Ernest Hemingway once won a bet by crafting a six-word short story. | On a concluding note, we observe that the Hemingway legend bears a passing resemblance to a familiar urban legend about a student who utilizes similar brevity in acing an essay assignment. | false | History, Literary Legends | Certain anecdotes about notable figures continue to be told and retold as true — whether they actually are true or not — because they so perfectly encapsulate quintessential aspect of the persons they’re told about. One such anecdote clings to author Ernest Hemingway, a tale of a six-word-long story he supposedly autho... |
1529 | First U.S. bumble bee added to endangered species list. | The rusty patched bumble bee became the first wild bee in the continental United States to gain federal protection on Tuesday when it was added to the government’s list of endangered and threatened species. | true | Science News | The bee, once widely found in the upper Midwest and Northeastern United States, was listed after U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration lifted a hold it had placed on a plan for federal protections proposed last fall by the administration of former President Barack Obama. Bumble bees are key pollinators of crops ... |
21415 | Ten years ago the Austin Water Utility used a total of 240.3 million gallons. Every summer since then our peak day of water use has been lower. | Save Our Springs says water utility customers have used less water on peak day every year since 2001 | true | City Budget, City Government, Water, Texas, Save Our Springs Alliance, | "Crediting conservation in Austin, the Save Our Springs Alliance said in an Aug. 16, 2011, entry in its online newsletter: ""Ten years ago the Austin Water Utility used a total of 240.3 million gallons. Every summer since then our peak day of water use has been lower."" After noting that this year’s peak water use in a... |
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