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6172 | China Jan. bird flu deaths hit 79, most since at least 2013. | An outbreak of H7N9 bird flu in China killed 79 people in January, the most in a single month in at least three years, the country’s national health authority said. | true | Health, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Flu, Bird flu, China, Asia Pacific, Public health | More than 250 cases of H7N9 have been reported to the National Health and Family Planning Commission from 16 provinces and regions. State media said Thursday that most of the illnesses occurred in and around China’s eastern and southern coast, from Shanghai to Hong Kong. At least six more deaths have been reported thus... |
8794 | Nexavar helped in pulmonary hypertension study. | The cancer drug Nexavar is showed promise in a small study of people with pulmonary hypertension, a debilitating condition marked by high blood pressure in the arteries that supply the lungs, U.S. researchers said on Monday. | true | Health News | Made by Bayer AG and Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc, Nexavar is approved in the United States for kidney and liver cancer. Eight out of the first nine patients who took the drug saw improvements in their ability to exercise, and six out of nine had significant improvement in their right ventricular ejection fraction, whi... |
9664 | Acupuncture May Ease Hot Flashes for Breast Cancer Patients | The story focuses on a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology that finds female breast cancer patients who use acupuncture therapy in conjunction with “enhanced self-care” had fewer problems with hot flashes than patients who used only enhanced self-care. The story does a good job of explaining the ... | mixture | acupuncture,breast cancer,hot flashes | The story does address cost, but doesn’t say how much that cost might be. As the story states: “[the researcher] didn’t know how much American patients might have to pay for such treatment, but added, ‘Compared to other effective treatments such as antidepressants, (acupuncture) should be less expensive, and, for sure,... |
3767 | Senate OKs Trump’s FDA nominee despite unclear vaping agenda. | The Senate on Thursday confirmed Dr. Stephen Hahn to lead the Food and Drug Administration despite concerns about how he will confront the growing problem of underage vaping. | true | Health, General News, Politics, Marijuana, Business, Vaping, Tobacco industry regulation, Donald Trump | Hahn, a cancer specialist and hospital executive, won confirmation to the role of FDA commissioner with a vote of 72-18. The move comes as key decisions about regulating electronic cigarettes, including how to keep them away from teenagers, remain unresolved. More than three months ago President Donald Trump and his to... |
7651 | Britain's Cuadrilla starts fracking for gas after seven-year pause. | British shale gas company Cuadrilla has started fracking for natural gas in northwest England, seven years after the practice was halted in Britain for causing earth tremors. | true | Environment | Environmental groups strongly oppose the practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which involves extracting gas from rocks by breaking them up with water and chemicals at high pressure. But the government, keen to cut Britain’s reliance on imports as North Sea gas supplies dry up, has tightened regulations and ha... |
19574 | "Nick Fish Says ""cities save an estimated $38 in dental costs for every $1 invested in fluoridation." | Do cities really save $38 for every $1 they spend on fluoridation? | true | Oregon, City Government, Nick Fish, | "The Portland City Council is set to vote early next month on whether to fluoridate the city’s drinking water -- and a ‘yes’ vote looks all but certain. City Commissioner Nick Fish said as much in a statement that started bluntly ""I believe it is time to add fluoride to Portland’s drinking water."" Part of his rationa... |
4092 | High pollution advisory issued for Phoenix metropolitan area. | Environmental regulators have issued a high pollution advisory for ozone for the Phoenix metropolitan area. | true | Arizona, Phoenix, Bronchitis, General News, Air pollution, Environment, Lung disease, Pollution | Arizona Department of Environmental Quality officials recommend people limit outdoor activity Thursday while the advisory is in effect, especially children and adults with respiratory problems. People most vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution include children, older adults, adults exercising outdoors and people w... |
3388 | Iowa governor launches anti-vaping social media campaign. | Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday announced a a public service campaign to address increased vaping by Iowa teenagers with a focus on social media and information programs for parents and students in schools. | true | Iowa, Health, Media, General News, Social media, Kim Reynolds, Vaping, Public health | Reynolds said increasing awareness and education on the known risks of vaping will help prevent young people from suffering nicotine addiction and health problems. The campaign will feature videos targeted at teens on SnapChat, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Hulu and other sites. School nurses, teachers and administrato... |
10009 | Extra calcium, vitamin D no bone booster for men | This was a very clean and efficient story summarizing what the evidence showed and what it didn’t. Consumers may want to believe that supplements can’t hurt – they can only help. It’s worth it for journalists to report on studies that show that good diet and exercise works to prevent bone-thinning – but that supplement... | true | Reuters Health | It is rare to see a story include costs of what might be viewed as inexpensive supplements, but this story included the costs – at least – of vitamin D supplements. From a purist’s perspective, we wish the story had quantified the benefit seen from exercise. We’re told that adding supplements to the exercise program di... |
37549 | U.S. President Donald Trump has invoked the Stafford Act, which will mandate a mandatory two-week in-home quarantine for the nation. | ‘Trump Will Evoke What Is Called the Stafford Act’ Viral Post | false | Disinformation, Fact Checks, Viruses | Amid growing concerns over the spread of novel coronavirus strain COVID-19 in mid-March 2020 and lack of information from the United States government, corrosive and weaponized disinformation thrived in the form of chain emails, Facebook posts, and text messages. There were different versions of one such message, but t... |
13603 | "Lisa Moore Says there are ""concrete examples"" of University of Texas job applicants or prospective applicants and students as well as invited speakers changing their minds because of handguns being allowed in campus buildings and classrooms." | "Moore told NPR there are ""concrete examples"" of UT job applicants, prospective students and invited speakers deciding not to come to the university because of conceal-carry permit holders newly being allowed to bring handguns into campus buildings including classrooms. Not naming names, UT’s administration says this... | true | Education, Texas, Guns, Lisa Moore, | "A University of Texas English professor says a law enabling Texans with state permits to carry concealed guns into classrooms has already caused prospective faculty, students and even speakers not to come to the Austin campus. Lisa Moore said in an NPR interview aired Aug. 7, 2016, six days after the campus-carry mand... |
11406 | Statins cut the risk of heart disease death by 28% among men, study shows | This story by The Guardian highlights a new study in the journal “Circulation” that digs into the data of a 20-year study of cholesterol and heart disease in thousands of European men. The Guardian appears to lean heavily on an Imperial College press release that trumpets the benefits of taking statin drugs, which can ... | false | The Guardian | Costs were not discussed. However, statins cost between roughly $313 (generic) to $1,428 (name-brand) per patient per year in the US, according to a 2012 study in Pharmacoptherapy. The costs are much less in the UK: $164 (generic) and $509 (name-brand) per patient per year. The story only told readers the relative risk... |
14007 | "Even among ""second and third generation"" Muslims in the United States, ""there's no real assimilation." | "Trump said that even among ""second and third generation"" Muslims in the United States, ""there's no real assimilation."" The data and the experts agree that Trump is wrong. Substantial evidence confirms that Muslim Americans want to have an American identity and think that doing so is achievable. In fact, their pref... | false | Immigration, NBC, Race and Ethnicity, Religion, Donald Trump, | "After the mass shooting in Orlando by a man who pledged allegiance to the Islamic terrorist group ISIS, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump reiterated his call for a temporary ban on Muslims coming to the United States. During an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Trump elaborated on one of the problems h... |
8188 | German institute: Two years for pandemic to run its course. | The coronavirus pandemic is likely to take about two years to run its course, the head of Germany’s public health agency said on Tuesday, adding that much depended on the speed with which a vaccine against the virus was developed. | true | Health News | Lothar Wieler, president of the Robert Koch Institute, said that eventually some 60% to 70% of the global population would have been infected, recovered and acquired immunity, but it was impossible to say how fast that would happen. “Our working assumption is that it will take about two years,” he told a news conferenc... |
7820 | Holy water in Austria unsafe to drink: researchers. | Holy water at religious shrines and churches in Austria is often contaminated with fecal matter and bacteria, researchers have found, advising the faithful not to drink it, especially in hospital chapels. | true | Health News | Scientists at Vienna University medical school’s Institute of Hygiene and Applied Immunology came to the conclusion after analyzing the water quality at 21 “holy” springs and 18 fonts at churches and chapels at various times of year. Only 14 percent of the water samples from holy sources showed no fecal contamination, ... |
4103 | Woman dies in Spain as listeria-in-pork outbreak sickens 114. | Health authorities in Spain are on high alert after a 90-year-old woman died amid a listeria outbreak in the southern region of Andalusia that has affected more than 110 people. | true | Health, Food safety, General News, Seville, Infectious diseases, Europe, Spain | José Miguel Cisneros, director of the infectious disease department at Seville’s Virgen del Rocío Hospital, on Tuesday announced the first casualty since the outbreak was declared on Aug. 15. Authorities have closed the pork meat supplier’s plant and recalled all of its products. Cisneros said roughly half of the 114 p... |
26880 | “Robert de Niro Linked to Child Sex Trafficking Ring According to Court Records” | The posts imply that actor Robert De Niro was a central player in an international prostitution ring whose operators were prosecuted in 1998. De Niro was questioned by French authorities after his name was mentioned in the course of the investigation into the ring, but he was never arrested or charged with a crime. | false | Facebook Fact-checks, Bloggers, | "Despite what various bloggers imply, Robert De Niro was never ""linked"" to a child sex trafficking ring. That's a significant overreach from stories published more than 20 years ago about the actor being questioned in connection with a prostitution ring investigation. De Niro was never arrested or charged with a crim... |
9788 | Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Protect the Aging Brain | This story made the key point that CNN and the Washington Post failed to communicate in their competing coverage: “This study … did not prove that omega-3 fatty acids prevent mental decline, merely that there may be an association between consumption of fatty acids and brain health.” Consumers have only so much capac... | true | dementia,Omega-3 | The cost of fish is not in question, although a word about the cost of fish oil supplements would not have been inappropriate. Although we think readers will come away with the correct bottom line message on this study, we’re going to rate this criterion unsatisfactory, for two reasons: The harms of eating fish are not... |
3484 | Thailand launches full-time clinics dispensing cannabis oil. | Thailand on Monday opened its first two full-time clinics dispensing cannabis oil for medical treatment, a step forward in the government’s policy of promoting the licensed use of marijuana products to relieve the symptoms of a range of ailments. | true | Health, General News, Marijuana, Asia, Bangkok, Asia Pacific, Thailand | About 400 patients, many of them with cancer, were given the oil for free at a flagship clinic at the Public Health Ministry in a suburb of Bangkok. The initial four formulations handed out are used for treating conditions such as migraines, insomnia, nausea, numbness and pain. The medicines are touted as being based o... |
13574 | "California’s Prop 60, which would require condom use in adult films, would put ""workers in the adult film industry at risk for lawsuits and harassment." | "Opponents of California’s Prop 60, which would require condom use in adult films, recently claimed it would put ""workers in the adult film industry at risk for lawsuits and harassment."" The statement is partially accurate: Some adult film workers, and perhaps a growing share, could face lawsuits if they have a finan... | mixture | Government Regulation, Public Health, California, No on 60 campaign against condom requirement in adult films, | "Opponents of California’s Proposition 60 — which requires adult film performers to wear condoms — say it’s not the protective measure it’s touted to be. ""This law pretends to protect workers in the adult film industry, but in fact it's putting them at risk for lawsuits and harassment,"" says a recent advertisement on... |
30360 | A gay baboon terrorized a South African village and raped several men. | "Rumors about a gay baboon's ""terrorizing"" a village and raping five men can be traced back to a homophobic fake news article." | false | Junk News, baboon, fake news, homophobia | An image purportedly showing a newspaper clipping featuring a story about a gay baboon raping several men near an African village regularly gets shared on social media: This is not a genuine news story, but a verbatim copy of a satirical article that was first published in April 2017 on the South Africa Morning Post w... |
30446 | "A ""new"" study has demonstrated that marijuana leads to a ""complete remission"" of Crohn's disease." | Have you spotted a celebrity sharing dubious health stories on social media? Please send a link or a screenshot to reportcelebs@snopes.com. | false | Medical, cannabis, celebrity health, crohn's | Since 2013, viral stories have parroted (with the aid of copy, paste, and lax editorial standards) details of a single, 22-person pilot clinical trial on the use of cannabis as a treatment for Crohn’s disease — an inflammatory bowel disease with no known cure. These stories, which almost always carry some form of the h... |
34673 | Bravecto brand Flea and tick remedy is dangerous to dogs. | A widely-shared Facebook post sought to warn pet owners that BRAVECTO chewable flea and tick remedy is supposedly harmful to dogs. | unproven | Critter Country, dogs | On 11 June 2015, the Facebook page Pet Helpers published a post warning dog owners about the purported dangers of BRAVECTO chewable flea and tick remedy: Pet Helpers is incredibly saddened to learn of the recent death of one of our adopted dogs. This post is in loving memory of Duncan who was taken to his heavenly hom... |
29551 | The government buried news of weather modification in the classifieds section of a small newspaper. | What's true: The Los Angeles Department of Public Works (DPW) placed classified ads in the Pasadena Star News in early 2016 notifying locals about upcoming cloud seeding equipment installations. What's false: The only way residents could learn of the program was via a hard to find classified ad; the media ignored the a... | false | Uncategorized, cloud seeding, conspiracy, conspiracy theories | On 12 March 2016, the web site Wakeup World (described as news pertaining to the “energetic organism we call Earth, the Universe and the Multiverse”) published a blog post claiming the American government “quietly” admitted to engaging in “weather modification” activities in a notice buried in the classifieds section o... |
26153 | "Facebook post Says Donald Trump won the Ellis Island award for ""patriotism, tolerance, brotherhood and diversity” alongside Muhammad Ali and Rosa Parks." | Worshippers gathered at battered churches in the Mozambican port of Beira on Sunday, praying for divine protection as the death toll crept up from a cyclone and floods around southern Africa. | false | Facebook Fact-checks, Facebook posts, | “We asked Jesus to protect us, so that this does not happen again,” said congregant and survivor Maria Domingas, 60, who saw trees crashing into her house and water filling her bedroom. Cyclone Idai hit Beira, on the Indian Ocean, with winds up to 170 kph (105 mph), before barrelling inland to Zimbabwe and Malawi, flat... |
2959 | Settlement reached over deadly U.S. meningitis outbreak. | Owners and insurers of a now-bankrupt Massachusetts pharmacy linked to a deadly meningitis outbreak have agreed to pay more than $100 million to compensate victims, families of victims and creditors. | true | Health News | The preliminary settlement announced on Monday, which requires court approval, would resolve many claims arising from tainted steroid injections linked to New England Compounding Pharmacy Inc of Framingham, Massachusetts. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 64 people died and 751 were ... |
6337 | Virginia gov’s yearbook: Probe of racist photo completed. | A law firm has completed its investigation into how a racist photo appeared on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s yearbook page 35 years ago, and is expected to release the results on Wednesday. | true | Norfolk, Virginia, Medical schools, North America, Ralph Northam, U.S. News | Eastern Virginia Medical School announced Tuesday that it plans a news conference and will make a written report of the investigation public. The school’s statement included no details about what the investigation found out about Northam’s 1984 yearbook page, which includes a photo of a man in blackface standing next t... |
30795 | A 29-year-old San Diego Zoo intern was arrested and charged with attempting sexually assault a gorilla. | Parenthetically, the mugshot used in the WNDR article was a purposely distorted image of a black male that has been used on racist websites for years to insult and demean people of color. | false | Junk News, huzlers, world news daily report | In late November 2017, several unreliable web sites published identical articles reporting that a zookeeper at the San Diego Zoo had been arrested and charged with sexual assault on a 15-year-old male gorilla. The story appears to have originated on World News Daily Report, which reported: Akimbo Obwe’bwe, a 29-year-ol... |
9269 | Flu nasal spray provides similar protection against influenza as flu shot: Study | This McMaster University news release reports the results of a study looking at effectiveness of two different types of flu vaccine in a Canadian community. The release refrained from using sensational language to describe the study, and it clearly identifies who funded the research. However, it missed the mark when de... | true | influenza,McMaster University,vaccine | This release doesn’t discuss costs in its comparison of influenza shots versus nasal sprays, although both modes of immunization have been around for a long while and the costs for both are easily known. While flu immunizations are often free through public health clinics and such, some people receive their immunizatio... |
5688 | Northam announces advancements in mental health treatment. | Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said the state’s 40 mental health centers are now all offering walk-in mental evaluations. | true | Creigh Deeds, Mental health, Health, Virginia, Ralph Northam | Northam said Thursday that the a person in need of a mental health assessment can get one at the state’s Community Services Boards without an appointment instead of waiting days or weeks for an appointment. Last year lawmakers and the governor approved extra funding to make sure every Community Services Board could off... |
1855 | Checking up on your fitness form. | From jumping rope to swinging a kettle bell to pounding a treadmill, a finely-tuned form can spell the difference between a sound body and a sore knee. | true | Health News | A man does chin-ups at a city park in Kiev, March 19, 2012. REUTERS/Anatolii Stepanov Experts say often a professional tweak can go a long way towards firming up your workout. “People usually injure themselves on basic exercises, like a squat or a bench press,” said New York-based personal trainer Tiffany Boucher. But ... |
32585 | A Las Vegas couple was arrested for modifying their baby's ears to make them pointed like a Vulcan's. | News4KTLA (predictably) features no disclaimer warning readers its content is entirely fabricated — the site’s “About” page merely says it features “local news for southern Louisiana and the surrounding area.” News4KTLA is one of several fly-by-night fake news purveyors utilizing visual and call-letter elements to dupe... | false | Junk News, fake news, news 4 ktla | On 18 June 2016, the web site News4KTLA published an article reporting that a Las Vegas couple had been arrested and charged with child abuse, child endangerment, and performing a surgical procedure without a license after attempting to modify their baby’s ears into a pointed shape akin to those found on Vulcans in the... |
9683 | A Diet High In Fiber May Help Protect Against Breast Cancer | This story focuses on a recent study from the journal Pediatrics, which found that women who ate more dietary fiber during adolescence and young adulthood had a lower risk of developing breast cancer. The story does a nice job of addressing the strengths and weaknesses of the study — as does a competing story we review... | mixture | breast cancer,Fiber,relative vs. absolute risk | There are a lot of foods you can eat to increase your dietary intake of fiber, and the story singles out fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. We’ll rate the story Not Applicable since most people are aware of the cost of the foods mentioned. However, we wish the story had discussed the fact that man... |
34889 | U.S. President Donald Trump was impeached with more votes than any other president in American history. | The South Pacific island nation of Samoa has lifted a six week-state of emergency after the infection rate from a measles outbreak that has swept the country started to come under control. | mixture | Politics | Samoa’s island population of just 200,000 has been gripped by the highly infectious disease that has killed 81 people, most of them babies and young children, and infected more than 5,600 people. The government said in a statement late on Saturday that the emergency orders, which included aggressive measures to contain... |
36346 | Noa Pothoven, 17, was euthanized at her request due to trauma resulting from rape and sexual abuse. | Was a Dutch Teenager Euthanized Because of Rape Trauma? | mixture | Disinformation, Fact Checks | In early June 2019, a number of English-speaking news organizations reported that a 17-year-old Dutch girl named Noa Pothove had been “euthanized” at her request, following years of unsuccessful treatment due to the trauma of rape and sexual abuse:Noa Pothoven: Raped girl, 17, dies by legal euthanasia in the Netherland... |
16013 | On Common Core education standards | Walker hasn't explicitly advocated the Common Core education standards, but his position has varied. During most of his first term, the governor showed tacit support. By mid-2013, he was hitting the pause button on further implementation of the standards. In mid-2014, Walker called for an outright repeal. But by Januar... | mixture | Children, Education, Government Regulation, State Budget, States, Wisconsin, Scott Walker, | "Abruptly and unmistakably, Gov. Scott Walker stated a position on what nationally had become a contentious issue among conservatives: the Common Core education standards. His one-sentence announcement on July 17, 2014 read: ""Today, I call on the members of the state Legislature to pass a bill in early January (2015) ... |
37722 | The U.S. Postal Service has advised people hoping to vote by mail to request the required envelopes by October 20 2020. | Did the United States Postal Service Urge Mail-In Voters to Request Envelopes by October 20th? | true | Fact Checks, Viral Content | Amid increasing concern over the United States Postal Service’s efficiency leading up to the 2020 U.S. elections, a CBS News host’s tweet warned voters seeking to take part by mail.“USPS says you should give mail in ballots at least 14 days round trip,” Tony Dokoupil wrote on July 26 2020. “No guarantees. So if you pla... |
1539 | As drug supplies run short, Egyptians turn to herbal remedies. | In an economic crisis that has led to a shortage of medicines, Egyptians are skipping trips to drug stores and instead turning to herbal remedies to treat every-day illnesses. | true | Health News | In the Cairo working class neighborhood of Basateen, dozens line up outside a decades-old herbal spice shop with pyramid-shaped stacks of jars on display, filled with everything from honey and ginger to camel’s hay. Apothecaries say there has been a roughly 70-80 percent increase in sales of their wares since a series ... |
2840 | South Africa slams Big Pharma in generic drugs row. | South Africa on Friday slammed global drug firms over a covert campaign against its planned overhaul of intellectual property laws to favor cheaper generic drugs, accusing pharmaceutical companies of a “satanic” plot to commit “genocide”. | true | Health News | It is not the first time drugmakers have clashed with Pretoria. A decade ago the industry was forced to climb down in a bruising battle with South Africa over AIDS drugs patents and access to generics. The latest fight reflects tension between an industry that wants to protect its intellectual property, even as it push... |
35178 | Photograph shows a weightlifter who suffered a prolapsed rectum during a powerlifting match. | This fact check is not safe for anywhere. | false | Fauxtography, Risqué Business | This email from the dawn of the millennium made its way to our inbox in 2003: This rather shocking photo was snapped in November 16th by a spectator at the collegiate power lifting championships at Pennsylvania State. The unfortunate competitor, who expressed a plea to remain anonymous, remembered to surgeons that he w... |
1846 | Fewer food choices don't help weight loss: study. | Reducing people’s options for junk foods helps them to cut back on the amount of calories they take in, but it doesn’t reduce their overall calorie load or help them lose weight, according to a U.S. study. | true | Health News | A pulled pork and a pulled chicken sandwich are displayed during a media food tour at Yankee Stadium in New York April 15, 2009. REUTERS/Eric Thayer “Limiting variety was helpful for reducing intake for that type of food group, but it appeared that compensation occurred in other parts of the diet,” said Hollie Raynor, ... |
35496 | During a demonstration against police brutality on June 1, 2020, a protester shot and wounded an officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. | What's true: A 29-year-old officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was shot and wounded on June 1, 2020, during a protest against police brutality. What's false: Although police officers arrested a 20-year-old man who they believed opened fire at the demonstration, the available evidence suggests he w... | mixture | Crime, George Floyd, George Floyd Protests | In June 2020, amid protests against racism and police brutality across the U.S., social media users circulated posts alleging a protester in Las Vegas shot and wounded a cop. Later, Snopes readers asked us to investigate if, or under what circumstances, the claim was true. Here’s an example of the claim: First, we sea... |
35357 | Individual U.S. states would be legally authorized to impose criminal penalties on individuals who refused to undergo a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination. | It’s clear that the doctrine of state police power, as set out in the Jacobson case and subsequent federal court decisions, means individual states could, in principle, introduce a constitutionally sound mandatory COVID-19 vaccination program, and states could impose criminal penalties for those who, without a recogniz... | true | Legal Affairs, COVID-19, Editor's Picks | In the summer of 2020, readers asked Snopes to examine the accuracy of claims that, if and when a COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine emerges, individual states could, in principle, be authorized to fine or even jail those who refused to take it. The inquiries stemmed from an Aug. 7, 2020, article published by KGTV in San Die... |
10563 | Hormones may be better than soy for hot flashes | One of the only suggestions we would make is that the story could have quantified potential harms. It didn’t quantify harms of estrogen (about which there is a great deal of evidence) nor of soy (for which there is a scant evidence base). However, the article does an acceptable job of acknowledging risks reported elsew... | true | Reuters Health,women's health | We were pleased to see that the story included cost estimates of both soy supplements and of hormone replacement therapy pills. The story explained that “women who took hormones had an average of 24 fewer hot flashes per month, while those who took soy had 12 per month.” Adequate job reminding readers of the risks repo... |
2414 | Charity sporting events offer incentives to get fit. | Along with the usual reasons for losing weight, like fitting into a bikini and improving health, fitness experts say raising money for a good cause is another incentive for people to get in shape. | true | Health News | Entering a charity run in memory of a loved one or a bicycle ride for a worthy cause has pushed many couch potatoes from their sedentary lifestyle on to the path of fitness. Kelly Flynn, running coach for Team In Training, a charity sports endurance program from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, has been teaching novice... |
8762 | Statins fight stroke in older people too. | Older people who have had a stroke or mini-stroke benefit from cholesterol-lowering statin drugs just as much as younger people do, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. | true | Health News | “Even though the majority of strokes and heart attacks occur in people who are 65 and older, studies have found that cholesterol-lowering drugs are not prescribed as often for older people as they are for younger people,” Dr. Seemant Chaturvedi of Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, said in a statement. “These... |
13651 | Seventy percent of all Texans are overweight or obese. | Harrell said 70 percent of all Texans are overweight or obese. Clarification’s needed here because 2014 survey results indicate that 68 percent of Texas adults (not all Texans) had BMIs suggesting they were overweight or obese. Adding in children drives down the percentage. | true | Children, Health Care, Public Health, Texas, Baker Harrell, | "Something to weigh in advance of your next pile of nachos: ""Seventy percent of all Texans are overweight or obese,"" the leader of a pro-health nonprofit said. Baker Harrell, chief executive officer of Austin-based It’s Time Texas, which says it focuses on preventing chronic disease, made the claim in an interview po... |
7597 | White House recommends tests for all nursing home residents. | With deaths mounting at the nation’s nursing homes, the White House strongly recommended to governors Monday that all residents and staff at such facilities be tested for the coronavirus in the next two weeks. | true | AP Top News, Understanding the Outbreak, Health, General News, Lifestyle, Nursing homes, Virus Outbreak, Michael Pence, U.S. News | Why the government is not ordering testing at the nation’s more than 15,000 nursing homes was unclear. Nor was it clear why it is being recommended now, more than two months after the nation’s first major outbreak at a nursing home outside of Seattle that eventually killed 45 people. Vice President Mike Pence, who lead... |
13575 | The Dallas Cowboys can’t put a sticker on their helmets for the 5 police officers who were killed. | "In a tweet, Woods said the ""Dallas Cowboys can’t put a sticker on their helmets for the 5 police officers who were killed."" NFL rules give the league control over decals on helmets which must relate to team or league ""events or personages."" This limit likely explains the league’s disapproval of the decals honoring... | true | Sports, Texas, James Woods, | "After San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick didn’t stand during the playing of the national anthem before a game, actor James Woods chided the NFL over a decal that hasn’t been approved for Dallas Cowboys helmets. On Aug. 27, 2016, Woods tweeted: ""Kaepernick doesn’t stand for the national anthem, Rams play... |
11271 | Onion Cream Treats New Stretch Marks | "Beauty products companies have long used dermatologists to give a sheen of scientific credibility to their cosmetics products–a tradition whose troubling implications have been amply explored by major media outlets in the past. (See here and here for examples). Given this checkered history, we think journalists bear a... | mixture | "The story notes that a 5.29-ounce tube of the product retails for $39.99 at drugstores. Women reported that the treated stretch mark ""looked better, was less red, and was softer and smoother,"" according to the story, but no statistics are provided. There is no way for the reader to judge the frequency or magnitude o... | |
33746 | "Two armed ""illegal aliens"" perpetrating a home invasion were killed by an 11-year-old girl with a shotgun." | The second alleged intruder, identified by police as a 22-year-old man, was arrested shortly after the incident on suspicion of burglary, police said. | false | Politics | A story about two armed “illegal aliens” killed during an attempted home invasion by an 11-year-old shotgun-wielding girl was posted to LibertyPost.org on 25 April 2007: Two illegal aliens, Ralphel Resindez 23 and Enrico Garza 26, probably believed they would easily overpower a home alone 11 year old Patricia Harring... |
1788 | 'Dolphin Tale' hero's new home tangled in aquarium politics. | The family-friendly hit “Dolphin Tale,” whose sequel opened in theaters this weekend, tells the true story of a dolphin who learns to swim without a tail. The movie ends with Winter, the tail-less dolphin, helping save the struggling Florida aquarium that rescued her. In real-life, the story has not yet wrapped up so n... | true | Environment | Even Hollywood fame could not provide Winter a pass on aquarium politics at a time when live marine animal exhibitions are facing intense public scrutiny. An ambitious proposal to build Winter a new waterfront home was scaled back recently amid concern about expenses and the potential for staged performances like those... |
33492 | An inattentive janitor caused several deaths in a hospital when he disconnected patients' life support systems to plug in a floor polisher. | Sightings: This legend figures in an episode of the British police drama A Touch of Frost (“Benefit of the Doubt,” original air date 15 January 2001). | false | Horrors, freakish fatalities | The 1990s saw the spread of a shocking account of tragic, accidental deaths in the very place where people are supposed to recover from their illnesses — a hospital: [Collected on the Internet, 1996] “For several months, our nurses have been baffled to find a dead patient in the same bed every Friday morning,” a spok... |
13656 | "Paul Manafort Says there was a ""NATO base in Turkey being under attack by terrorists." | "Manafort said there was a ""NATO base in Turkey being under attack by terrorists"" the week Trump made his comments about ""Second Amendment people."" Russian media speculated that there was a second attempted coup at Incirlik air base in Turkey. That incident was exaggerated and occurred two weeks before Trump’s comm... | false | National, Foreign Policy, Terrorism, Paul Manafort, | "Donald Trump’s comments about ""Second Amendment people"" doing something to stop Hillary Clinton continued to dog his campaign in interviews on the Sunday news shows. But when CNN State of the Union host Jake Tapper brought up Trump’s seeming inability to stay on message, Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort insiste... |
24594 | "AARP is ""endorsing"" the health care reform bill." | Obama goes too far when he says health reform bills have AARP endorsement | false | National, Health Care, Barack Obama, | "With polls showing seniors are the most skeptical about the health care reform bills working their way through Congress, President Barack Obama sought to ease some of their concerns during a town hall meeting with a little high-powered name-dropping. The name: AARP. Several times at the town hall in Portsmouth, N.H., ... |
28146 | "In May 2017, Pinnacle Foods announced the ""largest recall in recent times"" of several Aunt Jemima products due to possible Listeria contamination." | "What's true: Pinnacle Foods recalled several products, including Aunt Jemima pancakes and waffles, over Listeria concerns. What's false: It was not the ""largest recall in recent times.""" | true | Food, Aunt Jemima, food recall, listeria | On 23 June 2017, Trucks USA reported that Pinnacle Foods had recalled some frozen pancakes, waffles and French toast due to concerns over potential Listeria contamination. The terrifying headline reads: “ALERT: Largest RECALL in Recent Times ANNOUNCED – EVERYONE Has This in Their Freezer and it can KILL YOU”, but the t... |
34712 | "American president George Bush asked Brazilian president Fernando Cardoso if ""Brazil has blacks, too." | Bird flu has been detected in turkeys in eastern Poland, authorities said on Wednesday, and local media reported that the outbreak could require up to 40,000 birds to be slaughtered. | unproven | Politics Politicians, brazil, george w bush | Poland, Europe’s largest poultry producer according to data from Eurostat, has not had an outbreak of bird flu since 2017. Andrzej Danielak, president of Polish Association of Breeders and Poultry Producers, said that three farms might be affected, with up to 350,000 birds at risk in a three kilometer radius. “Veterina... |
6166 | Bird flu cases revive fear of repeat of major 2015 outbreak. | The detection of a highly pathogenic strain of bird flu at a Tennessee chicken farm has poultry farmers stepping up security in an attempt to prevent an outbreak like the one in 2015 that required the destruction of millions of chickens and turkeys in the Midwest. The appearance of milder forms of bird flu at a Wiscons... | true | North America, Wisconsin, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Health, Flu, Business, Tennessee, Bird flu, Agriculture, U.S. News | Here are some things to know about the state of avian influenza in the U.S. and worldwide, and how the poultry industry has tried to prepare for a recurrence: THE THREAT The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Sunday that a highly pathogenic form of bird flu was confirmed Saturday in a flock of 73,500 breeding bro... |
26407 | Chris Larson Says the April 22 jump in COVID-19 cases was related to the election. | This election-related post clearly attributed the large April 22 increase to voting But the jump in new Wisconsin cases was actually due in large part to an outbreak at Brown County meatpacking plants. We don’t yet know what impact the election had on April 22 or any other day’s cases, but at the time of this claim t... | false | Elections, Health Care, Public Health, Wisconsin, Coronavirus, Chris Larson, | "Politicians and armchair epidemiologists alike can’t seem to help themselves from making political hay from Wisconsin’s coronavirus trends. And many are struggling to use the data accurately. An April 17, 2020, article widely shared on Facebook claimed the in-person election had caused a ""surge"" in new cases. Four d... |
31889 | Coiled mattresses cause cancer by amplifying radio waves. | You may want to lose sleep over a doctor misrepresenting health risks to millions of followers, but you certainly shouldn’t lose any sleep over the radiation-amplifying coils in your unpowered mattress. | false | Medical, joseph mercola | A July 2010 guest post on a Scientific American blog incorrectly reported the results of a Swedish study that, in turn, made the largely speculative hypothesis that some forms of cancer are more frequent on the left side of the body because the right side (which is most people’s preference for a side to sleep on) gets ... |
3634 | Peoria-area woman being treated after bitten by rabid bat. | A central Illinois woman is being treated for rabies exposure after being bitten by a rabid bat. | true | Rabies, Health, Peoria, Illinois, Bats, Pekin, Dogs | The Tazewell County Health Department confirmed the rabid bat bite this week. The Journal Star reports it was the second rabid bat bite reported in the Peoria area this fall. Late in September a rabid bat bit a dog in Chillicothe. The dog was quarantined and given another round of rabies shots. The Illinois Department ... |
11241 | Major Cancer Breakthrough?: New Drug Potential “Holy Grail” For Treatment | Worst of the three network TV segments we reviewed on this same PARP inhibitor study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. No evidence. No data on benefits. No discussion of potential harms. No experts interviewed. No discussion of the problems with drawing conclusions from small, early Phase 1 studies that... | false | "No discussion of costs. None. No discussion of potential harms – which – as reported in the NEJM article, are worth discussing. No details on the evidence – only that it was ""incredibly effective."" No discussion of the limitations of drawing conclusions from small early phase 1 trials that are not primarily designed... | |
41800 | When during the campaign, I would say 'Mexico is going to pay for it.' Obviously, I never said this, and I never meant they’re gonna write out a check. | President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise that Mexico would pay for a border wall, now misleadingly claims he never meant that Mexico would “write out a check” to pay for it. His campaign at least twice laid out specific methods of direct payment. | mixture | border fence, border wall, Mexico, remittances, United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, | President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise that Mexico would pay for a border wall, now misleadingly claims he never meant that Mexico would “write out a check” to pay for it. His campaign at least twice laid out specific methods of direct payment.In March 2016, the campaign threatened to halt remittance payme... |
208 | J&J liable for $572 million in Oklahoma opioid epidemic trial; shares rise. | An Oklahoma judge on Monday ordered Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) to pay $572.1 million to the state for its part in fueling an opioid epidemic by deceptively marketing addictive painkillers, a sum that was substantially less than investors had expected, driving up J&J’s shares. | true | Health News | The state’s attorney general had filed the lawsuit, seeking $17 billion to address the impact of the drug crisis on Oklahoma. It had been considered a bellwether for other litigation nationwide over the opioid epidemic. “The expectation was this was going to be a $1.5 billion to $2 billion fine,” said Jared Holz, healt... |
34375 | A 31-year-old British woman died of ‘cannabis poisoning’ in October 2013. | The fact of the matter is that unexplained, sudden deaths occasionally strike down healthy individuals. The absence of a clear explanation for a death should not compel acceptance of a scientifically implausible one, however. In our view, death from direct cannabis toxicity is unlikely, as this event is generally viewe... | unproven | Medical, daily mail, marijuana | On 30 January 2014, the British tabloid Daily Mail published an article with the following liberally capitalized and attention-grabbing headline: Devout Christian Mother-of-Three, 31, Becomes First Woman in Britain to DIE from Cannabis Poisoning After Smoking a Joint in Bed to Help Her Sleep. Based on the testimony of ... |
3968 | New pig inspection rules announced for Iowa State Fair. | Officials have announced new inspection rules for pigs that will be shown at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. | true | Des Moines, Health, General News, Animal health, Iowa, State fairs, Agriculture | An Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship news release said Friday that the additional exhibition requirements are designed to promote biosecurity and animal health as African swine fever continues to spread across China and other parts of Asia and Europe. All pigs must be individually inspected and identifi... |
9286 | Pilot clinical trial finds injected immune cells safe in multiple myeloma patients | This is a report of a phase I clinical trial testing whether specific immune cells harvested from the bone marrow, grown in the lab and then re-infused into multiple myeloma patients can effectively change the immune environment in the patient and suggest a possibly improved disease outcome. It looks at using a differe... | true | adoptive T cell therapy,immunotherapy,Johns Hopkins,multiple myeloma | The release, while loaded with information about the research, fails to mention costs related to this new approach at any point. This is in spite of the fact that the paper provides what’s necessary to fulfill this criterion. The study authors wrote: “The easy access to the tumor site, the absence of the need for surgi... |
9754 | Lasering your lady parts? New technology helps women revitalize sex life after menopause | The article anecdotally describes the wondrous benefits of a fractional carbon dioxide laser marketed as MonaLisa Touch designed to decrease vaginal dryness and tissue shrinkage in women given certain drugs for the treatment of breast cancer, and presumably other women who are perimenopausal. For whatever reason, FoxN... | false | painful intercourse,vaginal atrophy,vaginal dryness | The article states the procedure can cost up to $3,000. The initial treatment covers three therapy sessions with a followup treatment to be completed each year. The article clearly states that the procedure is not covered by insurance. The article describes an 85 to 90 percent improvement following the therapy (increas... |
17850 | "Nobody's addicted to"" marijuana." | "Orlando attorney John Morgan said that ""nobody’s addicted to"" marijuana. Morgan quickly admitted that he was wrong, and experts agreed." | false | Drugs, Florida, Marijuana, John Morgan, | "High-profile Orlando attorney John Morgan is leading an effort in Florida to legalize medical marijuana, arguing that the drug is safer and cheaper than other painkillers. As a recent guest on Bay News 9’s Political Connections, Morgan also discussed whether marijuana is addictive. ""Nobody's addicted to it,"" Morgan ... |
13043 | "Fifty percent of workers ages 55 to 64 have ""zero"" money ""in the bank as they enter retirement." | Several U.S. states that have been ravaged by the opioid epidemic are pushing back on a proposed $48 billion settlement framework that would resolve thousands of lawsuits against five drug companies accused of fueling the addiction crisis. | mixture | Economy, Retirement, Workers, Wisconsin, Bernie Sanders, | The proposal would bring an end to all opioid litigation against AmerisourceBergen Corp(ABC.N), Cardinal Health Inc(CAH.N) and McKesson Corp(MCK.N), drugmaker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Inc(TEVA.TA)(TEVA.N), and Johnson & JohnsonJNJ.J. The companies have proposed paying $22.25 billion cash mostly over 18 years, whi... |
37515 | Yelp and GoFundMe Created automated online fundraisers for various restaurants without notifiying their owners. | Did Yelp and GoFundMe Create COVID-19 Fundraisers for Restaurants Without Telling Them? | true | Fact Checks, Viral Content | A push from business owners forced two tech companies to modify an unprompted response to the COVID-19 pandemic.Andy McMillan, owner of a bar in Portland, Oregon — where bars and restaurants were ordered to close down as part of efforts to slow the spread of the disease — drew attention to the surprise effort between t... |
37076 | Rumors that retail giant Costco Wholesale has told all stores to remove copies of “America: Imagine the World Without Her” by Dinesh D’Souza. | Deaths related to measles, mostly among small children, have more than tripled to 20 in the past week on the Pacific island of Samoa, the government has said eight days after declaring a state of emergency over the outbreak. | true | Miscellaneous, Politics | The island state of just 200,000, located south of the equator and half way between Hawaii and New Zealand, declared a measles epidemic late in October after the first deaths. The government has identified 1,644 suspected cases of measles, more than doubling over the past week, with deaths rising to 20 from six, it sai... |
8114 | Myanmar reports first cases of coronavirus. | Myanmar reported its first confirmed cases of coronavirus in two men who had recently traveled to the United States and the United Kingdom. | true | Health News | The Southeast Asian nation had been the most populous country in the world to say it had no cases, despite sharing a long and porous border with China, where the virus originated in the city of Wuhan. The health ministry said a 36-year-old traveling from the United States and 26-year-old returning from Britain, both My... |
7396 | Multi-gene test may find risk for heart disease and more. | You know your cholesterol, your blood pressure ... your heart gene score? Researchers say a new way of analyzing genetic test data may one day help identify people at high risk of a youthful heart attack in time to help. | true | Heart disease, AP Top News, Genetics, Health, Genetic Frontiers, Cholesterol, Heart attack, U.S. News | Today, gene testing mostly focuses on rare mutations in one or a few genes, like those that cause cystic fibrosis or sickle cell disease, or the BRCA gene responsible for a small fraction of breast cancer. It is less useful for some of the most common diseases, such as heart disease or diabetes, because they are influe... |
18604 | While the sequester is in effect, the federal government is still funding a study on duck penises. | Folks in the twitterverse said the federal government is cutting services, furloughing employees and cancelling White House tours, but it still has the money to pay for a study examining duck penises. The study is real, and it does indeed explore the unique sexual behaviors and physical characteristics of ducks. It was... | true | National, Animals, Corrections and Updates, Federal Budget, Science, Sexuality, Tweets, | "Sequestration is serious business. Jobs are on the line. Day care for poor kids is under the ax. Yet even in this budget climate, your federal government still has the money to pay for -- please disregard our blushing -- a study examining duck penises. You read that right: duck penises. This waterfowl kerfuffle erupte... |
36669 | FBI special agent David Raynor was murdered with his own service weapon days before he was scheduled to testify against Hillary Clinton. | Was FBI Special Agent David Raynor Murdered Before Clinton Testimony? | false | Clintons, Disinformation, Fact Checks, Politics, Viral Content | The mysterious deaths of people embroiled in (or at least adjacent to) political controversy is a favorite topic of the conspiracy theory set, and the case of Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent David Raynor, who died in March 2018 in what law enforcement found to be a murder-suicide, is no exception.The conc... |
34497 | Diets tailored to one’s specific blood type are capable of reducing myriad ailments, improving digestion, enabling weight loss, and providing increased energy. | D’Adamo is certainly prolific, both in his numerous blogs and in his library of best selling books. Lost within that sea of complex jargon, speculative observations, and anecdotal tales, however, is the fact that there is no widely accepted or peer-reviewed evidence that modifying one’s diet to match blood type has any... | unproven | Medical, blood type, blood type diet, diets | In 1996, naturopathic doctor Peter D’Adamo published the book Eat Right For Your Type, which presented the hypothesis that diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes tailored to one’s blood type are an effective tool for weight loss, increased energy, and the reduction of myriad other ailments. This has popularly become kno... |
32852 | The FDA classified walnuts as drugs. | Prior dubious items from RealFarmacy included claims that science disproved a link between sun exposure and skin cancer, and another baselessly accusing unspecified pro-GMO bioterrorists of sabotaging Chipotle’s product supply with foodborne pathogens. | false | Uncategorized, alternative health, FDA, fda warning letters | Sometimes, the circulation of misinformation revives interest in separate, similar, but still inaccurate claims. This appeared to be the case with a March 2016 internet rumor alleging that the Food and Drug Administration classified walnuts as drugs. In February and March 2016, the FDA was already the subject of rumors... |
27251 | Warrick Dunn started a charitable program to house single-parent families in honor of his mother, a police officer who was killed when he was a teenager. | “I think overall they (Nike) understand the issues. A lot of their star athlete spokesmen are African American. They have a lot of that demographic, so I think it’s important they really go after the issues and not necessarily things that are financial.” | true | Politics, colin kaepernick | Warrick Dunnm who played 12 seasons in the NFL as a running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons, has been supporting single-parent families since his 1997 rookie season, when he started the Homes for the Holidays program to provide economically-disadvantaged single parents and their children with comp... |
4682 | Officials warn after worker with hepatitis A handled food. | Southern Indiana health officials are warning customers who ate last month at a Bedford fast-food restaurant to get vaccinated for hepatitis A because an infected worker handled food while sick for several days. | true | Health, Bedford, Hepatitis, Indiana | The Lawrence County Health Department said Tuesday the infected Burger King employee worked from May 15-19, and from May 22-24. Patrons who consumed food or drink at the eatery between May 22-24 were urged to get vaccinated by Thursday. Anyone who ate there during the two periods when that employee was working is advis... |
33818 | McDonald's beverages contain yucky non-food substances. | Despite long-held rumors, McDonald's desserts do not substitute primary ingredients such as milk and fruit. | false | Automobiles, contaminated food, mcdonald's, mcdonald's hoaxes | The world of rumor is rife with tales about noxious or out-of-place substances secreted in products to save a company a few pennies on each serving. All large corporations are by their very nature suspect simply due to their size, and this holds even more true in the fast food industry. The public harbors a deep mistru... |
11953 | To be clear, all my investments are in a trust that I don’t control. | "Rauner said, ""To be clear, all my investments are in a trust that I don’t control."" He was not being clear when he said his investments were held in trust. A quirk in Illinois ethics law means candidates can’t establish blind trusts like those used by federal officials, so Rauner’s investments are handled through a ... | mixture | Ethics, Transparency, Illinois, Bruce Rauner, | "A lawsuit filed Oct. 5 against Gov. Bruce Rauner by a former business associate has piqued the interest of those who follow Illinois politics. But the substance of the suit remains unknown because, in a highly unusual move, the complaint and three exhibits in the case filed in Cook County Circuit Court are sealed. The... |
16113 | Unlike marijuana, medical cannabis oil cannot get you high. | Weeding out the different effects of cannabis oil and marijuana | true | Georgia, Health Care, States, Marijuana, Allen Peake, | "State lawmakers have a month before they get back to work in the 2015 legislative session and already the debate over medical marijuana has gotten into the, ahem, weeds. State Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon serves as co-chair of a joint legislative committee that has studied whether and how to legalize the drug for certain... |
37621 | "Former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg appeared in Jeffrey Epstein's ""little black book." | ‘Mods are Asleep, Post Mike Bloomberg in Epstein’s Black Book’ | true | Fact Checks, Politics | On February 11 2020, a tweet (also shared to Facebook) invoked the “mods are asleep” meme in a broader post about former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s purported appearance in the late Jeffrey Epstein’s “little black book”:Mods are asleep post Mike Bloomberg in Epstein’s black book pic.twitter.com/Ji8y5XfyW3— Fil... |
10159 | Breast cancer study: Fruits, veggies not the answer | This is a story presenting the results of a newly published study that found that additional fruit and vegetable consumption did not affect breast cancer recurrence or mortality rates. The finding that there was no benefit observed from higher intakes of fruits and vegetables may be counterintuitive to some people but ... | true | There was no discussion about the costs associated with including fruits and vegetables in the diet, although it’s reasonable to assume that the reader could figure out the costs. The story not only provided the information that the two groups did not differ in terms of rates for breast cancer recurrence or death, but ... | |
2117 | Film captures mood swings of bipolar disorder. | After spending two weeks on a sun-drenched island off Jamaica with 12 Ukrainian beauties, British multi-millionaire Paul Downes went off the rails. | true | Health News | Instead of sticking to his original 250,000-pound ($365,000) scheme of picking his perfect wife from the glamorous candidates he had flown to the island, Downes, 50, found himself in the grip of a manic episode, proclaiming himself not only the creator of mankind but the creator of God. That definitely was not in the s... |
11193 | Healthy Diet May Help Kidney Disease Patients Live Longer | This is the perfect example of a news release that cries out for deeper explanation of the study it’s based on, but ends up being given short shrift by the journal publishing the research. The possibility that an overall healthy diet could lead to significantly better health outcomes for people suffering from chronic k... | mixture | Association/Society news release | The release could have explored two aspects of costs: the costs on a per-patient or per-month basis of treating chronic kidney disease and also the costs of eating healthy the way the people in this study did, but we suspect there is little data available on the latter. The news release does provide some numbers around... |
3521 | WPI gets $1.9M grant to help better detect prostate cancer. | Worcester Polytechnic Institute has received a five-year, nearly $1.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop a robotic system to detect and monitor prostate cancer. | true | Cancer, Health, General News, Robotics, Worcester, Prostate cancer | Grant recipient Haichong Zhang, a biomedical engineer at the school, says his surgical imaging robot will be safer and more accurate than current tests, including ultrasounds and biopsies. Zhang tells The Telegram & Gazette he wants to create a minimally invasive, easily accessible and cost-effective way to better dete... |
28645 | A bill introduced to the Tennessee General Assembly classifies children born from artificial insemination as illegitimate. | What's true: The bill does not actively classify children conceived through artificial insemination as “illegitimate” but it does seek to repeal a civil code that explicitly defines parental rights for both parents of such a child, regardless of biologic relation. What's undetermined: The motivation behind this bill an... | mixture | Politics Legal, in vitro fertilization, ivf, Tennessee | On 9 February 2017, state Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver introduced HB1406 to the Tennessee House of Representatives. This exceptionally concise bill repeals Section 68-3-306 of the Tennessee Code Annotated (the state law) and is summarized on the Tennessee General Assembly web site: As introduced, repeals statute that deems a... |
1904 | All in the family: Inbreeding key to bedbug spread. | Inbreeding may be the secret to the bedbug’s success, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday. | true | Health News | After nearly disappearing in the United States, the bloodsucking pests have made a comeback in recent years, quickly infesting apartment buildings and stubbornly resisting common insecticides. The city of New York alone spends as much as $40 million a year in bedbug control. A study of bedbug genetics presented on Tues... |
9161 | 150-year-old Drug May Provide ‘Off’ Time Relief for People with Advanced Parkinson’s Disease | No mention of the harms and costs of apomorphine in treating Parkinson’s disease symptoms are found in this American Academy of Neurology news release. The study followed 107 people with advanced Parkinson’s disease for 12 weeks after treating them with either apomorphine or placebo. The study measured the participants... | mixture | American Academy of Neurology,Parkinson's disease | According to GoodRx.com, 20 cartridges or 3 mL of apomorphine cost between $20,000 to $21,800 depending on the pharmacy. The exact dosage isn’t disclosed, but we know that the infusion was administered via a small portable pump for 14 to 18 hours each day for 12 weeks. Since costs are not discussed in this news release... |
10683 | Special CT scans cut lung cancer deaths in major study, but questions remain about screening | It’s clear that this story worked very hard to avoid hyping the results of the National Lung Screening Trial, which found that heavy smokers who were offered certain CT scans were less likely to die of lung cancer than those who were offered chest x-rays. It quickly puts the relative difference in death rates (20 perce... | true | Associated Press,Cancer,Screening | The story reports that these scans typically cost $300-400 and are not generally covered by insurance. The story would have been better if it had clearly pointed out that the potentially huge cost of such a screening program, because hundreds of smokers had to be scanned to extend one life in this trial and follow-up t... |
3549 | Parkland commission urges boost in mental health funding. | A commission investigating the Parkland school shooting is calling for improved mental health services, including more funding, to help schoolchildren deal with the stresses in their lives — a strategy the commission hopes will help prevent more violence from erupting at other Florida campuses. | true | Shootings, Mental health, Health, General News, Violence, Florida, School shootings, School safety, Parkland, Florida, school shooting, U.S. News | The commission released its second report to lawmakers Friday, 10 months after an initial report urged immediate improvements to school safety following killings of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last year. Lawmakers responded to the commission’s first set of recommendations by enacting a package of ... |
4235 | Cancer group finds biggest one-year drop in U.S. death rate. | Researchers on Wednesday reported the largest-ever one-year decline in the U.S. cancer death rate, a drop they credited to advances in lung-tumor treatments. | true | AP Top News, Cancer, Health, General News, Death rates, Lung cancer, U.S. News | The overall cancer death rate has been falling about 1.5% a year since 1991. It fell 2.2% from 2016 to 2017, according to the new American Cancer Society report. That’s the largest drop ever seen in national cancer statistics going back to 1930, said Rebecca Siegel, the lead author. “It’s absolutely driven by lung canc... |
1948 | Which is worse in pregnancy, snuff or cigarettes?. | Babies born to snuff-using mothers were more likely to have breathing problems than those whose mothers smoked while pregnant, according to a Swedish study. | true | Health News | "A woman and her dog walk along the beach in this file photo. REUTERS/Gil Cohen Magen Snuff — ground tobacco that is high in nicotine but doesn’t generate the same additional chemicals as cigarette smoke because it’s not burned — is generally assumed to be safer than cigarettes, said lead researcher Anna Gunnerbeck, fr... |
4208 | New abortion clinic being built in Illinois, near St. Louis. | Planned Parenthood has quietly been building a new abortion clinic in Illinois, just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, as women concerned about the uncertain future of Missouri’s sole abortion clinic flock across the state line. | true | Michael Brown, St. Louis, General News, Abortion, Mississippi River, Illinois, Health, U.S. News | The 18,000-square-foot (1,700-square-meter) clinic in Fairview Heights, 12 miles (19 kilometers) east of St. Louis, will provide abortion services as well as family planning when it opens in mid-October, Planned Parenthood officials said at a news conference Wednesday. “While health care access in Missouri continues to... |
11130 | Diabetes drugs may leave heart at greater risk | This is a story examining the outcomes of several large studies that have compared cardiovascular outcomes in individuals with type II diabetes who have more or less tightly controlled glucose levels. This story would have been improved by including some information graphics laying out impact of the two treatment appro... | true | "It’s odd that a story that addresses the lack of cardiovascular risk reduction from the drugs in question would fail to discuss the cost of the drugs. More broadly, what is the cost of tight glucose control and the ""frequent doses of pills or insulin, blood-sugar monitoring and doctor visits"" mentioned in the last p... | |
1141 | Aid workers rush to rescue African cyclone victims amid mounting death toll. | Rescue workers plucked more survivors to safety from trees and roofs on Thursday, a week after a cyclone ripped through southern Africa and triggered devastating floods that have killed hundreds of people and displaced hundreds of thousands. | true | Environment | Helicopters whirred above the turbid, red-brown flood waters searching for people to ferry back to the port city of Beira, headquarters of the huge rescue operation in Mozambique. The death toll in that country was now 242, Land and Environment Minister Celso Correia said, adding that the number of dead was rising as r... |
26507 | With voting by mail, “you get thousands and thousands of people sitting in somebody's living room, signing ballots all over the place.” | Voting specialists say there’s no evidence of “thousands and thousands” of people collaborating on fraudulent voting schemes, and Trump didn’t provide any evidence to back up his assertion. In general, credible studies have found that voter fraud is rare, whether through in-person voting or voting by mail. Rare doesn’t... | false | Elections, Voter ID Laws, Donald Trump, | "The daily White House briefings about coronavirus sometimes veer into adjacent topics, and since Wisconsin voted on April 7, one of those topics has been voting by mail. Despite late pleas by Wisconsin’s Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to make the election mail balloting only, the state’s Republican Legislature, backed by ... |
7446 | Study estimates 2.8% coronavirus infection rate for Indiana. | A statewide study estimates that at least 2.8% of Indiana’s population has been infected by the coronavirus, a rate about 10 times that shown by previous testing, Indiana University researchers said Wednesday. | true | Virus Outbreak, Health, General News, Indianapolis, Indiana, Public health | Indianapolis officials announced some city business restrictions will start being eased on Friday after similar limits being lifted last week around most other parts of the state. Those steps come as Indiana’s death toll from confirmed or probable COVID-19 illnesses has grown past 1,600 people. STATEWIDE STUDY The test... |
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