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33762 | The face of the CPR training mannequin was modeled after the deceased daughter of the doctor who invented it. | "Many CPR students have been taught to check if a patient is unconscious by gently shaking the doll and calling, ""Annie, are you OK?"" But was there once a real ""Annie""?" | false | Medical, Emergency Room | Because potentially fatal accidents often occur when trained medical help is elsewhere, members of the general public have taken it upon themselves to learn CPR, a life-saving technique that is a combination of rescue breathing, which provides oxygen to the victim’s lungs, and chest compressions, which keep oxygenated ... |
26717 | “The coronavirus was invented and patented in the USA and then planted in China.” | There is no evidence the coronavirus was “invented.” The best available information is that it originated with an animal in China and then infected humans. | false | China, Public Health, Facebook Fact-checks, Coronavirus, YouTube videos, | "Did someone invent and patent the coronavirus in the United States only to plant it in China? That’s what one YouTube video shared on Facebook claims in yet another bogus coronavirus conspiracy theory that attempts to conflate a real news story with misinformation: ""The coronavirus was invented and patented in the US... |
33495 | Steve Burns of TV's 'Blue's Clues' died of a heroin overdose. | Celebrity death hoax held that the host of the children's show 'Blue's Clues' passed away after a heroin overdose. | false | Entertainment, Broadcast Legends, celebrity death hoaxes, Radio & TV | Steve Burns, former host of Blue’s Clues, the popular television show for preschoolers broadcast on Nickelodeon, is exceedingly healthy and not the slightest bit dead. He’s neither been run over by a car nor done himself in by a heroin overdose, the two most popular paths this particular rumor has taken. (Another versi... |
11284 | Silent heart attacks: What you don’t know could kill you | British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc said on Friday its immunotherapy cancer treatment Imfinzi has been granted a speedy review by the U.S. medicines watchdog for the treatment of a particularly aggressive type of lung cancer. | false | The company said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted its supplemental application and granted priority review to Imfinzi for the treatment of previously untreated late-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The FDA decision is a boost for the treatment as it competes against similar medicines from rivals... | |
6048 | Man who threatened Trump family, media figures gets 5 years. | A Seattle-area man with a history of severe mental illness has been sentenced to five years in prison for making threats against President Donald Trump’s family, synagogues and media figures. | true | Mental health, Prisons, Health, Media, General News, Jared Kushner, Gun politics, Seattle, Brian Moran, Donald Trump | Chase Bliss Colasurdo was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty in May. He was arrested after posting a photo showing a gun pointed at a picture of Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law. He also made online threats to kill Donald Trump Jr. He bought ammunition but was blocked from purchasing a handgun because the ... |
27726 | Photograph shows a protester face-to-face with an NYPD officer. | It isn’t apparent from the photograph alone whether the young woman who is seemingly “standing fearlessly, pressed breasts-to-chest with a New York City police officer, passionately shouting in unchecked defiance as another officer looks on passively from a few paces away” is in fact screaming at the officer seen direc... | true | Politics, eric garner, NYPD, police shootings | In July 2014, Eric Garner was stopped by Daniel Pantaleo and several other NYPD officers on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes. After Garner protested that he was tired of being harassed and denied that he was selling cigarettes, several officers attempted to arrest him; Pantaleo took part in the efforts t... |
57 | France pledges debt relief for hospitals, unions call another strike. | France will absorb 10 billion euros ($11.1 billion) of public hospital debt, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Wednesday, in an emergency measure designed to end months of protests by disgruntled doctors and nurses. | true | Health News | Philippe also promised an extra 1.5 billion euros over three years for hospitals, including an 800 euro bonus for 40,000 nurses and carers earning less than 1,900 euros per month. “The hospital crisis is nothing new. But it has gone through one of its acutest phases in recent months,” said Philippe. “Healthcare workers... |
1973 | Michelle Obama urges Africa to advance women's rights. | First Lady Michelle Obama urged young Africans Wednesday to fight for women’s rights and battle the stigma of AIDS, using her husband’s “yes, we can” campaign slogan to motivate youth across the continent. | true | Health News | U.S. first lady Michelle Obama participates during breakout sessions at the Young African Youth Leaders Forum in Johannesburg, June 22, 2011. REUTERS/Charles Dharapak/Pool Obama is on her second solo trip abroad as first lady to promote issues such as education, health and wellness. But her speech to a group of young w... |
36513 | "Video shows an ""abortion doctor"" stating that he ""loves killing babies." | Climate change is harming human health as more people suffer from heat stress, extreme weather and mosquito-borne diseases including malaria, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. | mixture | Fact Checks, Viral Content | The U.N. agency, in a report issued a day after a climate summit began in Madrid, urged governments to meet ambitious targets to reduce heat-trapping carbon emissions saying it could save a million lives a year through lower air pollution alone. “Health is paying the price of the climate crisis. Why? Because our lungs,... |
9577 | Hospitals Try Giving Patients a Dose of VR | The story focuses on the potential use of virtual reality (VR) headsets as clinical tools for helping patients deal with pain by distracting them. The impetus for the story appears to be the fact that the field of VR technology is experiencing rapid growth, which is making VR equipment less expensive. While the story m... | true | pain,virtual reality | The story notes the cost of specific VR headsets (from $599 to $799) and says that users would also need to have a computer (costing approximately $999) to run the relevant software. Presumably, the games or other content for the VR systems would also cost money, which the story doesn’t address. The story also does not... |
26283 | Facebook post Says wearing face masks is more harmful to your health than going without one. | There’s no evidence that wearing standard masks, such as surgical masks or ones made of fabric, is harmful to the general public. Some people with preexisting respiratory conditions may be at risk with prolonged use of tight-fitting masks, like N95 respirators. Those masks aren’t recommended for the general public. | false | Public Health, Facebook Fact-checks, Coronavirus, Facebook posts, | "To mask or not to mask? That’s a question many people are asking themselves — and arguing about — these days. Federal health officials initially discouraged masks for the general public, only to revise their guidance later. To make matters more complicated, social media posts are claiming that wearing a mask can be mo... |
25672 | Donald Trump Says Joe Biden “abandoned Scranton.” | Biden’s family did move to Delaware when he was a kid. But Trump’s retelling is a distortion of Biden’s enduring relationship with his hometown. Throughout his time in Congress, Biden was often called the state’s “third senator.” Biden’s Scranton ties have even been satirized twice by Saturday Night Live. The North Ame... | false | National, Elections, Pennsylvania, Donald Trump, | "Hours before Joe Biden accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, President Donald Trump held a campaign rally just outside Biden’s childhood hometown and accused him of having ""abandoned"" the place. Biden was 10 when his family moved away from Scranton. Speaking to supporters gathered in Old Forge, Pa., Trump... |
41765 | The FBI said [former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn] wasn’t lying, as I understand it, and if the Mueller group said he was lying, and you know what he has gone through. | In his first extended interview since the completion of the special counsel probe, President Donald Trump repeated several false and misleading claims regarding the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. | false | Clinton emails, Russia investigation, | In his first extended interview since the completion of the special counsel probe, President Donald Trump repeated several false and misleading claims regarding the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.The FBI investigation began in late July 2016, and Robert S. Mueller III was appointed special... |
11067 | Pill could erase painful memories, study shows | This story reviews research that one day (years in the future) might have direct applicability to PTSD. But at this point, any benefits for PTSD are pure speculation. PTSD is an important problem for research. But news stories about tiny, short-term studies need to evaluate the evidence as much as they project what res... | false | MSNBC | We’re never told what the drug is, much less anything about cost, either. We’re only told “those who were given the cortisol-damping drug had a harder time recalling the more wrenching details. The higher the dose, the harder it was for them to remember.” We’re not told if that effect was seen in every one in the acti... |
8736 | Fast-food companies in China step up ‘contactless’ pickup, delivery as coronavirus rages. | With the coronavirus outbreak in China continuing to spread, McDonald’s Corp, Starbucks Corp and other fast-food companies are ramping up “contactless” pickup and delivery services to keep their workers and customers safe, the companies said. | true | Health News | McDonald’s has implemented contactless pickup and delivery of Big Macs, fries and other menu items across the China as the outbreak has unfolded. Customers order remotely – on mobile phones or by computers in store – and employees seal the meals in bags and put them in a special spot for pickup without human contact, M... |
36277 | Most people over the age of 40 cannot hear a 15000 Hz/15 kHz frequency. | Can Only People Under 40 Hear This Sound? | unproven | Fact Checks, Viral Content | In July 2019 a number of posts circulated Facebook, all of which linked to video of a 15000 Hz/15 kHz frequency sound that is purportedly only audible to people younger than 40.One iteration (archived here) accrued a large number of shares. Its original poster wrote:I need your help! 😳 Okay so I nabbed me a younger ma... |
29664 | "In the summer of 2019, based on advice from an advocate general, the European Court of Justice was set to require ""Jewish-made"" products to be labeled as such. " | The claim that the EU was about to require “Jewish-made” labels for food products was a gross misrepresentation of the facts, and we therefore issue a rating of “False.” | false | Politics | In late summer of 2019, several right-leaning U.S. websites reported, with a degree of outrage, that the European Union (EU) would soon be enforcing a rule whereby “Jewish-made” products would have to be labeled as such, following advice given by an EU judicial official. On Aug. 9, the Washington Free Beacon published ... |
5970 | Ivory Coast is latest to crack down on alcohol sachets. | Each morning at dawn, taxi driver Rene Kouame stops by his neighborhood bar in Abidjan for a potent pick-me-up: two plastic sachets of “Che Guevara,” a drink of spiced rum and a host of chemicals that costs 100 CFA francs, or about 15 U.S. cents. | true | Che Guevara, International News, Abidjan, Africa, Health, Ivory Coast | With an alcohol by volume figure of 43 percent, the 2-ounce sachets are about as intoxicating as a typical 16-ounce beer, but consumers say that’s just one of their virtues. Kouame claimed they give him a jolt of energy other drinks can’t match — just what he needs to face a long day of hectic traffic, run-ins with pol... |
18316 | "A bag of Cheetos costs less to buy than an apple,"" and in some Milwaukee neighborhoods ""good luck trying to find an apple or a banana or some sort of healthy option" | "Tate, the Democratic Party official, decried the lack of healthy and affordable food options in some Milwaukee neighborhoods. ""A bag of Cheetos costs less to buy than an apple,"" Tate said, and ""good luck trying to find an apple or a banana or some sort of healthy option"" at stores there. He’s mostly right on the p... | true | Public Health, Welfare, Wisconsin, Mike Tate, | "On a recent radio talk show, Wisconsin Democratic Party chairman Mike Tate gently criticized a widely discussed Republican bill mandating that food stamp recipients buy mostly healthy foods from a state-approved list. In doing so, Tate framed the debate around a certain orange-colored, cheese-flavored snack and a frui... |
5646 | Suspected norovirus outbreak closes 46 Colorado schools. | Thousands of students in Colorado were out of school Thursday because of a suspected outbreak of norovirus. | true | Colorado, Grand Junction, Health, General News, U.S. News | All 46 schools in the district serving Grand Junction and the surrounding area were closed and won’t reopen until after the Thanksgiving break so custodians can disinfect surfaces. Norovirus is a highly contagious bug that causes diarrhea, vomiting and other symptoms, and can spread quickly in public places. It’s most ... |
33772 | Albert Einstein switched places with his chauffeur for a speaking engagement, then fielded a question directed to the man the audience thought was him. | Sightings: Comedian Jerry Clower tells this yarn as “The Chauffeur and the Professor” on his 1970 album From Yazoo City, Mississippi Talkin’. | false | Humor, Jes’ Plain Jokes | One of the best-loved character types of our literature is the scamp, the affable ne’er-do-well who manages to get himself into any number of scrapes but who extricates himself at the moment of crisis by dint of his quick wit and natural aplomb. He’s adventurous and daring and cool under pressure, and we envy him his f... |
31844 | The American Dental Association said semen cuts plaque and tartar by 77%. | However, other studies suggest that the average human male’s ejaculation produces around 3-4 ml of semen, so at the low end of that range, 16 to 22 ejaculations would be needed per day to supply the recommended daily intake of zinc, and 1,111 ejaculations to obtain the recommended daily intake of calcium. | false | Medical, dental, home remedies, semen | The question posed above is not a claim we ever anticipated investigating, but we’ll start by noting we found no evidence that the American Dental Association (ADA) ever issued a statement regarding the effectiveness of semen as a cavity prevention tool, nor could we can determine any viable mechanism by which the tran... |
3687 | New York issues stricter rules on vaccine medical exemptions. | New York health officials have issued emergency regulations restricting medical exemptions from vaccination for children attending school or child care. | true | Health, Measles, New York, Child care, Andrew Cuomo | The increased scrutiny of medical exemptions was announced Friday and follows the elimination of religious exemptions. The new regulations aim to keep people from obtaining medical exemptions for non-medical reasons. The Department of Health says doctors who issue medical exemptions will now be required to complete a s... |
5707 | Lawsuits filed against closed psychiatric facility. | A former patient and former employees of a now-closed children’s psychiatric hospital in Montana have filed lawsuits against Tennessee-based Acadia Healthcare, which owned Acadia Montana in Butte. | true | Health, General News, Missoula, Montana, Butte, Lawsuits | Acadia Montana closed its 108-bed hospital in July, shortly after Oregon officials questioned its use of injected medications, such as antihistamines, to control the behavior of a 9-year-old foster child from Oregon. The former patient, Alexander Miller, 21, alleges negligence, assault and infliction of emotional distr... |
32988 | The pilot of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 reappeared in Taiwan two years after the plane disappeared. | As suggested by the misattributed and unrelated photographs, there was no truth to the claim that the pilot of missing MH370 was found alive and well in 2016. The report was purely a fabrication from World News Daily Report, a fake news sites that traffics in publishing sensational fiction. | false | Junk News, MH370, world news daily report | On 10 February 2016, the web site World News Daily Report published an article reporting that Ahmad Shah, the pilot of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (which disappeared without a trace on 8 March 2014), had been found alive in a Taipei, Taiwan, hospital: The pilot of the infamous flight MH370 of Malaysia Airlines that d... |
11242 | Panel nixes aspirin as cancer preventive | The story describes a new recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force advising that aspirin and other similar drugs not be taken for prevention of colon cancer in people at average risk. The story does appropriately describe the natural history or disease burden of colon cancer without obvious embellish... | false | The article doesn't mention costs of taking aspirin or other such drugs for colon cancer prevention, but most people know they are not costly. The story does not quantify any benefits. While it's stated that the benefits don't outweigh the risks, readers have no idea what the chance of benefit (or risks) actually are. ... | |
6955 | Utah denies EnergySolutions from accepting depleted uranium. | State regulators denied a Salt Lake City-based nuclear waste processing company an exemption to bury thousands of tons of depleted uranium munitions at its site. | true | Utah, Environment, Waste management, Salt Lake City, Nuclear waste | The Utah Waste Management and Radiation Control Board on Thursday voted unanimously to reject the military ordnance after EnergySolutions had petitioned the Department of Environmental Quality for an exemption to Utah’s provisional prohibition on burying the radioactive munitions. Agency staff and outside consultants c... |
9487 | Beyond The Nasty Needle: Trying To Make Vaccines More Comfy And Convenient | This story summarizes three different alternatives to the classic needle-and-syringe delivery method for vaccinations. The story does some things well; it discusses price and effectiveness for some of the options under research. But there were some holes in the story when it came to discussing the medical evidence–and ... | mixture | vaccines | The article provides information about the cost of both the flu vaccine patch and the jet-injector. The cost of giving flu vaccine by nasal spray isn’t provided. The quantification of benefits in this article is a mixed bag. The description of the Georgia Institute of Technology flu patch study does provide some inform... |
21710 | We jumped 11 places since beginning this year in terms of being job-friendly. | Gov. John Kasich touts Ohio's improvement in a CNBC business survey | true | Ohio, Economy, John Kasich, | """We're No. 23"" may not sound like a stirring claim, but Gov. John Kasich has been using one version of it to lead cheers for Ohio. ""We jumped 11 spaces since beginning this year in terms of being job-friendly,"" he said in an interview July 12, 2011, with former Fox News colleague Sean Hannity, crediting the improv... |
443 | Wildfire in Chilean port city of Valparaiso leaves 700 homeless. | More than 245 homes have been destroyed and 700 people left destitute after a forest fire tore through a low-income area of the Chilean seaside city of Valparaiso on Christmas Eve. | true | Environment | President Sebastian Pinera said on Thursday during a tour of the affected zone that there was evidence the fire had been started deliberately. “I deeply regret that what should have been a good night, a night of peace, should have been so profoundly altered by this tragedy,” he said. Valparaiso, known for its colorful ... |
7328 | German restaurant takes novel approach to keep cider flowing. | How does a traditional German restaurant comply with the untraditional demands of the coronavirus era? | true | International News, Frankfurt, General News, Lifestyle, Health, Business, Germany, Virus Outbreak, Europe, Restaurants | Thomas Metzmacher was faced with the prospect of having to shut down his Frankfurt restaurant specializing in a traditional tart hard cider due to German regulations prohibiting groups of people from gathering amid the coronavirus pandemic. So he came up with a novel solution. After toying with the idea of a delivery s... |
21789 | This governor has cut funding repeatedly for people who have AIDS, who need drugs to save their life. | Assemblyman Herb Conaway Jr. claims Gov. Chris Christie has repeatedly cut funding for AIDS patients | true | New Jersey, Health Care, State Budget, Herb Conaway Jr., | "Wearing pink shirts and holding up signs, people gathered outside the Statehouse in Trenton recently as Democratic legislators led a rally to increase women’s health care funding in the face of opposition from Gov. Chris Christie. When Assemblyman Herb Conaway Jr. (D-Burlington/Camden) addressed the crowd on June 20, ... |
37768 | "Image shows a ""1979 horoscope." | ‘1979 Horoscope, I Am F***ing Begging You to Read This’ | mixture | Fact Checks, Viral Content | Around June 30 2020, posts labeled “1979 horoscope i am fucking begging you to read this” began circulating on Facebook:Twitter:1979 horoscope i am fucking begging you to read this pic.twitter.com/ta2k3FbQvu— wendy (@friends3000) June 30, 2020And Reddit’s r/astrology (tagged “unverified”):1979 horoscope i am fucking be... |
5040 | 3 companies pay California $70 million for delaying drugs. | Three pharmaceutical companies collectively are agreeing to pay California nearly $70 million to settle allegations that they delayed drugs to keep prices high, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said Monday. | true | Health, Xavier Becerra, General News, California | The bulk of the money will come from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and its affiliates for paying to delay a generic narcolepsy drug, Provigil, from entering the market for nearly six years. Teva is paying $69 million, which Becerra says is the largest pay-for-delay settlement received by any state. Such agreement... |
30103 | Pigs don't sweat and are therefore more likely to harbor parasites or other toxins, making them unhealthy to eat. | Pork, like any other food, is subject to the risk of infection by parasites or bacteria, and could in theory contain heavy metals introduced by the environment in which the animal was raised. Sanitary farming conditions, proper feeding, and prudent food preparation, not sweat glands, are the means of reducing those ris... | false | Critter Country | Pork has a long history of being maligned as an unhealthy and unclean meat primarily due to beliefs expressed in ancient religious texts, while in the modern era some armchair scientists have attempted to provide scientific explanations for the same belief. In the latter category, several posts that have gained widespr... |
32608 | A new penile implant notifies spouses via cell phone alerts when their husbands are cheating on them. | The photograph included in the TMZ World News article does not show a “Commit-Tech” device; it’s an image of a small light sensor that is readily available on stock photography web sites: | false | Junk News, tmzworldnews | On 16 June 2016, the web site TMZ World News (not affiliated with the gossip site TMZ) published an article reporting that Microsoft and Apple had teamed up to create a new penile implant that notifies spouses via cell phone alerts when their husbands are cheating on them: Microsoft and Apple have joined forces to cut... |
8303 | German auto industry calls for incentives to boost green car demand. | Germany’s auto industry association VDA on Thursday joined a chorus of demands from auto industry executives and politicians calling for more incentives to revive demand for low emission vehicles in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. | true | Environment | Measures to curb the movement of people, imposed to contain the spread of the virus, have hit car sales hard, leading Germany’s Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) on Thursday to abandon its full year outlook and issue a profit warning. As Germany prepares to ease lockdown measures which will allow car dealerships to reopen, lobby ... |
9288 | New study finds that proton therapy has fewer side effects in esophageal cancer patients | Treatment room at the Maryland Proton Treatment Center. Proton therapy has been shown to be a significant improvement over other forms of radiation therapy for a select group of conditions including: intracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs); ocular tumors, including intraocular/uveal melanoma; and skull-based tu... | false | esophageal cancer,proton therapy,University of Maryland | The release mentions that UMD is currently building a proton beam center that will cost $200 million. However, there’s no information about the actual cost of treatment with proton therapy compared with other radiation treatment techniques. Proton therapy is significantly more expensive. The American Cancer Society not... |
8532 | South Korea reports recovered coronavirus patients testing positive again. | South Korean officials on Friday reported 91 patients thought cleared of the new coronavirus had tested positive again. | true | Health News | Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), told a briefing that the virus may have been “reactivated” rather than the patients being re-infected. South Korean health officials said it remains unclear what is behind the trend, with epidemiological investigations still unde... |
12572 | "In the federal government, ""there’s $16 billion in duplicate programs"" that can be cut." | "Ossoff said that in the federal government, ""there’s $16 billion in duplicate programs"" that can be cut. There are indeed $16 billion in cuts recommended by a credible study published by a nonpartisan arm of Congress, though not all are examples of duplication. The actual universe of cuts offered by GAO is even high... | true | Georgia, Federal Budget, Jon Ossoff, | "Jon Ossoff, the Democratic candidate making a strong run in a historically Republican House district, recently aired an ad in which he sought to burnish his credentials as an opponent of unnecessary government spending. Speaking directly to the camera, Ossoff, a former congressional aide, said in part, ""Both parties ... |
10024 | Sleep Fights Colds, Study Finds | This story suggests that a good night’s sleep might be important for fending off the common cold. It features some useful information about the study that’s the basis for the story and includes valuable comments from an independent expert. But it could have done some things better — particularly with the language it us... | mixture | NBC News | The story makes no mention of costs, but there is no obvious commercial product involvement here, so we’ll rate it Not Applicable. Although in theory there may be a cost to more sleep — people often give up sleep for work or other activities. The story cites as benefits the reduced risk of getting a cold among those w... |
6355 | Hepatitis A outbreak increases to 11 cases in Yakima County. | Health officials say a hepatitis A outbreak in Yakima County now involves 11 cases. | true | Health, General News, Washington, Hepatitis, Homelessness, Yakima | The Yakima Health District said Thursday that the cases involve people experiencing homelessness or those who use illicit drugs. The health district announced the outbreak Nov. 7, when five cases were confirmed in Yakima County. Since then, various local agencies have done outreach and vaccinated 74 people. The virus a... |
24370 | Most of the people that work in finance make $70,000, $80,000 a year. | NYC Mayor Bloomberg claims most people in finance earn $70,000-80,000 a year | mixture | National, Corporations, Michael Bloomberg, | "In a time of public anger over salaries and bonuses on Wall Street, it is a rare public figure who stands up for the financial sector. But New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- who, not coincidentally, is the founder of a financial news service -- did just that on Meet the Press on Jan. 3, 2010. Discussing what's happen... |
9957 | Doctors rethink new cholesterol treatments | CBS had a wonderful opportunity to put this important study into perspective. The segment failed to clearly and adequately communicate the results of the study and how to interpret those results. This study, while important, is certainly not definitive and should not have been portrayed as such. The approach taken is e... | false | "The lack of cost information is a huge oversight in this broadcast piece. Generic simvastain costs about $1/day; Zocor costs $5/day and Vytorin costs $3/day. The economic implications of the study are significant and are likely an important aspect of the interest in the study results by the financial markets. The segm... | |
2851 | Organic food and farm groups ask Obama to require GMO food labels. | Four U.S. lawmakers joined with more than 200 food companies, organic farming groups, health and environment organizations and other groups on Thursday to urge President Barack Obama to require manufacturers to label food products that contain genetically engineered ingredients. | true | Health News | The groups delivered a letter to the president dated January 16 reminding Obama of a campaign pledge the groups said he made in 2007 as he campaigned in Iowa to work to label so-called GMO foods. The issue is hotly contested, with more than 20 states considering laws to mandate labeling of foods made with gene-altered ... |
35717 | Bubba Watson composed a widely shared message that criticized Black Lives Matter and included various conservative talking points. | An environmental group launched legal action on Thursday seeking to ban commercial use of “super-toxic” rat poisons in California, citing data showing the products pose a grave threat to a dozen endangered species and other wildlife. | unproven | Politics | The Center for Biological Diversity notified state pesticide regulators of its intent to file suit for what the group calls a failure to adequately safeguard the San Joaquin kit fox and 11 other animals protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Harm to wildlife from highly toxic “rodenticides” is most pronounced... |
11361 | Insulin Study Could Lead to New Dosage Devices | "With its balanced coverage of an experimental system for managing blood glucose in type 1 diabetes, the Times demonstrates why it is often a cut above most other health media outlets. Of the three competing stories we looked at, the Times‘ was the only one to avoid the hyped-up term ""artificial pancreas"" in its head... | true | "Like its competitors, the Times did not discuss costs–an omission which perhaps is more acceptable in this story since it clearly indicated that this is not very close to being a marketable product. Nevertheless, we would have liked to have seen some mention of the financial impact. Many patients with type 1 diabetes ... | |
21365 | If we had been on 'Obamacare' and a bureaucrat was trying to tell me when I could get that CAT scan, that would have delayed my treatment. | Herman Cain said government bureaucrats will determine when you get a CAT scan once the new health care law begins | false | National, Health Care, Herman Cain, | "Herman Cain said at a Republican presidential candidates' debate last week that he would be dead if his cancer had occurred while ""Obamacare"" was in effect. Cain had made the statement previously, so Chris Wallace of Fox News asked him about it at the debate sponsored by Fox News and Google in Orlando, Fla. Wallace... |
11511 | Vitamin C May Reduce Harm to Infants’ Lungs Caused by Smoking During Pregnancy | The news release highlights a randomized, controlled study of 251 women who smoked during pregnancy with this research question: will vitamin C supplementation improve the pulmonary function tests of the infants? Unfortunately, the news release doesn’t make it clear that the study did not meet its primary endpoint. Rel... | false | Association/Society news release | Cost of vitamin C supplementation is not mentioned. Most people are aware that vitamin C is relatively inexpensive. According to Walmart, CVS, and Amazon, a 100-day supply of 500 mg vitamin C tablets costs roughly $5. From the release: “Infants whose mothers took 500 milligrams of Vitamin C (in addition to their prenat... |
9621 | Blood test could identify people who will respond to antidepressants | This story describes a British study published in the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology that identified two biomarkers of blood inflammation that predict the probability of a patient responding to common antidepressants. The King’s College London researchers suggest the findings may lead to a blood test ... | false | depression,mental health,screening tests | Costs were not included. If it’s not too soon to speculate that “this breakthrough could lead to depressed patients receiving personalized treatments that are more likely to relieve their symptoms,” then it’s not too soon to think about what that test might cost. The story talks about “breakthroughs” and “holy grails,”... |
5893 | Dawkins says he gave up football because of mental health. | Former Indiana and Arizona quarterback Brandon Dawkins says he gave up football because he needed to deal with his “deteriorating” mental health. | true | Arizona, Peyton Ramsey, Mental health, Brandon Dawkins, Health, College football, Tom Allen, Sports, Bloomington, Indiana, Football | Dawkins told Hoosiers coach Tom Allen on Sunday he was leaving the program after enrolling in school this summer as a graduate transfer from Arizona. He lost the starting job to Peyton Ramsey. Dawkins had not provided a public explanation until writing a post Wednesday night on Instagram. In it he explained he needed a... |
37794 | Testing of a vaccine against COVID-19 caused 61 out of 63 female subjects to become infertile. | Did ’61 out of 63 Females’ Become Infertile After Receiving a Vaccine Against COVID-19? | false | Disinformation, Fact Checks | A graphic spreading online in June 2020 acted as a nesting doll for a spate of disinformation linking conspiracy theories about both COVID-19 and tech mogul Bill Gates.The graphic claims that “61 out of 63 females GlaxoSmithKline tested became infertile after receiving the Coronavirus vaccine.”Another post pushing the ... |
26892 | “When using a medical mask you’re supposed to use… white side out (this is the filter part) for when you’re not sick.” | Global health agencies and medical mask producers agree that the colored side of the mask should always be worn on the outside. | false | Facebook Fact-checks, Coronavirus, Facebook posts, | "Don’t take your medical advice from Facebook. It could leave you with the wrong instructions for wearing a medical mask. A Facebook post claimed that a doctor’s office had received the ""proper directions"" from a mask manufacturer on how to wear medical masks. The post includes two pictures of how to wear the medical... |
10180 | New Device Reduces Seizures, No Surgery Required | Electrical stimulation of the nerves for various therapeutic benefits is nothing new. There is a solid body of research showing that it can work for a range of disorders and there are many FDA-approved devices on the market. Here, though, NPR presented two sources — a patient and the doctor who invented a new device — ... | false | Devices,NPR | The story makes no mention of costs. There are similar devices in use, including one for epilepsy that is mentioned in the online story. Cost information should have been provided, at a minimum, for one of those devices. There is one attempt to quantify the benefits in the story. It says, “A study of 50 people with dru... |
25540 | When I was mayor of New York City, I encouraged adoptions. Adoptions went up 65-70 percent. Abortions went down 16 percent. | That's one way to slice the numbers. There are others. | mixture | Abortion, National, Rudy Giuliani, | "In early August, 2007, Rudy Giuliani announced he was making ""12 Commitments to the American People,"" including a pledge to ""increase adoptions, decrease abortions and protect the quality of life for our children."" It's a point he has made before. During the May 3, 2007, Republican debate, he said this: ""When I w... |
29812 | "U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris said, ""If elected [president] and you don't surrender your guns, I will sign an executive order and the police will show up at your door." | In summary, Harris did say she would take executive action on gun control if Congress failed to act within 100 days of her taking office as president. Her proposed executive order would include gun-control measures such as implementing universal background checks and renewing the ban on assault weapons. But the viral q... | false | Politics | On 22 April 2019, a quote ostensibly uttered by Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris concerning an alleged plan to forcibly confiscate guns via an executive order started to circulate on social media: This is not a genuine quote from Harris. The quote — “If elected & you don’t surrender your guns,... |
9076 | Creative Medical Technology Holdings Announces Commercialization of patented Stem Cell Procedure for Erectile Dysfunction | This news release describes a study that used stem cells in an attempt to treat men with erectile dysfunction (ED). The study followed 20 patients, but that is the only bit of numerical information that readers are given. The news release did not provide any actual results from the study, despite heralding it as a succ... | false | Creative Medical Technology Holdings,erectile dysfunction,stem cells | The news release does not mention anything about the cost of the CaverStem procedure. A look on the company’s website FAQ section shows only that it is not covered by insurance, but there is still no mention of actual cost. Given that the piece claims commercialization is imminent, information about the cost of a proce... |
14082 | "We're losing thousands of (veterans) waiting on line"" because they can't get speedy health care from the Veterans Administration." | "Trump said, ""We're losing thousands of (veterans) waiting on line"" because they can't get speedy health care from the Veterans Administration. Similar claims that 300,000 died because of delays by the VA clearly don't have hard evidence to back them up. Instances at individual VA hospitals seldom go into double digi... | mixture | National, Health Care, Veterans, Donald Trump, | "During a news conference called by Donald Trump to explain where money went from a veterans fundraiser, the presumptive Republican nominee for president was asked about the Veterans Administration health system. ""I'm entirely in favor of fixing the VA health care. The VA is one of the great catastrophes in this count... |
16296 | This (Ebola) is not as bad as SARS was in 2003. | "Smiley said Ebola ""is not as bad as SARS was in 2003."" Both diseases are serious and have harmed communities. SARS spread to more countries and is easier to transmit than Ebola. But Ebola has had more cases and higher death toll, and those numbers continue to rise. SARS may have had more of a presence in the United ... | false | Ebola, Health Care, Public Health, PunditFact, Tavis Smiley, | "In an attempt to tamp down panic, some have compared the current Ebola outbreak to past epidemics -- particularly the SARS outbreak of 2003. On ABC’s This Week Oct. 19, talk show host Tavis Smiley said that those who think President Barack Obama’s response to Ebola is too soft are blowing the situation out of proporti... |
6247 | New Mexico AG ‘frustrated’ with response to contamination. | Top New Mexico officials want the U.S. Air Force to immediately begin defining the boundaries of plumes of contamination at two bases in the state and provide alternate water supplies to affected residents. | true | Environment, General News, Hector Balderas, New Mexico | Attorney General Hector Balderas and the New Mexico Environment Department on Wednesday filed a motion seeking a preliminary injunction to require regular groundwater and surface water sampling as the case proceeds. They also want the Air Force to offer voluntary blood tests for residents who may have been exposed to t... |
11041 | Special candy fights cavities | This was a 3-minute ad – not a piece of journalism. So much good can be done with 3 minutes of network TV time. But this story failed to: discuss costs discuss evidence – of harms or benefits present any independent expert’s opinion It even featured the two co-anchors sucking lollipops at the very end. Wow. Dr. Shi ... | false | "The story didn’t mention costs. But the ABC website linked to the proprietary ""Dr. John’s Lollipops"" website where costs were listed: • 20-Lollipop Pack (one dose) $10.00 • 2.5 lb. Bulk Bag (Approx. 125 Pieces) $50.00 As a comparison, a tube of toothpaste with fluoride costs about $2. Fluoride toothpaste has been sh... | |
7577 | Soap star Benard says quarantine hard on his mental health. | Longtime “General Hospital” star Maurice Benard says sheltering in place can take its toll on your mental health. The actor is open about suffering from bipolar disorder and also writes about it in his new best-selling book, “Nothing General About It: How Love (And Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital.” | true | Anxiety, Mental health, Health, General News, Entertainment, Bipolar disorder, Virus Outbreak | The breakout of COVID-19 not only altered plans to promote the book but also kept him home from work. “General Hospital” stopped production March 15. The ABC show recently began airing four new shows a week with flashbacks edited in to pad the episodes; Benard believes the show has enough material to get through mid-Ma... |
29434 | "Doctors are now warning parents to never use baby wipes because they contain a ""chemical"" called methylisothiazolinone." | "What's true: A 2014 paper in Pediatrics noted that a small number of children (six) exhibited an allergic reaction to methylisothiazolinone, and patients with that allergy should avoid products containing the preservative. What's false: The paper did not say that ""no one"" should use baby wipes under ""any circumstan... | false | Medical, baby wipes, healtheternally, methylisothiazolinone | On 25 October 2016, HealthEternally.com published an article that asserted baby wipes posed an extreme risk to delicate skin, thanks to a preservative called methylisothiazolinone. The page advised parents to switch to “DIY wipes”: Baby wipes are a necessity for parents, as they come in handy when you need a quick clea... |
33584 | A meth-addicted teen penned an insightful poem in jail shortly before dying of an overdose. | """I am Meth"" takes the form of an ode penned by or about an adolescent who paid the ultimate price for her choices." | false | Glurge Gallery, addiction, teenagers | In common with an number of other online cautions aimed at teens, “I am Meth” took the form of an ode penned by (or about) an adolescent who paid the ultimate price — death — for falling victim to the societal ill being decried. “I AM METH” (This was written by a young Indian girl who was in jail for drug charges, an... |
41770 | Claim President Trump's proposed 2020 budget would “ransack” or “slash” Medicare. | Democratic lawmakers claim the president’s proposed 2020 budget would “ransack” or “slash” Medicare and Medicaid, likening it to an “assault on Medicare” and “the health care of seniors and families across America.” Experts agree the proposed cuts to Medicaid are significant, but many of the Medicare proposals echo tho... | mixture | medicare, | Democratic lawmakers claim the president’s proposed 2020 budget would “ransack” or “slash” Medicare and Medicaid, likening it to an “assault on Medicare” and “the health care of seniors and families across America.” Experts agree the proposed cuts to Medicaid are significant, but many of the Medicare proposals echo tho... |
34604 | Alabama CPS agents took custody of a baby because his teen mother was raped. | News outlets are generally unable to verify a family’s claims in any given CPS dispute, which creates the risk of unwarranted public alarm being generated from incidents that have practical and reasonable explanations. It’s possible that the child removals in the case cited here were tied to a 14-year-old girl’s trauma... | unproven | Viral Phenomena, alabama, CPS, CPS controversies | In June 2016 the notoriously unreliable web site Health Impact News published an article reporting that agents of Alabama’s child protective services (CPS) had stormed a hospital and taken a newborn baby away from its 14-year-old mother solely because the child was conceived during a rape: Juda Myers of Choices4Life ca... |
2448 | British cosmologist Hawking backs right to assisted suicide. | British cosmologist Stephen Hawking has backed the right for people who are terminally ill to choose to end their lives and to receive help to do so as long as safeguards are in place. | true | Science News | The wheelchair-bound Hawking was diagnosed with motor neurone disease aged 21 and told he had two to three years to live. Now 71, he is one of the world’s leading scientists, known especially for his work on black holes and as author of the international bestseller “A Brief History of Time”. Speaking ahead of the relea... |
8985 | Cardiac hybrid imaging an effective tool for predicting heart attacks | This news release claims that a two-tiered “hybrid” approach to scanning people with suspected coronary artery disease is superior to assessing such patients with an imaging procedure called coronary angiography. With coronary angiograms, dye is injected into the arteries and then imaged with an x-ray machine to show a... | false | coronary artery disease,imaging studies,Radiological Society of North America | There is no discussion of the cost of the hybrid imaging approach compared with the standard approach. The news release does a reasonable job of quantifying what the researchers found in the study — namely that the hybrid imaging identified some patients who would go on to suffer major cardiac events. Here’s the descri... |
5079 | Sixth medical marijuana store opens this week in ND. | North Dakota’s sixth medical marijuana dispensary is opening later this week. | true | Medical marijuana, Health, General News, Marijuana, North Dakota, Minot, Jamestown | The North Dakota Department of Health says the Herbology store will open in Minot on Thursday. Another dispensary is expected to open in Jamestown next Tuesday. State officials say more than 1,200 registry identification cards have been issued to qualifying medical marijuana patients. Division of Medical Marijuana dire... |
8116 | Three-pronged distancing most effective at controlling COVID-19: study. | A key modeling study from Singapore has found that putting multiple social lockdowns in place - including school closures - will have the biggest impact on curbing COVID-19, the pandemic disease caused by the new coronavirus. | true | Health News | Quarantining infected people and their family members, closing schools, and imposing workplace distancing and homeworking can all limit the spread, the study found, but a combination of all three is most effective in reducing cases. The global number of confirmed cases passed 377,000 across 194 countries and territorie... |
9670 | First-of-its-kind cataract surgery using stem cells shows promise | This story describes the findings of a study published in Nature that involved a new approach to correcting congenital cataracts in infants using the patient’s own stem cells to grow new lenses in the eye, versus the more standard approach of using artificial lenses.he story had a lot going for it compared with some le... | true | cataracts,congenital cataracts,stem cell research,stem cell therapies,stem cells,vision loss | The story doesn’t discuss costs for this new approach. One web source points to an average cost of $3,400 per eye for conventional cataract surgery, although the costs can be considerably less under some insurance plans. The story does not make clear if this procedure would be similarly priced. The story states the new... |
3550 | Florida commission says mental health system needs overhaul. | Florida’s mental health system is underfunded and needs to be overhauled, with better coordination between providers, law enforcement and educators, the commission investigating last year’s high school massacre recommended to the legislature Wednesday. | true | Shootings, Mental health, Health, General News, Florida, Parkland, Florida, school shooting, U.S. News, Fort Lauderdale | The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, meeting in Orlando, found that the state’s mental health system is too often a revolving door. Under Florida’s Baker Act, which allows a police officer, judge or mental health professional to involuntarily commit a person for a 72-hour evaluation, less ... |
28516 | Chlorpyrifos, an insecticide with alleged origins in Nazi Germany, was set to be banned by the EPA over health and environmental safety concerns; but President Trump reversed this decision after Dow Chemicals, a manufacturer of the chemical, donated one million dollars to his inauguration fund. | While some aspects of the text included in the Chelsea Handler tweet and “Really American” petition, such as chlorpyrifos’s connection to Nazi Germany and the scientific degree to which irreversible brain damage has been alleged, include some uncertainty, the bulk of its claims are true. The EPA’s scientific community ... | mixture | Politics Environment, donald trump, dow chemical, EPA | The insecticide chlorpyrifos, sold under the brand names Lorsban, Dursban, and others, has been the subject of regulatory battles for decades. It was first introduced as a pesticide in 1965, and it remains the most commonly applied pesticide in the United States. In 1996, the Clinton administration signed into law the ... |
10253 | FDA Approves First Drug To Prevent Preterm Births | Given that 50% of care is covered by Medicaid and 49% by private payors, the costs for this drug are invisible to the individual. It is administered in clinic or by home health nurses and does not typically have a co-pay structure although patients will sometimes tell providers they can’t afford it. News of new drug ap... | true | NPR,premature babies | No discussion of costs, something we always look for and wish would be provided. As already noted, the story explained that the drug “isn’t a magic bullet. The study showed that 37 percent of women who got weekly injections of it delivered prematurely, compared to 55 percent of women who got injections of a placebo.” G... |
418 | Bushfires rage out of control across southeast Australia. | Bushfires burned dangerously out of control on Australia’s east coast on Saturday, fanned by high temperatures and strong winds that had firefighters battling to save lives and property, as a change in wind conditions merged several large fire fronts. | true | Environment | By late evening, Victoria had 14 fires rated at emergency or evacuate warning levels, and New South Wales had 11 rated emergency, with more than 150 others burning across the states. New fires had started, and others had broken containment lines. “There are a number of fires that are coming together - very strong, very... |
4042 | Deer ticks turn up in east Nebraska; can carry Lyme disease. | Health officials say deer ticks that can carry Lyme disease have turned up for the first time in eastern Nebraska. | true | Health, Lyme disease, Ticks, Archive, Nebraska | State health officials said Tuesday that lab tests are being done to determine whether the deer ticks collected carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. The ticks were found in Douglas, Sarpy and Saunders counties. Lyme disease can cause fever, headache, fatigue and a skin rash. Health officials say most people reco... |
27609 | "Pranksters briefly changed California's iconic ""Hollywood"" sign to read ""Hollyweed." | Unlike most other cleverly edited images, the “Hollyweed” sign was one that was shared in numerous versions showing it from multiple angles and at many resolutions concurrently. Although digitally edited images sometimes come in sets, the number of variants appearing at the time of this vandalism incident was another i... | true | Fauxtography, hollyweed, hollywood sign, true | At the end of 2016, images (often unaccompanied by any explanatory news story) began circulating online suggesting that California’s iconic “Hollywood” sign had been altered to read “Hollyweed” (presumably as an homage to the state’s recent passage of Proposition 64, which legalized recreational use of marijuana beginn... |
11417 | Cancer Study Finds Promise in CAT Scans for Smokers | "This story reports on the results of a study on lung cancer screening published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. Lung cancer is a common and deadly disease that can be effectively treated if caught early. Unfortunately by the time symptoms appear it is often too late for treatment to be effective. It ... | true | "The story does not mention the cost of the test. Since most costs will be covered by the patient and not by the insurance company, this is vital information for the consumer. The story adequately quantifies the benefits of treatment. Because this study had no control group, there is no way to directly compare screenin... | |
30464 | A popular teen YouTuber planning a “live on-camera abortion” to raise Bitcoin donations for Planned Parenthood. | This originated with the now-defunct Daily World Update, a site that was part of a network of fake news sites dedicated to inflammatory clickbaiting and political trolling under the guise of producing “satire.” | false | Junk News, abortion, bitcoin, daily world update | On 10 April 2018, the Daily World Update web site published an article reporting that a popular teen YouTuber was planning a “live on-camera abortion” to raise Bitcoin donations for Planned Parenthood: A popular teen YouTuber tearfully explained last week that he had gone to a party at her friend’s house where she had ... |
3011 | Connecticut now testing newborns for rare genetic disorder. | Connecticut’s public health laboratory has begun testing newborn babies for the genetic disorder Spinal Muscular Atrophy, complying with a new state law that took effect on Jan. 1. | true | Health, General News, Connecticut, Public health | The rare condition can lead to loss of nerve and muscle control, and it can ultimately be fatal “This is a huge step forward for public health in Connecticut,” said Department of Public Health Commissioner Renée D. Coleman-Mitchell. “The ability to screen newborns gives allows the medical community to diagnose a rare a... |
4313 | Doctors: Warmer world is unhealthier place for children. | Children are growing up in a warmer world that will hit them with more and different health problems than their parents experienced, an international report by doctors said. | true | Climate, Dengue fever, Climate change, Health, Middle East, Latin America, Public health, Africa, International News, Science, Asia Pacific, Air pollution, U.S. News, Europe, General News, Pollution | With increasing diarrhea diseases, more dangerous heat waves, air pollution and increases in mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever and malaria, man-made global warming is already harming public health around the world, the annual climate change and health report from the medical journal The Lancet said Wednesday... |
7967 | Potential COVID-19 vaccine shows promise in mouse study. | Initial tests in mice of a potential COVID-19 vaccine delivered via a fingertip-sized patch have shown it can induce an immune response against the new coronavirus at levels that might prevent infection, U.S. scientists said on Thursday. | true | Health News | Researchers around the world are working to develop potential treatments or vaccines against the respiratory disease that has killed nearly 47,000 people and infected almost a million in just a few months. A team at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in the United States said they were able to move quickly... |
94 | Novartis' Zolgensma study halted by FDA amid safety questions. | U.S. regulators have halted a trial of Novartis’s Zolgensma treatment after an animal study raised safety concerns, the company said on Wednesday, in a setback for the drugmaker’s plan to expand its use to older patients. | true | Health News | The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s partial hold on the so-called STRONG trial impacts patients aged up to five with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who were to receive a higher dose of the gene therapy via a spinal infusion. The hold was issued after Novartis told health authorities about the animal study’s findings... |
29466 | Researchers have found a simple cure for cancer, but major pharmaceutical companies are not interested because it isn't patentable. | "What's true: Preliminary research indicated dichloroacetate (DCA) might show promise for treating some forms of cancer. What's false: DCA is a not a proven ""cure"" for cancer, nor is it being spurned by pharmaceutical companies because it is not patentable." | false | Medical, cancer cures | Canadian researchers find a simple cure for cancer, but major pharmaceutical companies are not interested. Researchers at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Canada have cured cancer last week, yet there is a little ripple in the news or in TV. It is a simple technique using very basic drug. The method employs dich... |
10606 | The benefits of chocolate during pregnancy | Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this PR news release describes a study that evaluated the impact of high-flavanol chocolate in reducing preeclampsia risk. Having discovered that there are no significant differences between the low-flavanol and high-flavanol group in this respect (and, in fact, with respect to all the... | false | Association/Society news release,Women's health | The release isn’t necessarily pushing specialty high-end dark chocolate since it indicates that any chocolate might be beneficial. People have a rough idea what chocolate costs so we’ll rate this Not Applicable. The news release slings out barely revised terms from the abstract to make it seem like there’s a benefit to... |
9226 | Use of Frailty Screening Initiative before Surgery Associated with Reduced Risk of Death | This news release looks at a program to introduce a quality improvement initiative aimed at reducing complications and deaths among frail older adults undergoing major elective surgery. The release contained a welcome summary of the findings–the quantified benefits are very clear. But we wanted to know more about the s... | mixture | JAMA,older adults,surgery | No costs are mentioned. This is a very strong point for the release. It states clearly that absolute reductions were seen before and after the intervention: i.e. : “overall 30-day mortality decreased from 1.6 percent (84 of 5,275 patients) to 0.7 percent (26 of 3,878 patients) after FSI implementation. Improvement wa... |
9334 | Here’s how one woman used an implant to get some relief from chronic back pain | This story summarized one woman’s account of getting a spinal cord stimulator to relieve her chronic back pain, as published in more detail in Popular Science. This is a review of the Washington Post’s abridged version. To its credit, the story mentioned the high cost of the surgery to get the implant and does not port... | false | back pain,medical devices | The story scrapes by on this one — it said the surgery is “expensive” and that Jay’s insurance “covered much of the six-figure bill for the procedure.” The story could have mentioned other costs associated with treating this condition. To its credit, the story offered a nuanced view of the benefits as seen through the ... |
10050 | New device uses light to screen for melanoma | It puts both the potential benefits and potential harms of this scanner used to detect cancerous skin lesions in the proper context. It explains that, while new to the market, the device is not a medical breakthrough. It provides cost information, for both the physicians and patients. And it carefully makes note of all... | true | Associated Press,Cancer,Screening | The story takes the rare step of talking about costs from three different angles. The cost to the physician. The cost to the patient. And the cost to insursers. “Doctors will pay a one-time fee of $7,500 to lease and receive training on the device. Patients will pay $150 out of pocket for a MelaFind scan, which analyst... |
5580 | Ohio high school closes after probable case of meningitis. | An Ohio school district has announced that its high school will be closed Monday after a student died from what health officials say is a probable case of bacterial meningitis. | true | Health, Ohio, Meningitis | The Indian Valley Local Schools in Tuscarawas County sent a letter to parents Saturday that said the student’s bus, a school restroom, and other surfaces inside the school will be sanitized. The student hasn’t been identified. The Tuscarawas County Health Department in a statement on its website said officials learned ... |
731 | If marathons weren't hard enough already: strap a tree to your back. | This Sunday in South Africa, an accountant, an entrepreneur and a boxing executive are among 20 friends running the Cape Town marathon - with saplings strapped to their backs. | true | Environment | The group are promoting the planting of native trees amid a nationwide push to replace invasive species with indigenous one to cope with drought and climate change. Last year, Cape Town suffered its worst drought in a century, nearly running out of water and forcing authorities to enforce severe water rationing and set... |
21547 | "Outside of recall elections, ""there's never been a public official removed from office"" in Wisconsin ""for anything but malfeasance in office." | Sheboygan Mayor Bob Ryan says no public official in Wisconsin has been removed from office for reasons other than malfeasance | true | Alcohol, City Government, Wisconsin, Bob Ryan, | "Defiant Sheboygan Mayor Bob Ryan-- whose drinking problems have spurred scorn from citizens, humiliation on YouTube and ridicule from Jay Leno -- says he would become a singular figure in the history of Wisconsin government if his Common Council succeeds in removing him from office. Wisconsin witnessed a historic set ... |
37977 | KPCC-FM reporter Josie Huang told Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputies she is a journalist as she was arrested in September 2020. | Did Josie Huang Identify Herself as Press While Being Arrested? | true | Disinformation, Fact Checks | The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s latest attempt to justify the violent arrest of a journalist was clearly exposed as false by video footage of the attack posted by the reporter and other news outlets.Huang, a reporter for KPCC (Southern California Public Radio) and LAist in Los Angeles, was arrested on Sep... |
8882 | Eli Lilly drops inhaled insulin program. | Eli Lilly & Co said on Friday it will terminate development of an inhaled insulin treatment for diabetes, which it was conducting in partnership with Alkermes Inc, after deciding that product’s commercial potential was not strong. | true | Health News | Biotechnology company Alkermes said earlier in the day that it expected Lilly to drop out of their program to develop an inhaled insulin treatment for diabetes, sending Alkermes shares down more than 9 percent. Lilly’s decision marks the third setback in recent months for inhaled insulin formulations, once deemed p... |
26662 | Donald Trump is “announcing tomorrow that the US is going into quarantine for the next 14 days.” | There was no evidence by March 16 that the federal government was set to announce a nationwide lockdown. President Trump said he was not considering it. Trump said the government is thinking about additional measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in some hotspots around the country. | false | Public Health, Facebook Fact-checks, Coronavirus, Chain message, | "A chain message circulating on messaging apps claims the United States is about to enter a period of federally mandated quarantine. The source: ""my aunt’s friend"" who works for the government. There is no evidence of this. The message, which a reader sent us a screenshot of on March 16, appears in a group chat on iM... |
2444 | Want fruit with your burger? McDonald's expands anti-obesity push. | Hold the fries, pass the salad. McDonald’s Corp on Thursday said it would offer healthy options as part of its popular value meals, letting customers choose a side salad, fruit or vegetables instead of french fries. | true | Health News | The announcement by the world’s largest fast-food chain comes as more companies respond to government and consumer pressure to address the global obesity epidemic. McDonald’s, which often bears the brunt of criticism over the restaurant industry’s penchant for tempting diners with indulgent and often high-calorie food,... |
5579 | Hawaii launches campaign to prevent spread of rat lungworm. | Almost 94 percent of rats in the Hilo region are infected with the parasite that causes rat lungworm disease, a recent study on the meningitis-like disease showed. | true | Health, Meningitis, Hilo, Hawaii | The research was released Monday as the state started its first statewide campaign to prevent the disease. The most recent case came out of Hilo, where a resident contracted the disease in late November. Department of Health officials suspect the Big Island patient accidentally ingested an infected slug while drinking ... |
26360 | "Dr. Anthony Fauci ""has known for 15 years that chloroquine and … hydroxychloroquine will not only treat a current case of coronavirus but prevent future cases.”" | An article published by a website run by an anti-LGBTQ political organization claims Dr. Anthony Fauci knew in 2005 that hydroxychloroquine was effective against human coronaviruses. The article cites a 2005 study that found a related drug, chloroquine, could inhibit the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The... | false | Public Health, Facebook Fact-checks, PunditFact, Coronavirus, Bloggers, | "A widely shared conspiracy theory on Facebook alleges that Dr. Anthony Fauci is knowingly advocating against a treatment for the novel coronavirus. An April 27 article says the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has known since 2005 that hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to treat condi... |
9603 | Abbott wins U.S. approval for stent that absorbs into body | Doctors often treat coronary artery disease with a procedure called angioplasty to widen clogged or narrowed arteries using a metal stent. But those stents have been problematic for some patients, leading to blood clots and even heart attacks. The FDA has just approved medical use of a dissolvable stent manufactured by... | mixture | dissolvable stent | A reader would be hard-pressed to determine the cost of this new stent. The only cost information provided sits in the last paragraph of the story, where it notes that the dissolvable stent will apparently cost more than Abbott Lab’s drug-coated metal stent, marketed under the name Xience. (See our review of the AP sto... |
38080 | A British man named David Hibbitt was given 18 months to live before he cured cancer with cannabis oil. | Given 18 Months to Live, Man Cures Brain Cancer With Cannabis Oil | false | Health / Medical | Many holistic health websites have featured the story of the man who cured bowel cancer with cannabis oil after being given 18 months to live. Unfortunately, 34-year-old David Hibbitt died from brain cancer in 2016, a year after stories about his miraculous recovery first surfaced. The story surfaced in the U.K.’s Metr... |
28208 | President Obama ordered all schools to make all bathrooms transgender or face a loss of federal funding. | "What's true: The Departments of Justice and Education's respective civil rights divisions issued significant guidance to schools about transgender students and Title IX. According to that guidance, no students would be asked to ""prove"" or otherwise document their gender identity, and adherence to Title IX is "" a co... | true | Politics Politicians, barack obama, department of education, justice department | On 13 May 2016, the web site Young Conservatives published an article reporting that President Obama had decreed that all American schools must make all bathrooms transgender or face lawsuits and potentially lose federal funding: President Obama decided to yet again defy the constitutional limits placed on his powers a... |
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