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9382 | New way of defining Alzheimer's aims to find disease sooner | This AP story covers the publication of new research guidelines for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease. The story did a lot of things well — chiefly, it makes it clear for readers that the guidelines are for research purposes only, and will not be used in clinical decision-making. Still, we would have liked to see comment ... | true | alzheimer's disease | The story mentions costs — up to $6,000 for a brain scan — and that diagnostic tests would not be covered by insurance because they are still experimental and under investigation. There are no benefits to patients with the change in diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer’s. The story makes clear that the new guidelines are ... |
22071 | We bring in enough tax revenue to service our debt, pay for Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, and then still have about $300 (billion) or $400 billion left over. | Reckitt Benckiser has agreed to pay up to $1.4 billion to resolve U.S. claims that its former pharmaceuticals business Indivior before it was spun out of the company carried out an illegal scheme to boost sales of an opioid addiction treatment. | mixture | National, Deficit, Federal Budget, Medicare, Social Security, Taxes, Amy Kremer, | The settlement, the largest by any company related to the U.S. opioid epidemic, resolved long-running probes by the U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission into the companies’ marketing and sales of Suboxone Film. The deal came after Indivior in April was indicted and accused of deceiving doctors and h... |
6786 | UN says plague cases in Madagascar almost doubled in 5 days. | The number of plague cases in Madagascar has almost doubled over the last five days and medical experts project the situation will worsen, with 1,000 cases expected every month if funds aren’t rapidly provided, the United Nations said Thursday. | true | Madagascar, Bubonic plague, Africa, Plague, Science, United Nations, Indian Ocean | U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters that only 26 percent of the $9.5 million needed to combat the outbreak of the often deadly disease has been received. Dujarric said U.N. humanitarian officials in the Indian Ocean island nation reported 1,032 cases as of Wednesday, 67 percent of which were pneumonic plagu... |
18575 | In 2011 alone, 269 New Jerseyans were killed by gun violence. | "Oliver said in a column that published the day the state Assembly voted on a package of gun-control bills that ""in 2011 alone, 269 New Jerseyans were killed by gun violence."" The FBI’s annual Uniform Crime Report for 2011 – the most up-to-date year of complete crime data – verifies that number. It’s worth noting, ho... | true | New Jersey, Guns, Sheila Oliver, | "More than 250 people in New Jersey died in 2011 because of a weapon, according to Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver. And it’s not just any weapon, either, she said in a Feb. 21 opinion piece that appeared in The Times Of Trenton. The column published the day the state Assembly voted on a 22-bill package of gun-control me... |
1421 | In sweet-toothed Britain, sugary soda levy may have limited impact. | With its surprise move to tax sugary drinks, Britain joins several Western countries battling a key suspect in rising rates of obesity and diabetes, but health and industry experts say the levy is limited and its effect may be small.1 | true | Health News | To be serious about cutting calorie intake by reducing sugar consumption, they say, authorities would need to go in harder on sugary drinks and much broader too - taking on less obvious targets such as dairy products and processed savory foods. Britain’s finance minister George Osborne, announcing the tax on Wednesday,... |
7365 | Snohomish County health officials probe positive blood tests. | Two people in Washington state who recall being sick in December have since had blood tests showing they developed antibodies for the coronavirus, but health officials aren’t counting them in their official case counts. | true | Seattle, Health, General News, Washington, Virus Outbreak, United States | The positive serology tests can’t determine whether the people had the coronavirus in December, weeks before the disease was officially detected in the United States. They may have been exposed after the first recorded case. One of the people had lunch with a hospital nurse in Kirkland, for example, site of a large out... |
10426 | Mediterranean diet cuts heart, diabetes risk factors | This story went beyond the results of the study to opine about obesity in general. The story was good in that it indicated that adopting this type of diet meant more than simply eating more olive oil. But the story was devoid of data – meaningful information about what – precisely – the study showed. And it was wrong t... | mixture | CNN,Diabetes,Diet studies,heart disease | Not applicable. There was no discussion of costs, i.e. how consumption of a ‘Mediterranean diet’ compared to more typical diets compare in terms of cost to the consumer. But we think most people would have a pretty good grasp of the general costs of the types of foods involved. But where this becomes an issue, for exam... |
11439 | Yoga may lessen side effects in men undergoing prostate cancer treatment | This may be a tough release for readers to sort out because, like the headline (“Yoga may lessen side effects in men undergoing prostate cancer treatment”), and the subhead (“More men willing to participate in yoga therapy than expected, Penn study finds”), the messages the release is sending out are wildly divergent, ... | false | Academic medical center news release,Prostate cancer | The news release did not say how much the yoga classes cost, but that is not a fatal flaw, given that the classes are offered daily to millions of downward dog fans in health centers, living rooms and parks around the world. We’ll rate this Not Applicable. Numbers might have helped the reader decide whether, in fact, t... |
8720 | UK orders 10,000 ventilators from Dyson for coronavirus patients. | Britain has ordered 10,000 medical ventilators designed at breakneck speed by vacuum cleaner-maker Dyson, billionaire founder James Dyson said, as the country tries to boost the number of devices available to treat coronavirus patients. | true | Health News | The government, in anticipation of cases peaking in Britain in coming weeks, had made an urgent appeal to manufacturers to supply the National Health Service and would also use devices from private hospitals and other sources. “We have received an initial order of 10,000 units from the UK Government which we will suppl... |
11256 | Magnetic brain stimulation fights depression | "A few key issues were missed: All patients had ""moderately"" treatment resistant depression, meaning they failed 1-4 prior treatment trials (but not TMS or ECT); TMS is not FDA approved as first-line treatment for depression No discussion of costs or coverage by insurance No discussion of limited TMS availability ... | mixture | "The story doesn’t discuss the cost of the TMS machine or the cost of a typical course of treatment. This is a significant oversight considering that many health insurance plans offer limited coverage for mental health expenses. Does a patient who pays out of pocket have any hope of affording TMS treatment? The article... | |
11297 | A Dutch therapy that stimulates the senses seems to soothe dementia patients | This story is about “Snoezelen” rooms that include flashing lights, bubble tubes, disco balls, and other stimulations that are meant to soothe patients with cognitive impairment. Our main suggestions for improvement: a stronger evaluation of the evidence, including of a larger, better designed study than the one repor... | true | Philadelphia Inquirer | According to the story, a basic sensory room costs $15,000, and a portable cart with Snoezelen devices is sold for under $5,000. While this is adequate for a satisfactory, this doesn’t completely describe the costs involved since the room and equipment will need to be staffed, supplied with utilities, and maintained. T... |
32368 | Red Bull and other brands of energy drinks contain bull semen. | Red Bull and other brands of energy drinks employ various stimulating ingredients, but none of them is bull semen. | false | Food, Odd Ingredients | Energy drinks such as Red Bull have long been dogged by rumors that they contain dangerous ingredients such as “artificially manufactured stimulants,” and in more recent years such rumors have taken a turn towards the bizarre with claims that various brands of energy drink include “bull semen” or “bull sperm.” More ou... |
9275 | New Biochip-Based Blood Test Detects Elevated Risk for Alzheimer's Disease | This news release, issued by the American Association of Clinical Chemistry in conjunction with the group’s annual meeting, describes unpublished research results showing that a new biochip assay designed to more easily detect a genetic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk factor over traditional DNA tests already available. ... | false | American Association for Clinical Chemistry,biochip test | The news release states that the biochip array is “more affordable than the andard DNA test” but it doesn’t provide a cost estimate for either. The release names several benefits of the new test — accuracy, speed, affordability, ability to run multiple tests from one blood sample — but provides little quantification, a... |
29596 | Price-Look Up (PLU) code stickers on vegetables and fruit are edible. | Ultimately, the assertion that fruit stickers are specifically edible appeared to be somewhat misguided. We were unable to determine whether such labels are routinely produced from any specific material at all, much less prove the consistent usage of paper specifically designed to be eaten by produce consumers. Moreove... | false | Food | Most shoppers are familiar with PLU code stickers on fresh produce, commonly removed prior to the consumption of portable fruits like apples and bananas. Rumors claiming that fruit stickers are edible have long circulated on the internet: A January 2014 HLN article (boldly proclaiming shoppers ought to go ahead and ea... |
38877 | The FDA has approved a heroin-based vaccine for children to eradicate chicken pox. | FDA Approves Heroin-Based Vaccine for Kids | false | Health / Medical | A fake news website is behind this hoax. World News Daily Report published a story that claimed the FDA believed its approval of a heroin-based vaccine for chickenpox would be a “death blow” for the viral infection: Although the experimental drug has been highly criticized by some health advisory boards, specialists be... |
27332 | A man received a $153,000 hospital bill after a bite he sustained from a rattlesnake that he was attempting to take a selfie with. | We were unable to contact Fassler, but we have reached out to Dan Haggerty (the reporter who first reported the incident for 10News) to see if he was aware of any updates to Fassler’s case, and what the final outcome may have been. | true | Critter Country, healthcare, insurance, Medical | On 4 June 2015, a man named Todd Fassler attempted to take a selfie with a rattlesnake during a trip to the Barona Speedway racetrack. As San Diego’s 10News.com first reported, it did not go well: 10News was the first to bring you the story of Todd Fassler, who was bitten by a rattlesnake at the Barona Speedway on July... |
19676 | Harry Reid Says Mitt Romney did not pay taxes for 10 years. | "Reid has said Romney paid no taxes for 10 years. It was no slip of the tongue. He repeated the claim on at least two more occasions, at one point saying that ""the word is out"" when in fact it was only Reid who put that ""word"" out. Reid has produced no evidence to back up his claim other than attribution to a shado... | false | National, Candidate Biography, Taxes, Harry Reid, | "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., touched off a firestorm last week after he claimed that an unnamed investor in Mitt Romney’s company, Bain Capital, told him that Romney hadn’t paid any taxes for 10 years. In a July 31, 2012, interview with the Huffington Post, Reid attacked Romney for refusing to publicly r... |
3792 | GOP, Democrats team up to address surprise medical bills. | Plunging ahead despite paralyzing partisanship in the nation’s capital, senior lawmakers of both parties Thursday proposed legislation to tackle surprise medical bills and other concerns, from prescription drug costs to uneven vaccination rates. | true | Lamar Alexander, Patty Murray, Health, Legislation, Politics, North America, Prescription drug costs, Business, Prescription drugs, Donald Trump, Bills, Political parties | The draft bill from Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., echoes a time when health care issues often led to dialogue and cooperation between political parties. Alexander chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, while Murray is the ranking Democrat. “We can make progress when bot... |
29554 | Parents should be aware that a code for pedophiles inexplicably showed up on a children's toy at motorsport event Monster Jam. | What's true: Police in Pasco County were surprised to discover a symbol similar to secretive coding used by pedophiles on a Monster Jam souvenir toy. What's false: The presence of imagery similar to the symbol poses a risk to children. What's undetermined: How the symbol came to appear on the Monster Jam toy and the ex... | false | Uncategorized, coded symbols, monster jam, pedophile | On 9 March 2016, WFLA released a report claiming that a secretive symbol widely used by pedophiles was discovered on souvenir plush monster truck toys marketed to girls at a Florida Monster Jam event. The article was suspiciously light on details and high on appeals to fear, and made up mainly of shocked parental react... |
11101 | More Than 22% of Heart-Device Implantations Aren’t In Line With Guidelines | This blog post about a study revealing some new data about the overuse of heart implants does some things quite well, but it falls short on a number of our measures. See the Los Angeles Times piece which we also reviewed for comparison. While The WSJ blog includes cost information, which is too often missed in stories,... | mixture | Devices,Wall Street Journal | The story deserves high marks for bringing costs into the discussion right in the lead. “In more than 22% of cases, implantable defibrillators are given to heart patients who don’t meet the guidelines for receiving the pricey devices, according to a study just published in JAMA.” The story also says, “ICDs, which can c... |
3352 | West Nile virus case recorded in Crook County horse. | State health officials say a case of West Nile virus has been confirmed in a horse east of Bend. | true | Horses, Health, General News, Oregon, West Nile virus | The Oregonian/OregonLive reports West Nile virus was first recorded in Oregon in 2003, but this is the first case recorded in Crook County. The virus, which can spread in humans only through the bite of infected mosquitoes, is often fatal to horses. Officials say the virus can also infect chickens, squirrels and dogs. ... |
41726 | "The 1994 crime law ""worked in some areas. But it failed in others. ... The violent crime rate was cut in half in America." | Former Vice President Joe Biden defended his support decades ago for a controversial crime bill, saying, “There’s another part of my long record that’s being grossly misrepresented: the 1994 crime bill.” We’ll go through Biden’s points about what was in the bill and what he supported or opposed. | mixture | 1994 crime bill, crime, | Former Vice President Joe Biden defended his support decades ago for a controversial crime bill, saying in a speech in South Carolina, “There’s another part of my long record that’s being grossly misrepresented: the 1994 crime bill.”We’ll go through Biden’s points about what was in the bill and what he supported or opp... |
7878 | Trump drops idea of New York lockdown as U.S. death count crosses 2,000. | President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would issue a travel warning for the hard-hit New York area to limit the spread of the coronavirus, backing off from an earlier suggestion that he might try to cut off the region entirely. | true | Health News | "“A quarantine will not be necessary,” he said on Twitter. Trump’s announcement came as the U.S. death count crossed 2,100, more than double the level from two days ago. The United States has now recorded more than 122,000 cases of the respiratory virus, the most of any country in the world. Since the virus first appea... |
11402 | Acupuncture May Help Lazy Eye | This was a so-so account of a study that compared acupuncture to using an eye patch for treatment of a certain type of “lazy eye” known as anisometropic amblyopia. It was better than the competing HealthDay coverage at describing the design of the study and quantifying the benefits that can be expected from acupuncture... | mixture | WebMD | A source in this story cited time and expense as two factors that might decrease the attractiveness and accessibility of acupuncture. However, it never attached figures to these concerns. We think the story should at least have mentioned the cost of a typical office visit to an acupuncturist. The story did a better job... |
1762 | Ebola crisis highlights China's philanthropic shortfall. | China has contributed over $120 million to fight the spread of the Ebola virus, but its billionaire tycoons - it has more than anywhere outside the United States - have, publicly at least, donated little to the cause, underscoring an immature culture of philanthropy in the world’s second-biggest economy. | true | Health News | As the ranks of China’s wealthy and the success of its corporations grow, donating to good causes has yet to take off in a significant way. China sits toward the bottom of the list of countries where people give money to charity, volunteer or help a stranger, according to The World Giving Index, compiled by the Chariti... |
37755 | Coronavirus tests are unnecessarily invasive and uncomfortable, and could be accurately performed in the same way home DNA tests are executed. | : A Quarter of a Million Shares and CountingIn just 48 hours, the Facebook post questioning the invasiveness of COVID-19 testing was approaching a quarter of a million shares. Its third question proposed COVID-19 tests were depositing the virus rather that collecting evidence of its presence — a conspiracy that would l... | false | Fact Checks, Viral Content | On July 7 2020, Facebook user David D Smith shared the following post, questioning why coronavirus testing was so invasive, particularly when compared to DNA test cheek swabs:Smith included a shiver-inducing image but no citations, writing:ATTENTION FRIENDS & FAMILY – Before you run out and get yourself “TESTED” for CO... |
14972 | It has been estimated that nearly 40 percent of all guns sold in America are sold by private, unlicensed sellers either online or through gun shows. | "McAuliffe said, ""It has been estimated that nearly 40 percent of all guns sold in America are sold by private, unlicensed sellers either online or through gun shows."" His source is a small-sample survey from 1994 that included firearms that were sold and those that were given as gifts or inheritances. When the resul... | false | Guns, Virginia, Terry McAuliffe, | "Gov. Terry McAuliffe recently issued an executive order that banned firearms from most state buildings and offered his rationale for a gun control measure he plans to present to the General Assembly this winter. McAuliffe, a Democrat, is calling for a law that would require all prospective gun buyers in Virginia to un... |
18624 | Nearly 25 percent of all automobile accidents are caused by texting while driving. | AstraZeneca Plc said on Thursday its experimental drug to treat moderate-to-severe lupus met the main goal in a late-stage study, an encouraging sign after it failed to meet its main target in the final stage of another trial last year. | false | Public Safety, Transportation, Florida, Doug Holder, | The British drugmaker said anifrolumab under the TULIP 2 program helped patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, commonly known as SLE. The drug had failed to meet its main goal in the final stage of one of the two clinical trials under the TULIP program last year here “These are important results and we will now r... |
26003 | Donald Trump Says 99% of COVID-19 cases “are totally harmless.” | Based on identified cases, the CDC shows a cumulative case death rate of 4.5% About 4% of new cases require hospitalization. Doctors are beginning to see longer term impacts on patients who had mild cases that never sent them to the hospital. | false | National, Coronavirus, Donald Trump, | "In a Fourth of July celebration with jets flying overhead and soldiers parachuting through the air, President Donald Trump minimized the threat of the coronavirus. With cases surging across many states, Trump said the latest numbers were promising. ""We have tested over 40 million people,"" Trump said July 4. ""By so ... |
9362 | 16:8 FASTING DIET LINKED TO WEIGHT LOSS AND HEALTH BENEFITS IN STUDY | This story described a small study of whether a regime that restricts eating to an eight-hour daily window help people reduce their risk factors for developing metabolic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. The story’s main strength is that it provided caveats early and often about the small size and short dura... | mixture | diet,weight loss | There’s no cost associated with following this diet. The story said people on the diet “consumed around 350 fewer calories, resulting in a loss of 3 percent body weight, and their blood pressure dropped by around 7mm Hg. However, their fat mass, insulin resistance and cholesterol levels were similar to the control grou... |
3908 | Kamala Harris proposes doubling mental health treatment beds. | Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris wants to double the number of mental health treatment beds available across the country and increase access to virtual mental health counseling. | true | Mental health, Health, General News, Politics, Campaigns, Election 2020, California, Kamala Harris | Harris on Monday rolled out her mental health platform at a South Carolina event with radio host Charlamagne Tha God, who has spoken about his own mental health struggles. Much of Harris’ plan includes elements she’s teased on the campaign trail, where she frequently says Americans need to put just as much attention on... |
7608 | Deaths hit 45 at Virginia care home called ‘virus’s dream’ . | Ronald Mitchell worried about his mother’s care at a suburban Richmond nursing home long before she was swept up in one of the nation’s deadliest coronavirus outbreaks. | true | AP Top News, Health, General News, Virginia, Richmond, Nursing homes, Virus Outbreak, U.S. News | She’s bedbound and susceptible to seizures. A sore on her foot went unnoticed for so long, he said, that it led to the amputation of her leg. When he called her last month after she tested positive for COVID-19, she sounded disoriented, and he stayed on the line as she pressed a call button and waited an hour and a hal... |
28022 | "The word ""maga"" means ""easily fooled idiot"" in Nigerian Pidgin. " | This fact is often brought up in a way to mock Trump and his supporters. However, it should be noted that this comparison is a bit unfair. In the United States, the word “MAGA” is typically written out in all-capital letters as it is actually an acronym, not a stand-alone word, for the phrase “Make America Great Again.... | true | Politics | Homonyms are words that are spelled or sound alike but have different meanings. The word “bow,” for example, can mean the front of a ship, a wooden stick, to bend at the waist, or a tied ribbon. This linguistic oddity can also cross language barriers. These bilingual homophones, or “false friends,” include the words “a... |
9939 | Pills Offer Easier Way to Treat MS | While the headline makes it sound easy, the story gives useful context on just how different patients respond to different medications – both oral and injected. Managing multiple sclerosis is a complex balance in which each patient has to find the drugs that are the right “fit” for them. This story explains that balanc... | true | Wall Street Journal | This story lists both the costs of the newest drug – Gilenya – and the costs of existing injectable treatments. This is a great bonus for the reader. This is tricky. We had a couple of issues with the way in which the benefits are described. The use of relative changes (‘…reduced relapses among MS patients by 54%. Disa... |
8697 | Schools, universities to stay shut as Italy coronavirus death toll rises. | Schools and universities will stay closed for a second consecutive week in three northern Italian regions in an effort to contain Europe’s worst outbreak of coronavirus, dashing any hopes of a swift return to normality. | true | Health News | The decision was taken as the death toll from the contagion rose by eight during the day to 29, while the total number of cases jumped by 240 to 1,128 — the vast majority in the wealthy regions of Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia Romagna. Besides a growing human cost, the government is also worried by the likely impact on I... |
9626 | Statins 'could be valuable addition to breast cancer treatment' | This story springs from a recent lab study in the UK showing that breast cancer cells can use cholesterol molecules to mimic estrogen in order to grow, offering a potential reason why some breast cancers resist standard anti-hormone treatments. The headline makes a quantum leap in logic in declaring that statin drugs u... | false | breast cancer,statins for breast cancer | There’s no discussion of the cost of statins, which is readily available data. At this point, there are no demonstrable benefits to quantify, even though the story states that the research “demonstrates that statins could be a valuable addition to breast cancer treatment” warranting more investigation. What the scienti... |
27503 | A man was burned to death attempting to rescue his dog from a boiling hot spring. | While no dog was involved, the June 2016 death of a Portland, Oregon man who wandered off the designated path at Yellowstone National Park and fell into the water near Noris Basin Geyser made headlines because of its gruesome and unusual nature. His sister — who was walking with him at the time and saw him fall in — co... | true | Horrors, freakish fatalities | Self-preservation is one of the most powerful instincts a human being — or any animal — possesses. Human intelligence gives us the ability to detect dangers other creatures may not perceive, but it also endows us with emotions that can sometimes overpower our rational judgment. When someone near and dear to us — a spou... |
35781 | In 2019 and 2020, Democratic and Independent U.S. Senators voted to allow health care practitioners to let babies die, untreated, if born alive after an abortion. | What's true: By voting to block Senate Bill 311, Democratic and Independent U.S. senators prevented the advancement of a bill that would insert into federal law a uniform, nationwide obligation on health care practitioners to provide medical care to babies born alive after failed abortions and introduce uniform, nation... | false | Politics | In the summer of 2020, Snopes readers asked us to look into the accuracy of social media posts that claimed to list the names of 41 U.S. Senators who had “voted to let babies scream until they die if born alive.” The meme referred to Senate Bill 311 (SB 311), which was introduced in the Senate in January 2019 by Sen. ... |
6804 | Trump to hold a sports field day at the White House. | President Donald Trump wants to reverse a trend of fewer children participating in sports and make youth sports more accessible to economically disadvantaged students. | true | Youth sports, Health, Politics, North America, Sports, Ivanka Trump, Golf, Barack Obama, Donald Trump | The White House is promoting the goals of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition on Wednesday and will hold a field day with the president on the South Lawn. Trump is expected to join athletes at stations that will include flag football, baseball, volleyball, golf, soccer and track and field. Trump i... |
2621 | Biology gives American psychopaths a legal break. | Criminal psychopaths in the United States whose lawyers provide biological evidence for their brain condition are more likely to be sentenced to shorter jail terms than those who are simply said to be psychopaths, according to new research. | true | Science News | A study published in the journal Science found that if judges were told a criminal was a psychopath, they considered it an aggravating factor. But if they also heard biological explanations for the disorder, they gave shorter sentences. Researchers from the University of Utah who conducted the study said the findings w... |
15916 | When I came into office, our vaccination rate in Texas was 65 percent. When I left two weeks ago, it was 95 percent. | "Perry said: ""When I came into office, our vaccination rate in Texas was 65 percent. When I left two weeks ago, it was 95 percent."" These percentages trace to reported immunization rates for different populations of youngsters. And by inappropriately pairing the figures, Perry left the incorrect impression of great p... | false | Corrections and Updates, Health Care, Public Health, Texas, Rick Perry, | "Rick Perry, saying parents should get their children vaccinated, went on to say his home state greatly stepped up vaccinations in his 14 years as Texas governor. In a Feb. 5, 2015, interview with The Washington Post and Texas Tribune, Perry said national and state leaders should use their power to encourage the childh... |
37918 | Wondering about Kyle Rittenhouse's father? Call the Kenosha Sheriff's Dept and ask for Deputy Rittenhouse. | ‘Deputy Rittenhouse’ and the Kenosha Sheriff’s Department | unproven | Disinformation, Fact Checks | On August 27 2020, amid algorithmically-charged discourse about teenaged shooting suspect Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin, rumors on Facebook and Twitter appeared with claims that Rittenhouse’s father was “Deputy Rittenhouse” of the Kenosha Sheriff’s Department:Wondering about Kyle Rittenhouse's father? Call the... |
29104 | List reproduces various statements made by Hillary Clinton. | How accurate is collection of controversial statements reportedly made by Hillary Clinton? | mixture | Politics, hillary clinton | Attempting to assign any kind of status to this 2007 collection of purported quotes by Hillary Rodham Clinton poses something of a problem. All of them have appeared in print as things the former first lady and current U.S. senator from New York supposedly said (although some of them are missourced in the example repro... |
11404 | B vitamins don’t boost energy drinks’ power | This is a another very informative column in the continuing excellent “Healthy Skeptic” series in the Los Angeles Times. This column examines health claims made about certain energy drinks. It provided some insight about the grain of truth that could possibly be said to underlie the claims made about thes products and... | true | The story included prices for several of the products described. The story debunked the company claims of benefit about vitamin B supplementation of energy drinks. The story provided accurate information about a potential harm of excess consumption of vitamin B-6. The story debunked product information propagated by th... | |
16247 | Rick Scott vetoed funding for 30 Florida rape crisis centers. Scott said the centers weren’t needed. | "A TV ad on behalf of Crist said ""Rick Scott vetoed funding for 30 Florida rape crisis centers. Scott said the centers weren’t needed."" The ad omits that Scott vetoed an increase in funding for the centers in 2012. He never said the centers weren’t needed -- he said that particular extra $1.5 million wasn’t needed. T... | false | Health Care, State Budget, Women, Florida, Charlie Crist, | "In the homestretch, Charlie Crist is pushing hard for the women’s vote in his battle against Gov. Rick Scott. Crist has vowed to protect abortion rights and fight for equal pay for women for months. Scott has attacked Crist for taking money from strip club owners. Now a TV ad attacks Scott’s record on funding rape cri... |
7351 | Wolf to ease restrictions elsewhere, but still has concerns. | Gov. Tom Wolf will announce Friday that more counties can see some of his tightest pandemic restrictions lifted, as counties and lawmakers kept up pressure on him to ease up on his orders. | true | Health, General News, Tom Wolf, Pandemics, Nursing homes, Beaver, Virus Outbreak, Huntingdon | In a telephone news conference Thursday with reporters, Wolf said he will make his decision on Friday morning. However, he has not changed his criteria for deciding which counties can emerge from his stay-at-home order and his order for non-life-sustaining businesses to close, he said. His health secretary, Dr. Rachel ... |
3182 | Government plans to ban flavors used in e-cigarettes. | The federal government will act to ban thousands of flavors used in e-cigarettes, President Donald Trump said Wednesday, responding to a recent surge in underage vaping that has alarmed parents, politicians and health authorities nationwide. | true | AP Top News, Alex Azar, Health, General News, Politics, Business, Melania Trump, Tobacco industry regulation, Donald Trump | The surprise White House announcement could remake the multibillion-dollar vaping industry, which has been driven by sales of flavored nicotine formulas such as “grape slushie” and “strawberry cotton candy.” The Food and Drug Administration will develop guidelines to remove from the market all e-cigarette flavors excep... |
6738 | Maryland House speaker Michael Busch has liver transplant. | Maryland Speaker of the House Michael Busch has undergone a liver transplant. | true | Michael Busch, Health, Liver transplants, University of Maryland, Maryland | The speaker’s office said in a statement that the 70-year-old Busch had the procedure Thursday at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Busch’s sister provided the donation. The speaker’s office says Busch was recently diagnosed with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Busch said in an interview Wednesday with The Capit... |
9386 | Prostate-Cancer Gene Test Helps Patients Decide on Treatment | This Wall Street Journal story discusses available genetic tests which can theoretically distinguish between prostate cancer cases that require immediate treatment and those that need only regular monitoring for change. The latter group avoids possible surgery or radiation treatments, both of which can result in side e... | mixture | genetic testing,prostate cancer | The story offers clear information on the cost of the genetic tests by saying,”The various genomics tests, which have a list price between $3,800 and $5,000, generally are covered by Medicare and some private insurers.” To its credit, it mentions the costs fairly early in the story. The presumed benefit of a test like... |
7346 | Age and pandemic: Time lost, plans canceled, dreams deferred. | Elizabeth Hubbart was booked for a cruise that followed the path of Lewis and Clark’s expedition in the Pacific Northwest. Joel Demski was set to watch and cheer his grandson graduating from the Naval Academy. James Kelly planned a trip to Scotland, to scatter his father’s ashes in the Clyde River near Glasgow. | true | AP Top News, Health, General News, Weekend Reads, Scotland, Lifestyle, Pandemics, Virus Outbreak, U.S. News | They are all older than 60. And like millions of others, they now face the painful realization that their plans, their hopes, their bucket-list items, were not simply deferred but in many cases denied thanks to the coronavirus. The global pandemic has left them wondering about the time they have left, and how to spend ... |
28071 | The Forest Hill High School band performed a half-time show that depicted police officers being shot. | What's true: The Forest Hill High School band did indeed perform a skit in which student performers, wielding toy guns, appeared to hold police officers hostage. What's false: The performance appears to have depicted police officers being held at gunpoint but not being shot, in keeping with its status as a parody of th... | true | Politics, blue lives matter | In October 2018, controversy surrounded a half-time performance by a Jackson, Mississippi, high school band when viral social media posts, as well as local and national news reports, appeared to show students holding toy guns and “shooting” other students dressed as police officers. Evangelical Christian activist Joshu... |
29013 | PETA workers are stealing family pets and euthanizing them. | What's true: PETA associates have been involved in some incidents involving the alleged theft and/or euthanization of family pets. What's false: PETA workers do not routinely lure pets away from families for the sole purpose of euthanizing the animals. | mixture | Critter Country, Crusader Habit | People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an American animal rights organization often embroiled in controversy, even among animal lovers, because the group’s practices and policies are viewed by many as too extreme and strident. One such subject of controversy is the organization’s view on euthanizing unwa... |
6731 | Iowa hospitals say Medicaid change will cost them millions. | Iowa officials running the state’s Medicaid program have changed the way hospitals are paid for emergency room care which allows insurance companies to deny or reduce payment for hundreds of symptoms causing hospitals to absorb millions of dollars in unpaid bills. | true | Iowa, Health care industry, Health, Privatizations, Kim Reynolds, Medicaid | Iowa hospitals have warned Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Human Services administrator who oversees the Medicaid program that the changes will cost the state’s largest hospitals tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue a year and will lead to layoffs. “The privatization of Medicaid has been a disaster ... |
10109 | A new knee built for women only | This is a nice, concise piece that highlights a new surgical device designed to fit into an already crowded field. On its face, implants tailored for women’s knees have a certain appeal. This story asks whether their merits extend beyond marketing to improved outcomes after surgery—in the form of greater pain relief or... | true | The story says the implant designed especially for women is “more expensive” (presumably in comparison to most other options) even though its cost-effectiveness remains unknown. Still, we wish the story included an actual cost estimate of the device and its implantation. Readers aren’t given any idea of whether this is... | |
9624 | Dermira's drug for excessive armpit sweating succeeds in key studies | This is a brief story about two studies of a topical skin treatment for excessive sweating, directed at an investor/financial audience. The story has several major deficiencies, the most egregious being the lack of any specific, useful details of the new treatment, and the research so far conducted on it. We actually f... | false | dermatology,dermira,underarm sweating | The product is not yet on the market, and is defined as experimental, so we’ll rate this as N/A. But readers would still benefit from seeing the projected steps needed to get on the market, which isn’t made clear here. Not enough detail is contained in the description of the drug’s benefits: “a significant improvement ... |
3974 | Eastern Indiana farmer charged after dead cows found. | An eastern Indiana farmer faces charges after 38 dead cows were found on his property. | true | Health, Animal health, Crime, Richmond, Indiana | The (Richmond) Palladium-Item reports 42-year-old Rodney Sintz of West College Corner is charged with three counts of failure to properly dispose of a dead animal and three counts of cruelty to an animal. Court documents say an Indiana State Board of Animal Health field veterinarian found the dead cows in various stage... |
29934 | "A person can be seen committing suicide by jumping from a bridge in the background of a scene in the movie ""The Basketball Diaries." | The small object in this clip could certainly be a garbage bag or some sort of debris. A popular suggestion during a discussion among the Snopes staff was that the object could be a large bird diving from the bridge toward the water. We can’t definitively identify the object falling from this bridge, but we note that t... | false | Entertainment | On 17 January 2019, a video purportedly showing a person committing suicide by jumping off of a bridge in the background of a scene from the 1995 film The Basketball Diaries was posted to the Reddit community: Suicide caught in the 1995 film “The Basketball Diaries” (Look at the bridge behind Mark Wahlberg) A small... |
7441 | Some counties undeterred by Wolf’s threat; others back down. | Two days after Gov. Tom Wolf lambasted them as “cowardly” and vowed to withhold funding, several Pennsylvania counties signaled Wednesday they are moving ahead with plans to defy him by lifting some pandemic restrictions. Others backed down under the governor’s threat. | true | Harrisburg, Health, General News, Pennsylvania, Business, Tom Wolf, Pandemics, Beaver, Virus Outbreak, Public health | Commissioners in many GOP-controlled counties where the Democratic governor has yet to ease any restrictions say they can manage the public health impacts of COVID-19 and reopen safely. They say the shutdown threatens to destroy local economies — especially small businesses — the longer it goes. “Come this Friday, we p... |
10546 | New test under development could find single cancer cell in blood | Researchers and company cut a deal to support research on a test that finds circulating tumor cells. Company announces the deal. News story regurgitates the company announcement without examination. If CNN was going to rewrite someone else’s work, it would have been better off rewriting Dr. Len Lichtenfeld’s blog post ... | false | Cancer,CNN | The story does not offer any information about costs. It refers to an early technology for detecting circulating tumor cells marketed by the same company, but then doesn’t tell readers how much the existing test costs. As mentioned above, the story regurgitates unsupported promises that early detection of cancer is inh... |
6620 | Roseburg woman breathing easier after double-lung transplant. | Jennifer Myers of Roseburg can breathe easier now that a double lung transplant has given her a new lease on life. | true | Cystic fibrosis, Health, Oregon, Lung transplants, Portland, Roseburg | Cystic fibrosis was taking away her ability to breathe, and she got to the point where she was going to need the life-saving procedure to survive. Myers, 34, was born with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that causes severe damage to lungs and other organs. For Myers, the disorder was diagnosed on her second birthda... |
34166 | In October 2019, the Rev. Robert Morey of St. Anthony's parish in Florence, South Carolina, refused former Vice President Joe Biden the Catholic rite of communion. | Until and unless we receive information that corroborates Morey’s account. | unproven | Politics | In October 2019, we received multiple inquiries from readers about the accuracy of news reports that claimed former Vice President and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden had been refused communion by a Catholic priest in South Carolina on the basis of Biden’s support for abortion rights. The story was cov... |
6939 | Canadian marijuana imports OK’d by US for California study. | In a rare move, the U.S. government has approved the importation of marijuana extracts from Canada for a clinical trial, highlighting a new avenue for American researchers who have long had trouble obtaining the drug for medical studies. | true | Global trade, AP Top News, San Diego, University of California, Clinical trials, Medical marijuana, Tilray Inc, North America, Business, Legal Marijuana, California, Marijuana, U.S. News, Canada | The University of California San Diego’s Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research announced Tuesday the Drug Enforcement Administration has OK’d its plans to import capsules containing two key cannabis compounds — CBD and THC — from British Columbia-based Tilray Inc . to study their effectiveness in treating tremors that... |
38631 | A viral Facebook post warns that Nylabone dog treats are toxic and can cause seizures. | Nylabone Dog Treats Are Toxic and Cause Seizures-Reported as Fiction! | false | Animals | There’s no proof that Nylabone dog chews are toxic, or that they can give dogs seizures. Those rumors surfaced with a Facebook post from a woman who said she was passing along a message “from a friend” about her 2 year-old dog having a seizure while eating a Nylabone dog chew: From a friend please read!!! FYI. To all m... |
3918 | Inspectors wanted: New Mexico sets sights on public health. | From taco stands to toxic waste, environmental regulators in New Mexico are tasked with inspecting tens of thousands of businesses, restaurants and industrial sites every year, but some officials are concerned that demand has far outpaced the number of available inspectors. | true | Legislature, Health, General News, Environment, State legislature, Public health, New Mexico | Environment Secretary James Kenney says the state Legislature needs to make a bigger investment to bolster the tools his agency has so it can meet its regulatory responsibilities. “We have a direct correlation to public health and I think people don’t often remember that is in the forefront of our mission — protecting ... |
10205 | Eating your way to lower cholesterol | This article puts several disparate pieces about dietary interventions that can be made to improve cholesterol profile together in one place in a helpful manner. The article covered the results of a recent study that showed that the addition of what was terms a ‘portfolio of heart friendly foods’ to the diet can result... | mixture | There was no discussion about how the addition of these foods affected the total food budget for the study participants. While the article does provide some comparison between the group of individuals who were most compliant with including all the diet additions (a 20% reduction) and those who “fell off the wagon” (a 1... | |
10670 | Doctors study osteoporosis screening and treatment choices to lessen risk of fractures | The scientific evidence in this area seems to be changing by the month—and those at potential risk of fractures need to stay informed about key developments. The Boston Globe article clearly gave women and men enough information to at least start a discussion with their doctors about these issues. Many news stories on ... | true | The article did not discuss the costs of various management approaches. A simple statement about the costs of screening and the annual costs of bisphosphonates would have been useful. The article provided adequate discussion of the relative benefits of the treatments and screening methods under discussion. The article ... | |
40040 | This is a forwarded email that advises singers of the National Anthem at sporting events to stop styling it up and sing the song like it was written and taught in schools. The writer is alleged to be a former U.S. Marine Colonel. | The National Anthem isn’t a Pop Song | false | Crime / Police, Miscellaneous | This eRumor appears to be taken from an opinion written on February 8, 2011 by Mark Corallo, a veteran of the U.S. Army and who said that the National Anthem is sacred to him and his family of veterans. The opinion was found posted on the Daily Caller. Here is the complete opinion piece: The National Anthem is... |
6 | More drugmakers hike U.S. prices as new year begins. | Drugmakers including Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (BMY.N), Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD.O), and Biogen Inc (BIIB.O) hiked U.S. list prices on more than 50 drugs on Wednesday, bringing total New Year’s Day drug price increases to more than 250, according to data analyzed by healthcare research firm 3 Axis Advisors. | true | Health News | Reuters reported on Tuesday that drugmakers including Pfizer Inc (PFE.N), GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK.L) and Sanofi SA (SASY.PA) were planning to increase prices on more than 200 drugs in the United States on Jan. 1. Nearly all of the price increases are below 10% and the median price increase is around 5%, according to 3... |
27781 | Facebook has banned the sale of firearms | Facebook’s ban on unlicensed peer-to-peer gun sales also applies to Instagram. | true | Politics Guns, facebook | On 29 January 2016, Facebook announced changes to their Community Standard Regulated Goods Policy, banning the use of the social media network by unlicensed individuals to sell firearms. This is not the first time Facebook has explicitly banned sales of a particular item. The regulated goods policy, which can be read h... |
468 | Australian PM apologizes for vacation as firefighters killed in huge blazes. | Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison issued a rare public apology on Friday and cut short a Hawaiian vacation in response to mounting public anger after two volunteer firefighters were killed battling bushfires sweeping the country’s east coast. | true | Environment | Some areas of Sydney are set for “catastrophic” conditions on Saturday, and the deadly fires are now engulfing other parts of the country. One person was killed in a car crash on Friday near South Australia’s capital city of Adelaide where an emergency warning is in place, though the precise circumstances surrounding t... |
24324 | We have over 300 state agencies. Forty-five of those agencies are related to health care. | Hutchison says Texas has 45 health-related state agencies | false | Health Care, Texas, Kay Bailey Hutchison, | "Republican U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, running for governor, said she wouldn't hesitate to trim state spending to cope with a looming state revenue shortfall of up to $17 billion. ""We should start cutting across the board now in our state agencies,"" she said during the GOP gubernatorial debate Jan. 14. ""We have... |
9543 | Calcium supplements and your heart: Researchers send mixed messages | The story examines the potential risks and benefits associated with the use of calcium supplements, and discusses two recent studies (found in the Journal of the American Heart Association and the Annals of Internal Medicine) that address the issue. On the whole, the story is strong: It offers guidance to readers about... | true | osteoporosis,supplements | Cost is not mentioned. While calcium supplements are not prohibitively expensive for most patients (prices vary, but tend to cost less than $10 for several months’ worth of pills), they are not free — and expense can be an important consideration for many patients. Also, given that most people can get enough calcium th... |
11103 | New Test for Colon Cancer Under Development | "A journalist wrote us this week asking, ""What’s up with HealthDay and its news release rehashes? This is important because many mainstream media outlets and consumer health websites publish HealthDay stories."" We can’t answer that but we wish it would change. There are active debates about the competing technologies... | false | "No discussion of costs. The story did an adequate job of quantifying the benefits seen in two trials, but didn’t comment on the small sample size in one study and didn’t disclose the size of the sample studied in the other. No discussion of false positives with this method. One study was in 10 people. No comment on th... | |
26574 | Facebook post Says a study projects Wisconsin’s coronavirus cases will peak on April 26, 2020 | The first iteration of a study estimating coronavirus peak dates for each state pegged Wisconsin at May 22, last in the nation by two weeks. But updates to the model used in the study changed the dates for almost all states, affecting Wisconsin the most. The organization now predicts an April 26 peak in Wisconsin. That... | true | Wisconsin, Coronavirus, Facebook posts, | "Specifics have been hard to come by in this pandemic. We don’t know how many people are infected, how fast the coronavirus is spreading or how long we may need to quarantine. So the first study to project a date when each state’s cases would peak drew a lot of interest -- especially since Wisconsin jumped off the virt... |
4096 | Study looks at ways to control dust coal miners breathe. | A new report examines the way coal dust inhaled by miners is regulated as health and safety officials grapple with an increase in cases of severe black lung disease in Appalachia. | true | Health, Lung disease, Science | The National Academy of Sciences report released Thursday explores dust sampling approaches and limiting miners’ exposure to dust. Controlling dust exposure is critical to preventing black lung disease, or pneumoconiosis. The disease has killed about 77,000 coal miners since 1968. The 148-page report suggests that moni... |
1887 | U.S. group sues to halt artist Christo's project. | A coalition of environmentalists, outdoor enthusiasts and wildlife advocates have filed a federal lawsuit to block a project by the artist Christo that would drape fabric canopies along a long stretch of the Arkansas River in Colorado. | true | Environment | "Artist Christo receives his ""Goldene Henne"" (Golden Hen) media award in the category ""Life Achievement"" during the prize ceremony at the Friedrichstadtpalast in Berlin, September 15, 2010. REUTERS/Michael Kappeler Opponents of the Bulgarian-born Christo’s proposed “Over the River” project sued the U.S. Bureau of L... |
2073 | Popularity can come at a price: getting flu first. | Think you’re popular? Well, name a friend. It turns out that this person is probably more popular than you, a tendency that scientists might be able to use to predict the spread of disease. | true | Health News | But the popular pay a price: they get flu first, on average two weeks sooner than most others, two experts report in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS ONE. “Being at the center of the network tends to make you happy but it also exposes you to disease,” James Fowler of the University of California, San Diego, w... |
9207 | Tablet devices show promise in managing agitation among patients with dementia | Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) on Thursday said it was in talks to discuss a settlement with German vehicle owners who are suing the carmaker over excessive pollution caused by VW’s diesel cars. | true | computer tablets,dementia,McLean Hospital | In 2015 the carmaker admitted to using manipulated engine management software to mask excessive pollution levels in its diesel cars, sparking a raft of prosecutions and lawsuits that have led to at least 30 billion euros in legal costs and fines. “Volkswagen and the Federation of German Consumer Organisations vzbv have... |
41949 | Irrespective of efforts that were made in 2016 by foreign powers, it is the universal conclusion of our intelligence communities that none of those efforts had any impact on the outcome of the 2016 election. | Japanese officials have culled 753 pigs in Saitama Prefecture north of Tokyo after detecting an outbreak of swine fever, the Yomiuri newspaper said on Sunday. | false | Russia investigation, | The cull, which took place on Saturday, was necessary after it was determined that pigs raised in the prefecture for shipment to central Japan were infected, the Yomiuri said. Saitama also decided to halt shipments from two other pig farms in the area of the outbreak, the Yomiuri said. Officials from the Saitama Prefec... |
32053 | Life expectancy in the United States is now lower because of Obamacare. | It is unclear, based on the Natural News story, what specific mechanisms of the ACA’s rollout would have affected mortality rates. While some of the Affordable Care Act’s provisions first launched in 2010, the majority of its more substantial provisions (such as the individual mandate) didn’t take effect until 2014, wh... | false | Medical, affordable care act, american health care system, natural news | On 2 November 2016, the conspiracy-obsessed alternative health website Natural News posted a story with the headline: “Americans’ Health Deteriorating Under Obamacare as Life Expectancies Plunge.” Although the article does not directly demonstrate that ObamaCare is the cause of this “deterioration,” the headline’s clai... |
6254 | Ohio governor asks lawmakers to ban flavored vape products. | Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has asked lawmakers to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarette products as concerns grow about the health effects of vaping. | true | Mike DeWine, Health, Ohio, Vaping, Tobacco industry regulation | DeWine, a Republican, said Tuesday the ban is needed to protect children from addiction. Although other states have issued emergency bans, DeWine said he doesn’t have such authority and is seeking legislation. One such Ohio bill was already introduced last week, banning the sale of flavored vaping products and creating... |
3948 | Flu symptoms sending many to Indianapolis-area hospitals. | Influenza and flu-like symptoms were contributing to more visits to Indianapolis-area emergency rooms than at any point during the past decade, officials said. | true | Health, Indianapolis, Flu, Indiana | The primary complaint of 6.2% of ER visits in the week ending Dec. 28 was flu-like symptoms, according to the Marion County Health Department. The previous high of the past 10 years was about 5.3% during the 2017-18 flu season, The Indianapolis Star reported. Health officials have urged those with mild or minor sympto... |
5272 | Massachusetts health officials warn of measles exposure. | Health officials in Massachusetts say a child has tested positive for measles after visiting a number of locations in the Boston area that could have resulted in exposure to other people. | true | Quincy, Health, Boston, Massachusetts, Measles | The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Saturday that the child was diagnosed Friday. This is the second case of measles this year in Massachusetts. The department says during the infectious period, the child visited the Weymouth Club in Weymouth last Saturday; Jack ‘n’ Jill Childcare at Marina Bay in N... |
21878 | "National Republican Senatorial Committee Says that Sherrod Brown ""voted to cut Medicare by over $500 billion in order to fund government-run health care." | NRSC claims Sen. Sherrod Brown voted to cut $500 billion from Medicare | false | Ohio, Health Care, Medicare, Voting Record, National Republican Senatorial Committee, | "When Sen. Sherrod Brown spoke at a Youngstown senior center against a Republican proposal to convert Medicare to a voucher system, the National Republican Senatorial Committee had a ready response. The NRSC revised and reissued a three-day-old news release that targeted virtually identical statements at Brown, of Ohio... |
37338 | This is a forwarded email containing six trivia questions alleging that Hillary Clinton is a socialist with Marxis’ leanings. | Hillary Clinton Six Quotes on Socialism | false | Politics | The words came out of the mouth of Hillary Clinton but they were taken out of context. Let us examine these one at a time. 1) “We’re going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.” According to an Associated Press June 29, 2004 article found in San Diego’s Union Tribune Hillary Clinton was in S... |
3137 | Superfund cleanup considered for Detroit ‘green goo’ site. | An industrial site in suburban Detroit from which a greenish stream of contaminated water leaked onto a freeway will be considered for the federal Superfund cleanup program, Michigan officials said Friday. | true | Environment, General News, Industrial waste, Detroit, Michigan | The state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy said an evaluation of the Electro-Plating Services Inc. site will be completed this spring. It will be based on dozens of soil and water samples being taken by the department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The chrome plating company in Madison H... |
10211 | Essure tubal coil permanent birth control catching on | "Essure is a permanent sterilization system that has been available in the US since 2002. Placement does require a procedure and sedation. It typically lasts about 30 minutes and is called hysteroscopy. To accomplish placement the cervix is dilated and a hysteroscope inserted into the uterus to see the fallopian tube o... | mixture | "The story mentions ""Insurance typically pays for the full cost when performed in the hospital, except co-pays and deductibles."" But we are never given the actual cost of the device itself. Estimates of the cost of the device vary from $1300 to $3500, and a hysterosalpinogram is required at 12 weeks to check for tiss... | |
2849 | Canada Supreme Court to revisit decision banning assisted suicide. | The Supreme Court of Canada agreed on Thursday to take another look at a decision it made in 1993 upholding a ban on assisted suicide, setting up a new battle over the right to die. | true | Health News | The case involves Gloria Taylor, an Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patient and activist, who joined the right to die lawsuit in 2011. Taylor died of her illness, informally called Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2012. The family of a second woman, Kay Carter, who traveled to Switzerland to end her life, were also plainti... |
9805 | Electrical Brain Stimulation May Strengthen Memory, Study Says | This story gives readers a good sense of the tentative nature of this research. It points out that the results seen in patients with epilepsy might not be replicated in those with Alzheimer’s disease. But the story should have done more to point out the inherent risks of pushing wires deep into a patient’s brain. Some ... | true | Epilepsy | This line of research is so preliminary that we won’t criticize a story for omitting cost estimates. However, as the story notes, similar technology is used to treat some people with Parkinson’s disease and other disorders, so the story could have told readers how much those applications cost. The story reports that th... |
11862 | We’ve cut taxes 75 times, cut $7.5 billion worth in taxes, and as a result we’ve added over 1.3 million jobs. | "Scott said, ""We’ve cut taxes 75 times, cut $7.5 billion worth in taxes, and as a result we’ve added over 1.3 million jobs."" Scott is including anything that reduces government revenues to claim he's cut taxes 75 times. But, as we've said before, the list includes things that are clearly not tax cuts. In addition, Sc... | mixture | State Budget, Taxes, Florida, Rick Scott, | "For years, Republican Gov. Rick Scott has touted an ever-growing pile of tax cuts he has achieved for the state. In 2013, he claimed he cut taxes 24 times. In 2014, that number grew to 40. Now, as Scott rounds out his last full year in office (and ponders a run for the U.S. Senate), the tally has been raised once more... |
34538 | "Secret Service and military personnel have used the designation ""Broomstick One"" for aircraft carrying Hillary Clinton." | Broomstick One #BasketOfDeplorablespic.twitter.com/Rskde22TOC — Morally Correct? (@DisruptGBM) September 10, 2016 | unproven | Politics, 2016 presidential campaign, air force one, hillary clinton | On 27 October 2016, during an otherwise typical on-air rant against Democrat Hillary Clinton, conservative radio pundit Rush Limbaugh had this to say about the presidential candidate’s primary means of transportation: Do you know what they call Hillary’s campaign plane? Broomstick One. That’s the name for her campaign ... |
15752 | Today roughly half of born-again Christians aren’t voting. They’re staying home. | For two men trained as scientists, the bosses of Britain’s major insulin providers have had to become experts in ferry schedules, trucking laws and warehouse capacity as they seek to guarantee the supply of life-saving drugs through a chaotic Brexit. | false | Corrections and Updates, Elections, Religion, Texas, Ted Cruz, | With Britain set to leave the European Union within weeks, Pinder Sahota at the world’s biggest insulin maker Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi’s Hugo Fry have rebuilt operations to withstand the most turbulent of events. The two companies told Reuters they had spent millions of pounds, which they cannot recoup, stockpiling mil... |
3670 | California governor seeks $1 billion to target homelessness. | A billion-dollar investment last year has yet to curtail California’s growing homeless crisis, and with the state awash in revenue, Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to spend a billion more on programs aimed at getting people off the streets. | true | California, Health, General News, Business, Medicaid, Homelessness, Gavin Newsom, U.S. News | He signed an executive order Wednesday creating what he intends to be a $750 million fund that providers could tap to pay rents, fund affordable housing or aid boarding and care homes. Newsom also wants to use vacant state property to house homeless people and is seeking changes to the state’s Medicaid program to incre... |
39808 | The writer of the email says she had a bad experience with Zicam nose spray for colds. She felt an immediate reaction after using it and realized that the result was that she lost all sense of taste or smell. She says she found stories of other people on the Internet who also lost the... | Zicam Nose Spray Can Kill Your Sense of Smell | false | Medical, Warnings | We don’t know whether this particular first-hand account is true but the concerns about Zircam are not fabricated. Zicam is the brand name of products from Matrixx Initiatives. The company promotes its Zicam Cold Remedy nasal gel by saying that it shortens your cold. Their website says i... |
10062 | New mammogram study stirs debate for women in 40s | This story gives readers a balanced view of the benefits and harms of screening mammography among women in their 40s based on the results of study comparing the areas in Sweden that offered routine screening to those that did not. It tells readers not only the percentage difference in death rates but also the number th... | true | Although the story notes the number of women who would need to be screened to prevent a breast cancer death and the risk of overtreatment, it does not discuss the costs of annual mammography screening, or even provide a range of costs. The story does not discuss any health care policy cost repercussions of breast cance... | |
7425 | Fauci says he can’t stop Trump from talking at briefings. | Dr. Anthony Fauci says he can’t jump in front of the microphone to stop President Donald Trump from speaking at daily White House briefings on the coronavirus outbreak. | true | Health, Anthony Fauci, General News, Politics, Infectious diseases, Science, Virus Outbreak, Donald Trump | The nation’s top infectious disease expert told Science magazine in an interview that Trump listens “even though we disagree on some things.” “He goes his own way. He has his own style,” Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in the telephone interview with the ... |
26513 | Louie Gohmert Says a powder has been developed that, when mixed with water, “is being used in Germany as a mist. Health care workers go through a misting tent going into the hospital and it kills the coronavirus completely dead not only right then, but any time in the next 14 days that the virus touches anything that’s... | Germany health officials from three federal agencies in the country said no such product or disinfecting stations are being used at hospitals in the country. No product appears to exist that meets the parameters Gohmert identified in his statement. Most disinfectants have a limited window of effectiveness, ranging from... | false | Texas, Louie Gohmert, | "During a live interview on a local television station in East Texas, U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert discussed the coronavirus and measures he says some health care workers around the world are taking to stay safe while treating patients who have tested positive for the virus. Gohmert, a Republican from Tyler, said he recentl... |
2461 | For 'Biggest Loser' trainer, diet trumps exercise in weight loss. | Celebrity trainer Bob Harper, of the weight-loss TV show “The Biggest Loser,” has built a career putting very obese people through some grueling fitness paces but if he’s learned anything from the experience, it’s that diet trumps exercise every time. | true | Health News | The Los Angeles-based trainer, who was born on a cattle farm in Tennessee and arrived in California some 20 years ago, said gone are the days when he believed it was possible to just exercise the pounds away. “It is all about your diet,” Harper, 48, said during a break from filming Season 15 of the long-running U.S. sh... |
29191 | A 1951 United Nations convention gives migrants fleeing violence in their home countries the legal right to enter the United States. | What's true: The 1951 Refugee Convention gives migrants the right to apply for asylum in the United States, regardless of whether they entered or remained in the country legally or illegally. What's false: It is illegal to enter or be present in the United States without authorization or proper documentation, regardles... | false | Politics, asylum, immigration, migrant caravan | In the autumn of 2018, controversy surrounded a caravan of thousands of migrants travelling mainly from Honduras, but also from Guatemala, towards Mexico and the southern border of the United States. President Donald Trump claimed (without presenting evidence) that the contingent included “criminals and unknown Middle ... |
26106 | “If we stopped testing right now, we'd have very few cases, if any.” | The swelling pandemic requires a more aggressive response than the White House has so far outlined. Halting testing wouldn’t eliminate COVID-19 cases. It would conceal them and could fuel an even greater crisis. | false | Health Check, Coronavirus, Donald Trump, | "President Donald Trump sought to downplay the numbers associated with COVID-19 in the United States — which have passed 2 million confirmed cases and are nearing 120,000 lives lost — by arguing that the soaring national count was simply the result of superior testing. ""If you don't test, you don't have any cases,"" T... |
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